What was the first raw recipe you tried?

[HeatherMarie]

...that you really loved? I'm looking for some starter recipes. I tried a few in the past and didn't like them at all. I like vegetables raw by themselves, but when they are mixed together in one dish, they lose their appeal.

I really really REALLY want to eat more raw food, so any help is appreciated!

[Adagio Breezes]

Green smoothie. I like them simple. Carrot, dandelion greens, banana, orange, and about half a cup of water. I like to freeze the ingredients overnight (well, except the water, lol) and make the smoothie for breakfast in the morning.

[juliebove]

Onion bread and nut cheese.

[commoncents]

Collard Wrap

Enchilada

Date Nut Torte

[Dimond]

Soups. Began with soups and still love them. They're really smoothies too, but I like them way better than a regular smoothie.

Later Walnut Taco Wraps, Zucchini Pasta, Salad.

[Zeena]

Since I am new to a living food life, I think about the same thing. I have been trying different things. They are very simple, but helpful to me in embracing a living foods life.

Smoothies and Juices: They both get me through until lunch. I experimented with several smoothies. I like a combination of banana, mango and strawberry. I use the juice from 1 orange, the fruit, and some water. Sometimes I add a soft date. Sometimes I leave out the strawberries. I add some living green nutrients to the smoothie. I have also experimented with juices. At first I tried mostly fruit juice diluted with 50% water. Now since my smoothie is fruit based, I will juice a green juice with lettuces, cucumbers, celery, sprouts. I will add some lemon and tomato too. I am still getting used to green juice. I can feel a big boost from it though, so I know it is going to be one of those things I don't want to miss with alittle time. I also find that if I am having an afternoon low, a smoothie or juice can be a good pick up.

Salad: Sometimes I can create a wonderful salad and other times I feel a little off my salad game. Basically I take out a large bowl, put in some really nice greens (I find this is the key-really fresh, tasty produce from the farmer's market, etc), cucumbers, tomatoes and other veggies that I have and feel like -- sometimes carrots, squash, yellow or red bell pepper, some nuts, some raisons or sundried tomatoes, olives, a dressing that I like (this makes or breaks it; I have been making one with lemon juice, a little bit of flax or olive oil, herbs, etc.) As mentioned, sometimes I eat a salad that I make and think this is the best thing ever. Sometimes I think, oh-no, it just misses the mark. I think the quality of the produce, the dressing and my creativity level that day make the difference.

Wraps: Okay, I am still getting the hang of it and so it may sound a little strange, but I will get something you can wrap with that is raw and put whatever sounds good inside. That is not the strange part, it is what sounds good. I have found that I like a little raw nut butter, banana, sprouts or lettuce, a few raisons, and a little honey or agave. I think I like this because it is quick, filling and helps me with the transition from eating junk.

Thanks for your question. It is helpful to see others' answers and think about how I can expand the things I am reaching for on a day to day basis. Z

P.S. I didn't mention above because I have been buying instead of making, but I go by Whole Foods and buy their raw kale salad for a quick lunch. I don't think the nuts are raw in it and the cranberries have sugar in them, but since I am transitioning from junky, dead food, it is a positive move. I have been analysing the salad and think I will try to make my own soon. The ingredients are raw kale, tomato, pine nuts, dried cranberries, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. I notice that when I start eating it, my body really craves it. I think there is something special about kale.

[walnutty]

Green smoothies AND Taco "Meat". I ate both of these everyday for months. I still do the green smoothies on a daily basis, but burned out on the taco meat years ago...it's a delicious and filling recipe, though, especially if you love Mexican food like I do!

[Random]

Here are my 4 absolute favourites:

Green smoothies:
frozen blueberries, frozen strawberries, juice from 2 oranges, banana, spinach

Apple pie (I felt like I'd died, it was so good!):
crust - 1 cup of almonds and a pinch of sea salt in the food processor, slowly add in 1 cup of dates, press into pie pan
filling - 5 apples chopped, mixed with syrup made from a whole peeled orange, 1/2 cup of dates, a bit of water and cinnamon to taste

sunflower dip (soooo yummy):
blend together in the food processor - one cup of soaked sunflowers, lemon juice and sea salt to taste, lots of cracked pepper, 2 cloves of garlic. Slowly add water until you have the texture you like (I like mine to be like hummus)

tomato soup:
blend together in the food processor - whole tomato, big handful of basil, 2 cloves of garlic, splash of olive oil, sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

[Eva]

So funny, I really don't remember!!! I think it might have been the salmon pate. I remember that I had to desperately search the island where I lived for a food processor, and that it was THRILLING... yup must have been the salmon pate.

Heather, do you like pates and things like that? If you do, that's a great way to get your veggies in painlessly in the beginning! :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

i think it was jennifer cornbleet's zucchini spaghetti and marinara sauce.

[Veganforlife]

That so funny Aleesha, because after I got and read Alissa's book and watched her DVDs, I wanted to try everything! Looked around my kitchen, realized I had nothing sprouted or even any nuts on hand. Soooo...
The first recipe I tried was her Angel Hair "Pasta" and Marinara Sauce and was "wow'd" by it! The BEST marinara I've ever eaten!

[Aleesha Sattva]

ahhhhhhhh we ARE sisters!!!

[Veganforlife]

I meant Alissa's recipe...so...um, does that make us HALF sisters? heh heh!!!

[Cinnamon]

Alissa's Date Nut Torte this time around.

In the early 90's I used Elizabeth Baker's books and made an apple dessert that was delicious!

[Emma-Liza]

Walnut Jalapeno Burger
The Bomb Cheese
Mock Salmon Pate

[rawstrength]

The first raw recipe I tried (and enjoyed) was very simple. It was dates stuffed with pecans.
The second one was marinated collard greens from the daily raw cafe website. I'm not sure if this would be a good starting recipe for most people coming from a SAD diet, though. I grew up eating a lot of cooked greens (Mediterranean diet) so the collard greens were a perfect substitute. They really do imitate the flavor of cooked greens.
Now I've moved on. I prefer my greens in the raw! I still enjoy the dates/pecans occasionally.

[Lady Green Jeans]

Eggless egg salad stuffed in button mushroom tops. Soooo good.

Pad Thai (Alissa's recipe with the addition of kelp noodles, cilantro and lime wedges and some non-raw chili sauce from the Asian market to spice it up).

Alissa's butternut squash noodles with golden curry sauce.

Those are my top favs right now.

[zina]

First recipe tried from Alissa's book was the Angel Hair pasta and marinara sauce....thought I had gone to heaven.....that marinara sauce is the best.....

[jacsam]

I made some things of Alissa's DVD's: date nut torte.

[Baby Bird]

My first few attempts were utterly repulsive to me!!! Luckily my neighbor LOVED them, so I didn't have to waste all that time and effort! Not sure if there's one recipe that changed it all, but below are some of the things that I found helped me love raw.

Two books that I love, even though they are not perfect, are Raw Food, Real World and Matt Amsden's Rawvolution. RFRW is full of really beautiful photographs of the food, and the authors were honest to goodness foodies/chefs/restaurateurs prior to going raw and writing the book. As a result, they have a pretty sophisticated take on food. The photos and their use of fresh, exotic ingredients inspired me more than the 'granola crunchy' self-published types of books. Rawvolution is also the name of Amsden's restaurant here in Los Angeles, so I was totally stoked--the recipes in the book are for the great dishes they serve at the cafe. Careful, though, the quantitied listed are kinda wonky for many dishes.

Another thing I came to realize as I spent more time raw...there are some things I don't like the taste of. So now I leave one or two ingredients out of a recipe, if I don't like the flavour.

Yet another thing...sometimes small changes make a big difference. When I stopped using Whole Food's sundried tomatoes (very sour and bitter) and started using organic sundried heirloom tomatoes from a local farmer(very sweet, well balanced with just the right amout of acidity), I suddenly liked all the tomato sauces I was making, and finally got a tasty raw chili. Likewise, when sprouting for things like granola, I don't let the seeds grow too much, and the result is a much milder tasting end product.