Dr. LJ’s 15 Favorite Raw and Raw Fusion Recipes
15 Ways to Eat Healthier 
I’ve been eating raw foods for over 5 years now. For the past two years I have been doing a more raw fusion approach, combining raw foods with some cooked or alternating cooked meals with raw which seems to be easier to sustain and more practical. People are often turned off to the raw foods because of how difficult it can be to maintain this lifestyle – Raw Fusion is a manageable alternative.
Essentially, “raw fusion eating” aims for at least 51% of what I consume to be raw or living foods. When slightly over half of what you eat is raw (meaning not processed, denatured or cooked over 115 degrees) there is a lot less wear and tear on the body; your digestive system has an easy time absorbing the nutrients and releasing the waste and inflammation is kept at a minimum.
These are 15 of my favorite recipes, for all times of the day. Just click on the link for the full recipe. Hope you enjoy them and please post your comments!
MAIN MEALS
I tend to eat 5-6 times throughout the day. Sometimes what may be considered a side dish to someone else can be my main event, but I will list these in separate categories to make them easier to follow.
1 – PICTURED ABOVE – Thai-Inspired Marinated Broccoli Salad
Not difficult to make – this one has the raw fusion technique of tempering the broccoli by immersing it in boiling water for about a minute which improves the taste and texture. Serve alone or with Kelp noodles, the almond marinade will keep you sneaking back into the fridge for a forkful or two more!
2 – Cheezy Spaghetti Siliciano
Could be your motivator to get a spiralizer! We will have some of the Joyce Chen brand back in stock soon – this handy and inexpensive kitchen tool turns zucchini into angel hair pasta. And this particular recipe uses kalamata olives and capers for a delightful Mediterranean accent. If you don’t have a spiralizer, just peel the zucchini and then make long “noodles” which you can cut length-wise or keep wide. This dish is great cold or warm. Warm gently in a stainless or glass pot or leave for several hours in dehydrator. Top with nutritional yeast for a dairy-free cheesiness.
3- Portobello Pesto Pizza
Considered by many to be my signature dish — this is so delightfully (almost sinfully!) rich and filling that a little goes a long way. A little more labor intensive than the other recipes, but it keeps well. I even dehydrate extra “raw-cotta” with herbs and garlic to create an amazing “raw-mezan” to top either this dish or the one above. Serve with a large green salad. Company will love your for this!
4 – Corn Shitake & Asparagus Fricasse
This is raw fusion to the max! I have made this for private dinners and workshops to rave reviews. Make sure to use organic corn so that you are avoiding the potential pitfalls of genetically-engineered kernels — the jury is still out on how GMO’s can affect long-term health. You can sub any other mushroom or vegetable. The coconut oil gives this a phenomenal finish.
5 – Sweet & Spicy Cashew Wraps
Sometimes I think these are my hands down favorite main meal recipe. The feedback I always get on these is that many people who have attended my classes and workshops make these for their mainstream family members, who are astounded that something so good can be raw and good for you! The simple dipping sauce is great on other dishes, too — and sometimes I make the almond sauce in the Thai Broccoli Salad and use that as a dipping sauce.
6 – Curried Kale & Apple Salad
This one is made with my favorite Sweet & Savory Sesame Salad Dressing slightly altered. Either chop the kale in smaller pieces in the food processor or tear into bite-sized pieces — either way, you will be surprised at how good it tastes!
SUCCULENT SIDES
7 – Angel’d Eggs
Most days I use some kind of a pate to build a lettuce wrap or romaine “burrito” and these make a great base, along with the walnut pate directly below. It’s so easy to build off of a great “sticky” base. These angel’d eggs are of course completely vegan and the taste will truly full you as they are so much like eggs. They are wonderful appetizers when mounded on cucumber slices and sprinkled with paprika.
8 – Walnut Pate
Another favorite base for wraps or sometimes I stuff a tomato, red pepper or even celery sticks as a light meal. In the photo they are at about 2 o’clock. You can add anything to the pate — this one features green peas and pomegranate kernels.
9 – Carmelized Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce
I discovered this at a place called Pita Jungle in Phoenix (they have several restaurants throughout AZ) and had to duplicate it. I serve it “raw fusion style” over a plate of greens, like baby spinach — the heat carmelizes and flavors the greens while leaving them essentially raw.
10 – Oven-Roasted Artichokes
If you love grilled artichokes but don’t like paying “through the nose” for them at restaurants, here’s a way you can make them in your oven. The flavor is so exquisite you won’t even need a dipping sauce, but I’ve included some ideas for you, anyway… :- )
SOUPS
11 –Thai Coconut Soup
Soups are popular and satisfying in a raw foods lifestyle. Tom Kha Thai soup is one of my favorite things to eat – this is a fully raw version but you can play around with it if you are not ready to brave opening a young coconut for the succulent meat. My confession: I usually buy the frozen bagged young coconut meat as I’m not that skilled with a knife.
12 – Creamed Celery & Dill Soup
This is a soup recipe for one of my favorite raw foods authors, Susan Schenck, which she shared with me in my book. It took me awhile to make this when I first saw the recipe as it didn’t sound appealing. Yet it is extraordinarily popular with my students and a very comforting blend for colder weather or when you need something filling. If you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec you can heat this to steaming. (Or gently heat in a sauce pan to keep below 115 degrees).
SWEET TOOTH SATISFIERS
13 – Carob Crispy Candies
These are almost indescribably delicious! The kind of treat (or “cravings conqueror”) that gives you a sense of being truly naughty without the “bad stuff.” Sprouting some buckwheat and dehydrating for crispiness takes some work but well worth it. Also you can do a pound or two at a time and store in the fridge. Sprouted buckwheat also makes a fantastic base for “raw-nola” cereal.
14 – Banana Creme Pie
This is on the list because it’s one of my favorite dessert recipes to make for company. And very simple! So, you get all the glory for something that was a breeze to make. Try making a simple chocolate ganache (coconut oil, cacao powder and agave or coconut nectar) and heating it slightly to serve over this frozen dessert treat.
15 – Dr. LJ’s Famous Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Coulis
Another crowd pleaser — I make this at my Raw Foods 101 and Worksite Wellness Workshops. Takes only minutes to make and gets rave reviews. Personally I prefer to turn these into round truffles, rolled in either coconut, maca or mesquite powders (superfoods) as a sweet tooth satisfier. One or two of these gems go a long way. The raspberry jam is also something I keep almost constantly in the fridge to top toast or dehydrated almond bread.
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