Sprout cafe: spring alive with raw food: enjoy healthy meals the living foods way with Jackie Graff.

As we are shaking the winter cold off and looking forward to spring cleaning, we can use raw fruits and vegetables to cleanse and heal our bodies. Raw foods are fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds not heated over 105 degrees. These raw foods provided by nature are packed with minerals, vitamins, essential oils, and the fountain of youth, enzymes. Living on a high enzyme raw diet will rejuvenate the body and give one a general feeling of well-being and a link to our higher self.

An uncooked Strawberry Pie is divine and makes use of those organic strawberries as they come into season. Vegetables in season such as broccoli, cauliflower, and greens give us an assortment of spring vegetables that are good for us. Greens are full of chlorophyll and one of the best healing foods we can eat raw. The Broccoli Tabouleh is loaded with cleansing ingredients such as cilantro, parsley, jalapeno and garlic. Not cooking the fruits and vegetables gives us the antioxidants and phytonutrients and eating these enzyme-rich foods loaded with vitamins and minerals can start a spring-cleaning for your body and will energize your mind, body and spirit.

Jackie Graff is a nurse and the chef/owner of Sprout Cafe in Roswell, GA. She can be reached at 770-992-9218 or [e-mail] To view the cafe, menu and classes go to www.sproutcafe.com

Broccoli Tabouleh
Created by Jackie Graft
(Living Food Feasts from Sprout Cafe)

2 cups broccoli florets
6 green onions sliced thin
1 cup fresh cilantro, minced fine
2 cucumbers, chopped fine
2 stalks celery, chopped fine
2 jalapenos, seeded
3 cups tomatoes, chopped
4 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon curry
1 teaspoon cumin
2 jalapenos, seeded
  and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced

Place garlic in processor and chop well. Add jalapenos and
process well. Add lemon juice, olive oil, salt, curry and
cumin. Pour this mixture over broccoli and stir well. Toss all
ingredients together with broccoli and refrigerate.

Serving Ideas: Place the tabouleh in a bowl lined with
romaine lettuce leaves. Serves 8

Strawberry Pie with Nut
and Date Pie Crust
Created by Jackie Graft
(Living Food Feasts from Sprout Care)

3 cups strawberries
6 pitted medjool dates
2 teaspoon ground psyllium (per 2 cups)

Place 2 cups of berries in a blender with dates and
blend well. Add psyllium blending well. Let this mixture
sit for 15 minutes. Chop the remaining berries and place
them in a bowl. Blend the berries again and add to the
chopped berries.

Pie Crust

1 cup almonds, soaked for 12 hours, drained,
  and dehydrated for 12 hours
1 cup pecans, soaked for 12 hours, drained,
  and dehydrated for 12 hours
1 cup walnuts, soaked for 12 hours,
  drained, and dehydrated for 12 hours
1 1/2 cups medjool dates, pits removed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
1/4 cup of raw honey

Place almonds in processor and process until mixture
resembles flour. Add salt and vanilla to the almonds and
process well. Place pecans, walnuts, and dates in food
processor and process just until mixed well. Press mixture
into 8-10 inch glass pie pan. Crust may be made ahead of
time and refrigerated or frozen. Serves 8