Simple Raw Marinated Vegetables

Raw vegetables marinated in olive oil and sea salt are exquisite in their simplicity. This straightforward preparation hadn't occurred to me until I tasted a rainbow of marinated vegetables in my salad at Ristorante Avanti. 

Vegetable Salad at Ristorante Avanti

No raw food cookbook that I've read will tell you this, but, almost any fresh vegetable allowed to take on the flavor of a little sea salt and soften in cholesterol-lowering cold-pressed olive oil tastes amazing! It's the raw equivalent of blanching, steaming, or boiling. But, the cell structures of the vegetables stay in tact and go to work reviving the body's cells and cleaning out toxins. 

Marinated Kale Salad

This technique can be used with virtually any edible plant. Marinated Kale Salad is a perfect example of softening to the point of palatability. 

Green Beans Coated with Salty Olive Oil

I was stumped as how to make good use of these fresh-from-the-farm green beans. Aside from snapping and popping them right in the mouth, or dipping them in a raw dressing such as  Raw Caesar Dressing or Amazing Raw "Peanut" Sauce, it seems there just aren't a lot of raw-food green bean recipes out there.*


Marinating them was my quick and easy answer. Tossed and served immediately, they were surprisingly delicious despite being quite crunchy. 


But, that's just me. Here's how to achieve a softer, "cooked" texture in a variety of vegetables: 

Bok Choy Marinating, later to be served
with Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes

At least one hour:
Bok choy (This tastes best with an additional vegetable)
Collard greens
Kale
Mushrooms
Spinach
Swiss chard 
Tomatoes (can sit for at least 15 minutes)


At least two hours:
Bell peppers
Celery
Radishes
Squash
Zucchini


4-6 hours:
Cabbage
Carrots
Fava Beans
Green Beans
Parsnips


Overnight:
Beets
Broccoli
Cauliflower

The crunchier the vegetable, the longer it should marinate. Take into account your personal preference for texture (al dente versus very soft) and adjust marinating time accordingly. 

Chop or slice finely and toss in enough olive oil to evenly coat the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt just before serving. 

I hope you enjoy this easy yet sophisticated preparation the next time you don't know what to do with your veggies. 


*Does anyone have a favorite raw recipe for green beans? 

Raw Tabbouleh

Raw Tabbouleh Salad

I was thrilled to find this raw version of one of my favorite dishes on the back of a bag of Bob's Red Mill Bulgur. It's filling enough to be a meal in itself. 


Tabbouleh
2 cups bulgur (presoaked for 1 hour)
3 cups parsley, finely minced
1/4 cup mint, finely chopped
3 green onions (or, 2 to 3 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin seed, ground
1/2 teaspoon salt (kosher or sea salt is healthiest)
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 head romaine lettuce, washed with leaves separated
3 tablespoons olive oil (or, safflower or flaxseed oil)


To presoak bulgur, place 2 cups bulgur in a bowl. Pour 2 cups water over bulgur and let stand for one hour. In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, gently mix together all ingredients, except the lemon juice, oil, cucumber slices, and romaine leaves. Add the lemon juice, toss, and chill for one hour to blend the flavors. Before serving, toss again with olive oil. Serve in a mound with romaine leaves arranged like the spokes of a wheel. Scatter cucumber slices over romaine leaves. 


Serves six.

Squash Season

'Tis the season for squash and pumpkins, and I'm looking for ways to use them in all their tasty, raw glory. 


I used to bake squash and serve them with a pat of butter. Even though they were "good for me" I still got that sluggish, bloated feeling after partaking. Here are the best ways I've found to enjoy these sweet, nutty gems of the earth without killing the energizing enzymes.  

Angel Hair Squash Noodles with Sun-Dried Tomato Marinara

I've prepared five versions of raw pasta with marinara and this recipe, from my friend Bridget's cookbook, is unquestionably the best. I ordered a copy from Amazon the next day. 


Click here for the full recipe from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen.

Raw Harvest Butternut and Coconut Soup

Searching online for a good squash soup exemplifies how easily time and ingredients can be wasted. Allow me to spare you disappointment by recommending this silky blend of butternut squash and young coconuts. Thank you, yet again, Natalia Rose! 

Zucchini Spice Bread

Ever since I got my dehydrator, Zucchini Spice Bread, from a favorite cookbook of mine, Local Wild Life, has been near and dear to my heart. It's the ultimate raw comfort food.












My friend, Dawn, sent me two promising recipes from her online squash queries. While I can't vouch for them just yet, I think they look delicious, and, they are exactly how I'll be putting the rest of my squash and pumpkins to use. Posts on how they turn out are forthcoming.


http://nofooddiet.wordpress.com/2010/01/raw-butternut-squash-ravioli/


http://www.food.com/recipe/raw-cauliflower-korma-306394

Don't forget to save all of your squash and pumpkin seeds for dehydrating. I used to roast them in the oven. But, sprinkled with a little sea salt and dried until crispy, they make the same  delicious snack! 


I wish you a Happy Halloween and many flavorful meals after those pumpkins are carved.

Raw Harvest Butternut and Coconut Soup

I've searched online for a good squash soup recipe and discovered how easily time and ingredients can be wasted. Allow me to spare you disappointment by recommending this silky blend of butternut squash and young coconuts. Thank you, yet again, Natalia Rose! 

Raw Harvest Butternut and Coconut Soup
Meat of 2 young coconuts
1 1/2 cups coconut water
1 cup butternut or pumpkin cubes (about 1-inch cubes)
8 organic dates or 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 pinch nutmeg, cinnamon, or pumpkin pie spice


Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Enjoy!


Makes 4 servings.


From Natalia Rose's The Raw Food Detox Diet. 

Angel Hair Squash Noodles in Sun-Dried Tomato Marinara

I've made five versions of raw pasta with marinara and this, from my friend Bridget's cookbook, is unquestionably the best. I ordered a copy from Amazon the next day. 

Angel Hair Squash Noodles in Sun-Dried Tomato Marinara

Noodles: 

4 zucchini squash

Sauce:

One batch Sun-Dried Tomato Marinara

Sun-Dried Tomato Marinara

2 cups tomatoes, chopped

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime, about 1 tablespoon

1 teaspoon pitted dates

1 teaspoon oregano, fresh or dried

1/2 teaspoon rosemary, fresh or dried

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes

Blend fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, lemon juice, dates, oregano, rosemary, and salt until smooth. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and blend until mixed well. The sun-dried tomatoes will absorb excess moisture and make your marinara thicker. Will keep for two days in the fridge. 

To make noodles, cut off the tops and bottoms of each squash, and then cut in half. Use your spiralizer* to spiralize your squash into angel-hair noodles. Toss your angel-hair noodles with marinara. Serve immediately, as it will begin to release water. Store squash noodles and marinara separately to keep for a few days in the fridge. 

*A mandolin can also be used to quickly turn squash into thin pasta noodles.  

Makes 4 servings.

From Ani Phyo's Raw Food Kitchen

Goodbye Restaurants, Hello Home Cooking!

I left California with simultaneous reluctance and anticipation. It had been a whirlwind of fresh flavors all over Napa Valley, the Bay Area, and San Diego.* I was sad to leave the abundance of fresh produce and a culture so privy to live, organic food.

At the same time, I couldn't wait to get back to my kitchen and start "cooking" again. Amazing restaurant experiences aside, few chefs offered the complexity attainable in intentionally raw dishes. I missed the richness of Rawviolis, the crisp zest of Simple Raw Sushi with Terriyaki Dipping Sauce, and the flavorful depth of salads like Fountain of Flavor Salad.

I was also anxious to experiment based on inspirations from my travels. I wanted to learn how to make the vegetables marinated to perfection at Ristorante Avanti and I swore to myself to make more raw cheeses, having so often declined the dairy version of this ubiquitous salad topper. The possibilities swirled through my head as I sat on the plane.

Upon landing, one more restaurant concluded the trip before the drive home. Cyprus Cafe had a lovely mediterranean menu, but not a lot to work with in the way of raw ingredients, save for the delicious Assorted Olives I ordered for an appetizer. My server said she could bring me a raw salad as an entree, but that the chef was too busy to create anything more. I was delighted when the presumed lettuce and tomato salad arrived decked with raw zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and avocado! I dove in, heartened by another fulfilling raw meal out.

*Posts and photos on San Diego, where I had some of the best meals of the trip, will be up once I fix some camera-related technical difficulties.

Raw Caesar Dressing

This can be made for dressing salads or dipping crudite. Its bold flavor pairs nicely with stalks of celery, carrot sticks, radish slices, or bell peppers.


I use Bragg's Liquid Aminos instead of Nama Shoyu soy sauce. Both taste great, but the Bragg's is always easier for me to find. 


Raw Caesar Dressing


1/4 cup cold-pressed olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 medium stalks celery, cut into thirds
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup Nama Shoyu soy sauce
2 tablespoons sweet white miso
5 organic unsulfured dates
Freshly ground pepper to taste


Blend all of the ingredients in blender and serve over romaine lettuce. This is a neutral dressing and may also be used as mayonnaise (use less water for a thicker consistency).


Makes 3 cups.


From Natalia Rose's The Raw Food Detox Diet.

Teriyaki Dipping Sauce

Any roll or wrap dipped in this easy sauce is all the more tasty. I use Bragg's Liquid Aminos instead of Nama Shoyu soy sauce. 


Raw Teriyaki Sauce


1 cup Nama Shoyu soy sauce
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon ginger, whole or chopped 
1 clove garlic
1 drizzle toasted sesame oil (optional)


Blend all the ingredients and use as a dipping sauce for spring rolls or raw salad rolls, or nori rolls.


Makes 10 servings.


From Natalia Rose's The Raw Food Detox Diet.

Simple Raw Sushi

Keep the vitamin and mineral-packed nori and throw out the sugary white rice. This dish provides the essence of sushi and is a delicious way to obtain B vitamins, calcium, and iron.

Add or substitute other vegetables if you wish. It's a creative use for that bell pepper or avocado threatening to go bad.

I used to roll the nori by hand until making it one night at my friend Laura's house where she let me use her sushi roller. I've been using one ever since. 

If you want to keep this raw, be sure to buy un-toasted nori sheets.

Simple Raw Sushi

4 sheets nori seaweed

4 romaine leaves

1 cup alfalfa sprouts

1 cucumber, julienned

1 carrot, shredded or julienned

Place the nori sheet in front of you. Lay one leaf of romaine lettuce horizontally on top of the nori on the side closest to you. Lay the sprouts, cucumber pieces, and carrot pieces horizontally following the line of the romaine leaf. Carefully roll the nori around the vegetables, pulling it gently toward you as you roll it to make it nice and tight. Then, moisten the end of the nori farthest from you with some water and seal it like an envelope. Slice the roll with a sharp knife down the middle. Dip in Raw Caesar Dressing or Raw Teriyaki Sauce.


Makes 8 rolls.


From Natalia Rose's The Raw Food Detox Diet.

A Sustainable Meal at "C" Restaurant

Next to the ocean, just down Cannery Row from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, sits C Restaurant of the Intercontinental Hotel.  There I savored some of the sea's finest offerings and a view to match. 

The first order of oysters needed not a squirt of lemon nor a dollop of cocktail sauce, lest the fresh, delicate flavor of their own liquor be lost. 

They were a good warmup for the second round of oysters, which, topped with salmon tartare, were such a complex mix of bold and salty flavors that each one begged a few minutes of post-contemplation.

A raw salad created just for me was a springy, peppery mix of vegetables with capers and cornichons. It was light and refreshing and I ate it all, then moved on to some of the freshest salmon sashimi I have ever tasted.

Breathing in the ocean air while dining on C's amazing creations was even more enjoyable knowing the vegetables came from nearby organic farms and the oysters and salmon complied with the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program.


For more on supporting live-caught, ethical, and sustainable fish, click on this link: http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=1521


Do you inquire about the sources of fish when purchasing or ordering at restaurants? 


Monterey Bay Aquarium Allies with Whole Foods, Bon Appetit to Promote Sustainable Seafood.: An article from: Endangered Species Update

Josh's Sashimi Dipping Sauce

Here is a delicious alternative to the typical sushi accompaniment of soy sauce and wasabi. 


The particular brands of marinade and mustard are part of what give the sauce its magic. If they're not on hand, however, substituting with a similarly flavored product should work just fine.


Josh's Sashimi Dipping Sauce


One cup Whole Foods Baja Spice Fish Marinade
One cup Nama Shoyu Soy Sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos
4 tablespoons Sierra Nevada Stout and Stone Ground Mustard

Raw Food at "Ristorante Avanti" in Santa Cruz

It is surprising that a city as healthfully progressive as Santa Cruz has no raw food restaurants. (If they exist, please let me know because I couldn't find them.) There are, however, limitless options in the way of organic, vegetarian, and sustainable places to eat.


Ristorante Avanti is one of them. The epitome of sustainability, they get all of their ingredients from local growers. As I've experienced in restaurants with similar philosophies, I could clearly taste the difference in the fresh, organic food that hadn't traveled far to get to my plate.

The Greek Olive Mix was a savory, meaty start. From the delightfully extensive list of raw food options, I chose the Marinated Vegetables with Chevre and Pumpkin Seeds. I ordered it without the Chevre and it was delicious and satisfying, nonetheless. Bright green string beans and beets the color of yellow heirloom tomatoes stood out as especially tender and bursting with flavor. They must have spent a good amount of time in a marinade which surely included olive oil and kosher salt.  

As is becoming my habit when a raw dish is absolutely scrumptious, I ordered another one and we shared it at the table. 

Tomorrow I'll be looking for a restaurant with good raw prospects near the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Question: What clues help determine whether a restaurant will have good raw food?

Raw Food in Santa Cruz: Another Delicious Day

An energizing green smoothie of organic strawberries, peaches, and spinach began a sunny day in Santa Cruz. 

It was just the thing to keep us satisfied while we browsed one of the boundless farmers markets of this lush city. Josh picked up fresh sashimi which he turned into a gourmet platter of tastiness with sprinkles of salt and pepper and his own asian style dipping sauce. Needless to say, the buttery texture of fish right out of the sea melted in my mouth. Paired with the cracked pepper and sauce, it made for an amazing dining experience.  

 

Meanwhile, Bridget had gathered up vegetables to complement the contents of her Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) basket.* She transformed the colorful array of produce into a veggie-loaded salad which she tossed with Neo Classic Rice Vinaigrette. Fresh-from-the-farm Romaine and crunchy morsels of intensely flavored radishes, peppers, and spring onions made this salad an indulgence. 

I'm thrilled to chalk up another satisfying and delicious raw day, the 37th one of my journey. I have no complaints and, in fact, I'm enjoying food more than ever before. The vivid flavors are magnetic and irresistible. And, now that I've made it over the detox transition hump, I'm able to enjoy all the benefits of this lifestyle effortlessly.


*Of note is that another member of Bridget's CSA ate an organic chicken, which is sometimes included in the weekly basket, in the raw! I only eat raw fish. But, if I did eat chicken, that's probably the freshest one I could get without raising it myself.


Question: Has anyone else had meat included in their CSA?

Neo Classic Rice Vinaigrette

My friend, Bridget, recently served me this dressing which she found on the back of a bottle of Marukan Organic Rice Vinegar. The combination of rice vinegar, one of my favorite vinegars, with dijon mustard and lemon juice, is tingly and delectable on the palate. I know I'll be making this one a lot. 


Neo Classic Rice Vinaigrette


1/2 cup organic rice vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil


Whisk first five ingredients well and drizzle in oil while whisking. Serves 4-6.