The Raw Deal

I recently did a Thermomix demonstration for a friend of mine who incorporates some raw food into her diet. Now the only thing I have heard about the Raw Food Movement, or Raw Foodism, is that it is generally believed that heating foods above about 40° C inhibits the enzymes they contain which in turn diminishes their nutritive value and makes them harder to digest. For more information, check out this explanation by fellow Thermomix enthusiast and raw food coach Gabriela Lerner on her delightful website, Radiant on Raw.

Accurately controlled heating to 37° C

The first thing I realised when preparing my Raw Thermomix Demonstration was that Thermomix’s thermostatically-controlled temperature settings start at 37° C. This is not only body temperature and the perfect temperature for tempering chocolate, it is also brilliant for heating raw foods because it protects their enzymes by respecting the under 40° C temperature requirement. With its 37° C temperature setting, Thermomix becomes a fantastic aid for Raw Foodists seeking to easily control the temperature to which they heat their raw food.

Save time chopping and grating

The second thing I realised about Thermomix and Raw Foodism is the time saved in preparation. One of the reasons I suggested a Thermomix demonstration for my friend was her complaints about her busy lifestyle and all the time she spent chopping and grating vegetables. If you have a Thermomix, Dear Reader, you know how quickly Thermomix can chop. And if you don’t, suffice it to say that Thermomix can chop a whole kilo – that’s 2.2 pounds – of onions in just four – count ‘em – four seconds!

Nut and seed milks for dairy-free diets

During my Raw Thermomix Demonstration my guests were over the moon at Thermomix’s chopping speed and the time they realised it would save them in their raw food prep. They were also impressed with Thermomix’s puréeing and blending power, making raw soups and smoothies so very smooth, fast and easy. Nuts and seeds are a big part of a raw diet, and Thermomix is perfect for making nut and other milks such as almond milk, cashew milk and rice milk – perfect not just in a raw diet but also for anyone wishing to avoid dairy. Soaked nuts and seeds are easily turned into pâtés, dips and spreads, full of colour, flavour and texture. Flavourful, colourful herbs are chopped in seconds, making it fast and easy to add interest to your diet – raw or not!

Gluten-free flours, too

And of course, Thermomix’s powerful motor makes it possible to mill all sorts of grains into flours for gluten-free breads and other preparations, saving you time and money in the process.

The global Thermomix community is full of recipes that fall into the raw category and I chose these for my demonstration:

Purple Power Smoothie
Delicious and amazingly satisfying. This is technically a “green smoothie” because of the parsley, although the blueberries turn it purple! Lots of antioxidants to start your day right. Makes about 1 litre, serves 1 or 2. Recipe by Janie Turner from the UK Thermomix website recipe pages.

Ingredients
20 g hemp seeds
10 g parsley, leaves and stems
1 clementine, peeled
1 ripe banana, peeled
100 g frozen blueberries
350 g water
1 tsp honey
200 g kefir or live yoghurt (kefir is much better if you have some)
juice of ½ lemon or 1 or 2 whole kumquats

Method

1. Blend 1½ minutes/Speed 10. Taste – it’s lovely like this, but you can adjust the sweetness with more lemon juice or honey if desired.

CADA – Cyndi O’Meara (3-second breakfast, protein, energy)
This excellent breakfast is recommended by internationally known nutritionist Cyndi O’Meara. Serve with your choice of fresh fruit, yoghurt, seeds or eat it on its own. Plenty of energy and protein to start your day right. Super fast with your Thermomix! Serves 2 to 4.

Ingredients
C:            1/3 fresh Coconut – no need to peel off the thin brown skin
A:            1 organic Apple, stem removed, cut in quarters (including peel, seeds and core)
D:            4 fresh Dates, pips removed
A:            10 Almonds with skins on

Method

1. With all ingredients in TM bowl, mince by Turbo pulsing a few times – you’ll hear when it’s done. Eat straight away.

Sunflower Herb Pâté
From “Rawlicious,” a compendium of 37 Raw food recipes for every day, published by Thermomix Australia. I was delighted at the consistency and taste of this mixture.

Ingredients
1 clove garlic (peel it in the Thermomix!)
Handful of herbs of choice (basil, parsley or dill)
2 spring onions, cut in half
250 g soaked and drained sunflower seeds (weight before soaking)
Juice of ½ lemon, or more to taste
2 Tbsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
½ tsp cayenne pepper
Sea salt to taste

Method

1. Peel garlic in Thermomix 4 seconds/Reverse Blade Function/Speed 4 ½. Add herbs and spring onions and chop 5 seconds/Speed 6.
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend 30 seconds/Speed 7. Scrape sides of bowl with spatula and repeat if necessary to form a smooth pâté.
3. Store in airtight container in fridge for up to one week. Serve on crudités or crackers.

General tips: Try replacing the sunflower seeds with pumpkin seeds, or add a few sundried tomatoes in oil, eliminating the additional EVOO if desired.

Raw Carrot Ginger Soup
Another recipe from “Rawlicious,” demonstrating both the chopping function and Thermomix’s  accurate heating to 37° C.

Ingredients
3 cm piece of ginger, cut into 2 mm “coins” along the lines of the skin
7 medium carrots, quartered
1 green apple, including seeds and core
1 avocado, peeled and stone removed
Juice ½ lemon
½ tsp. sea salt
Pinch allspice

Method

1. Drop ginger “coins” on blades of Thermomix running at Speed 8. Turn off when silent; scrape down sides of bowl with spatula.
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend 1 minute/Speed 8 until thick and smooth.
3. Warm to 37° C/5 minutes/Speed 2 before serving.

So for those of us wishing to incorporate a few raw foods into our diet or for those wishing to go 100% raw, Thermomix is a valuable tool for saving time and for producing high quality results while respecting each food’s inherent qualities of flavour, texture and colour.

Bon appétit !

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