Raw Foods Recipes for Christmas

Usually we think of very specific kinds of foods. Most of us can easily recall several holiday dinners featuring mashed potatoes with plenty of butter, fluffy rolls, warm pies, and a roasted ham or turkey. We look forward to these familiar dishes that are so familiar to our childhoods and firmly connected to our memories of good times with good people. Today more than ever people are paying closer attention to not only what they eat but how they eat it. Raw foods and dishes are a popular way to eat for a variety of reasons, but when people think of raw eating they often mistakenly assume the approach only works for salads. Nothing could be further from the truth, and to prove it here are some recipes that may change your memories of a Christmas meal from here on out.

Cranberry Orange Dressing with Walnuts

One bag cranberries

3 apples

3 oranges

1/2 to cup chopped celery

1/4 c. sugar (optional)

1 c. walnuts

Add cranberries, apples in quarters (seeded), oranges in peeled sections, and walnuts together in a food processor and process until mixed. Do not over grind. Add sugar and chopped celery to mixture. This is a nice change of pace from the same old cranberries served year after year.

Creamy Parsnip Mash

2 cups washed and cubed parsnips

½ cup pine nuts

1½ cups water

¼ cup lemon juice

2 cloves minced garlic (more or less depending on preference)

1 teaspoon salt, maybe more

1 teaspoon olive oil

Dash of ground black pepper

Blend all ingredients in processor until creamy. This dish may remind you of mashed potatoes. Some people prefer this heated up just the slightest bit, but raw food is generally not heated over 114 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pumpkin Pie in the Raw

CRUST

2 cups unsoaked pecans

1 cup dates (chopped)

1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

Dollop of agave or honey

FILLING

3 -3.5 Cups Cubed Pumpkin

1 large avocado, peeled with pit removed

1.5 cups of pitted dates

1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon psyllium powder

Generous dash of pumpkin pie spice

Agave or honey

TOPPING

1 cup soaked almonds

Water

Maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

For the crust combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix well. Press firmly into a pie pan and refrigerate.

To make the filling chop the diced pumpkin cubes finely in a food processor. Then transfer the pumpkin into a blender and blend in avocado, dates, coconut oil, pumpkin spices, and agave until they are very well blended. Pour mixture evenly over the refrigerated crust. Keep refrigerated.

To create a creamy topping blend the soaked almonds with syrup (or agave or honey if you prefer those), water, and vanilla. To make a thicker topping use less water, and to make a thinner, glaze type use less water. Chocolate can also be added. Allow topping to chill in refrigerator to set up.

Nut Not Turkey Patties

1 bunch of celery

1 cup of almonds or pecans and almonds

1 green onion

1 ripe avocado

Parsley, salt, garlic, sage, and pepper to taste

Puree the celery, green onion, and parsley in a food processor and drain juice off. Grind the nuts very fine in coffee mill or good processor. Mash avocado and combine all ingredients well. Add in seasonings to taste, and form into individual patties. These look very nice served on a bed of greens with the cranberry dressing.

Raw Christmas Nog

2-3 tablespoons raw walnut, peanut, cashew butter

2 cups water

1 banana

3 soaked dates

⅓ vanilla bean

Big dash of cinnamon

Smaller dash of nutmeg or pie spice

Small dash of salt to taste, if desired

Pour the soaking water from the dates into the blender. Add more water until you have about 2 cups. Add your nut butter and blend until very smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and blend again. Add your seasonings to suit your taste preferences.