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here's a dip recipe to try tonight. eat it with carrots, celery, cauliflower or dollop it on top of a salad: RANCH DIP OR DRESSING 1 cup raw cashews 1 avocado, peeled and pitted ½ lemon, juiced (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice) ¼ teaspoon fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried) ¼ teaspoon fresh parsley (optional) 1 ½ cups water 1 Tbsp agave nectar (or honey) 1 tsp. Celtic sea salt ¼ tsp. black pepper ¼ tsp. garlic powder (or 1 clove of fresh garlic) 1/8 tsp. onion powder Blend all ingredients blender until smooth and creamy. Add more water if necessary, 1 TBS. at a time until desired consistency. Less water to use as a dip and more water to use as a dressing. Enjoy.

Just posted this on my newsletter this week. I add new recipes each week in case you are interested to join: http://www.vt-fiddle.com/rawfood/raw-food-newsletter-archive.php Caramel Apples - don't waste this on the trick or treaters! (did I really write that? Oh I'm sorry!) :-) Ingredients * 1 fuji apple, washed * 4-5 medjool dates * water or lemon juice if necessary * pinch of celtic sea salt, ground * ¼ cup hazelnuts, chopped Wash the apple and dry. Set aside. Use a thick chopstick and poke into the center of the apple. In a food processor, add the dates, pinch of salt and a dab of water or lemon juice to keep the processor moving. Blend until a thick paste. Spread the date paste onto the apple and then roll into the chopped nuts. Enjoy!

Wanted to add another recipe. I'm making it tonight and am going to eat it in a wrap. Here goes: • 1/3 cup each of pine nuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds • 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar • 1/2 red bell pepper • 2 cloves garlic • 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt • 1 tsp dill • 1 /2 tsp italian seasoning • 2 T lemon juice Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate. Serving suggestion: Make a Wrap! For the Wrap * RAWvarti Cheese * 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional) * lucinato kale or collard leaves * 2 cups sprouts of your choice * handful fresh basil, chopped (optional) * 1 cup whole leaf dulse * 1/2 avocado, cut into cubes or slices * 3/4 cup tomatoes, chopped * 1/3 cup scallions, chopped * pitted/sliced italian olives Wash the collard or kale leave and chop the stem at the bottom of the leaf. Spread a dollop of the cheese along the entire length of the collard greens. Top with layers of the basil, avocado, cilantro, sprouts, dulse, tomatoes, scallions and olives. Roll up & enjoy. Perfect lunch or dinner. If you don't want to wrap in a collard or kale leaf, use a sprouted grain tortilla and the rest of the toppings. This is a DELICIOUS wrap.

I've made this with kids in school. It's a hit. Everyone loves it. It takes 5 minutes to make and you can freeze it if you want to. It's a perfect snack food, dessert, or even breakfast Apple Sauce Recipe Unlike cooked applesauce this is fast, easy and delicious! * 4 apples * 2 Tablespoons raw honey or 1 Tbsp agave * 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon * 1/4 teaspoon vanilla 1. Slice the apples into large chunks. (There is no need to peel the apples.) 2. Place the apples and all other ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. 3. Eat and enjoy.

I'll back track and post a SIMPLE recipe. This one is a hit with kids and adults. Chocolate Pudding recipe by Linda Wooliever Serves 2-4 depending on how greedy you are! :-) This was among the very first recipes that I made when I experimented with raw food. I ate this for breakfast sometimes. How can you feel deprived when you eat like this? • 2 bananas • 1 avocado • 1-2 Tbsp raw cacao powder (or raw carob) • 1 tsp raw honey or agave (optional) Mix in a food processor until it becomes smooth like pudding. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For years I used a little 2 cup food processor that we got at a garage sale. I still have in fact and it's perfect for this recipe. Doesn't take up hardly any space and there is no trash - only compost for your garden! don't let this recipe fool you, it is DELICIOUS! I made it for a school bbq. It looked like jello pudding and for that reason people didn't touch it. Not until they found out I made it and then they knew it was raw food. You can make this into a pudding pie by adding the following crust: Basic Raw Pie Crust 2 cups walnuts 1-2 Tbsp agave 1 tsp vanilla (optional) 1 small pinch of Celtic sea salt, the coarse gray kind In a food processor, process the ingredients until it sticks to the sides a little bit. You can adjust the agave if you like it a little sweeter, but 1-2 Tbsp will be plenty sweet. Scoop out onto a pie plate and with your fingers, press down into the pie plate to form the crust. Then add the pie filling and chill. That's it. Another great recipe that can be eaten any time of the day. I went to a dinner once and there was a person there that lived there but was very sick and couldn't attend the dinner. He was HIV+ - later in the month, he told me that this pudding pie was the only thing that he could eat that he could keep down while he was on the mend and he said it felt very nourishing to him. I'll never forget that and I was very happy to have left the pie with the family that night.

"Potato" Salad This is a great recipe. If you've never tried jicama, this is a fun way to try it. I eat this in the summer as it is very juicy and crunchy and deliciously filling. 2 pounds jicama, peeled & cubed small 1 red bell pepper, diced 2 ears corn, scraped off the cob 2 stalks celery, diced 1 medium onion, diced 1 avocado, diced ½ cup tahini 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 cup lemon juice 1 Tablespoon cumin ½ teaspoon chili powder 4 teaspoons fresh dill 2 teaspoons sea salt Mix all ingredients together Chill for a few hours before serving

Raw "TUNA" Salad • 2 cups almonds, soaked for 8 hours • 3 stalks raw celery, chopped • 3 green onions • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional) • 3 tablespoons lemon juice • 1 clove garlic • 1/2 teaspoon pink or Celtic salt • 2 dashes cayenne pepper • 1/3 cup chopped seaweed (I use dulse) Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until chunky. Put in a bowl and set aside. FOR THE MAYO • 1 cup pine nuts • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar • 4 pitted dates • 1 clove garlic • 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt • 1 tablespoon additional lemon juice • 1/2 teaspoon each dill, thyme, basil (optional - or 1 heaping tsp of italian seasoning) • 1 avocado Blend in a blender until smooth and creamy. The VitaMix does a great job with this. Mix about 1/3 to 1/2 of this recipe into the mixture above. Add a bit more if needed. NOW BUILD THE SANDWICH! Take a big collard leaf and spread some of the mayonnaise in the center. add as much of the ‘tuna’ as you like, and top with sliced avocado, sliced tomato, mesclun greens or sprouts, raw black olives if you like, and freshly cracked pepper. you can sprinkle a little salt on the collard if the mixture isn’t salty enough also. Roll it up, cut it in half, and try not to stuff it all into your face at once! I regularly make this recipe - it is DEE-I-LICIOUS!!!

Cauliflower Couscous - another favorite recipe! Serves 3 to 4 * 2 heads cauliflower, cleaned and chopped * 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice * 1/4 cup olive oil * 1 tablespoon + black pepper * 1 cup sun dried tomatoes, soaked for 2 hours * 1 bunch fresh parsley leaves, chopped * 1 bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped * 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, chopped * 4-6 scallions, chopped * 1 cup pine nuts (optional) * 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional) * 13 ounces jar pitted black olives (optional) Put the cauliflower in a food processor or blender and pulse until the texture is somewhat like couscous. If you are not sure what is couscous, the texture it will be rough and grainy, with the bits a little larger than grits, but smaller than rice. Add rest of ingredients and blend in the food processor. NOTE: If you add the optional pine nuts, nutritional yeast and olives, be aware that it turns this recipe from being very light tasting, perfect for warmer months to a heavier dish - which is great for the colder weather. Taste it before you add the additions and you'll see what I mean. Serving suggestions: Wrap in a nori sheet as you would sushi. Fill with julienned veggies like carrots and zucchini and avocado slices. Roll up and slice into little sushi shapes. DELICIOUS!

Raw Spaghetti
Compliments of Rick Dina, D.C.

2 medium green zuccini, as thick (fat) and straight as possible.

“Spiralize” in “Saladacco (Spiral Slicer)”, or similar machine. Shredded zuccini can work also, but the authentic “pasta effect” is not as notable.

Arrange on plate similar to pasta.
Pasta Sauce

10-12 “sundried” tomatoes, allow to soak for several minutes in warm water to soften.
1 large fresh tomato
1 large red pepper
1-2 stalks of celery
1 clove garlic
(4-5 fresh basil leaves)

Blend all of the sauce ingredients in a blender or Food Processor. Add the soaked sundried tomatoes last, a few at a time.

Pour nicely over the zucchini “pasta”. Some fresh curly parsley sprinkled over the top adds a nice touch!
Other Options

Make a sauce of raw tahini, lime juice, and a little water to drizzle on the top for extra taste and presentation.

Add pieces of sprouted sunflower patties on top of the dish as “meatballs”.
Here's some notes:
1.) If you don't have a spiral slicer, you can use a regular vegetable peeler to make them the size of fettucini. I wouldn't use shredded zucchini. It's not the same. You can also use a mandolin slicer and it will make long match sticks size pieces. The spiral slicer is the easiest though and well worth the $25-28.

2.) Keep the zucchini separate from the marinara sauce until you serve. The zucchini is very watery and will water down the marinara sauce if you put the two together. So serve the zucchini pasta in a bowl by itself and serve the marinara in a bowl by itself.

3.) For your kids, try some rice pasta and mix with some zucchini pasta so that they can have a little bit of both worlds. I often make raw marinara and serve with regular pasta for the kids.

4.) The spiral slicer will work on any vegetable that is 1 1/2 inches in diameter or bigger. It works for turnips, carrots, beets, apples, sweet potatoes, daikon radishes, etc.

HERE is a recipe for marinara sauce:
Tomato sauce
1 1/2 c sun dried tomatoes, soaked for 1 hour or more
2 soft dates (medjool dates are the softest, remove the pit)
2 cloves garlic (Use 1 clove if making for kids)
2 c tomato, chopped
1 1/2 T dried oregano
1 t celtic sea salt (a good pinch will do)
1/3 c olive oil
2T lemon juice (optional)

* Process in a food processor until smooth.

This is a very authentic tasting marinara sauce and very delicious. Adjust the dates and garlic to your taste.

This is a GREAT recipe to begin your raw diet with. It's easy to make, tastes great and is very versatile. Dollop some on a salad or wrap in a piece of kale for a delicious "sandwich."

Mock Salmon Pate
* 2 cups walnuts
* 2 stalks celery
* 1 large red bell pepper, deseeded
* 1 large scallion
* 1/2 -1 teaspoon sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Serving suggestions: This can be served on a plate as is, over a salad, rolled up in a green leaf or spread on crackers.

Zucchini Ratatouille Serves 2 This comes from gone raw: http://goneraw.com/recipes/8-Zucchini-Ratatouille - it's a very good and very simple recipe although it does require using a dehydrator. I always modify recipes and so expect this to be slightly different from the link above. Here's what they have to say. I'm eating this tonight. YUM! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ This is an easy recipe that goes great with a simple, tossed salad. The zucchini comes out of the dehydrator warm and there is something about the sauce that makes me swear that it has cheese in it. Great for when I’m craving a heartier dish. Ingredients * 2 large zuchini, cut into rounds * 1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil * 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar * 1 1/2 cups sundried tomatoes, soaked * 1 tablespoon italian seasoning * Celtic sea salt and pepper to taste Preparation Cut zucchini into rounds using a knife or manoline. Toss zucchini in a mixing bowl with olive oil, salt and dash of pepper and let it sit for 1/2 hour to an hour. This actually softens the zucchini - sort of precooks it. Place zucchini on Teflex dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for 1 hour at 145 degrees F. At the end of an hour, blend the remaining ingredients in blender until smooth. Toss zucchini with sauce before serving. If you'd like, you can blend the ingredients and put in a bowl in the dehydrator to warm that up as well. And here's a hint, to soften the sundried tomatoes a little faster, soak in warm water. It really does taste like a cheesy dish. Very delicious. OK, I'm off to make it!

Date Nut Torte

Fudgy, creamy and sweet! And 4 ingredients! Can't beat that. I bring this with me when I’m visiting someone I’d like to introduce to raw food. People can’t believe it’s raw! And it’s one of the quickest and easiest desserts to make.

Base of Tort:

* 2 cups raisins
* 2 cups walnuts

1. In a food processor, combine raisins and walnuts and blend until well blended and moist. (This will take a few minutes and you may see it forming a ball. Just make sure the raisins come out looking like a fudgy mixture and are not still grainy)
2. Remove from processor and mold onto a plate in a round circle about 1 1/2 inches thick.

Frosting:

* 1 cup dates, pitted and soaked
* 1/2 lemon, juiced

1. In a food processor, combine dates and lemon juice until smooth and creamy.
2. Spread the frosting on top of the torte.

Note: I like this served at room temperature as the frosting and torte are still sticky, but if you want a firmer texture that will be easier to slice, refrigerate it for a few hours.