One of my readers, Sue, mentioned that she frequently turns to this Banana with Hempseed Milk recipe (quick & easy, no straining required), and it reminded me of one of my all-time favorite recipes, this Vanilla, Macadamia, Hemp Seed Topping, which would be fabulous on top of those bananas… or any other kind of fruit… or the raw oatmeal which I just posted!

This topping is easy to make ahead of time and keep in the fridge, too, so… it’ll be there when you need it, another layer to the convenience that’s required in order to make a high-raw lifestyle workable.

This topping is just so good, I have never had any leftovers unless I make a large batch, because if I don’t scarf it all down, the kids will.

Between the fact that I just used my last young coconut and I haven’t bought raw macadamias in months… I think I feel another trip to Whole Foods coming on!

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This Fruit Topping is wonderful, nutritious, addictive, quick-to-make, and hard to keep on hand because everybody wants some!

The recipe portions are small because I used to make it in one of those mini-food processors, but I’ve since realized that I should at least double (or quadruple) the portion and use a larger machine… otherwise I’m liable to try to bogart the whole batch!

You could just sprinkle on sliced or chopped fruit and go, but the way I normally eat it is to sprinkle it on fruit in a bowl, pour some fresh pecan or almond milk over it (or other fresh nut or seed milk), sprinkle with hemp seeds, and then dig in. Exactly as it looks in the photo:

Try Different Kinds of Honey

It’s fun to experiment with the type of honey you use because different honeys lend different nuances of taste. One of my fave honeys for this recipe is the organic Hawaiian Lehua honey by Garden of Life – it’s one of the tastiest I’ve tried. Quite floral… delicious with vanilla.

Try Different Kinds of Nut and Seed Milks

Most people quickly become familiar with how to make fresh Almond Milk when they begin exploring a raw foods lifestyle, but there are other kinds of nut and seed milks which are wonderful!

I love Pecan Milk (shown in the picture above). It’s rich, warm, and nutty tasting, it’s full of healthy zinc (great for men and their prostates and for pregnant women… and well, everyone needs zinc for healthy growth, cell development, and DNA synthesis).

Also, in my house Sunflower Seed milk rules because you get a tremendous nutritional bang for your hard-earned buck! Much cheaper than almonds or any of the other nuts, you can buy a huge bag of them and not break the bank. And they are high in fiber, protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins A, B complex, C, potassium, and magnesium! They’re also GREEN, and make a very pretty creamy-green milk. So… bring on the Sunflower Seeds, I say!

Vanilla-Macadamia-Hempseed Fruit Topping Recipe

• 1/4 C. raw Macadamia nuts
• 1 t. raw Honey
• dash “Himmy” salt (Himalayan Crystal Salt)
• 2 T. Hemp seeds
• 1/8 t. Vanilla extract (or a snippet of Vanilla Bean if you have some on hand)

Blend in small food processor, or just chop the nuts & mix by hand.
Serve on fresh fruit with fresh nut milk. Sprinkle with extra hemp seeds, if you like.

This is an excellent breakfast recipe, but I’ve also had it as a snack, and for a light dinner many times. It really satisfies on a number of levels — sweet, crunchy, creamy, tart, and belly-filling!

I just love fresh, jumbo Medjool dates. Not when ground up and mixed into nut balls or energy bars… blech. In fact, I loathe those sorts of things, where the almost-juicy quality of the dates is destroyed by over-processing.

No, dates are best enjoyed whole, where their lovely succulence can be enjoyed full-on. I’ve said more times than I can count that the simple treat of a raw pecan stuffed into a whole date and popped into one’s mouth is like pecan pie, only the way pecan pie wishes it could taste!

Here, I’ve made up a salted vanilla filling for the dates without any additional sugar. All the sweetness comes from the dates themselves. And the overall effect when all is said and done is that of a salted caramel!

The dish is comprised entirely of non-perishables, so you can make this entire batch and keep at your desk at work, or in a container in your gym or dance bag for a quick energy pick-me-up when you need it… and with the added salt, it’s a great way to replenish electrolytes after a good workout! And shoot… I just finished one up as part of a late breakfast.

And forget those “nut balls” that so many raw foodies make with dates (did I say “blech” yet?)… these put those to shame. In my not-so-humble opinion.

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This low-fat dressing is made rich and creamy with… fresh corn off the cob! You’d never know.

In addition, while one of the things I have never liked about most fruity vinaigrette salad dressings is that they are too tart, and certainly destroy the ability to enjoy a glass of wine with your salad (which may not be a concern of yours…), this salad dressing is mild, savory, with a nice hit of garlic, and not tart in the least. I enjoyed a small glass of Cabernet Sauvignon with my dinner salad, here, and it was just lovely.

And what gives the dressing only the slightest “tang” is whatever natural acidity is contributed by the fresh strawberries and a small amount of sweet cherry tomatoes (again… you’d never know).

This is a very pretty dressing, great for entertaining (start including this with your crudite spread), and is shown here over some chopped romaine and topped with a couple sliced strawberries… so very simple.

In addition, for those who are not fully “raw” but are simply seeking to incorporate more living foods wherever possible, this would make a great dressing for a chicken salad, or to use instead of mayo in a Salad Sandwich, with or without meat & cheese.

For my high-raw readers, I know you’ll enjoy the versatility for this one as well.

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Ho ho ho, this is great. If you are like me and crave rich, satisfying, savory, even “meaty” meals (tho they be raw and enlivening), things you can eat with a fork and not need anything else to round out the meal, this is it.

Similar to yesterday’s recipe, another “Caesar” salad concoction, this one is also made with raw almond butter. Add to that some finely diced mushrooms with some garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and scallions… and plenty of fresh black pepper… this is a hearty delicious meal that satisfies all by itself.

Also would make a great salsa-type dip or a Wrap or Salad Sandwich filling. Would be a serious winner at the buffet table or at a raw pot luck.

And although I used simple, Utterly Pedestrian organic button mushrooms, you could use portabellas, reishis, maitakes, shitakes… whatever your favorites are.

Oh, God bless the humble mushroom and the versatility of raw almond butter!

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It’s hot out and you want a light but filling and nutritious meal? This is a great summer cooler-offer. I’m a big fan of nutritious ice creams, and this is a good one. Like a very lemony sorbet with some fresh fennel greens… and made creamy with baby zucchini, which you would never, ever know about unless someone told you. Even then… you’ll be inclined to disbelieve it.

I’m a lemon freak, so I juiced two organic lemons for this recipe, but if you aare a normal person you’ll just do the one. Still… just so you know there’s an option for freaks like me.

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The theme of pairing watermelon with tomato continues. I’m a big one for having multiple options for similar ingredients, because there’s a lot to be said for getting into a groove of having a consistent family of ingredients in the house at any given time. You just gotta know what to do with them so they don’t go to waste.

This ridiculously gorgeous dish would certainly be great as an antipasto before dinner, or eat the whole thing for dinner (it would be very filling, as I last night’s dinner proved), but I had a good third of this recipe today for a late breakfast! And it was delicious.

This is, again, not a savory recipe. It is completely non-fat, there is no added sugar, there is no olive oil, no garlic, no onion… but of course, you could happily add any or all of these things and the dish would be wonderful, too.

But on it’s own, it’s so flavorful and satisfying, with the crunch of the watermelon, the unctuousness of the glossy mango glaze, the slight earthy pungency of the fresh tomatoe pieces, and just the mildest hint of pepper from the bit of orange or yellow pepper in the glaze… Just wonderful.

This is a salt-friendly dish. Use it to bring out the sweetness of the fruit!

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If you’re not a drinker, no worries… this is a GREAT combination to enjoy without alcohol! Just wonderful!

There is no tangerine in this delicious martini cocktail, but it tastes like pure tangerine. Made of fresh cantaloupe juice with Meyer lemons and fresh orange juice, this cocktail does not taste like cantaloupe in the least! Some kind of mysterious taste alchemy occurs… and it is one of the prettiest drinks of any kind I have ever seen.

Very delicate. Don’t overdo the vodka. Great for a party. Have enough on hand for a second batch.

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Lately I’ve been exploring the surprising versatility of raw zucchini. When I discovered that it is neutral-tasting and rather creamifying in raw smoothies, I thought it might make a very nice salad dressing. And I was right! You could even use this as you would mayonnaise, in a salad sandwich.

Here is an excellent base or template recipe you can use to make a dressing or dip using fresh zucchini as the base. To this basic recipe, you could add so many variants the possibilities are staggering… fresh tomato and a bit of raw sugar or honey to make a kind of “French” dressing… or ginger and Thai seasonings… or jalapeño, red onion, and tomato for a Mexican flair. You could dress it up with a bit of miso and seaweed for a Japanese flair, or cumin, coriander, and turmeric for a curried effect, or… well, you get the idea.

But just stick with the basics of this simple slightly garlicky recipe.

I took it and paired it with a bit of chopped portabella mushroom and fresh cilantro, creating an earthy, comforting effect not unlike potato salad… just more refreshing, and certainly far more healthful and enlivening!

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This milky dressing is light and nicely flavored with fresh garlic and olive oil to stand up to any ingredients you’d like to toss in. Paired very simply with fresh finely-chopped kale and hothouse cucumbers, anything would work in this dish: olive, red peppers, red onion, and pine nuts come to mind as great suggestions.

If you like to be able to make dishes that can sit in the fridge for a couple days, this is a good one. Keep it around for snacking and for quick salad sandwiches.

The dressing would also make a nice dipping sauce for fresh veggies!

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Pickles are great. So many uses — by themselves, in or with a Salad Sandwich, on the appetizer or dinner table, to munch on with raw, dehydrated flatbreads… as a garnish or condiment off-setting your main course… chopped up in your “raw vegan tuna” avo-sprout sandwich filling… it just goes on and on.

I already have in mind to enjoy these with my  Savory Mushroom-Almond “Pate”/”Raw Cheese”…

They’re also so quick and easy to make fresh, why buy the store-bought sort that are loaded with crappy salt, caustic vinegar, and who knows what else? Make it fresh, eat it living… taste and feel the difference. And these make a pretty and much-appreciated addition to a raw pot luck (or other buffet) table!

This is a basic recipe to which you can add all sort of other ingredients to your taste, such as sliced red pepper, finely chopped ginger, a sprinkling of cardamom and/or cumin seeds, garlic, cilantro, chile, jalapeño, and/or turmeric. All of these would do well on their own… or add them all together!

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