I think I'm getting bored with Raw...

[RowanC]

I just don't seem to be able to get up any motivation.

I could sure use some quick and EASY recipes for vegetables that are good, savory, etc.

I'm weary of salads.
I'm eating way too many nuts & fruit and no greens.

Help?

[kiddies]

Do you have Alissa's book? It is filled with tons of awesome recipes! Flavorful and yummy. You will love them.

I would try and eat alot more greens also.

[RowanC]

but the book is full of big ole recipes... I guess I just need someone to kick my butt ::laughing:::

[Im2Fruity]

Lettuce wraps!!! here they come to save the day!!
I too get tired of salads sometimes...so here's what I do:

-4 or so romaine leaves (you can use darker greens, I just can't stand chard or collards yet...)
-1/2 an avocado (or more, I just can't eat more than half in a sitting!)
-big clump of any sprouts
-sliced tomatoes
-*any other finely sliced veggies you want..if you want to get fancy, you can add dulse flakes or the like
-Any kind of dressing/dip you like

Wash the leaves, set aside
Mash the avocado in a bowl and mix in the sprouts to make a sort of paste
Spread the paste onto each leaf, plop on some tomatoes and other veggies
Gently roll up a leaf, dip the wrap into your dressing or drizzle it into the wrap.....and take a big ol' bite!!!

Warning: Have a napkin nearby, it can get a little messy depending on how watery your veggies are...

ENJOY!!! Veggies should be just as much as fruit
:D

[paleogirl]

Rowan, here's an improved version of a recipe from Natalia Rose's book that's really delicious and quick to prepare, very filling too. I started my 3rd attempt at raw 10 days ago, and I've had this every day!

Guacamole Salad

(makes 2 servings)

a few big handfuls of baby spinach leaves (or tear up some big spinach leaves)
couple of avocadoes, chopped
handful of cilantro, chopped
1 or 2 tomatoes, chopped (or a couple of handfuls of baby toms, sliced in half)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1-2 slices of onion, chopped
handful of alfalfa sprouts (optional)
juice of one lime
salt and pepper to taste
mix it all up

I also sprinkle the salad with sprouted flax seeds for some extra crunch and omega-3

It takes me longer to eat it than prepare it, which is my kind of recipe! :)

The original version omits onions, garlic, alfalfa sprouts, and suggests lettuce instead of spinach leaves. I prefer mine! :D

[paleogirl]

HA! We pretty much posted the same recipe at the same time!! That's raw intuition for you.....:eek:

[Randolyn]

Hi Rowan, These are not recipes as much a they are ideas. In the morning rawnola with your choice of nut milk, or a fruit sundae topped with rawnola or a fruit smoothie with some added greens. For lunch try raw hummus, mock tuna or any other of the patte's rolled in some greens, it's even yummy to roll your veggies in some greens put what ever you like on your veggies before rolling them up. How about a cucumber salad or a cole slaw made all raw of course. Nut butter on a banana or an apple is just too yummy also. You should really try to eat greens at every meal if you can just not always in a salad form LOL There was a great recipe for "spanish rice" that would be great or "rice" and veggies rolled in a nori wrap like a sushi or california roll with some avocado. Stuffed tomatoes are wonderful too. How about a waldorf salad when you have salad that is a nice change or a strawberry poppy seed salad oh so yummy too.

Now I am getting hungry LOL
Vikki

[kiddies]

Originally Posted By Im2Fruity
"Lettuce wraps!!! here they come to save the day!!"

I was just going to say that. If you want something kinda like old school asian lettuce wraps you can marinate some portabellas and other veggies with lime and or nama shoyo and dehydrate. They will be like the old school ones.

Hope you find some things you like!

[Dimond]

What about soups? There are some simple soup recipes you can try. Here's a few:

Celery Soup
5 celery Sticks
2 cups filtered water
½ avocado
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tomato, chopped
1 tsp sea salt
Black pepper
Blend everything except tomatoes. Stir in tomatoes by hand.

Broccoli Soup
3 cups filtered water
1 cup raw cashews
2 cups broccoli, chopped (just soft tops)
2 tbsp. chopped onion
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine
1 avocado
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. chives, dried
1 tsp. parsley flakes, dried
2 tsp. mixed herbs (basil, majoram, rosemary, sage, thyme)

Tomato Vegetable Soup
4 cups tomatoes
1 cup each red & yellow peppers diced
1/2 cup diced onion or garlic
Sea Salt
2 cups water
Blend water, tomatoes & spices until smooth. Add peppers & onion.

[Lunar*Fey]

sorry to be off topic, but I have never tried a raw soup, and I was just wondering....can you make them with only a blender or food processor or do you need a juicer or vita-mix or something??

[Spectatrix]

Lunar, most soups you can make using just a normal blender.

[heabrook]

sorry to be off topic, but I have never tried a raw soup, and I was just wondering....can you make them with only a blender or food processor or do you need a juicer or vita-mix or something??

You can make it with a blender. I don't have a vitamix (well.. I just purchased one but it hasn't arrived yet) and so I have been using my blender. I made Thai Coconut Curry soup the other day...

The blender will work perfectly fine. The vitamix, on the other hand, does seem to get the soup creamier, but that's not a big deal.

[juliebove]

While I love to cook, I find that when it comes to raw food, I seem to prefer it plain and simple. Most of the recipes I tried turned out to be things I didn't care for at all. And then I'd be unhappy at spending so much time on making something that didn't taste good. Odd because the only recipes I tried were ones that contained only ingredients I liked.

I too get tired of salads on occasion because I eat so much of them! But tonight I'm eating a yummy salad as I type. I think it tastes so good because I have onions and fresh herbs straight from my garden and I got some super good tomatoes this week in my organic produce box. I never use salad dressing, but I will use some salsa on top on occasion. And sometimes I will cut an apple or pear in thin slices and put that on my salad. I've also seen berries on salad. Haven't tried that yet.

Last week I made a huge bowl of pico de gallo and I was sometimes eating just that. It was soooo good! Other times, I'd take bell peppers, slice through from top to bottom so I had little scoops to scoop up the dip. I also bought some corn on the cob. It was very fresh and very good. I don't like eating it from the cob. I used a sharp knife and cut the kernels off to top a mound of pico de gallo. Wish I had some sprouted lentils! I haven't made any sprouts for a few weeks because I've been so busy with my daughter's dance recital that I haven't been home much.

My diet is pretty limited given my food allergies and diabetes. I do get bored with food sometimes and can't bring myself to eat any more than just what I have to so I don't feel sick or get a hypo. When that happens, I find that it helps to change the location of where I am eating or to change the dishes I am eating on. I bought an assortment of odd shaped dishes at an Asian grocery and some brightly colored "summer" type dishes as well as some divided "cafeteria" style trays. I tuck these things away during the winter and bring them out when the weather warms up. That seems to help.

My daughter loves eating outdoors. Sometimes we go out to the table on our deck, or we go to the local drive-in. They have salads there. So we'll get those and bring some other things from home to round out the meal. Since we are eating in our vehicle, they don't complain about anything "extra" we might be bringing. On fridays, we've been eating dinner at a local market. They have concerts outside of the store and serve a different meal each week for $6.00. We do not get the meal. Instead, we get our food from inside the store. They have a huge salad bar and a vegetarian cold food bar. Last week I had lettuce and tomato sandwiches. I got some large slices of tomato and put the lettuce inside, using the tomatoes as "bread". It was messy but good!

[Denise Nicole]

I have had a few days to myself (Grand Parents are spoiling the kid's for a few days). And have found what I have already known (really) I view food as only sustenance for what I need to get done through the day. I don't like to prepare a lot of food. I heard Tonya Kay say she starts and ends her day with something green (leafy) and eat fruit in between. I have found plenty of energy to lift weights and do cardio with this philosophy Apparently I was only preparing meals for the kid's and not me. I'd much rather consume enough calories and nutrients through whole fruits and veggies to do what I want and/or need to get through my day with energy.

[ChaiLife]

Seasiren, You have kids?! :eek: Wow, you look awesome.


OK, one way I get my greens in is with the ole green smoothie. It works.

Also there is a recipe for a spinach flip on here somewhere that is very yummy. It's a staple at our house. Of course, that's along the same lines as salad isn't it?

Have you tried the angel hair "pasta" with marinara? Very very yummy. I add more sun dried tomatoes and a hand ful of basil to the recipe.

Go to www.therawtable.com for some more recipes and to see some beautiful food to inspire you.


Now for a YUMMY way to get your greens (I use agave instead of the vinegar for a kettle corn taste sometimes)
Kale Chips (http://www.radicalhealth.com/issues/2004-11-08:kalechips.html)
These are so yummy and definitely make you feel like you are cheating.


OK, one more great idea: corn chips and salsa.
Make Alissa's corn chip recipe and my favorite salsa (sorry no measurements):
a lot of sun dried tomatoes (10?)
a coupla roma tomatoes
handful cilantro
a little apple cider vinegar
a little onion
a little garlic
some jala-pain-o ;)
salt
and water until desired consistency
Whirl in blender or food processor.

This is SO good.

[madmel]

What I just thought:

Many SAD eaters never think about their daily food being boring, even if they have the same pretty much every day (cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, whatever for dinner).

But when I discovered RAW food and prepared myself for the challenge and also talked about that, many people (SAD of course!): Won't it be really boring? Fruit in the morning, salad for lunch, some dry cracker for dinner...

I cook every day, before the RAW challenge I cooked twice daily (one meal for me for lunch, one for my hubby for dinner) and yes, mine were pretty simple and often the same. I could live on tomato-mushroom stew with or without tofu all week... For my hubby I generally invest more time, I want to spoil him.

Now on RAW I discover I am also eating quite simple, but trying to sometimes beef up (no pun intended) my days, e.g. today I prepared pesto stuffed mushrooms for lunch.

Just thinking ;)
mel
madmel

[Denise Nicole]

Seasiren, You have kids?! :eek: Wow, you look awesome.


Thank-you! 4 children....living, 15, 13, 11, & 9. :)

[RowanC]

Thanks for the ideas... the farmer's market is Wednesday... I'm making a list.

[Airmid]

Here's a couple of my quick and easy favorites

Technically this first one is a salad, but it's not a green salad:

fresh white corn, cut off the cob
tomatoes (halved or quartered cherry tomatoes are the best for this)
olive oil
sea salt
basil

Combine the above and enjoy!!

Corn Salsa

Same ingredients as above but leave out the basil
avocado
red onion
cumin
cilantro if you like

Mash the avo with a fork then add the other ingredients. I eat this as a filling for lettuce wraps or with strips of red bell pepper for dipping.

[Jackie1995]

Well, Rowan, my only suggestion is probably something you're already doing: green smoothies.

Every morning, I get up and take my walk (min. 2 miles) and I build my smoothie in my head as I'm walking. ~at this point, someone somewhere is thinking, Gosh, she needs to get a LIFE!~

When I get home, I get the blender, take it outside, get the machete, the coconut, and brutally chop that poor nut, emptying the water into my blender, then I hack the heck out of the rest of it so I can easily scoop the meat out into the blender in my kitchen.

Adding
banana
cucumber
celery
kale (about 4 cups)
carrot
pineapple
flaxseed
nutritional yeast and goat whey <---optional, just my latest ideas
ice
water
HIT THAT ON SWITCH AND LET THE VITAMIX RIP!

See, what I've developed here is a way to get in those greens, have a really filling breakfast that I enjoy and vary every single day, while keeping those boredom blues away.

And like Frank Zappa said in his immortal anthem to veggies "Call Any Vegetable":
"Call any vegetable and the chances are good that the vegetable will respond to you. Vegetables they keep you regular, they're real good for ya."

Hey, it works for me!

Good luck!

[Linda1970]

Lettuce wraps!!! here they come to save the day!!
I too get tired of salads sometimes...so here's what I do:

-4 or so romaine leaves (you can use darker greens, I just can't stand chard or collards yet...)
-1/2 an avocado (or more, I just can't eat more than half in a sitting!)
-big clump of any sprouts
-sliced tomatoes
-*any other finely sliced veggies you want..if you want to get fancy, you can add dulse flakes or the like
-Any kind of dressing/dip you like

Wash the leaves, set aside
Mash the avocado in a bowl and mix in the sprouts to make a sort of paste
Spread the paste onto each leaf, plop on some tomatoes and other veggies
Gently roll up a leaf, dip the wrap into your dressing or drizzle it into the wrap.....and take a big ol' bite!!!

Warning: Have a napkin nearby, it can get a little messy depending on how watery your veggies are...

ENJOY!!! Veggies should be just as much as fruit
:D
THank you for reminding me of this! Such a great idea! Such a fun and delicious way to eat your veggies. I made some guacamole yesterday, and it will go so well with the lettuce too!

[Sharon in Colorado]

Maybe it's time for a fast or other cleanse? That will surely kick your taste buds up.

I'm on day 11 of a 30 day modified fast (liquids only) and I've been uncooking up a storm and freezing lots of stuff for later.

Funny, I wasn't in the mood to do any recipes before and DH says my non-raw cooking is so much better when I fast, lol. I guess because my senses are heightened.

I saw a tape about families in India and they said they won't eat until they've thanked all their gods. So the women all use their sense of smell to make the food - and no doubt it all comes out delicious, I love Indian food.

[sport]

but the book is full of big ole recipes... I guess I just need someone to kick my butt ::laughing:::
Just tell yourself that cooked food is not food and that you only eat food. I have achived this and eating cooked food would be the same as eating paper.

[rawpriestess]

okay this is quick and easy, raw veggies


1 cabbage leaf

put inside sliced mushrooms
sliced white onion
1 T almond butter
wrap up

dip in

2 T agave nectar
1 T nama shoyu
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

you can put anything inside you like, sometimes I grate ginger, and add soem orange slices, sometimes, I add red pepper, or carrots or celery, bean sprouts are nice too
anyway, what ever you like

[RowanC]

I never thought of putting agave and shoyu together. It probably tastes like that yummy dip for pot stickers, huh?

Thanks everyone for the recipes. I think I'll be ok. I got my stamps today and am going to stock up on groceries. It was a long month.

I think one thing that happened was that I ran out of food and didn't have money so I began eating what was in the house (for my partner, Joe) and it really wasn't good food.... got depressed.

This morning I had a bad smoothie experience (another post) but as soon as I get off here, I'm going to shower and get to the grocery store. Farmer's market is today.. YAY!

Anyway.. thanks.

[rawpriestess]

YEP, tastes exactly like the pot sticker dip, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[aromaticwings]

Well, Rowan, my only suggestion is probably something you're already doing: green smoothies.

Every morning, I get up and take my walk (min. 2 miles) and I build my smoothie in my head as I'm walking. ~at this point, someone somewhere is thinking, Gosh, she needs to get a LIFE!~

When I get home, I get the blender, take it outside, get the machete, the coconut, and brutally chop that poor nut, emptying the water into my blender, then I hack the heck out of the rest of it so I can easily scoop the meat out into the blender in my kitchen.

Adding
banana
cucumber
celery
kale (about 4 cups)
carrot
pineapple
flaxseed
nutritional yeast and goat whey <---optional, just my latest ideas
ice
water
HIT THAT ON SWITCH AND LET THE VITAMIX RIP!

See, what I've developed here is a way to get in those greens, have a really filling breakfast that I enjoy and vary every single day, while keeping those boredom blues away.

And like Frank Zappa said in his immortal anthem to veggies "Call Any Vegetable":
"Call any vegetable and the chances are good that the vegetable will respond to you. Vegetables they keep you regular, they're real good for ya."

Hey, it works for me!

Good luck!
WWWHHHHAAAAAA my blender broke!!! I miss it so .... it will be a few weeks before I get one..