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Pulling off a Raw Thanksgiving may be easier than you may think. With the right kitchen tools and equipment, you can easily put together a nutritious live Thanksgiving menu that has all the comforts  of a traditional thanksgiving menu, but with no cooking, imagine that! And, the tools required for many of the following recipes are the  likely tools of most raw foodists, and are a great addition to any natural, healthy kitchen.

The traditional Thanksgiving meal includes, turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, house rolls or bread, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie and probably other goodies too. However, using some of  the common raw food tools of a Food Dehydrator, Vita-Mix Blender, Champion Juicer, and the Food Processor you can create all the traditional Thanksgiving favorites, Raw!

Your Raw Thanksgiving Menu:

Noasted Nurkey (Tastes like turkey and dressing) Sprout Café Shinui Living Food Learning Center, Rosewell Ga.USA
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 tablespoons fresh sage
2 tablespoons rosemary
2 tablespoons fresh thyme

2 cups (480 ml) walnuts soaked 12 hours and drained
2 cups(480 ml) almonds soaked 12 hours and drained
1 tablespoon organic unpasteurized white miso
1 large onion, chopped very fine
6 stalks celery, chopped fine

1 cup (240 ml) parsley sprigs (as garnish)
1 cup (240 ml) cranberries (as garnish)

1.  Place garlic in a food processor and process well.
2.  Add sage, rosemary, and thyme, processing well.
3.  Add walnuts, almonds, and miso, one at a time and process well.
4.  Remove to a bowl and stir in onion and celery.
5.  Place on a Paraflexx Ultra Food Drying Sheet and form into an oval loaf shape. Place in a dehydrator for 6 hours.
6.  Remove and turn loaf over, removing Paraflexx Ultra food drying sheet from the bottom. Dehydrate for 4 to 6 hours more.
7. Garnish with parsley and cranberries. Serves 8.

Raw Mushroom Gravy by Halston Bruce

1/2 cup almonds, soaked for 12 hours
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 cups shiitake mushrooms
1 garlic clove (or 1/4 teaspoon powdered garlic)
Dash of Bragg Liquid Aminos
Water, as necessary

1. In food processor grind almonds fine.
2. Add remainder of ingredients and process to paste.
3. Add water as necessary

Raw Cauliflower aka Mashed Potatoes and Chives by giveittomeraw.com

1 c chopped cauliflower
1/2 c cashews, soaked
1/4 c water
1/4 c chopped chives, reserve 1 teaspoon for garnish
1/2 garlic clove, minced
Juice of one half lemon
1 T sea salt

1. Place cashews and cauliflower in a vita-mix blender, add lemon juice and water 1 tablespoon at a time to create a creamy consistency.
2. Remove mixture from blender jar and place in a large bowl. Fold in garlic, chives and sea salt. Garnish with 1 teaspoon of chives.

Raw Green Bean Casserole by goneraw.com

1/2 lb. fresh green beans
1 batch mushroom soup (raw recipe below)
¼ cup red onion, sliced very thin
½ cup chopped mushrooms
2 pieces of your favorite onion bread, sliced into thin strips and dehydrated until crisp

1. I bought very fresh thin green beans and then cut them into small strips (French cut). You can dehydrate them a bit to soften them if you wish.
2. When you make the mushroom soup, cut the water to half the amount called for in the recipe in order to make it thicker.
3. Mix green beans, onion, mushrooms and soup.
4. Then top with the strips of onion bread. It can be warmed in the dehydrator if desired.

Classic Raw Mushroom Soup by goneraw.com

This tastes just like a classic cream of mushroom soup. Thick, creamy and delicious. The real version of this soup used to be my favorite when I was young. I just made this on a whim so the measurements are from memory and may not be accurate. Taste the soup as you’re making it to be sure the measurements are to your liking. I hope you enjoy.

1. Blend the sunflower seeds with the water until you get a nice creamy smooth mixture.
2. Add the garlic, salt, yeast and pepper.
3. Blend for a long time until slightly warm.
4. Add the mushrooms and blend for about 10 seconds, just to spread them around.

Corn Bread Crisps (can make in dehydrator the night before if making the Noasted Nurkey on Thanksgiving Day)

1 1/2 cups corn (frozen)
1 small red bell pepper
1 small yellow bell pepper
1 tsp celtic sea salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1. Blend all ingredients in the food processor.
2. Spread it on a Paraflex sheet.
3. Dehydrate for 3 hours, flip onto mesh and dehydrate for 3 or more hours, depending how crispy you want your bread.

Raw Cranberry Relish by Elana’s Pantry

1 orange, peeled, sliced, seeds removed
1 lemon, peeled, sliced, seeds removed
2 dates, pitted and chopped
2 cups fresh cranberries

1. Blend orange, lemon and dates in a food processor.
2. Add cranberries and process until coarsely chopped.
3. Serve!

Raw Sweet Potato Pie by Rita Romano

Crust:

2 cups walnuts
1/2 cup dates, pitted
1/2 tsp. 5-spice powder
1 tsp. Braggs Amino Acids [found in health food store]

1. To make the crust, mix the last four ingredients in food processor, using “S” blade attachment.
2. Press into pie shell and set aside.

Filling:

6 medium sweet potatoes (or yams)
1/2 cup dates, pitted
1/2 cup pine, almond or cashew nuts
1 teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon 5-spice powder
2 tablespoons psyllium powder [found in health food stores]

1. To make the filling, peel and slice sweet potatoes.
2. Put the sweet potatoes and the nuts and dates through a Champion juicer, using the blank attachment, and alternating some of each ingredient.
3. You should end up with approximately three cups of sweet potato puree.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the mixture and mix well.
5. Press mixture into the pie shell.
6. Garnish with nuts around the outside edge of the pie and chill.

Raw Cashew Whipped Cream
(Makes 1 cup)

1 cup of raw cashew nuts
1 1/8 cup of cold water
1 1/2 Tbsp of raw honey
1/4 tsp of pure vanilla extract

1. Place cashews, 1 cup cold water, raw honey and vanilla extract into a blender. Blend on high speed for about 1 minute. Add a little more water and blend again until smooth. Taste cream and add a little more honey if necessary. If you want the cream to be a little runnier, add another 1-2 tablespoons of water. Blend for another minute until completely smooth. The cream may seem watery but once refrigerated it settles and thickens.
2. Cashew cream should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Lactic fermentation is one of the oldest methods of food preservation. It has been used around the world as a method of food preservation and as an essential addition to a healthy diet. The lactic acid bacteria that ferments vegetables has a pleasant acidic taste and a rich content of vitamins and minerals. Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage), for example, has a very high vitamin C level, and has long been touted for it’s health giving properties.

Along with the increased vitamin and mineral content of lactic fermented foods, they also include the fiber of the vegetable for maintaining a healthy digestion and lowering cholesterol. The lactic bacteria present is important for the build-up and maintenance of healthy intestinal flora. Other secondary plant substances can help the body to prevent cancer, and prevent the body against infection, and inhibit the growth and reproduction of fungi. Many fermented vegetables also contain anti-ulcer properties that protect the stomach against and help prevent intestinal ulcers.  Acetylcholine is also present in sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables which has natural anti-depressant properties.

Lactic Fermentation is the only one that preserves all the natural substances of the vegetable. It also allows the flavor to fully develop, thereby, preserving the food, and improving its quality. As a nutritionist, I highly recommend consuming this type of fermented vegetable at least once day.

The best method of lactic fermentation is made traditionally, in old-world style stoneware fermentation pots. The patented original Harsch stoneware fermentation pots are hand-crafted, baked at 1200 degrees Celsius and are suitable for fermenting almost all kinds vegetables such as cabbage, pumpkins, cucumbers, carrots, beans, celery, onions, and bell peppers. Theses pots are the superior method of fermentation for three main reasons. First, because they are made of  natural stoneware the environment they create is mold and slime free, whereas other pots made of glass or other substances are more porous and can allow for the development of mold. Additionally, the the Harsch fermentation pots contain a water groove around the rim of the pot which as long as the groove is always filled with water will prevent air from penetrating into the crockery pot, the formation of film-forming yeast which makes the vegetables slimy, the top layer of vegetables from perishing, dust or bugs from coming in, and the weighing stone from becoming greasy. And finally the Harsch fermentation pots include a two-piece weighing stone that ensure the vegetables are always covered in liquid and generates the correct pressure required for lactic fermentation to take place.

Sauerkraut Recipe - for use with a 10L Harsch fermentation pot

approx. 5-8 kg of cabbage

approx. 5-8 g of salt for 1 kg cabbage (The better the pot is sealed the less salt is required.)

1. Remove the outer wilted leaves of the cabbage and the stalk (either with a special cutter or a knife) and shred the cabbage into a large dish.

2. Weigh the salt and place it next to the cabbage.

3. Put one layer of shredded cabbage into the stoneware fermentation pot, add some salt and press down firmly (with your fist or with a stamper) until juice (cell sap) emerges.

4. Repeat the above procedure until the pot is full.

5. Place the weighing stone on top. If there is less than 3-4 cm of juice above the stone, add some boiled and cooled salt water (15 g of salt for 1 L of water).

6. Close pot with the lid and pour some water in the groove.

7. Leave the pot at room temperature (20-22 degrees C) for 2-3 at best in the kitchen. When you hear the bubbling sound the fermentation process has started.

8. Put the pot in a cool place (approx. 15-18 degrees C).

9. After 4-6 weeks you can eat the sauerkraut. Store in a cool cellar (5-15 degrees C).

The Hurom Slow Juicer and the Omega VRT330 are both new juicers to the market. They are a new, upright design of more traditional single auger juicers. Both hold several advantages over other juicers that have dominated the juicing market for years. First, it is important to note that both the Hurom and Omega VRT330 are manufactured in the same plant. They are virtually the exact same juicer. The similarities between the two are almost undetectable. They are both fantastic juicers!

Ultimate Nourishment also offers the choice of a free book, either Juicing for the Health of It! or The Wheatgrass Book with the purchase of either juicer.

The advantages of this new upright design in a single auger juicer are many. Both the Hurom and Omega VRT330 are able to juice fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, and wheatgrass in an extremely efficient manner! For example, the Hurom has recently been added the Ultimate Nourishment kitchen and we have been able to yield about 24oz of juice from 2 large apples, 5 regular carrots, 1 small beet and 2 medium chunks of ginger. This is quite substantial over other juicers on the market! And, while the technology of the juicer allows for slow rpm juicing compared to say the rpm juicing of a centrifugal juicer, the juicing process is actually quite fast, and clean-up is a breeze!  The auto-feeding design on these juicers is brilliant and eliminates difficult juicing of hard vegetables like carrots and beets. The auto-feeding also allows for the longer juicing sessions to take place quickly, with no compromise to the juice nutrient quality.

If you are in the market for a juicer, we can not recommend both of these units enough. They are an innovative and easy way to get you or a loved one on the fast track to juicing health!  The use, design, and efficiency of these juicers is unbeatable. Many research studies have concluded that drinking fresh juice daily can not only boost the immune system and fight disease, it can actually help one to look younger! The Hurom and the OmegaVRT330 juicers extract a superior quality of juice. Thus, utilizing nature’s best source of nutrition, drinking fresh juice daily provides the body with more nutrition than any other food source. Give yourself or another the gift of good health, with an easy, delicious way to enjoy nutrition, Juicing!

Ah, the ease of kitchen clean up with non-stick cookware. We consumers have all used or at least eaten food that was cooked on non-stick cookware. Consumers have been so accustomed to scrub free pots, pans and small kitchen appliances, some may not realize the possible health trade off for this convenience.

But in ever increasing numbers, many people are now becoming aware of the potential dangers and health risks associated with using non-stick surfaces thanks to reports from independent scientists who are advising the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) stating, “PFOA is a ‘likely human carcinogen’”[1].

PFOA, also known as C8 and C-8, is used as a processing aid for the manufacture of non-stick surfaces on cookware, protective finishes on clothing and carpets, and even on the weather resistant materials used under the exterior siding on homes. PFOA, which is one of many perfluorochemicals used in the manufacture of non-stick materials, has been found in drinking water, well water, rivers and streams.[2] According to Globe and Mail, a division of Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc., PFOA and PFOS are found in almost every North American’s body and are also found in almost every wildlife species that scientists have tested.[3]

Canadian scientists have found high concentrations of PFOA in the tissues of seals and polar bears in the Arctic. PFOA has also been found in tropical birds and even dolphins.[4] Canada will be the first country to ban these offending long-chain perfluorinated acids, which is one of the carbon-fluorine mixtures used in the manufacture of non-stick materials. The European Union is also considering a similar ban.

WTAP News and The Columbus Dispatch report that PFOA (C8) has been found in drinking water, ground water, and wells.[5][6] Lawsuits have even been filed; for instance, a lawsuit filed in Salem County, NJ, where a resident stated the Chambers Works Plant released PFOA and other chemicals into the groundwater tapped by utilities.[7]  Little Hocking Water Association, a southeastern Ohio water company, filed a lawsuit, which states that chemicals, including C5, C6, C7, C9 and C10, were found in its water and in customers’ blood, allegedly from the DuPont plant across the Ohio River from Little Hocking. DuPont disputes this allegation.[5] And in Parkersburg, West Virginia, levels of C8 have been steadily rising, where just 4 years ago, no levels of C8 could be found at all in their water wells.[6]

The consequences from the perfluorochemicals, PFOA and PFOS, which make up non-stick materials, are reported to be vast and the health consequences are just now being reported.  CBC News (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) states, “In North America, it has been widely reported, as many as 95 percent of all people have traces of the key ingredient in Teflon® – PFOA for perfluorooctanoic acid – in their bloodstream."[8] Additionally, this compound, which has been linked (in very high doses) to health and reproductive problems in lab animals, can take decades or longer to be expelled from the body, according to CBC News.[8] The CBC News article goes on to mention that it can take decades, even a lifetime, for humans to expel PFOA from their bodies, whereas animals can rid their bodies of this chemical in weeks.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) demonstrates why cooking in non-stick cookware can be hazardous to one’s health; hazardous even to pets who never eat the food cooked in the cookware, but are exposed to the fumes. According to the EWG, DuPont said, “DuPont non-stick coatings will not begin to deteriorate until the temperature of the cookware reaches about 500 degrees F (260 degrees C), and significant decomposition of the coating will occur only when temperatures exceed about 660 degrees F (340 degrees C). These temperatures alone are well above the normal cooking range.”[9]

The 660-degree threshold has been DuPont’s assertion that normal use, such as cooking with non-stick cookware, is safe. One may think that normal cooking would never reach temperatures of 660 degrees or higher; however, the Environmental Working Group has demonstrated that non-stick coated pans can exceed temperatures of 660 degrees during normal use. The EWG’s testing demonstrates these non-stick pans exceeded 660 degrees in 3 to 5 minutes, on the different types of stoves used in testing (electric and gas), while the pan was on the burner at its highest heat setting.[10] These findings read to me as the equivalent of stir-frying or braising in a non-stick coated pan on a high burner for 3-5 minutes.

EWG also reports that a demonstration for an episode of “20/20,” which aired on November 14, 2003, suggested a pan can get hot enough to emit fumes that can cause flu-like symptoms when simply cooking a slice of bacon.[11]

In Time Magazine’s article “Is Teflon Risky?” DuPont acknowledges fumes from non-stick pans, caused from being heated over 660 degrees, can cause a reversible flu like condition called “polymer-fume fever.”[12]

The EWG also states that Teflon® can emit toxins at 446 degrees and warns that these toxic fumes from heated Teflon® can kill birds. The Environmental Working Group writes in their article “Teflon Kills Birds”[13]:
  “Under ordinary cooking scenarios, Teflon kills birds. A review of the literature and bird owners’ accounts of personal experience with Teflon toxicosis shows that Teflon can be lethal at normal cooking temperatures, with no human lapses in judgment or wakefulness.”[13]

One of the “bird death” cases noted in this article was listed from non-stick coating fumes from a toaster[13]:
 ”Toaster oven with a non-stick coating was used to prepare food at a normal temperature; bird survived but suffered respiratory distress ” Grahme 2003. “Teflon-related bird information.” Email correspondence to Environmental Working Group. April 24 2003.[13]

This got my attention because prior to reading this article, I was unaware that the inside of many slice toasters and toaster ovens are coated with a non-stick coating. I used to think the ‘toaster smell’ was the heating element or the plastic from the toaster or toaster oven; however,I now realize that the ‘toaster smell’ is most likely caused from a toaster’s non-stick coating emitting fumes which can be toxic enough to kill birds.

Solution? Safer cookware alternatives?

In a nutshell: glass is best. Otherwise switch to stainless steel and cast iron.  But what about those small appliances that we are all so attached to, such a rice cooker?

Many families use a rice cooker with a non-stick coating, not realizing there is an alternative. One of the most requested items our store features is a rice cooker that has a stainless steel inner bowl. If you love rice and other grains like I do, you know that other rice cookers on the market for home use have an inner cooking bowl made from aluminum and are often coated with non-stick material. The Miracle Stainless Steel Rice Cooker (Model ME-81) is the oasis for consumers who finally have found that they do not have to give up the convenience of using a rice cooker to avoid making rice in a non-stick rice cooker. We proudly feature the Miracle Stainless Steel Rice Cooker and I personally use this unit almost daily.

On a personal note, replacing my home’s non-stick cookware and appliances with stainless steel, glass and cast iron was quite an investment. But one of the best investments I can make is in my and my loved ones’ health.

I hope you keep celebrating your good health!

References:

[1] – Environmental Working Group; “Independent Science Panel to EPA: Teflon Chemical is ‘Likely’ Human Carcinogen” June 28, 2005, Contact: EWG Public Affairs, 202/667-6982

[2] – Forbes.com, Associated Press “Suit Alleges DuPont Contamination of Water” By RANDALL CHASE 04.19.2006

[3] – Coming to terms with perils of non-stick products; Toxic Shock, Part 2: After nearly five decades of use, some chemicals behind popular non-stick products linked to cancers, even deaths, in lab animals; by MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT

[4] – “Sticking it to Teflon”, CBC News Online by Robert Sheppard

[5] – “Water district sues DuPont over chemicals besides C8″ Wednesday, May 24, 2006; Spencer Hunt; THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

[6] – “C-8 Levels Rising”;WTAP News; Todd Baucher

[7] – “Lawsuit targets PFOA from Chambers Works”; By JEFF MONTGOMERY The News Journal.

[8] – “Sticking it to Teflon”, CBC News Online by Robert Sheppard

[9] – Environmental Working Group; “DuPont misleads consumers, intimidates pet bird owners and groups”

[10] – Environmental Working Group; Heated pans get toxic in minutes

[11] – Environmental Working Group; “Brian Ross reports on concerns that a key chemical used in the manufacture of Teflon® might pose health risks”,”20/20″ episode aired on Friday 11/14/03.

[12] – Is Teflon Risky? Nonstick pots can emit nasty stuff if used incorrectly By MICHAEL D. LEMONICK

[13] – Environmental Working Group; “Teflon kills birds”

If you would like to share this article with loved ones, friends and family, please do not hesitate to share this article with them. This article is to aid in public awareness. Permission is granted to link to this article. However this article may not be reproduced or published without expressed written permission from the author.

I have recently inherited a Vitamix blender from a friend, and I am in love! I have to admit I have, at least so far, only used the VitaMix for one purpose, green smoothies. Green smoothies are extremely nutritious, easy to make, digest and clean up after. And, best of all is the amazing amount of energy that I feel after consuming a green smoothie! Better than coffee, way better!

According to Green For Life by Victoria Boutenko, The optimal ratio for green smoothies is 60% organic ripe fruit and 40% organic greens. Although savory green smoothies are also an option. And after of few weeks of consuming green smoothies you will be craving your greens more, and begin to become more interested in the savory type of green smoothie. One example of this could be: collard greens, green onions, and parsley. Optimally, an adult would drink 32 oz or 1 quart of green smoothie per day, although drinking 2-3 quarts of green smoothie will have the most notable affects on your immediate and long term health.

Green smoothies basically work like this: a molecule of chlorophyll closely resembles a molecule of human blood. Ann Wigmore, wheatgrass guru, described receiving the benefits of consuming chlorophyll to receiving a healthy blood transfusion. This is because chlorophyll has a very high content of oxygen and thus helps to support healthy oxygenated blood. And healthy oxygenated blood is a major key to health supporting;  good bacteria, healthy intestinal flora, digestion, builds a higher blood count, prevents cancer, helps transport iron to organs, regulates menstruation, helps purify the liver, improves milk production, helps sores heal faster, and cleans teeth and gum structures, to name a few.

And while it is always best to consume fresh green smoothies, they can be stored up to three days in a cool place. Perfect for taking to work , traveling and the like. believe once you start to feel the difference in green smoothies, you be hooked in green smoothie heaven too!