My interest in raw foods has been gradually growing over time and I have recently been incorporating more and more raw meals into my diet. Why raw? For a good overview, see the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute explanation here. For me, eating raw means eating whole and living (think sprouted) foods. Eating this way makes me feel great and like I'm burning clean fuel. My goal is not to transition entirely to a raw foods diet- I love "hot-out-of-the-oven" things in the colder months. I simply want to expand my recipe repertoire by experimenting with new ways of preparing whole foods. Now that it is 90+ degrees, I'm ready to leave the oven off for awhile and enjoy all of the fruits and veggies that are in season this time of year in their most natural state.

Raw chili: Tonight I made raw chili with nut "meat" created by Ani Phyo (recipe here). The chili had a great flavor and the nut "meat" was fantastic (I added fresh cilantro to mine). I'm already looking forward to lunch tomorrow because I know I have leftovers!

Dessert: After the chili I was craving something sweet. I invented this (almost raw) dessert that I called "choconana"- delish! We ate this so fast that I forgot to take a photo but here is my recipe.

Choconana
Serves 2
1/4 cup unsalted macadamia nuts
1/2 cup raw cashews
4 pitted dates
1/4 tsp vanilla extract (or 1/2 vanilla bean)
~1 Tbsp raw cacao powder
~ 1/2 cup water
2 bananas

I have some more raw meals planned for later in the week. I will share my discoveries and creations with you. If you have a favorite recipe or website about raw foods that you would like to share, I'd love to hear from you!

I mentioned kombu in my last post for improving the digestibility of beans and thought I'd share a bit more information about this seaweed. Kombu, or kelp, is a sea vegetable that is rich in iodine, fiber, amino acids, and several vitamins and trace minerals. It also contains glutamic acid which is an excellent flavor enhancer. You can find kombu at Whole Foods Markets, health foods stores, and online (try here and here or here).

Try adding it to rice while it is cooking too. You can remove it when the rice is finished or cut it up and add it the cooked rice.

Beans and other legumes are essential to vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. They provide healthy amounts of plant-based protein, fiber, and iron. That being said, though, many people avoid them for fear of the gas and bloating that they can cause. Here are five ways to help improve their digestibility and minimize gas factor: