Heads up folks, this post contains more healthy food options! Yay! Can you tell I received some great cookbooks this past holiday season? I recently wrote about gluten-free recipes, now let’s explore raw food/vegan cuisine!
To assist me in this raw food/vegan exploration, I will draw from the newest cookbook in my repertoire – the amazing Raw, Quick & Delicious Cookbook which contains 5-ingredient recipes that you can make in just 15 minutes!
Written by Douglas McNish, a Canadian chef, this cookbook takes you on Douglas’ journey to becoming a vegan and how he transformed his life after watching one undercover video from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).
As I continue to read about plant based cuisine, Chef Doug’s transformation and the raw food/vegan lifestyle, I am so motivated to start making these choices for my family. However, I also recognize that I work full time and have 3 children haha! Many raw food recipes require special equipment such as dehydrators or lengthy processes such as sprouting grains. Chef Doug takes the wonderment of how to equip a 15 minute raw food kitchen by providing a detailed list.
I am not one to make excuses but I know that in order to fully adopt this culinary style, it would require a lot of meal planning. Thankfully Chef Doug’s cookbook provides 15 “base” recipes that can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.
There are also tips to make the transition to a raw food diet, tips that I would need a lot of willpower and encouragement to follow. It’s all about buy-in from yourself, family and even friends. Surround yourself with cheerleaders!
The cookbook is well categorized and easy to follow. He just might convert this red meat eater with some of these tips and recipes!
One of his top tips is to take it day by day, don’t try to switch overnight. I took that to heart by trying out a recipe I knew my family would love. This particular recipe contains ingredients that all of my kids enjoy and my fiance, well he eats anything so he’s easy! haha
Avocado Cucumber Hand Rolls, page 155, Main Courses
These hand rolls are refreshing, healthy and packed with protein.
1 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked 250 mL (see Tips)
1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 60 mL
1⁄4 cup filtered water 60 mL
1⁄4 tsp fine sea salt 1 mL
1 sheet raw nori, cut in half lengthwise (see Tips)
1⁄2 medium cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise
1⁄2 medium avocado, thinly sliced lengthwise
1. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process soaked sunflower seeds, lemon juice, water and salt until smooth.
Excerpted from Raw, Quick & Delicious! by Douglas McNish © 2013 www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission.
2. Place 1 piece of nori, shiny side down, in the palm of your left hand (if you are right-handed), long edge facing you. Place half the sunflower mixture on a diagonal starting from the upper left corner. Top with half the cucumber and avocado slices. Fold bottom left corner of nori over filling and roll into a cone shape. Repeat with second piece of nori. Enjoy immediately.
Tips
To soak the sunflower seeds, place in a bowl and add 2 cups (500 mL) warm water. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes. Drain, discarding soaking water and any bits of shell or unwanted particles. Rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear.
Be sure to use high-quality nori that is labeled “raw.” Purchase your nori from a reputable source such as your favorite raw foods retailer, health food store or well-stocked grocery store.
Makes 2 servings
Excerpted from Raw, Quick & Delicious! by Douglas McNish © 2013 www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission.
Don’t they look amazing!? And tasty too, believe me, even my toddler is in LOVE!
Would you like to win this cookbook for yourself? Well then, hey, I would love to give one away! Enter below and good luck!
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Looks like a great book!! Quick and healthy is what I need!! 🙂
some handy and easy tips for raw eating, thanks.
I love bacon and chicken, so going meatless would be hard.
I think the hardest thing about it would be getting your family to eat the same foods as you, & I think it would also be a real challenge eating out.
I’m only started changing my lifestyle. I’m having a hard time giving up cabbage rolls.
I think that switching to a Vegan or raw food diet would be difficult because I really love eating meat and seafood, my husband wouldn’t buy in so we would be eating different foods, and I would probably have to do more food prep ahead of time. I think that switching to eating raw food or vegan meals once or twice a week or just incorporating more raw foods into my existing diet would probably be easier than switching completely.
That my family wants different foods than I do.
I would like to eat raw but I think it’s hard to switch my lifestyle habits when I am on the go. I feel like preparation is going to be key!
it’s really hard on the wallet. it’s also really hard when your favorites are out of season and don’t taste their best or aren’t even available. (tomatoes, grapes, etc)
I believe that eating raw food is the best way to get all of the wonderful nutrients.
Eating raw is one of my aims for this year but in winter it seems very hard to do so because of the cold weather
I think the hardest thing would be feeling like you are giving up a lot.
I wish I could eat avocado 🙁
I’ve been veggie for so long, it’s hard to remember not being veg! The biggest struggle for me is keeping things from rotting. It’s not so bad in the winter, but in the summer, it can get pretty bad, especially if I don’t turn the AC on. That, and finding things to cook for my non-veg husband 🙂
I did raw for 100 days a few years back, lost 20 lbs and felt amazing! My skin was very vibrant and I had a lot of energy. I’m currently eating raw again and hoping for similar results! It’s a little harder in the winter time though…
For me it is keeping all my veggies fresh! They tend to get wilty quickly in my fridge!
If this recipe is indicative of those in the book, then it looks fantastic! My son and I went raw a few years ago and the effect was amazing! I never had so much energy! I’d love to do it again and this book would help me get jump started. Thanks for the opportunity 🙂
xo ~kim
Giving up diary was hard but once I did it, it was easy after that!
The hardest thing for me would be meal planning and making sure I always had the right ingredients. There would be a lot of trial and error at first as we found what recipes appeal to everyone in my family. We are very interested in discovering several go-to recipes using raw and vegan food:)
It’s difficult to prepare your food in advance all the time and also not having warm food in the winter.
I think just missing the comfort of warm food in winter
My son is a serious carnivore. That would be my biggest challenge!
Wetl I love hot food so don’t think I could go completely raw.
eating out at restaurants can be hard to do on the cheap