Two of my favorite things: raw marinated veggies and romaine leaves used as the main staple of a meal.
This light and flavorful dish actually includes both things AND it’s fully RAW-a type of cuisine that is uncooked, unprocessed and preserves foods natural enzymes for maximum health benefits.
Eating healthy is all about establishing habits. If you can get into the habit of picking up certain foods each week, you’ll always have something on-hand to turn into a healthy meal.
Picking up a couple of heads of romaine leaves (large or small) each week, is a great habit to get into.
I use them for everything, from dipping (check out this snack Hummus & Romaine Leaves), to bread replacement (Ground Flaxseed Burger, there’s a veggie patty wrap at the end of the entry), even a taco shell-replacement.
This is from one of our veggie taco nights. I use ground veggie patties, mix in; cumin, oils and spices. Top it with; avocado, tomato and jalapeño … you’d seriously think you were eating meat tacos. It’s so good and super quick to make.
As you can see, LOTS of uses for this low-calorie leaf.
Mushrooms are a wonderful veggie to marinate and eat raw. Many vegans use them as the “meat” of their meals because they are indeed, “SO meaty…” they really give you a sense of eating something substantial.
I’ll marinate some mushrooms and red onion, and pair it with a side of cauliflower mash (made with almond milk, nutritional yeast, rosemary and garlic) … it’s my version of steak and potatoes for a non-meat, non-dairy consumer. It’s a really hearty meal.
Our family motto is to eat for FUEL and OPTIMAL NUTRITION, so raw cuisine really falls in line with our food goals. Even substituting one to two meals a day, or a couple of meals a week, with a raw meal … will drastically improve your health.
It’s not as intimidating as it looks either. In many ways, raw food is actually easier to prepare than cooked foods. It’s really worth your time to start exploring eating live, uncooked food.
This dish, is simply a matter of chopping, layering on some seasoning, letting it chill in the refrigerator for a bit, then finish it off with some toppings and serve.
Here’s what you’ll need for these fabulous lettuce wraps.
Raw Mushroom Lettuce Wraps:
1 head of small romaine leaves
2 cups baby portobello mushrooms (sliced)
2 Tbsp of hemp seeds
2 Tbsp nama shoyu (raw soy sauce)
1 tsp raw coconut nectar
1 & 1/2 tsp olive oil
Toppings:
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
2 carrots (peeled and chopped)
1/4 c alfalfa sprouts
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
Directions:
- Slice your mushrooms and place in a large bowl, mix in hemp seeds, soy sauce, sweetener and olive oil.
- Cover mushrooms and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Chop up your toppings: bell pepper, carrots, parsley.
- Place lettuce leaves onto a plate, take roughly 1/4 of the mushroom mixture and spread it onto a leaf, repeating the process until mixture is gone, garnish with listed toppings and serve.*Yields 4-6 wraps
These wraps are flavorsome, yet hearty. It’s the ideal meal if you’re looking for something satisfying, yet light.
The bell pepper and carrots give it a nice dose of vitamin C, while the sprouts give it some added protein and calcium. (One of the reasons you should try to add sprouts to everything you eat, especially if you’re a non-meat eater!) The hemp seeds also give it some added protein, essential fatty acids and vitamin-E. I don’t think you can find a dish that’s so well rounded and hits on all nutritional-cylinders.
It’s neat to see how raw vegetables can magically soften and transform into a flavorful dish with the right marinade and seasoning. You can experiment with different vegetables too. Test out some of your favorites and see what combos you can come up with.
Marinated veggies and lettuce leaves …. two easy ways to transform your health!
*Notes:
*Nama shoyu is NOT gluten free, if you want to keep this gluten free use “tamari” soy sauce, if you don’t care about either, use regular soy sauce.
*If you don’t have raw coconut nectar, grade-b maple syrup, agave or raw honey are all options.
*If you’re looking for another raw recipe, check out my oil-free marinade I used for a carrot and leek mixture. You can use it to top a salad, or avocado toast, or make these amazing wraps using vitamin rich nori sheets. Find the recipe here: Marinated Veggie Burrito
*This recipe has been adapted from Ani Phyo’s Marinated Mushroom Lettuce Wraps.
