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Raw Savory Vegetable “Rice”

Vegetable rice

When you’re in the mood for something a little more dense, filling and savory, instead of reaching for cooked carbs, try a raw vegan, savory vegetable “rice” dish. This recipe can be a delicious and filling meal on its own, or paired with a salad, used as a filling to stuff peppers or tomatoes, and would even be great stuffed into lettuce leaves for a yummy wrap! This was often my go-to meal when I was really needing something other than my usual salad.

Savory Vegetable “Rice” Ingredients:

1 medium or small romanesque cauliflower or regular cauliflower (2 1/2 cups of cauliflower pieces before processed)
1 small kohlrabi peeled and cut (*optional)
1 large, ripe, red bell pepper approximately a 6 oz. sized pepper stemmed and seeded (half cut up in pieces, the other half set aside for sauce)
2 persian cucumbers or 6 oz. (or 1 small regular cucumber peeled) julienned into 1 inch noodles (zucchini can be substituted)
3 1/2 cups of cherry or vine ripened tomatoes (2 cups for sauce and 1 1/2 cups cut up for rice)
4 large stalks of celery approximately 11 oz. (6-7 oz. roughly chopped for the sauce and 3-4 oz. finely chopped for rice)
1/2 cup of fine carrot peelings
1/2 cup of pre-soaked sun dried tomatoes (soaked in warm water, preferably for an hour or more depending on thickness) a few pieces for the sauce and the rest for the rice
1 1/2 medjool dates (pitted) OR for better food combining – a 1/2 cup or so of a sweet tasting mango or apple 
15-20 medium sized sweet basil leaves (10 or so for sauce, and the left over for garnish)
1/2 cup of fresh blueberries for garnish (*optional)

Directions:

For rice
Break apart the romanesque or cauliflower and put the pieces along with the peeled & cut stem into the Vitamix or food processor
Add the peeled and cut kohlrabi and blend, or process, both until it becomes a small rice sized consistency

Pour into a large bowl
Add your cut up bell pepper pieces, cucumber (or zucchini) noodles, finely diced celery, chopped tomatoes, fine carrot peelings, and your cut up, soaked sun dried tomatoes

For sauce
In a blender like the Vitamix, blend 2 cups of cherry tomatoes, 1/2 of your red bell pepper, 3 stalks of celery roughly chopped, 1 1/2 pitted medjool dates OR ( you can substitute the dates with a sub-acid fruit like 1/2 cup of mango or sweet apple like a Fuji.)

Blend until all ingredients are mixed well but not too smooth

Add chopped basil to the sauce and stir, or pulse in basil leaves. Be careful not to blend basil because it can become bitter and the basil flavor can get lost in the sauce.

Pour sauce over rice and mix together

Garnish with fresh sweet basil and optional blueberries

You can also add fresh organic corn, chives, cilantro and a pinch of cumin for a Mexican style rice dish!

Raw Savory Vegetable “Rice” Recipe Video

Decadent Peach Dessert – Nut & Fat Free!

Peach Dessert

A simple yet decadent fat free, raw vegan summer dessert that will melt in your mouth and taste like peach heaven! It’s also properly combined so it will digest with ease.

A single medium serving for one, OR it can be shared as two small servings.

Ingredients for base:
7 or 8 Medjool dates pitted (or 1 cup of your favorite dates)
1/2 of a small to medium yellow nectarine, pit removed
*optional – 7 or 8 drops of Medicine Flower Vanilla extract & Peanut extract
(You can use several drops of regular vanilla extract instead)
Blend until smooth or almost smooth and spread onto a plate or into a dessert ramekin

Variation options for base:
You can use a peach instead of nectarine for blending
OR you can omit the nectarine, add a handful of extra dates and blend in 2-4 TBLS of fresh young thai coconut water

Garnish date base with:
1 large ripe juicy yellow peach cut into slices (or enough peaches to cover the surface)
a dusting of cinnamon on top
* optional – a small handful of plump blackberries or blueberries

Organic Raw Vegan Flavor Extracts can be found here:
http://medicineflower.com/flavorextracts.html

Decadent Peach Dessert Video

Raw Vegan Dreamy Coco Date “Latte”

Coco Date Latte

This is the most dreamy, delicious, healthy beverage – warm or cold. It will make you swoon! It reminds me of a really sweet cafe latte or a Starbucks frappuccino, depending on how you make it. So it’s very helpful for those trying to get away from designer coffee beverages. It’s calorically dense, not too big, super satisfying and tastes Ahhhh-mazing!

Ingredients:
8 oz. of your favorite fresh dates (pitted) I love halawy, khadrawy, barhi or medjool dates
16 oz. of fresh coconut water from a young thai coconut
a pinch of vanilla (powder, extract or fresh vanilla bean)
*optional 5-10 drops of raw vegan organic coffee extract from medicineflower.com
The coffee extract is not necessary for this recipe and is really for those who want a coffee flavor. This drink is so great without it too!

*Increase the ingredients accordingly based on your personal needs*

Directions:
Blend all ingredients until smooth, pour into your favorite mug and enjoy! If you use a blender like the Vitamix, you can actually blend this drink until warm or hot on a chilly day for a more cozy “coco” or “coffee” experience.

Can also be poured over ice for a cold drink or blended in a Vitamix with ice, or frozen coconut water ice cubes, for a frappuccino-like, refreshing blended drink.

Dreamy, Delicious Raw Coco Date “Latte” Recipe Video

Delicious Fat Free Kale Chips

These yummy chips are actually good for you, easy to make, delightfully crunchy and Fat Free!

Ingredients:
1 large bunch of Kale washed, stems removed & cut into approximately 2×4 inch pieces (I used Lacinato Kale in this batch)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cups largely chopped celery
1/2 large red bell pepper, seeds removed
1/2 cup of sugar plum or your choice tomatoes
a handful of dilantro (you can use other herbs of your choice such as chives, basil, parsley etc.)

Directions:
Blend lemon juice, celery, bell pepper and tomatoes in a blender until smooth. Add cilantro and blend or pulse gently until herbs are cut up but not pureed. Place kale in a large bowl and pour mixture over kale and massage it in so mixture covers all parts of the kale leaves. Place kale on dehydrator trays evenly spaced apart for proper drying and dehydrate at 105 degrees F for 8-12 hours. Be sure to check kale from time to time for crispness.

Store in an air tight container, if you don’t eat them all as you’re removing them from the dehydrator. ;0)

Need a dehydrator? Get the best one HERE with FREE Shipping!

If you don’t have a dehydrator and want to bake them in the oven for a non-raw chip, you can bake them at 225° F for 7-10 minutes. Just be careful not to burn them.

Incredible Date Dip Recipe – Like Mock Peanut Butter – No Nuts

This is one of my favorite fall/winter recipes when dates and persimmons are at their peak of perfection. It often reminds me of peanut butter even though there are no nuts and it’s basically fat free. With the added flavor of vanilla and the fluffy texture, this recipe also reminds me of frosting. It’s so good, you feel like you’re eating something incredibly decadent. 

Ingredients:
1 large Fuji apple cored and sliced. Set aside and used for dipping.
27 Halawy dates or a little over 7 oz. or 200 grams of your favorite juicy dates (pitted)
1 small ripe, semi soft fuyu persimmon, approximately 3 oz., or 80 grams (peeled & make sure there are no seeds) If you’re not familiar with persimmons, be sure to check out my persimmon video. Using an unripe hachiya persimmon will ruin your recipe. 
2-3 Tbls fresh coconut water (I love young thai coconuts for their sweet, coconut flavor)
a dash of vanilla powder or approx. 3 drops of vanilla extract

Directions:
With a stick blender, blend dates, persimmon, coconut water and vanilla extract into a creamy consistency. Transfer to a small bowl or ramekin. Dip your apple slices and enjoy as a meal, snack or dessert! You can use a blender if you have a smaller container and you use a tamper, or just use a larger blender like a Vitamix and double the recipe. It will certainly keep for several days in the refrigerator. 

You can use your favorite apple for dipping. I love Fuji apples because they’re sweet, crisp and delicious.

Tomato Basil Soup

This is a great summer recipe to prepare when it’s hot outside and you have loads of vine ripe tomatoes bursting with flavor!

Ingredients:
4 cups of tomatoes (2 1/2 cups for blending and 1 1/2 cups chopped for garnish)
1/2 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice
1 heaping cup of celery
1 medium ripe, red bell pepper, seeds and stem removed (I like to leave my bell peppers on the counter for a few weeks until they get soft and wrinkly. This makes them much sweeter and more flavorful.)
2 or 3 small persian cucumbers made into noodles. I cut my noodles into small one inch pieces for easier eating.
A handfull of fresh basil (2 large leaves or 4-5 small leaves finely chopped)

Directions:
Blend 2 1/2 cups of tomatoes with orange juice, celery and bell pepper until creamy. If making this on a cold day you can blend until slightly warm in a high powered blender like a Vitmaix. (Not hot or steaming if you want your soup to remain raw – Keep it below 118 degrees F) The Vitamix is great for gently warming soups like this. Just don’t let it run too long or it will start to boil, unless of course, that’s what you want.

Pour into a bowl and garnish with 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes, cucumber noodles and fresh chopped basil. 
It likely won’t need it but feel free to season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bon Appetit!

Fruity Porridge

This is a recipe often prepared at Dr. Graham’s retreats. It’s hearty, satisfying, delicious and super easy.
Fruity porridge
Ingredients:

3 very ripe bananas
2 large medjool dates (pitted)
1 medium apple (I love sweet, crisp Fuji apples)
a few dashes of cinnamon
* optional a handful of raisins 

You want to make sure your bananas are ripe with black spots, like these:
Ripe Bananas
Directions:

Peel the bananas and place them in a blender like a Vitamix or food processor along with the pitted dates. Cut and core the apple into large chunks and add them on top of the bananas and dates. Blend on low using a tamper to push all ingredients into the blades, or pulse in the food processor, until you get a nice chunky consistency.

Transfer porridge into a bowl, top with raisins if using them and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Makes a wonderful meal anytime of day.

Enjoy!


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Cucumber Noodles in Mango Nectarine Sauce

This dish is so refreshing and light, and makes a great meal on a hot summer day. 

Ingredients:

Cucumber (2 large cucumbers peeled & julienned into noodles or 4 to 5 persian cucumbers unpeeled & julienned into noodles)
Mango (1 large mango like a haden, kent or keitt variety or 2 to 3 champagne mangoes peeled and pit removed)
Nectarine (1 medium to large nectarine pitted)
*Optional Fresh basil or dill for garnish

Directions:
Place the cucumber noodles in a bowl and set aside. 
Blend the mango and nectarine together in a blender until creamy and pour over cucumber noodles, top with fresh basil or dill if you wish, and enjoy!

See links below of the tools I love, to easily julienne or spiralize your cucumbers into noodles. *Persian cucumbers work best with the Titan Peeler. Regular cucumbers can be used by all three tools shown below.

Super Simple Mango Salsa, Dip or Dressing

This recipe is really easy, simple and delicious. You can add additional ingredients to make it more complex and flavorful but if you’re looking for simple, this is great for dipping romaine lettuce, cucumbers, jicama, celery or even bell peppers.  It’s also great as a salad dressing or even added to a big bowl of cucumber noodles for a refreshing summer meal.
The possibilities are endless!

Ingedients:

Mangoes (approx. 21 oz.) 4 small champagne variety or between 1 & 2 larger variety like Haden, Kent or Keitt mangoes)
Celery (approx. 4 oz. or 2 stalks)
Cilantro (approx. 1/2 an ounce or a healthy handful)

*Optional additional ingredients
Basil (approx. 2 or 3 leaves) Can be used in addition to or as a replacement for the cilantro
1 Cup of chopped Tomatoes
Red or Orange Bell Pepper – stems and seeds removed (approx. 2 oz. or half a large pepper or one small pepper)

Directions:
Peel and pit the mangoes. Chop the celery into large chunks and be sure all your produce is washed and cleaned especially cilantro. Place ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix on the lowest setting or pulse until you achieve a chunky consistency or you can chop all ingredients to desired size and mix together in a medium sized serving bowl.

Raw Vegan Zucchini Pasta With Marinara Sauce

A Raw Vegan Classic, loved by cooked food and raw food eaters alike. This simple, delicious dish is sure to be a crowd pleaser. 

It helps to have a simple kitchen tool like the Veggetti or a Titan vegetable julienne or regular peeler. For much larger noodle portions, the Paderno vegetable spiralizer is an excellent choice. See links to products suggested below this recipe article.

Ingredients:

For Pasta:
3 to 4 medium to large zucchini (around 1.5 – 2 lbs.)

For Sauce:
3.5 cups of fresh, ripe tomatoes (approx. 24 oz. or 1.5 lbs.)
4 oz. celery (approx. 2 stalks)
2 oz. red bell pepper (approx. half of a large pepper)
4 sun dried tomatoes soaked (depends on your sun dried tomatoes – 4 tomato halves. You many need more if they’re in smaller pieces)
3-4 medjool dates

For Garnish:
Fresh basil or your favorite Italian seasonings

*Optional additional ingredients*
You can also add fresh mushrooms like button, baby portobello or shiitake 
Raw olives
Hemp seeds

– Directions –
Spiral or julienne the zucchini into noodles

Blend sauce ingredients until smooth. Pour over zucchini noodles. Top with fresh basil or your favorite Italian herbs & seasonings. Add any additional toppings you wish, such as mushrooms, raw olives or hemp seeds, to add even more flavor.

It helps to have a high powered blender like a Vitamix because it can gently warm your sauce, while still keeping it raw, or it can bring it to a full boil if you blend it long enough. 
To receive FREE shipping on your very own Vitamix blender, click here: VITAMIX