SWEET POTATO WEDGES with GARDEN SALAD + SWEET CORN

This is a perfect example of what my dinners look like these days: loads of baked sweet potatoes, greens and fresh veggies. I don't use any oil or salt and yet the whole meal ends up being so flavourful and delicious I can hardly believe it! My secret? Lemon or lime juice and herbs and spices!  Feel free to add a pinch of Himalayan salt if you want to, but I am JUST SAYIN: I don't use any when I make this. I also used to think I HAD to use oil to get my potatoes just right, but I was wrong! I have learned that if you bake them on parchment paper and spray them with a bit of lemon or lime juice (this adds flavour too) they will turn out perfectly crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside - exactly how I love them. You might be thinking: "But Emily - those aren't sweet potatoes because they aren't orange!" Well, my friend, they actually are! Sweet potatoes come in many varieties. There are white ones (my favourite), orange ones, purple ones, and all kinds of variations in skin colour, flavour and more. Also, yams and sweet potatoes are NOT the same! Go figure.

raw yam burgers & daikon fries with ketchup

Oh MAN, these are yummy. Fun and easy to make - what else is new? - and equally fun and easy to eat. They do get a tad messy but I trust you can handle this. It's family pizza and movie night at the von Euw household but this week I'm skipping the pizza and snarfing down one of these babies. (I don't literally mean an infant - I don't eat kids.) 

All that's in these burgers and fries is a whack load of vegetables and spices. Goes like this: throw stuff in the food processor, rub things with your hands, toss something in the dehydrator and you'll get a gourmet raw food meal in no time! (Okay, I may have simplified that process a little.) But seriously - it's pretty much that easy. Look at the colours of this food.

It's alive. I'm alive. Let's boogy. 

I didn't actually mean to get daikon for the fries - I was looking for jicama but the grocery store didn't carry it so I went with what there was. The fries turned out great, nonetheless! They have a fresh crunch and are superb with the ketchup. I should say this though - if you are new to raw food and the flavours that go with it - you may want to use jicama for the fries. The burgers are bursting with flavour and when you pile them up with fixing's and lettuce - there ain't no better option for dinner. 

yam burgers & daikon fries with ketchup: serves 5 or so

Burgers:
1 yam 
2/3 cup green onions (or onion)
1 red bell pepper
4 dates
5 tablespoons ground flax seeds
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
4 large mushrooms
4 garlic cloves 
Salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, basil, turmeric, paprika (to taste)

Fries:
1 jicama root or daikon radish (the size depends on how many you're feeding)
1 teaspoon veg oil (optional but recommended)
Salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, basil, turmeric, paprika (to taste)

Ketchup:
1-2 tomatoes
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
Salt (to taste)
3 dates
Water or lemon juice (as needed)

To make the burgers: prep the veggies as needed and cut them into chunks. Then pulse all the ingredients in your food processor until everything becomes a thick, wet-ish mixture, but don't pulse too long. You want pieces of the food still visible and you don't want it to be too wet. Adjust according to taste. Then form into patties and dehydrate for 3-4 hours, or use your oven at it's lowest temperature. You could eat them right away if you like, but they won't hold their shape too well. 

To make the fries: peel the daikon and slice into fries. Rub in the oil and spices. Dehydrate for 3 hours or in your oven at it's lowest temperature, (or you could eat them right away if you like).

To make the ketchup: blend all ingredients in your food processor or blender until smooth, adding liquid as needed. Adjust according to taste. Serve the burgers, fries and ketchup with lettuce, tomatoes, marinated mushrooms, onions, sprouts, avocado, and anything else you like. Enjoy!