Give away your microwave and your toaster. Clear out the flours, pasta and processed foods. Turn your stove top into more counter space. If you have decided to change to a raw diet, follow these steps to restock your kitchen from the ground up.
Instructions
Choose Equipment for a Raw Kitchen
1. Invest in a good juicer. Most raw food experts suggest either a Champion juicer or a Green Star juicer. Either of these juicers can both juice and homogenize food.
2. Get a dehydrator. The favorite dehydrator is the Excalibur, which can be purchased in a variety of sizes. A dehydrator will expand your raw food capabilities, allowing you to make bread, pizza, falafel, burgers, "sauteed" vegetables and even warm soup on a cold winter night.
3. Purchase a high-quality blender and a food processor, if you can afford them. A Vita-Mix is one of the highest quality blenders you can purchase for making raw foods. You will be blending dough, soups, sauces and nut milks, and a powerful blender will make your work much easier.
4. Find a good set of knives. Raw food requires a lot of cutting and chopping. An ergonomically designed knife set will make preparation a breeze.
5. Obtain sprouting equipment. You can use a sprouter designed for that purpose, or you can use jars covered with cheesecloth.
6. Have cheesecloth and fine mesh on hand for straining nut milks, draining fermented nut and seed cheese and covering fermenting or sprouting ingredients. You can buy nut milk bags for straining milk and draining cheeses.
Choose Raw Ingredients
7. Think broadly. A raw diet is not a restrictive diet; it is a creative one. You will be eating many types of condiments, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables and sprouts in all sorts of new combinations. As long as it doesn't require heat above 105 degrees F to prepare, it is raw.
8. Keep basics on hand. If you have basics like spices, raw tahini, raw shoyu, raw agave nectar, fresh lemons, raw nuts, cold-pressed olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic and raw coconut, you will be able to create many dishes at a moment's notice with whatever produce you have in your refrigerator.
9. Purchase bulk raw nuts, seeds, beans and grain. With a collection of different bulk items, you will be able to have fresh nut milks and sauces, sprouts and even the basis for raw breads. Though you should buy in bulk to save money, only buy as much as you can use within two to three weeks to ensure that your ingredients are fresh.
10. Take advantage of local, seasonal crops. Join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group in your community, and visit farmers markets for the freshest produce possible. When you must buy at a grocery store, select organic whenever possible and always try to eat as close to the seasons as possible.
11. Grow herbs in your kitchen. A few plants on your windowsill will add a constant source of fresh flavor to your dishes. Start with two of your favorite herbs and expand your indoor garden as you see what flavors match your favorite raw recipes.
12. Explore new recipes and try new ingredients on a weekly or monthly basis. Add a seaweed recipe to your collection one week to see how you like arame or dulse. Add a dessert featuring cacao nibs the next. As you explore raw recipes, you will find more ingredients that will become your staples.
Tags: expand your, nuts seeds, will able, will make, your favorite, your kitchen
