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Foodie Friday Gets Fresh & Easy

Especially in the beginning of my adventures with raw food, I ended up making things a lot harder than necessary with my food preparations. I mean after all, I had invested so much into all the gadgetry that is so wonderful to have like a dehydrator, high speed blender and a food processor. I felt like I needed to create something gourmet most nights and I eventually burnt myself out. Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE a complex raw food dinner on occasion and I enjoy wowing my husband with something creative and beautiful, but nowadays, I do best and actually eat a lot more raw food when I keep things simple.

The following recipes are taken from The 30 Minute Vegan by Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray. In this cookbook, the co-authors prove that raw cuisine can be fast, fresh, easy and delicious year round. These two aren't exclusively raw but I like what they have to say about it, "You don't HAVE to make a radical change in your diet to feel the benefits of eating raw foods," says Reinfield. "Our suggestion is to take it easy as you are transitioning. Eat most of your meal raw or at least a lot of it - we still make cooked whole grain pasta, but then we top it with a savory raw marinara sauce, for example."

The following recipes are adapted from The 30 Minute Vegan:

Locally Grown - Late Spring Supper

All week I've been focusing in on local foods. For many of us, this is an especially exciting time of year as tender spring vegetables are at their peak (or soon will be in your area). Recipes created around locally available ingredients are some of the most vibrant and nutritionally dense, so I have created this late Spring Supper with that in mind. I hope you will get creative with what's available in your area and share them with us here in the Raw Food Rehab Kitchen!

Local Spring Salad with Simply Delicious Dressing
Spring really is THE time to get creative in your salad making. This recipe is just one suggestion of how to bring your Spring produce & fresh herbs together for a symphony of vibrant flavor.

8 cups of Spring Greens (mesclun, mache, watercress, dandelion, rocket, micro greens, pea shoots, or any other spring lettuce mix)
1 -2 cups Fresh Herbs (basil, mint, oregano, dill, parsley, tarragon, thyme, etc.)
handful of sugar peas, strings removed
radishes, thinly sliced
Spring onions, shaved fine
grapes, variety of choice, sliced in half

Toss the greens and herbs together in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the greens and toss until well coated. add in the peas, radishes, onions and grapes, tossing just enough to incorporate. Arrange your spring salad on chilled plates and garnish with chopped fresh herbs.

Simply Delicious Dressing
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar (not seasoned)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp agave nectar
Himalayan sea salt & Freshly cracked pepper to taste

Wisk ingredients together to combine. This dressing will store well in an air tight container for a week in the refrigerator if you want to multiply the recipe.

Sweet Stuffed Peppers with Wild Chive Cheese
We have wild garlic chives growing in both our front and back yard, I didn't even know if was safe to eat them until I began studying wild edibles. They are now one of my prize plants that come up on a volunteer basis each spring. As the season progresses they produce the most delicious garlic blossoms.......can't wait to show them to you in the weeks to come!

1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked & drained (cashews or macadamia nuts are brilliant in this as well)
1/4 cup+ water
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1small, ripe lemon, juiced
1 clove fresh spring garlic
1/3 cup chopped wild chives
1/2 tsp sea salt
Small sweet Mexican peppers, cut in half and seeded for stuffing (widely available at most supermarkets)

Blend all of these ingredients (except the peppers) in a blender or food processor until you reach a spreadable consistency. Stuff the peppers with the cheese mixture and serve as an appetizer or main course.

Asparagus Basil Pesto with Sweet Tokyo Turnip Noodles
Asparagus and turnips are widely available at our local farmer's markets right now. I wanted to find a dish that could showcase the tender delicacy of these two outstanding ingredients and this recipe does just that.

For the Pesto:
1 bunch fresh asparagus, woody ends removed and chopped
3 handfuls fresh basil
2 cloves fresh spring garlic
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup hazelnuts (you can substitute pumpkin seeds or pine nuts)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt

Put all ingredients into a food processor or blender and combine until you reach a pesto like consistency. Put into a bowl and set aside.

For the Noodles:
1 bunch tender turnips (you may need 2 bunches if they are small)

Process through a Saladacco or Spirooli to create pasta noodles and toss with the Asparagus Pesto . Zucchini squash or golden beets also make a lovely and delicious alternative to the turnip in this recipe.

Citrus Mint Sorbet
You just have to try it...amazing. Best way to beat the unseasonably hot days of early summer!

5 oranges
4 Texas grapefruits (I got a great deal on these & they are sorta local : )
2 handfuls fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener of choice)
1/2 cup crushed ice

Juice the oranges and grapefruits by hand, making sure to strain any seeds. Pour the juice into a blender, add mint, agave and ice. Blend until liquid. Pour this into an ice cream freezer for about 15 minutes and then store in an airtight freezer safe container. I think it is best when just out of the ice cream freezer while it is still slushy.....YUMMY!!

If Memorial Day is celebrated where you live...please enjoy a long, safe and fun weekend!