Raw in a Flash Video: Ranch Dressing

Funny how there are some 'conventional' foods I never really liked until I started eating raw. Let me explain what I mean... For instance, I personally wasn't a fan of traditional ranch dressing. But then again, I was just plainly not into salads either, come to think of it. lol Wow, feels like a million years ago! ;-)

When I first started getting into raw, for at least a couple of years dinner consisted mostly of raw soup and a salad drizzled with a little oil, tamari and nutritional yeast. I loved the simple deliciousness of it, in fact I still do. Predictably, back then I eventually got bored with that scene, though, and even stayed away from salads altogether for a while after that. Thankfully, these days including green smoothies into our daily fare has revived my interest in all things greens. I find the more greens you eat, the more you do crave; it sounds weird but it's so true!

Anyhoo, I've experimented with all sorts of dressings over time and I've discovered that I really don't care for oil based vinaigrettes. I much prefer the creamy kind, using part cold pressed olive oil with either avocado, seeds or nuts as the base. Now back to what I was saying earlier about not really liking ranch dressing. The first time I tried a raw vegan version of it - a recipe posted by Snowdrop on Raw Freedom Community several years ago - I fell in love with the stuff! In fact I featured it as my Recipe of the Week here. It uses cashews as a clever replacement for dairy product, and is oh-so-creamy and yummilicious!

The following was inspired by Snowdrop's creation with a few touches of my own. Enjoy it on your favorite bed of greens, as a dip for veggies, or even as a coating for kale chips!

Ranch Dressing
From Carmella's Delightfully Raw

Yields 1 1⁄2 cups

3⁄4 cup cashews, soaked for at least 1 hour
1⁄2 cup water
2 tablespoons cold pressed olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon raw honey or agave nectar
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 garlic clove
More water, until the desired consistency is reached

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.

Add more water until the desired consistency is reached


Omni V 3 HP
Don and I share our impressions on the Omni 3HP blender in greater details on this page.

 You can visit Omni's website directly by clicking on the banner below.

*~*~*~*~*

My Other Raw in a Flash Videos:

Strawberry Banana Shake 
 Kelp & Zucchini Pasta in Mushroom & Spinach Cheeze Sauce
Vegan Tarragon & Mustard Cheeze

Pad Thai

Basil Pesto

Cucumber Dill Soup

Almonnaise (Almond Mayonnaise) 

What's Uncookin' Good Lookin'? - Episode V

Wow! It feels like it's been ages since I've filled you in on what I've been up to here in my kitchen. Now that I'm finally settled in our new home, the energy to play with food has returned. Yay!

Mosaica/Suzana came up to me one day with a list of recipes she'd been meaning to try, so we've been slowly working our way through it, especially those from the soup department! lol Some of the soups we've made lately include: Red Pepper Curry Soup from Carol Alt's "The Raw 50", the Cheezy Corn Chowder I posted last week, and my Curry Soup. I've also been whipping up some old favorites such as Don's Pilgrim's Soup, Cream of Zucchini Soup, Cream of Leek, the Tomato & Herb Soup from my Best Of The Sunny Raw Kitchen" ebook, as well as Rawvolution's delicious Scarborough Fair Veggie Soup, which is too good not to share.



Scarborough Fair Vegetable Soup
From Matt Amsden's RAWvolution

Serves 2 to 3

3/4 cup Thai coconut water
3/4 cup pure water
2 stalks celery
1/4 yellow onion
1 cucumber, peeled
1 carrot, peeled
1/4 red bell pepper, seeded
5 to 6 fresh sage leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
Chopped parsley, to taste
Minced rosemary leaves, to taste
Minced thyme, to taste

In high-speed blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into a serving bowl.

If desired, top with garnishes: chopped carrots, celery and yellow onion.

Carmella's Notes:
~ I sub the yellow onion with green onion or leek.

~ If I don't have any fresh herbs on hand, I blend some dried herbs along with the rest of the ingredients.

~ It's delicious lightly warmed up on the stove, especially on a cold, rainy day.


As Mosaica and Pontifex were driving through the Okanagan for the big move, they managed to lay their hands on a 40 lb case of roma tomatoes. Besides enjoying them in soups and dehydrating a whole bunch, we've also been making lots of tomato-based dressings, such as Ingrid's fabulous Tomato Dressing and the Red Rogue Dressing from 'Vibrant Living’. Other yummy dressings that have adorned our daily salads include the Creamy Italian Dressing from The Complete Book of Raw Food, my Dill-icious Dressing and Kristen Suzanne's outstanding Herbin' Ranch Dip, which Pontifex has declared his favorite so far.


Herbin' Ranch Dip
By Kristen Suzanne
Published in her June 2008 Newsletter

Yield 1 1/2 cups

This is the one of the most nutritious, delicious ways to have ranch dip, but without guilt. I love serving this dip at summer picnics with vegetable crudite or as a dressing on your favorite greens*.

1/2 cup raw cashews, unsoaked
1/2 cup raw pinenuts, unsoaked
1 zucchini, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil, not packed
1/4 cup fresh dill, not packed

Blend all of the ingredients, except the fresh basil and dill, until creamy and smooth. Pulse in the basil and dill. This will stay fresh for 4-5 days when stored in an airtight container (mason jar works great) in the refrigerator. This dip also freezes well.

* To make this as a dressing, simply add more water until you reach the desired consistency.

Carmella's Note: I used all cashews as I didn't have pine nuts.


Although, crackers and spreads are still a standard fare these days, we have also dined on pizza, zucchini pasta, and Russell James' Pad Thai from his recent Thai recipe ebook. We served the latter along with his Broccoli & Spinach Salad, which we had tried once before during Heathy's visit. Both were absolutely delicious!

Mosaica and I also had our first major D day over the weekend. Yippee! We were planning to fill up my Excalibur 9 tray, but ended up filling her 5 tray as well. We were on a rawll! lol

The two of us had a blast preparing food while listening to old 80's favorites on utube. (The little iMac is on the kitchen counter, so I can browse through my stash of online recipes and ebooks. Ahhh! You gotta love technology!)

We made Snow's sesame chicken (which I hadn't made in ages!), Savoury Nori Snacks, Chewy Crunchy Garlicky Toasts, Mosaica's Corn Bread and RawVee's Badabing Bruschetta Bread. We also prepared the Herb Stuffed Mushrooms from Purely Delicious magazine which we devoured for dinner that day. These were really very good, and would be perfect for the holidays with their little specks of red and green.



Herb Stuffed Mushrooms
Featured in Purely Delicious

1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup soaked sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup chopped mushroom stems
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 red pepper
2 green onions
1 tsp Herbs de Provence
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbs lemon juice
3 sundried tomatoes, rehydrated
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 packages button mushrooms
Olive oil for brushing mushrooms

De-stem and clean mushrooms. Brush with olive oil. Set aside.

Process nuts and coconut together until light and almost fluffy. Do not over process.

Add remaining ingredients and pulse chop until well blended. Stuff mushroom caps. Eat or dehydrate for 2-4 hours at 115F.


We've been enjoying discovering Rossland; the sort of 'Whistler of the Kootenays'. What a change to be a mere 15 minute walk away from downtown. There's some really great stores and services for such a small population (1500 people or so), including an awesome kitchen specialty store with toys to make food lovers smile. I found cute little tart shells with removable bottoms and a wooden tamper which I used to make onion bread crusts for mini quiches. I wasn't sure if the tamper was just one of those gadgets that don't really work, but since it was only $3.99, I figured it was worth a try. Amazingly, it does really make that slow and painstaking step a LOT easier.

And on a sweet note, earlier this week we picked up a case of young coconuts that we special ordered from the local grocery store. I could hardly contain my excitement (not to mention my surprise) that after years of having to buy young coconuts in the big city, such a small outfit can bring them in for us. Woo Hoooooooo! Needless to say we've been treating ourselves to all sorts of yummy coconut-full delicacies such as Heathy's Chocolate Decadence smoothie, Cafe Gratitude's wonderful Coconut Cream Pie and Heathy's Blueberry Cardamom Ice Cream, in which I subbed part of the macadamias for coconut.

Hum, I guess that pretty much brings you up to date in terms of what all we've been up to in our (lately very!) sunny raw kitchen.

Our savory yummies weren't even out of the dehydrator that Mosaica was already working on her wish list for a sweet D day. ;-)

Hope you're having as much fun in your kitchens as we've been!

'Til next time...

Recipe of the Week: Cheddar Cheeze Spread or Dip

OK, I'm finally back! Sorry for going MIA on you like this, but I haven't experienced such an intense, event-full month in a long time. Ahhhhh... When the 'Virtual Life' can't keep up with the 'Real One', eh? I've got quite the backlog in terms of photos to upload and recipes to share. I'm also hoping to write about Heathy's visit in the coming days, but in the meantime, you can check out the first part of her account here.

Hard to believe that almost 2 weeks have gone by since dropping her off at the airport. Wowsers! It's been go-go-go ever since. As we were scheduled to move only a few days later, we picked up cardboard boxes on the way back, then got straight to work. Heaps of fun... You know the drill: packing, cleaning, moving... then unpacking and settling in at the other end. Phfew! Hopefully we'll be staying here for more than just a few months, as I'm already getting fed up with hauling my stuff around. (Gawd, do we ever accumulate!)

Here's the new dig that we're sharing with Mosaica and Pontifex whom we've met through Raw Freedom Community.

Pretty funky, as you can see...

The first room that we organized was the kitchen. (Now, why would that be I wonder?) After the teeny one at Ashinah, this kitchen is paradise! Lots of light and counter space, plenty of room for all our raw food appliances and even a dish washer - a luxury I've never had in my 17 years of cooking/uncooking!

As is usually the case under such time and energy demanding situations, we've been keeping the meals simple: mostly soups, salads, crackers and spreads (although we did enjoy Joz's Fajitas one day since they're super easy to assemble.) With all that hard work, we deserved something special. (Me like treats!) I decided to start the dessert making with a bang with Heathy's absolutely decadent Chocolate Orange Cake, which I'd been dreaming of ever since her first visit last fall. You see, one of the good things about being the Raw Goddess' editor is that I get a sneak preview of her recipe creations before everybody else. Lucky me! ;-)

Come to think of it, this recipe alone would make her upcoming 'Just Desserts' ebook worth purchasing. (And I kid you not!)


I think I'll be making this one at least once a week for a while;
it's yummy beyond words!

While Heathy was here, we came upon the 'Vibrant Living’ book by James Levin & Natalie Cederquist on the shelves of Ashinah's community kitchen. It was published some 15 years ago (!!!) and has lots of awesome looking recipes, not to mention amazingly beautiful and creative artwork. Anyhoo, Heathy pointed out how their Cheezy Cashew Sauce is strikingly similar to the Rich Cheddar Sauce we have all come to love, and ought to be the recipe that inspired it. So out of curiosity, I started out with the Vibrant Living recipe, then added the bell pepper and tahini a la Cheddar Sauce. The result was slightly different due to the amount of seasonings and the addition of the oats as thickener, but every bit as delicious. A new favorite in our house!

Try it and see what you think!

Cheddar Cheeze Spread or Dip
Adapted from 'Vibrant Living’ by James Levin & Natalie Cederquist

1 cup red or orange bell pepper
3/4 cup cashews and/or almonds, soaked
1/2 cup water
2 - 3 tbs rolled oats
2 tbs nutritional yeast
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs tahini
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Add more water or oats until desired consistency is reached.

Enjoy on your favorite crackers/breads, zucchini pasta, pizza or with veggie sticks!

What's Uncookin' Good Lookin'? - Episode II

It's definitely starting to look like Spring around here. All the unmistakable signs are there: more sunshine, warmer temps, melting snow and longer days. Hee-hah! Bring it on, babe!

My enthusiasm for raw food prep has also returned. No doubt that the goodies coming my way in the past week or so has got something to do with it too. For one thing, our neighbors were kind enough to bring us fresh young coconuts from the big city. (Bless their hearts!) And after many a week of patiently waiting, there's also been the arrival of my orders from Really Raw Food and Caromacs, both of which had somehow been misplaced. Oh, and let's not forget raw nuts from Oh Nuts! (including shelled pistachios - Heavenly!) that got delivered at the wrong address! (Gee, maybe I should stay away from ordering on line! lol)

In any case, we've enjoyed LOTS of delicious foods since my last report, many of which were entirely new creations. Here are the highlights...

I love changes and breaks of continuity; we so easily get stuck in a rut, be it in regards to food or countless other aspects of our lives. After almost a year and a half of daily green smoothies, we've been finding ourselves enjoying fruit salads or beverages with a nut/seed milk base. For instance, this morning's brew was sesame milk, bananas, blueberries, cacao powder, carob powder, maca, vanilla and dates. Delish!

We scored on lovely, ripe pineapples - a rare treat - during our last trip to town, so have been feasting on those too. Have you ever noticed how sometimes your tongue kinda hurts afterwards? Well, this time, it seems that I overdid it, as the whole underneath of my tongue was so painful that I had to stay away from acidic stuff for several days. A little trick someone gave me on Raw Freedom Community (aren't forums awesome?) was to put a bit of soda on the afflicted areas. Sure seems to have helped.

I also thought it would be fun to have a brunch once in a while. You know, so we get a chance to try some of the raw breakfast recipes floating around. I decided to make Ani Phyo's Breakfast Cakes, which I served with blueberry sauce, banana slices and chopped walnuts. The main ingredients for the cakes being flax seeds, I must say that I had my suspicions that the result would turn into a gooey mass. To my surprise, it wasn't the case at all. Although the taste and texture were interesting, I found the cakes a little too sweet and heavy for me.

Soupwise, I made a few old favorites such as The Pilgrim Soup which I recently was sharing with you, my famous Spinach Soup (Ooops - I had jotted down the recipe somewhere, but can't find it just now) and the Cream of Leek. I also wanted to try again the Creamy Thai Coconut Soup that Manu created a few weeks ago, especially since it got some rave reviews.

Some of the main courses we enjoyed include Cherie Soria's delicious Mushroom Stroganoff, my Spinach & Cream Pasta Casserole, and crackers with the Raw Deviled Egg-less "Egg" Spread and another simple but tasty spread made with cashews, garlic, lemon juice, salt and thyme.

I also made Raw Food Real World's Thai Wraps once again. As I didn't have tamarind, Manu came up with the following dipping sauce instead. We all thought it was delish and that it would also make a fantastic dressing.

Coconut Dipping Sauce or Dressing
1 cup dry coconut
2 stalks celery
6 leaves basil
Small garlic clove
1 tsp red pepper flakes, ground
1 tbs sesame seeds, ground
3 tbs sesame oil
2 tbs honey
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp lecithin

Blend in high speed blender until smooth. Strain and serve.


Speaking of Manu, he went a little wild in the kitchen yesterday and whipped up our entire dinner. First came the best tomato soup I've tasted so far. He didn't keep track of the exact amounts, but the ingredients were tomatoes, avocados, cucumber, red pepper, celery, green onion, garlic, honey, salt and a touch of apple cider vinegar. The soup was topped with a thick, savory cream consisting of cashews, lemon juice, garlic, salt, thyme and nutmeg. Yummo!

He also made an outstanding dressing which will be featured as my Recipe of the Week. Amazing stuff! And the 'pieces de resistance'... Pizzas! These were incredibly tasty! Few ingredients, yet astounding flavors in the spirit of Italian cuisine.


Viva Italia Pizzas

Pizza crust of choice (we used this veggie crust)
Cashew Cheese
Bruschetta Style Tomato Topping
Black olives, slivered
Basil, finely slivered

Cashew Cheese
Inspired by Chad Sarno's recipe here

2 cups cashews, soaked 12-14 hours
¾ teaspoon probiotics dissolved in 1/2 cup fresh rejuvelac
2 tbs nutritional yeast, small flake
½ tbs onion powder
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 ½ tsp sea salt

In high speed blender, blend the soaked cashews with probiotics and rejuvelac, until smooth. Pour mixture in a bowl lined with cheese cloth, cover with a towel and leave in warm place for 14-16 hours to culture.

When finished culturing, mix in the remaining cheese ingredients by hand; nutritional yeast, onion powder, nutmeg and sea salt.


Bruschetta Style Tomato Topping
2 large tomatoes, seeded, skinned, and cut into cubes
1 1/4 tsp finely chopped onion
1/8 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tbs olive oil

Cut tomatoes in quarters and de-seed them. Pass a very sharp knife against the edge in order to remove the skin. Cut tomato flesh into small uniform cubes. (Should yield about 1 1/4 cups)

Form garlic, salt and thyme into a paste. Mix with other ingredients.


To assemble the pizzas:
Spread a generous layer of Cashew Cheese on the crusts, followed by the Tomato Topping.

Warm up in the dehydrator at 110 degrees for 1 hour.

Just before serving, top with slivers of black olives and basil.


And lastly, we certainly got our share of scrumptious desserts in the last week or so...

Cafe Gratitude's Coconut Cream Pie, which I've been meaning to try for ages. Yummo! (Man, how I love this book!!! Simply excellent!)

Heathy's deliciously exotic Blueberry Cardamom Ice Cream which she shared in a recent blogpost.

Russell James' yummy Cacao Pistachio Florentine & Mint Ice Cream Sandwich

And my latest creation: Delight-full Chocolate Blueberry Cake (recipe posted here.)

Don goes to me: "This is your best cake yet!" This line is starting to get a little old, but what can I say? They indeed seem to be getting better and better!

Here's a closer shot... Have I said it was absolutely decadent?

Phfew! We've been busier than I thought. I can feel another cracker n' spread week coming up. ;-) Actually, I just found out that I'll be going away to a meditation retreat for a little while. A forced vacation from uncooking I guess. *sigh* Oh well. The kitchen will still be there when I get back.)

Talk again soon...

Recipe of the Week: Ranch Dressing or Dip

Here's one delectable and totally addictive recipe! I've even served it to non-rawfoodies and they agreed it was THE best dressing they had ever tasted!

I also love how versatile it is. Drizzle it on salads or zucchini pasta, use it as a spread on your favorite bread or simply as a dip. Delish, any way you have it!


Ranch Dressing/Dip
Posted by Snowdrop on Raw Freedom Community

For those missing that hidden valley feeling.

Soak time: 1-2 hrs
Preparation time: 5 Minutes
Number of Servings: 24 (or 3 cups)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups nuts (cashew or mac or combo) soak them for a creamier dressing (1-2 hrs is fine, then drain)
3/4 - 1 cup filtered water for blending
3 tablespoons lemon juice (translates into approx 1/2 lemon)
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons agave (or 3 soaked dates)
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon garlic pwd
3 teaspoons onion pwd
1 teaspoon dill
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon basil

And to add after it's done:
1/4 cup finely minced parsley
another 1/2 t dill, minced

Directions
Vitamix blend all ingredients till creamy and smooth except the last 2, then once blended, stir in the last 2 ingredients.

Thickens in fridge.

Thin to desired consistency if using as a dressing- or toss into wet lettuce leaves as is.


Carmella's Notes:
~ This yields quite a bit of dressing, so you might want to consider halving the recipe.
~ Last time I made this, I completely forgot to put the dates in and it was still outstanding.

Technorati Tags: Raw, raw food, raw recipes, recipes, dressing, healthy dressing, ranch dressing, raw ranch dressing

Get Your Chopsticks Out! Part II

Sorry for leaving your chopsticks hanging in mid-air for a while like that... Don's niece, Jaime, (remember her from my trip to Calgary?) was staying with us all of last week. Wow! What a truly incredible time we had! I may have been away from my computer, but certainly not from the kitchen counter. Wait 'til you see all the gorgeous foods we prepared! But let's get back to today's post first...

Now where were we? Ah yes, Asian entrees 'in the Raw'!

Spring Rolling
I just looooooove coconut wrappers! They have such a delicate flavor and can make a delicious, light snack in a few minutes! As Vanessa points out, you can use whatever veggies you have on hand as filling for these. For our part, we like to put a little lettuce or arugula, add a few scoops of Chop Suey, roll up and munch away. Mmmmmmmmmm


Vietnamese Spring Rolls with spicy citrus dipping sauce
By Vanessa Sherwood
Posted on GLiving GreenChefs

If you don’t feel like making the coconut ‘rice’ wrappers, you can either use the lettuce as a wrapper, or just use regular store bought rice wrappers that you’ll find in the Asian section of most grocery stores.

Coconut ‘rice’ Wrappers
1 Cup Young Coconut Meat
1/2 Cup Coconut Water
1/4 Cup Flax Meal (Optional)
Pinch of Salt

Filling:
Butter Lettuce
Cucumber, thinly sliced
Scallions, thinly sliced lengthwise
Bean Sprouts
Star Fruit, thinly sliced
Basil
Cilantro
Mint Leaves

Nuoc Cham (spicy citrus dipping sauce):
Lime, Juiced
1 1/2 Tablespoon Nama Shoyu
3 Tablespoons Water
1 Serrano Chili, minced
1-2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Teaspoons Agave
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

For the Coconut ‘rice’ Wrappers:
In a Vita Mix or high speed blender, blend everything until completely smooth. Now comes the tricky bit. You should be able to make four wrappers on each teflex lined tray of your dehydrator, unless you want to make one huge wrapper on each tray- it’s your choice. Pour out 2-4 tablespoons of the coconut custard and spread out thin with a spoon or spreader/spatula. Dehydrate at 105- 110 degrees until completely dry, 6-12 hours. When they are done, you will be able to peel them off of the teflex sheet.

For the Filling:
There are no rules here. You can put whatever you want in the wrappers.

Fill the coconut wrappers with the veggies. If you are using the coconut wrappers, be warned that they will get soggy quite quickly. It’s best to roll them as you are eating them. If you are using the lettuce as your wrapper, it won’t be an issue.

For the Nuoc Cham (spicy citrus dipping sauce):
Whisk all the ingredients together. This is your dipping sauce.


Where's the Wok?
If you haven't experimented with marinating yet, here's a perfect opportunity! The marinating process really works magic! Not only does it give veggies a wonderful flavor, it changes their texture as well. The following recipes are a variation on a theme; similar veggies, different marinades. Pop these in the dehydrator for a few hours to get an authentic 'just out of the wok' look!

Chop Suey
We may not have been very adventurous food wise in my family's household, but the one 'exotic' dish my mom used to make regularly was Chop Suey. (Go figure!?!) When I first tried a raw version, I just couldn't believe how much it resembled its SAD counterpart. Here are a couple of Chop Suey versions I've made recently. Once you get the general idea, you'll soon be coming up with countless variations of your own.


Easy Chop Suey
By Carmella Soleil

Veggies:
Baby Bok Choi, sliced
Broccoli florets and chopped stems
Carrots, julienned
Celery, sliced diagonally
Green onions, sliced diagonally
Mung bean sprouts, washed and drained
Mushrooms, sliced
Red or yellow peppers, sliced or chopped
Snow peas, sliced diagonally
Zucchini, julienned or cubed

Marinade Variation I:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons tamari or Nama Shoyu
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 orange, juiced
1 or 2 garlic cloves
1 ” chunk of ginger, grated
Dash of cayenne
1 tablespoon tahini

Marinade Variation II:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons tamari or Nama Shoyu
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 orange, juiced
1 or 2 garlic cloves
1 ” chunk of ginger, grated
2-4 soft dates, to taste

Finely chop or julienne veggies of choice.

Blend marinade ingredients until smooth.

In a large bowl, toss veggies in marinade of choice. Cover and put in dehydrator for 2 hours at 105-110.

Alternatively, you can skip the last step, but leave the veggies to marinate for at least 3 hours on the counter for flavors to blend.

Serve topped with sesame seeds and/or cashew pieces.



Vegetable Teriyaki
Adapted from Wyjoz's recipe, posted on Raw Food Talk

Marinade:
2 tbs Nama Shoyu (or tamari)
2 tbs honey
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 " piece of ginger root, grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice (or you could use part apple cider vinegar too)
1/4 cup orange juice

Vegetables:
Broccoli florets and chopped stems
Green onion or leek.
Baby Bok Choy sliced (the taste is much milder than mature Bok Choi)
Red Pepper sliced
Celery, sliced diagonally
Mushrooms, sliced

Toss veggies with the marinade in a bowl. Then pop it, covered, in the dehydrator for a couple of hours. Alternatively, you can skip the D; just marinate the veggies for a little longer.

Serve with rice of choice and top with a few cashews.


Stir Dry
And last, but not least, a colorful 'Stir Dry' with an exotic twist. This recipe was inspired by The Raw Gourmet's lovely Asian dressing.

Veggies of Choice:
Baby Bok Choi, sliced
Broccoli florets and chopped stems
Celery, sliced diagonally
Green onions, sliced diagonally
Mung bean sprouts, washed and drained
Mushrooms, sliced
Red or yellow peppers, sliced or chopped
Snow peas, sliced diagonally
Zucchini, julienned or cubed

Asian Dressing
By Nomi Shannon

6 Tbl Tahini
1 c. water
3/4 c. Nama Shoyu
3/4 c. scallions
3 Tbl flaxseed oil
3-4 Tbl honey
3 Tbl grated ginger root
3-4 cloves garlic
3/4 tsp Chinese 5-spice (I use less as I find this can easily overwhelm the other flavors)
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Toss all ingredients into blender and blend!

Assembly:
Put the veggies in a large bowl and coat with dressing. Cover with a plate and pop in the dehydrator for a couple of hours at 110 degrees.

Asian Platter: Ginger Un-Steamed 'Rice'(Yet again! What can I say, it is THAT good!), Marinated Bok Choi and Stir Dry:

I guess I've pretty much covered it all: soups, salads, side dishes, entrees...

Hey, hang on a second! I was about to forget something! No post on Asian cuisine 'in the Raw' would be complete without sushi!


Raw Sushi
This is a different version of sushi than the one I've previously posted, using 'rice' instead of pate. For a detailed description of the sushi making technique, complete with photos, see this post.

Ginger Un-Steamed 'Rice'
1 1/2 - 2 cups cauliflower
1 1/2 cups parsnip
Salt, to taste
2 heaping tbs of almond butter or tahini (I used both)
1 T grated fresh ginger
A little lemon juice

Process cauliflower and parsnip in food processor until rice-size.

Mix other ingredients by hand.

Veggies:
Carrot, julienned
Red and/or yellow bell pepper, julienned
Green onion, julienned
Cucumber, julienned
Avocado, sliced

Alfalfa sprouts
Sunflower or Radish sprouts (opt)


Assembly:
First, put a nice layer of alfalfa sprouts, covering nearly half of the nori sheet.

Spread 4-5 tbs. of the rice mixture along the edge, on top of the sprouts.

Make a little indent in the rice and put veggies on top.

Top that with a few pieces of avocado.

Finish off with a some sunflower or radish sprouts. (opt)

Roll it up! You can roll the sushi with a sushi mat or use your fingers. I like to use my fingers. Use your thumbs and fingers and roll it up, tightening the roll as you go.

Wet the top part of the nori sheet with a little water so as to seal the sushi.

Let the roll sit for 5 minutes before cutting.

Using a sharp knife, cut the nori roll into 5-6 equal parts. Use a see-saw motion to make it a perfect smooth cut.

Voila!

Serve with dipping sauce of your choice. One of my favorite is the Boutenko's posted here.


OK, NOW we're done! Woops, no, dessert is missing...

Hey, how about some scrumptious Mango Pudding with a nice big dollop of coconut vanilla cream? Yummo! But that recipe will be in my ebook, coming out later this month. 'Til then, here's something to fill your dreams...;-)