We Like It Raw - Raw Food Goodness

Raw Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Video

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake

Chocolate Crust

• 1 1/2 cups almonds
• 1/4 cup cacao powder
• 1/2 cup dates, chopped
• 1/4 cup date sugar 
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions: Put everything in a processor. Process until crumbly and sticks together when you press it between your fingers. Press into pan. Place in fridge while you make the filling

Pumpkin Chocolate Filling

• 3 cups soaked cashews (Soak no longer than 20 minutes) 
• 2 cups sweet potato shredded or finely chopped
• 1 cup carrots, shredded or chopped
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cups 100% pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 3 tablespoons lecithin 
• 1 cup coconut oil

Directions: Place in a vitamix or high speed blender. Blend well until all ingredients are totally broken down and the mixture is creamy. 

Remove 1 cup of the mixture for chocolate swirl.

Pour the rest of the mixture into the pan and set aside.

To the 1/2 - 1 cup add:

• 1/4 cup cacao powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla

Pour into pumpkin mixture and use a chopstick to create swirls.

Place in freezer for about 3 hours or until firm. To serve, remove from fridge and let thaw for about 20 minutes.

[Recipe] Melissa Mango's Cherry Fig Cereal (Nut-Free)

Cherry Fig Cereal (Nut-Free) by Melissa Mango

Serves 4

Cereal Ingredients

• 4 c black mission figs, chopped
  1 Fuji apple, fine dice
  1 c ripe cherries, chopped (1/2 c chopped dry will do)
  1 c large coconut, ribbon. Small flakes will do.
  ¼ c Goji berries, soaked till soft. drained
  4 tb chia seeds placed in 12 tb water or milk. Set aside for 10 minutes.
  Cinnamon to taste (apx 1-2 tsp)
  Tiny pinch of pink salt

Cereal Directions

1. Place all chopped and dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Toss well.
2. Once chia is “expanded” and goji berries are soft, stir those puppies into the mix. 
3. Stir entire mixture again.

Serve yourself a nice bowl or cup and cover with milk. Who says cereal has to be dry or take days to dehydrate?

Recipe Variation

For added crunch or substance to this cereal, you may add: ¼ c cacao nibs, 1 c hemp seeds or 1 c already soaked seeds and chopped nuts of choice.

Choosing figs: When choosing fresh figs for your food preparation, be sure they have a nice dark black-purple ish color. The tip should no longer be green and they should be soft when you gently squeeze on them. Inside, the fig should be deep red wine in color and smell delicious! Be sure to taste test a few figs before making the dish. This will insure the figs are sweet and edible of course.

 
Hemp Milk Ingredients

Simple hemp milk makes apx 1/2 liter

1 ½ c hemp seeds
6 c pure water
1 c dates pitted
1 tb vanilla extract

Hemp Milk Directions

1. Blend well.
2. No need to strain. 
3. Bottle and chill.

Great recipes like these are available in Melissa’s Book Green Cuisine. Nab yourself a paper free e-book here.

[Recipe] Lemon Balm Berry Ice Cream

Lemon Balm Berry Ice Cream by Heather Pace

Last summer I tried lemon balm in a recipe for the first time. I was so impressed! This tangy refreshing ice cream is packed with the lemony tasting, soft, fuzzy green herb. Lemon balm, part of the mint family, has been used throughout the ages to reduce anxiety, stress, pain, and indigestion.

You can substitute these berries for any other berries of your choice.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups cashews
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup packed lemon balm leaves
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup raspberries
• 1/2 cup agave
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2-3 drops lemon essential oil*

Directions

1. Blend all but all ingredients until smooth and creamy.
2. Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
3. Process the liquid through an ice cream machine according to the manufacturers instructions.
4. *Substitute lemon zest to taste.

Check out Heather's last recipe post for WLIR: Italian Chocolate Almond Zuccotto

Heather works as a personal chef, Kripalu yoga instructor, and temptress of some of the finest raw desserts around.  She also added author to the list as she launched 3 raw dessert recipe books, which can be found on her website SweetlyRaw.com.

You can friend up Heather on Facebook or follower her on Twitter.

[Recipe] 8 Minute Spontaneous Salad

8 Minute Spontaneous Salad by Philip McCluskey

So you just got home from working late, you roll into the house and the family is waiting there, knives and forks in hand. Sometimes the last thing you want to be doing is spending 45 min preparing a meal after a long day.  Well, now you don't have to.

In this video we share how you can make a quick and easy spontaneous salad in 5 minutes or less, with just the ingredients you have on hand. All of these ingredients can be changed, there are no rules here.

Pretty simply... and yes, you can do this!

Ingredients

• 1-2 bags of spring mix
• 1 avocado, scooped
• 1/2 cucumber, quartered
• 1-2 scallion, chopped
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1 garlic, sliced
• 1 handful almonds
• 1 handful whole dulse, ripped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, squeezed for juice
• sea salt to taste
• cumin to taste
• black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Add veggies and dressing to a bowl
2. Hand massage with good intentions
3. Top with almonds and dulse
4. Serve

This recipe is brought to you by Philip McCluskey & Dhrumil Purohit. Leave a comment below with your favorite spontaneous creations!

[Recipe] How to Make Zucchini Pasta

Zucchini Pasta by Philip McCluskey

So you're enjoying eating raw, but really missing those family spaghetti meals. Well, now you can create a dish that is 10x healthier, easy to make, and has a little bit of an Italian flair to it too. 

In this video you will learn how to make a quick and easy zucchini pasta dinner in 5 minutes or less.

Ingredients

• 1-2 zucchinis, shredded with hand peeler
• 1 handful organic artichoke hearts
• 1 handful of olives, pitted
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, squeezed for juice
• sea salt to taste

Directions

1. Shred zucchini with hand peeler
2. Add rest of ingredients
3. Toss and serve

This recipe is brought to you by the WLIR chef - Philip McCluskey. What... you like creating faux Italian meals too? Word! Hollar at me with your favorite recipe in the comments below, or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter. Maybe it will get featured on a future WLIR recipe day!

[Recipe] How to Make an Avocado Kale Salad

Avocado Kale Salad by Philip McCluskey

If you're new to eating raw then there's a good chance you've never eaten kale before. Kale is a form of cabbage, and has powerful antioxidant properties, and is considered an anti-inflammatory too. High in vitamin C, K, beta carotene, and calcium. Basically, it's one hardcore green. I used to be a spinach man, until I found out about kale. Now its my go-to green of choice.

In this video you will learn how to make a quick and easy kale salad in 5 minutes or less. Also, towards the end of the video you can find some simple tips on how to open an avocado, for the beginner.

Ingredients

• 1/2 head of kale
• 1 avocado
• 1 handful radishes, sliced
• 1 handful cucumbers, sliced
• 1 handful almonds, soaked and dehydrated (this step is optional)
• 1/2 lemon, squeezed for juice
• Sea salt to taste
• Nutritional Yeast (optional)

Directions

1. Hand massage kale and avocado salad (don't rush)
2. Add cucumbers, radishes, almonds
3. Add lemon juice, sea salt, other spices
4. Toss and enjoy!

This recipe is brought to you by the Chief Booty Shaker - Philip McCluskey. What... you get down with kale too? Word! Tell me about your favorite recipe in the comments below, or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter.

[Recipe] Frank Giglio's Mineralized Bulky Salad

Note from Philip and Dhrumil: One of the reasons we love our My Way feature is that it really honors the fact that people incorporate live foods into their diet in many ways. You could say that appreciating everyone's own individual journey is one of our core value at We Like It Raw. Many of our readers are vegan, many are not. At the end of the day, your dietary choices are your own to make. This specific recipe contains raw milk cheese as an option. If that's not your thing, feel free to leave it out. Much love.

Mineralized Bulky Salad by Frank Giglio

This recipe often serves as staple when on the road when options are slim and dense nutrition is a must. The combined ingredients make for a complete and well rounded meal. With the chlorella you get a complete protein. The dulse provides essential minerals while the raw cheese provides valuable vitamins. The fermented veggies element promotes digestion and helps to build healthy gut flora. Wild picked greens give us properties unseen in conventional or even organic produce. Prepared with love and served with a purpose, the end result is a flavorful and life giving salad that will heal and nourish the body. Enjoy!

Salad Ingredients

• Large handful fresh greens
• 1-2 garlic scapes or cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons sliced red onion
• 21 chlorella tablets
• 1/4 cup of dulse, cut into smaller pieces
• 2 ounces raw milk cheese (preferably from Jersey cows)
• 1/4 cup fermented veggies or sauerkraut
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• pinch of sea salt
• fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Salad Directions

1. After prepping all the veggies, place them into a mixing bowl.
2. Gently toss with the lemon juice and olive oil. 
3. Taste and season with sea salt and fresh black pepper. 
4. Serve and enjoy!

Frank Giglio merges classical technique with herbalism, superfood nutrition and whole foods, which allow him to create a clean, pure, and healing style of cuisine. He is the owner of Frank's Finest, and currently hosts a line of culinary herb + spice blends that are handcrafted by Chef Franky from organic or wild harvested plants.

[Recipe] Russell James' Summer Green Salad

Summer Green Salad with Avocado & Cashew Tarragon Dressing by Russell James

Serves 2 – 4

Salad Ingredients

• 4 handfuls greens such as rocket, watercress and chard
• 2 handfuls torn spinach
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint
• ½ cup baby tomatoes cut into quarters
• 1/2 a cucumber, diced
• 1 red pepper, sliced or diced

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl

• 1 avocado cut into a fan
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Salad Directions

1. Just before serving toss the salad with the lemon juice and olive oil.
2. Cut the avocado and place on top of the salad.

Dressing Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
• 1/2 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Water as needed to blend

Dressing Directions

1. Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.
2. Pour over salad when ready to serve.

Pear & Mint Dressing (Alternative dressing)

Dressing Ingredients

• 2 ripe pears
• Small handful fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup cashews
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Water as needed to blend

Dressing Directions

1. Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender.

Russell James has taught thousands of people world-wide about raw foods, both through his blog, live classes and his recently released homestudy DVD course.

He is currently guest instructor in residence at 105degrees in Oklahoma City, USA.

[Recipe] Raw Model's Aloe Smoothie

Organic Aloe Smoothie by Anthony Anderson

This smoothie is fun to make as some of the ingredients can be found right in your own backyard.  Basil is very easy to grow, and Aloe Vera will take over your home planter or backyard if you let it.  Enjoy!

Smoothie Ingredients

• 1 - 2 Aloe Vera leaves, filleted
• 1 handful of fresh Basil
• 8 oz of Coconut Milk
• 1 handful of Raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 handful of Mangos (fresh or frozen)
• 8 oz of Spring Water (or to taste)

Smoothie Directions

1. Blend all ingredients and top with fresh basil.
2. Enjoy in the sun or while listening to your favorite song. (preferably Jason Mraz or John Mayer)

This recipe was posted with permission by Anthony Anderson. Check out Anthony's website, or catch more of his videos and recipes on his YouTube Channel.

[Recipe] Ani Phyo's Donut Holes

Dreaming About Donut Holes by Ani Phyo

This recipe was inspired by Ede Schweizer, a dear old friend of mine who’s also an amazing living foods chef.  You won’t be able to eat just one donut. So I recommend tripling this recipe. Donut Holes will keep for over a week in your fridge.

Serve with Berry Compote (page 233).

Donut Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups almonds
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped
• 2 cups dried pineapple, chopped
• 2 cups pitted dates
• 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Donut Directions

1. In food processor, place almonds, salt, and vanilla.
2. Process into a fine powder first.
3. Slowly add chopped pineapple and dates, mix well.
4. Place in a large bowl. Mix in 1/3 cup shredded coconut.

Finale

• To serve, use an ice cream scooper or spoon to form donut holes.
• Roll holes in ¼ cup shredded coconut. 
• Will keep for over a week in the fridge.

From the book Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen by Ani Phyo.  Reprinted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong (www.dacapopress.com), a member of the Perseus Books Group.  Copyright © 2007.  Buy it here.