Ideas for dinners

[Michelle]

Hello to my raw family. This is my first post. I have been 100% raw for 32 days now and LOVIN' IT! However, one of my struggles is coming up with "hearty" type dinner items, ie...something other than a big salad. I have 3 young children, and a husband who I prepare "healthy" cooked meals for and I just eat the salad most nights. I'm starting to get bored. Help! I was wondering if some of you wonderful folks would share your favorite entrees.

I have Alissa's book and have made nut burgers (yummy) spicey refried beans (not so yummy...to me it was like uncooked beans with avacado)
fetacchini (good but I still need to work with it...temp wise I think)
"Tuna" (okay but not a favorite)

I never thought I was a super picky eater until now. I don't like that. I am a really confident "cook" and I am really frustrated that I am struggling to find raw foods that I love.

Best of health
Michelle :)

[rawpriestess]

Well, I have been a catering chef for years, and I have taken soooooo many classes, and written cook books etc.

So, I know how many un-tasty foods can come out of trying to make a new dish, or ethnic food or recipe.

It is a matter of trial and error.

I think the best thing to do is to talk to other raw fooders, and ask them what they liked but NOT what they like NOW, what they liked when they were new, as taste buds change.

I used to love green olives and canned black olives, now 5 months raw, green olives are terrible and canned black olives I haven't eaten in months, so wouldn't know if I liked them anymore or not.

I do eat raw greek olives, and I love them, where I never liked them much when I was cooked.

I used to like dairy, and cheese, and now just thinking of those foods, makes me queezy, thinking of all the oils in them.

There are many foods that I made when I was first raw, that are way too much for me now, and I find that I like simpler things.

I used to make a wonderful raw apple pie, and cake and now I prefer fresh berries, or fresh apples to any of the prepared things.

Now, I still like my burger patties(raw), but instead of eating 2 plain, I make a huge taco salad and add about 1/2 of a burger patty, to a huge plate of lettuce, and tomatoes, with cashew sour cream and lots of salsa, so I am eating alot differently than I was.

Just know that your taste buds will change, the more you eat raw.

So, find a few recipes that you love, and play with them a bit, and make ones that sound really good.

I used to make a nut pate, that was dehydrated, now I perfer it not-dehydrated, for some reason, don't know why, I just like things more simple, and who knows maybe one day, I'll not like my fruits or veggies mixed up at all.

I may just love them only fresh and off the tree.

But either way, I am eating raw.

So, ask alot of questions about people's favorite dishes, and that might help.

My favorites from Alissa's book are:
Pesto stuffed mushrooms
meatloaf-made into burger patties
enchiladas
zucchini noodles with marinara sauce (I use alot more sundried tomatoes & spices)

try those if you have her book.

[VeganVixen]

you might also try wrapping your own sushi? I (lol) LOVE vegan sushi ,actually ANY sushi ,but Im veg. so I dont eat "REAL" sushi - I do prepare it for my parents(better than the burger they would DEFINATLEY otherwise be eating) , but a lot of times they like my RAW vegan sushi -and steal it :mad: -hee hee ! I LOVE the petite sophistication of sushi, its ALWAYS a great presentation ;)

there are some recipes posted ,you might try "searching" for the recipes on the board (press the banana)


have fun!

[Texicalian]

Michelle - Bridgette Mars in her book Rawsome! has a recipe for Pecan-Spinach Quiche. It tastes great and you get 6 servings from it.

Crust
2 cups of pecans, soaked overnight, rinsed (she recommends dehydrating until crunchy but you don't have to). I put them in the food processor added a little olive oil and then pressed them into a pie crust.

Filling
2 cups chopped spinach or wild greens
1/2 cup pine nuts (I think I used almonds)
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp nutmeg - since I like spices and Italian, I changed this to basil, oregano, rosemary and garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbs flaxseeds

Combine ingredients for filling in food processor and puree, pour over crust. Allow quich to set for 30 minutes before serving. This with a side of raw olives is a wonderful dinner.

[tracyinfo]

I agree with VV, if you like sushi, find some raw nori and start rolling. I have used lots of different ingredients as a stuffing. One of my favorite spreads is a mixture of walnuts and miso spread across the nori and lots of greens with sliced apples thrown on top. Roll up and eat! Also, I have processed different veggies in the food processor, spread them on the nori and topped with sauerkraut!

Blessings.

[CAdreamer]

If you dh and kids get hungry after a not-so-hearty dinner, provide a wholesome dessert... I'm working on creating a lot of 'ice cream recipes'. They'd probably think it was a real treat, and not realize how healthy it was.

I add sprouted grains to my raw soups (not the creamy kind, though) which add bulk. Give them more 'breads', or if they aren't all raw, cooked rice.

I have a little trouble keeping enough weight on my dh. I'm content with a lot less than he is and do not expend quite the calories he does. Maybe, like my husband, they just need to eat MORE.

[RawTruth]

Michelle,

First, congratulations on 32 days of being raw. Now, I'm not sure exactly what you're asking. Would you mind clarifying it for me?

You say you're fixing cooked meals for your family but you're just eating the salad, so it seems as though you're asking what items you can make for yourself to eat. Is that correct?

You mention that you have Alissa's book and you've tried a few recipes. I take that to mean that you did not do her 30 Day Challenge by following her 4 weeks of menus, so I'm wondering if you are asking which of Alissa's recipes people like or which ones they have found to be "hearty." Is that what you mean?

Finally, what you're encountering as far as feeling unsure of yourself in the kitchen now is fairly common. You'll be learning an entirely new way of preparing food. That's what I liked about Alissa's 4 week plan; she leads you through all the different preparation methods and, usually, by the end of the month, you're confident enough to begin making your own concoctions since you understand the basic recipes and categories of "gourmet" foods. By the way, do you have her DVD?

I have several suggestions, but I'll wait to share them for when I understand a bit better what exactly your situation is and what you're asking.