What are Raw Foods?

Raw means more than just uncooked and unheated. Raw foods are “Nature’s finished products; they are ready to be consumed, as is”(Graham 233).

After all, a sweet peach needs no help from us to be sweet.

Raw foods are also known as living foods, life foods, sun-fired and sun foods. Whatever you choose to call it, raw foods, with everything left intact, are the healthiest foods we can feed our bodies.

Raw foods include fruits, vegetables, greens, sprouts, nuts, and seeds.

Graham, Dr. Douglas N. 80/10/10 Diet: Balancing your Health, Your Weight, and Your Life, One Luscious Bite at a Time. Florida: FoodnSport Press, 2006.

Winter/Spring Workshops for 2010

Happy New Year!

I'm excited offer a schedule of classes for 2010. I've also added a new 5-Day Seminar. Please see dates and descriptions below.

2010 Winter/Spring Schedule

Raw Food Basics $60/person
Friday, January 22nd, 2010, 3-6 pm
Saturday, February 13th, 2010, 12 pm-3 pm
Saturday, March 13th, 2010, 11 am-2 pm
Sunday, March 21st, 2010, 3-6 pm
If you are considering a 100% raw food diet, then this workshop is a must.
You will learn the benefits and the basic DOs and DON'Ts of the raw food diet. You will have opportunities for hands-on food preparation and will be sampling meals throughout, so please arrive hungry.

Live Milk, Juice and Smoothie $20/person
Saturday, January 16th, 11 am-12:30 pm
Sunday, February 21st, 3-4:30 pm
Friday, March 12th, 5-6:30 pm
You will learn how to prepare delicious fresh juices, milks, and smoothies. We will also discuss the pros and cons of juices and smoothies. You will learn also about the green smoothie, a much-revered beverage in the raw food community.
NOTE: Please bring an empty container with a tight lid that can hold one fluid liter of smoothie to take home.

5-Day Raw Food Seminar $150/person
Mondays, March 8th-April 10th, 6-7:30 pm

5 total classes at 1.5 hours each(total 7.5 hours)
In additon to the basics, you will learn about sprouting and dehydrating. We will discuss Diet Transitioning, the Natural Body Cycle, Acidity vs. Alkinity, the Low Fat Approach vs. the High Fat Approach to Raw Foods, Food Combining and why it all matters. You will be capable of preparing raw food meals with confidence.
Each 1.5 hour class will include a beverage, a 2-3 course meal, and lesson/discussion. NOTE: Please bring takeway containers, just-in-case, for beverage/food.

call - 919-949-0147
e-mail - envz@msn.com
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A Raw Foods Primer

What are Raw Foods?

Raw means more than just uncooked and unheated. Raw foods are “Nature’s finished products; they are ready to be consumed, as is”(Graham 233).

After all, a sweet peach needs no help from us to be sweet.

Raw foods are also known as living foods, life foods, sun-fired and sun foods. Whatever you choose to call it, raw foods, with everything left intact, are the healthiest foods we can feed our bodies.

Raw foods include fruits, vegetables, greens, sprouts, nuts, and seeds.

The Two Approaches to the Raw Food Diet

When it comes to raw foods, eating can be as simple or as complex as you choose to make it.

Some raw food books say you need a high-power/high-speed blender, food processor, spiralizer, mandoline, dehydrator and oh yeah, a good set of knives, in order to get started. Others will have you soaking and sprouting seeds, grains, and peas on a regular basis.

While there is nothing “wrong” with having a fully equipped kitchen or soaking and sprouting, these lifestyle habits can be expensive and foreboding for newbies and even laborious for the experienced.

So before you buy your first spiralizer or soak a chickpea, you should understand the two main approaches to raw foods. They are LOW-FAT RAW and HIGH-FAT RAW. HIGH-FAT RAW includes your nut-seed pates, guacamole with flax crackers, oil-based salad dressings and other raw food items that may be hard to digest because they contain too much fat. LOW-FAT RAW includes your fruits, greens, vegetables, and small amounts of nuts, seeds, and fatty fruits.

These two approaches are not necessarily in opposition to one another, but it’s important to know the difference between the two, especially if you plan on successfully eating raw for a long period of time.

LOW-FAT RAW recipes…
• contain 5 or less ingredients.
• contain 5% fat or less.
• can take less than 5 minutes to make.
• follow food combining principles, and are therefore easier to digest and assimilate.
• require little to no equipment.

HIGH-FAT RAW recipes
• contain 5 or more ingredients.
• Can take more than 5 minutes to make.
• contain way more than 5% fat (usually 40%-60% of the calories are from fat).
• generally ignore food combining principles.
• require more equipment.

A diet high in fat, whether raw or cooked is not good for the body.

So, whether you are considering a 100% raw foods or simply increasing your consumption of raw and living foods, you will be happier and healthier for it.

Graham, Dr. Douglas N. 80/10/10 Diet: Balancing your Health, Your Weight, and Your Life, One Luscious Bite at a Time. Florida: FoodnSport Press, 2006.

NC21 Raw Food Demo

Greetings NC21!

I am excited about our upcoming Workshop on August 15th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.!

Please come hungry! So, feel free to start your day nice and easy with lemon water (fresh-squeezed, of course), or some sweet hydrating fruit.

I will do my best to squeeze in as much enlightening and fun food knowledge and delicious demos as I can within the 2 hours.

Cuke N Date Sandwiches

So simple. So delicious. Do I even need to write this recipe?

This recipe comes from Your Natural Diet: Alive Raw Foods

Medjhool Hors d’oeuvres Ingredients

Soft medjhool dates
Slicing cucumbers

Instructions:
1. Pit the dates and slice in half.
2. Slice the cucumbers into thin discs. Optional: peel the skins first.
If the skins are waxed, peeling is mandatory.
3. Place the dates halves on the cuke slices.
4. Serve on a party platter, with or without tooth picks.

Valine's Fruit Tacos

This is a fun and easy to make recipe.

Filling:
2 mangos, diced
1 banana, diced
1 apple or pear, diced
1 cup red grapes, diced
1-2 cups spinach, minced

Mix all ingredients in a big bowl and then spoon the mixture onto lettuces leaves.

Shells:
1-2 heads of romaine lettuce

Chop the bottom off of the lettuces leaves and clean well. Be sure to check the leaves for those tiny bugs, especially if you purchased organice lettuce. Spoon the mixture on top of leaves and serve.

I like this recipe because it is so versatile. You can change all of the filling ingredients to your liking. You can even put the filling on top of a bed of mixed greens or spinach and enjoy it all as a salad. Any mild tasting green works great, such as red or green leafs lettuce. Fruit and greens are a great combination!

NOTE: Avoid adding any fats. I used to add hemp seeds or flaxseed meal to my fruit recipes, but I have since learned the fruits don't combine as well with fat. If interested, read more about proper food combining at http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/.

Discounts Available!

I'm excited to announce two new discount opportunities!

You may volunteer your home and your workshop is FREE! NOTE: Kitchen/Food Prep area must meet certain requirements

Or, invite a friend and get 50% off. Bring two friends, and your workshop is FREE!

This discount does not expire.

Workshop Dates for Spring!

Spring is here and Summer is just around the bend.

Now is a good time to replenish the body with living enzymes and vitamins from fresh and uncooked veggies and fruits.

Here are the available dates…

Living Foods for the Adult Beginner - $95/person

Saturday, June 13th, 2009, 3-6 p.m. (3-hour seminar), and
Sunday, June 20th, 2009, 2-5 p.m. (3-hour seminar)

New to living foods? In this workshop, you will learn the benefits of living foods. You will learn the basics of the raw food kitchen and have opportunities for hands-on food preparation. Please arrive hungry and ready to eat, because you will be sampling delicious meals throughout.

Live Mylk, Juice and Smoothie Workshop - $25/person

Sunday, June 14th, 2009, 2-3:30 p.m. (1 ½ hour workshop), and
Sunday, June 21st, 2009, 2-3:30 p.m. (1 ½ hour workshop)

Attendees of this workshop will learn how to prepare delicious and satisfying fresh juices, milks, and smoothies, and compare the pros and cons of juices and smoothies. You will learn also about the powerful green smoothie, a much revered beverage in the raw food world. Please bring an empty container with a tight lid that can hold a fluid liter of smoothie to take home.

For more information:

call - 949-0147
e-mail - valine@allthewaylivefoods.com

Avocado and Tomato and Dulse Salad

Breakfast will never be the same!

I am so used to having something sweet to start the day. Whether it was oatmeal with bananas/dried fruits, fruit cereals with berries and brazil nut or hempseed milk, assorted fruits, buckwheat cereal or even a green smoothie... breakfast was always a healthy and sweet way to start the day.

Well, that has changed from healthy and sweet to healthy and savory. Ever since I learned that my daughter has yeast in her blood, candida albicans to be specific, I've scrutinized all sweets. In fact, to avoid feeding and growing the yeast, she is supposed to avoid all fruits, especially bananas, dried fruits, and all sugars (and other things). It's been hard because fruits are so easy to serve to children, but here is one way I've combatted the urge to make it sweet (and I must admit I've benefitted from these changes as well).

I made this Avocado Tomato and Dulse Salad one morning, and I served it with some mixed greens, some sunflower sprouts that I cultivated in the kitchen myself, and miso cups. I must say it was a wonderful way to start our day.

The idea comes from Dr. Gabriel Cousens' book entitled Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine. His recipe is called Avocado Tomato Salad.

The ingredients are super simple:

2 avocados, diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 - 1/2 cup of dulse, cut into pieces
2-3 tablespoons of hempseeds (optional)
pinch of himalayan sea salt (optional)

I hope you like it.

Fruit Cereal by Valine and Hempseed Milk from Alive in 5

My husband and I started eating Fruit Cereal years ago. The original recipe came from The American Vegetarian Cookbook from the Fit for Life Kitchen by Marilyn Diamond. So this recipe is inspired by her Cocobana Cereal and Fall Fruit Breakfast Pudding which are found in that that book.

Fruit Cereal is a real treat because it is sweet and somewhat "heavy". Sweet and heavy is not something I do often, but when I'm in the mood for a filling breakfast, I choose this recipe. This also a fun cereal to make as a family or group.

I use bananas and apples as the base, but you can be versatile with the rest of the ingredients, and enjoy it with your favorite milk. Here are the ingredients I used for this recipe on a particular day. Shown in the picture is 1/2 cup of raisins, a handful of dates, and 1/4 cup of hempseeds. I didn't even use all of the raisins and dates.

Here is the recipe:
3 ripe bananas, peeled, halved and chopped
4 apples, peeled and grated
1/3 cup of raisins
a handful of pitted dates, chopped
1/4 cup of nuts and/or seeds of your choice (my note: Be sure to activate them by soaking them the night before. Hempseeds don't need soaking.)
1/4 cup of freshly ground flax seeds (my note: I was out of flax seeds that day.)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
berries for the top (optional)

When I add the ingredients in the order listed, it always looks beautiful to me.

Enjoy the cereal with a milk of choice. Vanilla Brazil Nut Milk is now a favorite, but most mornings, when I want a quick milk, I make Hempseed Milk.

Hempseed Milk from Alive in 5:

5 cups filtered water

1 cup raw hempseeds

1/2 raw agave nectar

1 tablespoon vanilla flavor (my note: I used alcohol-free vanilla extract)

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt

Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth.

Seaweed and Cucumber Salad

This is a delicious salad! I changed the original recipe which is called Wakame Cucumber Salad, found in Alissa Cohen's Living on Live Food. I added some dulse, and a tablespoon more of lemon juice and a tablespoon more of nama shoyu. Alissa Cohen calls for Bragg Liquid Aminos, instead of nama shoyu.

Wakame is a very chewy seaweed. Whenever I make this salad, my girls usually ask for a peice of wakame. Wakame is a crunchy seaweed that takes some time to chew.

2 cups of wakame, coarsely chopped (soaked 2 hours minimum)
1 large or 2 small cucumbers, sliced very thinly
1 cup dulse, coarsely chopped (soaked 2 minutes)
1/4 red onion, diced
3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
4 tablespoons nama shoyu

Combine the seaweeds, cucumber, and red onion in a bowl. Mix the lemon juice and nama shoyu together and add it to the salad. Toss together and serve.

NOTE: I check the seaweed for shells and rocks and those little tiny things that I don't want to eat/serve. Soaking the wakame is important because it is very chewy. I use a pair kitchen scissors to cut the wakame and dulse into smaller pieces. I also remove those really tough wakame pieces that look like ribs. I also peel most of the cucumber skin off, leaving only 2 strips of skin on the cucumber. For me, and my daughters actually, it makes the cukes easier to chew. I guess it's a texture thing. Another thing, I also buy my seaweed in bulk from Maine Coast Sea Vegetables. Seaweed is ridiculously expsensive in the store.

Sunflower Sprout Juice

This is a great way to consume greens. Whenever a tray of greens is ready to harvest, I like to blend large portions with freshly made fruit juice, and use the rest for snacking and salads.

Sunflower sprouts are so healthy, full of vitamins, enzymes, and amino acids for protein-building. I love it when we eat sprouts. I actually encourage my daughters to eat sprouts whenever they like. I let them to scissor-cut or pick sprouts from the tray or their clay pots, because I want them to eat as many greens as they choose.
2 cups sunflower sprouts
2 cups fresh apple juice
1 banana (optional)

Blend sprouts with juice and banana, and drink immediately.

Mexican Pate and Tomato-Lime Salsa on Romaine Lettuce Leaves with Avocado-Corn Guacamole

This was an ambitious project. Preparing a dish with a sunflower seed-based pate and two toppings is a gourmet project for me. I usually keep things simple for my family. However, once I get through with all the chopping, I am surprised and rewarded by how delicious it is.

I used the Mexican Pate recipe from Alive in 5 and the Spicy "Beans" recipe in Raw Food Real World to make the Mexican Pate recipe. Does that mean I can call it my own?

Mexican Pate:

2 cups sunflower seeds, soaked overnight (my note: The seeds expand to 3 cups. I love it when that happens. I feel like I'm making my money stretch.)
1 cup sun dried tomatoes, soaked for 1 hour or more

1 tablespoon miso (my note: I used sweet white miso)

2 tablespoons Mexican seasoning

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon raw agave nectar

1 teaspoon sea salt

6 tablespoons filtered water or soaking water from sun dried tomatoes

3 green onions, chopped
1 small handful fresh cilantro

In a food processor, grind the sunflower seeds, tomatoes, miso, Mexican seasoning, olive oil, agave, and sea salt until thoroughly combined. Add the sun dried tomato soak water a few tablespoons at a time and process further until smooth or dough-like. Add chopped green onions and cilantro and pulse gently.

Tomato-Lime Salsa from Raw Food Real World:
3 cups finely chopped, seeded tomatoes (my note: I like to use romas. I didn't take the time to seed them.)

3 tablespoons lime juice (my note: Fresh-squeezed is best.)
1 handful cilantro leaves, finely choppe

1/2 small jalepeno, seeded and finely chopped (my note: I like to use anaheim or cubanelle because they are mild. When I make this for my family, I don't use too much.)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

In a medium bowl, combine the salsa ingredients and taste for seasoning.

Avocado-Corn Guacamole from Raw Food Real World:

3 ripe avocados, pitted

1 cup fresh corn kernels, cut from 1 ear (or use thawed frozen corn)

1 large handful cilantro leaves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely minced (my note: I usually omit this ingredient)

1 teaspoon sea salt

In a medium bowl, mash the avocados with a fork. Add the corn, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno, and salt and stir well to combine. If not using immediately, cover the surface of the guacamole with plastic wrap and refrigerate. This will only keep for about a day or so. (my note: I'm sure why Raw Food Real World says use plastic wrap. I would think an air-tight lid would be fine.

Serve it all on romaine lettuce leaves with some lime wedges on the side. It's great!

Chocolate Milk from Real Food Raw World

Delicious!

Now my children will grow up knowing how the most delicious chocolate milk tastes, without the dairy and artificial sweeteners. First make the VANILLA BRAZIL NUT MILK, and then add more agave and cocoa powder. See recipe below.

VANILLA BRAZIL NUT MILK from Raw Food Real World

1 cup raw Brazil Nuts, soaked 2 hours or more
4 cups filtered water
¼ cup agave nectar or raw honey
2 tablespoons coconut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lecithin (optional)
2 packets stevia (optional)
Pinch of sea salt

In a Vita-Mix or high-speed blender, blend the nuts and water on high speed for about 2 minutes, making sure the nuts are thoroughly blended. Strain the milk through a nut milk bag or multiple layers of cheesecloth twice for smoothness. Rinse the blender cup and place the milk back in it with the remaining ingredients. Blend to combine thoroughly and taste for sweetness.

To make CHOCOLATE MILK add 3 heaping tablespoons of organic cocoa powder or carob powder, plus an additional packet of stevia or tablespoon of agave, to the blender along with the strained milk and other ingredients.

More October Workshop Dates!

Living Foods for the Adult Beginner - $75/person

Friday, October 10th - 5-8 p.m. (3-hour seminar) CANCELLED
Sunday, October 19th - 2-5 p.m. (3-hour seminar)
Sunday, October 26th - 2-5 p.m. (3-hour seminar)

New to living foods? In this workshop, you will learn the benefits of living foods. You will learn the basics of the raw food kitchen and have opportunities for hands-on food preparation. Please arrive hungry and ready to eat, because you will be sampling delicious meals throughout.

Live Mylk, Juice and Smoothie Workshop - $25/person

Sunday, October 5th, 2008 2-3:30 p.m. (1 1/2 hour workshop), and
Sunday, October 12th, 2008 2-3:30 p.m. (1 1/2 hour workshop), and
Saturday, October 18th, 2008 4-5:30 p.m. (1 1/2 hour workshop)

Attendees of this workshop will learn how to prepare delicious and satisfying fresh juices, milks, and smoothies, and compare the pros and cons of juices and smoothies. You will learn also about the powerful green smoothie, a much revered beverage in the raw food world. Please bring an empty container with a tight lid that can hold a fluid liter of smoothie to take home.

For more information:call - 949-0147
e-mail - valine@allthewaylivefoods.com

Spanish Scramble by Ani Phyo

I really like Ani Phyo's book Ani's Raw Food Kitchen. I decided to try this recipe out and my family liked it. I cut the recipe in half. I served it with some avocado and seaweed veggies, too. It is definitely easy to make. I already had soaked and dehydrated almonds and sunflower seeds on hand, so that made preparation really quick. I love the colors! Make this first:

Love-the-Chicks Pate
2 cups almonds, dry
1 cup sunflower seeds, dry
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 cup water

Put almonds, sunflower seeds, salt, and turmeric in a food processor and process into a powder. Add water and process until mixed well. It will have small chunks, rather than being completely creamy smooth. Add your favorite ingredients like mushrooms, tomatoes, and onions to this pate base to make different "scrambles."

Then, make Spanish Scramble:
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup tomato, diced
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 batch Love-the-Chicks Pate
1 cup spinach leaves or other soft greens, like red leaf lettuce or butter lettuce
Pinch ground black pepper

Place cilantro, tomato, scallions, and a batch of Love-the-Chicks-Pate in a bowl and mix well.

To serve, scoop your Spanish Scramble onto a bed of spinach leaves. Top with black pepper.

Banana Oatmeal by Ani Phyo

2 cups oat groats, soaked overnight, and rinsed well
3 bananas, chopped
2 tablespoons water, as desired
1 cup raisins

Put soaked oats, bananas, and water in the food processor and process until mixed well. For a thinner consistency, add another 1/4 cup of water and process. Add raisins last and pulse to mix them in.

Enjoy as is, or serve really thick with a side of nut mylk.

Will keep for one day in the fridge.

Drizzle 1 teaspoon maple syrup on top of each bowl of oatmeal.

Green Fruit Sauce by Valine

click on photo to enlarge

2 bananas
3-4 apples, peeled and coarsely chopped
1-2 pears, coarsely chopped
5-6 medjool dates, pitted
4-5 leaves of dinosaur or curly kale, with stems removed and finely chopped

Place all ingredients in the food processor and blend to desired consistency. Serve immediately.

This is another breakfast favorite. As you can see, I just gotta add greens. They are just so good for us! I like it be a little bit chunky. With fruit sauce, I don't always add the same amount of apples, pears, or bananas. So the recipe above is never the same when I make it. I hope you like it, too.

Carrot Smoothie by Valine

4-5 medium carrots, chopped coarsely
3 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil
2-3 tablespoons of raw honey or raw agave syrup
3 cups of filtered water

Place chopped carrots and water in blender cup, and blend on high until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend again. Serve immediately. Left over smoothie should be stored air tight in a glass jar or other container.

Carrot juice is great, but the fiber is extracted from the carrot. This smoothie contains all of the carrot juice and its fiber.

Green Pudding by Valine

2 avocados, chopped
2 ripe bananas, chopped
1/2 cup of pitted medjool or honey dates
2 leaves of kale with stems removed, finely chopped or almost minced
2 tsp. of super green food (optional)

Add kale, dates, avocadoes, bananas and super green food to the blender. Blend until smooth, using tamper if necessary. Top with chopped dates, slices apples, or raspberries.

I like to serve this pudding for breakfast. I'm always happy to serve it because it is great to start the day with greens. The healthy fat of the avocado and the potassium from the bananas is very nourishing.

This pudding will make an excellent baby food for Baby Brother. He's only 5 months now, so of course I'll introduce bananas and avocados separately first, because this makes an excellent baby food.