Peter Douglas RAW

“Raw Food Fast Food” is Philip McCluskey’s collection of raw food recipes, in ebook format, that are relatively quick to prepare. The sales page states that, with some creative adjustment, raw does not need to be a luxury for those with time and money to spare.

The good news is that this ebook promises a much easier way to do that than some other recipe books do. (Many of which are very time consuming and expensive – trust me, I’ve been frustrated with several such recipes before).  It’s ironic, but sometimes raw food recipes can take longer to prepare than many cooked food recipes.

That being the case, and raw food veganism being such an amazing way to improve one’s health and/or lose weight (fat), Philip’s recipe book is definitely a welcome addition to any raw foodist’s arsenal of tools. And it’s important to note that this a raw food vegan recipe book (and not a cookbook) since, of course, no “cooking” is required!

I recently bought “Raw Food Fast Food” and have read through all 51 raw food recipes and personally made 11 of them during my recent visit to my parents house for the holidays. And now, I will give you my personal review…

“Raw Food Fast Food” Format

“Raw Food Fast Food” is delivered electronically, by download, so you get instant access upon payment with your Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club or PayPal account. The recipe book is in PDF format, which makes it easy to to print and read offline if you choose.

I like this format because it’s environmentally friendly and saves a few trees, plus postage and handling fees normally associated with a printed book that needs to be shipped. Not to mention, no more waiting for the book arrive by snail mail or customs hassles if you live outside the USA.

However, the ebook format also has a drawback… being a recipe book, I’d find it easier to have a physical copy of the book in my kitchen, and am considering printing at least a few of the recipes for quick and easy reference. While preparing some of the recipes, I’ve had my laptop on the kitchen counter, but was always nervous about spilling something on it. Although there are 92 pages in the recipe book, they’re side-by-side, so the actual PDF is only 50 pages.

“Raw Food Fast Food” tools and supplies

As Philip will tell you, the recipes are “simple and fun.” After trying 11 of the 51 recipes in just a few days (some more than once), I can attest that to be true. You really don’t need any special kitchen appliances. Many of the recipes require the use of a blender, but most people already have one. It doesn’t need to be fancy, however a high speed blender, like a VitaMix or BlendTech will definitely make it easier and quicker. Plus, the friction these high speed blenders put out helps warm up soups and drinks when you leave it on for a few minutes. I could never get my old Sears 2-speed blender to do that.

Now that I have a Vitamix, there’s no going back! Definitely worth the investment. Every raw foodist’s kitchen needs one sooner or later. If that’s not in the budget right now, try looking for a used blender on Craigslist or eBay. Or buy a cheapie at your local department store.

You may or may not have all of the ingredients for the recipes on hand. There were a few ingredients I had to buy, but once purchased, they got used in many of the recipes. Hemp butter, for example, is called for in quite a few of the recipes. Although you may find it a bit pricey, and have to go to a health food store or an online store to buy some, it will last you for quite a while and prove to be very versatile.

Bragg’s Amino Acid also shows up in quite a few of the recipes. I had to pick these things up at a nearby health food store. I was not able to find young Thai coconuts, but Philip often mentions easy substitutions (like hemp butter in some cases). If there had been an Asian market nearby, I may have been able to get the young Thai coconuts (the mature coconuts found in many supermarkets won’t work for these recipes).

Don’t get me wrong – most of the ingredients are common items you probably have in your kitchen already, even if you’re a new raw vegan. A lot of the fresh produce can be bought at your local supermarket, though as Philip suggests, and I agree, you should buy locally grown organic produce whenever possible. Being in the middle of a snowy winter, farmer’s markets are out of the question for me right now.

If you choose to follow the recipes as a guide rather than making them exactly as they are written, you can make substitutions or even leave out the odd ingredient (as I did a few times). The following ingredients may be a bit more specialized, especially if you’re “newly raw” but they’re really not all that expensive and most will last for quite a while:

• Miso
• Hemp butter
• Nutritional Yeast
• Bragg’s Amino Acid (may also be sold as “all purpose liquid soy seasoning”)
• Mesquite
• Raw Cacao Powder & Nibs
• Agave Nectar and/or raw (unpasteurized) honey
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Young Thai Coconuts

But can a complete newbie do this?

The short answer is YES. Even if you’re not much of a “cook.” The recipes are quick and easy to make – some more than others. Because your kitchen may not be stocked full of many superfoods or some of the harder-to-find items, you may skip over some of the recipes for now. Or make some some minor changes. But there are plenty of recipes that you can try straight away, whether you’re a newbie or a long-time raw foodie. You may ba a raw food vegan (or transitioning to become one) for improved health, weight loss (fat loss) or for compassionate reasons.Whatever the reason, the recipes in this book are sure to impress you and your guests!

You may even become inspired to try your own version of recipes. Just be careful… you may end up with something way too salty, sweet or liquidy…. (trust me)!  If you’re not familiar with some of the ingredients, you’re best to follow the recipe exactly as written the first time, then try experimenting later.

The only real requirement to succeeding with “Raw Food Fast Food” is your commitment to approach this with an open mind and be ready to try something new. Just like going raw, your carnivorous friends may not share your enthusiasm for all these nutritious and healthy recipes – no matter how good they taste! Just don’t tell them it’s raw vegan. Or if they know what you’re making, try to stick to the desserts. Everyone loves dessert!

The price of the ebook is $15.95 and worth every penny. Sure you could probably find some of these recipes for free somewhere online, or modify some recipes from your old non-raw or even vegetarian/cooked vegan cookbooks. But why? You’re getting 51 RAWSOME recipes all in one attractive package. And when I say attractive, I mean it! This isn’t some document made in MS Word and converted into a PDF. No way! It’s been professionally designed and laid out. The photographs look so good you’ll want to eat them! If it were in print on a shelf in a bookstore, you’d easily pay $10 or $20 more. In my opinion, the price is super low.

You’re getting recipes for:

• 6 soups
• 10 appetizers
• 11 entrees
• 7 salads
• 6 desserts
• 11 smoothies & teas
• Ingredients lists & nutritional facts

I won’t list all 51 recipes here, but these are the ones I prepared over the holidays for my parents and myself:

• Spinach Bisque Soup
• New England Corn Chowder
• Seaweed Salad
• Stuffed Mushrooms with Pesto
• Not So Big Mac (Burger)
• Grandma’s Lasagna
• Dragon Rolls
• Chocolate Ice Cream
• After School Special (Milkshake)
• Orange Julius-ish
• Mint Cacao

Like I mentioned earlier, desserts are almost always a big hit with people, whether they’re raw vegan or not. The chocolate “ice cream” (page 57) tasted so good and rich, we almost felt guilty eating it! You’ll be surprised at how quick and easy it is to make, and how few ingredients it requires. You’d never believe it’s raw vegan!

The Dragon Rolls (page 37) didn’t turn out exactly as intended, but that’s partly my fault for making a few too many substitutions and not following the directions. And my mother tried to help and messed up and didn’t roll the seaweed properly. Oh well, live and learn! Next time I’ll make the best Dragon Rolls ever! But they do taste great as leftovers, after the flavors have had a chance to blend.

The Spinach Bisque soup (page 2) was so quick and easy to make! And it was even better the second time I made it – a bit less miso (my parents didn’t like it too salty). I also figured out how to give it some texture by adding in a few more spinach leaves at the end and lightly blending it to break the leaves a part without liquefying them. This had to be fastest recipe I made from this book.

I could go on an on, but regardless of which recipe was prepared, we all had fun working on them together and enjoying eating this healthy food without feeling guilty. And my mother, who is diabetic, was able to eat all of the recipes I prepared.

If you’re ready to put this healthy lifestyle to work for you with these quick, fun and easy recipes, click here to get started. You’ll receive the recipe book immediately since it’s a PDF you download, so you can get started making your first “Raw Food Fast Food” recipe today.

Have a rawsome day!

Peter

P.S.: I found “Raw Food Fast Food” to be very easy to follow, and chock full of examples and creative ideas. Even if you are a complete newbie and have no clue how to prepare raw vegan recipes (because face it, there’s more to it than just having garden salads), you’ll quickly be able to whip something up and have one ready to serve in no time.

P.P.S.: Whether it’s just for you, looking to get some variety in your raw vegan diet, or you’re looking to impress your guests, “Raw Food Fast Food” definitely has something for everyone. I also really like the suggested ingredients – some of which I had never even tried before. If you’ve been promising yourself to try out some new foods, this ebook will help you get there. It’s like you’re looking over Philip’s shoulder and learning from this raw food guru!

…………………. Click here to get your copy of “Raw Food Fast Food”……………….