Practically Raw

You’ll see this recipe called for time and time again in other chapters of this book, and with good reason. Marinating your favorite mushrooms will soften them up and infuse them with savory flavor, and they’re a cinch to make.

2 cups shiitake, crimini, baby bella, or white button mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and sliced

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil and tamari. Add the mushrooms and toss to coat thoroughly. Dehydrate for 15 minutes, or set aside at room temperature for 1 hour, to allow the mushrooms to marinate. Drain any excess liquid off the mushrooms before eating or utilizing in another recipe.

Per serving: 74 calories, 6.9g fat (1g sat), 1.9g carbs, trace fiber, 2g protein

Moroccan Grated Carrot Toss

This little carrot salad contains an amazing array of flavors, not to mention loads of beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A) thanks to the carrots. (Photo in background, page 143.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, agave, cumin, paprika, salt, and cinnamon. Add the shredded carrots and toss to coat them with the oil mixture. Add the raisins, olives, and cilantro, if desired, and toss again to combine. Serve immediately, or chill for 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Per serving: 111 calories, 6.6g fat (.5g sat), 13.8g carbs, 3g fiber, 1.2g protein

Cauliflower “Rice” Pilaf

Instead of being heavy and chewy like cooked rice, raw cauliflower “rice” has a light texture and a pleasant crunch. Serve it alongside your favorite (raw or cooked) stir fries, curries, and other main dishes.

Place the cauliflower in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it breaks down into rice-sized pieces, then transfer to a bowl. Add the almonds and salt to the food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the crushed almond mixture, carrot, and cilantro to the cauliflower in the bowl. Drizzle on the lemon juice and toss well to combine.

Per serving: 54 calories, 3.2g fat (trace sat), 5.4g carbs, 3g fiber, 2.6g protein

Marinated Broccoli and Red Pepper

Elegant in its simplicity, this simple side dish will make you forget you ever disliked raw broccoli. For added omega-3 fatty acids, replace half the olive oil with hemp or flax oil. (Photo in background, page 156.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, tamari, lemon juice, agave, and garlic. Add the broccoli and red pepper and toss to coat well. Add a splash of water if the mixture looks dry.

Make It Raw: Transfer the mixture to a shallow glass pan. Cover and place in the dehydrator to let marinate and warm for 1 to 2 hours before serving. Alternatively, place the bowl in the fridge overnight to allow the mixture to marinate; let come to room temperature before serving.

Make It Cooked: Transfer the mixture to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is heated through.

Per serving: 107 calories, 7.1g fat (1g sat), 9.5g carbs, 3g fiber, 3.3g protein

Homestyle Applesauce

Making your own applesauce is so easy, there’s no excuse not to try it! I use red apples because they’re so naturally sweet, but feel free to use green apples—you might just want to up the agave a little bit.

Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until desired consistency is reached. You can make it as smooth or as chunky as you like.

Make it Raw: Serve the applesauce at room temperature or chill it in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving. Alternatively, transfer the applesauce to a bowl or container and warm it in the dehydrator for 1 hour before serving.

Make it Cooked: Transfer the applesauce to a medium saucepan and gently warm it on the stove over low heat, if desired.

Per 1/2 cup serving: 98 calories, .5g fat (trace sat), 25.7g carbs, 4g fiber, .3g protein

FOR A CHUNKY TEXTURE

If you prefer a chunky texture, pulse the apple mixture so you don’t overblend.

Quick Curried Cauliflower

My curry obsession strikes again! Really, though, cauliflower and curry powder were made for each other. They’re one of my favorite culinary combos.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, curry powder, and salt. Add the cauliflower and toss to coat well. Add a splash of water if the mixture looks dry.

Make it Raw: Transfer the mixture to a shallow glass pan. Cover and place in the dehydrator to let marinate and warm for 1 to 2 hours before serving. Alternatively, place the bowl in the fridge overnight to allow the mixture to marinate; let come to room temperature before serving.

Make it Cooked: Transfer the mixture to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is heated through.

SNACKS

Mesquite Candied Pecans

Mesquite powder lends a smoky, almost mysterious sweetness to these nuts. If you don’t have mesquite, though, you can just leave it out and make plain maple-candied pecans instead! (See photo, page 182.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the pecans. Add the pecans and toss until the nuts are thoroughly coated.

Make It Raw: Spread the mixture onto a Teflex-lined dehydrator tray and dehydrate for 12 to 16 hours, until the nuts are dry.

Make It Baked: Preheat the oven to 250°F and thoroughly grease a baking sheet with coconut oil. Spread the nuts onto the baking sheet and bake for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring once halfway through and taking care not to let them burn. Let cool completely before handling.

Per 1/4 cup serving: 214 calories, 19.5g fat (2g sat), 10.6g carbs, 3g fiber, 2.5g protein

Curry-Glazed Cashews

These gorgeous, highlighter-colored cashews combine the inflammation-fighting spice of curry powder with the pleasing sweetness of maple and agave. (See photo, page 182.) These cashews make a great garnish for any stir-fry, curry, or Asian noodle dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the cashews. Add the cashews and toss until the nuts are thoroughly coated.

Make It Raw: Spread the mixture onto a Teflex-lined dehydrator tray and dehydrate for 24 hours, or until the nuts are relatively dry (they will remain slightly sticky).

Per 1/4 cup serving: 225 calories, 15.6g fat (3g sat), 18.3g carbs, 2g fiber, 6.5g protein

Agave nectar: additional maple syrup, coconut nectar, or any other liquid sweetener

Baklava Nut Medley

I don’t know about you, but there are times when I’d give anything for a nutty, buttery pastry from my favorite Middle Eastern eatery. On days like those, I hightail it to the kitchen to make these baklava-inspired snack nuts. (See photo, page 182.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, agave, lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla, miso, and salt. Add the walnuts, almonds, and pistachios and toss until the nuts are thoroughly coated.

Make It Raw: Spread the mixture onto a Teflex-lined dehydrator tray and dehydrate for 24 hours, or until the nuts are relatively dry (they will remain slightly sticky).

Make It Baked: Preheat the oven to 250°F and thoroughly grease a baking sheet with coconut oil. Spread the nuts onto the baking sheet and bake for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Do not burn. Let cool completely before handling.

Per serving (1/4 cup): 208 calories, 16.5g fat (2g sat), 13.2g carbs, 3g fiber, 5.3g protein

Agave nectar: additional maple syrup, coconut nectar, or any other liquid sweetener

Cocoa-Dusted Almonds

These sweet almonds will leave chocolaty fairy dust on your fingers and a big grin on your face. (See photo, page 182.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Add the almonds and toss until the nuts are thoroughly coated.

Make it Raw: Spread the mixture onto a Teflex-lined dehydrator tray and dehydrate for 12 to 16 hours, until the nuts are dry.

Make it Baked: Preheat the oven to 250°F and thoroughly grease a baking sheet with coconut oil. Spread the nuts onto the baking sheet and bake for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring once halfway through and taking care not to let them burn. Let cool completely before handling.

In a small bowl, mix together the cacao powder and sugar. Toss the nuts with the cacao-sugar mixture until uniformly coated.

Per 1/4 cup serving: 171 calories, 12.2g fat (1g sat), 13.1g carbs, 3g fiber, 5.2g protein

Coconut palm sugar: brown sugar (not packed), Sucanat, date sugar, maple sugar, or lucuma powder

For Mexican Chocolate Almonds, add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper to the cacao-sugar mixture.

Road Trip Trail Mix

Sometimes I simply love spending the day in the car, cruising the open road; just me, Matt, and a bag of this crunchy and addictive (yet mineral- and fiber-rich) raw trail mix.

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Per 1/4 cup serving: 161 calories, 11.7g fat (2g sat), 13.7g carbs, 3g fiber, 3.3g protein

Cherries or blueberries: raisins, golden raisins, dried cranberries, or other dried fruit

Chewy Pear Chips

These pear chips make a great mess-free snack. They’re so low in calories that you could even dip them into a bowl of Vanilla Bean Crème without any guilt (hint hint). Leave the skin on to reap the benefits of pears’ high vitamin C and insoluble fiber content.

Make It Raw: Arrange the pear slices on two mesh-lined dehydrator trays and dehydrate for 20 to 24 hours, until dry.

Make It Cooked: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Arrange the pear slices on a baking sheet lightly greased with coconut oil and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges begin to curl. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully flip the chips over with tongs or a fork. Bake for 5 to 7 more minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool completely before handling.

Per serving: 49 calories, .3g fat (trace sat), 12.5g carbs, 2g fiber, .3g protein

SPOTLIGHT ON FATS

Raw food sometimes comes under fire for often containing ample amounts of dietary fats. However, the types of fats you consume matter more than the total amount. Even when raw dishes are rich in fats, they are the beneficial types.

Raw food contains:

Monounsaturated fats, thought to lower cholesterol and benefit heart health

Unrefined polyunsaturated fats, including essential omega-3 fatty acids that promote brain and skin health, reduce inflammation, and lower our risk of heart disease

Medium-chain saturated fats, found to have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties; easily converted into energy (rather than body fat) by our livers

Raw food does NOT contain:

Long-chain saturated fats from animal products, which can raise cholesterol levels and negatively impact heart health

Trans fats, manufactured by hydrogenating vegetable oils (refining polyunsaturated fatty acids to the point that they behave like saturated fats); exceedingly hazardous to our entire cardiovascular system

Also see Cutting the Fat on page 18.

Build-Your-Own Energy Bars

Could this recipe be any simpler? I think not! Actually, it’s more of an equation than a recipe— just plug in your favorite nuts and dried fruits, and you’ve just designed your own custom energy bars. See next page for lots of add-in ideas and combination suggestions to get you started.

Combine the nuts of your choice and the dates in a food processor. Pulse together until the nuts are finely ground and the dates are well-incorporated. Add the dried fruit of your choice and salt and pulse until combined, chopping the fruit as much or as little as you wish. If you are including any add-ins, pulse them in last. The mixture will be very sticky.

Rainbow Fruit Salad

Fruit salad should be a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds, and this mix fits the bill. Ruby-red strawberries, electric green grapes, sunny orange mango, and blue-purple berries (or any other similarly-hued fruits) create a veritable rainbow of colors and nutrients, all bathed in a zingy-sweet syrup.

To make the ginger-mint nectar, stir together the agave, ginger, mint, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, toss together the strawberries, grapes, mango, and blueberries. Add the nectar and toss to coat. Chill for at least one hour before serving to allow the fruit to macerate.

Per serving: 164 calories, .5g fat (trace sat), 42.5g carbs, 4g fiber, 1.1g protein

Candied ginger: 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

SIDES

Simple Seasoned Mushrooms

Moroccan Grated Carrot Toss

Cauliflower “Rice” Pilaf

Marinated Broccoli and Red Pepper

Homestyle Applesauce

Quick Curried Cauliflower

SNACKS

Mesquite Candied Pecans

Curry-Glazed Cashews

Baklava Nut Medley

Cocoa-Dusted Almonds

Road Trip Trail Mix

Chewy Pear Chips

SPOTLIGHT ON FATS

Build-Your-Own Energy Bars

Rainbow Fruit Salad