I’m back! Hope you liked the guest post from Alynn. I met her last week at a raw foods dinner she put on. I’d experienced raw offerings at places like Java Green, Everlasting Life Cafe, and A Quest for Fresh, but this was more than marinated mushrooms and chopped kale. We had sushi rolls, avocado dip, fruit salad, “plum” pudding, eggplant “manicotti,” brazil nut crust pizza with a zingy sundried tomato sauce, and several creamy coconut confections for dessert.

I’m sure Alynn wouldn’t want to reveal all her secrets (and, to be honest, it would take me quite a while just to type the things I learned during the course of that afternoon), but I thought I’d pass on a few teaspoons of raw info and recipes from the pro.

First, a few things I learned about raw eating:

• Raw cuisine is made with fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds that are eaten fresh or dehydrated at temperatures of no more than about 110 F. According to Alynn’s café’s website, it is “uncooked, live, unprocessed, being in or nearly the natural state, energetic, with natural enzymes, vitamins and amino acids.”

• Raw sushi rolls can be made with chopped cauliflower instead of rice! Make like regular sushi rolls using strips of veggies and a schmear of mashed avocado dip (avocado, apple cider vinegar, salt), and roll up with nori.

• For a tasty “plum” pudding, puree fresh figs, a tad grated fresh ginger, and lemon juice.

• Make a refreshing summer drink with water and any herb (mint, rosemary, lavender, lemon balm, etc.) by combining and letting it sit outside for a day and a night. The sun will make it into tea, and the night will cool it off (plus the moon will imbue it with lunar energy, Alynn explained–a nice bonus!) Drink the next day.

(Recipes next…)

Here are a couple of recipes Alynn passed along. They both use a dehydrator, but if you don’t have one, try heating them in a very low oven for a few hours. But if you do that, don’t try feeding them to your Raw friends.

Coconut Macaroons

3 c. coconut flakes
3 c. macadamia nuts
5 c. raisins, soaked
¼ c. agave nectar
1/3 c. coconut oil
Meat of 2 coconuts
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Process half of the ingredients in the food processor until it takes on a doughy texture. Place the mixture in a mixing bowl. Continue with the rest of the ingredients and add to the mixture. Using an ice cream scooper, form into balls and place on dehydrator trays. Dehydrate overnight at 110 degrees. If you desire, before placing on dehydrator trays, coat the balls with coconut flakes.

Zippy Onion Rings

4 red onions
1 tsp. sea salt
1 ½ c. ground flax seeds
1/2 tsp. black pepper
¾ c. olive oil

Mandolin/slice onions into ¼ inch thick rings. Massage the rings with salt and set aside. Grind flax seeds and mix with black pepper in a small mixing bowl, set aside. Pour olive oil in another mixing bowl. Arrange the bowls in order: onion rings, olive oil, then ground flax seeds. Dip the rings in olive oil then dip into ground flax seeds, making sure they are evenly coated. Dehydrate overnight.