ONE WEEK RAW AND GLUTEN FREE - Day 6, Veggie Sushi With Ginger Tahini Dipping Sauce!

Veggie sushi with a tasty dipping sauce

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DAY 6 OF "ONE WEEK RAW AND GLUTEN FREE"

Have you been following along this week with our "One Week Raw and Gluten Free" mini cleanse? If not, check out DAY 1, DAY 2, DAY 3, DAY 4 and DAY 5.

Today's menu includes:

Breakfast: Blueberry smoothie

Snack: Grapefruit halves

Lunch: Tomato caprese salad (with the leftover cashew ricotta from last night's pizzas).

Dinner: Veggie sushi with ginger tahini dipping sauce

Breakfast:

Blueberry, kale and pear smoothie (New Recipe)

Raw Vegan, Gluten Free

[makes 2 servings - enjoy both throughout the morning]

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 large pear, cored and quartered

1/2 banana

1 packed cup kale, stems removed

1 tablespoon unrefined flaxseed oil

1 1/2 cup cold, filtered water

Add all ingredients to a VitaMix or high speed blender and process until smooth.

If you'd like, enjoy both servings throughout the morning.

Per serving: 208.3 calories, 7.5 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 3.8 g omega 3 and 1.1 g omega 6 fatty acid, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.3 g protein, 37.8 g carbohydrates and 6.8 g dietary fiber.

Frozen blueberries turn "green smoothies" purple which makes it much easier to get the kids to drink them!

Grapefruit halves for today's snack

Lunch

Tomato Caprese (Old Blog Favorite)

Raw Vegan, Gluten Free

[makes 2 servings]

Cashew ricotta from DAY 5, (you should have half left over)

2 Heirloom tomatoes, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh basil 

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Slice the top and bottom off of each tomato and cut the remaining center into 3 thick slices.
Build the Caprese salad on two small salad plates starting with 1 slice of tomato, a heaping tablespoon of cheese spread in a circle over the tomato slice, another tomato slice, another layer of cheese and a third tomato slice and a final layer of cheese.
Sprinkle a tablespoon of chopped basil over each salad.
Top with freshly ground black pepper, salt and extra virgin olive oil.
Serve immediately.

Per serving: 199 calories, 17 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 0 cholesterol, 5.3 g protein, 9.3 g carbohydrates and 1.3 g fiber.

Cashew ricotta takes the place of mozzarella in this raw, vegan Caprese salad.

Dinner

This recipe combines two old favorites. The first is a Raw veggie wrap with ginger tahini dipping sauce. I borrowed many of the veggie ingredients and I used most of the dipping sauce recipe substituting Braggs liquid aminos for Nama Shoyu soy sauce. This was necessary to make the recipe gluten free since soy sauce is usually not. If gluten is not an issue for you, you can use soy sauce. The other recipe I borrowed from is Veggie sushi rolls. Sushi rolls are easy to make once you get the hang of it!

Veggie sushi with ginger tahini dipping sauce

(New "combo" recipe)

Raw Vegan, Gluten Free

[makes 4 rolls]

For the sauce

2 tablespoons raw tahini

1 tablespoon Bragg liquid aminos

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoons raw agave

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated

1 cloves garlic, grated

1/8 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)

For the sushi

4 sheets dried Nori

1 avocado, sliced

3 inch piece daikon, cut in sticks

1/2 mango, sliced

1 small cucumber, in sticks

(Or try any other of your favorite raw veggies or sprouts)

To make the sauce, combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. 

To make the sushi, place a sheet of Nori on a bamboo sushi mat. 

Arrange strips of veggies and fruit starting one inch from the bottom of the Nori. 

Using the sushi mat, roll from the bottom up. After the bottom edge is over the filling, squeeze it gently with the mat and then roll to the top. Wet the top of the Nori and complete the roll. The moisture will seal it. 

Cut the roll with a very sharp knife into 8 equal pieces. Serve with ginger tahini dipping sauce

Get a little bamboo mat to roll your sushi.
Try using other fruits (like apple and pear) or veggies (like red bell pepper and zucchini) and your favorite sprouts! The combinations are unlimited!

Dessert

Pear and Apple Crisp with Raisins

Old Blog Favorite

Raw Vegan, Gluten Free

[makes 8 servings]

For the Crisp

1/2 cup raw almonds

3/4 cup raw walnuts

3 Medjool dates, unsoaked

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

For the Filling

3 cups thinly sliced peeled and cored pears

3 cups thinly sliced peeled and cored apples

2 teaspoons Fruit-Fresh produce protector

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

4 Medjool dates, pitted and soaked for 1 hour

1/4 cup seedless raisins

To make the crisp, place almonds in a food processor with an S blade and process until coarse. Add walnuts, dates, cinnamon and salt and process until the mixture begins to stick together. Remove mixture and set aside. Don't wash the food processor, you'll be using it again.

To make the filling, place the pears and apples in a large bowl and toss with the Fruit-Fresh produce protector. Remove one cup of this filling and place in the food processor. Drain the soaked dates but don't squeeze out the moisture. Add them and the nutmeg to the food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides when necessary. Stir mixture into the bowl of sliced fruit along with the raisins.

Spread 1/3 of the crisp on the bottom of an 8" x 8" pan. Place all of the filing on top of it. Sprinkle the remaining crisp over the filling. Serve immediately or refrigerate. It will keep for several days.

Per serving: 246 calories, 11.6 g fat, 1.0 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 4.1 g protein, 27.5 g carbohydrates and 5.6 g of fiber.

This makes 8 servings.
You'll be enjoying this again for tomorrow's snack.
Share it with friends - they won't believe it's raw!

ONE WEEK RAW AND GLUTEN FREE - Day 5, Raw Pizza For Dinner!

Raw garden pizza with cashew ricotta on sprouted lentil crust!

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DAY 5 OF "ONE WEEK RAW AND GLUTEN FREE"

Have you been following along this week with our "One Week Raw and Gluten Free" mini cleanse? If not, check out DAY 1, DAY 2, Day 3 and DAY 4.

Let's Soak some Cashews!

Tonight we're having raw pizza on the sprouted lentil pizza crusts we made yesterday. So soak one cup of raw cashews in a bowl of filtered water early in the day. Later we'll make cashew ricotta from the soaked nuts.

Today's menu includes:

Breakfast: Chia seed breakfast pudding with raspberries and mango

Snack: An organic Fuji apple

Lunch: Curried sprouted lentil soup

Dinner: Choose from two types of raw pizza (or make both!)

Dessert: A big bowl of assorted fresh berries

Breakfast:

Chia pudding isn't just for dessert! It's a wonderful, healthy pudding that can be eaten any time of the day for any meal or snack. I love eating it for breakfast mixed with a bowl of fresh fruit. Today I enjoyed some chia pudding with a diced fresh mango and organic raspberries. Yummmm!

To make chia pudding, see DAY 2.

Chia pudding and fresh fruit make a wonderful breakfast!
Top with chopped raw English walnuts for extra nutrition.

Today's snack is an organic Fuji Apple.
Apples are very helpful in regulating blood sugar.
I throw apple slices in a baggie and carry them in my purse when I go shopping just in case I get hungry!

Lunch

Curried Sprouted Lentil Soup (Old Blog Favorite)

Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 2 servings]
2 tablespoons dried raw unsweetened coconut 

1 cups water

1 packed cup of sprouted green lentils plus some extra for garnish

3 tablespoons chopped onion

1 medium zucchini, about 1 1/2 cups chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (1/2 for soup and 1/2 for garnish)

1 - 2 small cloves fresh garlic, minced 

2 teaspoons sweet curry powder

1/2 cup sliced banana

1/2 fresh jalapeno (more or less to taste)

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 small avocado

1 teaspoon sea salt (more or less to taste)

Several dashes of cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped 

Kernels from 1 ear of fresh, raw corn 

Put the dried coconut in water and let rehydrate for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, put coconut and water in a high speed blender with sprouted lentils (saving some for the garnish), onion, zucchini, half the red bell pepper, garlic, curry powder, banana, jalapeno, lime juice, avocado, salt and cayenne pepper. Blend until smooth and place in two bowls. 
Top with extra sprouted lentils, chopped red bell pepper, corn kernels and cilantro and serve. 

Per serving: 327 calories, 14.6 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 2.3 g cholesterol, 8.8 g protein, 47 g carbohydrates and 9.7 g dietary fiber. 

This rich and spicy soup is one of my lunch favorites!

Dinner 
Two Types of Pizza on a Sprouted Lentil Crust
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
Sprouted green lentil crusts (see DAY 4)
Cashew ricotta:
1 cup raw cashews soaked 4 - 6 hours, rinsed
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
For garden salad pizza (pictured above)
shredded lettuce
chopped tomato
thinly sliced cucumber
diced red onion
diced orange red bell peppers
any other salad ingredient
For pear, olive, pecan pizza:
thinly sliced ripe pear
kalamata olives, sliced
raw pecan pieces
fresh basil, thinly sliced


To make cashew ricotta, place cashews, lemon juice, salt and most of the water into the VitaMix or other high speed blender. 
Starting at a very slow speed, and increasing slowly, blend until the mixture reaches the texture of ricotta cheese, scraping down sides and the rest of the water only if needed.
Spread ricotta on pizza crust and top with desired toppings.

Cashews blending in a VitaMix blender.

Pear, kalamata olive, pecan and basil pizza

Top the garden salad pizza with all of your favorite salad ingredients!

Dessert is a bowl of mixed, fresh, organic berries.
I love raspberries, blueberries and blackberries!

ONE WEEK RAW AND GLUTEN FREE - DAY 4, Make A Pear And Kale Green Smoothie With Brazil Nut Milk! Also, Learn How To Make Pizza Crusts And Crackers With Your Sprouted Lentils

 Ingredients for your Green Smoothie!

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DAY 4 OF "ONE WEEK RAW AND GLUTEN FREE"

Have you been following along this week with our "One Week Raw and Gluten Free" mini cleanse? If not, check out DAY 1, DAY 2 and DAY 3.

Let's Make Pizza Crust and Crackers!
Our green lentil sprouts should be ready by now. Soak, rinse and dry them. We'll be making pizza crust, some crackers and later on, a raw soup. Measure out 1 packed cup of sprouts and wrap the remaining sprouts in paper towels or a cotton dish towel and refrigerate them.


Sprouted lentil pizza crust and crackers
[Improved Recipe]
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[Fills 2 -3 Teflex dehydrator sheets]

½ cup flax seeds
1 cup filtered water
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup raw English walnuts
Filtered water to cover walnuts
1 packed cup of sprouted green lentils
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 ½ tablespoons Bragg liquid aminos
1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice


In a large bowl, combine flax seeds and Italian seasoning with filtered water. Soak for 4 to 6 hours. The flax seeds will absorb all of the water.  
In a separate bowl, while the flax seeds are soaking, soak the walnuts in filtered water for 4 to 6 hours.
After soaking, rinse walnuts well and place in a food processor with an S blade with the sprouted lentils, carrot, celery, Bragg liquid aminos and lemon juice. Blend until smooth but don’t over process. 
Add this mixture to the large bowl with the soaked flax seeds and mix well. 
Drop ¼ cup of the mixture onto a Teflex dehydrator sheet and form eight 4” x 2 ½” rectangle crusts. You can also make them wedge shaped or round.  Don’t make them too thin as they will naturally thin out as they dry. If you have extra, make some smaller crackers to enjoy.
 Dehydrate at 105 degrees F. for 8 hours. Flip over, remove the Teflex sheet and dry directly on the dehydrator screen until crisp (6 to 8 more hours). 
Set aside finished pizza crusts and crackers as we will be using them later in our "One Week Raw" menus.

Try making different shaped pizza crusts

With the extra mixture, make some smaller crackers.
They are perfect to eat with soups and raw dips!

Today's menu includes:


Breakfast: Pear and Kale green smoothie with Brazil nut milk
Snack: Grapefruit
Lunch: Leftover faux tuna salad (from yesterday) with apple slices
Dinner: Big green salad with raw corn on the cob
Dessert: Watermelon balls with shredded dry coconut


Breakfast:
Pear and kale green smoothie with Brazil nut milk
(New Recipe)
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 2 servings - drink both of them throughout the morning!]
4 Brazil nuts
1 1/2 cups filtered water
2 medium pears, cored and quartered
1 large stalk celery, chopped
1 packed cup kale, stems removed
1/2 cup ice


Place Brazil nuts and water in a VitaMix blender and process until it looks like milk.
Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.
Drink one serving and sip the other throughout the morning.


Per serving: 207 calories, 6.0 g fat, 2.0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4.0 g protein, 34.5 g carbohydrates and 7.0 g dietary fiber.

Pears make the perfect smoothie fruit.
They are high in fiber and make your smoothie thick and creamy!

Each serving provides 7 grams of fiber and 274% of the RDA of selenium - a potent antioxidant critical for proper thyroid functioning. Brazil nuts are the best source of this mineral.

A Word about Green Smoothies
Green smoothies are extremely popular in the raw food community. Many people do a cleanse by just drinking green juices and smoothies all day. I find juice fasts hard to sustain, especially if you have low blood sugar like I do. But when my garden if full of greens, I start almost every day with a green smoothie. Besides kale, I use spinach and chard for my greens and I also use apples, bananas, blueberries and figs for my fruit. I often add a tablespoon of unrefined flaxseed oil to the blender to get additional omega 3 fatty acid. Vitamineral Green is also a good "green" addition to your morning smoothie!

Today's snack is half a grapefruit.
If you have some, garnish with some berries!
If you're still hungry, eat another!
To sweeten the grapefruit, I use stevia.

Today's Lunch is leftover Faux tuna salad
Serve with thinly sliced, crisp Fuji apple slices

Dinner - Large green salad with seeds
Tonight's dinner is not a specific recipe. It's a HUGE bowl of your favorite greens (red leaf lettuce, spinach, etc.), heirloom tomatoes, shredded carrot, avocado, cucumber, radishes, bell peppers and whatever else you want to toss into a salad bowl. Let your imagination go wild! Throw in a teaspoon of raw sesame seeds and/or pumpkin seeds and dress it in a quick balsamic vinaigrette. 
Serve the salad with raw corn on the cob. Yes, you heard me, raw corn on the cob. No cooking, no butter, no nothing! I thought it was weird when I first tried it but now, it's the ONLY way I eat corn. It's hard to improve the flavor of a piece of fresh, crisp, sweet corn on the cob! If you must, rub it with a piece of fresh lime and dust with a touch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.


Quick Balsamic Vinaigrette
Vegan, Gluten Free
1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (not raw- it's ok)
1 teaspoon raw agave nectar
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Mix all ingredients. Pour required amount over salad. 
Toss and serve.

Let's eat a HUGE green salad tonight with veggies and seeds!
Whether you are a vegetarian, vegan, meat or fish eater, you should try to eat a salad like this every day of your life!
Note the beautiful ears of unadulterated raw corn in the background!

Tonight's Dessert is a bowl of watermelon balls topped with dried, unsweetened, shredded coconut.

ONE WEEK RAW AND GLUTEN FREE - DAY 3, Learn How To Make Raw Vegan, Gluten Free, Faux Tuna Salad!

Faux Tuna Salad with Dill

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DAY 3 OF "ONE WEEK RAW AND GLUTEN FREE"

Did you get a chance to make yesterday's delicious chia pudding recipe? If you missed it, check out Day 2 of "One Week Raw and Gluten Free". 


Today your lentil sprouts should be about ready. Put them in the sun and when they are done, we'll be making lentil crackers, lentil pizza crust and a raw lentil soup!
Today's menu includes:


Breakfast: Morning Fruit salad with hemp seeds
Snack: You'll be munching that yummy raw granola we made the other day!
Lunch: Creamy zucchini soup with raw pistachios
Dinner: Faux tuna salad with dill on butter lettuce, heirloom tomatoes and English cucumber slices
Dessert: Chia pudding with cinnamon
Let's get started!


About Hemp seeds
If you've never tried hemp seeds, you're in for a treat. High in protein and omega 3, these seeds have the texture and nutty flavor of pine nuts. We throw them on everything - fruit, green salads, even ice cream. Unlike chia and flax, my other favorite high omega 3 seeds, you can eat hemp seeds right out of the bag as there is no need to soak or grind them.

Nutiva is my favorite brand of raw hemp seeds.
Nutiva also makes a good protein powder for smoothies!

Breakfast - Morning fruit salad with hemp seeds 
(New Recipe)
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 2 servings]
1 cup blueberries, rinsed
1 large apple, cored and diced
1 mango, peeled, seed removed and diced
1 banana, sliced
1/4 cup raw hemp seeds


Combine all ingredients, toss gently and serve immediately to preserve the vitamin C content.


Per serving: 336 calories, 9.5 g fat, 0.6 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 9.4 g protein, 58.4 g carbohydrates, and 8.7 g dietary fiber. 

Use any of your favorite, seasonal fruits and berries for this breakfast salad.

Today's snack is the raw granola we made on Day 1 of our cleanse

Lunch - Creamy zucchini soup with crushed pistachios 
(Previously Posted Favorite)
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]

4 cups diced zucchini
1 1/3 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 cup diced celery
1 avocado
1 cup filtered water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 to 3 cloves chopped garlic 
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme plus extra for garnish
1 teaspoon turmeric 
1/4 cup crushed raw pistachios
Freshly ground black pepper


In a VitaMix or other high speed blender, process zucchini, peas, celery, avocado, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt, thyme and turmeric until smooth.
Pour into 4 bowls and top each with 1 tablespoon of crushed pistachios, fresh thyme and freshly ground black pepper, if desired.


Per serving: 163.6 calories, 9.0 g fat, 1.2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 7.0 g protein, 17.7 g carbohydrates and 6.6 g dietary fiber.

Cut the recipe in half or make extra and save for later.

Dinner - Faux tuna salad with dill (New Recipe)

Raw Vegan, Gluten Free

[makes 4 servings]

2/3 cup organic sunflower seeds, soaked overnight 

1/3 cup organic almonds, soaked overnight

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest

2 teaspoons Dulse flakes

1 teaspoon sea salt 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup celery, finely diced

1/2 cup apple, finely diced

2 tablespoons red onion, minced

1 teaspoon dried dill

4 leaves butter lettuce

2 medium tomatoes 

1 cup English cucumber, sliced

Extra freshly ground black pepper taste

Rinse the sunflower seeds and almonds and put them in a food processor with an S blade. Add olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dulse flakes, half the sea salt and pepper and process until it forms the texture of canned tuna fish. Scrape down the sides as necessary. 

Put this mixture in a mixing bowl and stir in the celery, apple, red onion and dill. Add the additional salt if needed. 

Serve on butter lettuce, tomato and cucumber slices. Top with freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle additional extra virgin olive oil on the butter lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers if desired.

Per serving: 263.1 calories, 21.4 g fat, 1.9 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 8.0 g protein, 14.0 g carbohydrates and 4.3 g dietary fiber.

Dig in!
Save the leftovers for lunch later in the week!

Tonight's dessert is chia pudding!
Top it with a little cinnamon or mix in some fresh berries.
We love it with blueberries and diced Manila mango!

ONE WEEK RAW AND GLUTEN FREE - DAY 2, Learn How To Make The Best Raw, Gluten Free Dessert Ever!

Raw Chia Seed pudding with Cinnamon

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 DAY 2 OF "ONE WEEK RAW AND GLUTEN FREE"

I hope you enjoyed yesterday's menu but in case you missed it, check out DAY 1 OF ONE WEEK RAW AND GLUTEN FREE.

Before we get to today's menu, I want to make sure:

* you've finished dehydrating  the raw granola you started yesterday

* you've rinsing the lentil sprouts you started, twice a day
* you're drinking 8 cups of water each day
* you're taking B12, vitamin D and DHA omega 3 supplements

And, we're going to make tomorrow's dessert which is my absolute FAVORITE raw dessert - the amazing chia pudding! Most of the time I get lazy and make chia pudding with Vanilla Living Harvest Hemp milk which starts with a ready-made hemp milk that is also wonderful but not nearly as creamy. When you make it with raw cashews and cinnamon, it tastes like a creamy rice pudding with the consistency of tapioca. What could be better than that?

In addition, we will be preparing today's menu:

Breakfast: Anti-aging smoothie with frozen grapes and matcha green tea 

Snack: Leftover Waldorf salad (from yesterday's dinner)

Lunch: Raw split pea soup with shredded carrot and a big piece of watermelon or bowl of cherries leftover from yesterday
Dinner: Hearty taco salad

Dessert: A bowl of fresh blueberries

Let's get started!

Raw Chia seed pudding with Cinnamon (Old Favorite, modified)

Raw Vegan, Gluten Free

[makes 4 servings]
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for 4 to 6 hours and rinsed
3 pitted, jumbo Medjool dates soaked for 4 to 6 hours in 2 cups of water (reserve soak water)

1 teaspoon of vanilla 

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon plus extra for topping

1 packet of stevia (optional for added sweetness)

1/4 cup chia seeds

Place cashews, dates, date soak water, vanilla, cinnamon and stevia in a high speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.

In a 1 quart bowl, combine cashew mixture with the chia seeds and stir vigorously with a fork for several minutes. 

Let mixture sit for 15 minutes and stir vigorously again until the chia seeds are well blended and no longer clump together. 

Once the mixture is well combined and no longer separating, place in the refrigerator for one day. 

Dust with more cinnamon and serve.

Per serving: 173.5 calories, 9.1 g fat, 1.3 g saturated fat, 1.8 g omega 3 and 1.7 g omega 6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 4.1 g protein, 21.9 g carbohydrate and 5.8 g dietary fiber.

Chia seeds are a true longevity food.
They are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, fiber and protein!

Now for Today's Menu!

Breakfast - Anti-Aging Smoothie (Previously posted favorite)
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 2 servings]
2 cups red or purple grapes, frozen (with or without seeds*)
2 teaspoons powdered matcha green tea
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
1 large or 2 small bananas
2 cups cold, filtered water
*  A high-speed blender, like a VitaMix, is needed if seeded grapes are used.

The night before, wash grapes and put in the freezer.
In the morning, combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately.


 Per serving: 183 calories, 1.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0.8 g ALA omega 3 and 0.3 g omega 6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.0 g protein, 43.5 g carbohydrates, and 4.0 g dietary fiber.

Matcha green tea will give you a little morning caffeine jolt.
Green tea has many benefits such as inhibiting cancer cells, stabilizing blood sugar, improving cholesterol profile, helping prevent heart disease, preventing tooth decay. It's anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties help fight colds and flu. It's catechin polyphenol EGCG is a powerful antioxidant.

For a snack, eat the leftover Waldorf salad from last night's dinner.

Lunch - Split pea soup with shredded carrot (Previously posted, modified) 
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 2 servings]
2 cups fresh or frozen petite peas (if frozen, thaw before using)
1 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 small cloves garlic
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup filtered water
1 teaspoon sea salt, more or less to taste
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
Freshly ground black pepper to taste


Place peas, celery, onion, garlic, oil, lemon juice, cumin, water and salt in a VitaMix or high speed blender and process until smooth. 
Place half of the shredded carrot in each of two bowls leaving a few tablespoons for garnish. 
Pour half of the blended soup in each bowl. With a spoon, mix the blended soup with the carrot. Top each bowl with the extra carrot and serve.


Per serving: 185.5 calories, 7.0 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 6.5 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates and 7.5 g dietary fiber. 

Raw soups are quick and easy to make!
Eat with a big piece of watermelon or a bowl of cherries 

Dinner - Hearty Taco Salad (Modified to make it gluten free)

Raw Vegan, Gluten Free

[makes 2 servings]

For the dressing

1 teaspoon chia seeds

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper
For the taco meat
2/3 cup raw walnuts
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons Bragg liquid aminos
For the salad
1 small head butter or red leaf lettuce, cleaned and torn into bite sized pieces
4 small tomatoes, cut into eighths

Kernels from 1 small ear of fresh corn

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1/2 medium avocado, sliced

To make the dressing, combine chia seeds with water. Set aside until it forms a gel (about an hour). Once it gels, add cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Set aside.

For the taco meat, put the walnuts, chili powder and liquid aminos in a food processor and briefly process until the mixture resembles taco meat. Do not over process. 

Prepare the salad by combining the lettuce, tomatoes, corn and green onion. Dress the salad with the lime chia seed dressing and place on two large plates. Top each salad with half of the avocado slices and half of the taco meat. 

Per serving: 474 calories, 39.2 g fat, 4.3 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 12.6 g protein, 29.2 g carbohydrates, 11.3 g fiber, 4.1 g omega 3 and 16.7 g omega 6 fatty acid.

Walnuts prepared in this way look and taste just like taco meat!

And for Dessert!

Tonight we're going to have a big bowl of fresh blueberries for dessert. These little guys are packed with anthocyanidins which are powerful antioxidants. In fact, blueberries are one of the highest rated foods in their ability to destroy free radicals.

1 cup of blueberries has only 84 calories and provides a whopping 4 grams of dietary fiber. They are a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese. They even contain omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids!

ONE WEEK RAW AND GLUTEN FREE - DAY 1, Start The Day With A Raw Vegan Macadamia Mango Blast Smoothie

Raw smoothie with raw macadamia nuts, mango, banana and frozen peaches

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 DAY 1 OF "ONE WEEK RAW AND GLUTEN FREE"

2011 Raw Food Cleanse
Each year I like to transition into summer with a raw food cleanse. It can last as long as a month or as little as a week or two. What I want to do on the blog this year is to document and share my first week of raw menus with you so that you can join me at home. If you want to continue your cleanse for more than a week, just repeat the week's menu or substitute some of the dishes with the numerous, previously posted Raw Food Recipes. Even a week will give you a great insight into a raw food diet and you'll definitely see some immediate benefits. I will also make all recipes this week gluten free. 


Why do this?
Eating nothing but raw veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds and sprouts for a week or more gives your body a rest from processed foods, animal products, and foods you may be allergic to. Many people are allergic to wheat or wheat gluten, soy, dairy, raw sugar, preservatives, food coloring and eggs. When you eat a raw diet free of these allergens and rich with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and enzymes, you allow your body to gently detoxify. (There are many nuts used in a raw food diet which some people are allergic to. These recipes should be avoided if you have a nut allergy).


One Week Raw and Gluten Free
Some of the recipes this week are old favorites from the blog and some will be new or modified. The raw menu for each day will contain breakfast, a snack, lunch, dinner and a dessert. There is no fasting involved. In fact, you may feel like you are eating a ton of food! Raw food fills you up and all that chewing makes the meal last longer!


What you may Experience
What you experience will depend on the state of your current health and your current diet. If you are healthy, at a normal weight and eat a mostly plant-based diet you may experience a gentle detox reaction and feel lighter and more energetic. If you are suffering from an illness, overweight or you eat lots of animal protein, dairy and processed foods, you will have a more dramatic reaction. You'll probably lose a lot of weight, become much more "regular", and depending on how long you do this, you may greatly improve your health indicators such as cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, etc. See a Real life testimonial.
If any of you experience too strong a detox reaction (headache, nausea), just add a little cooked food to your evening meal, when needed, such as 1/2 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa, 1/2 baked sweet potato or 1/2 cup cooked beans.


What you'll Need
To be able to make all the recipes this week, you'll need:
* A sprouting jar
* A high speed blender, like a VitaMix
* A dehydrator
* A food processor with an S blade


DAY 1 - A Very Busy Day!
Today we are going to prep a little for later in the week as well as prepare today's menu. (You may want to watch what I do all week and start your raw cleanse on the weekend when you have more time).
* We will make raw granola that will be used all week, mostly for snacking. 
* We will sprout some green lentils to be used to make a raw soup as well as crackers and pizza crusts.


In addition, we will be preparing today's menu:
Breakfast: Macadamia mango blast smoothie
Snack: Bowl of fresh cherries 
Lunch: Asian coleslaw with avocado slices
Dinner: Waldorf salad and Raw Kale with cucumber and sunflower seeds
Dessert: Water melon


Let's get started!


Raw Granola (Modified and Improved from 2010 post!)
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 16 half cup servings]

1 cup raw English walnuts
½ cup raw pistachios
½ cup raw cashews
¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
¼ raw sesame seeds, hulled
½ cup raw, shelled hemp seeds
¼ cup ground flaxseed
½ cup dried, unsweetened coconut
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins
2 medium apples, cored and chopped
5 pitted medjool dates, soaked 2 hours and drained
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup raw agave nectar 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt


In a large bowl, soak the walnuts, pistachios and cashews. After 2 hours, add the sunflower and pumpkin seeds to the same bowl and soak another 2 hours. Rinse and drain nuts and seeds in a strainer and place half of them in a food processor with an S blade. Pulse 3 or 4 times, or more, until broken up to your liking. Do not over process. Place back in the large bowl and repeat with the other half of the nuts and seeds and add them to the large bowl. 
Add the unsoaked sesame and hemp seeds and ground flaxseeds to the bowl and combine. Stir in the coconut and cranberries.
Without cleaning the food processor, add apples, soaked dates, lemon juice, agave nectar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt and process until smooth. Pour into the bowl and stir into the nut mixture until thoroughly combined.
Spread out onto 2 or 3 nonstick sheets and dehydrate for 8 to 12 hours at 115 degrees F. Flip over onto mesh tray, peel off nonstick sheets and dehydrate for another 8 to 12 hours or until dry. Remove from dehydrator and let cool. Break up into small pieces and store refrigerated an airtight container. 


Per ½ cup serving: 263.9 calories, 16.8 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 1.6 g ALA omega 3 and 6.5 g omega 6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 6.3 g protein, 26.4 g carbohydrates and 4.3 g dietary fiber.

Raw granola on mesh dehydrator tray after being flipped over

Start Sprouting
I like the small green lentils for sprouting. They quadruple in size so start out with 1/4 of what you want to end up with. You'll be needing two cups of sprouted lentils this week so start with 1/2 cup.

• Place lentils in a sprouting jar with a mesh top, cover with water and soak for 8 hours. Rinse and drain.
• Rinse 2 to 3 times a day and leave the jar inverted on a drain board. Place them in an area around 70 degrees F.
• In 3 - 4 days the lentils will be ready.  In the final day put them in indirect sunlight.
• When the sprouts are ready, soak them in a big bowl of cool water and let the empty seeds, or hulls, rise to the top. Discard the hulls and rinse and dry the sprouts. They are now ready to eat or you can store them in the refrigerator. Sometimes green lentil hulls remain on the sprout. That's ok.

Raw lentil sprouts are a good source of protein, thiamin, iron, phosphorus and copper and a very good source of vitamin C, folate and manganese. They contain no saturated fat or cholesterol.

Now For Today's Menu!!

Breakfast - Macadamia Mango Blast (New Recipe!)
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 2 servings]
1 ounce raw macadamia nuts (about 10 to 12 kernels)
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 mango (peeled, seed removed and chopped)
1 banana
1 cup frozen peach slices
1 packet stevia (optional for added sweetness)


First make nut milk by adding the macadamia nuts and water to a VitaMix blender and blending until smooth.
Add mango, banana, frozen peach slices and stevia and blend until smooth.
Serve immediately.


Per serving: 251.5 calories, 11.0 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 2.5 g protein, 40.5 g carbohydrates and 5.5 g dietary fiber.

Today's snack - a bowl of fresh cherries!
One cup of cherries contain 87 calories and zero fat.
They are high in fiber and vitamin C and anthocyanins.
Anthocyanins can protect the heart and reduce inflammation which can ease the pain of arthritis. They can also protect against gout.

Lunch - Asian Coleslaw  with ginger tahini dressing served with avocado slices 
(Modified and Improved from 2010 post!)
[makes 4 servings]
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
For the salad
8 cups organic Napa or other green cabbage
2 tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
1/4 cup seedless raisins
1/4 cup sliced raw almonds
For the dressing
1 clove garlic, grated
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons raw tahini
2 tablespoons raw agave nectar
2 tablespoons Bragg liquid aminos 
3 tablespoons rice vinegar or raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon cold pressed flaxseed oil
pinch cayenne
2 avocados, sliced


Combine the salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.
In a smaller bowl, blend the garlic, ginger, tahini and agave nectar to form a thick paste. Slowly add the soy sauce, vinegar, oil and cayenne and mix thoroughly.
Add to salad, toss well and serve with avocado slices .


Per serving : 224.6 calories, 9.9 g fat, 1.0 g saturated fat, 1.8 g omega 3 and 2.7g of omega 6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 6.2 g protein, 31.6 g carbohydrates, and 6.1 g dietary fiber. 
Avocado slices add 113.4 calories, 10.6 g fat, 1.6 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.6 g protein, 6.0 g carbohydrates and 4.6 g dietary fiber per serving.

Today's lunch is Asian Coleslaw

Dinner - Waldorf Salad with Apple Chia Dressing

and Raw Kale with Cucumbers and Sunflower Seeds in a lemon-turmeric dressing

Waldorf Salad (Old favorite from October, 2009)

[makes 4 servings - this will be tonight's dinner and leftovers will be tomorrow's snack]

Raw Vegan, Gluten Free

For the dressing
2 teaspoons dried chia seeds

1/4 cup filtered water, room temperature

1 tablespoon raw agave syrup 

1 tablespoon fresh apple juice

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the salad
2 cups diced apple, with skin

1 cup celery, diced

1/3 cup dried, sweetened cranberries

1/4 cup raw English walnuts, chopped

To make the dressing, mix chia seeds with filtered water. Let sit for several hours until it forms a gel. 

Add agave syrup, apple juice and lemon juice to the chia gel and mix thoroughly. Set aside. 

For the salad, combine apple, celery, cranberries and English walnuts. Add the apple chia dressing and mix together. Serve.

Per serving: 139.2 calories, 5.7 g fat, 0.6 g saturated fat, 1.1 g omega 3 and 3.0 g omega 6 fatty acid, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.7 g protein, 21.4 g carbohydrates and 3.9 g dietary fiber.

Raw Kale with cucumbers and sunflower seeds (New Recipe!)

[makes 2 servings]
Vegan, Gluten Free

For the dressing

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

pinch cayenne pepper

For the salad

2 cups packed kale, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced

1 cup English cucumbers, with skin, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds

Place the lemon juice, olive oil, turmeric, salt and cayenne pepper in a medium sized bowl and mix well. 

Add sliced kale to the salad dressing and toss together well with a fork until kale is thoroughly coated.

Add red onion, cucumber slices and sunflower seeds. Toss and serve.

Per serving: 157.5 calories, 11.5 g fat, 1.4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3.8 g protein, 12.4 g carbohydrates and 1.8 g dietary fiber.

Day 1 Dinner - Kale and cucumbers with Waldorf Salad

And for Dessert!
We've done enough food prep today. Dessert will be a nice and simple piece of watermelon. An 86 calorie wedge of watermelon provides a third or more of your daily requirement of vitamin A and vitamin C.

Watermelon is very high in the carotenoid, lycopene.
Lycopene has antioxidant and anticancer properties.

A Reminder!
Since you will be eating raw, unprocessed and unfortified vegan foods, don't forget to supplement with vitamin B12, vitamin D and DHA omega 3 fatty acid.