It is cold here in Jersey! (Says the chica who spent the last 6 months in the mid-90s tropics…) And while I’m endeavoring to “jack up the raw” as much as possible right now, we all know that when the cold weather hits what we really want most are those warm, cozy comfort foods.

Enter the Warm Live-Green Oatmeal… a unique raw, living foods recipe the likes of which I’ve never seen anywhere. If you have a high-powered blender like a Blentec or a Vita-Mix, this dish will be toasty warm (though not “cooked”) by the time you have achieved a nice creamy texture. If you don’t have a powerful blender, you can always gently warm over a low temperature for a minute or so after making it.

It’s smooth, creamy, rich, warm, does not taste in the least “exotic” or “weird”, and does indeed take the chill off the day and fill you up. I made my batch from whole dry, unsoaked oats (“groats”), but you can make yours from oats you’ve allowed to soak and pre-sprout overnight, if you wish. It will certainly increase the “live” factor.

But if what you have on hand is the dry stuff in your cupboard, those will do just fine!

Add to that some fresh, uncooked spinach (which not even my ridiculously high-maintenance taste buds can detect), some cold-pressed coconut oil, honey or other natural and/or raw sweetener, vanilla, himmy salt and a bit of water, and you’ve got a quick breakfast or lazy-bones supper which washes down brilliantly with whatever Live Green Smoothie you have floating about.

Such was my combo for dinner this evening. Lazy-bones that I am in this freakin’ cold.

All I gotta say is: Dr. Seuss, eat your heart out!

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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!

When I was first exploring the raw foods lifestyle and culinary realm back in April/May 2005, raw oatmeal factored into my daily routine quite regularly. I was blown away by how delicious it was, and even preferred it to the cooked version. It was one of those dishes that strongly conveyed to me, “If this is possible and I never knew… what else?” Simple oatmeal became a symbol for adventure, pleasure, and comfort in the raw world.

Back then, I would soak steel-cut oats overnight, drain them, top with freshly made almond milk and various nuts & dried fruits, and I had a rib-sticking breakfast that could see me through even the longest corporate day.

But this recipe here is, for me, a vast improvement. “I wish I had known then what I know now…”

Here, I’ve soaked oat groats — the whole oat that hasn’t been cut or pressed in any way — in spring water overnight (how easy is that… you just pop into a bowl after dinner or before you go to bed, and it’s waiting for you in the morning). Then I’ve drained the groats and added a skooch of fresh liquid (I used fresh coconut milk but almond or another nut or seed milk would work, and even more spring water or fresh juice, or a bit of fresh apple). Quality vanilla, himmy salt, and cold-pressed coconut oil come into play for texture and flavor, and the result is outstanding!

Smooth, rich, filling, oatmeal-y but reminiscent of rice pudding as well. You could then put some fresh almond, pumpkin seed or hemp seed milk over top, and add nuts & dried fruit, but I just sprinkled some cinnamon on and tucked it. Delicious!

And all made from Utterly Pedestrian ingredients… plus whatever liquid you choose to add!

A Trick To Make Salted Raw Nuts

My fave nut for raw oatmeal has always been salted raw pistachios. I buy the raw shelled pistachios (when I can find them ), to which I add a few drop of water and a generous sprinkling of himmy salt. I shake it all up to disperse the salt, and then store in a glass jar. YUM.

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If only kids were introduced to this type of day-starter rather than sugary breakfast cereals…

Pumpkin here is diced into small tender bits, mixed with honey, good vanilla, and quality salt, then added to some sliced bananas, with a good sprinkling of cinnamon overall. The finished product has a surprising fresh-apple-pie flavor, and I just loved it.

You could jack up the calcium in the dish by pouring some fresh almond milk over top, but this is a simple affair that works very nicely as-is, and naturally high in beta carotene.

And who knew how nice pumpkin can be raw?

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As a whole fruit, persimmons are among the most luscious natural creations on the planet when showing off its finest state of ripeness. But something else about them which intrigues me is that they seem to have a tremendous amount of natural pectin, so if you use them in a smoothie the mixture will “gel up” for you if left to sit.

Used with avocado in a pudding recipe, the pudding is extra-fluffy, more like fresh-whipped cream than any other raw vegan dish I’ve rustled up to-date. And because persimmons are actually very mild in flavor, it provides this nifty texture without overpowering other flavors you might like to add, such as… chocolate.  Or even vanilla. Or orange blossom water, which would be lovely here. Like one of Nigella Lawson’s “turkish delights”.

Here, I’ve paired it with simple vanilla (as I recently received a giant quart bottle of delicious Mexican vanilla as a birthday prez from a friend), and it was just wonderful. Another keep as far as raw vanilla recipes. Which says a lot, since those who know my tastes well know I’m an utter vanilla whore who could possibly bathe in any substance that can adequately highlight the celestial fragrance of a good vanilla!

But I’ve given suggested measurements here as well for raw cacao powder and orange blossom water, so… you can take your pick!

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I love persimmons. Where have they been all my life??? I could’ve kissed the grocery manager when I spotted him putting out a fresh basket loaded with those plump, soft, perfectly ripe orange globes. What a find.

If you’re like me and did not grow up enjoying this luscious fruit, here’s the skinny: pick squishy-ripe fruit, as you would a good juicy plum. And figure cutting into two fruits to enjoy as a snack for one person. And my recommendation: cut the skin off with a knife if you’re enjoying it au naturel, but keep the skin on (which is, again, very plum-like in texture) if you’re popping them into smoothies.

This recipe here is quick-n-delish way to enjoy them sliced up into small bite-size pieces… just a bit of lime and raw cane sugar (or good honey, if you prefer). Talk about “nature’s candy”… this is it! You could also — if you have a cupboard better stocked than mine at the moment — toss these babies with some orange blossom water. Heh-ven!!!

Shoot… make a nice, light summer meal out of this. And obviously… perfect for brekkies!

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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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When you can make something quick and easy like this, forget oatmeal and any of the other hot cereals out there. This is the kind of dish that kids will go crazy over… and I mean crazy-crazy.

It tastes like warm vanilla cake batter.

Forget kids… how many adults do you know who still love to lick the batter out of the cake bowl?

This Corn Pudding is made from Utterly Pedestrian ingredients. And drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon, it makes for a brilliant breakfast, a cozy dessert, or a deliciously warming snack on a cold day!

Takes just a few minutes to make, including cutting the fresh corn off the cob, and is a great way to use up any corn you have that may have been in your fridge long enough to convert it’s sugar over to starch and lose its natural sweetness.

And, similar to my Warm, Live Polenta recipe: You can keep this recipe all-raw-vegan by using cold-pressed coconut oil to enrich the polenta, or — if like myself you’re an omnivore who eats as high-raw as possible — then you may follow in my footsteps and use organic, grass-fed, unsalted butter instead, for a truly authentic flavor.

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If you have key limes around, use those for an even more fragrant limey flavor! You can increase the amount of lime I’ve used, but as it is here, it’s not too powerfuly… it’s a delicate, mild, soothing dish. This would also be great with Orange Blossom water!!!

This makes a great quick dessert or even breakfast, or a light supper when the weather is hot. It’s creamy, cool… and you can freeze any leftovers like ice cream.

However… I must say, I was hard-pressed to get my share of this. Both of my parents and my youngest son scarfed it up before I could stake my claim!

This is so not just for the “raw” crowd.

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Am currently working on creating some good breakfast recipes with crunch and texture, to redirect my morning inclination for bready things.

This dish, with the satisfying crunch of raw cacao nibs combined with a creamy fudge pudding, works for me. And… it’s not too sweet. Just a bit.

Would make a nice light supper as well, when you just can’t be bothered with much more!

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