Raw Food 101

Get Ready to RAWk!

With summer just around the corner there are so many delicious and nutritious fruits and vegetables that are coming into season.  I get so excited when I think about all of the colours and flavours!  With such an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, summer is the perfect time to incorporate RAW food into your diet.

RAW Food Isn't Just for Rabbits

Many people associate RAW food with eating salads or carrot sticks and celery.  Technically speaking, RAW food simply means any food that hasn't been heated above 115 degrees.  There's some disagreement about the exact temperature, but most people believe anywhere from 105 to 118 degrees.  This means that you can still enjoy warm soups and heated food in the winter, while still eating RAW!

RAW food is for everybody!  This doesn't mean that you need to eat RAW 100% of the time, but it is something that you should incorporate into your diet on a regular basis.  RAW foods contains active enzymes (which are unfortunately destroyed when we cook food).  These enzymes help with every single chemical reaction that happens in your body.  We're only born with a limited amount of these enzymes, so it's important to supplement your body with them.

Interested in learning more?   Join me on Sunday, June 10th from 1:00 - 3:30pm and learn how to make some fabulous dishes including spaghetti Bolognese, kale chips, flax crackers and ranch dip as well as a chocolate cheez cake. Mmmmmmm....

Spots are limited so register soon!

Hooray for Hemp! (And a Hemp Pesto Recipe)

Packing 10 grams of protein and 2.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids in only 3 tbsp of seeds, hemp truly is a hero!  The protein in hemp seeds contain all 10 essential amino acids (the building blocks of our cells), and the omega-3 fatty acids help to reduce inflammation in our bodies.


Another type of fat found in hemp seeds is an omega-6 fatty acid called gamma linolenic acid (GLA) which helps with cardiovascular issues, healthy cholesterol levels, and hormonal balance.


Hemp is also rich in iron, vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyridoxine), folate, magnesium, and zinc.  All of these vitamins and minerals play various roles in helping our body maintain healthy digestion, energy levels, muscular functioning, and boosting our immunity.


The best thing about hemp is that it is so easy to incorporate into your daily diet!  You can find hemp seed butter, hemp seed protein powders, hemp seed trail mixes, and so much more in local health food and grocery stores.


Even simple hemp seeds can be "hidden" into your daily eating patterns.  Just one bag of hemp seeds will go a long way to improving your health: sprinkle them on your toast, cereal, salads, pastas, rice-dishes.  Add a handful into your muffins mixes.  Stir them into your soups or sauces.  Throw them on top of a pizza.  I add a few tablespoons into an omelet instead of cheese, because they provide a really creamy texture.  Toss a bit into a shake or smoothie for added creaminess.


Hemp seeds are versatile, and even though I use them in so many different ways, I have to admit that my absolute favourite way of using them is in a pesto recipe, where the hemp seeds replace pine nuts.  Not only is this more cost-effective - it actually tastes better, and is more nutritious!


This pesto recipe is thick and creamy.  I put it on top of pastas, use it as a sandwich spread, dip veggies in it, spread it over baked chicken - it is incredibly versatile.


Enjoy this hemp pesto recipe!  Feel free to add in even more basil than what the recipe calls for - not only is it delicious, it is also a digestive, an anti-bacterial agent, high in chlorophyll and high in anti-oxidants.

Pesto Alfredo Sauce

Makes approx 3 1/2 cups

2 cups hemp seeds

1 cups olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 lemons, juiced

1 cup basil (firmly packed), chopped

sea salt & pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in blender.  Slowly increase speed until on "high" or "puree."  Blend until creamy and smooth.

Beet & Flax Crackers

I recently purchased some Garden Vegetable raw crackers from our local healthy foods store, Organic Garage. My first thought: these are delicious! My second thought: I can totally make these myself! And so began my quest.

I scrutinized the label and saw that these crackers contained various ingredients including sunflower seeds, flaxseed powder, beets, kale, celery, carrot, and garlic. Simple enough, n'est-ce pas? The trick would be in getting just the right ratio of ingredients to ensure optimal deliciousness.

In checking my fridge, I found - to my delight - that I had everything I needed except for the kale. No matter - this was to be, after all, an experiment in ingredients. As I started to chop, spiralize, process, and blend all of the ingredients, my crackers grew from a simple combination of foods into conglomerate! The end result, however, was delicious!

Don't be put off from trying this when I say that it's a conglomerate of ingredients - the making of the recipe is still quite simple, it just calls for a few more ingredients than anticipated.

Please enjoy!

Namaste :)

RAW Beet & Flax Crackers

1 cup sunflower seeds (soak for 6-8 hours in 1 1/2 cups of water)

1 large red beet, finely chopped (I leave the skin on but chop off the ends)

2 large carrots, finely chopped (I use the deep purple & yellow heritage varieties)

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1/2 - 1 cup cashew butter (add 1/2 cup to begin, & add more for flavour if needed)

1/2 cup flax oil

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp mustard seed powder

2 tbsp parsley, dried

1 tsp sea salt

2 cups golden flax seeds

In a food processor or high-powered blender (I use the VitaMix 5200), add the sunflower seeds along with the soak water. Add all of the rest of the ingredients, except for the flax seeds, bit by bit. Play around with the blending speeds - you may need to speed it up, then slow it down, then speed it up (you get the picture!). Depending on the consistency, add more water or flax oil. You want it to be thick but still runny; you should be able to pour it out of the blender without any trouble.

Pour mixture into a large bowl. Add flax seeds. Stir, and let stand for 5-10 minutes to thicken up.

Spread mixture onto paraflexx sheets. Make sure you spread it into a nicely shaped square and that you spread the mixture in an even layer. Score it gently with a butter knife to achieve the desired size of crackers. Dehydrate at 100 - 105 degrees for 12 hours. Then remove the crackers from the paraflexx sheets and flip them over, dehydrating for another 8 hours directly on the dehydrator tray.