• 1 C almonds
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup green onion
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (1/2 lemon)

Process almonds into powder first. Process the remaining ingredients. Mix together. Works well on a bed of greens, in a wrap, or on bread (raw bread can be made in a dehydrator). You can also form 1/2 cup patties and dehydrate 3 to 4 hours at 104 F.

Note: raw recipes are really easy and fun to adjust fit to your particular palate. If there are other ingredients you’d like to add, like sundried tomatoes- do it! If you have ideas for spices that you think would go well in a dish, try them out! If you don’t have almonds- try using cashews! Go nuts! I love experimenting. It keeps each dish alive and adaptable.

A few posts ago I discussed the raw reality trend that seems to be sprouting up. Since writing that post I ordered a pre-release edition of the documentary Supercharge Me… 30 Days Raw (along with it came an autographed poster from Jenna Norwood, the star of the documentary). Overall, I really enjoyed it. In fact, I’m anxious to watch it again. Though the documentary itself is pretty amateur, and there are some cheesy graphics carried throughout the film that probably could have been left out, or at least improved upon, I found the information to be very useful.

There are interviews with several raw foodists, each of which is unique and valuable. Jenna discusses her upbringing which was atypical and intriguing. And I got a sneak peak into what goes on at a raw health spa. The camera footage at the spa seems limited, though, perhaps due to legal restrictions or something. One health spa experience that has always frightened and intrigued me is the colonic, and I definitely got some in-depth coverage of that. And now that I’ve seen the process, though I think it’s still an awkward situation, it does seem to be a necessary step in body cleansing and I’m very tempted to try it. And a raw health spa is definitely a getaway I’m interested in.

It’s fulfilling to see how Jenna transforms from a woman with a typical American body type (a little extra baggage) and some health problems, into a very healthy vibrant looking woman who’s health problems basically vanish, all due to raw food and light exercise. You can see her confidence level increase along with her health and well-being. And it all started because she wanted to look good in her Halloween showgirl costume.

Since then she has become a full-time raw foodist and raw food chef, and it sounds like her life has changed quite a bit for the better. Clearly, her experience had a lasting impact.

If you prefer this recipe “burrito-style” you can use red or green cabbage leaves as a wrap.

• 2 cups spinach leaves (or lettuce of your choice)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 batch Baja Cheeze*
• 1 batch Taco Nut Meat*
• Salsa of your choosing

Toss spinach (or lettuce) with olive oil and sea salt. Top with Baja Cheeze, Taco Nut Meat and salsa.

Baja Cheeze

• 1 cup Brazil nuts
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or one lemon)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves
• water as needed

Blend nuts, lemon juice, garlic, and cilantro until smooth, adding enough water to create a smooth cheeze. (Will keep in refrigerator for 4 days)

Taco Nut Meat

• 1/2 C almonds
• 1/2 C walnuts
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1/3 C extra virgin olive oil
• 2/3 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon Nama Shoyu or Bragg Liquid Aminos

Process all ingredients in food processor until nuts are chopped.

And there you have it! It looks like a lot of work but it actually can be prepared quite quickly. And it’s generously portioned. The spices make it taste like taco seasoning. Yum! And my boyfriend, who has not tried many raw dishes, kept stealing bites of my salad. He loved it. Next time, I’ll make it for two!

(this raw recipe is my personal adaptation of a recipe by Ani Phyo in Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen) Serves up to 2 people.

Happy Valentine’s Day, all! You’ll never guess what my boyfriend got me for Valentine’s Day! Look around, and you shall see. He redesigned the look of Happy Vegetable! (He’s a designer, like myself) I’d say it’s a lot more vibrant and inviting, eh? I love it! He knows how much I love this blog and is so proud of me, and he wanted to give me a custom design all my own. And we plan on making lil’ custom buttons that have each of the little vegetable creatures on them. I’ll let you know when those become available.

And, in honor of Valentine’s Day, I’m allowing myself a free pass to a COOKED DINNER! I’m craving pasta like crazy. I’m so excited. It’s so cold and wickedly windy today, I want something warm in my belly. But, the raw diet is coming along quite nicely. It’s been a little over a week so far, and I can tell my body is just detoxing. I haven’t been dying of hunger like last time I went raw. Maybe because I know more recipes and more about the raw diet this time around. I had some bad stomach pains one night I think from my body freaking out about all the raw food (touchy stomach). But since then, I’ve been feeling pretty great. One thing I notice now is when I’m tired, I’m TIRED. I mean, I go from wide awake to conked out in a matter of minutes. There’s no in between. Like if I’m watching a movie, and I suddenly get tired, there is no way I will be able to stay awake. Perhaps because I have no caffeine reserves waiting to kick in.

I’ll keep you up to date on my awesome rawsome lifestyle and will be posting some raw recipes soon! Have a great V day! Weather you have a special someone to share this day with or not, remember you’re a special someone and should be treated accordingly. Pamper the hell out of yourself! And check out these yummy vegan chocolates. Mmmm.

There’s a new trend on the horizon. This trend consists of documentaries about raw food, and a time span of 30 days. Essentially what these documentaries are trying to fulfill is a continuation of the documentary Super Size Me, where, as you probbaly know, Morgan Spurlock eats solely at McDonald’s for 30 days. These documentaries start on the other end of the spectrum and take unhealthy Americans who have typically eaten the Standard American Diet (likely consisting of McDonald’s) , and have them eat only raw vegan food for 30 days. The goal is to show you the dramatic effects the raw diet can have on saving your health. People suffering from type 2 diabetes do a complete reversal: their blood pressure drops, they lose weight, feel happier, etc.

Now, I LOVE that the raw diet is entering the mainstream. I love that people are considering natural alternatives for getting healthy, versus succumbing to medication for the rest of their lives. I love that veganism is getting positive feedback from the mainstream culture. Unfortunately, I fear it’s being done in a cheesy, reality show manner. But heck, I guess that’s what the general population digs these days. I just hope this doesn’t result in people treating the raw diet like a fad diet. Granted, all I know of these documentaries is what I’ve read in magazines, and the trailers I’ve watched on YouTube. The documentaries are expected to release in the next few months. And I do plan on watching them when they finally come out. If you want a sneak peak, check out these links. (warning: the Raw for 30 Days trailor is 9 min. long)

Supercharge Me… 30 Days Raw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIxFpwRD0jY&feature=related

Raw for 30 Days http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynXGA6fCEgU&feature=related

So I finally watched the DVD Raw Food Made Easy with Jennifer Cornbleet. She is a chef who’s been eating raw for over a decade. And I gotta tell ya, I’m so glad I watched it. There are some things you just can’t learn from books. She does a great job of focusing on the basics of creating raw food. She demonstrates things you might not even think about- like different styles of chopping food, which can alter your dish dramatically. And she’s very good at explaining why she does what she does. If she adds an ingredient to a recipe, she tells you the reason. Perhaps it adds a buttery flavor, or it’s added for its consistency.

I took several pages of notes as I watched. She really covers a lot. And you learn some simple, yet amazing dishes in the process. What all is shown in this DVD?

• Equipment & Ingredients
• Advance Preparation
• Breakfast: fruit smoothies, green juice, granola with almond milk
• Lunch: garden vegetable soup, not tuna pat

Today commences my 40 day streak of 100% pure raw goodness. I’m excited! Not about the fact that I can no longer drink alcohol (can alcohol be raw?)… or coffee [sigh]…or anything hot… but about how healthy I am going to be. I want to experience this “clarity” raw foodists speak of, firsthand. I want to rid my body of toxins and gain overwhelming amounts of energy (like the energy I can no longer get from my morning java).

Anyone who wants to join me on this tepid quest is more than welcome. You don’t have to be as extreme as me either. Many raw foodists go about 80% raw. You could even go 50%. The more fresh, uncooked food you incorporate into your daily life, the better off you will be. Granted this isn’t the ideal time of year for those of us braving the cold. No farmers’ market to pick up my fresh produce every Saturday, or gardens to yank veggies from. But I do have a Wild Oats (now Whole Foods) about a half mile away from my home and my work. And they’re always well stocked with raw nuts, raw almond butter, organic produce, dried fruit, fruit smoothies, etc. I just ate a carton of grape tomatoes from there. Delicious.

I also have two raw recipe books, and a DVD on how to make raw food, which I still need to watch. So for the next several weeks, I may have an abundance of posts related to these raw shenanigans. So if this isn’t your cup of tea (damn that sounds good) then feel free to ignore me until this whole Lent craze is over on March 22nd. RAWK ON!

I was in San Francisco this weekend for a newspaper conference. I love visiting San Francisco because I know they’ll have some good vegan restaurants for me to check out. I ended up at a fabulous vegan restaurant called Golden Era located on 572 O’Farrell Street, which serves vegetarian and vegan, award-winning Vietnamese fare. Here’s the link: http://www.goldeneravegetarian.com/

One nice thing about this restaurant is you are given the option of having your meal prepared vegan or vegetarian. And the food is sooooo good. I went with one of my co-workers who had never had vegan “meat” before and he was blown away by how delicious it was. The service was good. And we showed up around 8:45 and they closed at 9, but they didn’t try to kick us out- we took our sweet time and they were quite generous. And it’s very reasonably priced.

So if you’re in SF, go check it out! You shan’t be disappointed.