raw collard rolls, baba ghanoush, and zucchini "pasta"

When preparing food, I strive to maintain awareness of the unique properties and temperaments of the various ingredients I am working with.  This allows for a dialogue with the present moment, with an individual’s constitution, or with the particular season.  Each meal becomes a healing a response to the needs of our body in the moment. Most important is the ability to work with foods individually as well as together to create a synergy of flavors.  A balanced constitution reflects all five flavors: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and spicy. We can use complementary flavors in various proportions to recover balance when our pendulum swings too far in one direction.

Use your intuition to decide on the amount of oil, salt and citrus that you allow to dance within your meal. Each of these substances will alter your raw food and begin the process of making it more digestible and savory. Natural sweeteners are another way to tenderize raw food before including it in a dish. Pay attention to the order of balance and you will have a nice finishing product.

It is best to use the freshest and highest quality ingredients you can get your hands on-- organic, local, and sustainable. Good karma = good food. :)

Zucchini "Pasta"

Use a mandolin or julienne slicer to make long cuts of garden fresh zucchini. Apply a gentle touch of high quality X virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Marinate in a bowl, cover and let stand.  The noodles become soft with time. Use a touch of lemon as well or eliminate oil as desired.

Tomato “sauce” (although it’s not really saucy)

Broccoli

Sun dried tomato

Sweet cherry or grape tomatoes

Truffle oil (optional)

Cut the tender florettes of the broccoli into very small pieces and massage with olive oil and salt or citrus.  Soak dried tomatoes in warm water to soften, chop, and add a splash of black truffle oil if you’d like.  Stir in the tenderized broccoli, and slice in tomato halves and quarters. Stir together and let the flavor unify for a few minutes to half an hour.  

Baba Ghanoush

1 or 2 Roasted Eggplant

3 to 6 cloves gallic

1 tablespoon agave or alternate sweetener

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon

3 to 7 tablespoons tahini 

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

salt or liquid amino to taste

Scoop out the insides of the roasted eggplant. Blend the garlic in a food processor and add the other ingredients. Blend smooth. Add whatever flavor is absent by increasing its proportion from the list above.

Quinoa Flatbread

1 cup quinoa flour

1/4 tsp baking powder (aluminum free)

1/4 tsp salt

3-4 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp refined coconut oil

1.5 tsp lemon juice

Mix dry with dry and wet with wet. Combine the two, stir to mix completely, cover and let stand for 20 min or more.  make small balls and roll between parchment. Sear on a hot surface for about 30 seconds on each side.  All proportion are approximate; tailor it to your own liking by changing salt, citrus and oil content. Herbs can also be added to the dough.

Fresh Collard Wraps

Zucchini

Crimini or other mushrooms

Belgian endive

Cucumber

Raw Almond Butter (or sunflower etc)

Broccoli Stem

Avocado

Remove mushroom stems and then slice zucchini and mushrooms long and about as thick as pencils.  Marinate mushrooms in lemon, olive oil, and liquid aminos for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Squeeze lemon and drizzle oil on zucchini with a sprinkle of sea salt and marinate for at least 20-3 minutes. Cut cucumber in half and scoop the seeds out with a spoon. Cut into long strips similar to above. Cut the broccoli stem thin like match sticks. Cut the endive thin into fine strips.  Lay out half a collard and spread a small ball of nut butter onto its surface.  Lay out the other ingredients and roll the collard abound it. tack in place with a toothpick.

Ginger Sesame Dipping Sauce

2 Tbsp minced ginger

1/3 cup tahini

1/3 cup fresh beet/apple juice or smoothie

salt or liquid aminos to taste

1 tsp lemon juice

mix and adjust viscosity with water.