Why was this Seder different from all other Seders?

Because for the first time the food we ate at this year's Seder was all raw and live, which means no heating, no cooking, no microwaving, no baking...all fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils, blended and food processed delights, using recipes we learned online, from books, trial and error and a mixture of all three...

This year we felt like doing something new and different, and so we created a fabulous menu which showcased a variety of flavors while recreating some of the traditional tastes of Passover like gefilte fish, chopped liver, tzimmes, and macaroons...(recipes below)

We even made our own grape juice by juicing 8 lbs. of grapes in the juicer...absolutely divine!










The Matza we ate was from Israel...some day I'd like to make my own "Living Foods Matza" with a Dehydrator...

This year we used extra-large thick green leaves from trees in our backyard as place mats, and under the seder plate, plus we picked flowers from the garden for decoration. The best part, however, is that everyone in the family helped to create this year's seder, and it was great fun, no stress, and really joyful...

A little history...my husband and I have been raising our family as vegetarians, more like vegans, eating no flesh food and very little to no dairy and eggs...fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouts and legumes have been the main source of our diet, which has included steaming vegetables, making stir-fry, baking our own bread, cooking pasta, couscous, quinoa, rice & lentils...now, after about 20 years of eating this way, it seems like a natural progression to become closer to a 'raw foodist' or 'live foodist' lifestyle, since we know how much better it is for our health and body maintenance, and also our energy and spirit.

The benefits of going raw/vegan are boundless. Raw foods are easy to digest, and they provide the maximum amount of energy with minimal bodily effort. Try eating a raw food diet for one day, one week, then one month, and see if you can tell the difference!

So...here is the menu we put together for this occasion. Hope you have time to try a few of the recipes during this holiday, or perhaps some time when you feel to...in any case hope you enjoy!

CREAM OF CELERY SOUP
Yields 5 servings
1 bunch celery, chopped
4 C water
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C lemon juice
1 avocado
1 tomato
1 Tbs honey
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy.


SALADS

Israeli Salad
Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumbers chopped very small.

Sweet & Crunchy Green Salad
Shredded Romaine Lettuce, Chopped Spinach, Shredded Carrots, Raisins, Chopped Macadamia Nuts.

DRESSINGS

Sweet Mustard - Yields 3/4 cup

1/2 C extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 C apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 Tsp agave nectar or raw honey
1/4 Tsp sea salt (optional)
1/2 Tsp crushed garlic (1/2 clove)
Dash black pepper

Place all ingredients in blender until smooth & creamy. Will keep for up to one week.

Ranch - Yields 1 Cup - so rich and creamy you won't believe it's dairy free!

1 C soaked cashews
3/4 C water 2
Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 Tsp garlic powder
1/2 Tsp onion powder
1/4 Tsp sea salt (optional)
1 Tbs fresh basil, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 Tbs minced fresh dill weed, or 1 teaspoon dried

Place all ingredients in blender until smooth & creamy. Will keep for up to 5 days.

Creamy Cucumber - Yields 1 Cup - So creamy you'll never guess it's low fat!

1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/4 Tsp sea salt (optional)
1/4 Tsp crushed garlic (1/2 clove)
Dash cayenne (optional)
1 1/2 Tsp minced red or yellow onion
1 Tbs minced fresh dill weed, or 1 teaspoon dried

Place all ingredients in blender until smooth creamy. Will keep for up to 3 days.



MOCK "GEFILTE FISH"

Yields 6 Patties

½ C cashews, soaked overnight ½
C almonds, soaked overnight
½ C pine nuts, soaked overnight
½ C green onion, finely minced
½ C parsley or fresh dill
¼ C lemon juice (more or less)
1 clove or more of fresh garlic
1 Tbs sea kelp granules (this gives the "fishy" and salty flavor)

Run the soaked cashews, almonds, and pine nuts in a food processor. Add the lemon juice, a small amount of water, the minced onions, parsley, and other seasonings. Form into balls or patties, and let stand to flavor the paté. Serve on a bed of spinach or lettuce with a small amount of freshly grated horseradish on the side.

MOCK "CHOPPED LIVER"

Yields 6 servings

1 C lentils or peas soaked, and/or sprouted
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion
¾ to 1 C walnuts
1 Tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kelp powder or granules to taste
A pinch of cayenne pepper

Optional: minced celery, red bell pepper, grated carrots, or other chopped vegetables. Process all ingredients in a food processor. Will keep for 3 days.

LIVING FOOD TZIMMES

Yields 8 servings

1 large sweet potato
1 small white potato
½ lb. carrots
1 small sweet apple (Fuji, red delicious)
½ pound mixture of soaked pitted prunes and raisins
(soak these overnight in freshly squeezed orange juice, not water)
1/3 C freshly squeezed orange juice
Optional: 5 or more chopped pitted dates
1 ½ Tsp ground cinnamon, or to taste
½ Tsp ground ginger, or to taste

Finely grate the sweet potatoes, white potato, carrots, in a food processor. Mix the vegetables, and set aside. Peel, core and chop the apple, dates, prunes, raisins, with the orange juice in a blender until it is a consistency of thick sauce. Add cinnamon and ginger to the sauce. Combine the sauce to the grated vegetables as needed. This recipe should be sweet. Because of the heaviness of this dish, serve it with something light.


ZUCCHINI PASTA

Yields 6 servings

Peel 2 big zucchinis and create "natural pasta" in a spiral slicer.




MARINARA SAUCE

Yields 3 cups, 6 servings

3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 C sun-dried tomatoes, soaked or oil packed
1 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
6 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs minced fresh basil, or 3 Tsp dried
3 Tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 Tsp crushed garlic (3 cloves)
A pinch of sea salt (optional)
Dash of black pepper (optional)
Dash Cayenne

Place all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Will keep for 3 days. This is a staple and favorite of our family!


NOT-MEAT BALLS

Yields 10 small 'not-meat' balls

2 C raw walnuts
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 Tsp extra-vergin olive oil
2 Tsp tamari
1/2 Tsp garlic powder
Dash sea salt (optional)
2 Tbs minced fresh parsley
2 Tbs minced onion

Place all ingredients in food processor and process into a paste. Stop occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Make little balls and store on flat plate or in tupperware and serve on top of zucchini pasta with marinara sauce.

MACAROONS

Yields 15 cookies

2 C shredded coconut
1/2 C ground almonds
4 pitted dates chopped very small
4 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1/4 C raw carob powder (optional)

Mix ground almonds and dates with mashed bananas and make into little balls. Roll the balls in shredded coconut, then in carob powder. Freeze, and when ready to eat make sure to thaw for approx. 10-15 minutes before serving. These are amazingly delicious and nutritious.

BANANA PUDDING

Tastes like the old fashioned kind of pudding
Yields 4 servings

1/2 cup Vanilla Creme Sauce (see below)
3 bananas
1/4 cup Crumble Topping (see below)

Place the Vanilla Creme Sauce and half of the banana in a blender and process until smooth. Top with Crumble Topping.

VANILLA CREAM SAUCE

Yields 1 cup

1 C soaked raw cashews
1/4 plus 2 Tbs water
2 Tbs pure maple syrup or agave nectar
1 Tsp vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a blender and process on high speed until smooth. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Vanilla Cream will keep for 5 days. This tastes delicious on everything!

CRUMBLE TOPPING

Yields 2 cups This topping tastes like it was freshly baked! Use it on Pudding, Mousse and Icecream.

2 C raw walnuts, unsoaked
1/2 C unsweetened shredded dried coconut
1/4 Tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 Tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 Tsp salt (optional)
1/2 cup raisins, unsoaked
4 pitted dates, unsoaked
1/4 cup agave nectar

Place the walnuts, coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until coarsely ground. Add the raisins and dates and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and begins to stick together. Don't over process. Stores for one month in refrigerator or three months in freezer.

Bon Appetit!