Raw Foods for Christmas

Christmas in the Raw - Raw food meals can be challenging to say the least. Of necessity the foods must be super fresh and will require some last minute Christmas shopping to obtain the greatest quality foods. So plan to shop no more than two days in advance of your dinner, but be sure you have scoped out where to obtain the necessary fruits and vegetables at least two weeks prior so you can order online if need be.

Nutty Pumpkin Pie

Soak the first 3 listed ingredients overnight and drain all in the morning reserving liquids separately.

1 cup each pecans, almonds and walnuts

2 cups cashews separate from other nuts

15-20 large dates (more toward 20 if on the small side)

1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut (bagged or shredded raw)

3 large or 4 medium ripe sweet potatoes, peeled then chopped small

1 ½ tsp nutmeg

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp natural honey

Vanilla to taste

Nutty Crust:

Combine all drained nuts and coconut and process well until dough like, then spread over two pie plates patting out until even.

Pie Filling:

Process drained dates, sweet potatoes and spices until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Process drained cashews, honey and vanilla with small amounts of the date liquid until consistency is creamy, then combine with date mixture.

Putting it all together:

Spread the filling into the crusts and place in barely warm oven for approximately 4 hours checking after every two hours. When crust and filling appears well formed and set refrigerate until serving time.

Save the nut soak water in the freezer for a later use. Its pungent nuttiness is good for soups throughout the winter.

Multiple choice Christmas Salad

While many of these ingredients are variable, try to include at least some Belgium endive because of the high nutritional benefit and incredible flavor.

Lettuce:

Red, green and white

1 medium head red = red lettuce, radicchio (purple cabbage), etc.

1 medium head green = spinach, romaine, arugula, etc.

2 medium heads white = endive, cauliflower

Vegetables: (in proportion for taste or color)

Red, green, and white

Red = red bell pepper, radishes, cherry tomatoes, wedged tomatoes

Green = green bell pepper, broccoli, asparagus

White = circular cut onions, pearl onions, sliced white button mushrooms

Mix together to suit your taste and visual palette and toss with a vinaigrette dressing.

Vinaigrette: choose a fine oil of olive or nutty blend and vinegar of choice then spice with lemon juice, white pepper, rosemary, garlic and a brown mustard.

1 part vinegar to 2 parts oil mixed with 1-1 ½ tsp all spices, except increase the garlic and decrease the pepper.

Mix slowly and utilize your taste buds. This is the best dressing you will ever taste.

Fruit Salad

Green grapes, kiwi, watermelon, strawberries, chunked red apples, blue berries, raspberries, orange slices, and pineapple. Combine in proportions to fit the crowd you are serving any and all fruits you have readily available. Fruit is a sure crowd pleasure with a bounty of healthy in every bite. Sprinkle mixture with a light natural sugar crystal.

Creamy Carrot Soup

2 ½ cups carrot juice

1 ½ fresh avocadoes

3 cups spring water

1 tsp salt preferable sea

Pinch of ginger & oregano

Pinch white pepper

Cilantro per taste and for décor

Blend all well & top with cilantro

Strawberry Almond Smoothie

Blend all until smooth, and then chunk in the nuts to give a slightly chunky smoothie.

10 strawberries

5 bananas

5 cups orange juice (fresh)

½ cup almonds

Hors de Oeuvres Centerpiece - sure to be the central talking piece of the meal

3 bunches fresh broccoli

¼ cup blue berries, black berries, and raspberries

Starting at the top with one floweret, then two, then three, four and so on, lay out your broccoli to form a Christmas tree and connect with toothpicks.

Clip toothpicks in half and use to secure the berries as ornaments on the tree.

Here's the Grocery List:

Pecans

1 cup

Walnuts

1 cup

Almonds

1 cup

Cashews

2 cups

Coconut unsweetened, flake or fresh

1 ½ cups

Dates

15-20

Nutmeg

1 ½ tsp

Cinnamon

1 ½ tsp

Oregano

Sea salt

White pepper

Honey

½ tsp

Vanilla

To taste

Natural brown crystal sugar

Small amount to sprinkle on fruit salads

Vegetables of choice (mix in proportions to your preferences)

Lettuce like = 1 head red & green, 2 heads white (endive) or mix with cauliflower

Red = red bell pepper, radishes, cherry tomatoes, wedged tomatoes

Green = green bell pepper, broccoli, asparagus

White = onions, pearl onions, white button mushrooms

Sweet potatoes

3-4

Avocadoes

2

Ground ginger

1

Cilantro

1 cup

Fresh fruits of choice: (proportionate to salad)

Ex: Green grapes, kiwi, watermelon, strawberries, chunked red apples, blue berries, raspberries, orange slices, and pineapple.

Strawberries

10

Bananas

5 ripe

Blue berries, black berries, raspberries

¼ cup each

Juices and Liquids:

Carrot juice (fresh)

2.5 cups or buy fresh carrots and make your own

Spring water

3 cups

Orange juice (fresh)

5 cups or oranges to squeeze own

We have selected a fruity drink, a brilliant fruit and vegetable centerpiece, a fruit salad, Vinaigrette dressing with salad, and soup. Not exactly the traditional meal many of us grew up with but tasty variations that many of us have learned to adapt to.

I must give credit to friends and family alike who helped compile ideas and adaptations to combine for this raw food extravaganza. No one person gets all the credit and they prefer to not be named (in case you don't like it). That's okay because I know you will. A couple of us brave souls tried out all the goods and we were pleasantly surprised.

I was really surprised that some of the grandmas had actually made something similar to the raw food pie. I'm impressed. To bad this didn't catch on sooner.

Start with the fruity drink while visiting prior to dinner and have the fruit salad and broccoli berry center ready to bring out shortly thereafter. While the guests are visiting and discussing your amazing creativity turn the soup on low while you are tossing the salad with the vinaigrette, then serve all immediately.

Happy Holidays to you Raw