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Does anybody eat raw food without dehydrating n such?

I’m more frustrated to eat raw food when my hubby n I try to follow a recipe that u call “a chicken recipe” but actually just made of nuts. I crave chicken even more/ a meal that is supposed to be something such as meatloaf or whatever SCD (Standard Canadian diet) recipe but raw version. Does anybody eat here raw foods just like that withouth following a recipe/ dehydrating stuff? Thanks.

Comments

  • Yes I do :)
    The only kitchen appliance I use is my little cheap hand blender, and I’m not a recipe-person either (but I sometimes do like to browse through recipes to get some inspiration), more an intuitive un-cook ;) . The only thing I “dehydrate” (means, I put it in front of my radiator for a day to dry) is (Essene) bread.
    Sorry, I can’t help you in terms of meat stuff though. I haven’t had meat for over 10 years, and I always hated it…

  • hi….the only time I use Blender is for making nut milks (once in a while). I don’t use/own any other appliance because simply I don’t need it. Most of the times I find myself eating raw fruits/vegetables/sprouts/sokaed nuts etc. I really don’t bother much about recipes. But I’m still not an 100% raw foodist, but almost there (98%). The exception being bits and pieces of food during celebrations in office/ some free samples when I go shopping.

    Just wanted to add my bit about recipes. I think I try to visualize or recall from memory the taste of food that we call by mock names (like chicken recipe/turkey etc) when actually I’m eating a nut recipe. This makes me feel deprived in my sub-conscious mind, and my mind rebels against me for not providing the food it craves or you’re trying to mimick. The work around that works for me is, I go through recipes, if I like it make note of the ingredients and forget about the “name” of the recipe or gice it a new name, which is more relevant to the ingredients (like nut loaf etc).

  • I don’t need to eat meat but it’s just that when I follow a meat recipe, I get excited expecting that I would be eating something that taste like meat but coming to find out that the recipe doesn’t even taste like meat. I would rather eat fruits, seeds, nuts just like that

  • chriscarltonchriscarlton Raw Newbie

    I know what you mean by being let down when making a faux recipe. There are so many recipes for things like Tuna salad etc. that don’t taste anything like their title. Here are two that in my opinion really resemble their names. The “Grilled Meat” is mine. The tuna is from Jamestheraw.

    http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/407-Grilled-Meat…

    http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/1908-tuna-salad-...

  • alpdesignsalpdesigns Raw Newbie

    I use my dehydator infrequently, but I use my blender daily. I make green smoothies all the time and tonight, I made cream of cauliflower soup. I make the nut recipes if I want to play in the kitchen, but they aren’t anymore tasty to me than a salad with ground pumpkin seeds on top. I always liked the sauce/gravy better than the meat.

  • stylistchickstylistchick Raw Newbie

    i pretty much live without dehydrated foods. its an occasional thing, maybe once a week or once every two weeks.

  • debbietookdebbietook Raw Master

    Hi Chella! Completely take your point. I’m not sure it’s a good idea for raw recipes to call themselves ‘mock tuna/chicken’ etc. If you serve these to a non-raw tuna/chicken eating person, you are setting yourselves up for a fall, as they a) taste nothing like… and b) to a flesh-eater do not taste nearly as good (to them!). Better to call a delicious raw ‘pink’ pate a tomato pate than try to pretend it’s something it’s not.

  • I don’t have (& so use) a dehydrator because it has never felt “right” to me, somehow. I will buy commercial, raw flax-crackers sometimes, as I find they help with bread-like cravings. But, generally, I stick to raw food with raw names & agree with debbietook in that I’d rather call a sunflower seed pate a sunflower seed pate than mock-tuna pate or whatever! I’m not always 100% raw, though (some cooked grains / legumes), so don’t know if I’d want a dehydrator if I was …

  • NuttgirlNuttgirl Raw Newbie

    I don’t own a dehydrator. I tend to go for more simple recipes that are not nut heavy. It is easier on my stomach and it is less time consuming. Every once in awhile I will buy raw pre-made flax seed crackers but that is about it.

  • I never dehydrate. I think it is better to stick to simple and fresh things.

  • humanimalhumanimal Raw Newbie

    hardly dehydrate. Some times I like some dehyrated kale patties and flax crackers, but thats bout it. I really like pates and spreads wrapped in collard greens :)

  • MarichiesaMarichiesa Raw Newbie

    I rarely dehydrate preferring to stick to simple fresh fruit and greens. However I will say that for the maybe 3 times per month that I dehydrate ( mushrooms ala chris carlton or simple raw bread or cinnamon rolls) I’m really glad to have my excalibur.

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    You probably already know then but just in case you don’t, Storm and Jinjee of www.thegardendiet.com don’t use a dehydrator and they have many cheap and easy recipes in their ebooks which are also pretty good value.

  • ZaZa Raw Newbie

    Actually the only thing I use a dehydrator for regularly when making food for myself is meat and fish. Like jerky? Otherwise I recommend sticking to whole, fresh, unmixed foods as much as you can!

  • DeborahBeeDeborahBee Raw Newbie

    I usually eat fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

    However, I like to make a batch of cookies sometimes which stops me from being tempted by the biscuits and chocolate my non-raw boyfriend has in our home.

    I bought my dehydrator for

  • I grow a lot of my own foods and dehydrate produce in the summer for winter consumption.

    I’ve recently started experimenting with some of the fancy dehydrator recipes in some of my raw cookbooks. They are good, but I’d rather eat fresh when I can. But when there are too many eggplants to eat next summer, I will certainly be making eggplant bacon! Yum!

  • DelphineDelphine Raw Newbie

    I prefer fresh live food: fruits, vegies, soaked nuts. My love for living food started in 1985 & I have done well without a dehydrator so far. A dear friend is getting me one for Christmas, my main intent will be to use it to make crackers. Most recipes which requires dehydrating do well without. As far as the mock: tuna, chicken … is these are tempting to you then I would like to suggest to simply avoid them for now.
    May this be helpful : )
    Wishing you the very best.

  • I don’t own a dehydrator. I don’t think I want too either.I don’t like to do too much to my food. Some times I use a food processor for a cold soup.

  • When I first started raw nine years ago, I bought a quality dehydrator. But quickly decided that I didn’t like that approach, sold it, and wanted my food to have all the available enzymes in it possible. I love eat raw and making quick and beautiful meals each day. I have been very disappointed in most of the raw cookbooks because they either are very complicated (dehydrating, oils, costly foods from tropical areas, time-consuming, way to high in nuts) or they just truly do not taste good. So that’s why I am writing a raw cookbook that you could go to work and come home and make a delicious raw meal in 15-30 min. So far I have 130 recipes done and testers trying them out. Starting to take photos now. But I have no idea how to publish it. Any ideas? I want a top of the line cookbook for those who eat all raw, some raw, or just beginning. Also I too like Debbie, do not call recipes “mock”. Although many recipes remind you of cooked versions, they are unique creations all of there own class..and so good for you.

  • What a good thread. I bought a dehydrator at the beginning of my raw journey last September, and have hardly used it. The longer I’ve been raw, the more I’ve veered towards simpler foods. I love my greens! So many recipes have way too many nuts and oils, and are actually not that pleasant to eat. I too am a more intuitive “uncook”, and just continue to listen to what my body wants. Not really into “mock” anything these days.

  • Thumbs Down Items:

    - I got a dehydrator from Excalibur, but returned it within the 30-day money back guarantee period. I lost $70 on the round-trip shipping, but it didn’t work out as planned. I didn’t really like the taste of dehydrated food. I’d much prefer to leave the water content in the food.

    - I also got a spiral slicer, but resold it on eBay for a loss.

    - I got a yogurt maker, but put it on eBay too.

    Thumbs Up Items:

    - I love my KitchenAid food processor. I use it everyday to thinly slice celery, carrots, and apples.

    - Half-gallon wide-mouth mason jars for sprouting with sprout lids. I have 12 of these in constant use.

    - Forschner chef’s knife comes in handy everyday (also sold under Victorinox brand).

    - Extra large cutting board (15” x 20”) is really nice to have.

    Neutral Item:

    - I have a high quality blender, but almost never use it. Maybe one day.

  • Birdseed…I am so excited about your recipe book…keep me posted…

  • sweetpeasweetpea Raw Newbie

    I use my dehydrator nearly every day in the winter for warming food, making cookies and crackers/breads etc. But then I live in a cool damp climate (west of scotland) If you live in a warm sunny climate you don’t really need to dehydrate your food to balance.

  • When it’s busy I don’t. Fresh and simple is always such a lovely way to eat. But it’s special when I do.

  • When I first got my dehydrator, I used it constantly and then it pooped out after 2 months. It has since been repaired and I have it back but I have not yet been re-motivated to use it since it is time-consuming. I have also relapsed into eating more cooked vegan food this winter, so I need to get back on track. I use my blender every day though and I just ordered a juicer.

  • I’ve done raw for a few months and don’t have a dehydrator. So far I’m not planning on getting one either, the blender, food processor, cutting board, peeler and knife are my stars. I find that the simplest stuff is the best, and when I dehydrate stuff I’m just trying to mimic the look and taste of cooked food. Also, I like being well hydrated and part of that optimal raw health is being juicy! Take the super nutritional juice out of things and you have to replace it with plain water.

    Dehydrated foods are great for those who are starting out, but in the long run it’s not the most optimal food you can eat. People like Storm and Jinjee Talifero (The Garden Diet) don’t do dehydrating either, just chop, dice, mince, blend..

    Ask yourself what it is about chicken that you like when you eat it. I always found meat to taste like a fibrous carboard dipped in herbs, spices and oils to give it any taste so I was lucky to never like meat. Is it the texture, the flavour from the herbs and spices, the look of it that you like? If you can isolate the thing about it that calls to you, then find a way to duplicate that with raw foods you should be alright. Alot of people use nuts to replace meat, others use large mushrooms because of the texture, look and that it has that bland flavour meat has when it hasn’t been seasoned. You can marinate and season these up for that meat experience. If things are too wet you can add freshly ground flax seeds and these soak up water- The best you can do is learn about the food, the qualities of raw foods alone and how they can be used, this way if you crave something, you’ll know how to whip something up to satisfy you all on your own without trying out a random recipe and being disappointed!

    Raw food is also freedom, freedom to just grab things in their natural states and enjoying them as they are, or mixing a few of them, there’s really no need to make complex combinations. The more complex the food is, the harder it is on your system!

    I hope this helps.

    BIRDSEED:

    I would LOVE to buy your book! I agree with you that most raw “cook” books are very complex, I mean, my first one was RAW by Juliano and I can’t honestly say I’ve made anything from it yet. – I bought The Garden Diet because there’s no dehydration and everything is simple. You’ve got over 100 recipes I’d love to get my hands on.

    As far as publishing goes I wish I could help, but like Deborahann said, an e-book is a great way to get your book out. I love buying e-books because I get them instantly here in Norway where you wouldn’t normally find such books.

    I’m more willing to buy an e-book than waiting for a printed copy, plus it’s good for the enviroment.

  • deborahanndeborahann Raw Newbie

    Birdseed- Have you thought about an e-book as a way to publish? I think I have seen companies that publish for people in small quantities and you could have a website or sell on e-bay or amazon.

  • I usually eat a base of veggies (especially greens—love green smoothies!) plus a piece of fruit and an ounce or two of fats. I use a blender, cutting board and knife, and very occasionally my juicer or food processor—they are nice to have but not essential. I eat lots of veggies plain—no prep!

    The more basic, the closer to the idea of raw it is. Don’t push yourself farther than you can go, but don’t make fancy recipes that take up a lot of time and don’t serve your needs.

    I think the reason you get so many “this tastes JUST like X!” comments is:
    -fat, salt and sugar can be found in SAD and raw, so sometimes it’s true
    -sometimes it’s been a long time since we’ve tried the original!
    -lots of us were vegan first and are pretty used to things tasting funny compared to the original, and don’t even think anything of it! You taste buds adapt pretty quickly, luckily. But not in one meal!

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