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!

Brazilian Brownies

The Detroit Zen Center offers the most delicious raw foods I have ever had.....anywhere. They make these delectable raw brownies from Brazil nuts. Unfortunately, (for me, not them) the folks at the Zen Center are heading to Korea for 6 months. So, I had to figure out a way to satisfy my brownie jones in their absence. Well, the recipe is all over the internet. They are easy to make and so good! I have to admit, they lack something compared to those at the Zen Center, though. I imagine when the Zen Center re-opens 6 months from now, you will find me face down in a pan of brownies.

2 cups brazil nuts
1/4 cup raw cacao
3 cups dates - pitted
1 tablespoon vanilla
In a food processor or blender, grind the nuts into flour.
Add the raw cacao and grind a bit more.
Add the vanilla and dates and process until you have a rather smooth dough.
I have a smaller processor, so while the resulting dough was not as smooth- these are still wonderful brownies (if I do say so myself).
Now, if you have one of those cool silicone brownie forms - press the mixture into that. I don't own one of those so - line a square or rectangle food storage container (8x8 ish or you can wing it) with plastic wrap and press the brownie mixture in. Whichever container you use - press the mixture firmly into the container. Slice into small squares with a sharp (not serrated) knife and enjoy.

Mango Lassi Breakfast Pudding

Slightly reminiscent of a mango lassi and slightly reminiscent of rice pudding, this breakfast pudding is filling, delicious and delightfully satisfying.
Step 1 -
1/4 C Flax Seeds
1/4 C Chia Seeds
2 C Coconut Milk

Combine and let soak 15 minutes.

Step 2-
1/3 C Raw Cashews
5 Cardamom Seeds

Grind well in a food processor fitted with an "S" blade the add:

2T Coconut Butter (not oil)
8 Pitted Dates
1/2 t. Vanilla

1T Raw Agave (or more if you like things sweet)

Grind again for a 30 seconds or so then add:

1/2 Ripe Mango - peeled and sliced
Grind until you have a very smooth, thick paste.

 Step 3 -
Add the Coconut Milk and Seed mixture and blend really well until  you have a nice, creamy pudding.

This recipe serves 4 or you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days - so you have a ready made, healthy, delicious, raw, vegan breakfast!
Serve with mango slices or fresh raspberries.

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

Raw Pineapple Coconut Macaroons

So delicious and moist, these macaroons will satisfy your sweet tooth whether you are vegan, a raw foodie or not. So good and so easy.

1/2 C Dried Pineapple Pieces
4 T Coconut Butter (not coconut oil)
5    Dates - Pitted
1/4 C Raw Agave Syrup
1/2 C Ground Almond Meal
1/2 C Unsweetened Dried Flaked Coconut
1/2  t Vanilla
1/4  t Sea Salt
Process all of the above ingredients in a food processor fitted with an "S" blade and grind until you have a fairly smooth dough-like mixture. Spoon this mixture into a large bowl and add:
3 C Unsweetened Dried Flaked Coconut
Knead the coconut flakes into the pineapple mixture REALLY WELL. (and I mean REALLY WELL - or they won't hold together)
Now, just firmly squeeze this mixture into bite size macaroons - you can roll some in almond meal too, for variety.
I store them in the refrigerator, if there are any left :)

 

Cilantro Pate

2 cloves garlic
4 Tablespoons Flax Oil
3 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
1/4 C Walnuts
1/4 C Sunflower Seeds (soaked 24 hours and drained)
1/2 bunch Cilantro - rinsed well and drained
Olive Oil
Kosher salt or Sea salt
Combine first 6 ingredients in food processor and chop fine.
Slowly add enough olive oil to form a thick pate.
Salt to taste.
Serve on zucchini or cucumber rounds.

Pesto Zucchini "Pasta" Salad

Salad:
3 Zucchini or Summer Squash - made into ribbons
1 Green Pepper chopped
1/2 bag broccoli slaw mix 
8 large mushrooms - thinly sliced
12 small black olives - sliced
Make zucchini ribbons using a mandoline slicer, spiral slicer or the large opening on a box grater.Combine the zucchini ribbons and the other vegetables, mushrooms and olives in a medium bowl and drizzle with Pesto Dressing.

Pesto Dressing:
2 cloves garlic
1/4 C walnuts
1/2 C raw or cold pressed olive oil
12 fresh Basil leaves
4 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
Kosher salt or Sea salt to taste
Blend in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Yum.

Asian Inspired Lettuce Wraps - RAWr option

Fresh and Spicy!
1/2 head of Green cabbage or Napa cabbage - sliced thin , then chopped (like for cole slaw)
1/2 bunch cilantro (12-14 sprigs)- chopped
1/2 bunch mint - (4-6 sprigs) chopped
1 Jalapeno - seeded and sliced paper thin
1/2 english cucumber - finely chopped
10 mushrooms (for raw diet) or 8 slices baked tofu - finely diced
Combine all of the above in a medium bowl
Drizzle with:
juice of 1/4 lime
2 Tablespoons Tamari
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
Serve on:
16 Romaine leaves - rinsed and patted dry

Southwest Lettuce Wraps - RAWr

Fresh, raw, delicious and satisfying!
1 clove garlic - minced
1/4 red onion - minced
1/2  - 1 whole jalapeno - seeded and thinly sliced
2 tomatoes - diced
2 ears of corn - cut the kernels from the cob
1 avocado- diced
1/4 bunch cilantro- finely chopped
1/4 lime - juice
2 Tablespoons cold pressed olive oil
Kosher salt or Sea salt to taste
In a medium bowl combine all of the above ingredients and serve on:
16 romaine lettuce leaves - washed and patted dry.

Kale Chips

1 bunch of kale - stems and ribs removed and torn into large (4-5' square) pieces
cold pressed or raw olive oil
Kosher salt or Sea salt
pre-heat oven to 170 degrees
Put the torn kale pieces in a large bowl.
Drizzle with olive oil (4-6 Tablespoons)
Sprinkle with salt and mix well.
Put on a large cookie sheet without having the kale pieces over
Place in the oven and put a large wooden kitchen spoon in the door to prop it open.
Dry in the oven for 1-3 hours (depending on the moisture content of the kale), turning frequently.
If you are not doing a raw diet, you can bake these at 325 degrees for about 10-20 minutes.

Raw Food Experiment

Back in the 70's my diet was vegan and primarily - raw food vegan. I have decided to try that again for a bit. It's summer, there are lots of great fresh fruits and vegetables readily available and I could stand to lose a few pounds. I recall feeling energetic, light and enlightened. Maybe I  just want to get back to my crazy hippie roots.
I have a couple of friends who are contemplating going raw and I thought maybe blogging some recipes might come in handy.
The main reason I started this blog was for 2 reasons. Firstly, to hold myself accountable. Heart disease is rampant in my family. I lost my father when he was just 55 (my current age) to a massive myocardial infarction. My mother lived to 69, having had a quadruple bypass. I had a heart attack at age 53 - partially hastened by a raging case of sepsis - and I have 2 stents.My younger brother, Joe, has also had a heart attack when he was still in his 40's.
The second reason I started this blog was to share recipes with my older brother, Mike. Mike struggled to maintain a healthy lifestyle even after suffering a heart attack in 1990. He always had an interest in my cooking and loved to write down my recipes. This blog was an easy way for me to share recipes with him in an attempt to keep him healthy. Mike passed away in March of this year.
Initially, I really didn't want to work on this blog anymore. My main focus, I realized, was impressing my brother with my crazy concoctions.
Now - I want to inspire my kids, my siblings, friends and myself to do the best we can to stay healthy.
So - for now the goal is 80 - 90% raw food vegan..... for a while. I intend to leave that other 10-20% for times when I just want to have some kale chips or popcorn or maybe even (gasp!) bread -or- more importantly for potlucks, birthday parties, picnics...... social eating.
There you have it. That is my new initiative. I plan to post recipes that are raw and tasty or.... maybe, cooked and not too horrible for you, but helped me not fall off the wagon too badly.