Raw sweets are often based on coconut, date and nuts for good reason: it’s a delicious combination. I’m crazy about cardamom and rose so I like to keep these around for a sweet treat and to accompany a nice cup of tea. They are best served nice and cold. I recommend Perl’Amande raw almond butter. Coconut oil is found at most of the co-ops, and rose water is available at the groceries in Passage Brady and the Little Jaffna neighborhood.

Recipe:

• 1 cup pitted dates (soaked)
• 2 heaping tbsp almond butter
• 3 cups shredded coconut
• 1 tbsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp rose water (or more to taste)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt

Process all ingredients in food processor until mixture is quite smooth. Form into balls or press into silicone molds. Refrigerate or freeze.

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A green smoothie is a fruit smoothie with lots of fresh greens added to it. I think they are delicious and are a great way to add even more greens to your diet. There are loads of great recipe combinations available online and whole books written on the subject.

My fave is a recipe my friend Serenity Wood, author of Ginger: Exquisite Vegan Cuisine, taught me. You can easily vary this recipe: the original uses kale but you can’t get that here so I use spinach, mâche, romaine, Swiss chard, or whatever is in season. Mint is just coming back in season or you can use 1/2 tsp mint flavor.

Recipe:

• 1 cup green leaves, packed
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, packed
• 2 tbls raw tahini
• 3 frozen bananas
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup hempseeds
• 3 dates, pitted

Blend!

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If you are thinking about eating more raw veggies, dipping crudités is a great place to start. But of course some of the most popular dipping delights are creamy and cow-milk based. A great alternative for almost any creamy sauce can be made from nuts and seeds: like today’s recipe which is based on cashew nuts, which are a good source of protein and calcium and are packed with huge amounts of minerals not to mention monounsaturated fat (the good kind). 

It’s raw ranch. I decided not to call it Rawnch.

Recipe:

• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp minced onion
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1/2 tsp dill weed
• 1/2 tsp herbs de provence
• 1/2 cup water (add more water to thin, if you like)
• 1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley or cilantro

Blend everything on high speed until smooth and creamy. Stir in fresh herbs. Serve with crudités, raw crackers such as Biscru or toss in salad.

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It’s cold in Paris, so I thought it would be nice to have a little taste of the tropics with this Raw Banana Coconut Cream Pie in a macadamia nut crust. 

Recipe:

Crust:

2 cups raw macadamia nuts, chilled

1 cup shredded dry coconut

2 tbsp lime or lemon juice

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp stevia

2 tbsp agave nectar

Process all ingredients in food processor until well combined but still a bit chunky. Oil a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom with walnut or coconut oil. Press nut crust into  tart pan.

Cover crust with sliced bananas.

For the filling:

Meat from 1 Young Thai Coconut

1/2 cup coconut water

2 tbsp agave nectar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/8 tsp turmeric

In a blender on high speed, blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Pour filling over bananas. Smooth the top and decorate with walnuts.

Place in freezer to firm for two hours. Remove from tart pan and serve.

Keeps well in the freezer (or on your balcony!)

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Today’s recipe is the raw food classic, Flax Crackers. Flax seeds are great because they contain high levels of lignans and Omega-3 fatty acids. Lignans are said to benefit the heart, possess anti-cancer properties and all kinds of good stuff.

Here is what my old pediatrician Dr. William Sears has to say on the subject:

Flax oil and flax seeds are being rediscovered as true health foods. They definitely merit being included on any top-ten list of foods that are good for you. Flax is not a new food. It is actually one of the older and, perhaps, one of the original “health foods,” treasured because of its healing properties throughout the Roman empire. Flax was one of the original “medicines” used by Hippocrates. Flax could be dubbed the “forgotten oil.” It has fallen out of favor because oil manufacturers have found nutritious oils to be less profitable. The very nutrients that give flax its nutritional benefits – essential fatty acids – also give it a short shelf life, making it more expensive to produce, transport, and store. [...] Because of the flurry of scientific studies validating the health benefits of omega 3 fatty acids, flax oil has graduated from the refrigerator of “health food nuts” to a status of scientific respectability.

You can get flax seeds at any of the health food stores here in France. Here is the most basic flax cracker recipe from which you can get creative: experiment by blending whatever veggies and herbs you like with the water before soaking, or by adding other seeds and nuts. You can’t go wrong. I love stirring in raw sauerkraut, garlic, dill and mustard for example. Or, try stirring in agave or maple syrup with cinnamon and finely minced apple for a kid-pleasing sweet cracker.

Recipe:

• 2 cups brown or golden flax seeds
• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• Your favorite herbs or spices

Mix all ingredients and let soak for three hours. Now you’ll have a gooey mix perfect for spreading on two dehydrator Teflex sheets. Score the sheets. Dehydrate at 115ºF for 8 hours or overnight. Flip onto mesh screens and dehydrate 2 – 3 hours more, until completely dry. Break into pieces and they are ready for dipping in hummus, salsa, guacamole, etc. or just snacking on as is!

Excalibur is a brand of dehydrator very popular with Raw Foodists. I got mine for use in France directly from Excalibur in the US.

For an oven-made version of flax crackers, check out my friend Deana Gunn’s recipe. Deana is an excellent cook and author of the cookbook “Cooking with All Things Trader Joe’s.” Her blog is great and features some vegan recipes!

Continue reading for further health facts from Dr. Sears.

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