I hope you enjoyed Joy’s pre-workout smoothie that I shared with you the other day.

Today, we’re going to talk about what to eat after your workout and Joy has once again provided us with 2 delicious raw post-workout snacks.

The first one is her “Watermelon Gazpacho” (this is damn good).

Gazpachos are cool, refreshing summer soups, but this one is particularly good in that it successfully pairs the sweetness of watermelon with the coolness of cucumbers and the spice of jalapeños. If you are not big on the fire factor of jalapeños you can use green pepper instead.

Again, this doesn’t necessarily hit all the protein needs for a post-workout snack (on it’s own) but I would definitely use this to rehydrate after a sweat-inducing workout or any type of prolonged outdoor activity.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Ingredients:
2 cups of watermelon juice (if you don’t have a juicer, blend it in the Vita-Mix)
3/4 cup watermelon diced to 1/4 inch pieces, seeds removed
1 heirloom tomato, seeded and diced to 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup English cucumber diced to 1/4 inch pieces
the juice of one lime (reserve the zest for garnish)
1 tablespoon minced cilantro (reserve a few leaves for garnish)
1 teaspoon minced jalapeño
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl and stir well to combine. Serve chilled and garnished with fresh lime zest and cilantro leaves.

Alright, so you’ve got your gazpacho, which has helped rehydrate your body and replenish those vital fuel stores within your muscles.

Now, let’s top up the fuel tank with Joy’s “Ginger Lime Colada”. Again, a little different from most “nut heavy” post-workout smoothies but this is another great electrolyte and fuel replenishing raw food recipe:

As you can tell, Joy’s got some really cool raw recipes up her sleeve and she’ll be sharing more of them with us over the next little while.

Stay tuned (and stay hydrated)!

Yuri

My good friend Joy Houston just sent over a few recipes that I think you’ll really enjoy.

And since she’s got an awesome studio in which to shoot her recipes, I asked her if she could record a few raw food recipes for you guys…

And so she did. Thanks Joy – you rock!

Anyways, the first recipe that I’ll be sharing with you today is a pre-workout smoothie (courtesy of Joy) that will rev you up for your workout.

Give it a shot and let us know what you think.

Enjoy…

Raw Vegan Dinners Ideas

Dinner can be one of the best meals of the day to go “Raw” for a number of reasons:

• Raw vegan dinners take minutes to prepare – perfect after a long day at work
• They can be made in batches in advance, so you don’t need to prepare dinner every night
• They will fill you up without being heavy, which is perfect for the last meal of the day

Raw Vegan Dinners Ideas

These dinner ideas will satisfy you and give you the energy to get through the rest of the day, without piling on unneccessary calories that you probably won’t burn off for the rest of the day.

• Raw Vegan Soup – there are many Raw soup recipes, such as those in Eating For Energy, which are both energizing and satisfying.
• Large salad – salads are perfect dinner meals when bulked out with ingredients such as nuts, seeds, oils, avocados, sprouted seeds etc.
• Raw pasta dishes – instead of wheat based pasta that will leave you sluggish and lethargic, make a huge pile of Raw pasta using a spiralizer or vegetable peeler to make “spaghetti” from vegetables such as zucchini, sweet potato or cucumber
• Raw curry and rice – make raw “rice” by blending cauliflower until it resembles rice. Serve with raw curry (see the Raw indian recipes section)

Raw Vegan Dinner Recipe Idea

The Raw soup is adapted from a recipe by Kristen Suzanne, as is a perfect raw vegan dinners choice – energizing and full of nutrition without weighing you down with calories.

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup hemp seeds
• 2 cups kale, destemmed chopped
• 1 1/2 cups apple, cored and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cucumber, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup tomato, chopped
• 2 tablespoons flaked sea vegetables such as wakame
• 1 tablespoon raw sunflower lecithin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• Pinch black pepper

Method: simply blend everything until smooth and voila! Dinner is served! You can blend only half of the soup if you prefer a chunkier texture.

Raw Vegan Dinners – The Dessert Course!

The great thing about eating raw vegan dinners is that your waistline will also allow for a Raw vegan dessert most evenings as well! Some ideas for dessert to finish off your meal include:

• Fresh Fruit
• Raw sorbets and ice creams made with frozen fruit
• Raw puddings made from a recipe

As you can see there are many advantages to eating Raw at dinner time. Not only will your meal take seconds to prepare and leave you satisfied and energized, but you’ll also be able to finish it off with something sweet, completely guilt free!

Healthy Breakfast Ideas

A Raw food breakfast is the ultimate way to start your day. It will kick start your energy, and infuse your body with nutrients. When you start the day with a raw healthy breakfast, then you are much more likely to stick with positive eating habits for the rest of the day.

Quinoa can be the basis of many super healthy breakfast ideas, both Raw and partially Raw.

What is quinoa?

Quinoa is technically a seed (from the Goosefoot plant), although is widely used as a grain substitute. It is gluten free, and is a complete protein source. It is also is a great source of iron, B-vitamins, zinc and copper. It deserves a place as a staple ingredient in every vegan diet, but people are often unsure about how to prepare it. Here is one of my favourite healthy breakfast ideas using quinoa. This recipes use cooked quinoa, which is still incredibly healthy and is ideal for cold mornings, along with an abundance of Raw ingredients. This is a great “Raw transition recipe” for when you are trying to up your intake of Raw food, but still enjoy the comfort and sensation of eating cooked food.

Healthy Breakfast Ideas – Simple Quinoa Porridge

Serves 4
Ingredients

1 cup cooked quinoa, still warm
2 tbsp soaked nuts or seeds of your choice, chopped (almonds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower make good choices)
2 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp dried apricots or figs, chopped
Pinch himalayan sea salt
Pinch cinnamon
1/2 – 1 cup Raw nut milk
Agave syrup or honey to sweeten

Method

Combine all ingredients and leave to stand until nut milk is absorbed. Add more or less milk to achieve the desired consistency.

There are many variations on this quinoa porridge, but as long as you follow the basic principles (nut milk, dried or fresh fruit, plus some nuts, seeds and sweetener), the possibilities are endless.

If you want a 100% Raw recipe, then you can sprout the quinoa and the combine it with nut milk, nuts, seeds and fruit to make quinoa museli.

Other Raw Healthy Breakfast Ideas

If you don’t have time to make a healthy quinoa breakfast, then some other quick and easy Raw healthy breakfast ideas include:

Smoothies (especially green smoothies)
Freshly squeezed fruit or vegetable Juices
Fruit Salad
Raw desserts (which are healthy at any time of day!)

For many other healthy breakfast ideas, check out Eating For Energy, which gives you a complete 12 week meal plan of Raw and healthy breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks.

Skills For Raw Food Recipes

One of the great things about Raw food is that nature has already taken care of much of the preparation for you, and it is pretty much ready to eat the way it is!

But, by taking your culinary skills to the next level with Raw food recipes, you will be able to add even more variety to your diet which can save you from becoming bored.

None of the recipes in Eating For Energy require any special skills or equipment, and you could easily eat a varied and exciting Raw food diet without any of these extras.
However, today we will explore the world of dehydrators, which can add some “warmed” dishes to your Raw food experience.

Dehydrators For Raw Food Recipes

What is a dehydrator?

A dehydrator is a piece of equipment that will both warm and dehydrate food. The great advantages to a dehydrator are that:

a.) It warms the food without heating about 115. This means the nutrients are still intact, and that the food is still classed as Raw.

b.) Dehydrated foods have a much longer shelf life, so they are ideal for for long journeys and trips away from home when your access to Raw ingredients may be limited.

c.) Dehydrators can be used to make Raw treats such as crackers, breads and even Raw pizza crusts. This means you can still enjoy the texture and warmth of many familiar foods, which can make the transition to a Raw diet easier and more enjoyable.

d.) Dehydrators can make use of the pulp left over from making nut milk and juices, which can be used to make delicious Raw desserts and crackers. This means less waste and higher savings on food!

Raw Food Recipes That Can Be Made With A Dehydrator

Here are some ideas of Raw food recipes that can be made with a dehydrator:

Raw granola
Raw burgers, warmed
Nuts and seeds can be soaked and hydrated which switches off the enzyme inhibitiors
Home made sun dried tomatoes
Raw curry, warmed
Raw flax crackers
Raw pizza crusts
Raw flours can be made with the left over nuts from nut milk.

If you are looking to add dehydrated recipes to your repertoire then it is advisable to obtain a collection of recipes designed specifically for dehydrators. These can be found for free with a little research, or special recipe books can be bought

Many Raw foodies recommend the Excalibur range of dehydrators as being by far the best quality available. However, you can find dehydrators much cheaper than this on Amazon or eBay, which may be fine to start off with so you can first see if dehydrated food will play a large part in your diet.

Skills To Prepare Raw Foods

For the most part, there are not a great deal of skills needed to prepare Raw foods. That’s the beauty of them – a little chopping, peeling or blending, and you’re done!
However, there are a few extra Raw food skills that you could take the time to learn, which will increase your repertoire of Raw meals, and enable you to make an increasing proportion of your meals Raw.

Learning how to make your own nut milk is a great start when learning how to prepare Raw foods. Some of the benefits of making your own Raw nut milk include:

Extremely quick and easy to prepare, so you can enjoy fresh, warm milk each morning
Environmentally friendly – no carton to throw away
Can be flavoured to your own taste
Kids love it

These recipes are adapted from recipes by Joy Houston of The Delicious Revolution.

How To Prepare Raw Foods – Nut Milk

Ingredients:

1 cup nuts (almonds work great, but you can experiment with other nuts and seeds)
7 cups water (adjust to make more or less creamy)
1 fresh vanilla bean, or few drops vanilla extract
Dates to sweeten if desired
Other flavouring as desired e.g. Raw cacao for chocolate milk

Method:

Blend everything together in a high powered blender such as a vitamix, for a couple of minutes until a creamy, frothy consistency is achieved
Leave to strain through a nut milk bag or a mesh produce bag, which can be bought cheaply on the internet

Once the liquid is strained you will be left with warm, creamy, delicious nut milk.
This recipe will make around 1.5 litres of milk, which can be stored in a glass container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
You will also be left with the pulp from the nuts, which can be to prepare Raw foods desserts if you have a dehydrator.

An even quicker way to prepare Raw foods nut milk

If you don’t have enough time to make this recipe, but still want to make your own nut milk, then there is an even quicker way to make it.

Simply whip up a batch of Raw nut butter with some dates, vanilla extract, agave syrup and water.

There is no need to strain this milk, so it is ready in seconds.
This milk will not have the exact same consistency of nut milk made in the traditional way, but is still much better than using boxed milk.

Indian Raw Food recipes

One of the things that people worry most about missing when switching to a mostly Raw diet, is a nice hot curry! Indian food is becoming ever more integrated into western diets, as it is both delicious and nutritious. Well the goods news is that you don’t have to give up Indian food!

Indian raw food recipes are some of the most delicious ways to eat Indian food, and these recipes will allow you to experience it in a whole new way.
By using Indian ingredients in this way, you retain all of the nutrients and enzymes that would be destroyed using traditional cooking methods.

There are literally thousands of Indian Raw food recipes that you could create yourself if you have the basic store cupboard ingredients available.

Here are some of my favorite Indian Raw food recipes to start you off

Indian Raw Food Recipes – Appetizer

Curried Cauliflower Soup:

(This recipe is adapted from Matt Amsdens Rawvolution)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut water
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup raw olive oil.
• 1/8 cup Tamari
• 1/8 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• 2 cups cauliflower florets plus extra to garnish
• 2 sticks celery.
• 1/3 cup macadamia nuts
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 3-4 cloves peeled garlic

Directions:

• Attach the “s’ blade to the blender, add all ingredients and blend until smooth.
• Serve garnished with chopped cauliflower florets.

Indian Raw Food Recipes – Entree

Garam Masala Gobi:

(Adapted from a recipe by acclaimed Raw food chef Joel Odhner)

Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower cut into bite sized chunks
• 1 cup brazil nuts
• 1/4 cup Raw olive oil
• squeeze of lemon
• 3 Tsp garam masala
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 bunch coriander (cilantro) for garnish
• Pinch Himalayan sea salt

Directions:

• First make the sauce. Blend the cayenne pepper, olive oil, nuts, lemon juice, salt, and garam masala until smooth.
• Next, toss the cauliflower in the sauce and place in a dehydrator for 1-2 hours. Garnish with coriander.

Although I don’t usually include Raw food recipes that require dehydrators, sometimes there are recipes that are just too good to leave out! However, even if you don’t have a dehydrator, you can still enjoy this recipe – by using your oven! Place the temperature to the lowest heat so the dish will warm through very gently, and open the door every so often. You can monitor the temperature with an oven thermometer to ensure it doesn’t go past 120 F.

Indian Raw Food Recipes – Dessert

Here is the Raw food take on the traditional Indian dessert barfi, created by Californian Indian Raw food chefs Rohit and Rishi from Roshis.com . Barfi is usually made with
milk, sugar and clarified butter, which will leave you feeling bloated and in need of 12 hours sleep! This Raw version, however, tastes just as good, and is so simple to make. You will need:

• 1/2 pound almonds
• 1/2 pound cashews
• 1 tsp cardamon powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp himalayan sea salt
• Raw cacao powder
• Extra nuts and some dried or fresh fruit pieces to garnish

Directions:

• First, grind the nuts to a powder like consistency using a food processor.
• Next, place the ground nuts in a bowl with the cardamom powder, salt, and agave nectar.
• Stir the mixture until everything is thoroughly combined.
• Spread the mixture evenly on a large wooden chopping board until it is about half an inch thick.  Cut into small, bite sized shapes such as  diamond (or get creative!).
• Dip each individual piece into the cacao.  Top each barfi with a little piece of nut, or dried or fresh fruit.

These Indian Raw food recipes just go to show that it doesn’t matter what cuisine you currently love, but switching to a Raw food diet you don’t have to miss out. Almost any recipe can be adapted to fit in with the principles of Raw food, and will enable you to enjoy your favorite dishes in a new, healthy and exciting way.

Quick and Easy Raw Food Breakfast Ideas

If you are only going to make one meal of the day Raw, then make it breakfast. Raw breakfasts are quick, simple, delicious and packed with nutrients.

Also, by starting your day in the healthiest possible way, you will be more likely to continue these good eating habits throughout the day.

Here are some Raw food breakfast ideas to get you started:

Quick & Easy Raw Food Breakfast Ideas

• Smoothies – Raw smoothies can be whipped up in just a couple of minutes. They will provide you with an instant burst of energy ready to face the day, and provide you with mega nutrition. There are endless combinations of Raw smoothies that you could make meaning you never have to get bored. Simply choose your combination of fruits and vegetables and add water or nut milk. To boost the protein content of the shake and get some essential omegas, try adding spirulina, hemp, ground flax seeds or fish oil.

• Juices – Raw juices are by far the quickest way to give your body a huge dose of alkalinity,  and infuse it with essential nutrients. Raw juices are like a pure shot of goodness, and can leave you completely energised and raring to go for hours.

• Shop bought Raw food bar – if you really don’t have even 5 minutes to prepare a Raw smoothie or juice, then keeping a stash of organic Raw food bars will enable you to enjoy a Raw breakfast any time. Couple with a piece of fruit for a Raw breakfast on the run.

If you are not feeling very creative at this point, the check out Eating for Energy where you will find a whole section of amazing Raw smoothie and juice recipes.

Raw food breakfast ideas for when you have more time

If you have a little more to to spend preparing breakfast, then why not try out some of these raw food breakfast ideas:

• Whip up a batch of fresh, delicious Raw nut milk and pour over Raw granola, or serve with sprouted oat groats and fresh fruit.

• Treat yourself to a Raw dessert for breakfast! If you are used to eating sugary breakfast cereals, muffins or croissants for breakfast, then you may be craving something sweet. Raw desserts are packed full of sweet but healthy ingredients such as Raw cacao, agave syrup and coconut, as well as nuts, seeds and fruit. While it’s not a great idea to make these your breakfast choice every day, they could easily be enjoyed without guilt as a breakfast option one or two days a week.

If you are looking for a complete done-for-you Raw meal plan, which gives 12 weeks of Raw food breakfast ideas (as well as lunch, dinner and snacks!) then be sure to check out my 359 paged Eating for Energy eBook.

Create Your Own Raw Food Detox Diet Recipes

If you are starting a raw food detox, and want to create your own detox diet plan, then here are some tips for creating your own raw food detox diet recipes that will enable you to reap  the maximum possible cleansing effects from your meals.

Your Raw Food Detox Diet Recipes Should Be Organic

When you are detoxing, the aim is to make sure that the foods you are eating during the detox put as little strain as possible on the body, in order that it can concentrate on ridding itself of any toxic build up. For this reason, it makes sense to ensure that as close to 100% as possible of the foods you consume are organic, especially during a detox.

Also, try to ensure that the fresh fruit and vegetables you buy are as local as possible. This supports local farmers, reduces food miles, and ensures you are eating food that is in season and is as fresh and nutritious as possible.

Many countries, including the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia all have organic fruit and veg box delivery schemes that you can take advantage of.

Use spring water in your Raw Food Detox Diet Recipes

It makes no sense to create all of these delicious, organic Raw recipes, only to add polluted tap water to your meals or drinks! Tap water contains many cancer causing compounds, as well as hormonal residues from medicines and all sorts of other nasties.

Water is one of the most essential elements of a detox plan, and as well as the water you add to smoothies and juices, you should also be drinking plenty of pure spring water throughout the day.

Ensure Your Raw Food Detox Diet Recipes Are Balanced

Raw food detox recipes should consist primarily of fresh vegetables and fruit which will provide all of the carbohydrates, fibre and most nutrients needed. However, it is important to balance meals with essential protein and fats, which can be obtained from sources such as spirulina, hemp, coconut and fish oil. These ingredients can be blended with smoothies, juices and soups or sprinkled over salads. In “Eating For Energy” all of the guesswork is removed for you, as I provide endless options for nutritionally balanced Raw food recipes that are perfect for detoxing.

Many Of Your Detox Recipes Should Be Liquid Based

Liquid based meals help give the digestive system a break from constantly digesting foods. This enables the body to expel the build up of years of toxic waste as quickly and efficiently as possible. A detox plan should include days where only liquid meals are consumed, so many of your detox recipes should be juices, smoothies and raw soups.

Hopefully this has given you some tips to enable you to create your own Raw detox plan.

However, if you want a done-for-you detox plan, that is both delicious and nutritionally balanced, then Eating For Energy provides a 12 week plan full of cleansing Raw Food detox diet recipes, leaving you feeling satisfied, energized and completely detoxed!

Preparing Your Kitchen To Create Raw Food Recipes

If you have decided to start on a Raw, or partially Raw diet, then by equipping your kitchen with just a few basic tools, you will be able to create endless amounts of delicious, Raw Food recipes. You probably already have some of this equipment, and it can now be used in a whole new way – to create the most mouth watering and nutritious meals in the world!

Basic Electrical Equipment To Create Raw Food Recipes

Food Processor - a food processor will enable you to create endless Raw Food recipes, including many of the meals in “Eating For Energy”. From delicious Raw rice, to the most divine Raw desserts, you will find yourself reaching for the food processor on a daily basis as you incorporate more Raw food into your diet. If you don’t already have a food processor, then a 7 cup model will be more than sufficient for most of the recipes. Be sure to choose one that has a variety of blades, and is as powerful as you can afford, in order that it releases the maximum amount of nutrients and enzymes from the food.

Juicer – adding a freshly pressed juice to your daily diet in one of the simplest and most delicious ways of switching from one of your current meals to “Raw”. This one daily habit will infuse your body with a huge amount of essential nutrients, and leave you feeling utterly energized for the day ahead. You can buy a centrifugal juicer for less than $30 on sites such as Amazon, although the pricier masticating juicers will extract around 20% more juice, as well as far more nutrients and enzymes. A centrifugal juicer is still a good start for beginners, or for those on a tight budget, but as juicing becomes an integral part of your life you may want to upgrade to something that gives you the highest possible nutritional value out of each juice you make.

Blender – By investing in a blender, you will be able to make speedy and nutritious Raw smoothies and other Raw food recipes at the touch of a button. Raw smoothies provide perfect pre and post workout nutrition for athletes, as well as providing quick, portable and energizing meals at any time of day. Choose one with a glass jar to eliminate the risk of any plastic compounds leaching into your drinks.

Other Equipment For Creating Raw Food Recipes

Salad Spinner - as you probably know, a Raw food diet includes lots of fresh leafy greens and herbs. It is important to rinse these before use, to remove soil or other debris – however, you are then left with the tricky job of drying them quickly for immediate use. A salad spinner will allow you to rinse and dry your leafy vegetables and herbs in seconds, and acts as a further time saving device for your Raw kitchen.

Vegetable Spiralizer – a spiralizer will enable you to replace your current noodles and pastas with gluten free Raw versions, made from zucchini, sweet potato and many other vegetables. The appearance and texture are identical to that of traditional pasta and noodles, and can be used to create dishes such as the awesome Fettucini Cheddar pasta,  which can be found in Eating For Energy.

These five pieces of equipment will go a long way towards equipping your kitchen with much of what you need to create a huge selection of Raw Food Recipes.