Our friend was coming over for dinner and announced that he is eating only raw food diet for a week. Luckily our garden is lush with kale, beets, beans, Swiss chard, onion, garlic, black currants, gooseberries, blueberries and other fruits and vegetables. So, I’ve made the following recipes, which truly delighted our senses with unique flavors and color. The following recipes take time to prepare, yet it is worth the effort!
Kale Salad
Ingredients:
Dressing:
4 tablespoons olive oil or flax oil
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons light miso
1 clove garlic, crushed
1-2 teaspoons agave or maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard or pinch of ground mustard powder
1/8 teaspoon himalayan crystal salt or sea salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Salad:
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and cut into thin strips
1/4 head cabbage, shredded (optional)
2 tomatoes chopped
1/4 cup thinly julienned red onion (optional)
Directions:
1. Combine ingredients for dressing in a bowl and whisk to a smooth consistency.
- 2.Cut the kale into thin strips.
- 3.Toss just the kale with dressing and massage for three minutes.
- 4.Add the rest of the salad ingredients.
Veggie Wraps
Makes 6 wraps
Ingredients:
Creamy Pecan Spread:
1 cup raw pecans
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
6 large Swiss chard leaves
6 large Romaine lettuce leaves
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 small cucumber and cut into strips
Directions:
To make Creamy Pecan Spread:
Place pecans in large bowl, and cover with cold water. Soak at room temperature 8 hours, or overnight.
To make Swiss Chard Veggie Wraps:
1. Trim center ribs from chard leaves, set leaves aside,
2. Toss together carrots, onion, lime juice and oil in bowl.
3. Drain pecans. Place pecans, 1/4 cups of fresh water, cumin, and garlic in bowl of food processor; purée, adding more water if needed for a creamy spread. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
4. Place 1 chard leaf on work surface. Place 1 Romaine lettuce leave on top of the chard leaf. Spread with 2 heaping tablespoons Creamy Pecan Spread, leaving 1-inch border on all sides. Spoon 1/3 cup carrot mixture down center of leaf. Top with 3 or 4 tomato wedges and 3 or 4 cucumber matchsticks. Roll chard leaf from bottom up into tight cylinder, tucking in sides as you go. Secure with toothpick. Serve or you can chill for 15 minutes before serving.
Delicious Berry Sorbet
Ingredients:
8 cups of frozen berries and fruits. I used frozen blueberries, gooseberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and bananas.
Enough water to make a thick berry mass
1/4 cup of agave syrup or 1/2 teaspoon of stevia (use less or more sweetener to suit your taste)
Directions:
1. Blend everything together until smooth.
