Grain Free Collard Green Sushi

I am turning 60 in nine days. NINE DAYS! 60! So I've decided in the days leading up to my birthday I'll clean up my act. Eat super clean. Always delicious. Always vegan. Mostly raw. Easy on the grains.
This morning I was banging around the kitchen and trying to figure out what to have for breakfast. I came up with this concoction and I must admit, it's pretty darn good, filling and satisfying.

1) Clean, de-stem and steam some collard greens. Some folks eat collards raw, so feel free to do that.

2) Prepare your filling. I used:
Finely chopped:
Celery
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Mixed with:
Raw Tahini
Chopped Walnuts
Raw Sunflower Seeds
Pink Salt

3) Add your base spread. I used avocado, but you could use hummus, nut butter or a vegan cheese spread.

4) Top with your prepared filling. I used approximately 2 T per roll.

5) Roll up using even pressure, not too tightly.

6) Slice or eat whole and enjoy!

Pan-Asian Cabbage Salad (a.k.a. Super Awesome Potluck Salad)

A little Vietnamese, sort of Thai, a bit Japanese and I bought most of the ingredients at the Chinese market. So Pan-Asian seems about right. This salad is cool, crisp, peppery and minty and SO darn good! Raw Disclaimer: This salad is raw - but I am not certain about some of the ingredients in the salad dressing. If you want to be sure - simply dress the salad with some Nama Shoyu or Braggs Aminos,  some olive oil and sprinkle with some raw sesame seeds or raw sesame oil, if you can find it.

Start by rinsing well and soaking in some warm water:
2 Oz Dried Shiitake Mushroom Caps

Let the mushrooms continue to re-hydrate while you make the salad. Reserve the liquid for the salad dressing.

Pan-Asian Cabbage Salad

1 large head Green Cabbage - chopped as you would for cole slaw
1 bunch Cilantro - washed and chopped fine
1 bunch Thai Basil - washed and chopped fine (regular basil works, too)
1 bunch Mint - washed and chopped fine
1 very small Red Onion - sliced paper thin and chopped
1-2 Jalapenos (according to your heat tolerance) seeded, sliced paper thin

Place all the above ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently to combine well.

Drizzle with the dressing:

Pan-Asian Salad Dressing
 1 clove Garlic - mashed into a paste
1/3 C Sesame Oil
1/4 C Olive Oil
1/4 C Shiitake broth from soaking the Shiitake Mushroom Caps
1 t Vegan Fish Sauce (yes, Virginia there is such a thing at the Chinese Market. Is it raw? I have no idea.)
1 T Tamari, Nama Shoyu or Braggs Aminos

Whisk together, sprinkle over salad - mix well.
Top with:
1/2 C chopped raw almonds.
2 Oz Shiitake mushroom caps (from the beginning of the recipe) soaked, stems removed and sliced into thin strips.
Thai Basil sprig for garnish.

Serve chilled. This salad is great for potlucks and picnics - it travels well and stays fresh without refrigeration for a few hours.

Sweet and Spicy Nuts

You can make these as spicy and hot as you like, they are super crunchy and satisfying. These nuts are great party food and also make an awesome quick energy food. Add dried fruit for trail mix or keep some in your office for a quick pick-me-up. The following recipe is for Cajun Spicy Nuts, but you can use the same method to create Indian, Asian, Italian and BBQ flavor Sweet and Spicy Nuts. The spice combinations for the flavor variations are at the end of this post. You can also vary the kids of nuts or seeds you use. Cashews, hulled raw Sunflower Seeds, Hemp Seeds, Flax Seeds, Hazelnuts, shelled Pistachios....really the combinations of seasonings, nut and seeds are endless. Have fun creating your favorite flavorful snack combination. These nuts make a pretty dandy gift, too.

Sweet and Spicy Cajun Nuts

3 C Nuts and/or Seeds (Pecans, Almonds, Pepitas)

Begin by soaking 3 cups of nuts - I used mostly pecans with some almonds and pepitas - for 1 hour to overnight. Drain and place on a kitchen towel to dry for a few minutes. Next put them in your dehydrator OR in the oven set to the lowest temperature (usually 170 degrees) and prop the door open with a wooden kitchen spoon. let the nuts dry and warm up in the dehydrator or oven like this for about 1/2 hour or so while you make the glaze.

Glaze:
4 T Raw Agave
2 T Date Molasses
2 T Coconut Butter

Mix together well in a small bowl until the coconut better is melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Next add your spice. I use "Cajun Seasoning" preferably without salt so that you may add your own, but salted works fine too, just don't add any additional salt.
Add the following to the Agave mixture:

Spice Mixture
1 T Cajun Seasoning
1 t Sea Salt (Smoked Salt is GREAT in this recipe)
1/2 t Cayenne (or more to taste - or for very mild heat omit)
1 t Smoked Paprika

Remove the warm nuts from the oven and place into a large bowl. Drizzle with the Agave Spice mixture and mix really well. Return the nuts to the dehydrator or cookie sheet and spread them out in a single layer. Put the nuts back in the dehydrator or oven - again propping the oven door open with a wooden kitchen spoon. Let the nuts dry for 4 or 5 hours if using the oven or 5+ hours if using the dehydrator.

Next - remove from dehydrator or oven, sprinkle with:

Sugar, Turbinado Sugar, Date Sugar, Maple Sugar or whatever sugar floats your boat
Sea Salt (omit if you used a Cajun Seasoning that contains Salt)

Let cool. When you first remove the nuts from the dehydrator or oven they will seem soggy and sticky. In just a few (3-5) minutes, they will become crispy and crunchy - if not, return them to the dehydrator or oven for another hour or so. When cooled, store tightly sealed in glass jars.

*For conventional diet (not raw food) - the nuts will not digest as easily and you will lose some of the nutritional benefits (consider yourself scolded), but you can speed up this entire process by not soaking the nuts - just warm them in a 250 degree oven and drizzle with the syrup mixture - return them to the oven for 1-2 hours until they turn crispy when removed from the oven. They are delicious either way!

Spice Mixture Variations:
Curry, Cayenne and Black Pepper
Sesame Seeds, Tamari and Wasabi Powder
Rosemary and Sea Salt
BBQ flavor - Dry Mustard, Smoked Paprika and Sea Salt