For dinner tonight, I prepared raw lasagna- made with no cooking at all. (What should we call cooking raw foods? "Uncooking"?) A bunch of you Pinkies have expressed interest when I've mentioned what I make for meals. So since my husband just happened to take pics during my dinner prep, I thought I'd share a little bit of what raw foods are all about and how I prepared this meal.

Why Raw Foods?

Raw foods feed your body nutrition the way nature intended it- with all its vitamins, minerals, and enzymes intact. If you use organic produce, you're providing your body with food the way it was intended to be eaten- unprocessed, without chemicals, and raw. Now I'm a total foodie and I love to cook, so a diet full of salad, while yummy once in a while, wouldn't work for me. But with a little creativity, a largely raw food diet can be a lot of fun and super yummy to eat. Wanna see?

Raw Food Lasagna

Here's what I made for dinner tonight and the gist of how (I never exactly follow recipes, but there are lots of great raw "cook"books out there to teach you the details.

1. Slice zucchini really thin into "noodles." A mandolin works best but I just used the fat end on a cheese grater.

2. Marinate the zucchini in basil, oregano, olive oil, and a touch of Himalayan salt.

3. Prepare the tomato sauce in a high speed blender like a Blend-Tec or Vita-Mix. I use sundried tomatoes, raw tomatoes, a little bit of onion, lemon juice, basil, and oregano.

4. Prepare the cashew "ricotta" in the same blender after you empty out the tomato sauce. Soak the raw cashews (make sure they're not roasted- whole different taste & then you lose the enzymes) for an hour before using. Then blend cashews, lemon juice, a touch of salt and a little bit of water to make the "cheese."

5. Prepare the pesto in a high speed blender or food processor. I use basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and a touch of salt.

6. Layer zucchini strips in glass lasagna pan, then put tomato sauce, ricotta, and pesto over it.



7. Slice heirloom tomatoes like Cherokee Purple or Pineapple thinly. Layer over the sauces.

8. Keep layering sauce over the tomatoes.9. Add another layer of zucchini noodles.10. Add more zucchini and another layer of ricotta.11. Finish with tomatoes and basil.12. Eat and enjoy! Your body thank you for nourishing it. My husband and daughter loved it, and even die hard carnivores will be surprised how yummy (and filling) this raw foods meal is.

We'll talk more about raw foods in the future, but I just thought I'd give you a little taste to whet your appetite. If your interest in piqued, check out Raw Epicurean and Joyful Choices For Health for raw food recipes, tips, and inspiration.

Do I eat raw foods all the time? Nope. Like I said, I'm too much of a foodie. I consider myself a raw food vegan omnivore. Is that a total oxymoron? Yeah, I guess so. But my philosophy about diet is this: if I feed my body healthy, sustainable food most of the time, I can cheat from time to time, like when I go to a fancy restaurant and am just dying for pork tenderloin and creme brulee. Or when I'm eating at a friend's house and don't want to be a pain-in-the-ass. For me and my family, this kind of diet allows us to eat uber-healthy most of the time while still enjoying life, living la dolce vita, and being able to eat with gusto when we're with friends, family, or out to eat.

How 'bout you Pinkies? Any raw foodies out there with great tips? Any thoughts or questions? Post away! Anything we can do to inspire you to Own Your Health makes our well-fed bodies happy.

To your health!
Lissa