What occasion calls for loads more green than usual? Yes – it’s Saint Patrick’s Day! (Err, I realize the post title spoils it, but let’s just pretend you didn’t see that.)

For raw vegans, having lots of greens on the table may be already an ordinary sight. It seems like everyday might be Saint Patrick’s Day. But this occasion is extra special for many, so why not go the extra mile and whip up a few mean green recipes to enjoy all day!

Just something a little different and festive from the usual green salad, ya know?

Silky green smoothie

What better way to start your St. Patrick's day than with the Rawtarian's classic Silky Green Smoothie? It's big and it's green! And of course, it's extra smooth and oh, so good for you! Fill up a clear go-cup and take it with you to work. Wave it at people as you walk by, so they know YOU'RE celebrating St. Patrick's Day in style!

You must have a high-speed blender to achieve the ultimate silkiness of this recipe!

Raw broccoli soup

Keep up the festive theme for lunch (or supper!) with this surprisingly delicious Raw Broccoli Soup. Cashews provide this soup with its yummy creaminess. And broccoli being the numero uno ingredient, it is a lovely shade of green. So you're still rockin' St. Patrick's Day!

If you haven't made this soup before, give this recipe a try. If you love broccoli, you are going to totally love this soup!

Raw stuffed mushrooms

Impress your friends (or just yourself!) with these Raw Stuffed Mushrooms. They are stuffed with spinach and basil, so yes, this recipe still fits in with today's green theme! Pine nuts and red/yellow peppers are also included in the filling, so you can be assured, these little morsels are most delectable!

This recipe does require a dehydrator, so make sure you plan ahead (it's worth it!).

Raw sweet kale cheesecake

The vibrant green color of this cheesecake recipe is just perfectly fitting for a St. Patrick’s Day raw dessert. Even though it’s green and all, it’s surprisingly sweet and doesn’t even have that green flavor to it. This Raw Sweet Kale Cheesecake requires only a few ingredients and very quick and easy to follow steps: blend, pour and freeze.

What makes this raw sweet kale cheesecake recipe stand out is its lovely shade of green and its sweet flavor.

Surprising and delicious St. Patrick's Day recipes!

St. Patrick’s Day is looming just around the corner, and if you don’t have shamrocks or any creative green ideas to prepare, any of these green recipes will fit the bill! You can start your day with the silky green smoothie, and finish with the sweet kale cheesecake. Or serve up the broccoli soup and stuffed mushroom caps for a yummy lunch!

Do you have your own raw food green overload for the 17th ready?

Hi friends,

Now that I have this new blog I am feeling a bit nervous about what to write about! I have been pretty focused on providing really valuable content (AKA my recipes!!) that will be of help to you.

And I want this blog to do the same. I will continue posting new raw food recipes, but I will also use this place to write articles or blog posts that you will find super helpful (rather than just yammering on about my day-to-day life!)

In order to help you, I would love you to offer suggestions (by comment or email to lj@therawtarian.com) re: the type of questions you have or articles you'd like to read from me.

I look forward to hearing your questions or ideas about what would be interesting/useful to you.

Thank you so much, I appreciate you.

Raw vegan recipes are about more than plain old boring uncooked veggies. There are actually many types of raw vegan recipes ranging from sweet to savory and from -- and from tidbits and meals to desserts. There are even recipes that your non-vegan friends will delightfully dig!

Salads

Who says salads should be boring? True, they can be boring sometimes, especially if you’re having the same recipes over and over again. However, salads are really handy to have around as part of your raw vegan arsenal because they’re quick and easy to make. Basically you just have to dump the ingredients together into a bowl and enjoy! But with my raw vegan recipes, you can turn a plain salad into a tasty and delicious dish! Why don’t you try making some raw salad for lunch, raw cashew apple salad, or raw avocado dulse salad?

Smoothies

Raw smoothies are one of yummiest healthy blends.  The ingredients are broken down and mixed together so well that they can actually disguise that "green" taste from your greens (like spinach and kale). This raw vegan recipe also allows your body to absorb more nutrients. Smoothies can be prepared with just a blender, and they’re really simple yet packed with substance. I personally like having my silky green smoothie in the mornings. I also have recipes for raw banana chai smoothies and raw lemonade smoothies, among many other raw smoothie recipes.

Savory sauces and dressings

Adding different raw sauces or dressings gives your dishes a boost in flavor. You can transform a boring dish into something amazing. Just blend the ingredients until you obtain the right consistency.

My raw cheese sauce recipe and my raw ranch dressing recipe are just two of the savory sauces and dressings you can try matching with a variety of companion raw vegan recipes.

Savory meals

Contrary to popular belief among non-raw vegan foodies, raw vegan recipes are not just about fruits and vegetables. Even vegans get tired of eating food with the same taste all day long! Sometimes you just can’t help but crave something savory. But you don’t have to give in to the temptation of junk and processed food because there are a number of savory raw food recipes you can enjoy.

Some of the recipes need to be dehydrated first so they can take a while to prepare a dish, but the steps are really easy to follow. You may want to try some of my savory recipes like raw salmon salad pate, simple raw guacamole, or a raw bacon lettuce tomato sandwich.

Dehydrated recipes

If you are a seasoned raw vegan, you’re likely to have a dehydrator. But if you don’t know what to do with it, I have several recipes you can try making. These dehydrated raw vegan recipes require a lot more time to make, but once you’ve tasted the fruits (or veggies) of your labor, you’ll find it worth the wait!

This raw zucchini bread recipe, raw onion bread recipe and raw veggie burger recipe are just some of my many tasty dehydrated recipes.

Cakes and pies

Those oh-so-heavenly-looking cakes and pies that you crave might be your kryptonite against your raw food diet. But hey! It’s possible to still stay raw while having some yummy gluten-free raw vegan delights. You might worry that they'll taste too "healthy," but, believe me, they don’t!

These absolutely healthy but delicious no-bake cakes and pies are really simple to make and most of them just need freezing to stay together. Some of these raw vegan recipes that you can try are raw carrot refrigerator cake, raw cranberry lemon cheesecake bites, and raw banana cream pie.

Other raw vegan recipes

Want more luscious sweets for your vegan sweet tooth to explore? Well, there ARE more raw vegan recipes to satisfy your cravings for desserts. They are guaranteed guilt-free from sugar and gluten, but they’re also amazingly sweet! Most desserts just need mixing and chilling before you can indulge in their sweet pleasure. How about giving these raw desserts recipes a try: raw chocolate mousse, creamy raw fruit chia pudding, and raw vanilla drop cookies.

Which one will you make first?

I don’t know about you, but thinking about all these yummy raw vegan recipes are making me hungry. Who knew there were so many options you could try when going raw?  Don't be intimidated because these raw recipes are not as complicated as they look.

When I first started learning how to make green smoothies I would follow recipes rigidly.

There are thousands of free green smoothie recipes online. Just google them or buy a book. (Victoria Boutenko's Green Smoothie Revolution has everything you ever wanted to know about green smoothies.)

But now that I'm used to making green smoothies myself, I've taught myself how to make green smoothies that work for me.

I don't like them to taste too green, so I generally keep the ratios as follows:

In my blender I add:

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water
• A large handful of greens (spinach, romaine lettuce, carrot tops, etc.)
• Approximately a banana and an apple's worth of sweet fruit

Adding bananas to your smoothie

I almost always use a banana in my green smoothies because bananas make the texture so smooth. If my green smoothie tastes too green, I'll add a date or two (medjool dates are my favourite), some fresh sweet pineapple, or a sweetener such as raw agave nectar.

Depending on what I've added to my green smoothie the liquid will congeal really quickly. For example, by the time I've finished drinking my first cup the remainder in the blender will be all strange looking and congealed. Usually I'll just blend it up again for a few seconds and it will return to the more liquid state, which I prefer.

The Rawtarian's favorite smoothie

My favourite, simple, economical green smoothie is as follows:

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water
• A medium handful of romaine lettuce (or two big lettuce leaves, ripped into small bits)
• One banana
• One apple (or just half an apple if you like it thinner)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Learning how to make green smoothies is a snap. Start with some good, clear recipes. After you've made about twenty or thirty green smoothies, you'll notice that there are some definite commonalities to the ratios of fruit to greens. You'll be making your own raw smoothie concoctions in no time.

Happy blending!

People frequently ask me, "Laura-Jane, what does your average raw food day look like?"

My day is not this totally different, fancy raw recipes type of day - no, I tend to eat simply, and I return to my favorites over and over. Every day includes lots of veggies and fruits. And I pretty much start every day with a big 'ol green smoothie!

To start the day...

My go-to brekkie is a large  Silky Green Smoothie. Packed with goodies like bananas, oranges, apples and spinach, it's the perfect start to my busy days.

If I'm in the mood for something different, I go for the Raw Oatmeal, Raw Breakfast Bowl, or Raw Porridge. These recipes are not only delicious and filling, they are easy to make - important when you're running late!

Make sure to fuel yourself up for the day with a hearty breakfast! It will set you up with lots of energy to tackle the rest of your day.

It's lunch time!

Lunch is often a salad topped with either Walnut Pate or Salmon Salad Pate. Sooo tasty!

And I love soups! A bowl of Celery Soup with raw crackers, or a bowl of Tomato Soup with a side of raw hummus = the perfect lunch! I'll also include a small side salad (super easy, like spinach with cherry tomatoes).

And for supper...

Mmm, what to have for supper? I like to have a hearty supper at the end of the day (complete with dessert of course!)

So many awesome raw recipes to choose from, but I usually go for my favorites:

• 5-Minute Spaghetti - Walnuts add the hearty texture to this simple yet dee-lish recipe!
• Macaroni and Cheese with Zucchini Noodles - a meal everyone will love, even the kids!
• Taco Salad - Walnut-based and oh, so good!
• Raw Pizza - Almond-based crust topped with pesto, pineapple, green pepper, sun dried tomatoes, mushies = YUM!

Note: I usually make a small salad for supper, as well - loaded up with lots of my fave veggies.

Gotta have dessert!

I love dessert: who doesn't? My dessert picks are Brownies, Chocolate Shortbread Bars, and Sesame Seed Bars. No, not all at once! Although the idea is tempting!

If I'm extra peckish, perhaps a piece of fruit to go-with. 

Don't forget the snacks!

I don't like feeling hungry. So I usually eat two snacks every day. First one mid-morning, the second in the afternoon (not long before supper!). Not letting yourself go hungry is key to success. When you are starving, you either make poor food choices, or you give up on going raw. Allowing yourself snacks helps you stay fuller and feel happier!

A typical snack for me is two apples, or one banana, or a handful of nuts. Perhaps a small slice of brownie, or maybe a handful of crackers straight from the freezer. Hmm, I think I want a snack right now!

There ya have it!

Now you have an idea of what my raw food intake looks like. Most days I stick to simple favorites. Other days I fancy things up for a special occasion. And I definitely have days where I'm craving something different. Depends on my mood, time of year, motivation... !

So, find your favorite recipes and enjoy them... a lot. Just as you used to eat your SAD favorites, so it is with eating raw. If knocking back a big green smoothie every morning (afternoon, evening), is your thing, then stick with it! You may eat more or less than me, and that's fine. Your body will tell you what's working for you - listen to it!

Simple raw food recipes are the best raw recipes hands-down.

It's no secret that a raw diet requires a bit (or a LOT!) of planning and some advance preparation for certain dishes. However, that doesn't mean that your raw food recipes have to be complicated—in fact, quite the contrary is true! Eating a raw diet is definitely part of a lifestyle, but preparing meals doesn't have to consume your life.

Simple raw food recipes should be the back-bone of your daily eating routine, and here are four reasons why simple raw recipes are best:

1. Simple raw recipes save time 

A huge trap for people eating a variety of diets—from SAD all the way to vegetarians and vegans—is reaching for pre-packaged convenience foods. Why? Because they require little to no time to prepare, and can be easily transported when you're on the go.

By loading your arsenal with simple raw food recipes and utilizing a little menu planning, you can prepare simple, versatile foods to grab throughout the week, as well as have plenty of choices for when you need to whip something up quickly (or satisfy a craving)!

Try this simple raw recipe: Raw brownies in 10 minutes

2. Simple raw recipes mean that you'll stay versatile 

Most people thrive on variety (it is, after all, the spice of life), and it should definitely not be neglected in your diet. When making a drastic dietary change, it can be easy to get stuck in a flavor-rut, but by familiarizing yourself with simple raw food recipes you will open yourself up to a whole new world of raw culinary delights. The obvious beauty of following simple recipes is efficiency and easy, non-intimidating prep. However, as you master fundamental techniques and get comfortable with the raw diet staples and basic recipes, you can begin to experiment with different flavor combinations to create delicious and truly unique dishes.

Try this simple raw recipe: Creamy celery soup in 10 minutes

3.  Simple raw recipes are maintainable 

Blending, pureeing, chopping, chilling, dehydrating, sprouting, planning—it can become overwhelming if every meal is a chore. By having a strong foundation of simple raw food recipes to fall back on, you can take a break from heavy-prep and more time-consuming recipes without falling off the wagon. Knowing that you can take it easy while still maintaining your raw diet is crucial to your success. And it doesn't hurt to know that you can whip up some 1-minute raw chocolate fudge on a moment's notice, either!

Try this simple raw recipe: Raw chocolate fuge in 1 minute

4.  Simple raw recipes are best because success is contagious 

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who isn't interested in hearing the secrets to your success—how you lost the weight, cleared up your skin, seem to have so much more energy—but much of our society is focused on quick-fix solutions and low-effort trends. The real “secret” is that there are no magic pills or food sprinkles that will make you feel as incredible as going raw will. And with simple recipes to follow, and real results to motivate, sharing this message is easy!

Try this simple raw recipe: Raw alfredo sauce

Find your own favorite simple raw recipe

Looking for simple raw recipes to start your raw journey? Check out The Rawtarian's Raw Recipe Index, for simple, satisfying raw recipes. Whether you are just beginning your raw food journey, or you're a seasoned veteran looking for something new (raw carrot cake, anyone?) you're sure to find something to delight your taste buds!