This simple garnish can be used as a plate decoration, or as part of a fruit and vegetable arrangement. Radishes are easy to find year round, cost very little, are very versatile and look very festive as part of any holiday decoration.  You can make these carvings a few days in advance and store them in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge until ready to display.

For this composition you will need 2-3 radishes, 1 zucchini (or a cucumber), 2 cranberries, a sharp paring knife, and a bowl of icy cold water for soaking the carvings.

Flower # 1: Radish Flat Top Flower. (Steps 1-3 on the picture)

• Choose a big round radish.
• Cut off the top part (green stem) about 5 mm.
• With the knife, chip into checkerboard pattern top, positioning the knife at about 45 degree angle towards the center of each groove.
• Visually divide the radish into 5 petals. Going around the sides of the radish make a slanted cut down, aiming towards the base of the flower to make the first petal. Be careful not to cut all the way through. Make the second petal the same way, also cutting through the first petal (it creates a small petal). Make 5 petals in total. The last cut will also go through petals 1 and 4 simultaneously.
• Place the radish flower into a bowl of ice-cold water to open up the petals a little. It will take about 30 minutes.

Flower # 2: Radish Chrysanthemum Flower. (Steps 4-5 on the picture)

• Choose a big round radish.
• Cut off the root and stem end of the radish.
• Use a knife to make vertical cuts almost down to the stem end. Be careful not to cut all the way through.
• Make the next set of vertical cuts perpendicular to the first.
• Place the radish flower into a bowl of ice-cold water to open up the petals. It will take about 30 minutes.

Flower # 3: Radish Zigzag Flower with Cranberry Center. (Steps 6-8 on the picture)

• Choose a big round radish. It will make 2 flowers.
• Using a knife, cut in a zigzag manner towards the middle of the radish all around, making sure the tip of the knife reaches the middle of the radish, and all the cuts meet up.
• Remove the top. If the halves don’t easily separate, run the knife over the same cuts again, inserting it a little deeper.
• Using the tip of the knife, carve out a hole in the middle big enough for a cranberry.
• Place the radish flower into a bowl of ice-cold water to open up the petals. It will take about 30 minutes.
• Insert a cranberry into the center when ready to garnish.

Zucchini Leaves (makes 2 or 3):

• Choose a zucchini with dark smooth skin.
• Cut it diagonally into sections about 2-2.5 inches long. Then cut each section in half lengthwise. Each section will provide 2 leaf diamond-shaped pieces.
• Hollow out the bulk of the white flesh with the help of a knife.
• Trim each piece to shape it like a leaf.
• On the green side, cut a groove to represent the mid-rib, and then cut diagonal grooves to represent the veins.
• Cut notches around the edges of the leaf.

When ready to display, arrange your carvings on a plate, or in any other arrangement of your choice. Enjoy your food creations!

No matter where you live, April should be bringing you a new batch of delicious raw fruits and vegetables to enjoy on your raw food journey. Around here, we will be feasting on juices, salads and creative raw dishes featuring papaya, watercress, strawberries, limes, arugula, beets, spinach and parsley. The possibilities are endless, but here are a few recipes to whet your appetite.

Hearty Stuffed Avocados (by Kelli Haines) 

It’s great for an Easter celebration feast.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw pistachios, soaked
½ cup raw pecans, soaked
1 cup diced celery
1 red pepper, diced
2 scallions, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh dill (or 1 tsp. dried)
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
pinch of celtic sea salt, optional
3 avocados, halved and pitted but skin intact

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until still slightly chunky and fill avocado halves with the mixture. Arrange on a platter of greens and sprinkle with curry powder and dried dill, if desired. Use any leftover filling for nori wraps.

Serves 6

Queen’s Juice
This exhilarating green juice is hydrating, alkalizing and refreshing. Queen’s Juice: It’s what’s for breakfast.

Ingredients:
1 lime, peeled
1 bunch of fresh parsley
2 apples, any variety
2 stalks of celery
2 handfuls of spinach
1 small beetroot

Run everything through a juicer and pour into a tall glass. Drink immediately.
Serves 1 generously

Pond Pudding
When you were a child, did you ever seek out frog eggs in the ponds and ditches and try to hatch them at home? This delicious spring pudding is bound to remind you of your childhood adventures.

Ingredients:
2 handfuls of fresh spinach
1 ripe papaya, peeled and seeded
1 cup fresh chopped pineapple
1 Tablespoon of raw honey
dash of vanilla, optional
¼ cup black chia seeds (soaked in 1 cup water or coconut water overnight)

Blend everything but the soaked chia seeds in a blender. Pour into a bowl and stir in the chia until thoroughly incorporated. Dust with cinnamon and eat with a spoon.

Serves 1

Figging Around Salad
You can use this salad as a foundation to build your own creations. Or eat it just the way it is for delicious simplicity.

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh arugula, roughly chopped
2 cups romaine hearts, roughly chopped
2 cups fresh figs, roughly chopped
½ cup chopped pistachios

Toss all ingredients in a bowl and drizzle with your favorite raw citrus dressing, such as orange juice and honey, with a pinch of celtic sea salt if desired.

Serves 2

Parfait
A rich, creamy parfait that tastes and looks decadent but is very easy to make…and eat.

2 and ½ cups raw cashews, soaked
1 cup fresh nut milk, any flavor
¼ cup raw honey or natural sweetener of your choice
2 cups fresh ripe strawberries, sliced
½ cup ground flaxseed
fresh mint leaves for garnish

Blend cashews with nut milk and sweetener until smooth. Put a couple spoonfuls in the bottom of a dessert cup and then layer sliced strawberries, followed by ground flax seed. Repeat the layers once or twice, depending on the size of your cup and garnish with strawberries and mint leaf.

Serves 2

At first glance, March’s seasonal produce might not stir up a lot of excitement or visions of raw potlucks dancing in your head, but wait until you taste some of the refreshing creations you can make with these seemingly mundane fruits and vegetables including dandelion greens, asparagus, grapefruit and oranges, fresh peas and California strawberries. Not only will you be dancing, but your tastebuds will be singing! 

Strawberry Grapefruit Slurry

Ingredients:
2 cups of fresh whole strawberries
1 grapefruit, peeled and seeded
2 ripe bananas
½ head of Romaine lettuce, roughly chopped

Set aside a few strawberries and grapefruit slices in a bowl and blend all other ingredients until smooth. Add the remaining fruit pieces and pulse gently until they are blended in, but still slightly chunky. Pour into two tall smoothie glasses and enjoy!

Serves 2

Snappy Spring Toss

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh snow peas
2 cups of jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 cups of orange wedges, peeled and divided
½ cup of chopped raw soaked pecans
2 Tablespoons of raw honey
juice of one orange
pinch of celtic sea salt, optional

In a serving bowl, mix the honey, orange juice and salt together with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and toss thoroughly until well coated with the resulting dressing. Let it sit to marinade for at least half an hour.

Serves 2

Love Your Liver Salad

Ingredients:
1 bunch of dandelion greens, stems removed
1 handful of mixed baby greens
2 red apples, cored and sliced thinly
¼ cup of scallions, roughly chopped
1/2 avocado, peeled and cubed
¼ cup tahini
juice of 2 fresh navel oranges
1 inch of peeled and grated ginger root
1 teaspoon of freshly ground cinnamon
pinch of celtic sea salt
1 Tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped

Place the dandelion greens, baby greens, apples, scallions and avocado in a large salad bowl. Blend the remaining ingredients in a blender and pour over the salad. Toss gently to coat entire salad with the dressing and let sit for at least half an hour before serving. Garnish with dandelion flowers, if available, and sprinkles of dulse flakes.

Serves 2

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Ingredients:
1 cup coconut water
1/2 avocado
1 small bunch of fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
1 stalk of celery, chopped
½ cup raw pine nuts, soaked
Juice of half a lemon
handful of fresh dill
Pinch of sea salt

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Pour into two soup bowls and garnish with chives, extra chopped asparagus or fresh corn, if you live where it’s available.

Serves 2

Adventure Juice
How will you know if you never try?

Ingredients:
2 Swiss Chard leaves, stems intact
small handful of arugula
1 apple (preferably Granny Smith variety)
3 medium cucumbers
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and quartered

Run all ingredients through your juicer and serve in two fancy glasses. This is the way to drink a toast to a healthy day!

Cherimoya Smoothie
Just tropical enough to deserve the name. It is February after all. Mark Twain called the cherimoya “the most delicious fruit known to men.” Look for them in Asian markets. Often you will find cherimoya are sold not yet ripened. You should leave your cherimoya for several days in a paperbag at room temperature till it turns an almost brown color and feels like an almost ripened avocado. It should have some give but not be squishy when squeezed with your fingers.

Ingredients:
2 kiwi, peeled and halved
2 leaves of Swiss Chard, stems removed
1 cherimoya, seeded and fibrous center removed
water from one young Thai coconut

Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender until very smooth and pour into two small smoothie glasses for a treat that makes a meal.

Cauliflower Couscous
How can a food named Couscous not be romantic?

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 cup cherry tomatoes
handful of scallions, minced
1/2 avocado, peeled and pitted and chopped
handful of fresh mint, chopped (or cilantro)
juice of one lemon
dash of celtic sea salt
¼ cup raw olives, pitted, rinsed and chopped for garnish

Place the cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until the texture resembles rice or couscous grain. Pour into a bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients.

Creamy Dreamy Dessert
All things smooth, creamy, sweet and colorful. I heart raw foods!

Ingredients:
2 cherimoya, seeded and fibrous center removed
1/2 avocado, peeled and pitted

1 Tbs. hemp seeds
dash of vanilla
dash of sea salt
dash of cinnamon
thinly sliced orange wedges

Blend all ingredients except oranges until smooth and creamy. Pour into dessert dishes or into your favorite raw pie crust. Garnish with orange slices across the top. Allow to thicken in refrigerator for at least half an hour.

If you could peek into my kitchen, you would see about 60-70 persimmons ripening, each at their own speed. My favorite is the Hachiya variety, the kind that is shaped like an acorn. You should eat the Hachiya when they are very soft and start to look like they’re just about to go bad. Once they reach this stage, they are so amazingly sweet, the taste will remind you of marmalade! When making the recipes below, I suggest cutting off the top and then scooping out the flesh of the ripe persimmon using a spoon.

Persimmon Shake 
Feeling, protein rich and delicious!

Ingredients:
1 large Persimmon, extra ripe (may substitute 2 bananas)
1 young Thai coconut (just the coconut water or you can use the coconut meat as well)
2 Tbs. hemp seeds

Blend until smooth in a blender.

Serves 1

Persimmon Pudding
Your children will love it and you’ll feel like a child again having this out-of this world desert.

Ingredients:
1 large Persimmon, very ripe
½ avocado, pitted and peeled
1 young Thai coconut (coconut water only)

Blend until smooth in a blender. Place in the refrigerator for a while before serving.

Serves 1

Bowl of Pomegranate Seeds
If there is something I like more than persimmons, it would be pomegranates. Every night I peel 1 large pomegranate, remove the seeds and place them in a bowl in the refrigerator for a wonderful snack next morning to chew on before or after hot yoga. Just chew them up, enjoy the flavor and spit the seeds out when you’re done. 

If this doesn’t look like a real recipe to you, it is still the best snack you can have. Plus, my main goal is to encourage you to eat as simple as possible.

Classic Energy Soup
If you are avoiding fruit sugar for any reason and want something easy, filling and nourishing you might try this raw healing soup made famous by Dr. Ann Wigmore. You can adjust the ingredients and seasonings to your own liking. The possibilities are endless, but here is the basic version:

Ingredients:
2 cups Rejuvelac (use vegetable juice if you don’t like Rejuvelac)
1 green apple, cored
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
½ red pepper
1 Tbs. dulse flakes
1 handful of spinach or 1 large collard leaf, stem removed
1 handful of fresh sprouts, such as alfalfa or sunflower

Blend until smooth and pour into a soup bowl. Garnish with spices such as cumin and chili powder, chopped vegetables, sprouts, whatever you fancy. I have even drizzled my favorite raw salad dressing on top.

Serves 2

Zesty Collard Wraps
Spicy wraps reminiscent of Italian food when you want something to chew on.

Ingredients:
4 large collard leaves
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. Celtic salt
1 parsnip, peeled and coarsely chopped
½ cup pine nuts, soaked and rinsed
½ cup sun dried tomatoes, soaked
¼ cup fresh basil and oregano

Marinate the collard leaves in lemon and salt and enough water to cover overnight. Next day, rinse and drain and dry on paper towels. Lay the collard leaf flat on a cutting board and slice down both sides of the stem to remove it. Overlap the edges of the leaves where you cut so that they are ‘back together again’ and form one whole collard leaf.

In a food processor, pulse the parsnips, pine nuts, soaked tomatoes, and herbs until crumbly. Add a pinch of sea salt if desired. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of this filling onto the middle of the overlapping collard leaves and roll up burrito style, securing the end with a toothpick if needed. Serve with raw marinara sauce for dipping.

Serves 1-2

Carrot Falafel Wraps with Sweet Tahini Dressing (recipe and photo by Kelli Haines) 
These wraps come together in a matter of minutes, and these falafel won’t weigh you down and make you feel awful

Ingredients:
2 cups of fresh carrot pulp, leftover from making carrot juice
1 cup of sesame seeds, freshly ground (coffee grinder works great for this)
½ cup parsley, chopped
½ cup cilantro, chopped
1 Tablespoon flax or chia seeds
1 tsp. sea salt (optional)
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
dash of cumin
Large, flat Romaine lettuce leaves

Blend everything except lettuce thoroughly in a food processor until the mixture holds together and can be shaped into balls. Using an ice cream scoop, form into balls and place atop Romaine lettuce leaves. Drizzle with the following dressing:

2 Tablespoons raw tahini
1 Tablespoon raw honey
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
pinch of sea salt

Whisk together in small bowl until smooth and pour generously over the falafel balls.

Serves 2-4

Persimmon Chia Pudding

One of the joys of eating raw foods: desserts like this are so nutritious you can eat them as a main meal

Ingredients:
1 and ½ cups fresh nut milk (simply blend 1 cup pre-soaked nuts with 3 cups water and strain out the nuts, saving the pulp for another recipe later. This will leave you with 3 cups of fresh nut milk.)
¼ cup chia seeds.

Whisk together 1 ½ cups of the nut milk and chia seeds and let sit for an hour. Then put into blender along with:

2 very ripe, peeled persimmons
1 banana
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
2 medium collard leaves, stems removed.

Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into two serving bowls and garnish with some more chopped persimmon and a dusting of cinnamon.

Serves 2

Pom-Citrus Go-Go Juice

Ingredients:
1 pomegranate, peeled and halved
1 red apple, cored
2 celery stalks
2 medium cucumbers
1 small beetroot

Run everything through a juicer and pour into two tall glasses. Drink immediately.

Serves 2

December Potpourri Salad
Gorgeous colors and seasonal flavors combine wonderfully in this salad that can be dressed with any of your favorite raw dressings

Ingredients:
4 cups mixed baby greens (if they include arugula, even better!)
1 small fennel bulb, peeled and sliced thinly
1 apple, cored and sliced thinly
Seeds from one pomegranate
1 tangerine or mandarin orange, peeled and divided into sections
1 cup pistachios, soaked, rinsed and chopped

Toss all ingredients in a large salad bowl and arrange attractively on two salad plates, garnishing with extra nuts and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds. Dress with a grapefruit and honey dressing or favorite dressing of your choice.
Serves 2

Cran-Apple Morning Juice

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh, raw cranberries
1 apple, any variety
1 head of Romaine lettuce
1 medium cucumber

Run all ingredients through your juicer and pour into two festive juice glasses. Garnish with an orange wedge. Drink immediately.

Serves 2

Gingered Carrots

Ingredients:
4-5 cups carrots, peeled and grated
2 inches of ginger root, peeled and chopped
pinch of dill
1-2 Tablespoons sea salt

Take a clean quart canning jar and sprinkle a pinch of dill on the bottom. Then tightly pack carrots about two inches high, tamping them down to fit as many carrots as you can into the jar. Place a few pieces of ginger on top and continue layering carrots and ginger pieces until you reach the neck of the jar, approximately ¾ of the way up. You don’t want to fill the jar completely because you need to leave space for the liquid. Mix the sea salt and 4 cups of water (you will probably not use all of the mixture) and pour slowly over the carrots, working out any air bubbles, making sure to cover all carrots completely. It is very important to leave at least 1 inch of space between the top of the jar and the liquid, but yet have the carrots completely covered. Wipe the rim and screw the lid on tightly. Let sit in a dark place for 3 days and then refrigerate. Serve as a condiment to your favorite raw food dishes.

Perfect Pear Green Smoothie

Ingredients:
Juice of 2 fresh fall apples, any variety
2 ripe Bartlett pears, cored
1 banana
1 Tablespoon pre-soaked chia seeds
½ of an avocado, pitted and peeled
2 medium leaves of Swiss Chard or kale, stems removed

Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy! It may be necessary to add a little water when blending depending on how ripe the fruits are.

Serves 1

Vibrancy Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
½ cup macadamia nuts or cashews, soaked
1 inch ginger root, peeled and minced
2 leaves of Romaine lettuce
1 Tablespoon raw honey
pinch of curry and pinch of cinnamon
pinch of sea salt, optional
1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed
1 avocado, peeled and cubed

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or high powered blender until smooth and creamy, adding more of the orange juice or water for desired consistency. Pour into two soup bowls and dust with extra spices and garnish with chopped mango and avocado.
Serves 2

Harvest Green Smoothie
Green smoothies are a staple food to consume before, during and after a cleanse.

Ingredients:
3 fresh apples, any variety
1 banana
1 pear
1 cup concord grapes
2 handfuls of fresh spinach (can substitute kale or Swiss Chard instead)

Juice the apples first and then blend with the remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour into tall glasses and garnish with a wedge of apple.

Serves 2

Mediterrane-Un-Dolmades
This very simple and tasty version of dolmades provides beneficial bacteria for a healthy digestive system

Ingredients:
4 large collard leaves, stems removed, marinated in salt water overnight
fresh raw saurkraut (see Your Right to Be Beautiful for that recipe) or purchase from a health food store.
½ cup fresh mint, chopped
dulse flakes

Rinse and dry the marinated collard greens on paper towels. Overlap two of the straight edges and fill with saurkraut, chopped mint and dulse flakes. Roll up tightly beginning at the small end. Secure with toothpicks if necessary.

Serves 2

Easy Fennel Toss
This fresh and light salad combination is great for introducing solid foods after a fast of any sort.

Ingredients:
1 fennel bulb, top removed and sliced very thin
1 navel orange, peeled and sectioned
1 pear, diced
2 cups of fresh arugula or spinach
1 cup chopped parsley
Juice of 1 orange or grapefruit
raw honey as desired

Place greens on two salad plates and arrange fennel, orange, pear and parsley attractively on top. Drizzle with citrus juice and honey for a refreshing and cleansing dressing.

Serves 2

Banana Reward
A very basic, light fruit dessert to reward your detoxing efforts; it looks fancy while still being easy to digest

Ingredients:
4 bananas
meat of one young Thai coconut
½ inch vanilla bean
1 cup fresh figs
1 cup fresh blackberries (or any fresh berry you like)
2 Tablespoons raw honey
handful of walnuts, soaked and rinsed
2 Tablespoons of diced fresh pineapple

Slice 2 of the bananas lengthwise and place in 2 oblong decorative sundae dishes. Save the other 2 bananas. Blend the coconut meat with remaining bananas and honey in a blender with vanilla and set aside. Blend the figs and berries together until smooth, reserving 3 or 4 of the berries to use as garnish. Drizzle the coconut syrup over one half of the bananas, and drizzle the fig sauce over the other half. Sprinkle with crushed walnuts, diced pineapple and garnish with remaining berries.

Serves 2

Carrot Ginger Soup
This is a hearty soup with a gentle warming sensation thanks to the ginger. Excellent for autumn!
Ingredients:
2 cups young Thai coconut water (save the meat for the Banana Reward recipe above)
4 cups carrots, cut into 2 inch chunks
¼-1/2 inch of fresh ginger, peeled
1 sweet apple, any variety, cored
¾ cup filbert nuts
2 Tablespoons raw honey
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of sea salt (optional)

Blend all ingredients in high speed blender until smooth. Pour into two soup bowls and refrigerate any remaining soup. Garnish with a dusting of cinnamon and some diced figs.

Serves 2

Cauliflower Rice Wrap-Up
Yet another variation on a raw vegan sushi roll for you to sample!

Ingredients:
½ large head of cauliflower, broken into florets
¼ cup of packed basil and mint leaves, combined
a handful of raw pistachios, soaked and rinsed
?-1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
pinch of sea salt (optional)
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and cut into long thin slices
4 sheets of nori seaweed

Place cauliflower in food processor and pulse a few times to break it up. Add nuts, mint and lemon juice along with salt and continue pulsing until it takes on a rice like texture. Lay the nori sheets on a flat surface and spoon approximately ? cup of the “rice” mixture onto the edge nearest you. Lay several avocado slices on top and roll up tightly. Wet the edge with your finger dipped in water to secure the nori and arrange on serving plates. Slice in half if desired and serve with your favorite raw dipping sauce.

Serves 2

Avocado Boats

If you are transitioning to the raw food diet, avocado is likely a staple in your diet. You can prepare this simple, yet delicious and beautiful dish for any crowd, composed of raw foodists or otherwise.

Ingredients:
4 avocados
2 yellow bell peppers
1 orange/red bell pepper
3-4 medium tomatoes
3 green onions
1 bunch of fresh dill
3 tablespoons sunflower oil, optional
Sea salt to taste, optional

Cut the avocado in half, lengthwise (see picture). With a spoon, scoop out the avocado pulp. Do not discard the resulting 2 “boats” from each avocado. Chop the avocado pulp, bell peppers and tomatoes. Finely dice the green onions and dill. Stir everything together with the oil and add sea salt if needed. Using a spoon fill each “boat” and place on a serving plate. Enjoy!

Serves 2-4

Tangy Olive Treats
This very versatile dish can be used as a dip, spread or filling. It packs a powerful punch, and is a treat for special occasions.

Ingredients:
1 cup raw pitted black olives, rinsed
1 cup walnuts, soaked overnight and rinsed
1 clove garlic
juice of ½ lemon
¼ cup fresh basil
pinch of fresh thyme
pinch of sea salt, optional
Belgian Endive leaves

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until mealy and well blended. Transfer to a serving bowl and adjust seasonings to taste. Spoon into the Endive leaves and arrange on a platter. You could also use this dish as a dip for crudités or just place a few dollops on top of your salad.

Serves 4

Creative Corn Salsa
This fresh salsa makes good use of the abundance of tomatoes and corn in season. You can enjoy it as a hearty salsa or try blending it a little more for a yummy soup garnished with more fresh corn and spices.

Ingredients:
2 ears of fresh, raw corn
2 beefsteak (or any large heirloom if available) tomatoes, quartered
1 handful of cilantro
1 small zucchini, chopped
juice of 1 lime
½ sweet white onion, chopped
½ green pepper, chopped
2 avocados, peeled and pitted
1 Tablespoon raw honey
1 seeded jalapeno, optional
pinch of sea salt, chili powder and cumin

Scrape corn from the cobs with a sharp knife and place in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Pulse gently until well incorporated.

Serves 2-4

Carrot and Rhubarb Salad
If your only experience with rhubarb has been in a baked pie, it’s high time to try it raw! Rhubarb contains cancer-fighting polyphenols and helps lower cholesterol levels as well. It’s an excellent non-dairy source of calcium, and a high source of potassium. Moreover it contains magnesium, iron, manganese, selenium, copper and phosphorus – all minerals that aid with bone health, red blood cell function and nervous system health.

Salad Ingredients:
2-4 Rhubarb stalks (not the leaves!), finely chopped
3-4 carrots, grated
1 onion, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
4 Tablespoons Avocado Dressing (see below)
sea salt to taste

Stir together the vegetables and place in a salad bowl. Sprinkle fresh dill on top and pour on the Avocado Dressing. Note: You may find rhubarb easier to chop and eat if you peel off the strings from the stems first.

Avocado Dressing Ingredients:
1 Avocado
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon honey
1 cup nuts, soaked a few hours and rinsed (macadamia, cashew, or pine nuts all work well)
1 Tablespoon olive oil, optional
Salt and pepper to taste, optional
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until you reach a smooth consistency.

Recipe of the Month

Easy Nori Rolls
This recipe is adapted from my Beautiful on Raw: unCooked Creations. This easy version of the “sushi” rolls can be made very quickly and doesn’t even require a food processor.

Ingredients:
1 medium bell pepper, cut into long thin strips
6 raw nori sheets (sun-dried)
2 large carrots, cut into long thin strips
2 cucumbers, cut into long thin strips (English cucumbers work well for this recipe)
2 avocados, cut into long strips
6 green onions
sea salt to taste

Place a green onion and a thin strip of each of the other ingredients on one end of a nori sheet. Starting with the edge closest to you, using both hands, gently roll each nori into a log. Moisten the outer edge of the nori sheet with water to help seal it. Repeat procedure for all the remaining nori sheets. Cut the rolls into cylinders 1-inch long. Serve. Will keep refrigerated 1–2 days.

Serves 3

Stone Fruit Blitz
These fruits blend perfectly into a tantalizing green smoothie for hot summer days. Measurements are easy to remember: 2 of everything!

Ingredients:
2 peaches, pitted
2 nectarines, pitted
2 apricots, pitted
2 leaves of Swiss Chard, stems removed
2 stalks of celery
2 Tablespoons of ground flax
2 hungry people

Blend the first 6 ingredients in a blender until smooth and pour into 2 tall, chilled glasses. You may wish to add a half cup of water prior to blending if you prefer a thinner consistency.

Serves…you guessed it….2!

Pasta with Creamy Basil Sauce
Perfect for that ‘late-lunch-early-dinner’ afternoon meal

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini
coconut water from 1 young Thai coconut
1 bunch of fresh basil
1 cup of soaked pine nuts
juice of ½ small lemon
1 handful of fresh spinach
pinch of Celtic sea salt, optional
garnishes: sundried tomatoes, diced bell peppers, raw olives, fresh herbsdusting of paprika powder or rosemary

Peel the zucchini and make into pasta shreds with a spiralizer or use a vegetable peeler to make long strands resembling fettuccine pasta. Blend the remaining ingredients in a blender until creamy, adding enough coconut water for desired consistency. Place zucchini strands in a serving bowl and top with the creamy basil sauce you just made. Garnish as desired.

Serves 2-4

Rainbow Stripe Salad
A very simple and colorful salad that makes raw food look as good as it tastes. Dress with any of your favorite raw dressings just before serving.

Ingredients:
4 cups mixed baby greens or spinach
1 of each color of ripe bell peppers; red, orange, and yellow, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1 cup shredded basil
2 cups shredded purple cabbage
1 cup grated beetroot

Divide greens in half and place on two serving plates for your base. Arrange remaining ingredients in the order given, side by side on  top of each of the beds of greens. As you can see, your plate now resembles a rainbow! Decorate the edges with nasturtium blossoms, also in season now, and dress with your favorite raw dressing. Here is one suggestion if you don’t have a favorite yet:

1 avocado, peeled and pitted
juice of 1 orange
handful of chopped cilantro
pinch of Celtic sea salt, optional

Whiz in blender or food processor, or simply mash and whisk thoroughly with a fork. Drizzle over salad just before serving

Serves 2