Raw Sunflower Seed Paté

We have been discovering some delicious raw delights during this current detox/cleanse. This was adapted from a recipe at The Raw Gourmet. I'm a big fan of anything sunflower seedy, and this paté has a very smooth richness that makes for a tasty, filling spread or dip.

Raw Detox! Day 13

I am in the midst of the first raw/herbal cleanse I've done in over a year. After spending most of December on tour in Brazil and Europe, followed by a gluttonous holiday back home in Indiana, my body was begging for a reset and I am happy to oblige.

A few years back I discovered an amazing company called DHerbs. They have a website full of insightful articles on health and nutrition, and they offer a large catalogue of cleanses and detoxes, all herbal based. Their flagship detox program is the Full Body Cleanse, which is what I am doing now. Over halfway into it, I feel amazing. The program requires an all raw food diet, which can be a bit daunting at first, but in my experience always becomes a wonderful culinary adventure and yields a renewed passion in the unparalleled flavors and satisfaction that natural, unprocessed foods possess.

I thought I'd share a few of the recipes that have become staples in my raw diet - simple fixins' that satisfy the gnarliest of urges and tummy rumbles. The most common question I hear when asked about going raw is, "Aren't you hungry all the time?" No way, man! The easy thing about going raw is that you can eat all you want - as long as it's not cooked. And the flipside is - being that raw foods are the most nutrient-rich edibles around, you find yourself getting filled up pretty quickly. No empty calories here!

Ethiopian Food in Brussels!

I've been on tour in Europe since the beginning of July. July was filled with amazing festivals in France, Switzerland, and Belgium, club shows in the UK, and some splendid down time in Paris, London, and a few other spots. Since the beginning of August, we have had time off in a beautiful apartment in Brussels. We had a big gap in the touring schedule, and it made more sense to stay here rather than fly home and back again. What an opportunity - to truly live in a foreign city! So many of our adventures on the road are enjoyed in fast-forward, zipping from city to city, sometimes barely having time to come up for air. This, on the contrary, has been quite different, indeed.

English Muffin w/ Cashew Cheese and Tomato

When I was growing up, on some very fortunate weekend mornings, my Dad would make these heavenly simple little breakfast melts - just english muffins with cheese melted on top in the toaster oven. I remember it being done to perfection, with the edges of the muffin getting a bit burnt and crispy and the cheese bubblingly hot and delicious.

Since then and to this day, I regularly crave english muffins in the morning. My refined quest for health has led to an upgrade (perhaps a downgrade, to some) from the delightful, yet low fiber, high-fructose corn syrup laden standard Thomas brand to Ezekial sprouted grain English muffins, which are high in fiber and very low in carbs. I usually have them with peanut butter or a little Earth Balance, but this morning I had a fresh batch of cashew cheese and a very ripe tomato on hand and begging to be used, so I decided to get fancy...

Vegan Sandwich Ideas!

Wow, just stumbled upon a wonderfully comprehensive list of ideas/recipes for vegan sandwiches, posted by fellow blogger Vegan Soul Power! Just browsing the list got my mouth watering and my mind spinning with inspiration.

Have a look HERE and check out the rest of the blog, too - it's really good.

CHEERS and happy sandwich making.

Hearty Cabbage Soup

Today presented the unusual occurrence of a rainy day in L.A. It was downright dreary. I think nothing suits a gray day like a big pot of homemade soup. I had a head of cabbage on hand and had been dreaming of making this for a while now - today was the perfect day.

My homegirl Lisa Kekaula, of The Bellrays, made this on a tour stop in France last year and blew my mind. The ingredients are so simple and fresh, but the flavor is rich and intense. She was kind enough to share the recipe with me, and now, after making it myself and sampling a heavenly bowlful, I feel indebted to share it with you...

Shredded Beet and Cabbage Salad

Wow, I haven't added a recipe in a long while! My poor camera became broken towards the end of the year in Spain, and I've been reluctant to post anything with less than stellar pics. Well, this I just had to share, so iPhone photo it is :)

There is an amazing vegetarian restaurant I go to in North Hollywood called Leonor's, and they serve an amazing cabbage/beet salad called the Forever Young salad. It blows me away every time. I have been craving it, so I decided to attempt something similar on my own...