A nationally recognized raw food chef and instructor, lecturer, and cookbook (or should we should say "un-cookbook") author, Jennifer Cornbleet is passionate about sharing the benefits of natural, raw vegan foods with others. Chef Jennifer's enthusiasm for good food began at age 7, when her dad gave her cooking lessons. Now, Chef Jennifer is the one giving the lessons, as a faculty instructor at the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute in Northern California and as director of the school's satellite program in Chicago, where she teaches raw foods certification courses. The growing demand for simple-to-prepare, nutritious plant-based meals has helped keep Chef Jennifer's first book, Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People, on Amazon.com's best-selling cookbooks list. The book, which has sold more than 30,000 copies, has garnered rave reviews, including "life-changing," "practical, easy, and delicious," and "the only raw food recipe book you need." Try some of Chef Jennifer's flavor-packed, super-healthy recipes including Zucchini Noodles Marinara, Mediterranean Kale Salad, and Chocolate Mousse Tart for yourself, and you'll see why!

Chef Spotlight: Jennifer Cornbleet

Restaurant or Company:
Learn Raw Food

How long have you been a chef?
I've been teaching raw foods for seven years.

What type of cuisine do you focus on?
Raw foods: fresh fruits, vegetables, and other natural, unprocessed ingredients.

Have you or has your restaurant received any awards?
My first book, Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People, is a best-selling vegetarian cookbook on Amazon.com and has sold more than 30,000 copies.

What are the most important elements in cooking great vegetarian cuisine?
Using fresh, organic ingredients and simple preparation methods that highlight them.

What is the key to getting meat-eaters to enjoy vegetarian food?
Not trying to get anyone to give up foods they enjoy, but just encouraging them to add nutritious foods—and the best way to do that is to make those foods colorful and flavorful.

What, in your opinion, does the future of plant-based cuisine hold?
More than ever, people know they need to eat more fruits and vegetables, but they don't always know easy ways to do this. I think there will be more books focusing on quick and easy, yet healthy, ways to prepare fruits and vegetables as more people want to improve their diets.

Do you have a favorite cooking method?
No cooking! Salads, blended soups, and smoothies, and desserts made in the food processor.

Where did you train to become a chef?
Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, in Fort Bragg, California.

What are your favorite ingredients to work with?
Fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables.

If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only eat one kind of ethnic food, what would it be?
French food.

Do vegetarian restaurants face any special obstacles that meat-based restaurants don't have to face?
Organic ingredients can be more expensive and harder to find at times.

Are there any newer vegetarian products on the market that you are particularly fond of?
Raw chocolate powder (cocoa powder made from unroasted cocoa beans) and hemp seeds.

Choose one area to give some specialty tips for:

• Your favorite way to work with a certain fruit or vegetable: Use avocados in desserts instead of butter, cream, and eggs.

Zucchini Noodles Marinara
This marinara sauce tastes like the original. Your family and friends will think it slow-simmered on the stove for hours.

For the Marinara:
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. sea salt, or to taste
Dash of cayenne
Dash of fresh ground black pepper
2 tsp. dried basil

• Place all the ingredients in a food processor fitted with the S-blade and process until smooth. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, the sauce will keep for 3 days.

For the Noodles:
6 medium zucchini, peeled and cut into thirds

• Transform the zucchini into noodles using a vegetable peeler or spiral slicer.

To Assemble:

• Toss the zucchini noodles with enough marinara sauce to coat well and then serve immediately. Serve with extra marinara sauce on the side.

Mediterranean Kale Salad
When kale is cut into thin strips and marinated in a dressing, it has a wonderfully soft and juicy texture that makes it delightful in salads. This nutritious salad is visually beautiful and sure to become a staple recipe for your family and friends.

2 small bunches lacinato or curly kale, stems removed
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup golden raisins, soaked 10 minutes, drained, and rinsed
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

• Stack the kale leaves a couple of leaves at a time and slice into very thin strips.
• Place in a mixing bowl along with the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Toss well with your hands, working the dressing into the greens.
• Add the pine nuts and raisins and toss gently. Season to taste with black pepper.
• Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Mediterranean Kale Salad will keep for 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Chocolate Mousse Tart
Avocado replaces butter, cream, and eggs in this sinful tasting dessert—but no one will know.

For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups unsweetened, shredded, dried coconut
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 cups raw macadamia nuts or walnuts
8 pitted medjool dates

• Place the coconut, sea salt, and walnuts in a food processor fitted with the S-blade and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add the dates and process until the mixture just sticks together. Press into a 9-inch shallow pie plate or tart pan.

• Place the dates, agave nectar, and vanilla in a food processor fitted with the S-blade and process until smooth.
• Add the avocados, cocoa powder, and water, and process until smooth and creamy.

• Fill the crust with the mousse filling. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
• Covered with plastic wrap, Chocolate Mousse Tart will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Top with fresh raspberries before serving, if desired.

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