Kale Salad

This is a very yummy salad!

1 large bunch curly kale, de-stemmed and torn into bite size pieces

1 large avocado, pitted peeled and chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 cucumber, diced

1 orange or yellow bell pepper, de-stemmed, seeded and chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, pressed

2 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 soft dates, pitted and chopped

½ teaspoon Himalayan crystal salt

Pinch black pepper

Pinch nutmeg

2 tablespoons raisins, I like cranberries

2 tablespoons of hemp seeds

Place kales in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the hemp seeds. Use your hands and message all the ingredients well. This incorporates the avocado and fresh juices from the tomatoes, cucumbers, and lemon juice, with the kale, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Sprinkle on the hemp seeds. Give a quick toss

Fermented Pickles

Fermented Pickles   By Tonya Dahl I am excited to say I am really into fermenting and my ferments are turning out so well. I made the best pickles ever, and all raw!  6 tablespoons sea salt ( Nature's Cargo) 1 gallon water 1 bag of pickling cucumbers Dillweed, Garlic Rinse cucumbers well in cold water. Soak cucumbers in very cold water for 2-4 hours. The soaking in cold water will help keep the pickles crisp. Mix the salt with the water. Place the garlic and dillweed in the bottom of a crock, add salt water and pickles. Put a lid or plate on the pickles and make sure the plate is firmly on the pickles with water over the plate. I have 2 oval crock pots and the smaller crock I used the lid, turned it upside down and put a jug filled with water on top of the lid. Put the crock in a cool place in the basement and cover. Every few days skim off scum from water for 1-2 weeks depending on how sour you want your pickles. Prior to taking them out, skim off all mold and scum and pour all water, pickles, garlic and dillweed in a glass container. The pickles will last 6-12 months. The cooler your basement the longer it will take for your pickles to ferment. Enjoy! Also: try this recipe with almost any vegetable, except tomatoes. My next adventure: hot peppers!

Spinach Dip

Spinach Dip   By Tonya Dahl 1 large bag Spinach 1 large Avocado, ripe  1 Lemon, juiced  1 tsp Herbamare Seasoning  This is a very quick and tasty raw dip. Only Lund's Organic Spinach would do. Just add everything to a food processor with the "S" blade and blend until creamy. Serve with crisp carrots, cucumbers, peppers and sugar snap peas. Also delicious on raw crackers. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Alla Bagutta

This is one of Abigail's favorite meals, mine too!

1 package of Kelp Noodles 1 cup water 1 fresh tomato or 4 sun dried tomatoes, soaked 1/4 cup cashews 1 garlic clove 1 tsp onion powder 1/4 red bell pepper 1 tsp sea salt Parsley or Basil, chopped Cherry Tomatoes crushed red pepper Rinse Kelp Noodles in warm water, cut and drain and place in a large mixing bowl. In a Vitamix mix all the remaining ingredients except the basil/parsley and cherry tomatoes. Toss the cream sauce with the kelp noodles and add the remaining ingredients. This makes great left overs. You can place in the dehydrate at 200 F for 15 minutes to warm. It will not be 200 F and if you use too much red bell pepper it will overpower the creamy flavor. I'll be posting in the next few weeks on myRaw Food Calgary Recipe blog my favorite kelp noodle recipes. There is so many ways to make "pasta" dishes with the kelp noodles. They are absolutely delicious and raw!

Marbled Chocolate & Orange Tavoletta www.therawchef.com For the crust ¾c carob powder 1c almonds ½c dates 4T coconut butter/oil 2t vanilla extract 2t cinnamon ¼t salt 1. First process nuts, cinnamon, salt and carob powder into small crumbs. 2. Add dates, coco butter and vanilla extract and process again. 3. Press into the bottom of 9" square pan and place in fridge whilst working on filling. Note: Before making this chocolate you should place the grated cacao butter in the dehydrator to melt. Alternatively you can melt it in a bowl over another bowl of hot water. For the marbling 1c cashews 1T agave ¼c coconut butter/oil ½c water 5T melted cacao butter 1. Mix all ingredients in a high-power blender until completely smooth. For the filling: 2c cashews 1c orange juice 1T orange zest 2c cacao powder 1 ½c grated cacao butter 2T vanilla 1c agave nectar 1. Mix the cashews, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla, and agave nectar in a high-power blender until smooth. 3. Add cacao butter and cacao powder, and blend again. 4. Pour chocolate mixture onto base and use a spatula to achieve a level surface. 5. Drizzle the marbling mixture over the top in lines using a plastic bottle or a spoon. Drag a toothpick across the top to create the marble effect.

Chia Pudding

Abigail's Favorite 1/4 cup chia seeds 1/4 cup shredded coconut 1/4 cup cashews 2 medjool dates, pitted 1 1/4 cup water 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp lucuma powder 1/8 tsp vanilla powder Stir chia seeds and coconut in a medium bowl. Blend the remaining ingredients in a Vita-Mix blender. Add liquid to chia mixture and stir well and let set for 5 minutes. Stir again every five minutes for 15 minutes until you get a nice creamy texture. You may have to add additional water, which will not affect the flavor. This pudding will last 3-4 days. I make a big batch and in the morning I turn the tea kettle on and pour a little hot water on top, let it set a few minutes and stir. This takes the cold edge off.

Hemp Ranch Dressing Yields: 2 cups Our version of this classic is rich and creamy without the dairy! With hemp seeds as the base, this dressing is high in protein, vitamins and minerals, and essential fatty acids. by Chef Alicia M. Ojeda Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups hemp seeds 1 cup water 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon Sea Salt 1/4 teaspoon dried dill or dried basil 1 pinch black pepper Directions: Place all ingredients except for the dried herbs in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add the herbs and pulse them into the blender, being careful not to over-blend because it will turn your dressing green. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed glass jar. Will keep for up to 7-10 days. Variations: To serve this dressing as a dip, be sure to make it in advance as it thickens when it is well-chilled. Serve with your favorite crunchy vegetables at your next party. For an onion dip stir in 1/4 cup dried onion flakes. Serving Suggestion: For a classic "garden salad" enjoy Hemp Ranch Dressing over a bed of romaine greens tossed with shaved red cabbage, shredded carrots, and sweet cherry tomatoes, sprinkled with nutri­tional yeast for extra creaminess.