My first thumb through the book was so exciting, it actually brought a little tear to my eye…but I’m a total sap when things make me happy, so that was no surprise.  Getting beyond the beautiful photos, I started preparing some of the delicious recipes immediately, and quickly realized I just couldn’t make them all fast enough.  Reaching out to friend Elizabeth Fraser (aka Girl Gone Raw) our solution was to get together for brunch and share prep responsibilities for as many of Amber’s delicious recipes as we thought we could possibly eat in one sitting!

The result? One dee-licious brunch! Elizabeth actually proclaimed that she hadn’t been this full on raw food in a long time…and this is someone who makes raw food with clients all day & all week long!

On the menu (clockwise, starting top left, in the photo above):

• Butternut Squash Chipotle Soup (p 120)
• Flaxjacks (also on left side of plate w/Miso Maple Butter) (p 58)
• Chia Porridge with Blueberries (p 54)
• Morning Mushroom Scramble (p 53)
• Apple Cinnamon Raisin Bread (p 70)
• Banana Bread Squares (p 68)
• Pizza Kale Chips (p 102)
• Chocolate Kale Chips (p 104)…yes, these sound odd, but you must try them to believe them. They taste just like Cocoa Puffs! No joke.

If you’re curious about incorporating vitamin & nutrient packed raw food into your everyday diet, I highly recommend this book.  The recipes are all made with practical, easy to find ingredients, very easy to whip up, and every recipe offers several ingredient substitution options, as well as both “raw” & “cooked” instructions, which are especially helpful for folks who don’ t have a dehydrator (what raw foodies use to “cook” their food without heating it over 115 degrees F).

Here are more photos from our brunch…

Chia Porridge with Blueberries (p 54)

Morning Mushroom Scramble (p 53)

Pizza Kale Chips (p 102) & Chocolate Kale Chips (p 104)

Getting hungry???  I’m headed back to the kitchen to finish off my butternut squash soup leftovers right now!

This week, I was inspired by a gorgeous pinterest pin that I stumbled on, which led me to a recipe from Lisa Thiele on her wonderful With Style and Grace gluten-free lifestyle website for Dark Chocolate with Pistachios and Sea Salt.  The recipe quickly got me to thinking about the many variations that could be created using the Girl Gone Raw basic chocolate bar recipe topped with various nuts & dried fruit.

This version happens to use Walnuts & Cranberries, but as you can imagine, could be any combination of nuts & dried fruit.  Because of the more liquid nature of the raw chocolate recipe, the nuts & berries won’t quite sit on top as nicely as they do in Lisa’s recipe, but the treat is still absolutely delicious!

First, their quantities were too small for this snack to last all week, so I doubled almost everything, except for the salty ingredients (Nama Shoyu & Salt, which I actually cut in half…even for a salt lover, the original recipe was way too salty).  Also, I craved more spice so I added some cayenne.  Enjoy!

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Spicy Raw Nuts

Prep Time: 12 hours, 10 minutes

Un-Cooking Time: 12 hours

Total Time: 24 hours, 10 minutes

4-6 Servings

1/4 Cup

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Brazil Nuts
• 1/2 Cup Cashews
• 1/2 Cup Hazelnuts
• 1/2 Cup Almonds
• 1/2 Cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos, Tahini, or Nama Shoyu
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 2 Tbsp Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 Tsp Chili Powder
• 1 Tsp Curry Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt

Instructions

1. Soak all the nuts in a bowl w/Bragg's & Water for 6-12 hours
2. In a small dish or jar, combine all the spices
3. Drain the nuts & place in a large bowl
4. Drizzle olive oil over the nuts & toss to coat
5. Add spice mix & toss to coat
6. Dehydrate at 105 degrees for 12-14 hours

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Dehydrator, 5-Tray, Black, Excalibur 2500 Excalibur makes drying easy with the turbo charged Parallexx Drying System.

Most importantly, I was inspired to adjust this recipe to contain almost no onions.  Why?  One of my best girlfriends can’t eat ‘em, so I wanted to create a salsa she could enjoy at our next party.  I replaced Alton’s red onion with an increase in scallions, which tend to be a milder onion…we’ll see if my friend Patty can stomach this one!

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Basic Salsa With (almost) No Onions

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Un-Cooking Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours, 15 minutes

4 to 6 Servings

1/4 Cup

Ingredients

Ingredients for Processor
• 4 Roma Tomatoes
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 3 Seeded Jalapenos
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 4 Scallions (white ends)
• 2 Tbsp Ancho Chile Powder
• 1 Tbsp Chile Powder
• 1 Tbsp Cold Pressed Olive Oil
• 1 Lime, Juiced
Ingredients to be Mixed in After Processing
• 4 Scallions (Green Parts)
• Big Handful of Fresh Cilantro

Instructions

1. Loosely chop all ingredients for food processor & blend to your desired texture
2. Chop Green ends of scallions & Cilantro, and mix into blended salsa
3. Let sit for 6-12 hours to allow flavors to infuse
4. Serve with your favorite chips or foods! Yum!

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KitchenAid 13-c. Food Processor, Contour Silver Process your raw food with ease!

Here’s a run down of the apps I found, along with some basic info, in case you ‘re looking for a little inspiration yourself…

When I first went raw in my early thirties, there was no way I was going to give up my Caesar Salads. Of course, this was ten years ago before you could just look up a raw recipe online or browse the book section at your local Whole Foods Market. So, I had to do some experimentation to come up with a good Caesar Salad and that’s what I did. The croutons came later, but they were certainly a welcome addition.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. I know I do.  Be healthy!

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Raw Ceasar Salad w/Croutons

Prep Time: 24 hours

Un-Cooking Time: 24 hours

Total Time: 24 hours

3-4 Servings

Ingredients

Croutons
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (ground into a flour in food processor)
• 1/2 cup flax seeds (ground into a flour)
• 2/3 cup clean water
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp rosemary (fresh or dried)
• 1 tsp oregano (fresh or dried)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tsp of sea salt
Dressing:
• One whole avocado
• 3 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp of Nama Shoyu (unpasteurized soy sauce)
• 1 Tbsp tahini
• 1 glove of garlic
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp dulse granules
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground mustard seed
Parmesan-style Cheeze
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• 1/4 cup macadamia nuts
• 1 Tbsp sea salt

Instructions

Croutons (make these a day ahead):
1. Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
2. Place mixture on dehydrator sheets or wax paper spreading out for 1/2 inch uniformity.
3. Dehydrate at 145 for 1 hour
4. Reduce dehydrator to to 115 for another 18-23 hours (time will vary based on your dehydrator & preferred final texture)
Dressing:
5. Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth (you may have to add a bit of water to get it to blend).
Parmesan-style Cheeze
6. Blend all ingredients in a food processor until fluffy like grated cheese.
Assemble your salad:
7. Chop one head of romaine lettuce and place in a large salad bowl.
8. Add dressing and croutons and toss well.
9. Sprinkle cheeze on top and serve.

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Dehydrator, 5-Tray, Black, Excalibur 2500 Excalibur makes drying easy with the turbo charged Parallexx Drying System.

Paraflexx sheet - for Excalibur dehydrator Keeps wet, moist, or gooey food from slipping through small holes in the dehydrator trays.

Vitamix 64-oz. Professional Series 200 Blender, Onyx Combine the number of culinary tasks it performs with how often you’ll use it and the Vitamix Professional Series 200 instantly moves beyond a mere kitchen luxury to an everyday necessity.

KitchenAid 13-c. Food Processor, Contour Silver Process your raw food with ease!

(This article originally appeared on my blog as part of my “Free Friday” series on 11/4/11)

With all the political and economic changes happening worldwide, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I spend my money. Sometimes we might not feel like we have a voice on the worldwide political stage, but every time we use our debit or credit card, we are saying something very powerful. Whatever we all support everyday grows and becomes stronger. Whatever we choose to walk away from weakens or becomes something else.

In terms of food, most of us in developed countries have access to amounts of food that are unprecedented in history. We can eat vegetables from California, seafood from China and wine from Chile all in the same meal. Grocery store aisles are lined with every imaginable food from all parts of the world. Your pasta may be grown in China, processed in a plant in Taiwan and delivered from a warehouse in Minnesota. While most of this food is cheap and easy, there is a cost associated with it.

The amount of energy that it takes to grow, process, package and ship products that are sold in today’s markets is not sustainable. Shopping at places like Walmart for food, clothing or supplies places great stress on the environment and resources like energy and food. In the film Walmart: the High Cost of Low Price, Robert Greenwald documents the devastation that companies like Walmart do to local businesses and communities. This is just part of the story. There are also cheap labor, energy consumption, accusations of abuse on foreign soil, and the list goes on. And this is just one example.

In this age of globalization, another movement is gradually taking hold. More and more concerned citizens are buying local. When we buy our food from local, organic farmers, we reduce our carbon footprint greatly. In addition, we are helping to support local families and businesses. These farmers are usually more concerned about preserving the land they use. They also use less water and cause far less pollution than large corporate farms. Buying organic means that we are not contributing to all the chemicals that pollute our water and soil.

As far as our health is concerned, buying local and organic has several benefits. First, consuming organic food creates less toxins that your body has to get rid of. It also means that you are likely eating higher quality food that contains more minerals and vitamins. Second, eating food that is grown locally (especially in your own backyard or windowsill) ensures that you are eating seasonally, which is better for the body. Finally, by going to farmer’s markets or local grocers, you are connecting with your community which is good for everyone’s health.

If you have the time and energy, you might want to even consider joining your community’s gardening co-op. Many cities now have community gardens in which anyone can learn to garden and connect with other growing enthusiasts.

Whatever you decide, make a conscious effort to think about every purchase you make. Where does this item come from? How much energy did it take to get it into my hands? By making better decisions, we can all create a better world now and in the future. Be healthy!

Mystic Merman

Sugar Me Sick

Photo courtesy of Mark Barkaway via Flickr

According to a 2009 report by the American Heart Association, Americans guzzle 22 teaspoons of sugar a day EACH! Most of this comes from soda and candy. One soda alone carries around 8 teaspoons of sugar. Alarmingly, teenagers raise the average for Americans by consuming up to 34 teaspoons of sugar in one day. Recommendations from the AHA allow 6 to 8 teaspoons of sugar a day, depending on your size. Personally, I think the goal should be 0.

Processed sugar comes to us in many forms: white sugar (from cane or beets), corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, and many other disguises in our food. It’s hiding in almost anything packaged like cookies, crackers, pasta sauces, peanut butter, salad dressings, mayonnaise, you name it. Even bread, meat and soup can be loaded with sugar.

So, what’s the problem with sugar? Well, humans haven’t been consuming these quantities of refined sugars for very long, so the long-term effects are just beginning to occur to us. Many experts blame high consumption of refined sugar for a plethora of diseases. Diabetes is the most obvious, but many recent studies indicate that sugar may play a huge role in hundreds of other diseases.

In her book Lick the Sugar Habit (which I highly recommend), Dr. Nancy Appleton references dozens of studies that implicate sugar in connection with cancer, heart disease, obesity, tooth decay, mineral deficiencies, depression, intestinal disorders, free radical damage, constipation, asthma, and the list goes on. With as much sugar as humans consume daily, it would not be surprising if scientists soon discover that sugar is the main problem in most chronic diseases.

Why wait until science clearly tells us what we all already know? Refined sugar is toxic and contributes to disease. Cutting this out of your diet in all of its forms will do nothing but contribute to your health and well being. As humans, we should be getting healthy sugars from fruits and vegetables. Concentrated, denatured sugar is nowhere to be found in nature. Even honey is a rare treat for an animal in the wild that dares to penetrate a beehive.

If you have a sweet tooth, learn to enjoy foods that are naturally sweet (like fruit and dates). If you have to have sweets, find ones that are sweetened with less harmful sweeteners like agave, coconut palm sugar or stevia (ultimately, the goal should be to avoid any form of concentrated sweetener).

I would also recommend learning to enjoy the other flavors that food has to offer. Bitter is a taste that most people stay away from, but you can develop a taste for slightly bitter foods by introducing them with other foods like in a green smoothie. Sour, salty, spicy, pungent, and astringent are some other tastes that can be enjoyed. Learning to enjoy flavors can be exciting with plant foods, because there is so much variety. Be adventurous! Enjoy food. Be healthy!

Mystic Merman

Aaron is interested in the health of the individual, society and the planet, and believes that health must begin with oneself, so is always striving to improve his own health, while sharing information and education on health-related issues.  He has been interested in health, diet and vegetarianism for over 20 years, with 10 years of experience with raw food and superfood, and maintains a very active blog at MystycMerman.blogspot.com.

We can’t wait to see what he has to share with us…we know it will be great!  Please join us in welcoming him.