Raw and Beyond: How Omega-3 Nutrition Is Transforming the Raw Food Paradigm

ALSOBYVICTORIABOUTENKO

RawFamily(withtheBoutenkofamily)GreenforLife12StepstoRawFoodsRawFamilySignatureDishesGreenSmoothieRevolution

Copyright©2012byVictoriaBoutenko,ElainaLove,andChadSarno.Allrightsreserved.Noportionofthisbook,exceptforbriefreview,maybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans—electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise—withoutthewrittenpermissionofthepublisher.ForinformationcontactNorthAtlanticBooks.

PublishedbyNorthAtlanticBooksP.O.Box12327Berkeley,California94712

Coverphoto©istockphoto.com/vmandistockphoto.com/VitalinaRybakovaCoverdesignbyClaudiaSmelser

RawandBeyondissponsoredbytheSocietyfortheStudyofNativeArtsandSciences,anonprofiteducationalcorporationwhosegoalsaretodevelopaneducationalandcross-culturalperspectivelinkingvariousscientific,social,andartisticfields;tonurtureaholisticviewofarts,sciences,humanities,andhealing;andtopublishanddistributeliteratureontherelationshipofmind,body,andnature.

NorthAtlanticBooks’publicationsareavailablethroughmostbookstores.Forfurtherinformation,visitourwebsiteatwww.northatlanticbooks.comorcall800-733-3000.

MEDICALDISCLAIMER:Thefollowinginformationisintendedforgeneralinformationpurposesonly.Individualsshouldalwaysseetheirhealthcareproviderbeforeadministeringanysuggestionsmadeinthisbook.Anyapplicationofthematerialsetforthinthefollowingpagesisatthereader’sdiscretionandishisorhersoleresponsibility.

LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA

Boutenko,Victoria.Rawandbeyond:howomega-3nutritionistransformingtherawfoodparadigm/VictoriaBoutenko,ElainaLove,andChadSarno.p.cm.eISBN:978-1-58394375-5

http://www.northatlanticbooks.com

1.Rawfooddiet.2.Vegetariancooking.3.High-omega-3fattyaciddiet—Recipes.I.Love,Elaina.II.Sarno,Chad.III.Title.RM237.5.B69252011613.263—dc23

2011036659

v3.1

WededicatethisbooktoCherieSoria,masterchefandinspirationtousall.

CONTENTS

CoverAlsobyVictoriaBoutenkoTitlePageCopyrightDedicationANotefromtheAuthors

PARTONEThreeStoriesofRawTransformationVictoriaBoutenkoElainaLoveChadSarno

PARTTWORecipesAppetizers,Antipasti,andFingerFoodsSaladsDressingsSoupsBreads,Crackers,andChipsEntréesDessertsDrinks

AcknowledgmentsAbouttheAuthors

ANOTEFROMTHEAUTHORS

Inthisbookwepresentourrevisedapproachtorawfood.Allthreeofusdiscovered the benefits of eating raw at about the same time, somesixteenyearsago.Throughout thisperiod,weoftenparticipated in thesameevents,eitherservingrawfoodorteachingothershowtoprepareit. In 2010, our paths crossed again at a Living Light Culinary ArtsInstituteinCalifornia.Wewereintriguedthatwehadallindependentlycome to similar conclusions about our diets and had begun practicing“beyond raw” cuisine.Aswediscussed this coincidence,wedecided itwasimportanttoshareouradjustedrawfooddietwithourfollowers.

PARTONE

ThreeStoriesofRawTransformation

VICTORIABOUTENKO

TWOMAJORMISTAKESIMADEINMYRAWFOODDIET

Alifespentmakingmistakesisnotonlymorehonorable,butmoreusefulthanalifespentdoingnothing.—GEORGEBERNARDSHAW

For the last nineteen years I have been a raw food pioneer, and as apioneerIrecognizethemistakesI’vemadeaswellasthesuccessesI’vehadonthispath.Ibecameinterestedintherawfooddietin1993.Astherewerevery

fewbooksaboutrawfoodatthattime,Iwasabletoreadmostofthemwithin a couple of months. I became especially inspired after readingRaw Eating by A. T. Hovannessian and Enzyme Nutrition by EdwardHowell.ThelatterbookIreadaloudtomyfamily.Ibecameconvincedthattherawfooddietwasthemostnaturaldietforallcreaturesintheworld,includinghumans.Inhisbook,Dr.Howelladvisedreaderstoconsumeadietashighin

rawfoodaspossible. IwassomotivatedbyHowell’sresearch,andmyfamilywassoinneedofhealingbeyondwhatthemedicalestablishmentcould offer us, that in January 1994 I putmywhole family on a 100percentrawfooddiet.Today,eighteenyearslater,Istillwholeheartedlyappreciatethatdecision.Ibelievethatitsavedmylifeandhealedsuchserious illnesses in my family as arrhythmia, diabetes, rheumatoidarthritis, andasthma. Iwon’t repeatmy family storyhereas it canbefound in all ofmy books and on the internet. Rather, Iwould like todiscussthemistakesImadeinmyrawfoodjourneyandhowIcorrectedthem.Iviewmyfamily’seighteenyearsofeatingrawasanopportunitytopresenttherawfooddiettoothersinamorepracticalway.

Formanyyearsthetheoryoftherawfooddietseemedsoflawlesstome

that Icouldn’t findanyerrors in it. Iwas followinga100percentrawfood lifestyle and was trying to inspire as many others as possible tofollow.Yearslater,tomysurprise,Ifoundmajorflawshidingintwoofmyfavoritestatements:“Anythingrawissuperiortoanythingcooked.”

“Rawfoodisbestforhumansbecauseallanimalsintheworldconsume100percentrawfood.”

Anything raw is superior to anything cooked. For a long time, thisconclusionseemedclearandobvioustome.Yetthisstatementiscorrectonlywhenwecomparethenutritionalvalueofthesamefoodsintheirrawformversustheircookedform—arawcabbagetocookedcabbage,rawpotato to friedpotato, rawwalnut to roastedwalnut,and soon. Inever bothered to investigate if there was any cooked food that hadmore nutritional value than any raw food. For example,what ismorenourishing, steamed asparagus or cashew nuts? Lightly cooked redcabbageoranounceofrawalmondbutter?Abakedappleorasliceofarawcake?IfIhadposedthesequestions,theanswerswouldhaveproventhestatement“Anythingrawissuperiortoanythingcooked”false.Countlessvariationsofcookedfoodexist intheworld,dependingondifferent cookingmethods, ethnic customs, and choices of local foods.Thenutritionalvalueofcookedfooddependsonthetimeandintensityofthecookingprocess.Generally,thelighterthecooking,thehigherthenutritional value of a food will be. For example, steamed or lightlycooked vegetables can retain up to 80 percent of their vitamins,1minerals, and other nutrients, while deep-fried, roasted, or smokedvegetables lose most of their nutritional value and also gain toxiccomponentssuchasacrylamides,carcinogens,mutagens,andothers.

Rawfoodisbestforhumansbecauseallanimalsintheworldconsume100percentrawfood.ThiswasanothermainargumentIusedinfavoroftheraw food diet. I didn’t pay attention to the fact that most animals(excludingcarnivores,whichdevourlargequantitiesofmeatallatonce)musteatforatleastsixhoursadayinordertogetenoughnutritionintheirdiets.Overtheyears,theseflawsinmythinkingbegantorevealthemselvesas my family experienced different reactions to eating raw. The first

signsofimperfecthealthappearedafterapproximatelysevenyearsona100 percent raw food diet. At first, everyone in my family began tonoticesmallsymptomssuchasawartonahandoragrayhair.Myskinbecameverydry.Laterthesesymptomsincreased,andalongwithstrongunhealthycravings raisedquestionsabout the completenessof the rawfooddietinitsexistingform.

ESSENTIALCHANGESWEMADETOOURRAWFOODPLAN

GreenSmoothies

Usuallybooksabout the raw fooddietdirectpeople toeatmostly rawfruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. That’s what we did, but obviouslysomethingwasmissinginthatcombination.Motivated bymy family’s increase in unhealthy symptoms, I startednewresearchthat ledmetodiscovertheexceptionallyhighnutritionalvalueofgreens.(Bygreens, Imeanthe leafygreenpartsofplants thatcanbe foldedarounda finger.)Greensare theonly living thing in theworld that can transform sunshine into food that all creatures canconsume. Chlorophyll is a miraculous substance, as it is in essenceliquefiedsunshine.Green leaves are vital for the survival of all living beings on ourplanet,includinghumans.Infact,greenleavesareasessentialtohumanexistenceaswater,air,andsunlight.Ihaveconductedalotofresearchand found that the nutritional composition of greens matches humannutritional needs to an amazing degree. Greens contain most of theessentialminerals,vitamins,andevenaminoacidsthathumansneedforoptimal health. You can find more information about the nutritionalvalueofgreensinmybooksGreenforLifeandGreenSmoothieRevolution.Theproblemwasthatmyfamilymembers,myselfincluded,didn’tlikethetasteofgreensandwerenotaccustomedtoeatingalotofthem.Inanattempttofindthebestwaytoconsumemoregreens,Icameupwiththe ideaofgreensmoothies inSeptember2004.Agreensmoothie isablendeddrinkpreparedwithgreens,ripeorganicfruit,andwater.Fruitcamouflages the taste of greens,which helps people consumemore ofthisvaluablefoodinapalatableway.Whenblended,thenutrientsfromgreens are absorbed more efficiently and provide many times more

nutrients thanother foodsdo,even salads. Ina short time,peoplecangetasmuchnutritionfromgreensmoothiesasanimalsgetinsixormorehoursofeating,whichisessentialinourfast-pacedmodernlives.Thegreensmoothiediscoveryreversedmanysignsofhealthdeclinein

myfamily,suchastoothsensitivity,brittlenails,hairloss,skindryness,etc.Yetaddinggreensmoothiestoourdietstilldidnotbringusperfecthealth.Forexample,Icouldnotreturntomyidealweight.Weallhadastrongfeelingthatsomethingwasstillmissinginourdiet. Isharedmyconcernswithmanyotherrawfoodteacherswhohadmaintainedanall-rawdietforyears,andtheytooagreedthatsomethingseemedlackingintheirdiets.Myfriendswereconstantlytryingtosolvetheirproblemsbytakingavarietyofnutritionalsupplements.

Omega-3s

In2010,Ibecameawareoftheseriousdeficiencyofomega-3fattyacidsin our diets. As soon as I read several scientific articles on theimportanceofomega-3s, I felt that Ihadarrivedat anexplanation forthequestionsIhadbeenstrugglingwithconcerningthe100percentrawdiet. What I discovered was shocking, and it completely changed ourapproachtoourrawfooddiet.Theomega-3deficiency,commontodayformostpeople,notjustraw

foodists,resultedfrommoderndietarychangesandalackofknowledgeabouttheeffectsofessentialfattyacids(EFAs)onhealth.Theomega-3molecule is unique in its ability to rapidly change its shape. Thisexceptional flexibility of omega-3s is passed to the organs that absorbit.2Omega-3sthinthebloodofhumansandanimalsaswellasthesapofplants.Asaresultofthesequalities,omega-3sareutilizedbythefastest-functioningorgansinthebody.Forexample,omega-3senableourheartstobeatproperly,ourbloodtoflowfreely,oureyestosee,andourbrainstomakedecisionsfasterandmoreclearly.Omega-6 fattyacids,on theotherhand, serve theopposite function:

they thicken thebloodofhumansandanimals aswell as the juicesofplants.Omega-6s solidify and cause inflammation of the tissues. Somescientists link an excess of omega-6s in the human diet to suchconditionsasheartdisease,stroke,arthritis,asthma,menstrualcramps,

diabetes,headaches, and tumormetastases. Iwould like to emphasize,however, that the omega-6 fatty acids are not “bad”; they serve animportant function in the body as well, but must be consumed in aproperratiotoomega-3s.Becausetheuniqueflexibilityoftheomega-3moleculemakesithighlyperishable,inrecentyearsgeneticengineershavebeenmanipulatingtheDNAofseeds,tryingtodevelopstrainswithhigheromega-6andloweromega-3contentinordertoprolongthestoragelifeofseedsandtheoilsmadefromthem.Inaddition,mostfarmanimals,suchascattle,sheep,pigs, and chickens, have increasingly been fed soy, corn, and othergrainsinsteadofgrassandhay,whichhasalteredthebalanceofomegaspresent in meat. People who consume animal products would benefitfromknowingthatthemeatfromanimalsthatconsumegrassishighinomega-3s while the meat from animals that consume corn and othergrains is high in omega-6s. Even fish aren’t guaranteed to be a goodsourceofomega-3sanymore.Omega-3 fattyacidsare themain reasondoctorsrecommendeatingfishregularly,butfarmedfisharenowfedagrain-heavydiet,vastlyreducingtheirlevelsoffishoils.Averypopularfish in recent years, tilapia, contains twice the level of omega-6 asomega-3. Last year, theNewYork Times reported that “comparedwithotherfish,farmedtilapiacontainsrelativelysmallamountsofbeneficialomega-3fattyacids…becausethefisharefedcornandsoyinsteadoflakeplantsandalgae,thedietofwildtilapia.”3Our modern grain-and oil-heavy diet has resulted in most people,whethervegetariansormeat-eaters,consumingwaytoomanyomega-6fatty acids andnot enoughomega-3s. It turns out that themajority ofAmericans are seriously deficient in omega-3 essential fatty acids.According to a recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health,omega-3deficienciesaccountfornearly96,000preventabledeathseachyearintheUnitedStates.4In order to correct this problem,we need first to find outwhat thehealthiestbalanceofessential fattyacids is.Mostof thearticles Ihavereadsuggestthattheratioofomega-6stoomega-3sshouldbe3:1or2:1.The typical American diet today contains anywhere from a 10:1 to a20:1ratioofomega-6stoomega-3s,animbalanceassociatedwithahighrateofdisease.TheInstituteofMedicine,thehealtharmoftheNationalAcademy of Sciences, recommends an intake of approximately 10:1,

much higher than the ratio recommended by Sweden (5:1) or Japan(4:1).TheratioinJapanisassociatedwithaverylowincidenceofheartandotherdisease.We can increase our consumption of omega-3s in different ways.

AccordingtoDr.FrankSacks,ProfessorofNutritionatHarvardSchoolofPublicHealth,therearetwomajortypesofomega-3fattyacidsinourdiets.Onetypeisalpha-linolenicacid(ALA),whichisfoundinflaxseedoil, walnuts, and also in green leafy vegetables. The other type, thelonger-chain fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) anddocosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is found in fatty fish. The bodypartiallyconvertsALAtoEPAandDHA.Fortunately, omega-3 is widely available in all greens, especially in

spinach,romaine,andarugula.Oneofthehighestlevelsofomega-3scanbefoundinpurslane,awidespreadwildgreen.Greensmoothiesareanidealwaytoincreaseone’sintakeofthesebeneficialomega-3fattyacidsand thuswork towardovercomingawidevarietyofhealthconditions.Atthesametime,tofurtherreduceomega-6s,peoplecandecreasetheirconsumptionofnuts.Thefollowinglistofratiosofomega-3stoomega-6swillhelpyousee

which common raw foods to eat more of if you wish to boost youromega-3fattyacidintake.

RATIOOFOMEGA-3sTOOMEGA-6sINOILS,SEEDS,ANDGREENS

Flaxseedoil:(1tablespoon)

Totalomega-3fattyacids7,196mg(4.2timesmoreomega-3s)

Totalomega-6fattyacids1,715mg

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fats-and-oils/7554/2

Hempseedoil:(1tablespoon)




http://hempbasics.com/shop/cms-display/hempseed-nutrition.html

Sunfloweroil:(1tablespoon)

Totalomega-3fattyacids5.0mg

Totalomega-6fattyacids3,905mg(781timesmoreomega-6s)


Saffloweroil:(1tablespoon)

Totalomega-3fattyacids0mg

Totalomega-6fattyacids10,073mg(toomany!omega-6s)


Sesameoil:(1tablespoon)




Cornoil:(1tablespoon)



http://hempbasics.com/shop/cms-display/hemp-seed-nutrition.html





Canolaoil:(1tablespoon)




Oliveoil:(1tablespoon)




Cocoabutter:(1tablespoon)


Totalomega-6fattyacids378mg(28timesmoreomega-6s)


Coconutoil:(1tablespoon)


Totalomega-6fattyacids243mg(onlyomega-6s)







Coconut(shredded,dry)meat,raw:(1cup)


Totalomega-6fattyacids293mg(onlyomega-6s)

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3106/2

Avocado,raw,puréed:(1cup)



http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1844/2

Chiaseeds:(100g)




Flaxseeds:(100g)

Total omega-3 fatty acids 22,813 mg (3.9 times more omega-3s)Totalomega-6fattyacids5,911mg


Hempseeds:(100g)






Total omega-6 fatty acids 19,360 mg (2.5 times more omega-6s)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp

Sunflowerseeds:(1cup)


Total omega-6 fatty acids 10,602mg (312 times more omega-6s)http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3076/2

Sesameseeds:(1cup)




Pumpkinseeds:(1cup)



Walnuts:(1cup)


Total omega-6 fatty acids 44,567 mg (4.2 times more omega-6s)http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3138/2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp





Almonds:(1cup)


Totalomega-6fattyacids11,462mg(2,011timesmoreomega-6s)http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3085/2

Cashews:(1cup)




Macadamianuts,raw:(1cup)




Filberts(Hazelnuts):(1cup)




Pinenuts:(1cup)







Peanuts:(1cup)


Totalomega-6fattyacids22,711mg(5,162timesmoreomega-6s)http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4355/2

Pecans:(1cup)




Wheat:(1cup)



http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5737/2

Rye:(1cup)





http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4355/2




Oats:(1cup)




Quinoa:(1cup)




Lentils:(1cup)


Totalomega-6fattyacids776mg(3.7timesmoreomega-6s)


Beans,snap,green,raw:(1cup)

Totalomega-3fattyacids39.6mg(1.6timesmoreomega-3s)


http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable -products/2341/2





Kidneybeans,boiled:(1cup)



http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume -products/4297/2

Chickpeas,raw:(1cup)




Greenpeas,raw:(1cup)




Sugarsnappeas,raw:(1cup)








Lettuce,greenleaf,raw:(1head,360g)




Lettuce,cosorromaine,raw:(1head,626g)




Spinach,raw:(1bunch,340g)




Dandeliongreens,raw:(100g)







Arugula,raw:(100g)




Apples,raw:(1mediumsize)




Bananas,raw:(1mediumsize)




Strawberries,raw:(100g)








Carrots,raw:(100g)


Totalomega-6fattyacids115mg(58timesmoreomega-6s)

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2383/2

HOWOMEGA-3NUTRITIONISTRANSFORMINGTHERAWFOODPARADIGM

Whenpeoplestartoutonarawfooddiet,manyofthemcommonlyturntooils, nuts, and seeds tohelp increase their calorie intake andaddavariety of fats to the fruits and vegetables they are eating.Many rawfoodistscreateanassortmentofgourmetdishesdesignedtoreplacetheheaviermeatsandstarchestowhichtheyhavebeenaccustomedonthestandardAmericandiet.Thatiswheretheproblemstarts.Adietrichinnutsandseedsandlowingreens,freshfruits,andvegetablesinevitablyleads to nutritional deficiencies, including a lack of omega-3s andoverconsumption of omega-6s. These imbalances can lead toinflammation, candida, diabetes, and evenobesity, the very conditionsthatmanypeoplearetryingtoavoidbyadoptingarawfoodlifestyleinthefirstplace.Sooner or later, most raw foodists notice that a diet rich in nutsdoesn’twork.Then,aftertryingtosustainarawfooddietwithoutnuts,many of them go back to some cooked food, while others look fordifferentwaystosustaina100percentrawfooddiet.Being 100 percent raw is a much easier task for those who live inwarmerclimates,because theyhaveaccess to ripe, localproduceyear-round. In colder climates, most produce has to be delivered from faraway, resulting inwilted vegetables and unripe fruits. Lack of qualityproducemakessustaininga100percentrawdietalotmorechallenging.I stilldon’tknow if itwasa coincidence thatmy family firstbegan to


http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2383/2

experience difficulties on a raw food diet afterwemoved from sunnyColoradotorainyOregon.Ithinkwewouldhaveavoidedmanyofourhealthproblemsifwehadincludedsomecookedfoodinourdietsrightthen, insteadof loading onnuts andnut butters for several years. But“better late than never,” as they say, and “everything happens for areason”—noweveryone inmy familyhasacquiredknowledge thathasenabledus tocorrectoureatingpatterns.Thebestoutcome is thatwearesharingourvaluableexperiencewithotherpeople,helpingthemtoavoidmanypainfulmistakes.

Newinformationaboutomegashasradicallychangedthefoundationonwhichtherawfooddietisbased.Atypicalrawfoodmealusedtoconsistof raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Many popular raw recipes,suchasnutloaf,nutpatties,nutburgers,cakes,andpies,containlargequantitiesofnutsandseeds.Myfamilycreatedalargenumberofthesetraditionally rich recipes ourselves,whichwere published in our earlybooks andvideotapes andwerediscontinueda coupleof years ago. Inourlatestrecipebookswehavereplacednutswithgratedvegetablesandgreens.Nutshavelongbeenconsideredaconvenientsourceofrawnutritionastheyarecompactandfullofcalories—theyarehandyontheirownorin energy bars as everyday snacks, for outdoor activities, and whentraveling. Inowunderstandthat relyingonnutsorenergybarscanbeunhealthybecauseoftheirhighlevelofomega-6s.Ofcourse,somebarscanbemadeofseedshighinomega-3s,suchashemp,flax,walnuts,orchia,buttheirshelflifewillbeveryshortduetothetendencyofomega-3stoquicklybecomerancid.Raw foodistswhowantahealthy, sustainable raw fooddietneed tofocus mostly on whole foods, salads, smoothies, and juices, withoccasionaltinyportionsofnutsandseeds.Itcanbetoughtomaintaina100 percent raw food dietwith such restrictions.Many long-term rawfoodistshavealreadyintuitivelyadoptedthismorelimitedversionofa100percentrawdiet,andothershaveshiftedtoahigh-rawdiet,addingbacksomecookedfoods.

ElainaLove,ChadSarno,andIhavebeenclosefriendsforaboutsixteenyears. Our friendship developed on both personal and professional

grounds. During these years, we went through different stages anddiscoveriesintherawfoodlifestylealmostsimultaneously.Whenweranintoeachotherinbusykitchensatvariousretreatsandfestivalsallovertheworld,wehappilysharedfamilynewsandexchangedourthoughtsandnewculinaryideas.In2010,weranintoeachotheragainattheLivingLightCulinaryArts

InstituteinFortBragg,California.Wewereimpressedwithandinspiredby the similarities in our latest rawdiet transitions.After ourmeetingwe kept corresponding and discussing this phenomenon, and decidedthat now is the perfect time to share our vision of a new raw foodparadigmwithourfollowers.This isanewkindof rawrecipebook.Themajorityof recipesdon’t

contain any nuts, seeds, or oils. You will find lots of soups, salads,desserts,andotherdishesthatcomedirectlyfromourownkitchensanddailymeals. Chad, Elaina, and I have been enhancing our raw recipesusingahealthierratioofomegas.Especially forthisbook,wehavere-createdseveraltraditionalrawgourmetdishes,usingnewingredientstosignificantlyreducetheiromega-6content.Mydaughter,Valya,learnedto prepare several tasty dishes that are rich in omega-3s and are verysatisfying,soIaskedhertocontributetwelveofherfavoriterecipesforthisbook.Wehavealsoprovidedseveralrecipesthatincludesomelightcooking(thesearemarkedbythewordsRAW, COOKED,or SOME COOKED). I amsure that some readerswill find it a very unexpected twist that threewell-known raw chefs have created a recipe book that contains somecookedfoods.I,too,amshockedwhenIreadthis.YetIhopethattheserecipeswill improveyourhealth,satisfyyourcravings,andbringmorebalanceintoyourlife.

MYPRESENTDIET

Youcanseefromthetableonthispage–thispagethatmostnutshaveanextremely high omega-6 content. For example, almonds contain twothousandtimesmoreomega-6sthanomega-3s.Thatexplainstomewhyafter several years on a raw food diet I developed a severe dislike ofmostnuts.IfIwasgivenarawtreatcontainingnuts,Iwouldfeelverysicklater,evenvomit.Ihaveheardsimilarstoriesfromcountlessotherpeople.

Foralmostseventeenyearsmymaincaloricintakecamefromnuts.Asa100percentrawfoodist,withoutnutsIcouldnotconsumethe1,600caloriesperdaythatIneeded.Somepeoplecaneatalotoffruit.IenjoyeatingmyfruitsdailybutIamunabletogetallmycaloriesfromfruit.Green smoothies work well for nutrients, but do not provide enoughcalories.My experience and research has led me to a high-raw diet for a

sustainable life. In 2010 I decided to remove almonds, pine nuts,cashews,nutbutters,tahini,andothercombinationsofrawfoodsmadewithnuts,seeds,andoilsfrommydiet.Instead,Iaddedasmallamountofsteamedasparagus,broccoli,bokchoy,andsomeotherlightlycookedgreensandvegetables.Inowconsidermyselftobe90–95percentraw.Ido not eat cooked foods every day; occasionally I eat them afterintensive physical activity or on a coldwinter day. I still believe rawgreens, fruits, and vegetables to be themost beneficial foods. On thispageismyownfoodpyramid(left)fordailysustainablelife.Inthispyramid,byhealthyfatsImeannuts,seeds,oils,andfruitthat

containaratioofomegasbeneficialforhealth,suchasflaxseedsandoil,chia seeds, hempseeds, walnuts, and others. Occasionally, I add smallamounts of olive oil or avocado tomy salads.While I never consumecoconut oil, I love Thai (young) coconuts. I believe that without ripeorganic fruit, thehumandiet isnot complete, so I try toeatonly ripeorganicfruitbecauseIamconvincedthatanyotherkindoffruitisnotnaturalforhumanhealth.Istillbelievethata100percentrawfooddietisaneffectivepractice

asawayofnaturalhealing.Itwasverybeneficialformyfamilyduringthe first years of our raw food journey. Periodically, especially afterextensivetraveling,Iwillgoona100percentrawfooddietforseveraldays or weeks, only now my raw food diet includes a very limitedamount of healthy nuts. The pyramid on the right is my own foodpyramidforhealinganddetoxing.

FOODPYRAMIDFORAHIGH-RAWDIETVERSUS100PERCENTRAW

Inolongerfeelthatanythingismissinginmydiet.Ifeelgoodandmyweight is steadily normalizing. In addition, I have found a profoundpeace inside from abandoning a place of limitation and idealism. Ichoosetobehealthyinsteadofbeing100percentraw.ButIstillbelievethatrawfoodisthemostnaturalandancientwayofeatingforhumans.By explaining the pitfalls in my own raw food journey, I hope tomotivatemanymorepeopletotryarawfooddiet.1.JournaloftheScienceofFoodandAgriculture,November2003.

2.SusanAllport,TheQueenofFats:WhyOmega-3sWereRemovedfromtheWesternDietandWhatWeCanDotoReplaceThem(Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2006).

3.ElisabethRosenthal,“AnotherSideofTilapia,thePerfectFactoryFish,”NewYorkTimes,May2,2011.

4.“Omega-3FattyAcidDeficiencytakes96,000LivesAnnuallyintheUS,”ReutersNewsService,June25,2009.

ELAINALOVE

Serioushealthchallengesgotmeintorawfoodsin1997.Ihadsystemiccandidaanda lotof foodallergies. Iwasprescribed somedrugs that Iwasn’t interested in taking.At that time I found a book calledCleanseand Purify Thyself by Richard Anderson. A cleansing book that alsotalkedabouttheimportanceofrawfoods,itcontainedmanytestimoniesfrompeoplewhohadcuredthemselvesofdiseasesbyeatingarawfooddiet. So I decided to do the cleanse and eat raw foods. In onemonth,after following a simple diet plan, I felt like a different person. As Icontinuedwiththerawfooddiet,mylifekeptgettingbetterandbetter.Over theyears, I’ve experimentedwithnot eating rawandgoingbackagain—atonetimeIatenothingbutrawfoodformorethantwoyears—andIalwaysfeelbetterwhenI’meatingahigh-rawdiet.Istillthinkthata100percentrawfooddietiseffectiveforcleansing

and healing, and it is especially beneficial for people who havedegenerativediseases,are ina lotofpain,ormaybeevendying.But Ihave found that eating a 100 percent raw diet can sometimes beimbalancing; eating some cooked foodsmakesme feelmore groundedandbalanced. Iknowmanypeoplewhohavepracticedanall-rawdietforafewmonthsorlongerandthendecidedtostarteatingsomecookedfoodagain.Iftheyneedtocleanseandpurifyatanytime,theywillgo100percentrawforawhileandeventuallyphasecookedfoodsbackin.Ialsoliveona100percentrawdietfromtimetotime;ithelpsmefeelbalancedandbetterabletoconcentrateontheprojectsinmylife.I find iteasy toeatall rawin thesummertime,whentheweather is

hotandIamphysicallyactive.Iwillofteneatrawfoodexclusivelyforweeksatatime,andthenatsomepointmybodystartstodesiresomecooked quinoa, beans, or root vegetables—foods that are a littlemoregrounding.WhenIaddthembackinIdofeelbetter,moregroundedandhealthier.SoIdon’tbelievetherawdiethastobeallornothing.Ihavefound itmore beneficial to first become familiarwith a raw food diet

andthenstartfollowingmysenseofwhatIneedatanyparticulartime.Forexample,asawoman, I’maffectedbymymonthlycycles, andmydesires and cravings are different depending on what my body needsduring the month. So I make my dietary choices season by season,monthbymonth,orweekbyweek,dependingonwhatI’mdesiringatanygiventime.Ihavenoticedthat,forwhateverreason,Ioftendon’tlookashealthywhile eating a 100 percent raw diet. I can’t explain why. When I’veaddedsomecookedfoodbackintomydiet,peopleoftensaytome,“Youlook great! What are you doing?” I find it interesting that when I’meatingsomecookedfoodinsteadofonlyraw,Igetmorecomplimentsonmylooks.Inmy experience, raw food combinedwith a little cooked food is amore appealing diet for people to follow. In the past when Irecommendedarawfooddiet,Ifrequentlyheardcommentslike:“Well,that’s great for you, but a 100 percent raw diet is not doable forme,becauseIhaveafamily,”or“I’mtoothin,”orahundredotherreasonsforwhypeoplecan’tmanagearawdiet.Ithinkthatbalanceisthemostimportant thing. Forme, about 80 percent raw/20percent cooked (ordependingon the timeofyear,evenmorecooked) isamorebalanceddiet,andit’smoredoableforpeopletomanageasalifestyle.Theycanstartaddingmorerawfoodintotheirdietsandeventuallyfindtherightbalance for themselves, rather than feeling pressured by the idea thattheyhavetobe100percentrawandthatanythinglessisunacceptable.Let’s sayyouareona100percent rawdietandvisityour familywhoeatsastandarddiet.Theywillprobablybeservingacookedmeal.Ifyouarehungryanddecidetohaveit,thenyoumightlaterconsideryourselfafailure.Ontheotherhand,ifyousay,“Ieatahigh-rawdiet,”andyouthink,Okay,thatwasmy10percentor20percentcookedfoodfortheweek,thenyouletyourselfoffthehookemotionally.High-rawdietingallowsyoutoblendinwithsocietyandyourfamilymore,andyouareabletogo through lifemore comfortably.When people are new to raw food,theyoften feelpanic.Howdo I leave thehouse forameal? Idon’tknowwhat to do. Starting out high raw is much easier for the majority ofpeople.Itleavesawindowforthemtoeatmorerawfoodiftheydecideto.Ihavefoundthatourspiritualattitudeisasimportantas,ifnotmore

importantthan,whatweputinourmouths.Howweviewotherpeopledependsonhowwearejudgingourselves.BeingverystrictwithmyselfaroundmydietledmetobejudgmentalandstrictwithotherpeopleandhowIlookedattheworld;Iwasveryisolatedandexcludedmyselffroma lot of things, including my family, because I felt that no oneunderstoodme.Idiscoveredthatbeingverydogmaticdidnotservemewell.Self-judgmentandguiltcannegativelyimpactourhealth,sotryingtomaintainahealthydietiscounterproductiveifwedon’tfeellikewe’redoing it “right” and beat ourselves up. I notice that people findthemselves happier andmore balanced if they give themselves a littlemoreleeway.Becomingmoreflexiblehascertainlymademeahappierandmorebalancedperson.Adding more greens to my diet has also made me much healthier.Peopleofteneatthewrongthingsonarawfooddiet.TherewasatimewhenIwas100percentrawbuteatinga lotofrawdessertsanddatesand sugary things, which was causing a lot of imbalance. The low-glycemic,low-sugardietIeatnow,richingreensandwithcookedfoodslike quinoa and beans, is a much healthier combination for me thaneating100percentraw.WhenIfirstwentrawIatealotofnuts,asmanynewrawfoodistsdo,to compensate for taking out wheat and dairy. So many raw recipes,suchasour“bread”and“cheese”recipes,arenut-based.Afteracoupleofyears,mybodybecamesensitivetonuts;mynosewouldstarttorunifIatetoomany.Evennow,mytonguewillgetsorereallyquicklyifIeattoomanynuts.Icanstilleatseeds,butIchoosetoavoidnutsasmuchaspossible.Still, I believe that raw gourmet food,which contains a lot of nuts,plays an important role in offering a healthy way of eating formanypeople.Iamarawgourmetchef;Iteachandpreparerawgourmetfoodfor a living. I think it is helpful to teach someone tomakedishes likerawfoodlasagna,especiallyiftheyhavewheatordairyallergies.Manypeoplewho become vegetarians start eatingway toomuchwheat andothergrains.Rawgourmetfoodisimportantbecauseitprovidescomfortandhelpspeopletransitionawayfromhigh-allergyfoods.Rawgourmetdishes also offer a nice alternative for peoplewhowant to serve theirfamily something that’s raw and more interesting than simple salads.Often families aremorewilling to accept a raw gourmet version of a

foodlikelasagnabecauseitissomethingtheyarefamiliarwith.However,Idon’trecommendstayingonarawgourmetdietforalong

periodoftime.Ihavebeenconsumingrawfoodforfourteenyears,andin the beginning I ate a lot of what I consider gourmet foods. Forexample,Iwouldmakemyselfapieandeatitforbreakfast;Iatealotofgranolas and different pizzas and whatnot. Now when I keep a fooddiaryforaweek,writingdowneverythingIeat, InoticethatI tendtoeatverysimply,eatinglotsofbiggreensaladswithadrizzleofoliveoil.OnspecialoccasionsIstillmakebeautifulgourmetdishes,butafteralltheseyears,Ieatsimplyanddon’tfeeldeprivedatall.

Formany years I have been searching for the diet thatwould best fiteveryone.WhileIhaven’tfoundoneparticulardietthatworksforeveryperson,after travelingaroundtheworldandobservingdifferenteatingpatterns, Ihavenoticedone importantpoint: Ifpeople thinkthatwhattheyeatisgoodforthem,theyseemtodobetterthaniftheythinkthatwhat they eat is bad for them. Some people eat 100 percent raw andseemtobedoingwell;somepeoplewhoeatmeatalsoseemtobedoingwell.Others,who likemeare followingan80percent raw/20percentcookeddiet, are doing reallywell.While I can’t say I have found onediet thatworks for everyone, a high-raw dietwith a lot of nutritious,alkalizing vegetables and greens (versus a raw diet loaded with driedfruitsandnuts)seemstobethemostbeneficialofall.Mostimportantisgetting enough greens in theirmany forms—drinking green juices andsmoothies, and eating big green salads, including greens such as kale,chard, spinach, andherbs.Most people I know love those foods. Theythrive on them, and crave them the most. When they get away fromtheirdiettheyoftensay,“Oh,Ican’twaittohavemoregreens!”Eating certain cooked foods can bemore beneficial than eating raw

foods. For instance, when 100 percent raw foodists are cravingsomethingheavy, they typicallygo fornuts. If they instead tried somesteamedquinoaorpintobeansorredbeans,whicharehighinomega-3s, theywould feela lotmore satisfied than fromeatingnutsordriedfruit. Eating a lot of sweet foods like dates and sugary fruits elevatesbloodsugarandinsulinlevels,increasingtheriskofdiabetesandotherhealthproblems.QuinoaandbeansarethetwocookedfoodsIatemostin thepastweek. (Not rice,which seems tobe tooheavy formeeven

though it is gluten-free. I rarely eat rice becausemybodydoesn’t feelvery goodafter eating it.) Everyonce in awhile I eat a cooked sweetpotato and sauté somekalewith it, or steam somegreens or broccoli.Broccoliistoohardtodigestraw,soIpreferitsteamed.I like offering the healthiest foods to people. After discovering thatmanyoftherawfoodswecommonlyeatarehighinomega-6sandlowinomega-3s, ithasbecomemygoal to incorporatemoreomega-3-richingredients intomyrecipes.Forexample, I substitutedmanynutswithhempseeds,walnuts, flaxseed, and chia seeds. I am constantly lookingforabalanceofalltheelementsinthedishesIprepare.Ienjoyfindingnewcombinationsandofferingthemtomycustomers;mydishesoftencomeasapleasingsurprisebothintasteandingredients.Forexample,mostpeopleonastandardAmericandietI’vetalkedtohaveneverheardof chia seeds and didn’t know of their outstanding health benefits,including their high omega-3 and protein content. I am glad that thisbookintroducespeopletoanewwayofeatingthatissimple,easy,andalsomorediverse.Manypeoplethesedaysthinkitisnormaltogetsickoften, four or five times a year. Some people suffer from cancer,diabetes, all kinds of diseases, and I believe that if they had moreinformationaboutdietandnutrition, theywouldnothave to suffer somuch.Forexample,ifpeopleknewaboutthedangersofwhitesugarandits major role in destroying health, we would see a big reduction inproblemswithbeingoverweight, tired,or irritable.Oftenwhenpeoplebecome vegetarians and go off meat, they start eating a lot of pasta,breads,andotherstarches.WhenIwentvegetarianIgotsickerbecauseofallthegrainsandglutensIate.SoIfeelprivilegedtoletpeopleknowthereareotherchoices.Ienjoyitwhenmyfamilymembersandfriendstryrawfoodandsay,“Wow,Ifeelenergized!Ididn’tknowIcouldfeelthisgoodjustfromeatingthisway!”Itisgratifyingtoturnthemontothejoytheycanfeelbyaddinggreensandlife-forceintotheirdiet.Iknowalotofpeoplewhosay,“ItriedeatingrawbutIgaveitup—itdidn’t work for me,” because they were thinking of it as an all-or-nothingdiet.YetI’veneverheardanyonesay,“Itriedaddingmorefruitsandvegetables intomydietand itdidn’twork.”That iswhy Iusuallytell people to try eatingmore fruits andvegetables.Nobody’s going tofailatthat.Therearemanyexpertswhosaynegativethingsaboutrawfoods,buteveryoneagreesthatmorefruitsandvegetablesinyourdietis

agoodthing.Wearejustteachingpeoplehowtoaddmore.SometimesItellmystudentsthatI’mgoingtotrickthemintoeatingmorevegetableswithout their even knowing it. For example, I serve a wrap that hasavocados and root vegetables in it. This dish tastes like a deliciousburrito, and people don’t realize that they are eating three or fourdifferentvegetables inthewrap.Kalechipsareanotherexample—theytastelikepotatochipsandeveryonethinksthey’redelicious.Ofcourse,such healthier eating strategies work best with people who have acertainframeofmind,whowanttofeelgood.Peoplewhoeatcornchipsorporkrindsandthinktheirlifeisfinearenotgoingtoswitchovertoarawfooddietyet.Notuntiltheyaretiredofbeingsick,startsearching,anddiscovertheconnectionbetweentheirdietandtheirhealthwilltheywant something better for themselves and get turned on to raw foodmoreeasily.Iamhappythatthisbookaddsmorehealthyfoodstoeveryone’sdiet,

instead of dictating an all-or-nothing approach to eating raw foods. Iinviteyoutosetyourselfupforsuccessbymakingonerecipeaweek,oracoupleofrecipesaweek.Addmoreandmorehealthydishesandseehowyoufeel.Experiment!Iammyownexperiment.ThereasonIeatahigh-raw diet is because I have experimented and have found that itworksforme.Itfeelsgood;Ihavemoreenergyandlifeforce,Igetupearly and feel vibrant, and don’t need coffee. I have experienced somany great benefits from eating raw that I believe if people try it, asopposedtoblindlytrustinganyofus, theywill findoutforthemselvesthatarawfooddietcanworkforthem.You’vegoteverythingtogain.Youget tohavemoreenergybecauseyou’readdinggreens.Youget tohavemorefunbecauseyou’refindingthatyoudon’tneedasmuchsleep.Youenjoyyourlifemore.Yougetalongwithpeoplebetter,too.Forme,eatingcleansingandhealingfoodshasbeenthekeytofindingpurejoyinlife.

CHADSARNO

My first introduction to the relationship between health and diet wasthroughasthma.ThroughoutmychildhoodandteenageyearsIstruggledwiththathandicap.Iwasonmanyinhalersbuttheydidn’timprovemycondition.Eventually,a friendof the family toldmethatstayingawayfromdairymighthelp,soIstoppedeatingdairyandwithinsixmonthsIwasoffallmy inhalersandneverexperiencedanasthmaattackagain.Thatexperiencestartedmeonthepathofhealth.Anothermaininfluencethatledmetoarawfooddietwasthroughmy

spiritual exploration when I was young, looking into the Esseneteachings. One day I found myself at Breitenbush Hot Springs,participating in an event givenbyCherie Soria’s Living LightCulinaryArts Institute. After I helped her cater the National Essene Gathering,CherieaskedmeifI’dleaveBreitenbushandbeherstaffchef.Itwasallverygrassroots.AtthetimetherewereonlythreeotherpeopleworkingatLivingLight, kindof a traveling raw foodcircus. I joined themandwasthestaffchefonandoffforayearortwo.Ijumpedintopreparingrawfoodsandmycareerasachefsnowballedfromthere.Igotintorawfoodsin1996andstayedona100percentrawdietfor

a littleover sixyears. Iwas incrediblyneuroticandmilitant aboutmydiet.Iwasn’tevendrinkingteaatthetime.ThankgoodnessI’verelaxedalittlebitandbeganaddingcookedfoodtomydietagain.Themainreasonformyswitchingfromanall-rawtoahigh-rawdiet

isthatIfeelmorebalancedwhenIreducetheamountoffats,nuts,andsugarsI’meating.Greens,beans,andgrainsarethestaplesofmycurrentdiet.Withthosethreefoodgroups,IfeelbetterthanIeverhave.Ifeelgrounded.When I seepicturesofmyself fromwhen Iwas100percentraw,InoticethatIlookedtooskinny,one-dimensional.AndIrememberfeelingasifIwasnotinmybody.Itwashardtofocusoneverydaylifeortocreateasuccessfulbusiness.IfeltcontinuallyunstablewhenIwas100percentraw.IalsofoundthatIwaseatingtoomuchsugarandway

toomuchfatatthattime,influencedbythegourmetfooddishesIwaspreparing.Idecidedtoreevaluatewhattheoptimaldietformybodywouldbe,whattrulyworksforme.Ihavetriedallsortsofcleanses,fasting,andawidevarietyofrawfoods,exploringwhatmybodyneeds.AtonetimeIwasafruitarian,thenIwentonthegreendiet,thenIbecamegourmetraw,thensimpleraw.Iwentthroughmanydifferentphases,searchingforwhatmakesmybody andmind feel thebest. Livingon an all-rawdiet for sixyearshadamajoreffectonmy life in termsof influencingmy thoughts aroundhealing; I still think raw food is themosthealingdietontheplanet.IfIweretogetsick,Iknowitisbesttogoallraw,except thatnowIknowtoexcludedishesmadewitha lotofnutsandoils.IfanybodyIknowgetssick,Iwillreallyencouragethemtogoallraw;butforeverydaylife,Ibelieveincorporatingsomebeansandgrainsintoone’sdietisbeneficial.Andintermsofbeingsustainableinthelongrun,itisalmostunrealistictoliveona100percentrawdiet.Mostrawfooddietsarewaytoohighinsugarandfat.I’vecutbackonsugarandfatandeatwholefoodfatsalmostexclusively.Forexample,Idon’teatoilsoranyotherfractionatedfoods,andIeatveryfewnuts—onaverage,maybeoneounceorasmallhandfulofnutsaday.SomedaysI’llhavenone, some days I’ll have some, but nothing close to the ridiculousamount of nuts I used to consume as a 100 percent raw foodist. Thatseemsverystrangetomenow.Consideringthatmydietwassocaloriedense,it’shardtobelieveIwasn’tgainingmuchweight.Still, I believe there is a place for raw gourmet food in our lives. Ithinktherawgourmetstyleishighlyinfluentialandservesanamazingpurposeintheculinaryworld.Rawgourmetfoodopenspeople’seyestothe greater possibilities of healthy eating; it helps people acknowledgevegetables asmore than a side dish, and shows that healthy raw foodcanbejustascomfortingasanyothermeal,andisagreattreat.Ifirmlybelievethatgourmetrawfoodshouldbeacknowledgedandhonoredonthesamelevelasothertypesofcuisine.YoueatFrench,youeatItalian,youeat raw food.Rawgourmet food is stillmypathand I stilldo theoccasionaleventwiththatfocus;Iamjustshiftingmyuseofingredients,that’s all. I think gourmet raw food serves a major purpose in themainstreamandwillcontinuetodoso.I first got into raw foods froma therapeutic point of viewand then

started to incorporatemoregourmet rawdishes.But evenwhile Iwasconsuming gourmet raw, the foundation of my lifestyle was alwayscleansing,fasting,andincorporatinglotsofgreensandgreensmoothies.Gourmetwassuchasmallpercentageofmydiet;Ineverconsistentlyatejustpâtésandpizzasandburritos.Saladhasalwaysbeenandcontinuestobethemainstapleofmydiet.Istilleat80percentraw.Theother20percentisgrainsandbeansratherthanfoodslikenutpâtés.WhenItravelaroundtheworldandteachorpreparefoodforpeopleinothercountries,Iobservewhatotherpeopleeatonadailybasisandwhichfoodsaremostbeneficialforthem.Icametotheconclusionthatthemost beneficial diet is awholefoods andplant-baseddiet,whethercookedorraw.Highrawispreferable,butitdependsontheseason,theweather,andtheavailabilityofgreensandfreshvegetables.Onethingthat’sbeenconsistentinmydietisthatIhavestayedvegansince I became vegan. I can only speak formyselfwith that, but I dobelieve it is most beneficial for people to cut back on their intake ofanimalproducts,consumingthemaslittleaspossibleandhavingplant-baseddishesasthecenterofthemeal.I’veseenmanypeoplemakethistransitionandgethealthier,evenhealingsomeoftheirdiseases.

Of course, people canmake unhealthy choices on almost any kind ofdiet. Some kinds of cooked foods are more beneficial than some rawfoods.WhenIjoinedWholeFoodsMarketIgotmybloodtested,whichIhadneverdonebefore.SeveralyearsagoIatealotofgourmetrawfoodbutIhadn’teatenanimalcholesterolinfifteenyears.Andmycholesterolwashigh!Thatbloodtestfreakedmeout.Mytriglycerideswereoffthechart.Afterthattest,Iwentona100percentwholefooddiet,freefromall fractionated foods—no agave, no maple syrup, no coconut oil, nooliveoil.Ijustfocusedongreens,beans,andgrains.Withinfourmonthsmy cholesterol plummeted by almost 100 points andmy triglyceridesdropped.Nowtheyareallbelownormal,whichisperfect.Onatypicalrawfooddietwithsomegourmetdishes,mybloodresultswereshowingmeathigh risk,evenaccording toAmerican standards,which is crazyand very humbling, because until I checked my blood I had alwaysthoughtIwashealthy.SoI thinkit isvery important forpeopletogettheirblood tested.Mostpeople followinga rawdiet think that they’rehealthy because they’re eating foodsmade from raw plants, nuts, and

seeds,butahigh-fat,high-sugardietcanraiseyourcholesterol.NowIlovebeans.OnaverageIeatabouttwocupsperday,mixingit

upwithdifferentkinds.I’lleattofumaybeonceaweek;Idon’teatalotof soy. I use all sorts of legumes and ancient grains, getting creative,working with 100 percent whole foods, using nothing processed, notevencoconutbutteroragave.IstilleatafewnutsandseedsandIeatplenty of avocados, olives, fresh coconuts, and otherwhole fats, but Idon’t eat oils, except on a rare occasion.When I prepare salads, I useavocado instead of oil. About 20 percent of my diet is cooked beans,greens, andgrains, and I eatboth rawand steamedgreens.Athome Idon’t cook with oil, at work I don’t cook with oil anymore, and mycholesterolhasremainedlow.IappreciatethistotallynewpathofhealththatIamonnow.Italignswithmeandwiththescienceandresearch,anditfeelsright.

Iamhappy thatwith thisbookwearegivingpeoplehealthieroptionsthrough delicious food. You can eat an omega-rich diet and still feelcomforted.Ithinktheinformationaboutoilandnutsisprobablygoingtobethemostcontroversialpartofthisbook,whichisexcitingtome.Itisgoing tobeprettyshocking forourreaders thatall threeofuswell-knownrawfoodistshavewrittenabookthatincludessomecookedfood.But I think people need to hear aboutwhatwe’ve discovered throughourpersonalexperiences.Withallofourrecipesandarticlesandbooksovertheyears,ourfollowerscanseethatweareonajourneyjustlikeeverybody else, trying to find the healthiest diets for our bodies andpassingthatinformationon.It’s important to share thiswithpeople so theydon’thave to repeat

our mistakes. People need to know that just because something isderivedfromaplantfooddoesn’tmeanthatitishealthy.Theyneedthisknowledgesotheydon’tstraydownthewrongpathofhighfatandhighsugar. I amglad tohelpwith theparadigm shift. It hasnothing todowith cooked this and raw that; at the end of the day, it’s fractionatedfood that’s the problem. It’s food that is not real; it’s not whole, notintact.Thebodycan’trecognizeit.Alloilscontain120–140caloriespertablespoon.WhenIwasallraw,Iwasdumpingfourorfivetablespoonsofoilonmysalad,andthatwasnothealthy.Samethingwitheatingapound or two of nuts per day. So I hope this bookwill shift people’s

mindsandcreatecontroversy,whichisfantastic.Iinviteallmyreaderstoassesswhattheyareeating.Wholefoodsarerealfoods.LookintotheprogramatWholeFoodsMarketcalled“HealthStartsHere.”I’mthecoordinatorofthisglobaleducationprograminthestores to guide customers to the healthiest options that Whole Foodssells.We’vebeen trying tocommunicate througheducationalmaterialsand programs. Look for the “Health Starts Here” logo at your localWhole Foods, or go to www.wholefoodsmarket.com. For moreinformationyoucanalsovisitmywebsite,www.rawchef.com.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com

http://www.rawchef.com

PARTTWO

Recipes

APPETIZERS,ANTIPASTI,ANDFINGERFOODS

WALNUTFALAFELWITHMINTTABOULIANDHEMPTZATZIKI

3cupswalnuts,soakedinwaterforatleastacouplehours3dates,pittedandsoakedfor2hours¾cupsesameseeds,finelyground½cupparsley,minced

½cupcilantro,minced

½tablespoongarlic,minced

3tablespoonsfreshoregano,minced2tablespoonslemonjuice

¼teaspoonblackpepper

2teaspoonsseasalt

InaChampionjuicerorotherjuicerwithasolidplate,blendthewalnutsanddates.Mixintheremainingingredientsbyhand.Whenthoroughlycombined,formthemixtureintosmall,half-dollar-sizethumbprintsanddehydratefor4–6hoursorbakeat200°for40minutes.ServewithFreshMintTabouliandHempTzatziki(seebelow).

FreshMintTabouli

1cuptomatoes,diced

½cupcucumber,diced

3cupsparsley,coarselyminced

½cupparsnip,pulsedtoapproximatelyriceconsistency3clovesgarlic,minced

3tablespoonsmintchiffonade(Tochiffonade,stacktheleavesoneontopoftheotherandrolltightlyintoacylinder.Slicethecylindersofleavescrosswiseintothinstrips.)3tablespoonslemonjuice

2tablespoonslemonzest3tablespoonsflaxseedoil

½tablespoonseasalt

Inabowl,combinealltheingredientstogether.Letsitfortheflavorstocombine,ideallyfor1hourbeforeserving.

HempTzatziki

1cupshelledhempseeds

3tablespoonslemonjuice

2tablespoonshempoil

½teaspoonseasalt

2clovesgarlic

3tablespoonswater

2tablespoonsdill

1tablespoonchives,minced

1cupcucumber,seededanddiced

Inahigh-speedblender,blendthehempseeds,lemonjuice,hempoil,seasalt,garlic,andwateruntilsmooth.Stirinthedill,chives,andcucumberpriortoserving.

Chad

HEMPCROSTINI

3ripepearsorsweetapples,peeledandchopped1½tablespoonswalnutbutterorhempbutter3tablespoonsshelledhempseeds

2tablespoonsdatepasteormaplesyrup1teaspoonseasalt

2tablespoonsonionpowder

1tablespoononionflakes

2tablespoonscarawayseeds(preferablylightlytoasted)1cupcoarseflaxmeal

½cupmixofdriedcoconutflourandalmondflour

In a food processor, process the apple or pear, nut butter, and spicesuntilasmoothconsistencyisreached.Pourinatablespoonatatimeofthe flax meal and coconut/almond flour while processing until themixtureformsaball.Whenyoucanrollthemixtureintoaballbyhandwithoutitsticking,nomoreflourisneeded.Formtheballintoasmallbaguette and thinly slice it. Place the pieces of hemp bread on adehydrator screen and dehydrate at 110° for 1–3 hours, or to desiredtexture. The bread will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week, or ifdehydratedcompletelyover8hours,itwillkeepforamonth.Note:Coconutflourismadebygrindingdried,shreddedcoconutina

high-speed blender for 10–20 seconds and then straining it through afinestrainerorfloursieve.Coconutflouraddsasubtlesweetnesstothebread. Almond flour is made by dehydrating the pulp left over frommakingalmondmilk.Oncedried,useahigh-speedblendertogrinduntilsmooth.

Chad

CHEEZEWHIP

2cupshempseedsorwalnuts

1clovegarlic

1–2tablespoonslemonjuice

1½tablespoonsmellowwhitemisopaste¼cupwaterormoretoblend

1–3teaspoonsonionpowder

2tablespoonsnutritionalyeastflakes1carrotor1redbellpepper,chopped

Ifyouareusingwalnuts,soakthemfor12hoursandrinsewell.Blendalltheingredientstogetheruntilsmoothandcreamy.Youmayneedtoaddmorewater toget themixturesmooth.Forbestdistribution,placeyourCheezeWhipinaquart-sizestoragebagandcutasmallholeinonecorner.Removealltheairandsealthetop,thensqueezethemixtureoutthecornerontocrackersorveggies.

SERVES4

Elaina

VALYA’SSALSA

4largetomatoes,chopped

½bunchcilantro,chopped

1redbellpepper,finelychopped½bunchgreenonions,chopped

1jalapeñopepper,diced

½teaspoonsalt

Juiceof½lemon

Mixallingredientsandserveoncrackersorveggies.

Valya

MERLOTPICKLEDONIONS

2redonions,peeledandslicedpaper-thinonamandoline½cupredwineormerlotvinegar

3tablespoonsagave

1tablespoonflaxseedoil

Pinchofseasalt

Tossalltheingredientstogetherwellandgentlyknead.Setthemixtureasidetopickleforatleastafewhours,orovernight.Storeinajarandchill.

Chad

MARINATEDBABYVEGETABLES,FRESHCITRUSOLIVES,PICKLEDGARLICANDSWEETPEPPERS

MarinatedBabyVegetables

Babywholecarrots

BabyzucchiniorbabypattypansquashBabybeets,peeledandquartered

If baby vegetables are not available, simply substitute your choice ofvegetables,slicedtothedesiredsize.

ItalianMarinade

½cupflaxseedoil

¾cupapplecidervinegar

½cuplemonjuice

¼cupmaplesyrup

6clovesgarlic,finelyminced

2smallshallots,finelyminced

2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped 1½ tablespoons fresh thyme,minced 1 red jalapeño orserranochile,seededandfinelyminced(optional)1½tablespoonsfineseasalt

½tablespooncrackedblackpepper

Whiskalltheingredientstogetherwell.Placethedesiredvegetablesinalarge sealable container and pour the marinade over them. Seal thecontainer and place in the refrigerator overnight to marinate. Oncemarinated, strain and serve. You can use any leftover marinade as asaladdressing.

FreshCitrusOlives

2cupswholelargegreenSicilianolives1tablespoonfinelygrated(withmicroplane)orangezest

2clovesgarlic,finelyminced

2tablespoonsoreganoleaves,coarselychopped½tablespoondriedchileflakes

Juiceof½lemon

Ina smallbowl, tossall the ingredients together. Servewithantipasti.Thesearebestifmarinatedovernight.Theoliveswillkeepformorethan2weeksintherefrigerator.

PickledGarlicandSweetPeppers

2redpeppers,coredandslicedinto¼-inchjulienneorcubes2yellowpeppers,coredandslicedinto ¼-inch cubes or julienned Small handful of garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 1½tablespoonsmixedpeppercorns

4bayleaves,driedorfresh

1driedchilepepper

2sprigsfreshoregano

1tablespoondillseed

1tablespoonfineseasalt

3cupsapplecidervinegar

1cupwater

Setasidetheslicedpeppersandcoarselychoppedgarlic.Inaquart-sizemasonjar,combineallthespicesandherbs,exceptfortheseasalt,andpack in the peppers and garlic. Top the peppers with the sea salt.Continuetopourintheapplecidervinegaruntilthejaris⅔full.Filltheremainingspaceinthejarwithwater.Tightlyclose the lid.Shakeandleaveinadarkplacetopickleforatleast48hours.Thisdishisbestifleft for1weektopickle,andwillkeep in therefrigerator for1monthafterpickling.

Chad

AVOCADONORIROLLS

Nori rolls make a great take-alongmeal. Avocado is a whole-raw fat thathelpskeepskinandhairsoftandridsthebodyoftoxicstoredfats.Nori,theseaweedhighest in protein content (48percent), is very easilydigestedandextremelyhighinminerals.

Sushi

2sheetsofrawortoastedsushinori1largeromaineleaf,cutinhalfdownthelengthofthespine1avocado,peeledandsliced

½red,yellow,ororangebellpepper, julienned½cucumber,peeled, seeded,and julienned½cuprawsauerkraut

½ carrot, beet, or zucchini, shredded 1 cup alfalfa or favorite green sprouts (sunflower,buckwheat,etc.)1smallbowlofwaterforsealingtheroll

SpicyMisoPaste

4tablespoonsunpasteurized,mellowwhitemiso1tablespoonsesameoil

¼teaspooncayenneortotaste

StirSpicyMisoPasteingedientstogetherwithafork.

Place a sheet of nori on a sushi rollingmat orwashcloth, lining it upwiththeendof thesushirollingmatclosest toyou.Placetheromaineleafon theedgeof thenori,with the spineclosest toyou.Spread1–2tablespoonsofSpicyMisoPasteontheromaine.Linethe leafwiththeingredients in the order listed above, placing sprouts on last. Roll thenorisheetawayfromyou,tuckingtheingredientsinwithyourfingersasyougo.Seal therollwithwaterorSpicyMisoPasteandslice it into6rounds.

YIELDS12NORIROLLS

Elaina

SALADS

CAESARSALAD

1headofromaine,chopped

1cucumber,peeledandcubed

1tomato,chopped

4scallions,thinlysliced

15blackolives,pitted

Dressing

½cupflaxseedorhempseedoil


¼–½ cup water (start with ¼ cup and add more as needed) 2 large dates or 1 tablespoonErythritolsugar-freesweetener1tablespoonmellowwhitemisopaste3mediumclovesgarlic,crushed

teaspoonsDijonmustard2teaspoonsdulseflakes

¼teaspoonseasalt

Blendalltheingredientstogetherinablenderormixbyhand,whiskingeverythinguntilwellblended.Storeinaglassjarintherefrigeratorforupto2weeks.Tosstogetherwithsalad.Note:Tryfreeze-driedpeasascroutons…amazing!

Elaina

PURPLESALAD

¼headredcabbage,thinlysliced

1gratedcarrot

1gratedFujiapple

4stalksofcelery,chopped

1pintblueberries

1avocado,mashed

Juiceof1lemon

1tablespoonflaxseed,ground

1tablespoondulseflakes

Combine all the ingredients except the dulse flakes and flaxseed in alargebowl.Sprinklethedulseflakesandfreshlygroundflaxseedontopandserve.

SERVES2

Victoria

TRIOOFCABBAGESWITHHEMP,AVOCADO,ANDCILANTRO

2cupsfinelyshreddedNapacabbage2cupsfinelyshreddedredcabbage2cupsfinelyshreddedsavoyorgreencabbage¼cupdicedredandyellowbellpeppers3tablespoonshempoil


3tablespoonsdicedgreenonion

3tablespoonscilantroleaves

1teaspoonseasalt

2avocados,diced

¼cuphulledhempseeds(lightlytoastedpreferred)

Inamixingbowl,tossalltheingredientsexceptthehempseedsandtheavocadotogether.Asyoumix,squeezewithyourhandsinordertowiltthe cabbage. Gentlymix the avocado into the salad and garnish withhempseeds.Serveimmediately.Asavariation,addfreshchoppedherbsor your choice of diced vegetables. This dish is also delicious if kale,chard,orspinachissubstitutedforthecabbage.Note:Tossrightbeforeservingtoretaincrispness.

SERVES4–6

Chad

FENNEL,APPLE,ANDARUGULAWITHSUNFLOWERSPROUTSANDMANDARINVINAIGRETTE

2–3 cups fennel bulbs, sliced paper-thin, preferably using amandoline 1 cup fresh sunflowersprouts

1cupbabyarugula

DrizzleofMandarinVinaigrette (see thispage)2pearsor apples, slicedpaper-thin,preferablyusingamandoline½cuplightlydry-toastedpistachiomeatsMerlotPickledOnions(seethispage)

In a small bowl, gently toss the shaved fennel, sunflower sprouts, andarugulawith theMandarin Vinaigrette. Prior to serving, garnish saladwith a few slices of shaved pear or apple, toasted pistachios, and ascatteringofpickledonions.

SERVES4–6

Chad

MARINATEDCHARDANDKALESALAD

A tender and delicious salad that haswon the hearts ofmany doubters. Ifyou’vebeen reluctant to try rawkale, this isagood time to try it. It tastesbetterthanyoucanimagine,andit’sloadedwithcalcium,too!

Salad

1bunchfreshkale(dinosaur,curlygreen,purple,orflat-leafpurple)1bunchSwisschard(green-, yellow-, or red-stemmed) 1medium red onion, sliced very thin 2 cloves garlic, crushed(optional)2mediumavocados,cubed

1mediumzucchiniorsummersquash,julienned,or10shiitakemushrooms,thinlyslicedDashofdriedjalapeñoorcayennepepper

Marinade

¾cupflaxseedoil

cuplemonjuice1teaspoonseasalt

Removethestemsofthekaleandchardandteartheleavesintobite-sizepieces.Pour themarinadeover the leavesandmix together, squeezingthe leaveswellwithyourhands tohelp thembecomesoftand tender.Addtherestof thesalad ingredientsandmixthemtogetherwell, thenallowthesaladtomarinateforanotherhourormore.Note: The longer you allow the greens tomarinate, themore tender

theybecome. Ifyouwishtopreparethissaladinadvance, itwillkeepfor up to 5 days well sealed in your refrigerator; just don’t add theavocadosuntilservingtime.Foracreamydressing,placethemarinadeingredients in the blender with one of the avocados and blend. Forvariety,addachunkofgingertotheblender.

SERVES4

Elaina

ARUGULASALAD

1bunchfresharugula

cuppittedolives½cupslicedpickles½cupfreshsalsa(fromthestoreorhomemade)1packfrozenpeas

Washthearugula ina largebowlofwatersothatanyparticlesofdirtsinkto thebottomof thebowlanddonotendup inyoursalad.Chopthe arugula and place it in a salad bowl. Add the olives, pickles, andsalsa.Placethefrozenpeasinapanandfillitwithwater.Bringthepeastoaboil,thenimmediatelydrainthewaterandmixthepeasinwiththerestoftheingredients.

SERVES3

Valya

FIELDGREENSWITHCARAMELIZEDSHALLOTS,CANDIEDWALNUTS,ANDRASPBERRYVINAIGRETTE

5cupsmixedfieldgreens

¼cupchoppedmixedherbsofyourchoice,suchasparsley,dill,orbasil3ounces(ordesiredamount)RaspberryVinaigrette3tablespoonsCaramelizedShallotsSmallhandfulofCandiedWalnuts(optional)

Inabowl,thoroughlymixalltheingredientsexceptthecandiedwalnutstogether.Sprinklethewalnutstogarnish,andserve.

RaspberryVinaigrette

1cupraspberries

¼cupapplecidervinegar

3tablespoonsflaxseedoil

2clovesgarlic

2tablespoonsginger

1tablespoonorangezest

1teaspoonseasalt

2tablespoonshoneyormaplesyrup

In a high-speed blender, blend all the ingredients together well. Thedressingwillkeepuptoaweekintherefrigerator.

CaramelizedShallots

1cupshallotsorredonions,slicedpaper-thinwithamandoline3clovesgarlic,minced

3tablespoonsflaxseedoil3tablespoonsNamaShoyusoysauce3tablespoonsdatepaste(pitteddatesblendedwithwateruntilahoneyconsistencyisachieved)

Mix all the ingredients well in a bowl, coating the onions thoroughly

withthemarinade.Letsitforatleastanhour.Forbestresults,allowthemixture tomarinate overnight. Strain off the excess liquid, spread theonionsonanon-stickysheet,anddehydratefor1houruntilwarm.Servesprinkledonsalads.

CandiedWalnuts(oranynut/seedsubstitute)

2cupswalnuts,soakedinwaterforatleastacouplehours½cupmaplesugar

3tablespoonsorangezest

Pinchofcayenne

teaspoonseasalt

Tossalltheingredientstogetherwellanddehydratefor12hoursoruntilcrisp.Breakintopiecesandfreezetoretaincrispness.

SERVES4–6

Chad

BEETSALAD

Gratethefollowingvegetables:

1largebeet

1largecarrot

1largecucumber

1largeFujiapple

Addthefollowing:

Juiceof1lemon

½smallHassavocado,mashed

1cupspinach,thinlysliced

2sprigsbasil,chopped

Sprinkle the salad with 2–3 tablespoons sunflower seeds, soakedovernight.

SERVES2

Victoria

SWEETPOTATOWEIGHT-LOSSSALAD

1sweetpotato,steamed

2cupsfinelychoppedcelery

5cherrytomatoes,quartered

¼teaspoonsalt

2clovesfreshgarlic,chopped

¼teaspooncayennepepper

Useaforktomashthesweetpotato.Addtheremainingingredients,mixtogether,andserve.

SERVES2

Valya

SPROUTSALAD

2cupssunflowersprouts

2cupsbuckwheatsprouts

2cupsmicrogreens

2greenonions,chopped

¼teaspoonsalt

1teaspoonflaxseedoil

3tablespoonsnutritionalyeast

Mixingredientsthoroughlyinalargebowl.SERVES2

Valya

ARIGHTEOUSSALAD

5cupschoppedbabygreens

1carrot,grated

1tomato,chopped

4radishes,sliced

1cucumber,chopped


½bunchfreshdill,chopped

¼teaspoonsalt


3tablespoonssalsa

½cuppittedolives

Mixalltheingredientstogetherinalargebowlandserve.SERVES3

Valya

BELLPEPPERSALAD

4redbellpeppers,chopped


¼teaspoonsalt

¼bunchcilantro,chopped


1teaspoonflaxseedoil(optional)


Valya

QUINOASALAD

1cupcookedquinoa

1packagefrozenorganiccorn,broughttoaboilandthendrained1steamedzucchini,sliced

1carrot,grated

½bunchcilantro,chopped

¼bunchbasil,chopped

1mediumtomato,chopped

2clovesfreshgarlic,minced


½teaspoonsalt



Valya

NOODLESALADWITHSWEETMISO-GINGERDRESSING

Dressing

½cupflaxseedorhempseedoil

1teaspoontoastedsesameoil(optional)1clovegarlic

1tablespoongratedfreshginger

1tablespoonapplecidervinegaror2tablespoonslemonjuice¼cuprawhoneyormaplesyrup(orsugar-freealternative:Erythritol)2tablespoonsmellowwhitemiso

2teaspoonswheat-freetamari

Dashcayenne

¼cupwater

Salad

3 stalks broccoli, peeled and spiralized 2 large carrots, peeled and spiralized 2 zucchini or 1Englishcucumber,spiralized

Place the dressing ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.Place the spiralized vegetables in amediumbowl. Just before serving,add the dressing to the vegetables and toss to combine. Serveimmediately.

SERVES4

Elaina

DRESSINGS

MANDARINVINAIGRETTE

½cupmuscatelvinegarorwhitewinevinegar¼cupflaxseedoil

2 tablespoonsmaple syrup3mandarin segments,diced2 tablespoons finely choppedchives2tablespoonsfinelychoppedmint2tablespoonsorangezest¼teaspoongroundblackpepper

Whiskallingredientstogetherwell.

Chad

FRESHVEGANMAYO

1½cupshempseeds

¾–1cupwater

1teaspoonmustard

1teaspoonseasalt

6tablespoonslemonjuiceor3tablespoonsapplecidervinegar2tablespoonsrawhoneyorothersweetener1½cupsIrishMossPaste

Dashofcayennepepper

1clovegarlic,crushed(optional)1teaspoonItalianseasoningorBraggseasoningmix(optional)1½cupshemp,flax,orwalnutoil

Place all the ingredients except the oil in a blender and blend untilcreamy.Thenaddtheoilandblendagainuntilwellincorporated.Storeinaglassjar.Willkeepintherefrigeratorforupto2weeks.

YIELDS6CUPS

IRISHMOSSPASTE

Irishmossisahealth-promotingseaweedthatcanbeusedasafat-freesubstitute for oil (try replacing½ the oil in a recipewith this). It is agreatthickenerfordessertssuchaspiesandcakes,andforshakes,too.You will see it used in this book in brownies, cookies, and pies. Tryaddingatablespooninyournutorseedmilktomakeitricher.

1cupsoakedIrishmoss(about½cupbeforesoaking)½cuppurifiedwater

Begin by rinsing the moss very well in water. Cover the moss inwaterinalargejarorbowlandletsoakonthecounterfor3hoursor overnight, rinsingwell after soaking. Themosswill get clearerandbigger the longer it is soaked.Rinseverywellbeforeusing to

removetheseasaltanddirt.Blendthepurifiedwaterandmossonhigh speed until smooth. The paste will last in a glass jar in therefrigeratorforupto10days.Youmaystoretheunblended,soakedmossoutofwaterinanairtightcontainerfor2weeksormore.Mossdoublestotriplesinsizeoncesoaked.

Elaina

TOMATO-DILLDRESSING

1cupchoppedtomato

¼cuphempseedsoroliveoil1clovegarlic

2teaspoonslemonjuice

⅓teaspoonseasalt

¼teaspoonthyme

1tablespoondriedor5tablespoonsfreshchoppeddillweed

Blenduntilsmooth.YIELDS2CUPS

Elaina

RANCHDRESSING

1cuphempseedsorwalnuts4teaspoonslemonjuiceor2½teaspoonsrawapplecidervinegar1teaspoonseasalt

1teaspoononionpowder

1teaspoongarlicpowder

¾cupwater

Blenduntilsmoothbeforeadding:1teaspoondrieddillweed2teaspoonsItalianseasoning

YIELDS2CUPS

Elaina

REDBELLPEPPERDRESSING

1largeredbellpepper

½cupchoppedcarrot

1tablespoongratedor½-inchpieceginger1clovegarlic

5smalldates(foralow-sugarversion,skipthissteporaddacoupledropsofstevia)Juiceof1lemon or 2 teaspoons raw apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt or 1 tablespoontamari½cupflaxseedorhempseedoil¼teaspoonkelppowder(optional)

Placealltheingredientsinablenderandblenduntilsmooth.Youmayneedtoaddasmallamountofwater.

YIELDS2CUPS

Elaina

SOUPS

SPICYGREENSOUP

3cupsstingingnettles(toavoidstingingduringpreparation,useglovesoraplasticbag)1cupmizuna

3stalkscelery,chopped

1bunchcilantro

2cupsmustardgreens

2redbellpeppers,chopped

1avocado,peeledandseeded

Juiceof2lemons

½jalapeñopepper

4cupswater

Thoroughlyblendall the ingredients in ablender. Servewithdulseorotherseavegetables.

SERVES3

Victoria

BUTTERNUTSQUASHSOUP

1mediumyellowonion,peeledandchopped2clovesgarlic,chopped

2teaspoonscoconutoil


6cupswater(moreorless)

1mediumbutternutsquash,peeledandchopped1headbroccoliwithpeeledstem,chopped1red bell pepper, chopped (optional) 1–2 teaspoons curry powder or cumin powder 2–4teaspoonsHimalayansaltortotasteBlackpeppertotaste

Cayennetotaste

10largebasilleaves

½bunchcilantro

Sautétheonionandgarlicinalargepotwiththecoconutoil.Addthecelery and continue to sauté until the celery starts to soften. Add thewater,butternutsquash,andtheremainderofthevegetablesandspices,except for the fresh basil and cilantro. Let simmer for 10–15minutes,thentestthesquashforsoftness.Ifitissoftenoughtobitethrough,thesoupisdone.Adjustseasoningstotaste.Remove½–⅔ofthesoupandblend it with the basil and cilantro until smooth. Add the blendedmixturebacktothepotwiththeunblendedportion.Stirandserve.

Elaina

WILDWEEDSSOUP

2cupslambsquarters

1cupmustardgreens

1cuppurslane

1avocado,peeledandseeded

Juiceof3lemons

1apple,chopped

4cupswater


Thoroughlyblendalltheingredientsexceptthedulseflakesinablender.Servesprinkledwithdulseflakes.

SERVES4

Victoria

SIMPLYDELICIOUSPEASOUP

1bagfrozenpeas,defrosted

1½cupshotwater

1–2teaspoonsonionpowder

1teaspoonseasaltortotaste

2teaspoonschiaseedsorJhempseeds2teaspoonsflaxseedoil(optional)

Blendonhighinablenderuntilsmoothandserveimmediately.SERVES4–6

Elaina

ITALIANSOUP

3cupsspinach


1sprigbasil

1sprigthyme

1redbellpepper,chopped

1largeavocado,peeledandseeded1cucumber,chopped

1jalapeñopepper,chopped

Juiceof1lime

2cupswater


Thoroughlyblendalltheingredientsexceptthedulseflakestogetherinablender.Servesprinkledwithdulseflakes.

SERVES3

Victoria

ROSEMARYRAINSOUP

3sprigsrosemary


½bunchescarole

2ripetomatoes,cutinlargepieces1cucumber,chopped

Juiceof3limes

1largeavocado,peeledandseeded3cupswater


Thoroughlyblendalltheingredientsexceptthedulseflakestogetherinablender.Servesprinkledwithdulseflakes.

SERVES4

Victoria

CREAMYCILANTROSOUP

Cilantro is awonderfully fragrant herb that is high in chlorophyll and hasbeen said to pull heavy metals from the body. Enjoy it in this rich andsatisfyingenergysoup.

1zucchini,chopped

1 large bunch cilantro, stems removed (about 2 cups) 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper,chopped½apple,chopped

1avocado,chopped,or¼cupsoakedchiaseeds1tablespoontamariorBraggLiquidAminos1teaspoonCelticseasalt

⅛teaspooncayenne

½teaspooncumin(optional)

1teaspoononionpowder(optional)

Blendalltheingredientsuntilsmooth.Eatthesoupimmediatelyorstoreinaglassjarintherefrigeratorfor1daymaximum.Optional toppings: Sprinklewith dulse flakes, diced bell pepper, fresh

corncutoffthecob,sunflowergreens,orchoppedromaine(stirintothesoup).

SOAKEDCHIASEEDS

4tablespoonschiaseeds

2cupspurifiedwater

Placetheseedsina2-cupjarandpourthewaterovertheseeds.Shake,cover,andrefrigerateuntilneeded,upto1week.

Elaina

CELERYSOUP


4ripetomatoes,cutinlargepieces½avocado,peeledandseeded

Juiceof2lemons

4cupswater

1cupalfalfasprouts

2tablespoonsdulseflakes

Thoroughly blend all the ingredients except the sprouts and the dulseflakesinablender.Servewithsproutsandsprinkledwithdulseflakes.

SERVES4

Victoria

MUSHROOM-POTATOSOUP

1½cupspotatoes,washedanddiced6cupswater

2cupscelery,diced

1cuptomatoes,diced

1hotpepperor

1teaspoongroundcayennepepper,ortotaste1cupbuttonmushrooms,diced

⅓cuponion,finelychopped

1cupdicedparsleyorbasil,oranyotherherb1tablespoonmiso


Placethepotatoesinwaterinastockpot.Bringtoaboil,thencookovermedium heat until the potatoes are tender, about 5–10 minutes. Addcelery, tomatoes, pepper,mushrooms, and onion. Bring to a boil. Addtheparsleyandimmediatelyremovethesoupfromheat.Stirinthemisoandsprinklewithdulseflakes.

SERVES6

Victoria

VEGETABLESOUPWITHLENTILS

1cupdrylentils,rinsed

12cupswater

1potato,peeledanddiced

1carrot,diced

2cupscelery,diced

1cuptomatoes,diced

1hotpepperor1teaspoongroundcayennepepper,ortotaste1bunchgreenonions,chopped

2cupsbokchoy,chopped

1bunchfreshcilantro,chopped

1tablespoonmiso



Soaklentilsovernightin6cupswater.Inthemorningdrainthatwaterandrinselentilswell.Placetheminastockpot.Add6cupsfreshwatertothelentilsandbringtoaboil,stirringoccasionally.Coverandsimmerfor25–30minutesoruntilthelentilsarecooked.Addthepotatoesandbringthemtoaboil,thencookovermediumheatuntiltheyaretender,about 5–10 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, tomatoes, pepper, andonion,andagainbringthesouptoaboil.Addthebokchoyandcilantroand immediately remove the soup from heat. Stir inmiso. Servewithflaxseedoilanddulseflakes.

SERVES6

Victoria

QUICKBORSCHT

1beet,scrubbedanddiced

6cupswater

1potato,peeledanddiced

2cupsredcabbage,diced

2cupscelery,diced

2cupsItaliankaleorcollards,washedandchopped1hotpepperor1teaspoongroundcayennepepper,ortotaste3clovesgarlic,peeledanddiced1bunchfreshparsley,chopped

1tablespoonmiso

Juiceof1mediumlemon



Place thebeets inwaterandbring toaboil.Coverand simmer for10minutes.Addthepotatoesandbringtoaboil, thencookovermediumheatuntiltheyaretender,about5–10minutes.Addthecabbage,celery,kale,andpepper,andagainbringthesouptoaboil.Addthegarlicandparsleyandimmediatelyremovetheborschtfromheat.Stirinmisoandlemonjuice.Servewithflaxseedoilanddulseflakes.

SERVES6

Victoria

GARDENMINESTRONEWITHWILDRICEANDSAGEPESTO

½cupsun-driedtomatoes,soakedfor2hours3clovesgarlic

2cupswater(preferablythetomatosoakwater)3cupstomatoes,chopped

½cupparsley,chopped

⅓cupbasil,chopped


1zucchini,chopped

1tablespoonoregano,minced

1apple,diced

1tablespoonseasalt

¼teaspooncayenneDashofwhitepepper2cupswildrice,sprouted

1cupdicedportobello,marinatedin2tablespoonsofNamaShoyusoysauceortamarifor1houroruntilsoft(optional)

InaVitamixblenderwithvariablespeedsorinafoodprocessor,blendsun-driedtomatoes,garlic,andonecupofwateruntilsmooth.Addtheremainingingredientsexceptthericeandmushrooms.Blendonlow,notliquefying but leaving a slightly chunky consistency. Add the rice andblend on low for 10–15 seconds. Pour into a saucepan and stir in themarinatedportobellos.ServewarmwithSagePesto.

SERVES4

WILDRICESOFTENING

Thismethodsoftensthericeandgivesitanuttyflavor.Putthewildriceinajarwithasprouting lid tomaketheprocesseasierandthecleanupquicker.Soak thewild rice in filteredwater for10–12hours,at roomtemperature. Strain the riceand continue to rinse twiceaday for2–3days.Toensurethericeiswellrinsed,makesurethewaterisclearafterrinsing.The rice is goodafter adayof rinsing, butwill softenmore if

soaked foranadditionalcoupledays.Youmayuse this rice in salads,stir-fries,andsoups.

SagePesto

1cupfreshbasil,chopped

¼cupleeks,chopped

2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped 3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped ½ cup walnuts orhempseeds

2clovesgarlic,chopped

½tablespoonseasalt


Crackedorcoarselygroundpeppertotaste3tablespoonsflaxseedoiloroliveoil

Inafoodprocessor,addalltheingredientsexcepttheoil.Blendtogetherwhile slowly adding the oil to the mixture. Do not blend untilcompletely smooth as this should be a “rustic” pesto that has sometexture.Addadolloptotheminestronesoupbeforeserving.

Chad

MISOBROTHWITHCOCONUTSOBA

4cupscoconutwater

¼cupdarkbarleymiso

2tablespoonstamariorNamaShoyusoysauce1tablespoonsesameoil

2clovesgarlic

1½tablespoonsginger,chopped

1tablespoonlemongrass,chopped(optional)⅓cupcoconutmeat,juliennedthintonoodlesize(if not available, use zucchini, peeled and julienned or spiralized into “noodles”) 1 carrot,juliennedpaper-thin

¼cupsnowpeas,juliennedpaper-thin¼cupredbellpepper,diced

2tablespoonsspringonion,diced2tablespoonstoastedsesameseeds

Inahigh-speedblender,blendthecoconutwater,miso,tamari,sesameoil,garlic,ginger,and lemongrassuntil liquefied, thenslowlypour themixture througha fine-mesh strainer.Combinewith thecoconutmeat,carrot, snow peas, and red bell pepper in a small soup pot and heat.Serve this soup warm, ensuring the vegetables remain crisp. Garnishwithdicedspringonionandtoastedsesameseeds.

SERVES4–6

Chad

YELLOWSPLITPEASOUPWITHSMOKEDDULSEANDKALE

3tablespoonsoliveoil

1whiteonion,diced


1½cupsyellowsplitpeas

6cupslow-orno-sodiumvegetablestock½cupwhole-leafdulseseaweed(preferablyapplewood-smoked),rippedinto1-inchpieces2tablespoonsfreshthyme,minced3tablespoonsparsley,chopped

3tablespoonsfreshlemonjuice

½tablespoonseasalt(ormoretotaste)½cupnutritionalyeast

1teaspoonfreshcrackedblackpepper2cupskaleofyourchoice,shredded

Addtheoiltoasouppotovermediumheat.Whentheoilishot,tossintheonions,cookingthemuntiltranslucent,thenaddthegarlic.Addthesplitpeasand5cupsvegetablestock(reservetheothercupforlater,ifneededoncethepeasarecooked).Bringtoasimmerandallowtocookfor12–15minutes.Addthedulse,thyme,parsley,lemonjuice,seasalt,nutritionalyeast,andpepper.Addtheremainingcupofvegetablestockifneededtothin,andcookforanadditional5–8minutes.Addthekale,removethesoupfromheat,andputonthelid.Allowthekaletosteamfor5–10minutesfromtheheatofthesoup.Stirandserve.Bestservedwithyourfavoriteseededwhole-grainbread.Garnishwithfreshparsleyandalemonwedge.

SERVES4–6(Ifnotservedastheentrée,therewillbeleftovers.)Chad

BREADS,CRACKERS,ANDCHIPS

BROWNWALNUTBREAD

2¼cupspackedwalnutpulp(Thisisleftoverpulpfrommakingnutmilk.Youcanuseanynutorseedpulpyouhaveonhand.)¾cupgroundchia seedsor flaxseeds⅓cupcaroborcacaopowder(Iprefercarob)¾teaspoonseasalt

2tablespoonscarawayseeds(moreorlessaccordingtotaste)½cupwalnutoil

½cupsauerkraut(addmoreforamoresourtaste)

Mix thedry ingredients togetherwithyourhands first, thenstir in theoilandsauerkrautandstirtogetheruntilwellcombined.Rollouthalfofthebatter and sandwichbetween two14×14-inchnon-sticky sheets.Use a rollingpinor oliveoil bottle to flatten andevenout thebatter.Removethetopnon-stickysheetanduseapastryscrapertospreadthedoughouttotheedgesofthesheetandmakeitsquare.Scorethebreadinto16squares(approximately3×3-inch)pertrayandthenflipitontoadehydratortraywiththescreeninplace.(Thetraywillhavenonon-stickysheetsonthetoporbottom,justthescreenandtray.)Dehydrateforabout4hoursat110°.Youwillknowthebreadisreadywhenit ismoist but not doughy. Store in a plastic bag or glass container in therefrigeratorfor4–5daysorinthefreezerfor2–4weeks.Thisbreadwillnotstayfreshlongatroomtemperaturesinceitisnotdriedcompletely,butitshouldkeepovernight.

YIELDS24PIECES

Elaina

CILANTRO-WALNUTCRACKERSORDIP

5cupssoakedwalnuts(2½cupsbeforesoaking)1clovegarlic,minced

1tablespoongratedginger¼cuppackedcilantroleaves2stalkscelery,chopped

1greenonion,chopped

1teaspoonCelticseasaltJuiceof1or2lemons(3–6tablespoonsjuice)1cupflaxorchiaseeds,groundintomeal

Puréeeverythingexcepttheflaxorchiameal ina foodprocessoruntilwellpuréedbutnotcompletelysmooth.Stirinflaxmeal.Eatasadipormake into crackers. For crackers: Spread the mixture evenly onto adehydrator tray linedwithanon-sticky sheet.Dehydrateat105° for8hours. Flip the crackers over, remove the non-sticky sheet, anddehydrateforanother12hoursoruntilcrunchy.Storethecrackersinaglassjaraftertheyhavecooled.

Elaina

OMEGA-3BIRDSEEDFLAXCRACKERS

1cupblackchiaseeds

2cupsgoldenflaxseeds

2cupsbrownflaxseeds

3cupshempseeds

15cupswater

2½teaspoonsHimalayansalt

Rinsealltheseedswell,thenmixalltheseedstogetherandsoakinalargebowlofwater.Stirtheseedsagainafterabout1hourofsoaking.Donottrytorinsetheseedsagainoncetheyhavebeensoakedasyoumayrinseoffthegelatinousproperties.After4–8hoursofsoaking,handmix in theHimalayan salt, stirringwell. Spread2½cupsbatterontoa14×14-inchnon-sticky-sheet-lined dehydrator tray. Score into 25–36 crackers per tray using a metalpastryscraper(BashNChop)orametal,offsetspatula.Dehydratefor2hoursat140°.Turnthetemperaturedownto105°andcontinuetodehydrateforanother6hoursorsountilthenon-stickysheetcomesoffeasily.Flipthecrackersoverontoascreenthathasnonon-stickysheeton itand remove thenon-sticky sheet fromthebackof thecrackers.Continue todryuntil the crackers are crunchy (about 24–36 hours altogether). Store in an airtight glasscontainer after theyhave cooled.Thesewill keep for 3monthsunrefrigeratedor6monthsrefrigeratedorfrozen.

Elaina

CRUNCHYCHIACRISPS

4cupschiaseeds

10cupswater

2teaspoonsseasalt

1redbellpepper,chopped1zucchini,chopped


2smalltomatoes,chopped

2teaspoonsgratedginger

Inalargebowl,pourthewateroverthechiaseedsandstirwell.After15minutes, stir again to be sure the seeds soak evenly. Let the seedssoak4hoursorovernightatroomtemperature.Theseedswillabsorballthewater,sothereisnoneedtorinseordrainthematthispoint.Puréethevegetablesinafoodprocessor,leavingthemalittlebitchunky.Addalltheingredientstogetherintothebowlofsoakedchiaseedsandmixwellwithalargespoon.UsinganoffsetmetalspatulaorscraperliketheBashNChoptool,spread3cupsbatterontodehydratortraysthathavebeen linedwith non-sticky sheets. Dehydrate for 8 hours, or until thecrispsseemreadytoflip,andremovethesheet.Continuetodehydrateuntil the crisps are crunchy and completely dry. Let cool for 5–10minutes or until cooled completely. Store in an airtight container topreservefreshnessandcrispness.Shelf life: Frozen or refrigerated: 6 months. Cool, dark cupboard: 3

months.Variations: To vary the flavor, add a combination of your favorite

herbsandspices inequalamounts.Foravarietyofcolorsand flavors,changethevegetablestocabbage,beets,carrots,etc.For other variations, hand mix some or all of the following into theCrunchyChiaCrispsrecipe:

2teaspoonscurrypowder

2teaspoonscuminpowder

¼cuptomatopowder

2clovesgarlic,crushedorminced1bunchcilantro,chopped

Elaina

KALECHIPS

Kalechipsarelikepotatochipswithallofthecrunchandflavorandnoneoftheguilt!Tryaheadofcurlykalewitheitherofthesevariations.

1largeheadcurlykale

Tomato-Dill

1cuptomato,chopped

¼cuphempseeds

1clovegarlic

2teaspoonslemonjuice

¾teaspoonseasalt

¼teaspoonthyme

1tablespoondrieddillweedor5tablespoonsfreshchoppeddillweed

Ranch

1cuphempseedsorwalnuts4teaspoonslemonjuiceor2½teaspoonsrawapplecidervinegar1teaspoonseasalt

1teaspoononionpowder

1teaspoongarlicpowder

½cupwater

BlendRanchingredientsuntilsmoothbeforeadding:1teaspoondrieddillweed2teaspoonsItalianseasoning

Wash1largeheadofcurlykaleanddrywell.Blendalltheingredientstogether(exceptkale)untilsmooth.Usethewhole leavesandstemsofthe kale (or beet tops or collards), keeping the leaves as whole aspossible.Toss thedressing togetherwith thegreens inabowlandmixuntil the leaves are coated. Place on dehydrator trays that have been

linedwithnon-stickysheetsanddehydratefor4ormorehoursat105°.Remove thenon-stickysheetsandcontinuedryingabout3morehoursoruntilcrisp.Letcoolcompletelybeforestoringinaglassjarforuptoamonth. (Note: Storing these chips in a ziplock bagwillmake them gostalewithin12hours!) Elaina

CHIPOTLETOSTADAS

Organic sprouted corn tortillas2 cupsFat-FreeChipotleRedBeans (see thispage) 1 avocado,thinlysliced

2smalltomatoes,chopped

¼cupmincedcilantro

¼cupsalsa

4leavesromainelettuce,thinlysliced

Toast the tortillas ina toasterovenorbakeat250° for15minutes,oruntil golden and crispy. Start assembling your tostadas by placing adollopofbeansonatortilla,thenlayeryouringredients,finishingwiththelettuce.

SERVES2

Elaina

ENTRÉES

ZUCCHINIPASTAWITHARUGULA-PESTOSAUCE

Pasta

4zucchini,cutintofinenoodlesonamandolineorspiralslicer

Sauce

½cupwalnuts

½cupbasilleaves,tightlypacked

½cuparugulaleaves,tightlypacked

1teaspoonlemonjuice

3–5clovesgarlic,minced

1tablespoonmellowwhitemisopaste

½teaspoonseasalt

¼cupflaxseedorhempseedoil

Pinenutsforsprinkling

Soakthewalnuts2–24hours,thenrinsewell.Puréeallsauceingredientsinafoodprocessororblenderuntilsmooth.Tosswiththenoodlesandsprinklewithpinenuts.Additionalitemsyoucanmixinortopyourpastawith:choppedolives,soaked and chopped sun-dried tomatoes, fresh chopped tomatoes,nutritionalyeast,ordulseflakes.

SERVES4

Elaina

LENTILSINHEAVEN

2½cupsredlentils,soakedovernight4cupswater

Bring the water to a boil in a stockpot and add the lentils. Stir rightawaytokeepthelentilsfromstickingtothebottomofthepan.After15minutesadd:

½mediumsweetpotato,peeledandcubed½mediumyam,peeledandcubed

1mediumpotato,cubed

7largeclovesgarlic,peeled

½teaspooncayennepepper

½teaspoonsalt

Continuecookingfor10moreminutesatalowboiloruntilpotatoesaredone.Add3tablespoonslemonjuice.Sprinklewithdicedgreenonionsandfreshdill.

SERVES3

Valya

FIRE-ROASTEDTOMATOLENTILCHILEWITHAVOCADOCRÉMEANDBROWNRICE

2tablespoonsoliveoil

1largeonion,diced

4clovesgarlic,minced

1freshjalapeñopepper,minced

1cupgreenlentils

1 cup sweet potato, peeled and ½-inch diced 3 celery stalks, sliced in half lengthwise thenchopped2cupslow-sodiumvegetablestock

1 16-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juice, no salt added ½ tablespoon smokedpaprika

½tablespooncuminpowder

3tablespoonscilantro,chopped

2tablespoonsmaplesyrup

2 cups winter greens (kale, collards, Swiss chard, cabbage,mustard greens), torn into 1-inchpiecesSeasaltandfreshlygroundblackpeppertotaste

In a large pot on medium-high heat, add the oil and onions, stirringcontinuouslyuntiltranslucent.Addthegarlicandfreshjalapeñopeppersand continue to cook until the peppers are browned. Add the lentils,sweetpotato, celery,andvegetable stock.Simmer for10minutes.Addthecannedtomatoes,herbs,spices,andgreens.Coverandsimmerfor5–8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit before serving so theflavorscombine.Seasonto taste,addingseasaltandpepper ifdesired.ServewithadollopofAvocadoCrèmeandchoppedgreenonionsoverbrownrice.

AvocadoCrème

3avocados,peeledandseeded

3clovesgarlic

¼cuplimejuice

½cuphempseeds


Seasalt

In a food processor, blend the ingredients until smooth, adding theflaxseedoilwhileblendingtocreateasmoothcrème.ServechilledwithFire-RoastedTomatoLentilChile.

SERVES6–8

Chad

WILDMUSHROOMCROQUETTESWITHRUSTICPUTTANESCA

Croquettes

3cupswalnuts,soaked10–12hours

1cuppinenuts

3portobellomushroomcaps,dicedandmarinatedin2tablespoonsNamaShoyusoysauceand2tablespoonsoliveoilfor1houroruntilsoft3celerystalks,diced

¼cupredonion,minced

⅓cupcherrytomatoes,halved

1½cupsmallbroccoliflorets

1½tablespoonsdriedthyme

1½tablespoonsdriedsage

⅓cupfreshbasilleaves,tornintosmallpieces3tablespoonsfreshoregano,minced


1tablespoonchilepowder

½tablespoonseasalt

Dashofcrackedblackpepper

Grind the nuts and set aside. Marinate the diced portobellos and setthemasidefor1houroruntilsoft.Addtheremainingingredientstothenut mixture. When the diced portobellos are soft, toss them into themixture along with the marinade. Stir everything together untilthoroughly combined. On a non-sticky sheet, form into 4-inch pattiesanddehydrateat110°for4–6hours.

RusticPuttanesca

¼ cupmixed olives (Kalamata, green, and black), pitted and coarsely chopped 3 tablespoonscapers,rinsed

½cupsun-driedtomatoes,rehydratedandjulienned3tablespoonsoliveoil

2tablespoonslemonzest


1smallredonion,finelydiced

1freshredchile,minced

Seasaltandpeppertotaste

Inabowl,combinetheolives,capers,andsun-driedtomatoesandmixthem together thoroughly with the remaining ingredients. Serve overWildMushroomCroquettes.

SERVES6

Chad

THAIBROCCOLIWITHALMONDCHILESAUCEANDROOTRICE

ThaiBroccoli

cupalmondbutter1tablespoonginger,chopped

1½tablespoonslemonjuice

2tablespoonssweetener(dates,raisins,orprunes)2clovesgarlic

2tablespoonstamariorNamaShoyusoysauce1serranopepper,diced(optional)

⅓cupwater(ormoreifneeded)tothin3cupsbroccoliflorets,chopped

½cupredandyellowbellpeppers,diced½cupcilantro,chopped

1cupAsianbeansprouts

Inahigh-speedblender,blend thealmondbutter, ginger, lemon juice,sweetener,garlic,tamarisauce,serranopepper,andwateruntilsmooth.Addmorewater if needed fordesired consistency.Toss the sauce in alarge bowl with the chopped broccoli, peppers, cilantro, and beansprouts.Afterthevegetablesarewellcombined,dehydratethemonnon-stickysheetsat105°for2–3hourstosoften.ServeoverRootRice.

SERVES4

RootRice:ParsnipandSesame

6cupsparsnips,peeled

½cuppinenuts


1tablespoontoastedsesameoil

1tablespoonseasalt1teaspoonblackpepper

3tablespoonschives,minced

2tablespoonsblacksesameseeds

Inafoodprocessor,pulsealltheingredientsuntilmincedtoawhite-rice

consistency.UsethisasabaseorserveonaplatewiththeThaiBroccoli.YIELDS7CUPS

Chad

MARINATEDVEGETABLELASAGNA

RedBellMarinara

2 cups sun-dried tomatoes covered inwater for 2 ormore hours (save thewater for a saladdressingorpossiblytothinthesauce)2largedatesor1tablespoonErythritol2clovesgarlic

⅛redonion,chopped

6basilleaves

1largebellpepper(or1mediumtomato),chopped1teaspoonHimalayansalt

⅛teaspoonoregano

Blendeverythinginablenderorpuréeinafoodprocessoruntilsmooth.

Ricotta

3½cupswalnuts,soaked24hours

½cupwater(ormoreasneeded)


¼cuplightmisopaste


1teaspoonItalianseasoning

Soakthewalnutsfor24hours,rinseverywell,anddrain.Puréealltheingredientsinafoodprocessororblenduntilfluffy.

Vegetables

4mediumyelloworgreenzucchini,thinlyslicedlengthwiseonamandoline2largeportobellomushrooms,choppedandmarinatedintamariorlemonjuiceandsaltfor1houroruntilsoft1 large bunch or 4 cups spinach, washed, dried, and pulsed in a food processor 2 cupsarugula,washed,dried,andpulsed ina foodprocessor1 largeredbellpepperand1 largeyellowbellpepper,juliennedandchoppedthendehydratedfor1ormorehours

Mixpulsedspinachwithpulsedarugulainaseparatebowl.

Layering

Place enough zucchini slices on the bottom of a square (9× 9-inch)glasspantocoverit.Layeron⅓ofthemarinarasauce,then⅓ofthericotta, using your fingers or a pastry bag if necessary to spreadevenly. Then, using your hands or a nut milk bag, squeeze all theliquidoutofthemushroomsandlayerhalfofthemonthecheese(youcan pulse them in a food processor to make a meaty texture ifdesired).Squeezetheliquidoutofthepulsedspinach-arugulamixtureusinganutmilkbag, and layerhalfonto themushrooms.Thenaddhalfof thebellpeppers.Startagainwiththezucchini,sauce,ricotta,mushrooms,spinach-arugula,andpeppers.Keeplayeringuntilyourunoutofingredientsorroominyourpan,andfinishwiththecheeseandfinally the sauce, swirling it together so thatwhenyoudehydrate it,thedishlookslikebakedlasagna.Youcanalsomakeyourlasagnainaspringformpan.Removethesideofthepananditlookslikeafancyvegetableterrine!Ifit’sasunnyday,placethelasagnainthesunwithadehydratingscreenontopforacouplehours;otherwise,warmitinthedehydratoron125°foracouplehours.

SERVES8

Elaina

STEAMEDVEGGIES

3cupsgreenbeans

4babybokchoy,chopped

1carrot,sliced

¼redcabbage,sliced

5mushrooms,chopped

3cupsbroccolichunks

Steamalltheveggies,addingthemushroomsandbroccolilast.

Addthefollowingseasonings:


½teaspoonsalt

½teaspooncoriander

½teaspooncayennepepper

½teaspoononionpowder

Mixandserve.SERVES6

Valya

FAT-FREECHIPOTLEREDBEANS

2cupsredbeans(about3cupsaftersprouting),soakedandthensproutedto¼-inchtails(seedirectionsbelow)5cupswater


¼onion,chopped

1piecekombuseaweed

2teaspoonsseasalt

2dashescayennepepper

1teaspooncuminpowder

2chipotlechiles(optional)

1tablespoontomatopowder

Soak the beans overnight, or for at least 6 hours. Sprout them bystraininginacolanderornutmilkbagandrinsingthemeverymorningandevening for twodaysoruntil¼-inch tails form. Inamediumpot,cook all the ingredients together for 1–2 hours or until the beans aresoft. Serve whole or blend all the ingredients together in a foodprocessortomakearefriedbeantexture.Enjoyontostadasorwrappedinaromainelettuceleaf.

SERVES3

Elaina

MAC’N’CHEEZE

4zucchini,peeled

1teaspoonseasalt

1batchofCheezeWhip(seethispage)

Usingthelargebladeonaspiralizer(PadernoorSpirooliareacoupleofdifferentbrandnamesforthistool),spiralizeyourzucchiniintonoodles,thencuttheminto2-inchlengthswithscissors.Tosswiththesaltandletsitabout5minutesoruntilthezucchinibeginstoweep.Spininasaladspinneruntilalltheexcessliquidisremoved.MixwiththeCheezeWhipandenjoy.

SERVES3

Elaina

MARINATEDTENDERBROCCOLIANDZUCCHINI

VegetablesforMarinade

2headsofbroccoli

2zucchini,slicedintothinhalf-moonsormatchsticks¼redbellpepper,minced

5verythinslicesofredonion,quartered

Cut the broccoli into bite-size spears. Peel the fibrous pieces with aparingknife.

Marinade

cupfilteredwater2teaspoonsseasalt

cupflaxseedoil2tablespoonsfreshrosemary

2tablespoonsmiso

4clovesgarlic

2tablespoonsonionpowder


1tablespoonwheat-freetamari

Blenduntil smooth.Mixwith the vegetables and letmarinate for5ormorehours.Tospeeduptheprocess,placethevegetablesintoaquart-sizeglass jarandpressthemfirmlydownintothe liquid.Dehydrateat105° until they are tender. For the best flavor, serve the vegetableswarmedinthedehydrator.

SERVES6

Elaina

DESSERTS

LOW-GLYCEMICOMEGA-3COFFEE“ICECREAM”

4cupshempseedorwalnutmilk(2½cupsnutsorseedsblendedwith4cupswater)¾cupIrishMossPaste(seethispage–thispage)¼cupmaplesyrup

¾cupErythritol,Lakanto,orXylitolsweetener10dropscoffeeessence

10dropsvanillaessence

¼teaspoonsalt

¼teaspoonliquidstevia

¼cupcoconutoil

Make themilkbyblending thewaterandnutsor seeds together, thenstraintheliquidthroughanutmilkbag.Putthenutpulpinthefreezerfor an alternate use. Mix the nut milk and remaining ingredientstogetherandpourintoanice-creammaker.I prefer the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker with a freezable cylinder.

Freezethecylinderovernightforbestresults.Removethecylinderfromthefreezerandassemblethemachinewiththespinningpaddleinplace.Turnthemachineon, thenpourthe“IceCream”batter intothefrozencylinder.Letrunfor20–30minutesoruntilthemixtureisfrozenintoafairly hard ice “cream.” For best results, don’t run longer than 40minutesorthemixturewillbegintodefrost.Serveimmediatelyorstoreinthefreezer.Tip:¾cupofliquidservesonepersonsoIliketosavetheliquidinthe

refrigerator and onlymake enough to eat at one time. This ice creamdoesnotfreezewelllong-term.Theice-creambatterwilllastrefrigeratedfor5days.

SERVES10–12

Elaina

VALYA’SSILLY-YUMSORBET

2cupsfreshorangejuice

1frozenbanana

1cupfrozenstrawberries

1cupfrozencherries

4tablespoonspsylliumhuskpowder

Placealltheingredientsinahigh-speedblender.Usingatamper,blendthoroughly on low ormedium speed. It is not necessary to blend thissorbetonmaximumspeed.Also,usinga lowormediumspeedwillbeeasier on your blender. Have glasses ready to pour the sorbet into assoon as it is done blending, as the psyllium is a thickener and willquicklyfirmup.

SERVES3

Valya

THEHAPPYCOLONSORBET

2cupsfreshapplejuice

1frozenbanana

1cupfrozenpeaches

1cupfrozenblueberries

4tablespoonspsylliumhuskpowder

Placealltheingredientsinahigh-speedblender.Usingatamper,blendthoroughly on low ormedium speed. It is not necessary to blend thissorbetonmaximumspeed.Also,usinga lowormediumspeedwillbeeasier on your blender. Have glasses ready to pour the sorbet into assoon as it is done blending, as the psyllium is a thickener and willquicklyfirmup.

SERVES3

Valya

PINKGRAPEFRUITCREAMSORBETDECADENCE

2pinkgrapefruit(1½cupsjuice)½cupcoconutpalmsugaroryacónrootsyrup,oryourfavoritehealthysweetener2teaspoonslemonorlimejuice

¼teaspoonseasalt

1tablespoongroundchiaseeds

1teaspoonpowderedsoylecithin

Wash the grapefruit well withwater and dish soap. Using a zester ormicroplane, remove the zest from the peel of one grapefruit. Squeezeenoughjuicefromthegrapefruittomake1½cupsjuice.Straintheseedsout of the juiceusing anutmilkbagor sieve.Addall the ingredientstogether inablenderandblendwell.Taste themixtureafterblending.Since some grapefruits are sweeter than others, youmay need to addadditional sweetener in the form of a few drops of stevia. Freeze thegrapefruitmixture ina2-or4-quart ice-cream freezeraccording to themanufacturer’sdirections.

YIELDS3CUPS

Elaina

BLACKFORESTCAROBBROWNIES

4cupssoakedanddehydrated(optional)walnuts¾cuppitteddates

¾cupcarobpowderor1 cup rawcacaopowder2 teaspoons cherryorvanilla extract½cupcoarselychoppeddriedwalnuts½cupcoarselychoppeddriedcherries

Soakthewalnutsfor8–12hours.Rinsethemwellanddrythemwithatowel.Dehydratethewalnutsinafooddehydratorat105°for12hours.(This is an optional step that will give the brownies a more cakeliketexture.)Purée thenuts ina foodprocessoruntil theybecomea flour.Addthedatesandcontinuetopuréeuntilthemixtureiswellcombined.Addthecarobpowderandextract,andpuréeagain.Mixinthechoppednuts and cherries by hand.With very firmpressure, press themixtureinto a brownie pan. Refrigerate for an hour, then slice into squares.Double the recipe for a large pan. These brownies will keep in therefrigeratorfor4weeksormore.

Elaina

CHOCOLATESUGAR-FREEPIE

Crust

3cupswalnuts,soaked8ormorehours½cupgrounddrychiaseeds

½cupcarobpowder

10dropsalmondessence

½cupshavedorshreddedcacaobutter(donotmelt)¼teaspoonsalt

2/3cupIrishMossPaste(youwillneed1cupforthefillingaswell;seethispage–thispage)½cupLakantosugarorErythritolorXylitoltotaste

Puréealltheingredientsinafoodprocessoruntilmixedwell.Pressintoa 9-inch pie plate, covering the sides and bottom of the plate withdough.

Filling

1 cup Irish Moss Paste (1:1 ratio soaked moss to water; see this page–this page) 15 dropsraspberryessence

6dropsvanillaextract

½cupcarobpowder

½cupcacaopowder

2/3cupshavedcacaobutter

1½cupssoakedwalnuts

2cupswater


¾cupLakanto,Erythritol,orXylitol½teaspoonseasalt

Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into thepiecrustandletsetfor1–2hoursintherefrigerator.TopwithSkyHighWhip.

Topping:SkyHighWhip

¼cupsoakedIrishmoss(measureaftersoakingincoldwaterfor3+hours)1cupwater

Blendmossandwateruntilsmoothbeforeadding:1¾cupswater

¾cupLakantosugar-freesweetenerorErythritol¾cupcoconutoil

3tablespoonspowderedsoylecithin1½cupshempseedsorsoakedandrinsedwalnuts15dropsvanillaextractessenceor1tablespoonvanillaextract

Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Drop or pipe thewhipontopiesandpuddingswithapastrybagasdesired.Thistoppingwilllastfor1weekintherefrigerator.

Elaina

CHOCO-CHIA-CINNAMONCOOKIES

½cupchiaseeds,ground

2cupsdried,shreddedcoconut,powdered½cupcarobpowder

½cupcacaopowder

½cuppowderedLakantoorcoconutpalmsugar(forsweetercookiesadd½cupmoresweetener)10dropsvanillaessence

10dropscherryessence


1½cupsIrishMossPaste(seethispage–thispage)2tablespoonscoconutpalmsugar

2tablespoonsorganicpeanutbutter2tablespoonscacaobutter

2tablespoonspowderedsoylecithin½teaspoonground,driedorangepeel1teaspooncinnamon

¼teaspoonHimalayansalt

2dashesnutmegDashofcayenne

Grind the chia and dried coconut in a blender or coffee grinder untiltheyarepowdered.Putthechia,coconut,andtheremainingingredientsin a food processor and purée everything until smooth. Roll into ballsand flatten into cookies. Dehydrate at 115° until crunchy, or skipdehydratingthemandeatasis.

Elaina

COCONUTRASPBERRYYOGURT

6 young Thai coconuts (yields approximately 3 cups coconut meat and 7 cups water) 2–3capsulesprobioticpowder

3pintsoffreshraspberries

Cut open the coconuts and scoop out the coconut meat to getapproximately3cups.Blendthecoconutmeatwithabout7cupsyoungcoconut water until smooth and creamy. Pour the contents of yourblenderintoacleanglassjarandmixinthecontentsof2–3capsulesofyour favorite probiotic powder. Place the jar in awarmplace in yourkitchenandcoverwithacleantowel.Leavefor6–10hours.Youknowtheyogurtisreadywhenithasafluffyconsistency.Itwill

keep in the refrigerator for at least a week. The color of your yogurtshouldbewhite.Ifitturnspink,discardit.Foroneserving,pour2cupscoconutyogurtinabowlandadd½pint

freshraspberries.SERVES5

Victoria

RAINBOWGREENPUDDING

½bunchkale,stemsremoved

1cupstrawberries

1cupblueberries

1mango,peeledandseeded

4dates,pitted

5sprigsmint

4cupswater


Blend the ingredients except thechia seeds togetherwell inablender,usinga tamper if needed.Add the chia seeds last, blenduntil smooth,andserveimmediately.Pourthepuddingintoaniceglassanddecoratewithasliceofstrawberryandamintleaf.

SERVES4

Victoria

CHIANETTLEPUDDING

3cupsstingingnettles(toavoidstingingduringpreparation,useglovesoraplasticbag)2cupsstrawberries

2cupsapplejuice


Blend the stinging nettles, strawberries, and apple juice together in ablender,usinga tamper ifneeded.Add thechia seeds last,blenduntilsmooth,andserveimmediately,beforethepuddingsolidifies.Pourintoaniceglassanddecoratewithasliceofstrawberry.

SERVES3

Victoria

PAPAYAPUDDING

1cupsunflowersprouts

1smallpapaya,peeledandseeded

For a thicker consistency, blend these ingredients in a high-speedblenderwithout addingwater.Use a tamper if needed. Pour into niceglassesanddecoratewithasliceoffruit.

SERVES2

Victoria

DRINKS

OMEGA-3SEEDMILK

1cupwalnuts,flaxseeds,orhempseeds,soakedfor4hours4cupswater

Steviatotaste

¼teaspoonseasalt

1tablespoonIrishMossPastefortexture(seethispage–thispage)(optional)

Rinse the seedswellanddrain.Blendwith thewateruntil smooth (30seconds).Strainthroughanutmilkbag.Blendinafewdropsofsteviatotaste.Add the sea salt.Tryvanillaor toffee flavor,andadd IrishMossPaste ifdesired.Youcanrefrigerate themilk inaglass jar forup to5days.Storetheseedornutpulpinaziplockbaglaidflatinthefreezertouseforcakesorbreadlater,butnotlongerthanamonth.

Elaina

BESTGREENJUICECOMBOEVERMADE


2cupsspinach

¼bunchparsley

¼bunchcilantro

2apples,peeledandchopped

1cucumber,cutintolargecubes¼lemon,withoutpeel

Juicealltheingredientsinajuicer.Drinkimmediately.YIELDS1QUART

Valya

ELAINA’SPOST-RUNSMOOTHIE

After running an hour ormore, I really need to refuel quickly for optimalrecoveryandlong-termstrength.Hereismyfavoritesmoothieafterarun:

1ripebanana

1cupstrawberriesorotherberry2largehandfulsspinach,kale,orparsley2heapingtablespoonshemp protein powder 1 scoop L-glutamine (supplement for muscle recovery) 2 teaspoonspowdered soy lecithin (for brainpower and creaminess) 1heaping tablespoon soaked chiaseeds(seethispage)1tablespoonVitamineralGreenpowderFewdropsliquidstevia

Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into a quart-sizemason jar anddrinkoverthenexthour.

YIELDSABOUT1QUART

Elaina

CHIAMACASHAKE

2cupshempseed,walnut,orflaxseedmilk¼cupsoakedchiaseeds(seethispage)2tablespoonsgroundflaxmeal2–3tablespoonsmacapowder

1–2 tablespoons powdered soy lecithin 4 drops vanilla essence or 1 vanilla bean 1 scoopprobioticpowderorthecontentsof1–2probioticcapsulesSweetenerofchoice:6dropsstevia(best)or2–4tablespoonshoneyormaplesyrup¾cupicecubesifdesired

Blenduntilsmooth.Youcandoubleortripletherecipetomakeenoughtolastforthenextcoupledays.

GreenChiaShakeVariation

Eliminate ½ the maca and add 1 tablespoon green powder of yourchoice.Forvariety,playaroundwithdifferentextractslikebanana,coconut,

maple,coffee,chai,etc.

Elaina

OMEGA-3GREENSMOOTHIE

4cupspurslane,leavesandstems1ripemango,peeledandseeded1cupstrawberries

4cupswater

1tablespoonchiaseeds

Blendwellandserve.SERVES5

Victoria

FASTGREENSMOOTHIE

1bunchchard,stemsremoved

2ripemangoes,peeledandseeded4cupswater

Combinetheingredientsinablenderuntilsmoothandserve.YIELDS1QUART

Victoria

PEAR-FECTSMOOTHIE

1bunchcurlykale

2pears,chopped

2bananas,peeled

2sprigsfreshmint

4cupswater

Combinetheingredientsinablenderuntilsmoothandserve.Pourintoaniceglassanddecoratewithamintleaf.

SERVES3

Victoria

LETTUCEDRINKTOYOURHEALTH

½bunchredleaflettuce

½bunchoakleaflettuce

1cupstrawberries

2bananas,sliced

1apple,chopped

4cupswater

Combinetheingredientsinablenderuntilsmoothandserve.Pourintoaniceglassanddecoratewithasliceofstrawberry.

SERVES3

Victoria

DOCTORGREEN

1bunchfreshparsley

1peeledcucumber

1Fujiapple,chopped

1ripebanana,peeled

1thumb-sizeleafaloeverawithskinfromliveplant3cupswater

Combinetheingredientsinablenderuntilsmooth.Pourintoaniceglassanddecoratewiththinslicesofcucumber.

SERVES3

Victoria

SUPERGREENSMOOTHIE


1largeredbellpepper,withoutstem,butwithseeds2cupswater

Blend the ingredients inablenderuntil smooth.Pour intoniceglassesandserve.

SERVES2

Victoria

GREENSMOOTHIEFORTHYROIDSUPPORT


1ripemango,peeledandseeded1cupstrawberries

2tablespoonskelp,granulatedorpowder4cupswater

Blendwellandserve.YIELDS1QUART

Victoria

GRASSHOPPERONABLUEBERRY

1cupwheatgrass

1cupspinach

1cupblueberries

2apples,chopped

1-inchpieceginger

1banana

4cupswater

Blendwell.Pourintoaniceglassanddecoratewithseveralthinslicesofspinach.

SERVES4

Victoria

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Wegreatlyappreciateourfriendswhovolunteeredtospendmanyhoursediting our manuscript: Aletha Nowitzky, Vanessa Nowitzky, and InesCompton.We thankValyaBoutenko for graciously sharingher recipes for this

book.

ABOUTTHEAUTHORS

Victoria Boutenko is the award-winning author ofGreen for Life, RawFamily:ATrueStoryofAwakening,12StepstoRawFoods,GreenSmoothieRevolution, and Raw Family Signature Dishes. A raw gourmet chef,teacher, inventor, researcher, and artist, she has helped millions ofpeoplediscovergreensmoothiesandrawfood.Tolearnmoreaboutherteachings,visitwww.rawfamily.com.

ElainaLoveisaninstructorattherenownedLivingLightCulinaryArtsInstituteandhasbeenteachingrawfoodcoursesworldwidesince1998.Owner-directoroftheonlinerawfoodstoreandwebsitePureJoyPlanet(www.purejoyplanet.com),shelivesinPatagonia,Arizona.

Chad Sarno is founder and director of Vital Creations(www.rawchef.com), an internationally renowned restaurantconsultancy,personalchefandcateringservice,andfooddesignfirm.Aformer personal chef to Woody Harrelson, he joined Whole Foods in2009tohelplaunchthecompany’sHealthyEatingInitiative.HelivesinAustin,Texas.

http://www.rawfamily.com

http://www.purejoyplanet.com

http://www.rawchef.com

Date post:	11-Sep-2021
Category:	Documents
Upload:	others
View:	5 times
Download:	0 times

Raw and Beyond: How Omega-3 Nutrition Is Transforming the Raw Food Paradigm

Documents