by Susan on September 1, 2010
I am having a hard time believing that it is September 1st. Waking up to a beautiful, refreshing breeze, I am reminded of my childhood. I was one of those kids. The one that couldn’t wait for school to start in the fall. Armed with my new pencils, fresh paper and a few new outfits to boot, I was always filled with excited anticipation. There was so much to learn about and I couldn’t wait to get started!
Last night I was asked how I got started with raw food and creating raw food recipes. I realized it was the same curiosity that I have carried since childhood, that set me on this path. I was introduced to raw food at a time in my life when I desperately needed a change. Something about raw food resonated in me and the journey began.
When I teach classes, I often tell the story about my first raw meal. I saw a TV show were the chef made a raw meal. It consisted of zucchini noodles and pureed tomatoes with some spices as the sauce. Excited to try this new food, I made the dish for my daughters and I. One bite and all three of us deemed it not edible. That was my first experience with a raw food recipe.
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by Susan on August 30, 2010
I love creating raw food recipes. Most of my inspiration comes from my own cravings and recipes that I used to make. When my girls were little, I snagged a recipe for turtle bars from a great restaurant in Santa Fe. It quickly became one of our favorites. Later, a recipe from The Barefoot Contessa for pecan bars became an obsession. But with 2 lbs of butter, tons of sugar and cream, it is completely off of my list. That doesn’t mean I don’t think about it once in a while. Like last night as I was falling asleep. And this morning, when I woke up.
Using elements from both recipes (pecan bars and a ganache) this recipe came together beautifully. A tasty crust made from cashews and almonds (that resembles more of a short bread crust than a raw food recipe crust), filling from raw honey and coconut butter and a layer of pecans and ganache. All I could say when I tasted them was…Oh my gosh. What is really amazing about these bars is that no one would ever guess that they are raw. Made from healthy ingredients and no dehydrator required, these simple bars will impress everyone you make them for! And they are gluten free to boot! Note: these are very sweet. A little bit goes a long way.
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