excerpted from the book
Following are some of the terms and ingredients used in
the recipes in this collection. I kept the recipes simple and with
ingredients that can usually be found at your local health or
natural foods store. I include a couple of my favorite special
ingredients; certainly, substitutions can be made as you begin
to understand more about the five flavors and what they
represent.
- Agave nectar – A natural sweetener made from the agave
plant. Lower on the glycemic index than honey or maple
syrup, it is not a raw product.
- Blender – high speed blenders such as the Vitamix and
Blendtec offer blending capabilities of 2½ to 3 horsepower
and blend soups, smoothies, sauces and nut milks in seconds.
- Cacao – natural 100% raw chocolate from a cacao pod is available
in powder, nibs or paste. It contains a caffeine analog,
theobromine, that some find over-stimulating. The health
benefits of cacao are controversial so I invite you to discover
for yourself how your body reacts to cacao.
- Carob – this dark brown powder, made from carob seeds and
pods, is often used as a chocolate substitute. It is free of
caffeine. Available raw or toasted; I prefer raw.
- Dehydrator – warms and dries food at low temperatures. Use
for “cooking” foods without compromising the nutrient
content. The most well known and effective is made by Excalibur
and I recommend the 9 tray with Paraflexx sheets.
- Enzyme inhibitors – naturally occurring chemicals, often
found on the husks or skins of seeds, that discourage
insects and bacteria from eating the seeds. These compounds
are often bitter and even mildly poisonous.
- Green tea – There is no such thing as fine green tea in tea
bags. As with good knives, with good tea you get what
you pay for, and the cheap stuff is usually a bitter, oxidized
powder – sweepings from the tea factory floor. If you’re
trying to reduce your caffeine intake, treat yourself to the
priciest loose green tea you can find. Use good green tea
sparingly, and more than once. The best leaves are said to
make their best tea on the second and third brewings.
- Himalayan salt – considered the purest salt on the planet, it
is uncontaminated by any toxins or pollutants as it’s mined
high in the Himalayan mountains, an area of the earth not
touched by civilization’s pollutants. Highly beneficial to
overall health.
- julienne cut – long skinny bits, like shoestring potatoes.
- Miso – a white, yellow, or red paste usually made from fermented
soybeans. There are non-soy versions available.
- packed measure – pack ingredient into measure tightly.
- Nut Milk Bag – a nylon mesh bag used for many things including
straining nut milks, juices, and sauces to separate
the pulp from the liquid. We are especially proud of our
own More than a Nut Milk Bags. Buy them
online at RawsomeCreations.com
- Rough chop – uniform sized pieces not necessarily the same
shape. This method is usually used when ingredients are to
be blended so there is no need for exact sizes or shapes.
- Young Thai coconuts – the meat and water from these coconuts
are a wonderful source of electrolytes, calcium, purified
water and saturated fat. Coconut water is very similar
to human blood plasma and extremely beneficial.
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