This is for Dane and others that eat a raw diet. I have been thinking about what you said Dane, that you have been eating a raw diet now for 5 yrs, this seems mind boggling.
Would you mind sharing some idea as to what type of meals you prepare?
Can I assume you eat a lot of suishi, since I know you're not a vegan or vegetarian?
What about meat, fillet?
I understand the benefits but am really wondering how you keep your diet interesting and raw at the same time.
Appreciate the feedback.
...JP
NP JP
It's a lot easier than you might think. It's just that when people first think "raw foods" they think cold, plain. Does anyone ever cook any food without adding
any spice? (try it sometime, heh
) The dehydrator becomes one's "oven" & the only limit is your imagination.
I do eat some fish but I'm actually quite careful/selective there (mercury contam, etc.,) and it's a small part of my diet. I don't eat rice (it's cooked & a grain) and even the nori at restaurants would be cooked (
raw nori is available though), so we make our own sushi (substitute sprouts for the rice). Sashimi would be on the menu for eating out though. Salmon from Alaska (e.g. Copper River) is a winner. Here's one recipe: Salmon stuffed with raw goat yogurt cheese & Blackberry port tepenada. Slice a fillet of salmon in half, stuff it & rejoin, leave it in the dehydrator at 105°F for ~2hrs and the texture is like the most moist "slow-roasted" salmon you've ever had.
Jerky is a stand-by, especially for traveling and is good for those who have "texture issues" with raw meats. Even though the jerky has never been cooked (above 105°F) if you dehydrate it long it will be as tough and chewy as anything. Buffalo, beef, elk, ostrich - any lean red meat is easy to make. Salmon makes a good jerky too actually.
I actually always liked really rare (& snuck raw sometimes too, lol) meats. So my protein lunch staple is typically some sort of warmed meat dish - such as grass-fed buffalo top-round, ground up (I have my own grinder) with a thin layer of pistachio hummus (another recipe I devised, just substitute sprouted/dehydrated pistachios for the beans) on top and dehydrated for ~ 1hr. If I left it too long it would turn into jerky (also good!) but, taken early, it is just nice and warm and tender -melt in your mouth. The next day I may do something similar but with a rosemary, garlic & wine lamb, chipotle beef, thai curry pineapple, tomato, spinach muscovey duck, etc., etc.,.
We make pizzas, tostadas, enchilladas and tacos, etc., with dehydrated sprouted corn as the crust/tortilla. That's about it for any grains for me. They are nice and crispy/crunchy though. Stuffed portabello mushrooms, kiwi-lime prawns (just a couple more raw recipes that come to mind).
Raw soups - rely on the blender a bit and just be sure not to over-heat (again, nothing above 105°F) and almost every option is there. My favourites are a salmon bisque, spicy thai coconut soup and creamed butternut squash.
Smoothies are the daily breakfast routine. Raw goat milk (from local farm) yogurt & kefir blended up with raw egg(s), fruit, nuts/nut butter, coconut oil &/or cream, honey, bee pollen, royal jelly.
Salads are a given (heavy on the sprouts). Veggie juices almost daily as well.
Desserts have wayyyyy too many options! lol Use raw sprouted nuts instead of flour, coconut cream, raw cacao, honey (of course!) nut butters, fruits, etc., etc.,.
great raw nut & nut better storehoney & coconut-cream glazed, raw carrot (w/date, walnut, pineapple & coconut) "bee-hive" cake
cacao hazelnut truffles:
cinnamon rolls (almond, macadamia, ground cinnamon, vanilla, cacao, honey w/honey-coconut cream, cacao butter glaze):
(there's loads more but I'll stop now!, lol)
Pretty mundane diet all 'round!
Bon apetit!
~Dane
