Live Foods for Summer

Cover via Amazon

DR: Can you please share some information on the healing qualities of a food that is abundant in the summer?

There are an abundance of tomatoes available in the summer – many exciting and delicious varieties! Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that has been linked with good heart health and offers protection against various other diseases. No other food has as much of this important nutrient as the tomato. Please make sure to use organic tomatoes whenever possible.
While you are enjoying your tomatoes, you can contemplate this bit of folklore. Centuries ago, the French believed that tomatoes had aphrodisiac qualities and named them pommes d’amour or ‘love apples’.

Please check out our newly released book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw, coauthored with Jennifer Murray and Bo Rinaldi to earn more about the healing qualities of foods as well as the simple tools you need to prepare your own delicious and healthful meals. The book is available on our website, veganfusion.com, at our restaurants or in bookstores everywhere.

DR: I’m sure you have a great recipe that makes use of tomatoes. Care to share?

But of course. Here you go. The sauce for the ravioli makes use of tomatoes.

Recipes courtesy Jennifer Murray.

Turnip and Pine Nut Ravioli

Yield: 32 raviolis
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Soak Time: 2 hours minimum
Dehydrator Time: 30 minutes (optional)
2 large turnips, peeled
2 TB. olive oil
1 cup pine nuts, soaked at least 2+ hours
2 cups macadamia nuts, soaked at least 2+ hours
1 TB. fresh rosemary, minced
4 tsp. fresh parsley, minced
4 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
2 TB. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 TB. apple cider vinegar
[1/2] cup rejuvelac (or filtered water), (as needed)

1. Using a vegetable peeler or a mandoline, to cut turnips into 32 very thin slices. Coat in olive oil and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour. If desired, dehydrate at 110 degrees F for 30- to 45 minutes to soften “noodles.”
2. Rinse pine nuts and macadamia nuts, and drain well for at least 10 minutes. Place in Add to a food processor fitted with the s-an S-shaped blade, and process blend on high speed for 10 seconds.
3. Add rosemary, parsley, thyme, nutritional yeast, salt, black pepper, and apple cider vinegar. Blend on high speed for about 20 seconds while adding rejuvelac (or water) through the top until a smooth, cheesy consistency is reached.
4. Scoop 1 tablespoon cheese onto each turnip slice, and fold in half. Serve 8 raviolis per plate, and coat with Sun Dried Tomato Sage Sauce, recipe below.

Variation: Instead of Alternatives for the turnips, in these raviolis are many. Ttry watermelon radishes, beets, or zucchini. For smaller produce, cut twice as many slices, use one slice for the bottom, put cheese in the middle, and layer another slice on top, press down gently.

Sun-Dried Tomato Sage Sauce

Yield: 2 cups
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Soak Time: 30+ minutes minimum
[1/4] cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup filtered water
2 cups roma tomatoes, chopped
[1/2] cup sun-dried tomato soak water
2 TB. beets, shredded
2 TB. olive oil
1 TB. fresh basil, minced
1 TB. fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp. nama shoyu (or to taste)
1 tsp. nutritional yeast
[1/2] tsp. fresh oregano
[1/2] tsp. fresh thyme
[1/2] tsp. salt
[1/4] tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 TB.1[1/2] tsp. rubbed sage
agave nectar to taste

1. Soak sun-dried tomatoes in at least 1 cup of filtered water for at least 30 minutes minimum. Strain, reserving liquid.
2. Place sun-dried tomatoes, Blend with roma tomatoes, soak water, beets, olive oil, basil, parsley, nama shoyu, nutritional yeast, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, and sage in a blender; and blend on high speed for 40 seconds or until you reach desired the consistency of tomato sauce.

Going Raw Do’s and Don’t

Image by cobalt123 via Flickr

Q: Mark, for the past several months, I have been interested in adding more raw foods to my diet. I just picked up your new book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw and am really enjoying it. Can you give me any other pointers on going raw?

A: We came up with a list of do’s and don’ts for folks to consider as they embark upon their raw journey. Consider these tips:

Do

• eat fresh local and organic foods whenever possible.
• listen to your body.
• sleep when tired.
• eat when hungry.
• drink and bathe in clean water.
• prepare as much of your own food as possible.
• get moderate exercise.
• enjoy the sunshine (in moderation) as it produces vitamin D for your body.
• supplement your raw food diet with vitamin B12
• rinse all produce well, especially non organic produce.
• read food labels very carefully.
• spend time in the produce aisle and at farmers markets locating new produce to experiment with.
• enjoy the local raw community scene or create one.

Don’t

• get frustrated if you are not living up to your expectations.
• buy food with additives or preservatives.
• judge others by what they eat or don’t eat.
• wait until tomorrow to make the healthy choices.
• allow the well intentioned advice of friends and family deter you from making changes you wish to make.

You will begin to discover your own dos and don’ts as you introduce more raw foods into your life. Let your body and your intuition be your guide as you continually learn from others.

Q: Thanks for that! Can you share a favorite recipe from the book?

A: Sure, here you go.

Mediterranean Sunflower Seed Dip

This is a wonderful sunflower seed dish with olives, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh herbs that bring out the flavors of the Mediterranean.

Yield: 2 cups
Prep time: 20 minutes
Soak time: 2+ hours

1 cup sunflower seeds
2 sun-dried tomatoes
1 TB. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 TB. red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced
2 TB. kalamata olives, diced
1 TB. green onion
1 TB. basil, minced
1 TB. parsley, minced
1 tsp. nama shoyu
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 TB. nutritional yeast
1 TB. olive oil

1.    Soak sunflower seeds in water to cover for 2 hours to overnight. Soak sun-dried tomatoes in water to cover for at least 30 minutes. Strain and place in food processor with lemon juice, red bell pepper, olives, green onion, basil, parsley, shoyu, garlic, oregano, black pepper, nutritional yeast and olive oil. Process on high speed for 20 seconds until smooth. Scrape down the sides as necessary to ensure the flavors are evenly distributed.

2.     Allow pate to sit for at least 20 minutes, covered, in the fridge before serving to enhance the flavor. Serve with fresh cucumber slices, with Flax Crackers or as part of a salad.

Have a question for the natural chef? Please email mark [at] veganfusion [dot] com

The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw is a semifinalist in the Living Now Book Awards

The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw is a semifinalist for the Living Now Book Awards

Recognizing the Year’s Best Books for Better Living

The Living Now Book Awards are intended to promote newly-published lifestyle books and their creators. Natural, healthy living doesn’t come easy – it’s much harder work to grow your own beans than to buy them at the supermarket, and much simpler to buy a designer sweater than to knit it – using the wool you spun from the sheep you raised yourself! The Living Now Book Awards recognize books that help readers help themselves, to learn about enriching their lives in wholesome, Earth-friendly ways.

The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw

Go Green with Vegan Cuisine

QUESTION: In past interviews we have been discussing the health benefits of raw and vegan foods. You mentioned that there are environmental and social benefits to this form of eating as well. Can you elaborate a bit?

MARK: We hear a lot these days about global warming, food shortages, water shortages and rainforest destruction. Many people, including environmentalists, don’t realize that including more vegan foods in our diet is one of the most effective steps we can take to protect our environment and conserve the earth’s resources. A recent UN report called Livestock’s Long Shadow revealed that 18 percent of all greenhouse emissions come from the livestock industry. That’s more than the entire world automobile industry combined! This is incredible to me.

The environmental impact of a vegan diet is a fraction of that of a meat-based one. According to Conservation International, the average carbon emissions from an animal product based diet are 11 tons per year per person. The average emissions on a plant-based diet are 6 tons per year. Another interesting tidbit of information is that it takes approximately 3 ½ acres of land and 2500 gallons of water a day to support an animal product based diet. A plant-based diet utilizes only 1/6 of an acre of land and 300 gallons of water a day. According to the USDA, 1 acre of land can produce 20,000 pounds of vegetables. This same amount of land can only produce 165 pounds of meat.

Animals are fed more than 80 percent of the corn and 95 percent of the oats grown in the United States. Each year, the U.S. livestock population consumes enough grain and soybeans to feed more than five times the U.S. human population. Less than half of the harvested agricultural acreage goes to feed people. Combine this with the fact that over 60 million people die of starvation every year. This means that we are feeding grain to animals while our fellow humans are dying of starvation in mind staggering numbers.

QUESTION: Wow! I had no idea. That’s pretty intense information. Where can I go to learn more?

MARK: We have more information in our books, Vegan Fusion World Cuisine and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw. You can also check out Diet for a New America, which is the source of much of the environmental information we share. Author John Robbins is a pioneer in the promotion of the health and environmental benefits of a plant- based lifestyle. His latest work, Healthy At 100, is a must-read in-depth exploration of health and longevity.

QUESTION: Can you share an environmentally friendly recipe for the holiday season?

MARK: Here you go, courtesy of Vegan Fusion World Cuisine

Sistah Jah Love Roasted Squash Soup

20 min prep / 35 min cooking / 5-6 servings

Ingredients
1 small Butternut or buttercup squash (1 ½ C cooked)
1 large Garnet yam, peeled & chopped (2 C)
1 medium Onion, chopped (1 C)
1 C Celery, sliced thin
2 Tbl Garlic, minced
4 ½ C Filtered water or vegetable stock
2 ½ C Coconut milk
2 Tbl Maple syrup, or to taste
3 Tbl soy sauce
½ tsp Curry paste
1 small Cinnamon stick
• Sea salt, to taste
• Black pepper, ground to taste

Loving preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Rinse the butternut squash, slice lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place face down on a lightly-oiled baking sheet and bake until a knife can pass through it easily, approximately 30 – 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Scoop the inside of the squash into a large blender.

2. While squash is cooking, place the yams, onions, celery, garlic, coconut milk, filtered water and cinnamon stick in a 3 qt pot, cook on medium high heat until yams are thoroughly cooked, approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool 10-15 minutes.

3. Remove cinnamon stick, add shoyu and maple syrup, place in blender with squash and blend. Add salt and pepper to taste, mix well and enjoy.

4. Garnish with black sesame seeds and a leaf of mint or cilantro. The flavor of this soup may vary according to the sweetness of the yams and squash, add maple syrup to taste.

Chocolate Orange Pudding

Chocolate Orange Pudding

from the Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw

Sure to please the whole family, this pudding actually resembles an elegant mousse.

Yield: 3 cups
Prep time: 15 minutes
Chill time: 1+ hours
Serving size: [1/3] cup
2 cups avocado, mashed
6 TB. raw cacao powder
2 TB. raw carob powder
2 tsp. orange zest
4 dates, soaked
[1/4] cup date soak water
[1/4] cup agave nectar
3 TB. freshly squeezed orange juice

1. In the food processor with the s-blade attachment, blend avocado, cacao powder, carob powder, orange zest, dates, date soak water, agave and orange juice on high speed for 40 seconds until a smooth consistency is reached.

2. Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Variations

Substitute [1/2] teaspoon of mint extract for orange zest.
Try adding 2 tablespoons of rose water.

Recipe courtesy of Jennifer Murray.

Mark Reinfeld, Author, Vegan Fusion World Cuisine: Healing Recipes and Timeless Wisdom from our Hearts to Yours & The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw

Please visit www.veganfusion.com or www.blossominglotus.com for more information.

Can Eating Raw Help me Be Healthier?

Question: Can eating raw foods help me be healthier?

Answer: We believe eating raw foods paves the way towards optimal health and the prevention of disease because the plants are in their most bio-available state. The World Health Organization estimates that a low intake of fruits and vegetables is the cause of major diseases such as heart disease, cancer and stroke. Major national health organizations such as the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association recommend including fruits and vegetables to prevent illnesses. What better way to meet these needs than with delicious raw foods?

Once a small movement, eating raw is now recognized as a delicious healthy main stream lifestyle with access to all of the ingredients, tools, foods, recipes and great books available today.

Mark Reinfeld, Author, Vegan Fusion World Cuisine: Healing Recipes and Timeless Wisdom from our Hearts to Yours & The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw

Please visit www.veganfusion.com or www.blossominglotus.com for more information.

Are Raw Foods Good for Weight Loss?

Question: Are raw foods good for weight loss?

Answer: It’s an open secret in the health world that eating raw has a built in weight reduction mechanism. Raw foods have higher water content, fiber and nutritional values than their cooked counterparts.

Going raw also keeps you away from two of the main weight gain culprits – refined sugars and flours. Whatever the reason, we think the raw food diet is the best way to lose weight because it’s simply so satisfying!

The higher water content of raw foods encourages weight loss. When food is cooked, it loses its moisture and becomes denser. Raw foods, loaded with water, fill you up sooner. You wind up eating less because you are filling up on low calorie, nutrient rich foods. You may find yourself eating more frequent, lighter meals.

The water in raw foods is the water of life that is designed to sustain our bodies. Going raw naturally creates a light cleansing effect that purifies and assists our body in weight loss.

Mark Reinfeld, Author, Vegan Fusion World Cuisine: Healing Recipes and Timeless Wisdom from our Hearts to Yours & The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw (Complete Idiot’s Guide to)

Please visit www.veganfusion.com or www.blossominglotus.com for more information.

Live Foods, Raw Foods – What’s the Difference?

Question: Many times you will hear the word live foods or living foods used to describe a raw food diet. Is there a difference?

Answer: For many, the words are used interchangeably. For those ‘in the know’, there is an important difference. Raw foods consist of foods in their natural, unheated state.

Live foods can even contain greater amounts of vital nutrients and enzyme activity created through soaking, sprouting, blending and culturing. Culturing allows us to create specialty dishes and drinks such as sauerkraut, plant cheeses, yogurts and kombucha.

Mark Reinfeld, Author, Vegan Fusion World Cuisine: Healing Recipes and Timeless Wisdom from our Hearts to Yours & The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw (Complete Idiot’s Guide to)

Please visit www.veganfusion.com or www.blossominglotus.com for more information.

Tune In to a Vegan Holiday on The Splendid Table

We are happy to announce that Blossoming Lotus Founding Chef Mark Reinfeld will be interviewed on Public Radio’s food show, The Splendid Table, now in its 14th year of broadcasting. This popular program was named “1999 Best National Radio Show on Food” by the James Beard Foundation, and “2000 Best National Syndicated Talk Show” by American Women in Radio and Television.

Mark will be discussing a Vegan Holiday Feast with host Lynne Rossetto Kasper the weekend of December 13th and 14th on over 200 stations across the United States, and world-wide via SIRIUS and XM satellite. Please help us spread the word by forwarding this newsletter to your friends and family.

Please Visit Here
For the broadcast schedule and to find a station near you

What Exactly are Raw Foods?

Raw foods are foods that have not been cooked. They are the fresh fruits, berries, vegetables, nuts, seeds and herbs we have all come to know and love in their whole, natural state.

Once raw food is heated above a certain temperature, the food is considered to be cooked. Many define this point as the temperature where the particular food’s enzymes are destroyed.

Enzymes are the catalysts of life and that all foods come with naturally occurring enzymes. At around 100°F they are beginning to get a bit sluggish and by 118° F they are pretty much toast. Most raw foodists consider 116° to be the maximum threshold for enzyme potential.

Raw foods are loaded with enzymes and all of the vital nutrients our bodies need to flourish. Raw foods also have a high water content compared to cooked foods. The water found in fresh foods is in many ways superior to drinking water.

Raw foods abound with phytonutrients. These are the important vitamins, minerals and other nutrients found in plants that are known and still being discovered by science that are necessary for life to thrive. Eating raw means you are getting the highest concentration of phytonutrients emanating from the plant kingdom.

Mark Reinfeld, Author, Vegan Fusion World Cuisine: Healing Recipes and Timeless Wisdom from our Hearts to Yours & The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw (Complete Idiot’s Guide to)

Please visit www.veganfusion.com or www.blossominglotus.com for more information.