Raw Pesto & Caramelised Onion Pizza Recipe

This is another great recipe from Raw Food Chef Russell. Here is a link to his free raw food recipes and blog: http://therawchef.com/therawchefblog/pesto-caramelised-onion-pizza#more-228

Instead of making the flax cracker base, I  dehydrated 5 of the Ezekiel brand sprouted tortilla’s, till they were nice and crispy at 115 degrees-not sure how long-maybe 3 hours..? Otherwise I followed this recipe, as stated except, I did use Braggs instead of Tamari sauce in the carmelised onions. I might not use as much Braggs next time-I used 3T and it seems a little too “salty” to me. Also the carmalised onions were not crispy enough in three hours, so I ended up dehydrating them overnight.

To be honest, I was skeptical of a raw pizza. For one I am not big on tomato or  pesto sauce to start with. I also had sampled all the ingredients individually as I was making them and I thought “yuck”. (I kept thinking I don’t know we can’t use a little cheese..?? I just wasn’t getting it yesterday.) I brought the dish over to my daughter and son-in-laws and I prepared it as an appetizer. It was promptly scarfed down by my kids and my husband. They loved it. They said it was better than the raw pizza they had at the raw restaurant in town last week.

I do have to admit, I made myself a tortilla full of this pizza for lunch today and I really liked it. The flavors blended nicely together and the caramelised onions are delicious! I keep thinking what other things can I used the caramelised onions for… my salads? sprouted sandwiches???

I would give this a 4 ****star rating. Thanks Raw Chef Russell!

For the base

500g (approx 3c) buckwheat, sprouted for a few days until it has a small ‘tail’
2 avocados or 1/2c almond butter
1/4c olive oil
1/4c fresh basil
3T Italian seasoning
1/2c sun-dried tomatoes
3T lemon juice
1/2t salt
3 medium tomatoes

• Grind all ingredients in a food processor until you have a paste consistency.

• Spread onto a Paraflexx sheet in a circle and dehydrate for a few hours or until you are able to turn it upside down onto another dehydrator tray and peel off the plastic Paraflexx sheet.

• Dehydrate for another 8 to 10 hours or until base is dry enough to hold together.

For the caramelised onions

5 large onions, sliced thinly (use a mandoline if you have one)
1c soft dates
3T tamari
2T olive oil
1/4c water

• Blend all ingredients except the onions in a high-speed blender, until smooth.

• In a bowl, hand-mix the date mixture with the onions until they are thoroughly covered.

• Dehydrate on a Paraflexx sheet for 2 to 3 hours, so they soften and take on a cooked appearance.

For the pesto

2c basil
1/4c pine nuts
1T olive oil
1/4t salt
2t lemon juice

• Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until broken down, but leaving some texture to the finished pesto.

For the tomato sauce

10 basil leaves
1c sun-dried tomatoes
1c tomatoes
2t lemon juice
1/4 of a medium onion
1 soft date

• Blend all ingredients in a high-power blender until smooth.

For the cheese

1c macadamias
1 1/2T lemon juice
1/4t salt
1/4c water
1T nutritional yeast

• Grind all ingredients in a food processor until you have a fluffy consistency.

To serve, spread the tomato sauce onto the base then sprinkle the pesto, macadamia cheese and caramelised onions evenly to produce a beautiful layered and textured pizza.

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Carrot & Orange Cake

This is a wonderful carrot cake recipe, I found on Raw Chef Russells blog. Raw Chef Russell rocks! (He has quite a few recipes on his blog, that I am going to try in the coming weeks.)

Here is the link to his blog, so you can check out his great recipes yourself:

http://therawchef.com/therawchefblog/

P.S. I did not use raisins and it still turned out wonderfully. Let me know how you like it!

I would give this a 5*****star rating!

For the Cake

3c carrot, finely grated
2c pecans, ground in a food processor
1/4c raisins, roughly chopped
1t nutmeg
1 1/2t mixed spice*
Date paste**
1/2t salt
1/2t orange zest
1/2c desiccated coconut

* Mixed spice is a blend of cinnamon, coriander seed, caraway, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.

** Make the date paste by grinding 1c soft dates and 1/2c orange juice in a food processor until smooth.

• Thoroughly mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.

• Shape into individual cakes or press into one large cake, ready to be cut at the end.

• Place on a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 115 degrees F for 8 – 12 hours. If you don’t have a dehydrator you can simply place the cake into the fridge to set.

For the frosting

 

1 1/2c cashews
1/2c water
2T agave
3T coconut oil
1T vanilla
1/4t salt

• Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.

• Place in fridge to achieve a thicker consistency and spread on cake when you’re ready to serve.

• Garnish cake with nutmeg.

 

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Buckwheat Cinnamon Cereal

Here is a recipe I thought I would share with you all. I love this cereal. I first made it a couple of years ago, when I was first dabbling in raw. I got the original recipe from a popular raw cookbook. I have made my own variation, as I like my cereal not as sweet and prefer not to blend the buckwheat, as I think it stays crispier.

• 4 cups of RAW buckwheat groats-not the toasted buckwheat! (soak for 1-3 hours)

• 1 cup of maple syrup

• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

• a dash of nutmeg

• 3-4 drops of liquid Stevia

1. After you have soaked the buckwheat groats, strain and rinse them in a colander.

2. Place them in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients.

3. Divide and spread them out on 3 Telfex-lined dehydrator trays. Dehydrate them at 115 F for 8 to 12 hours or until dry and crispy. (I prefer going the 12 hours) If the buckwheat is not yet crisp on the bottom, you may turn them over and dehydrate for another 2-3 hours (but usually they are done). I just scrape mine into a large air tight container, when they are done dehydrating and place them in the refrigerator. Put in a bowl, splash on a little almond or soymilk with a sliced banana and enjoy!

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The Two Week Update

                                                                                                                 

I have been eating a diet of 80- 95% raw food every day for the last two weeks.  Here is what I have been eating-more or less.

In the mornings:

•  I usually start with a “green smoothie”, which consists of a banana, about 4 strawberries, 200 cc  of water, cramming the rest of the Vita-mix blender with spinach, adding a few drops of Stevia and sometimes, a squeeze of lemon. If am able to purchase some nice organic kale, I add 50/50 kale and spinach, instead of just spinach. I also like to add some wheat-grass in the smoothie, if available. This is an energizing filling drink in the morning!   
  

  A "Green Smoothie"

• Sometimes, I start with a glass of carrot/apple/ginger juice. I buy the 10 lb package of  nice fat organic juicing carrots from Costco and add about 5 or 6 in the juicer, an apple and a little chunk of ginger (be careful, with the ginger a little goes a long way!). If I have some pineapple, I might drop a few chunks in as well. I love this drink! If I have some lime around, I squeeze a little on top of the finished glass, for a Caribbean twist!    
  

  "Carrot Apple Ginger Juice- Delicious!"

• When I feel lazy, I have a bowl of  tasty muesli. I put together a nice blend with some old-fashioned rolled oats, rye and wheat, flaxseed, unsweetened shredded coconut, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.  I add a big creamy sweet Medjol date and banana cut up in a bowlful of the museli with a few splashes of vanilla soymilk.  (The soymilk is not a raw food product. I am going to experiment with making my own soymilk or almond milk in the future. ) However this weekend, I was putting together a bowlful of fruit salad and I sprinkled a little muesli on that and it was lovely! I love the flavors of oats and nuts along with the different fruits.  

In the afternoons:

• I might have a green smoothie, if I did not have one for breakfast.
• I might have carrot juice, if I did not have any for breakfast.
• I might have a small green salad.
• I might have a piece of fruit, with a about 10-12 almonds.

In the evenings:

• I usually have something cooked for dinner, either a yam or a serving of a wild brown rice blend or some humus with a raw sprouted Ezekiel tortilla, which is usually accompanied by a small or BIG garden salad, depending on how hungry I am.
• Once a week, I eat a can or part of a can of albacore tuna. I mix the tuna with a little olive oil mayo, just to wet it and minced garlic, onion and dill. I toss it on my garden salad or I scoop it up with an Ezekiel tortilla.
• And once a week, usually on the weekend, my husband and I have a date night, where we go out with little dietary restrictions. We have been going to our favorite Mexican restaurant the last two weeks and have a chicken taco salad. It has guacamole and we hold the sour cream. We graze on chips and salsa. We usually order a drink or two. So twice a week, I do eat chicken or fish. And as far as going out goes, it has not made me want to break the diet, but has added a little freedom and a little “normalacy”. I would not go out to eat a cheeseburger or a chimichanga (my old favorite). Neither of those things sound appealing to me, at least at this time. Maybe when I am further out in this change of lifestyle, I might permit myself one of those items, but I am of the feeling, I will not desire those fried fatty items… But who knows? For now, I am enjoying a cleaner diet and loving my fruits and veggies!

The benefits of a raw diet so far are:

• I have had energy almost every day! I did have one day the first week, where I was exhausted and achy, but that is all. Maybe it was from some detox???
• Overall, I feel much better. I am very thankful for that! It is my feeling better, which is a large motivation for me to continue with this new lifestyle. (I really have not thought of this as a diet, but a lifestyle change!)
• I have lost 9 lbs in two weeks. The weight it is melting off!
• I have increased my endurance. I have started working out three times a week for 30-40 minutes a session. I went from a 17 minute mile on the treadmill to a 12 minute mile this morning! Wahoo!
• I am not going hungry. If I am hungry I eat, even it if it is a snack between meals. I really have not had a lot of cravings the last couple of weeks, I have not wanted ice cream or chocolate. If I had a craving it was once or twice for a fried chicken thigh of all things… I don’t know what that means! LOL. Anyone have ideas?
• I was told my skin looked rosy and healthy this week!

The downfalls of the diet so far:

• I find it difficult to explain to people, what I am doing and why I am doing it. I don’t want to sound over zealous (but perhaps I am) or I am pushing this lifestyle on them (truly I am not, but I would love for you to hop on the wagon! Your body would love it too!) I do not want to offend, I want to enlighten and teach people, that there is another way to eat, which gives you energy and heals disease. It is hard for some people to understand, why you are not eating like the rest of the world. I think my in-laws may have thought I was crazy as I tried to explain this to them. They are beautiful Southern people and love to feed you. A breakfast in the South for instance, is not breakfast, unless it consists of something fried and most likely it will contain some or all of these items: fried eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits, hashed browns, grits. I was eating a bowlful of fruit salad with muesli for breakfast. My father-in-law was convinced I had not ate breakfast at all.
• I am not sure if this is a downfall or just poor food combining or eating too many nuts in the first batch of muesli, but I had a horrible case of sour stomach during week two. I burped the most atrocious smelling burps. I was socially unacceptable for about 10 hours. I then emptied my entire bowel, after numerous trips to the bathroom, depositing with each trip a large number of pumpkin seed and sunflower seeds. Needless to say, I did not eat muesli for about four days or any extra nuts. I had read recently, sunflower seeds are hard to digest and one raw foodist wrote she soaks her seeds and then dehydrates them first. I have not done this yet, I just cut way back on the amount of pumpkin and sunflower seeds in the muesli. So far so good!

So I continue on this new lifestyle, I have embarked on and am very pleased with moving into week three! I hope to continue feeling better and more energetic. This pleases me and excites me. I also cannot wait until my menstrual cycles begin to become regulated. Will it take a month or two or three? I totally believe in the coming months, I will have normal cycles again. I just have to wait and be patient.

My husband has also been enjoying this raw diet with me. He has lost six pounds. He has had a lot more cravings for cheeseburgers and what nots… I have encouraged him to drink more water (he doesn’t drink enough) and to snack on fruit. He is convicted along with me, it is better health wise to eat more raw unprocessed foods. Both of his parents, have had heart surgeries and take quite a few medications, he does not want that (nor do I). We believe now is the time, cleanse and let our bodies repair the mistakes of our youth, so we can live long and well. We are a good team, if he has a craving, I keep him in line and when I was craving a fried chicken thigh, he kept me in line. So far, if one of us is weak, the other is strong. Good teamwork!

 

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