Raw Foods for Busy People: Simple and Machine-Free Recipes for Every Day Review

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(More customer reviews)Its very apparent that a lot of love went into making this book. The layout, additional info and resources are excellent and presented very clearly.
As a single guy with not a lot of free time I searched all over for a Raw Foods cookbook that I could use. This is the ONLY book I found that has things I'd eat, enjoy and are easy to make without exorbitant costs or prep times or weird ingredients.
Honestly after researching a lot of the Raw Foods books I figured the only people who could eat this way are housewives with a lot of money, I couldnt imagine anyone spending the time or wanting to eat a lot of the recipes in these other books.
After making many things from the book I can say that they fall into two categories-great or bland/too watery. Things like the cinnamon stewed apples, cashew cream, schezwan marinade, halvah shake, puddings and the dehydrator recipes are outstanding. Others like the gravy, curry apple marinade, tahini marinade, mashed potatoes and others are way too watery or lack flavor. I'd still rate this book 5 stars since theres no other raw cookbook like this but I think she needs to fine tune some of these recipes.
Would still highly reccomend it though. It was a big relief to get a practical book like this after my 1st purchase- Raw in Ten which was truly an awful raw book.

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Enjoy and prepare simple raw foods, the healthiest foods nature has to offer, while living a busy lifestyle. This book is perfect for raw food beginners, busy people, health-conscious slackers, and those on temporary cleansing programs. It makes a great gift for the raw-curious as well, since it is the simplest and least intimidating raw food recipe book on the market. It includes over 120 recipes, almost half of which are or include machine-free options.

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Alive in 5: Raw Gourmet Meals in Five Minutes Review

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(More customer reviews)I think the title of this book is quite misleading. I'm giving it two stars because I think the author is representing it as something it's not: "gourmet food".
While the recipes are not complicated, most of them are far TOO simple. Over and over, I kept asking myself, "for THIS I need a recipe book??" For example, "Cucumber Pizza", which sounds intriguing, is nothing more than chopped olives on slices of cucumber. "Scrambled Eggs", which sounds like something you wouldn't find in any ordinary raw food recipe book is -- are you ready for this? -- 3 ripe avocados mashed in a bowl, add salt and pepper! The "salad" recipes are the most basic of salads ... if you can chop some vegetables and lettuce into a bowl, add some lemon juice, olive oil and your favorite seasonings, you already know how to make most of the salads in this book.
There are several different nut milk recipes, each with a fancy, delicious-sounding name, but they're all the exact same recipe ... only the kind of nut you use is different.
Many of the recipes call for the pulp left over from making nut milk, and some of the soup recipes require nut milk. So unless you've taken the time to make nut milk, and have saved a supply of the pulp, you're out of luck.
One problem I have with many raw food recipe books is the inordinate amount of nuts, seeds and avocados called for. One recipe in this book calls for 5 avocados to make a dish that serves 3 people (just about all the recipes in the book make 3 servings). A taco recipe calls for 2 cups of soaked sunflower seeds in the pate', plus an avocado in the filling, and another cup of sunflower seeds to make the "sour cream" topping ... serves 3. I don't like gorging on fats, even if they are the healthy kind.
Some recipes call for coconuts, which is a no-go for me, because I don't want to have to deal with cracking coconuts and scraping out the flesh, etc. One recipe (that makes 3 servings) calls for 3 young coconuts.
I'm a big proponent of raw foods, and have a large collection of raw food recipe books. For "quick and simple" recipes, I especially like Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People, by Jennifer Cornbleet. Raw Foods for Busy People by Jordan Maerin is another favorite. But I cannot recommend Alive in 5, for all the reasons mentioned above. Perhaps if it were titled more honestly, something like "Dishes You Really Don't Need a Recipe Book For", I wouldn't have been so disappointed with it. I'm not saying there aren't some tasty combinations of foods in this book, but many of them are just TOO simple. To call it "Gourmet Meals" is misleading.

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Here is a great resource for anyone looking for easy alternatives to complex raw recipes that require lots of time and expensive equipment to prepare. Acclaimed raw chef Angela Elliott shows how to whip up mouth-watering lasagne, spaghetti marinara, stuffed mushrooms, broccoli in cheese sauce, apple pie, decadent whipped cream and strawberries, chocolate shake, and more--all in about five minutes, with easy-to-find ingredients and just a blender or food processor. She shares her personal wellness journey and her playful enthusiasm to make the book an enjoyable and inspiring guide to delicious living.

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Raw Kids: Transitioning Children to a Raw Food Diet Review

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(More customer reviews)This book was written by a mom who transitioned her older child to a raw foods diet to overcome his behavioral problems, which she suspected were caused by food allergies. That may sound strange, but it's not an uncommon phenomenon. Not all families need to cut out all cooked foods to overcome their child's problems, but that's exactly what worked for Cheryl Stoycoff's family.
In her introduction, she lets the reader know what not to expect from the book: it isn't a primer on raw nutrition for children. She wrote it for those who are already convinced of the benefits of a raw diet but still need advice on how to help older children make the transition. Much of her advice is based on the simple premise that you first set an example, then you enlist your child's cooperation - as best you can.
I like that the author is realistic about the fact that some kids will transition more easily than others. She encourages loving patience and praises the benefits of any change toward a healthier, more whole foods vegan diet, rather than lamenting the difficulty of going 100% raw with kids. And she covers not only dealing with children themselves, but also briefly discussing handling school, relatives, and social gatherings.
Also included are chapters on "The Diet-Behavior Connection" and "Meal Ideas" complete with a section of her own tried-and-true kid-friendly raw recipes.
This is a short book, an easy read, and it answered many of the questions I had when contemplating how one could possibly get a whole family to go raw. Though you would probably want to get another more thorough nutrition manual, this book provides sound advice and a view into one family's experience, which is always an interesting read!

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Raw Kids provides inspiration, guidance, practical tips and resources for anyone wishing to improve their child's diet. Whether your goal is to transition your child to a 100% raw food vegetarian diet or, simply to incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables into your child's diet, you will find Raw Kids a valuable resource. Raw Kids helps parents understand the process and implement the changes necessary for a successful transition.

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Ani's Raw Food Kitchen: Easy, Delectable Living Foods Recipes Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been a vegetarian since I was sixteen. In the late eighties, that was rough- even more difficult than being a vegan now. In the last year, I made the transition to vegan, but thanks to the work of innovative cooks like Isa Chandra Moskowitz, that just isn't hard anymore. The next challenge? Going raw- very difficult because apparently you need a Vita-Mix, a dehydrator (I don't think I've ever even seen one of those), a food processor, a grinder, and a bunch of other esoteric equipment I've never even heard of- right?
Ani Phyo earned four stars right off the bat by making almost every one of her recipes doable with a blender or, in many cases, a knife. There are maybe three recipes that absolutely require a dehydrator- and even that can be gotten around. For this reason alone, if you've been thinking about raw but you've been intimidated by all of the required equipment, check this out.
The recipes that I've tried- and I've gone a little crazy in the last few days- have been not only simple but really, really good. So far I have made her Miso Soup, Almond Yogurt, Black Pepper Cheeze, Nori Rolls, Coco Kream Pie (oh wow- so good), a bunch of her shakes and my version of her Sunflower Bread (hmm- how did I do that without a dehydrator?). Almost all of this has been accomplished with a blender, and I don't even own the legendary Vita-Mix. In other words, the majority of households can do this.
Every chapter opens with her thoughts and recommendations on environmentalism. I liked most of her suggestions, but I was a little put off by her statements that hers was not a "bargain body" and that she is thus willing to pay more for her premium produce. I applaud her- I even envy her and others like her- but I am disappointed that she doesn't touch on the readers who can't afford organic produce for the most part and live in areas with lousy public transportation systems and recycling. I shudder any time I read something that makes it seem as if health is only for the wealthy.
However, she didn't lose a star for that because her tone, as strident as it may have been at times, inspired me to find a work around for my dehydrator- and I did. Ever make yogurt using a heating pad? If you have a small enough pan- think one that fits into a toaster oven- and some tin foil- congratulation, you have the guts of a make your own dehydrator. I'm still tweaking mine, but I was very inspired by the results with my Sunflower Bread.
This is a soup to nuts guide to going raw, and it won't require you to reoutfit your kitchen. It may, however, inspire you to rethink your approach to food.

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Raw Food Made Easy For 1 or 2 People Review

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(More customer reviews)I like a lot of raw things; though I eat a regular diet, I've preferred a lot of my foods raw for years--definitely fruits and vegetables, and some other things that would probably upset a vegan or two.
Cornbleet's book was recommended to me by another Amazon reviewer, and I have to say, this is one book of recipes on raw foods that doesn't require a kitchen full of obscure appliances and a direct pipeline to Whole Food's exotic produce section. You can make most of these recipes from things you find in any grocery, with perhaps the addition of raw nuts like almonds, walnuts and cashews from the Indian grocery store (because they carry them in reasonably good-sized bags and are priced well, too.)
I tried the "Creamy Tomato Soup." This is a kind of gazpacho made simply with tomatoes, avocado, basil or dill, olive oil and some seasoning like salt, onion powder, garlic cloves and pepper. I made a batch, using Adobo powder because I was out of onion and garlic (this is a garlic salt with herbs used in Latin American cooking.) And, yes, think of it, I was out of onion salt and garlic but I did have an avocado and fresh basil. Pretty strange, I'll admit it. I tossed in the best of extra-virgin olive oil we had. Result? A creamy, frothy pink soup, served chilled that tasted like a buttery version of gazpacho. I had to keep from eating the entire batch in one sitting. It was refreshing and soothing. This soup can be lightly warmed if cold soups don't float your boat.
The book has attractive photography, which helps you choose some recipes like raw wraps, either in kale, cabbage or nori wrapping or you might go for the desserts which were numerous and very luscious-looking (fig cake, key lime mousse, berry crisp.) The "spaghetti" made of spiral-cut zucchini with a raw coulis of tomato, dried tomato and other herbs was served with walnut pate "meat balls." We can't eat wheat, and this was a beautiful presentation. Only problem is ONE of us doesn't eat nuts and this book is chock-full-o-nuts. I suppose you can use hemp seed or sunflower seeds if you are anti-nut, but this WILL present an issue for those who are allergic.
The author points out that raw food can be made with a blender and not much else but a cutting board and can be good for campers or motorhome travelers who may not want to go nuts with a stove.
This book has some very tempting but healthy recipes and is a nice way to get your five servings of veg a day without pounding down boring salads or boiled cabbage. Recommended!!

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Getting 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day has never been so delicious and easy. In Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People, well-known cooking instructor Jennifer Cornbleet shares her favorite no-cook recipes, in smaller quantities ideal for one or two people. Essential time-saving tips and techniques, along with Jennifer's clear instructions, prove you don t have to toil in the kitchen in order to enjoy nutritious, delicious raw food.
Choose from over 100 foolproof recipes, along with lunch and dinner menu plans.
Enjoy easy recipes that call for common ingredients and basic equipment.
Learn how to avoid health-busters like white sugar, white flour, and trans-fats.
Convert traditional favorite recipes into nutritious treats made from all-natural ingredients.

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