Raw Red Pepper Soup

     It's day four of my second try to be completely raw vegan and dinner was delicious.  I was wanting something other than spinach for a night, so I ventured to try this soup.  I actually hate raw red peppers, so I was thinking that the soup would be a bust.  However, the cashews and chile powder really balance out the pepper taste so well.  This is THE most delicious raw meal I have made so far.  It is so absolutely simple!  Only four ingredients: red peppers, cashews, 1 teaspoon chile powder, and a pinch of sea salt.

Recipe Adapted from "The Rawtarian"

Ingredients:
- Two chopped red peppers (do NOT use green or yellow, the red is the sweetest)
- 1/3 cup soaked cashews
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp. chile powder
- 1/2 cup water

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until you get a smooth consistency.  Enjoy!

"Vegan food is soul food in its truest form.  Soul food means to feed the soul.  And to me, your soul is your intent.  If your intent is pure, you are pure."  - Erykah Badu

Raw Garbanzo Sprout Hummus

Nick (My non-raw vegan) enjoying some raw sprouted garbanzo hummus.  He will attest to its deliciousness!

The recipe:

- 1 1/2 cup raw sprouted chickpeas, sprouted to 1/4 inch

- 2 tblsp tahini or raw sesame seeds soaked 4 hrs.

- 1 tsp. sea salt

- 2 lemons juiced

- 4 cloves garlic

- 1 cup water

- 1 pinch paprika

First, boil 4 cups water.  After it comes to a boil, let it sit for one minute.  Pour in the sprouted chickpeas, let sit for one minute.  We don't want them cooked, just softened, so immediately take them out and rinse them.  You can omit this step, but it tastes slightly less delicious.  

Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender and process until smooth.  Let sit for five minutes to let the beans soak up the excess water.  

Fennel Salad and raw "Cheez" veggie dip

Tonight's Dinner

This was a bittersweet meal.  First, I had never tried fennel, so branched out to try a fennel salad recipe from "Live Raw" by Mimi Kirk.  Note: I now know I do not like fennel raw.  It oddly tastes like licorice...  The fantastic part of this meal was the raw vegan "cheez" veggie dip that I made.  MOST AMAZING FOOD EVER.  It has the consistency of hummus and has a cheesy taste that is to die for.  And, it's raw!  :)

Recipes by Mimi Kirk, Live Raw p. 120

Fennel Salad (Serves 2)

- 2 cups fennel bulb, thinly sliced

- 1 cup spinach

- 1 sweet red pepper, sliced or chopped

The dressing

- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

- 4 tblsp. lemon juice

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- himalayan salt to taste

Whisk all ingredients together until well incorporated.

Raw "Cheez" Veggie Dip

- 1 cup cashews, soaked for 4 hours

- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for 4 hours

- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

- 2 tablespoons lemon juice

- 3/4 cup water (more if needed)

- 1/2 cup EVOO

- 1 clove garlic

- 1 tblsp. onion

- two generous pinches turmeric

- pinch paprika

- himalayan salt to taste

- pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth.  Start with half a cup of water and add more if needed to make a smooth thick mixture.  

Sprout your stuff!

Yummy, delicious, tender, mouth-watering sprouts are the way to go. Always.  When in doubt, sprout.

The benefits of sprouting are endless.  You can sprout almost any legume, seed, or grain.  When seeds start to sprout, a dormant health superpower wakes up to nourish and grow the plant.

- Enzyme inhibitors are diminished.  (These keep the seed/ grain from sprouting when being stored)

-  Calories are reduced

- Protein is increased

-  Minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron are released from their bondage within the seed while sprouting

Some lentil sprouts I sprouted the past four days.

This is how I sprout to get the most out of my seeds:

1.)  Rinse and drain the dried seeds, beans, rice, etc several times to remove the soapy layer.

2.)  Place rinsed seeds in a bowl full of water to soak for 8-12 hours.

3.)  Rinse, rinse, rinse and drain!  You don't want them to mildew...

4.)  Repeat for 3-4 days until 1/4 inch magical sprouts emerge.

Some garbanzo beans sprouted the last few days!  I will use these for some delicious protein packed raw hummus.  

So, when people ask, "How do you get your protein?"  We respond, "Sprouts!"

Why raw vegan?

     So, I'm taking a second shot at becoming raw vegan.  I honestly feel that this is just, simply put, the most humane, compassionate, environmentally sensitive way to live, and not to mention insurance for excellent health.  After some google research, I came across Mimi Kirk (http://youngonrawfood.com), an experienced raw vegan and author of "Live Raw", who is not only beautiful, but is also seventy four years old!  She was voted by PETA as the sexiest vegan over 50, and I definitely agree.  She hasn't had any corrective surgeries and has natural hair, and the woman looks like she's twenty years younger than she is!  As I was reading about her, I became more and more sure that I wanted to try to incorporate the raw vegan lifestyle into my daily life.

Reason #1: For people and animals  
     My main goal is to have compassion for every living being on this earth.  A report a few years back stated that we could feed 6.2 BILLION people with the grain that American livestock eats.  More than half of the U.S. grain and 40 percent of the entire worlds grain is currently being used to feed livestock.  How is this an option when we have so many children going hungry in our world?  The fact is, any diet other than a vegan one supports this horrible fact.  Also, animals suffer from a non-vegan diet.  It's a common misconception that just being a vegetarian keeps animals from being slaughtered.  Dairy cows and egg laying chickens are slaughtered whenever their milk and egg production decreases.  Dairy cows are usually killed after five years, about 20 years short.  

Reason #2:  For health
    My second desire is to live to meet my great grandchildren with health.  Not tied to a hospital bed or pumped full of drugs just attempting to make life comfortable.  I want to take care of my body now, so that I can continue doing God's work late in years.  Eating raw provides our bodies with enzymes that we don't receive with cooked food, even vegan cooked food.  The heat removes many micronutrients and enzymes that keep our body healthy.  Also, the consumption of animal protein is linked to health issues such as heart disease, differing types of cancer, diabetes, obesity, and so many more.  Cow's milk contains the right nutrients and fat content for a young calf, but not for humans.  

Reason #3: For the environment
     Feeding all of the animals that we eat takes a huge toll on our earth.  It causes topsoil erosion, greenhouse gas production, acid rain, depletion of aquifers, and so many more problems that are ruining our earth.  

So why raw?  Health, longevity, compassion, and preserving the blessing of earth that was so gracefully created for us.  

Join me. :)