The Inaugural Raw Food Wednesday Post

So I've been doing some research on raw food for the past few months, and decided to commit to eating raw once a week. With winter now winding down and warmer days ahead, I figure there's no better time than the present! Wednesdays are a less hectic day for me, so I picked it for my weekly raw feast.

To prepare I headed to the library for some raw literature. Sounds like a good plan, eh? Well it would have been if the raw foodists in my town hadn't taken the majority of them out! I ended up with the only book that was currently in the library: Carol Alt's The Raw 50. There's a bit of useful information, and a handful of recipes that look interesting. Sadly the book isn't vegan (a few recipes use raw dairy, meat and fish), and the forward (written by someone else) insists that no known human group has survived on an all vegetarian diet. Now I realize why this book isn't flying off the library shelves!!

Luckily, there are MASSIVE amounts of information, tips and recipes on the internet regarding raw vegan food. So far my favs are:

• Kristen's Raw
• Ani Phyo
• and various random videos on YouTube

Here are the recipes from my first 100% raw & vegan day:

Breakfast: Simple Raw Green Smoothie (recipe seen on various raw blogs in cyberspace).

• 1 banana
• A handful of spinach
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup of water (use more/less for the consistency you prefer)

Mix everything in a blender and enjoy the greeny goodness!

Lunch: Raw Burritos (recipe adapted from The Raw 50)

• 2 avocados, mashed
• 1-2 roma (aka plum) tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• handful of sprouts
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
• 4 large lettuce leaves (I used romaine, but any will do)
• 1 lemon, squeezed for 2 tablespoons of juice
• 1-2 sprigs of parsley
• dash of ground cumin (aka geera)
• dash of sea salt (optional)

In a large bowl combine everything (except the lettuce). Mix well. Spoon the mixture into the lettuce. Fold the top and sides of the lettuce leaf like a burrito. Delicioso!

Dinner: Raw Red Pepper Curry Soup (recipe adapted from The Raw 50)

• 3 bell peppers (any colour, but I used red)
• 1 apple (I used empire), peeled
• 1 avocado
• 2-3 sprigs of parsley
• 1/2 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 cup raw pine nuts
• 3 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (optional)
• 2 cups water

Set aside a few pieces of avocado and bell pepper for garnish. Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into bowls and garnish with the reserved veggies.

Dessert: Raw Lemon Coconut "Creme" Pudding (recipe from VegWeb)

The original recipe is for a pie with a nut crust. For my inaugural raw day, I decided to simplify by forgoing the crust and just making the filling.

• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup raw shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• 1/2 lemon, squeezed for juice
• 1 tablespoon raw coconut oil

Puree everything in a blender until smooth. Pour into dessert cups. I'm glad I didn't make the crust because using these measurements I would had no where near enough filling for a pie!

The final verdict - I feel pretty good. While planning the meals yesterday, I was worried I wouldn't have enough food. Interestingly, initially after finishing every meal, I did still feel hungry but after waiting 15-20 minutes I was quite full. I also drank a lot of water throughout the day and snacked on carrots with the leftover burrito filling.

I can't wait to do this all over again next week!!