• TIANNA NADALIN
• GT
• NOVEMBER 25, 2013 9:52AM

Home-grown vegetables, leftover from the morning's green smoothie, are sprawled across wooden chopping boards on the bench and containers filled with soaking nuts line the window sill.

It is here that Eileen, founder of raw food education and cooking school Raw Ambition, is inspired to create food that is as wholesome and nourishing as it is delicious and full of flavour. And the twist? It's all raw.

''I call it un-cooking,'' the 44-year-old says of the trend, which sees food cooked to a maximum temperature of 46 degrees.

''The idea behind raw food is that all the nutrients remain in their original forms. That means everything you're eating is nutritionally dense and really good for you.''

Whether it's starting the day with a raw green smoothie, or making sure half your dinner plate is piled with raw goodness, Eileen says going raw doesn't have to be a case of all or nothing.

''It's about doing what you can do and what you will do,'' she says, as she dishes up a slice of raw berry cheesecake and tasty brie cheese.

''It's so easy to eat badly. It can be cheaper to buy a loaf of white bread and a bottle of soft drink than it is to buy veggies, but that doesn't mean it's good for you.

''Part of the raw diet is learning how to swap out some of those things that are not so good.''

While the raw-volution might seem like the hottest thing to hit kitchens since the paleo diet trend, Eileen - mum of seven-year-old daughter Eilish - says the craze is nothing new.

A vegetarian for 20 years, she was introduced to raw food more than a decade ago and has been hooked ever since. But it is a lifestyle choice she doesn't impose fully on her daughter.

''I did my very first raw class about 12 years ago,'' says Eileen, who jokes that her husband, Stephen, eats what he is given. ''The food is full of life; I loved the idea of eating pure energy.''

Then, after learning about and experiencing the health benefits of a raw diet, Eileen was inspired to help others do the same. And so was born the idea for Raw Ambition, which combines Eileen's love of food with her passion for helping people live healthier lives.

''I am just somebody who shows people how to cook raw food and lets them know the general benefits associated with it,'' says Eileen, who enjoys competing in triathlons and ironman events. 

''It's not a religion. My vision is that people start learning to incorporate it more, become more adventurous with their eating and aren't afraid of trying new things.

''You get to a point when you eat well enough that your body just starts demanding it and you won't want to eat the unhealthy foods as much.''

Eileen is hosting raw food classes in Geelong, and plans to open her own purpose-built raw kitchen early next year. The aim, she says, is to debunk myths about the healthy eating regime.

''There is this misconception that raw food is hard or expensive, or that all you eat is carrot sticks and salads,'' she says.

''But I am trying to show people the opposite is actually true. ''What I love about raw food is the creativity, preparing beautiful meals made from plants.

''You don't have to be a raw foodist to bring raw foods into your diet. You just have to start. I know that sounds terribly simple, but making any lifestyle change is about doing what you're going to keep doing.''

And when it comes to going raw, she says the trick is not being too prescriptive about it.

''If I feel like a little bit of cheese I'll still have it,'' says Eileen, who admits the dogmatic approach doesn't necessarily work for everyone.

''There are no rules; you don't have to cut everything you love out of your diet overnight. ''It's just about recognising that even small changes can make a big difference.''

Eileen Sims’ raw berry cheesecake 

RECIPE: Raw berry cheesecake

INGREDIENTS:

For the crust:

1 1⁄2 cups macadamias
1⁄2 cup pecans
1⁄4 tsp vanilla sea salt (or plain salt if preferred)
1⁄4 tsp vanilla bean powder
1 cup dried coconut
2 tsp cacao powder (optional)
3⁄4-1 cup pitted Medjool dates
1 tsp coconut oil

Filling:

21⁄2 cups cashews, soaked overnight
Flesh from one young coconut
1 cup coconut water or almond milk
3⁄4 cup lemon juice
1⁄4 tsp vanilla bean powder
3⁄4 cup coconut nectar
1 tbs lecithin (melt this in with the coconut oil)
3⁄4 cup coconut oil-melted

Swirl:

1⁄2 cup defrosted blueberries
1 tbs coconut nectar
1 tbs water

METHOD:

Crust:

1. Take a 25cm spring-form cake tin and grease the bottom with coconut oil or line it with baking paper.
2. Process the nuts in a food processor then add the dry ingredients. With the food processor going, slowly add the dates until the crust starts to rise up the sides, stop, scrape this down, and continue. Add the coconut oil.
3. Gently press the base into place.
4. Once you have covered the base of the pan evenly, pop it in the freezer while you make the topping.

Filling:

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender, except the coconut oil and lecithin, and blend until smooth.
2. Slowly add the coconut oil and lecithin. Take your pan from the freezer and pour in your mixture.

Swirl:

1. Blend blueberries, water and coconut nectar until smooth.
2. Pour the mixture into the pan moving the jug, distributing evenly.
3. Take a chopstick and swirl it around to create an effect.
4. Return to the freezer for 1-2 hours then to the fridge for an hour before serving. Top with blueberries and grated chocolate.

Notes: Because the liquid portion can vary in flavour, check the taste of your filling. Often it's best to add salt, not sugar.  

For more information on upcoming Raw Ambition events visit rawambition.com.au or contact Eileen at info@rawambition.com.au