A Review Of Portland's Blossoming Lotus - A Great Vegan Restaurant With Many Raw Food Offerings

Raw cucumber avocado dill soup.

Garden of Eden salad with creamy ginger dressing.

Live wrap with cashew sour cream.

Green Goddess bowl.

Crispy Thai BBQ wrap.

Raw vegan lemon cheesecake with raspberry topping.

Chocolate chai vegan soft serve.

Portland Oregon - No Shortage of Great Restaurants

When my son and his family moved from Seattle to Portland, Oregon I was pretty happy because they were moving within what I consider reasonable driving distance from where we live in Northern California. What I didn't know at the time is that I would become even happier when I realized that this town has a plethora of amazing restaurants.

Doug and I drove to Portland this week to bring our 7 year old grandson home who had been staying with us. It was a very short visit (one day up, one day there and one day back) but we still managed to try 2 new restaurants and one old favorite while in this great town. On this visit, I would say the most memorable one was the Blossoming Lotus.

Blossoming Lotus

Portland, Oregon is an extremely vegetarian friendly town with plenty of delicious vegetarian restaurants to choose from. Blossoming Lotus, on Broadway and NE 15th street, is certainly one of them. We decided to have lunch there on Wednesday.

They offered an all vegan menu with many "Live" or raw food appetizers, soups, salads, entrees and desserts as well as a good assortment of raw juices, smoothies and specialty drinks.

Walking in, it had a warm feeling and good energy. There was a diverse crowd from young people to baby boomers. For lunch, we ordered at the counter and they delivered our food to the table.

We tried a medley of both raw and cooked vegan food. We also got some input from the lovely women sitting next to us who described the dishes that she ordered and let me photograph them. (Wouldn't you love to sit next to me at a restaurant?)

For Starters

We started the meal with the raw cucumber and avocado dill soup. It was light with wonderful crisp flavors. Our "neighbor" ordered a Garden of Eden side salad with creamy ginger dressing. Although we didn't eat it, it looked extremely fresh as you can see from the photo.

Lunch Entrees

For entrees, we had a Live Wrap and the Green Goddess Bowl. Both were good sized portions.

The Live Wrap was filled with cucumber, sprouts and carrots. It also had a tasty tahini-cilantro pate inside and was flavored with an avocado goddess sauce. The wrap itself was a tender collard green and it was served with an amazing cashew sour cream. The dish was $10, plentiful and worth ever penny.

The Green Goddess bowl was my favorite. This hearty bowl was a combination of steamed kale, mixed raw greens, sprouts and brown rice (you can also get quinoa). It was served with avocado goddess sauce and roasted garlic balsamic vinaigrette and topped with regular and black sesame seeds. It was a truly wonderful dish and my only regret is that I'll probably order this every time I return and may miss out on ordering something new. It was a large amount of food and a bargain at $9.

Our neighbor ordered the Crispy Thai BBQ wrap for $8. It had these interesting "soy curls" inside. In addition to soy curls, it was filled with crispy rice sticks, carrots, cucumber, red cabbage and romaine lettuce. It was flavored with a sweet ginger sauce and wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. It looked amazing and I'll have to try it next time if I can resist ordering the Goddess bowl again.

Leave Room for Dessert

By now, you must think we eat like pigs because this was a lot of food to try. But since I wanted to do a good job with this review, we made the sacrifice of trying two desserts.

The raw pie was good but not unusual for a raw restaurant. If you've never eaten a raw cheese cake, you're in for a wonderful treat but I've tried quite a few at different raw restaurants and this one was very good but not memorable.

The soft serve, on the other hand, was to die for. I do not eat dairy since I'm lactose intolerant so I dearly miss soft serve ice cream. The chocolate chai was delicious. Unfortunately, they only serve one flavor at a time so if you don't like their daily selection, you're out of luck.

Although we didn't try them (there is actually a limit to what we can consume), they had a big bowl of lovely vegan cookies and brownies at the counter.

So if you're in Portland you might want to give this place a try. They are open for lunch and dinner and offer a Sunday Brunch. Check out their Location and Hours and their Lunch, Dinner and Brunch Menus. They also have an interesting Cocktail Menu.

Have A Vegan Friendly 4th Of July - Potato Salad, Grilled Corn On The Cob And Baked Bean Recipes

Vegan Potato Salad with Avocado

Coconut Chili Lime Corn on the Cob

Sweet and Spicy Vegetarian Baked Beans

Have A Vegan Friendly 4th of July BBQ

Whether you are BBQ'ing tofu burgers or pork spare ribs this 4th of July, why not enjoy healthful, meatless side dishes? The most popular side dishes on the 4th are potato salad, corn on the cob and baked beans. Here are a few recipes that will please all of your guests, especially your vegetarian friends.

This Vegan Potato Salad is made with a fresh and light lemon and oil dressing and a touch of inflammation reducing, cancer fighting turmeric. The turmeric gives the potato salad the color of "egg" potato salad without the cholesterol and the avocado provides the creamy texture without the mayo.

While the grill is hot, try making Coconut Chili Lime Corn on the Cob. Instead of butter, the corn is rubbed with expeller pressed, unrefined, organic coconut oil and freshly squeezed lime juice. Then it is topped with a touch of salt and chili powder.

No 4th of July BBQ is complete without a big pot of baked beans. Sweet and Spicy Vegetarian Baked Beans with Green Chilies and Jalapenos have a nice combination of brown sugar sweetness with the contrasting heat from the chilies and jalapenos. Starting with ready made Bush's vegetarian baked beans, this recipe is easy to throw together. I slow bake the beans in my crock pot all day not only for the flavor but also for the joy of filling my house with their wonderful aroma!

Have a happy and safe 4th of July and thanks to Webweaver's for the free 4th of July clipart!

Sweet And Spicy Vegetarian Baked Beans With Green Chilies And Jalapenos

One of my favorite brands of ready-made vegetarian baked beans.

Very Easy Vegetarian Baked Beans for a Crowd

When throwing a summer party, baked beans are always a favorite. They obviously aren't as healthy as having plain beans because of the added sugar, but once in a while it's worth the indulgence. Beans are high in fiber which helps you lower your cholesterol and stabilize your blood sugar levels.

This is one of the dishes on my Summer Solstice Party menu that we served at our family gathering last week. When you are feeding a crowd, it's nice to have a dish that goes together quickly. I've made baked beans from scratch but it's a lot of work and I've never been able to duplicate the taste of using Bush's beans in this recipe. After adding just a few additional ingredients I generally let the beans simmer in a crock pot all day but you can also make them on the stove. If you are feeding fewer people, cut the recipe in half. If you are feeding a larger crowd, double the recipe. Baked beans make great leftovers. My daughter loves to eat them along side scrambled eggs.

Are Canned Vegetarian Baked Beans Considered Vegan?

Some products, like Amy's organic vegetarian beans, state that they are vegan on the label. Although Bush's does not, they replied to this question by stating that they are "free of meat and meat by-products" and that all of their products are "dairy and casein free". Their ingredients do however include "sugar" (although most of the sweetness is from brown sugar) and they do not specify whether it's cane or beet. Some cane sugar refineries use bone char in the filtering process which discourages many vegans from using cane sugar but many refineries do not. Brown and beet sugar does not go through this process.

***

Sweet and Spicy Baked Beans with Green Chilies and Jalapenos

[makes 12 servings]

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

Two 28 ounce cans of vegetarian or vegan baked beans

2 ounces mild diced green chilies (1/2 of a 4 oz. can)

1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno (fresh or canned, more or less to taste)

2 tablespoons unpacked brown sugar

Crock pot recipe:

Sauté the onion in oil for 5 minutes. Drain most of the juice from one can of beans and use all of the juice from the other. Put the onion, the beans and the rest of the ingredients in a crock pot and simmer on low all day or on high for 4 hours or more. Get a big slotted spoon and serve your guests from the crock pot.

Stove top recipe:

Using a 5 quart Dutch oven, sauté the onion in oil for 5 minutes. Add all the rest of the ingredients and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, until the beans are thick and bubbly. Serve.

Per serving: 151.3 calories, 1.2 g fat, 0.2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 6.1 g protein, 31.8 g carbohydrates and 5.3 g of fiber.

Orzo Salad With Raw Kale, Kalamata Olives, Heirloom Tomatoes And Hazelnuts In A Lemon Dill Dressing - Vegan And Vegetarian Recipe Options

Our Annual Summer Solstice Party

Our family started a tradition last year to gather at our home in Sebastopol, California to celebrate the Summer Solstice. This was our second celebration and I definitely think this tradition is going to stick! The kids, grandkids and extended family traveled here from Portland, Minneapolis, San Francisco and New York. A week of swimming, game playing, movie watching, cooking, visiting local attractions and soaking up the California sun culminated in a big party on Saturday evening.

With 29 adults and children, all with different eating habits, the menu becomes quite a challenge. So we typically have a combination of raw, vegan, vegetarian, seafood and BBQ'd turkey tenderloins so that everyone can find something they can enjoy. And of course, lots of Sonoma wines.

This year, everyone pitched in to prepare our feast. My daughter-in-law Karina brought tons of organic lettuce and other veggies from her garden in Portland and made a giant raw salad. She has now converted her entire yard to raised bed gardens (You can see her garden in my post, 10 Good Reasons to Plant a Garden). Another dish we served was an orzo salad that my daughter Linda prepared. It's a nice combination of organic pasta with lots of raw veggies and was inspired by our Garbanzo and Raw Kale Salad. I thought you would enjoy this fresh and healthful recipe. My Sweet and Spicy Vegetarian Baked Beans and Shrimp and Artichoke Salad were also well received.

***

Orzo Salad with Kale, Kalamata Olives, Tomatoes and Hazelnuts

[serves 6 to 8]

For the lemon-dill salad dressing

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons brine from olives

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

For the salad

1/2 bunch kale, de-stemmed and thinly sliced (3 cups)

1/2 pound organic orzo, cooked according to directions and drained

2 medium heirloom tomatoes, diced

12 pitted kalamata olives, sliced

2 tablespoons grated parmesan OR nutritional yeast (vegan alternative)

3 tablespoon chopped hazelnuts

Combine and mix all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, massage the kale with a few tablespoons of the dressing and let sit while you cook the orzo. Let the orzo cool a bit and mix in with the kale. Add the tomatoes, kalamata olives and either the parmesan or nutritional yeast. If you are going to serve immediately, mix in enough dressing so that it is well dressed but not over dressed. If you are going to serve the salad later, add more or all of the dressing as the pasta will absorb it. Top with hazelnuts.

Per serving (8 servings with parmesan): 196.8 calories, 9.8 g fat, 1.1 g saturated fat, 1.4 mg cholesterol, 5.5 g protein, 26.3 g carbohydrates and 1.9 g of fiber.

Per serving (8 servings with nutritional yeast): 200.1 calories, 9.5 g fat, 0.9 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 6.2 g protein, 27.4 g carbohydrates and 2.5 g of fiber.

Fresh Corn Salad With Red Bell Pepper And Basil

Break corn in half, lay down horizontally and cut off kernels.

Fresh Corn - A True Sign of Summer

You know it's summer when beautiful ears of white or yellow corn are available at very reasonable prices. And although corn is getting a bad name because of its overuse in our society (for example, being made into unhealthful foods like high fructose corn syrup) fresh organic corn is a good source of important nutrients. Besides being high in fiber, corn provides significant amounts of vitamins B1 and B5 (thiamin and pantothenic acid), folate, vitamin C, phosphorus and manganese. It's also high in fiber. Buying "organic" corn ensures you that it's not genetically modified.

It's Light, Refreshing and Raw

This salad is simple to make as well as light and refreshing. And I get to use my newly planted fresh basil from my Herb Garden in Recycled Plastic Tubs. It's funny that people eat raw corn in salads and salsas all the time but rarely pick up a raw corn on the cob. Raw corn on the cob is one of my favorite things to eat in the summer. It certainly is simple to make and you avoid all that high calorie butter, margarine and salt.

How to Cut Kernels off the Cob

Cutting corn kernels off the cob for a salad can be challenging. Corn can fly all over your kitchen and you can spend more time cleaning up than preparing the dish. One way to make this process easier is to first snap the corn cob in half and then lay it down and cut the corn off horizontally instead of vertically. Give it a try!

***

Fresh Corn Salad with Red Bell Pepper and Basil

[makes 8 servings]

4 ears of corn, kernels removed (4 cups of kernels)

1 medium bell pepper, diced (1 cup)

1/4 cup of diced red onion

1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (more or less to taste)

1/8 teaspoon black pepper (more or less to taste)

Combine corn kernels, red bell pepper, red onion and basil in a large bowl. In a small cup or bowl, mix lime juice, olive oil , salt and pepper. Pour dressing over the corn mixture and toss until combined. Serve with a sprig of basil for garnish.

Per serving: 102.7 calories, 2.8 g fat, 0.3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.6 g protein, 16.5 g carbohydrate and 2.4 g of fiber.

Beware Of Pine Nuts From China!

My Unusual Experience with Pine Nuts

This week I posted a Raw Dolmas Recipe using sprouted garbanzo beans and pine nuts. I was a little reluctant to use pine nuts since they were very expensive but they are one of my favorite nuts so I splurged. I have very fond childhood memories of eating Italian pignoli cookies, a soft chewy cookie that is completely covered with pine nuts.

A few days after eating my raw dolmas, I ate a piece of watermelon. It tasted very bitter and metallic. I assumed it was bad. The next thing I ate was some fresh strawberries I bought from my favorite road side stand in Sebastopol. They tasted terrible. I soon realized that EVERYTHING I ate tasted bitter and metallic. I thought maybe one of my vitamins was just leaving a metallic taste in my mouth. It was a complete mystery and extremely annoying. After several days of this, I started to really worry. I googled "bitter taste in my mouth" and immediately found countless articles on pine nuts!

Pine Nuts - Know Your Source

The articles described a rare condition triggered by consuming certain pine nuts that causes food to taste bitter and metallic. Although most articles would not pin this on China, this condition is a recent phenomenon and began when Chinese pine nuts started flooding the market.

I called Whole Foods, where I purchased these pine nuts for $26 a pound, and asked them the source of the nuts. The answer was CHINA! This confirmed what many of the articles inferred, that the pine nuts that ruin your taste buds could be from China. According to pinenut.com, in 2001 the U.S. purchased 45% of China's pine nut crop. Pine nuts are also produced in Spain, Turkey, Italy, Portugal, Russia, North Korea, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It Eventually Goes Away

This bitter mouth condition begins 1 to 3 days after eating the bad nuts. For me, it is starting to go away after a week but I've read that it could last for weeks. So if you make my Raw Dolmas recipe, look for Italian pine nuts. If you can't find anything but Chinese pine nuts, try substituting English walnuts.

Raw Vegan Dolmas - Great As An Appetizer Or For Lunch

Select nice, large leaves of organic chard.

Gently clean chard leaves, remove stem, and marinate.

Place mixture on a strip of chard and roll up dolmas.

What Are Dolmas?

Traditionally, dolmas are stuffed grape leaves. Known as a Greek delicacy, they are also made all over the Middle East and other parts of the Mediterranean. Dolmas are typically made by stuffing cooked grape leaves with various combinations of rice, lamb, currants, pine nuts, lemon zest, onions, herbs and spices. The traditional version is very time consuming to make. This "raw vegan" recipe is quite simple to assemble but does require a few days to sprout the garbanzo beans. They make a wonderful appetizer or snack (I've been snacking on these for the past few days!). Dolmas would also be a good thing to eat for lunch. You can add this to your menus when you do your Raw Food Cleanse.

Nutritional Benefits

I made quite a few changes to the typical ingredients for dolmas. I substituted sprouted garbanzos for the cooked rice and used raw chard instead of the grape leaves.

Garbanzo beans are one of my favorite "long life" foods. They are high in protein and low in saturated fat. Their high fiber content helps lower cholesterol levels and stabilize blood sugar levels. They are a complete protein, containing all essential amino acids, and are an excellent source of molybdenum and manganese. They are also a good source of copper, phosphorus and iron. Try making Raw Hummus with Sprouted Garbanzo Beans or Garbanzo Bean and Raw Kale Salad with Lemon-Turmeric Dressing.

Swiss chard is also an exceptionally healthful food. One cup of raw chard has only 7 calories yet it provides more than 3 times the daily requirement of vitamin K. It's also an excellent source of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and iron.

Experiment

Try different ingredients in your dolmas. Add currants or substitute some or all of the parsley with mint. Instead of garlic, try thinly slices green onions. Add some of your favorite spices.

***

Raw Vegan Dolmas

[makes 14 pieces]

For The Marinade

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

For the Dolmas

1/3 cup dried organic garbanzo beans for sprouting (or 1 cup of sprouted garbanzo beans)

4 large chard leaves

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 packed tablespoon fresh lemon zest

1/2 cup raw pine nuts (unsoaked)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

To sprout garbanzo beans, soak 1/3 cup of dried, organic garbanzo beans overnight in a sprouting jar. Rinse gently the next morning, put on the sprouting lid and turn the jar over to drain the water. Let the jar sit upside down and tilted (so oxygen can get to the sprouts) and not in direct sunlight. Rinse them 3 times a day in cool water for 3 days until sprouted.

Once the garbanzo beans are sprouted, you can prepare the dolmas.

Gently wash the chard leaves, being careful not to tear the leaves. Remove the stems and place the leaves in a large bowl with the marinade of lemon juice, olive oil and salt, making sure each leaf is covered in the mixture. Set aside.

Drop the garlic through the shoot of a running food processor with an S blade and process until it is minced. Add the sprouted garbanzo beans, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and lemon zest and process until fairly smooth. Add the pine nuts and continue to process until they are well chopped. Add the parsley and pulse a few times until combined.

Cut the marinated chard into 2" by 4" strips. Place a spoonful of the garbanzo mixture onto the inside of the chard strip and roll up. This should make about 14 rolls.

Per dolmas (not counting the marinade): 62 calories, 4.6 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.8 g protein, 4.4 g carbohydrates and 1.3 g of fiber.

Plant Your Own Herb Garden In Recycled Plastic Tubs

Fresh Herbs

Some herbs taste significantly different when dried and some don't. For example, I think dried dill tastes pretty good so when I grew fresh dill last year, I didn't think it was really worth all the garden space it took. But herbs like sweet basil, parsley and cilantro, to name a few, taste completely different when they are fresh. So if you want to use fresh herbs in your cuisine, you have two choices. Buy them or grow them.

Buying herbs presents several problems. You usually need a very small amount but must buy a lot more than you need and certainly more than you want to pay for (especially when they are organic). It's also very inconvenient to have to run to the store every time you need a sprig of parsley or a tablespoon of fresh cilantro. So I like to grow my own.

Grow Your Own Herbs

I have plenty of room for vegetable gardens but this year I decided to plant my herbs in plastic tubs. The biggest reason was convenience. My gardens are in the back yard, down a flight of stairs and a ways from the kitchen. I really like to have my herbs close to where I prepare food. So this year I took a bunch of plastic tubs I've been saving (the ones you get when you buy organic spinach and salad greens), stabbed a few holes in them with a knife, filled them with organic potting soil and planted my favorite herbs. Best of all, they are a few feet from my kitchen door!

Another advantage of tubs is that it keeps some pervasive herbs, like mint, from taking over the entire garden.

Plant What You Actually Use

When I pick out herbs, I am always tempted to buy seeds or starts of every herb on the planet. And without fail, I use the basil, rosemary, parsley, mint, cilantro and thyme and watch the other herbs bolt. So now I try to control myself and only plant what I actually use.

Raw Nutiva Protein Powder - Great For Smoothies!

I like their environmentally friendly packaging option.

A Great Addition for Smoothies

Now that the weather is finally warming up, I start almost every day with a raw smoothie. For me, it becomes a chemistry experiment, adding a little flaxseed oil for omega 3, a little VitaMineral Green, fresh or frozen raw fruits, a handful of greens, some organic hemp or soymilk (or raw nut milk), topping it off with the contents of a calcium/magnesium capsule.

I recently came across an organic, raw protein powder by Nutiva. They have two kinds. One is Hemp Protein with Fiber (with a profile of 37% protein, 43% fiber and 10% healthy fats including omega 3, 6 and 9). The other product is Hemp Protein 50% (with 50% protein, only 20% fiber and 11% fat). I find that by adding a few tablespoons of this protein to a smoothie, I’m pretty satisfied until lunchtime. It also is a perfect thickening agent and makes any smoothie thick and creamy.

Hemp protein contains 66% edestin, a highly digestible bioactive plant protein. It is a “complete” protein and contains all the essential amino acids. This product is also gluten, dairy and lactose free.

You can try adding a few tablespoons to any of my smoothie recipes. If they get too thick, just add some additional cold water. Nutiva also makes their own Hemp Shakes. I prefer to mix up my own since I can control the sugar content, but I've tried theirs and most of them have a pretty low sugar content and are quite delicious. They come in Amazon Acai, Berry Pomegranate and Chocolate.

Try A Raw Food Cleanse - An Introduction To A Raw Food Diet. Forward This To People You Care About

Start your day with a simple, raw breakfast salad.

For lunch try creamy raw zucchini soup with crushed pistachios.

Snack on guacamole and raw jalapeno corn chips.

Zucchini spaghetti and walnut meatballs make a hearty dinner.

Chia pudding and fresh fruit make a nourishing dessert.

It's Time for Spring Cleaning

When my iris are in bloom, and the weather starts to get warm, I feel like cleaning. There's something about this time of year that makes us clean out the garage, spray wash the driveway and spruce up our yards. The most important thing to cleanse, of course, is our body. After a winter of eating comfort foods and lower activity levels, a gentle body cleanse is a great way to get ready for summer.

Why Cleanse with Raw Food?

There are different ways people cleanse their bodies. Some go on a juice or water fast, some do it with the help of herbal supplements, others with colonic irrigation or other techniques. Each have some drawbacks.

Fasting is hard, especially for me. When I skip a meal my blood sugar drops, I get dizzy and unfocused and extremely grumpy! My husband and children will surely attest to that. Fasting for anyone can trigger severe detoxification reactions and should be done with the help and presence of a knowledgeable practitioner.

Herbal supplements can contain numerous ingredients and most people take them without a good understanding of what's in them. Looking at some of the more common herbal cleansing formulas on the market, I see a mixture of over 50 herbs. As you know, herbs can be strong medicine and combining that many of them is a bit worrisome for me.

Many people find colonic irrigation unpleasant and I certainly don't have to explain that. It is recommended by many experts, especially when undergoing severe detox from from chemotherapy or a lifetime of poor eating habits. This can certainly be done in conjunction with a raw food cleanse.

I find eating a diet of mostly raw food for a period of time to be the easiest, most gentle and certainly the most appealing of all the options. The advantages are:

* Eating mostly organic raw food for a period of time gives your body a break from adding to its toxic load.

* The high fiber of whole, raw foods is cleansing.

* The enzymes contained in raw foods help in their own digestion. This allows your body to spend the energy usually spent generating enzymes on doing other things, like healing and rebuilding.

* The numerous antioxidants and phytochemicals in raw fruits, nuts, grains and vegetables have the ability to prevent and combat many diseases.

* Eating and preparing meals from foods in their most natural state (versus eating processed foods out of a box) rebuilds a connection between you and the earth.

* A raw food diet allows many options for accomplishing these health benefits while enjoying delicious food.

Who Should Do This

Anyone who wants to improve their general health would benefit from eating a mostly raw food diet for a week, two weeks, three weeks or a month or more. Some people exclusively eat a raw food vegan diet but I believe you can achieve many of the health benefits of this food regimen without being 100% raw. (Read "Raw Food Diet - How Raw Do You Need To Be?").

If you are trying to lose weight, lower your cholesterol and triglycerides, prevent type 2 diabetes, improve your energy level, detoxify your body, get rid of heartburn or other gastrointestinal disorders, lighten your mood, or just improve your general health, you may want to try a raw food cleanse. Even if you can only do it for 10 or 20 days, you will see improvements. See how my friend Kannan significantly improved his health when he ate mostly raw food for 41 days.

When it starts to warm up in the spring, I eat at least half of my food raw and by summer, when my garden is flourishing, I eat around 70%. But once a year, sometime between May and July, I go on Raw Food Cleanse and I eat at least 90% raw food for one month. When I feel like eating a bit of cooked food, I eat brown rice, or a steamed grain.

How To Do It

For the next month eat mostly all raw food. I've listed some favorite raw food vegan recipes below for each meal of the day but there are many other raw food recipes on this blog in addition to those listed. If you are really craving some cooked food throughout this cleanse (especially in the beginning), eat some brown rice. If you eat a cooked meal for whatever reason, don't worry, just get back to raw food with the next meal.

This will not feel like a diet or fast. It will just seem like you are eating delicious, fresh, natural food.

So today or sometime over the next few months when the weather in your area starts to warm up and the farmer’s markets start to sell delicious, fresh produce, cleanse your body naturally and gently with a diet of raw vegetables, fruits, nuts and sprouted grains and legumes. Here are a few recipe ideas for each meal of the day:

Breakfast

My favorite breakfast is a simple smoothie. A few of my favorites include:

Blueberry, Pear and Baby Spinach Smoothie,

Blueberry Smoothie, or

Raw Apple, Pear and Fig Green Smoothie.

A Fruit Salad is always a great start to the day. Try

5 Minute Breakfast Salad, or

Blackberry, Strawberry and Mango Breakfast Salad.

For a more hearty breakfast, try

Mango Chia Breakfast Pudding or

Raw Granola with Fortified Raw Almond Milk.

Note that whenever a recipe calls for hemp milk or soy milk (which are not raw), you can always substitute any raw nut milk of your choice.

Lunch And Dinner

I'll combine these two meals since many of the recipes can be eaten for either meal.

Raw soups are usually pretty quick to prepare and surprisingly very filling. Some of my favorites raw soups are:

Zucchini Soup with Crushed Pistachios,

Curried Lentil Soup,

Spicy Chipotle Gazpacho,

Raw Split Pea Soup.

For colorful, healthful and delicious salads try:

Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Almonds and Orange Vinaigrette,

Raw Kale, Corn and Red Bell Pepper Salad,

Asian Coleslaw with Ginger Tahini Vinaigrette,

Fruit and Greens with Papaya Seed Dressing,

Waldorf Salad with Apple Chia Dressing,

Raw Vegan Caprese Salad,

Taco Salad,

Mango Avocado Salad with Lime Chia Dressing

For a hearty entree check out:

Tacos

Veggie Wrap with Ginger Tahini Dipping Sauce

Zucchini Spaghetti and Walnut Meatballs

Pesto Pizza on a Sprouted Lentil Crust

Veggie Sushi Rolls

Faux Tuna Stuffed Heirloom Tomato

Snacks and appetizers are an important part of your day. These are recipes you'll still crave long after your raw food cleanse:

Raw Crackers

Sprouted Garbanzo Hummus

Walnut and Mushroom Pâté

Kale Chips

Walnut and Spinach Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms

Guacamole with Raw Jalapeno Corn Chips

And of course there's dessert. I've always thought raw desserts are better than any others. Check out:

Tropical Chocolate Truffles

Peach and Blueberry Crisp

Chia Pudding with Blueberries (not totally raw) or The Amazing Chia Pudding

Strawberries Romanoff

Chocolate Almond Macaroons

Pear and Apple Crisp with Raisins

Raw Dessert Helper as a Crumble or a Crust.

Some Mild Reactions

Depending on how much processed food you consume in your present diet, you may experience symptoms of mild detoxification. You might get a headache. Or, if you are not used to eating much fiber, you may get an upset stomach or experience some gas. Be sure to drink plenty of fresh water and eat some cooked brown rice to help settle your stomach. These will pass after a few days.

Pass This On

If you know anyone who really needs to take a first step to improve his or her health, pass this along. If you know anyone who is curious about raw food or is just starting to eat a raw food vegan diet and would like some good recipes, pass this along. If you know anyone who is battling obesity, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, heartburn, depression, fatigue, and many other health issues, pass this along.

It is always wise to inform your doctor before you begin any new dietary program.

Vegan Potato Salad - A Healthier Way To Prepare America's Favorite Vegetable

Start with thin skinned, red or yellow new potatoes.

Drain "small diced" potatoes after boiling a short time.

For a creamier texture, gently stir in half a diced avocado.

Potatoes Have a Bad Reputation

Most people love this comfort food. In fact, it is the highest produced vegetable in the world! However, there is a lot of guilt involved with its consumption, mostly because it is often eaten fried as chips or french fries or as a butter, cheese and sour cream laden baked potato. But actually, the potato is a pretty healthful food, high in fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium and manganese. One large potato provides over 100% of your daily requirement of vitamin C and 1/3 of your fiber needs. Potatoes are also low in calories, fat free and contain phytonutrients that provide protection against heart disease and cancer.

A Recipe with a Mediterranean Touch

Being raised in an Italian home, I didn't grow up on the typical American diet. I didn't even know potato salad could be made with mayonnaise and eggs until I moved to Texas to attend college. My dad always made potato salad with a simple lemon and oil dressing and some fresh parsley. Instead of mayonnaise and eggs that make this popular salad heavy and high in cholesterol, the lemon makes the salad taste light and fresh. In today's recipe, I add some inflammation reducing, cancer fighting turmeric which gives the potato salad the color of an egg potato salad without the egg. If you miss the creamy texture from mayonnaise, add the avocado. Besides the creamy texture, you'll get a good dose of fiber, vitamin K and folate, and of course the delicious flavor of avocado!

The Secret to a Good Potato Salad

The hardest thing about making potato salad is getting just the right texture to the potatoes. I've tried cooking the entire potato and then dicing it but by the time the potato is cooked throughout, the outside of the potato is too soft. Also, you lose a lot of vitamin C with excess cooking. Dicing before cooking is also risky if you cook it too long, especially if you start with big, starchy russet potatoes. To get a nice, firm, potato:

* Start with red or yukon gold, thin-skinned potatoes

* Dice them very small and leave on the skin

* Cook in a large pot (like a 5 quart Dutch oven), so the potatoes are spread out, and just barely cover them with salted water.

* Boil them for a short time - this will depend on how small you dice them but taste them after 5 minutes. I usually boil them for about 6 minutes or I shut them off at 5 minutes and let them sit in the pot for another few minutes until they are just fork tender.

* Drain - no need to rinse.

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Vegan Potato Salad

[makes 6 servings]

4 cups small diced new potatoes with skins

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 large stalks celery, finely diced (1 cup)

2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 medium avocado, diced (optional)

For the dressing

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a 5 quart Dutch oven, add water to just cover the potatoes and stir in salt. Bring to boil and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until they are just "fork tender". Taste after 5 minutes and DO NOT overcook. Drain and let sit until they cool a bit.

To make the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil and turmeric and blend well with a fork. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the drained potatoes, celery and red onion. Mix in the dressing and gently stir in the avocado and parsley. Add additional salt if needed and top with freshly ground black pepper.

Per serving without avocado: 123.2 calories, 4.7 g fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.8 g protein, 20.2 g carbohydrates and 3.0 g of fiber.

Per serving with avocado: 142.2 calories, 6.4 g fat, 0.9 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 3.1 g protein, 21.2 g carbohydrates and 3.8 g of fiber.

Strawberry Banana Green Tea Smoothie With Chia Seeds

Health Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea contains catechins, powerful antioxidants that have a role reducing free radical damage which can lead to cancer and heart disease. Because green tea receives minimal processing, its catechins are very concentrated, especially their unique catechin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). In the laboratory, EGCG has been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth. Some human studies have shown a link between increased green tea consumption and lower recurrence of breast cancer after surgery and a lower risk of developing stomach, esophageal, prostate, pancreatic, lung and colorectal cancers. Other human studies showed a correlation between green tea consumption and reduced risk of heart disease.

Other Ways to Consume Tea

Besides just making a cup of tea, there are other ways to receive the health benefits of tea. Try adding green tea to soups or using green tea as the liquid in your morning smoothie. There is some caffeine in green tea so be sure not to drink it or cook with it too late in the day or it may disturb your ability to sleep. However the amount of caffeine in an 8 oz. cup of tea is only around 20 mg compared to 60 to 120 mg in brewed coffee or 40 to 50 mg in black tea.

My Favorite Green Tea

By far, the best green tea is from Japan. It's sounds obvious, but green tea should actually be green! So many of the large corporate tea companies make green tea products that don't look or taste anything like real, Japanese green tea. You can buy genuine green tea online from Den's Tea company. You can buy loose tea or these very cute and convenient pyramid tea bags. My favorite is the Pyramid Tea Bag Sencha.

Here's a smoothie recipe that provides all the advantages of green tea, chia seeds and fresh fruit.

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Strawberry Banana Green Tea Smoothie with Chia Seeds

[makes 2 servings]

2 cups strong green tea (cooled)

1 cup vanilla hemp milk or soy milk

2 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 large banana

1 cup fresh strawberries

3/4 cup ice

few drops of liquid stevia or sweetener of your choice, optional

The night before, put one or two green tea bags in 2 cups of boiling water and steep for 15 minutes. Remove the tea bag and put the tea in the refrigerator to cool overnight. Put the chia seeds in the vanilla hemp milk and stir vigorously. Wait 15 minutes and stir again. Wait another 15 minutes and stir one more time and put the chia mixture in the refrigerator overnight. It will become the consistency of pudding - (in fact, it will become "chia pudding". I usually make this smoothie when I have left over Vegan Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding .)

In the morning, place the chilled green tea, chia pudding, banana, strawberries, ice and optional sweetener in a VitaMix, blend and serve immediately.

Per serving: 190 calories, 8.0 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4.5 g protein, 37.8 g carbohydrates, 9.8 g fiber, 3.6 g omega 3 and 2.9 g omega 6 fatty acids.

Vegan Wheat Berries With Fresh Asparagus, Crimini Mushrooms and Red Bell Pepper

An Extra Cup of Wheat Berries

It's funny how new recipes get developed. The other day I was cleaning my refrigerator (a rare occurrence) and I came across some organic wheat berries in a brown paper bag. These were evidently left over from my Hearty Vegan Bean Chili with Wheat Berries recipe I posted in February. I realized that it was unlikely that I would ever think of cooking these unless they were more "visible" so I put them in a large glass jar. Unfortunately, the jar wasn't big enough so I had an extra cup of wheat berries on my hands. So I soaked them overnight which gave me some time to figure out what to do with them. The next morning I cooked them up and set them aside and headed out to the market to look for other ingredients. I found some beautiful fresh asparagus and some other veggies which all ended up in this dish. Other than the time it takes to cook wheat berries, the dish cooks up in minutes. You can always cook wheat berries in advance and freeze them for use later. But you'd better put them in a glass jar or who knows how long they will stay in your refrigerator before you notice that they are there!

Try Making This with Pasta or Other Grains

If you don't have the time to make wheat berries, substitute orzo pasta, couscous, quinoa or brown rice for the wheat berries.

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Vegan Wheat Berries with Asparagus, Mushrooms and Bell Pepper

[makes 8 servings]

1 cup dry wheat berries, soaked overnight

1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt

1 bunch fresh asparagus

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/3 pound crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

5 medium scallions, sliced (the bulbs and lower stem)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground black pepper to taste (optional)

After soaking the wheat berries overnight, rinse them well and cook in 3 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sea salt. After bringing to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until they reach the desired texture. Drain and set aside.

To clean asparagus, snap off the bottom ends and soak in a bowl of water. Shake the asparagus under the water to clean, changing the water until there is no sand in the bottom. Cut of the entire tip of the asparagus intact and then cut the rest of the spear in small, half inch slices. Set aside

Heat oil in a not stick 5 quart dutch oven. Sauté the mushrooms until they release liquid, stirring continually for several minutes. Add red bell pepper, scallions and asparagus and cook for a few minutes until the veggies are "crisp tender". Add soy sauce and wheat berries and stir until heated. Shut off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, top with freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Per serving: 118.2 calories, 2.0 g fat, 0.3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4.0 g protein, 12.8 g carbohydrates and 2.8 g of fiber.

Raw Vegan Texas Pecan Pralines

A Family Favorite

Having lived in Texas for so many years, pralines became a favorite sinful treat. They were always the finale of a wonderful Tex Mex meal. I still can't walk through the Dallas airport without being drawn to the Lammes Candy stand, a company that makes pretty awesome pralines. But knowing what's in them, it's become impossible to indulge. Most pralines are made from granulated sugar, corn syrup, butter and cream - not exactly the food groups I endorse. So I took a shot at duplicating the flavor with simple, guilt-free vegan ingredients - just good old raw Texas Pecans, medjool dates, and a little sea salt and vanilla extract. Although pecans are high in fat, it's the good kind. They are high in oleic acid which is the same fatty acid found in olive oil, one of the mainstays of the healthful Mediterranean diet. They are a bit of a challenge to "hold together" but I find refrigerating them for a few hours really does the trick.

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Raw Vegan Pralines

[makes 12]

1 cup raw organic pecan pieces or halves

6 medjool dates, pitted and chopped

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons chopped raw organic pecans

12 whole raw organic pecan halves

Place the cup of pecans, the medjool dates, salt and vanilla extract in a food processor with an S blade and process until the mixture sticks together. Place the processed pecan mixture into a bowl and mix in the 2 tablespoons of chopped pecans. Form into 12 small patties and press one whole pecan half into each patty. Place on a flat plate covered with wax paper and refrigerate for 4 hours or more. Serve chilled.

Per praline: 107.4 calories, 7.7 g fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.0 g protein, 10.5 g carbohydrate and 2.1 g of fiber.