I have been craving Mexican food and been eating this all week. It is a guilt free pleasure without the usual flour or corn tortillas (notice we’ll be using red leaf lettuce instead).

1 cup shredded carrots 
1 handful of cilantro 
1 handful of red cabbage, shredded 
1/2 head of red leaf lettuce for wraps 
pico de gallo

To assemble tacos, take one whole red leaf lettuce, add main ingredient, chipotle sour cream if using, radishes and cabbage, top with pico de gallo and garnish with cilantro. 

5 medium tomatoes, diced 
1/2 medium red onion, diced 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1 jalapeno, deseeded and fine diced 
1 handful cilantro, chopped 
juice of 2 to 3 limes 
s/p to taste 

For tacos, take one whole red leaf lettuce, add main ingredient, chipotle sour cream if using, radishes and cabbage, top with pico de gallo and garnish with cilantro. 

This is actually made out of soft goat cheese which is far superior to the milk based sour cream. You can also use goat yogurt but it tends to become too runny when you add the other ingredients.

4 oz soft goat cheese 
1 lime, juiced 
1 garlic clove, minced 
1 chipotle pepper, chopped* 
s/p to taste

Blend all ingredients in food processor, adding more lime juice if needed.

* Chipotle peppers are canned and available in spanish markets. Alternatively, you can substitute for up to 1/4 teaspoon of smoked chipotle powder 

2 red snapper fillets 
1/2 bunch radishes, sliced 
1 handful of red cabbage, shredded 
1/2 head of red leaf lettuce for wraps 
pico de gallo 
fresh cilantro sprigs 

Marinade:
2 cloves garlic 
1 handful cilantro including stems
1 jalapeno, deseeded 
1 lime, juiced 
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil 
s/p to taste

Blend marinade ingredients in food processor and marinate fish for at least 1/2 hour. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. You can substitute for any other white fish such as tilapia, cod, whiting, etc….

1 ripe avocado, sliced 
1/2 bunch radishes, sliced 
1 handful of red cabbage, shredded 
1/2 head of red leaf lettuce for wraps 
pico de gallo
fresh cilantro sprigs

2 salmon filets 
1/2 bunch radishes, sliced 
1 handful of red cabbage, shredded 
1/2 head of red leaf lettuce for wraps 
pico de gallo 
fresh cilantro sprigs 

Salt and pepper the salmon as desired and pan sear in a little butter till slightly pink in center, 4 or 5 minutes per side. Let cool and flake apart with fork. Add chipotle sour cream.

Japanese Curry is usually sweeter and thicker than other traditional curries and is made by making a roux with butter or oil, flour and curry powder. Carrot and onion is the standard vegetable with the addition of beef or chicken. It is eaten over rice or udon noodles made of wheat flour. It is Japanese comfort food at its best …or maybe not. Most people forgo making the roux and buy the instant version which is cheap and cheerful until you read the ingredients: WHEAT FLOUR, EDIBLE OILS (PALM OIL (SOY), CANOLA OIL, SALT, SUGAR, CURRY POWDER, SPICES, CARAMEL COLOR, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, MALIC ACID, AND DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE. 

This is what my son was eating when I picked him up from his grandma’s house. He barely looked up at me when I walked in and it wasn’t him being rude; he was just up to his ears in this steaming bowl of curry and didn’t see me… Could I blame him? No way, it smelled terrific! But MSG is serious business. Growing up, it was right alongside the salt and black pepper. My mom used to put spoonfuls in her kimchi but now she knows better. Chinese restaurants have been boasting, NO MSG! for a long time now because the long list of horrors associated with it has been comprehensively documented. 

In this lifestyle of eating wholesome, unprocessed natural foods, we pick and choose our battles. It is not often he goes to his grandma’s and when he does, he eats fairly well but there is the occasional meal that is processed and packaged; instant ramen noodles still have a place in my mom’s home. So I allowed him to finish his bowl but I vowed to find a better alternative. So here is my version and it is uncannily indistinguishable from the “real” thing. Next time we visit my mom, I’m bringing extra! 

It’s important to use really good strong curry powder that isn’t mainly turmeric like British curry powders. You will know if it does if the powder is more yellow than brown. To make a curry spicy, you can use garam masala which is available in Indian or most specialty supermarkets. Serve the curry over cauliflower rice (florets pulsed in a food processor). You can heat up the rice by putting it in a double boiler (stainless steel bowl over a pot of boiling water). The curry is also delicious with a big bowl of steamed broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and carrots garnished with a handful of roughly chopped cilantro

Japanese Curry 

1 medium kabocha squash 
2 carrots, chopped 
1 knob of ginger 
3 cloves garlic 
2 tbs curry powder

Place the whole kabocha squash in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes, rotating it if not fully immersed. Remove from pot and and let sit until cool enough to handle. Use a vegetable peeler to remove only the top green layer of skin. Cut in half and remove seeds and cut the squash into large equal pieces. Put the squash and the rest of ingredients in a large pot adding enough water to cover the vegetables. Simmer till the carrots are soft. Blend all ingredients in a food processor adding the cooking water as needed. You want a nice puree, not too thick and not too thin. Add the curry powder and season to taste. 

In the summer, I crave light, clean foods, cold and crisp like a wedge of iceberg lettuce that I would normally bypass for the lack of flavor and nutrients. But it has its appeal when taken straight from the fridge, hacked into large pieces and dressed with a puree of fresh tomatoes, a knob of ginger and fresh squeezed lime. Or chilled watermelon soup made with frozen cut up watermelon, fresh mint and stevia, all pureed in a blender. Freezing the watermelon keeps the soup chilled and ready to eat. 

My dinner meals stay lighter too and I don’t need as much cooked foods. I like to garnish my fresh raw salads with “croutons” made out of cubed roasted eggplant or zucchini that are marinated in basil, oregano, garlic, crushed red pepper and roasted in a preheated 400 degree oven till half its size, maybe 15, 20 minutes. I will toss the warm croutons with a huge bowl of spinach dressed with lemon or balsamic vinegar with halved cherry tomatoes. It is “meaty” enough that I don’t need anything else… well, maybe some dark chocolate but I don’t really need that; I want that! 

Another variation is kabocha squash, butternut squash or sweet potato, peeled, cubed and tossed with little butter or coconut butter and sea salt. Dressing up your salads with roasted vegetable croutons keeps your summer dinners light without over doing it on the starches or cooked foods. 

Roasting garlic cloves with its skin intact is also brilliant. I like to toss that in the oven with a little sea salt until nice and slightly charred. The slower the better so you can keep the oven down to 350 degrees and let it sit for a while, half an hour or so. Toss the roasted garlic, skin and all in a bowl of spinach or arugula, sprinkle some raw pine nuts and lemon juice and squeeze out the garlic flesh as you go along. It is so divine! 

If this doesn’t seem enough of a meal to you, you’re right, it isn’t! Did I mention the soups? I love raw soups to start like a Chunky Gazpacho Soup that is more like a Bloody Mary with 5 medium fresh vine ripe tomatoes pureed with 2 cloves of garlic, scant tablespoon of horseradish, teaspoon of celery seeds, a drizzle of hot sauce and lemon juice to taste. Finely dice celery, red bell pepper and cucumber, and add that to the puree. Season with kosher salt and coarse black pepper. I make batches of this soup and freeze. Remember the dressing for the iceberg earlier on this post? It makes a great soup! I know because I served it at a dinner party alongside Raw Daikon Rolls with Cilantro & Mint and my dear friend, Jen, picked up the bowl, stuck a spoon in it and said, “OH MY GOD! I could eat this like a soup! Just add more tomatoes and maybe the rear end of a jalapeno for some heat. Garnish it with fresh cilantro and a wedge of lime. 

Cooked soups that has been chilled and garnished with the above croutons and/or garlic is a great way to finish off a mostly raw meal. Chilled Cauliflower Soup garnished with some more eggplant croutons is a perfect pairing. A head of cauliflower usually makes a lot of soup but you never know till you remove the outer leaves how much “cauliflower’ there really is. Believe me, I’ve been disappointed many times! So if you get 4 cups of florets, that’s fine. Saute a medium leek, chopped and rinsed of dirt, inner core removed, 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced, sprinkle of crushed red pepper and a couple of stalks of thyme. you can use a wee bit of butter or coconut butter. Let it saute slowly till the leeks are soft. Add the cauliflower florets and add enough vegetable stock or water to cover. Let it simmer 20 minutes or more till florets are bendy. Puree in a blender and you can sit down to it right away or eat it later on when it has been chilled. Garnish it with the eggplant croutons and fresh thyme leaves. For Zucchini Soup, substitute the cauliflower for zucchini and the thyme for basil. Keep the rest of the ingredients the same. 

Nice chatting with you! I’ll throw out some more recipes soon!

You might think it is an oxymoron to have barbecue recipes on a raw food website but there are ways to enjoy this all American tradition of grilling without compromising your standards or health. There are whole sections in the cookbook area of bookstores dedicated to grilling and you can find great vegan or vegetarian recipes but don’t be fooled into thinking that are healthy for you. There are still adjustments to be made. Most recipes start out healthy but as soon as it hits the grill, the trouble starts. Charred foods regardless if it’s a hot dog or a bell pepper is carcinogenic, grilled vegetables swimming in olive oil makes it soggy, inedible and not to mention the oil turns rancid under high heat. Grilling watermelon is the latest fad but what??? Why would you? Also, you need to coat in oil to get the grill marks and usually it is paired with feta cheese after, a food combining disaster. But keep these pointers in mind and you never have to dread the grill again. Make sure the grill is absolutely clean and when it is hot, cut a lemon in half and run it over the grill to get rid of any charcoal residue. This will enable better grilling, omitting or limiting the use of oil or butter. Keep the heat low; never cook over flames, make sure the briquettes are glowing but not bright red. If you think it’s too hot, it is. Let it die down a bit. You can grill leafy greens; (swiss chard, mustard greens, collard greens, kale, beet greens, etc…) just put them in tinfoil packets with herbs, spices and even some butter, extra virgin olive oil or coconut butter, ( whatever your preference). The foil keeps the vegetables from falling down the grate, keeps it away from direct heat and creates a perfect “steaming” environment. Corn on the cob can be grilled keeping a layer of the husks intact and in one minute or less, enough time to pick up the “BBQ” taste and warm it through. You can add flavored butter or oil afterwards if desired. Remove the husks before eating. All roots and tubers (sweet potatoes, kabocha squash, acorn squash, beets, butternut squash) can be grilled, without peeling, sans oil and in less time if you slice them in ¾ “ slices or wedges, and wipe it clean and dry to keep it from sticking to the grill. Add the marinades, sauces, dressings afterwards. Use wood planks to grill vegetables keep it away from the direct heat and expedite the grilling process by giving it the smoky flavor in less time. Make sure you soak the planks as directed before using. Or grill hearty vegetables like zucchini, Portobello mushroom and eggplant without marinade. It will only draw out moisture and stick to the grill unless you add lots of oil. Instead just add s/p and brush lightly with oil or butter right before it hits the grill and add the marinade flavors after. You can have your salad and grill it too! Romaine, escarole, radicchio, endive are all great on the grill, quartered lengthwise without cutting the stem first to keep each wedge whole. Here you can brush lightly with oil or butter under residual heat since direct contact will be minimal and the heat controlled. Dress up the salads with roasted lemon (cut lemons in half, a grill cut side down for two minutes). Enjoy raw salads but let them join in on the fun by dressing them up with roasted vegetable dressings such as Roasted Eggplant Dressing (roast a whole eggplant until it collapses, remove charred skin and process with onion, garlic and lemon) or Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Dressing (cut tomatoes in half, quarter the peppers, and grill till skin is easily removable. Blend with garlic, herbs and lemon) Grill garlic by cutting just the top of the bulbs, putting it in tinfoil and letting it get soft and carmelized. Squeeze garlic pulp and eat with salads and vegetables instead of butter.

Remove stems from Portobello mushroom and make a marinade with 2 tablespoons nama shoyu, 2 minced garlic, thyme leaves, drizzle of olive oil. Divide marinade evenly on stem side of mushroom. Grill mushrooms on low heat but do not flip. Allow marinade to seep in and don’t let the juices flow. Remove from heat when still bit firm but spongier. Let sit before adding sauce. Garnish with roasted red pepper slices.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
2 roasted red pepper
½ avocado
Handful chopped parsley
Few thyme sprigs
1 garlic
1 juice of a lemon

Blend in food processor till smooth. Makes 4.

Remove corn from the cob, chop up roasted poblano peppers, add chopped scallions, lime, s/p

Grilled Vegetable Terrine
I love vegetable terrines but normally they are layers and layers of vegetables that have been marinated and oozing with olive oil. To remedy this, cut your vegetables into ¼ inch slices lengthwise, wipe dry and place directly on grill. Grill for a few minutes per side. A fresh herb pesto can be added between the layers of the smoky vegetables afterwards.
1 large eggplant cut ¼ lengthwise
4 roasted red, yellow or orange bell peppers, sliced 
2 yellow squash cut ¼ lengthwise
1 tinfoil packet of cherry tomatoes; see recipe above)
2 zucchini cut ¼ lengthwise
Herb pesto
1 handful spinach or arugula, ½ med zucchini coarsely chopped, 1 handful basil, 2/3 garlic cloves, juice of a lemon. Throw in blender but keep it slightly chunky. 

Use a glass baking pan so you can see each layer of vegetables. Start with the vegetables listed in order, adding a thin layer of pesto per vegetable topping. Press down lightly to mold the terrine. Garnish with fresh basil.

Grilling vegetables with skins on is another great way to grill using the vegetable skin as a buffer. Just remove skins and the vegetables will be infused with the smokiness of the grill.

Roasted Eggplant Dip with Zucchini Rounds
Roast whole eggplants on grill, turning at intervals till the entire eggplant collapses. Remove skins and chop coarsely. Add 2 tablespoons tahini, chopped parsley, 2/3 minced garlic cloves, juice of a lemon, teaspoon of paprika and cumin, s/p. Serve with sliced zucchini circles.

Roasted Bell Pepper, Poblanos and Jalapenos
Roast whole till skin is charred. Remove skins before use. See recipes for use.

Grilled Corn
Grill corn on the cob with a layer of husk attached. This keeps the corn from getting charred and it intensifies the smoky flavor at the same time. Serve as is or make a herb butter if desired by chopping herbs into butter at room temperature. Remove husks before serving.

This keeps the vegetables away from direct heat, uses only a minimal of oil, no charring, keeping the integrity of the vegetables intact. You can magnify the steaming effect by adding a little vegetable stock instead of oil and leave it on the grill a minute or two less than suggested.
You can do family style or individual packets. Make sure you use heavy duty aluminum or double up on the layers. Keep the tinfoil vented higher for more of a steam action or flat packaged for more of a grill effect. Great way to cook greens like swiss chard, asparagus, cremini mushrooms, practically any vegetable but experiment especially the ones that that tend to fall into the charcoal. Here are some ideas:

One bunch of chopped swiss chard, kale, leafy spinach or beet greens, sliced small red onion, 2 sliced garlic cloves, pinch of crushed red pepper, stalk of rosemary, s/p , drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or dab of butter. 8 min.

One bunch chopped kale, 1 large sweet potato, kabocha or butternut squash, peeled and 1” cubes, 1 small chopped onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, s/p, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. 10 to 15 min.

1 pint cremini mushrooms, 2 minced garlic cloves, handful chopped parsley, pinch crushed red pepper, thyme sprigs, drizzle of olive oil and drizzle of nama shoyu or balsamic vinegar. 6-8 min.

1 pint halved cherry tomatoes, 2 minced garlic, handful chopped basil, s/p, drizzle of ev olive oil. This could stay on the grill and slow roast for as long as 20 min if you keep it away from the main heat.

2/3 zucchini and or yellow squash , chopped, wedged, or sliced, handful chopped basil and mint, zest of a lemon, s/p, drizzle of ev olive oil. 8-10 min.

1 bunch asparagus, handful sliced shitake mushrooms, zest of lemon, fresh oregano leaves, dab of butter, s/p. 5 min.

This is a winner and I guarantee if you make it, friends and family will request it every year!

4 whole Eastern, Japanese, Koimo or Korean yams (different names, same thing; has a reddish skin and white flesh; when in doubt, break off tip to check).

Just roast it whole wrapped in tinfoil, 400 degrees for at least an hour till it soft and the outside is a bit caramelized. Throw it in a blender with a cup of coconut milk, knob of fresh ginger, tablespoon of vanilla extract, ¼ cup agave nectar (or stevia but agave gives it a beautiful gloss)Blend/puree till nice and light. If you really want to take it up a notch, you can grated some crystallized ginger on top.

This is great cold from the fridge so make it in advance.

Gratins are creamy and rich but contain way too much cream, butter and cheese to be fully enjoyed comfortably after. This version is a wonderful way to enjoy all the elements of the dish w/o the regret.

Cauliflower gratin: 8 cups of florets, 3 minced garlic cloves, fresh chopped tablespoon of oregano or marjoram, pinch crushed red pepper flakes, all tossed together with butter or coconut oil, roasted for ½ hour. Add freshly grated raw goat cheese (Alta dena brand works great for this one) and pop it back in the oven till it melts.

The following vegetables also work great with the above recipe but substitute for the following herbs and also add:

Fennel, sliced thin with thyme, orange zest, fennel fronds as garnish
Asparagus with lemon zest (I like the raw sheep pecorino for this one)
Portobello or cremini mushroom with minced shallot, thyme, parsley