Raw Foodists Tips for Christmas Dinner

It's difficult being a raw foodist at Christmas dinner, but don't panic! There are healthy raw food alternatives to the usual family feast. You can, in fact, fix a full holiday feast using nothing but raw recipes. If the stars align and everyone at your table is a raw foodist, then do a happy dance and start planning. If not, you can introduce family members to raw foods by serving a raw food feast. Those who are going to be eating at someone else's house should bring about three items-that way you can eat without having to eat other, non-raw food and you can introduce raw food to the others at the table.

Tips for buying your produce

You want whatever you use to be especially fresh, so no fair slipping in wilted cilantro! Go to the market about three days beforehand to get any ingredients that might be hard to find. As to the veggies, ensure they are fresh! I like using green bags because they seem to keep produce longer.

Main courses

Replacing turkey can be the biggest challenge. Try this mock turkey loaf at from sad to raw for your main course.

A loaf doesn't look very impressive, so if you're looking for raw food with presentational eye-appeal, check out http://www.rawchef.com. Click on one of the recipes on their front page, or just look at the pictures for inspiration.

For something fast and simple yet potentially impressive, use a spiral slicer on zucchini or fresh squash and then top with a raw marinade or pesto. If you're taking it to somebody's house don't add the sauce until the last minute for a better presentation.

Here's my ultra-simple recipe for a raw holiday sauce to top your squash pasta with:

¾ cup hazel nut

1 mushroom

1 tablespoon nama shoyu

Soak the nuts for about 8 hours and make sure they're thoroughly washed. Toss in a blender with other ingredients. Keep adding more nama shoyu and mushrooms as needed for the desired texture and taste. Double the recipe if you want more. I like tossing in thinly sliced mushrooms after the sauce is finished.

Sides

Making a tasty raw stuffing that tastes pretty close (if not better) than the standard is actually fairly simple using raw foods. Starting with a base of raw nuts, this is easily one of the most delish and easily accepted raw food choice.

For a whipped potato replacement, I like to use whipped parsnip. It's starchy and has just a touch of sweetness to it. I've used this recipe as a base.

You can top that or the stuffing with this simple savory mushroom gravy. It includes raw, unpasteurized soy sauce (called Nama Shoyu) which can be difficult to find, but worth it for the savory punch it can add to many raw food recipes.

Since it isn't the holidays without sweet potato, why not serve some sweet potato slaw? Sweet potato is often over looked by raw foodists, and I think that's a shame, since if offers a lovely flavor and texture in raw dishes.

Dessert

Simple fresh fruit artistically presented just doesn't cut it for Christmas dinner. Wow your guests with something really exquisite for dessert. This pomegranate dessert from we like it raw bends the strict raw rules a bit-- but if you can't indulge a little during the holidays, when can you?

Holiday Doesn't Always Mean Traditional

As a raw foodist, you could forgo the idea of faking turkey altogether. The idea behind a holiday meal is that you're fixing things you wouldn't normally fix the rest of the year. So as long as you do something special, something that wouldn't normally end up on your table, it can make the meal feel like an occasion. If you're a raw foodist you're already someone who bucks tradition in the food arena, so don't feel limited to making a "mock" feast that echoes a traditional Christmas dinner. Instead, just choose a more elaborate recipe you've always wanted to try!