Until yesterday, I had never created a raw food recipe for kale chips. I couldn’t bring myself to take a veggie that I consider a bit bitter and try to turn it into something yummy. My friend, Joanna kept insisting that they were fab so I decided to give it a whirl. They turned out better than I could have hoped for. Which is great because Kale is incredibly healthy.

Kale, which is actually a form of cabbage, is loaded with fiber. One cup of kale provides you with twice your daily requirement of vitamin A, tons of vitamin C and has over a thousand times the RDA for vitamin K! Kale helps keep your body strong and also helps prevent damage from other forces that are constantly attacking our bodies.

Kale is full of fiber and phytonutrients. It produces sulforaphane which is a natural cancer-fighter that signals the liver to produce cancer fighting enzymes. Kale has high amounts of carotenoids that protect your eyes from ultraviolet light and other major issues. It even helps prevent cataracts.

There are many different kinds of kale out there. I wanted to know how each one tasted, and how it adapted to different recipes. I bought dinosaur kale, purple kale and green kale. Then I came up with three different recipes. So, we have 9 different outcomes.

For the first batch I simply used olive oil and salt. For the second batch, I added garlic and thyme. The third batch, one of my favorites, is a spicy combination of chipotle and smoked paprika combined with some brewers yeast, cashews and garlic. I think this hot version is my favorite.

The difference between the kale, after all was said and done was negligible. The dinosaur kale has a flatter shape and kept that through dehydration but the curly kale was fine and actually held a little more of the flavor mixture.The taste was pretty much the same for all. You can go very easy on the olive oil. They dehydrate very quickly (4-5 hours) so, start them early in the day and you will have a great snack for later. My biggest challenge with these was to not eat them all before I got the picture taken! Make a lot as they dehydrate down quite a bit.

Sun dried tomatoes are a favorite around here. Something magical happens when you condense the flavors through drying. I had sun dried tomatoes on the brain when I started working on some raw food recipes today. Wanting something quick and versatile,  I came up with a little spread that could double as a “pasta” sauce. I love anything that will cut down on my time in the kitchen! I will post the appetizer today, and the pasta sauce tomorrow!

Equipment needed: Food Processor

For more raw food appetizer ideas, click here: Raw Food Appetizer Recipes

I am often asked where I get my inspiration when I am creating raw food recipes. I have a pretty extensive background in food. It is what got me in trouble with “traditional” food in the first place. Too many gourmet meals full unhealthy ingredients. Even though I eat 90-100% raw, I still love gourmet food. But now I want it to be easy and super healthy. That is what inspires me. Creating my favorite traditional recipes the raw food way!

I have been wanting to make a stuffed mushroom for quite a while. Since I love marinated mushrooms, I started with them. Then the fun starts. I decided to make a pate from pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Shallots, garlic, some herbs and a few more ingredients, I taste as I go until I am happy.

This is an easy recipe that comes together quickly and will please you and your family. It is also a great raw food recipe for entertaining! Pumpkin seeds are extremely healthy. You can read more about them here: Pumpkin Seed Crackers

I love when information about food, raw food and the relationship between food and health is highlighted in mainstream media. I was watching “Good Morning America” on Friday. Dr. David Servan-Schreiber was talking about his new book, “Anti Cancer, A New Way of Life”. One of the first things that he mentioned was how important it was to make your diet comprised mostly of plants. We already know that here, but what caught my attention was his reference to Turmeric. I have hear that turmeric is a healthy addition to your diet but after listening to Dr. Servan-Schreiber, I was inspired to do some more research and develop a recipe that is based on this “super food”.

Turmeric has been called one of nature’s most powerful healers. It has great anti-inflammatory properties which can address symptoms of arthritis. It is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. It is said to be a digestive aid that will settle the stomach. Turmeric contains a rich source of antioxidants that help fight against free radicals. It also is said to have anti-platelet properties that help protect against strokes and heart attacks. Studies have also shown that it has a beneficial effect on the liver.

Since I am in a major snacking mode, I decided to make a raw food turmeric dip. It is quick, easy and contains great healthy properties from the turmeric along with the other ingredients.

I love converting unhealthy recipes to healthy raw food recipes. Onion rings were always one of my favorite treats, but I refuse to eat the deep fried variety anymore. They are soaked with oil and breaded with nothing that is health promoting. I still love them and wanted to find a healthy way to enjoy them.

I have seen a few onion ring recipes but I wanted something that was similar to the traditional way of making them. Using the technique of soaking the onions, I employed almond milk. You will use the almond milk for soaking and also for breading for the rings. Once you make the milk, you save the nut pulp, dehydrate it and combine it with spices and a little flax. One warning…you really need to use a mild or sweet onion for this recipe or the onion flavor will be too strong.

The holidays are upon us! Everyone is looking for healthy raw food recipes that will look great on their holiday tables! This recipe makes it easy for you to put three different raw “cheese” spreads on your table. Your non raw food eating friends will never know that you have secretly provided them with healthy food!

Starting with one basic spread, divide it and quickly make three dramatically different spreads. Think sweet cranberry walnut, savory garlic pepper rosemary and spicy chipotle sun dried tomato! I truly love these recipes. So fast, so easy, so versatile!

Recently, I hosted a raw food pot luck at my home. Talking to everyone, at all levels of involvement with raw food was interesting and enlightening. It is always fun to see what raw food dishes people show up with. One couple brought some jalapeno poppers, made the raw food way. They were very good. I was inspired to take a shot at it and see what I could come up with.

Instead of using green jalapeno’s, I opted for small red cayenne peppers, for the color and the ripeness. The heat is about the same. The filling is made from pine nuts, cashews and a few other ingredients. Eggplant “bacon” tops completes the bite size morsels. There are quite a few recipes out there for eggplant “bacon”. This one was inspired by a trip to the spice shop and a desire to make it quick and easy. It turned out great. I had to fight my daughter to keep enough for the photos!

When we eat a raw food diet, it is important to pay attention to the nutrients we are getting. Honestly, when we eat any type of food we should be paying attention to the nutrients we get. The funny thing is that when I was eating the SAD (Standard American Diet) I never had anyone question the nutritional value of my food. It was horrible! Seriously, I could eat cake and cookies all day.

Now that I am eating a high raw diet, I pay more attention to what I am putting into my body. As you know, green drinks are a staple for me as are many other wonderful vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds. I also incorporate grains with my flat breads, in their whole, natural state, sprouted to be at their nutritional best. I also incorporate foods that I know pack a nutritional punch. Pumpkin seeds are one of these foods.

Pumpkin seeds are a great source of Magnesium, which is the fourth most plentiful mineral in your body. Your bones are where you will find 50% of it. The rest of it can be found in your organs and tissues, with 1% in your blood. Magnesium is involved in over 300 of your bodily functions! Not only does magnesium help keep your bones strong, it supports your immune system. It regulates your blood sugar, helps make sure that your blood pressure is normal, supports your nervous system and your metabolism. On top of all of that, Magnesium helps protect against diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

With pumpkin seeds you get all that Magnesium and they are a great source of B vitamins and protein (19 grams in a handful). It makes sense to include them in your diet. This Sun dried tomato pumpkin seed pesto is a tasty, easy way to make sure you are eating these little beauties. It is also another recipe that can be used more than one way. Today I will show you how to turn it into a great appetizer. Tomorrow, a main dish with zucchini noodles!

I remember getting grounded for playing with my food. Seriously. I was crushing crackers and making little designs in my soup. It sent my dad right over the edge. I don’t think he would be so upset anymore. Actually, I think he would be downright pleased.

I believe that eating raw food should not be boring or difficult. It should be a fun culinary adventure. If I see a recipe,that has a list of 4o ingredients, I am not going to do  it. Ok, I am exaggerating. But you get what I mean. I am a bit lazy when it comes to working in the kitchen.

The challenge I give to myself is to make tasty, beautiful creations with out too much fuss! I want the food to be approachable for you. I want it to be easy peasy! You can throw this little beauty together in minutes with just a little advanced prep. Have fun…go and play with your food, with my father’s blessing!

If you want to make this tart like the picture, you will need baking rings. You can find them at any cooking store. Get the ones that are 3″. Just think of the fun you could have with a couple of these babies in your kitchen!

If you don’t have access to the cutters, you can make this tart in a tart pan or even a pie plate. Just layer the in the same order. It will be beautiful, too!

This is a great time of year for food lovers. The farmer’s markets are brimming with fruit and vegetables, fresh and in season, waiting for us to enjoy. Eggplant, the glossy, deep purple member of the nightshade family is showing up in all of it’s various forms. I have always loved eggplant, especially in Baba Ghanoush (eggplant and garlic dip). I wanted a raw food recipe. Raw eggplant can be bitter and have an unpleasing texture. But if you dice and freeze it, once you thaw it, you can achieve the texture you need and also eliminates some of the bitterness associated with raw eggplant.

Nutritionally, eggplant contains chlorogenic acid which is one of the most potent free radical scavengers found in plants. Benefits attributed to chlorogenic acid include antimutagenic (anti-cancer), antimicrobial, anti-LDL (bad cholesterol) and antiviral activities. It is also very high in fiber.

This recipe is full of raw garlic, which I love and feel is the best thing about it! However, you might want to add it slowly to suit your taste.