Raw food & a free lunch (+ Recipe)

Raw energy salad with crunchy seeds.

Two raw food gurus, hundreds of volunteers, 150 free lunches and one giant coastal clean-up: it's all part of Seaweek, this week's nationwide coastal awareness project.

Auckland-based charity Sustainable Coastlines is addressing Waiheke Island with a week-long "Love your Coast" event, which focuses on education and culminates in an island-wide coastal clean-up this Saturday.

The bonus for foodies is that the first 150 volunteers to register at an event station will receive a free packed lunch featuring goodies from raw food chefs Olivia Scott (cake creator at The Raw Kitchen ) and Amelia McKenzie (food and wellness blogger at Made by Mia ), with fresh ingredients from Ceres Organics & Ceres Fresh Market.

Register for the cleanup here, and try one of the healthy recipes below.

RAW ENERGY SALAD WITH CRUNCHY SEEDS
Serves 4

Ingredients:
• 2 organic courgettes
• 2 organic beetroots
• 2 organic carrots
• 1 orange (juice and zest)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 Tbsp Ceres Organics extra virgin olive oil
• 1 handful fresh torn mint
• 3 Tbsp crunchy seeds (1 Tbsp each Ceres Organics sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds)
• Himalayan sea salt to season

1. Grate courgettes, carrots and beetroot into a bowl. Zest the orange and squeeze orange juice and lemon juice over the salad and pour olive oil over.

2. In a small pan over low heat, toast the seeds until crunchy. Throw seeds over the salad with torn mint, then season and mix. Garnish with mint leaves.

• 4 cups soaked pitted dates (soak for 3 hours)

• 1 cup sunflower seeds

• 2 cups dessicated coconut (1 cup for rolling, 1 cup for mixture)

• 3 Tbsp raw cacao powder

• 3 Tbsp maca powder

• ½ cup raw cacao nibs

• ½ cup goji berries

• ½ tsp Himalayan sea salt

1. Blend the dates in a food processor until smooth.

2. Add remaining ingredients (leaving aside 1 cup dessicated coconut for rolling) one at a time until the mixture is thick and can easily be rolled into balls. If the mixture is too sticky, add more sunflower seeds or coconut.

3. Roll mixture into balls, using a heaped tablespoon as a size guide.

4. Roll balls in dessicated coconut and place in the fridge.

These will last up to three weeks in the fridge, or can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.

- VIVA