Super
simple, really quick, and incredibly good for you; this raw marinara is
perfect over zucchini or squash noodles. Try it with a little cashew
cream mixed in...delicious.
1 lb plum/roma tomatoes (or, really, whichever kind you like best) big handful of fresh basil leaves 3-4 sundried tomato halves juice from ¼ of a lemon (or half if it’s small) ¼ cup olive oil 1 medjool date, pitted 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 t salt ½ t black pepper ¼ t red pepper flake First chop all of your tomatoes very small. Then blend together everything save for the tomatoes in a food processor. Add a small handful of chopped tomato and pulse that for a minute. Then combine the mixture with the rest of the chopped tomatoes. 
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Monday, May 6, 2013
Raw Marinara
Super Simple Pomodoro
After 80 failed attempts at the perfect red sauce, I decided to apply
the keep it simple, stupid principle to my marinara. Guess what? It
worked. I use this on pizza, in lasagna, over pasta...
1 28oz can of peeled plum tomatoes in juice with nothing added (if you can find a can that indicates they are from the San Marzano region in Italy...well, your mouth will thank you)
1/4 c olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T dried oregano
1 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t red pepper flake (or less, if you ain't spicy at heart)
Heat your olive oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan until it shimmers, add your crushed garlic, stir and cook for 3 minutes. I prefer to not let my garlic brown at all.
Add the tomatoes, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper(s) and let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes. Crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon (I like to hit the sauce with an immersion blender for just a minute). Eat and enjoy!
1 28oz can of peeled plum tomatoes in juice with nothing added (if you can find a can that indicates they are from the San Marzano region in Italy...well, your mouth will thank you)
1/4 c olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T dried oregano
1 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t red pepper flake (or less, if you ain't spicy at heart)
Heat your olive oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan until it shimmers, add your crushed garlic, stir and cook for 3 minutes. I prefer to not let my garlic brown at all.
Add the tomatoes, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper(s) and let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes. Crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon (I like to hit the sauce with an immersion blender for just a minute). Eat and enjoy!
Kale Chips
Everyone has their version of kale chips (okay, not everyone, just us weirdos that like to eat a lot of kale), but here's mine:
Bunch of kale, washed, de-stemmed, and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 c raw, unsalted cashews, powdered
½ c roasted red peppers
½ c water
¼ c nutritional yeast
1 t red pepper flake* (optional - if you like spicy goodness go for it!)
1 t sea salt
Blend cashews through salt until creamy, toss kale pieces in this dressing (in a very large bowl!) until all of the kale leaves are coated. Place in your dehydrator and dehydrate at 105 degrees for 3-4 hours, turning periodically. You can also do this on cookie sheets in your oven, on very, very low heat (we're talking 150 degrees) and it will have the same effect.
Bunch of kale, washed, de-stemmed, and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 c raw, unsalted cashews, powdered
½ c roasted red peppers
½ c water
¼ c nutritional yeast
1 t red pepper flake* (optional - if you like spicy goodness go for it!)
1 t sea salt
Blend cashews through salt until creamy, toss kale pieces in this dressing (in a very large bowl!) until all of the kale leaves are coated. Place in your dehydrator and dehydrate at 105 degrees for 3-4 hours, turning periodically. You can also do this on cookie sheets in your oven, on very, very low heat (we're talking 150 degrees) and it will have the same effect.
Hot Artichoke Dip
This is best served warm in a cute Pyrex, but straight outta the fridge via a spoon the next day is also damn tasty.
1 T olive oil
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 small red pepper diced
1 can green chiles
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup raw cashews, powdered
1 cup veggie stock or water
juice from half a lemon
1 T soy sauce
3 T nutritional yeast
1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
Preheat oven to 350 (if serving straight away – this also keeps well in the fridge and can be baked later).
Sauté the onions, red bell pepper, and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes.
Add the can of green chiles and sauté 2 minutes more.
Add chopped artichokes and sauté for 5 minutes.
While that mixture is cooking down and smelling delicious, take your powdered cashews (powder them in a coffee grinder or a blender) and combine them with the water (or veggie stock!), lemon juice, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, and salt, and blend until super creamy (about a minute).
Add the creamy mixture to the sautéed mix of delicious and stir to combine. Cook the whole thing until the mixture is thick and warm (about 3 minutes).
Pour everything into an oven-proof baking dish (like a Pyrex) and bake at 350 for 15 minutes until lightly brown on top.
I like to serve this with some veggies and a few kinds of crackers and maybe some sliced sourdough. It’s perfect to take to a party or serve as an appetizer at a dinner party.
1 T olive oil
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 small red pepper diced
1 can green chiles
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup raw cashews, powdered
1 cup veggie stock or water
juice from half a lemon
1 T soy sauce
3 T nutritional yeast
1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
Preheat oven to 350 (if serving straight away – this also keeps well in the fridge and can be baked later).
Sauté the onions, red bell pepper, and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes.
Add the can of green chiles and sauté 2 minutes more.
Add chopped artichokes and sauté for 5 minutes.
While that mixture is cooking down and smelling delicious, take your powdered cashews (powder them in a coffee grinder or a blender) and combine them with the water (or veggie stock!), lemon juice, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, and salt, and blend until super creamy (about a minute).
Add the creamy mixture to the sautéed mix of delicious and stir to combine. Cook the whole thing until the mixture is thick and warm (about 3 minutes).
Pour everything into an oven-proof baking dish (like a Pyrex) and bake at 350 for 15 minutes until lightly brown on top.
I like to serve this with some veggies and a few kinds of crackers and maybe some sliced sourdough. It’s perfect to take to a party or serve as an appetizer at a dinner party.
Butternut Bisque
This soup was the very first recipe I ever wrote down. It is still the one I am asked for most often. It's a bit of work, but it makes a huge
batch, so freeze half and enjoy it the following week (or be like me and
eat butternut bisque four nights in a row).
4 lbs butternut squash
olive oil for roasting the squash
1 cup raw cashews, powdered
6-8 cups veggie stock
2 t dried thyme
1 t rubbed sage
2 t sea salt
3 t fresh ground black pepper (or less if you're scared of that)
Slice your squash (or squashes) lenghwise and then spoon out the guts and seeds and compost (or roast the seeds if you're feeling ambitious). Oil the inside and outside of the squash, roast face down on a dark baking sheet for 45 minutes to an hour or more (this will largely depend on if you got one huge squash, two mediums, four smalls, etc.) You want the outside of the squash to brown, but not burn, and the inside to get soft and yummy.
When the squash is done, put it all into a really large, heavy-bottomed stock pot. Add the veggie stock, and break up the squash. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and let it cook for 20 minutes or more.
Add the salt, thyme, and sage to the mixture.
Combine your powdered raw cashews with 1 cup of warm water and blend until totally smooth.
Blend your squash mixture with an immersion blender until smooth (you can also do this, in batches, in a blender, just be sure to remove the plastic center of the blender lid to let steam escape while you blend and be very, very careful!)
Once the squash mixture is smooth, add the cashew cream and then your fresh ground pepper. Add more salt and more pepper to taste.
I like to server this in big white bowls, with a drizzle of leftover cashew cream on top and a sprig of fresh thyme and a grind of black pepper. Gorgeous and delicious. Just how I like everything I eat...
4 lbs butternut squash
olive oil for roasting the squash
1 cup raw cashews, powdered
6-8 cups veggie stock
2 t dried thyme
1 t rubbed sage
2 t sea salt
3 t fresh ground black pepper (or less if you're scared of that)
Slice your squash (or squashes) lenghwise and then spoon out the guts and seeds and compost (or roast the seeds if you're feeling ambitious). Oil the inside and outside of the squash, roast face down on a dark baking sheet for 45 minutes to an hour or more (this will largely depend on if you got one huge squash, two mediums, four smalls, etc.) You want the outside of the squash to brown, but not burn, and the inside to get soft and yummy.
When the squash is done, put it all into a really large, heavy-bottomed stock pot. Add the veggie stock, and break up the squash. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and let it cook for 20 minutes or more.
Add the salt, thyme, and sage to the mixture.
Combine your powdered raw cashews with 1 cup of warm water and blend until totally smooth.
Blend your squash mixture with an immersion blender until smooth (you can also do this, in batches, in a blender, just be sure to remove the plastic center of the blender lid to let steam escape while you blend and be very, very careful!)
Once the squash mixture is smooth, add the cashew cream and then your fresh ground pepper. Add more salt and more pepper to taste.
I like to server this in big white bowls, with a drizzle of leftover cashew cream on top and a sprig of fresh thyme and a grind of black pepper. Gorgeous and delicious. Just how I like everything I eat...
Classy Chickpea Soup
I think it's the fresh rosemary that makes this soup classy, that or I just like alliteration.
1 lb bag of dried chickpeas
4-6 cups veggie stock
4 T olive oil
1 T fresh rosemary, chopped
6 gloves garlic, crushed
1 t sea salt
1 t fresh ground black pepper
1 t red pepper flakes (more if you like spicy stuff!)
1 lemon, juiced (start with half if it’s big and see how lemony you like this)
This soup is a study in my cooking philosophy: you can always add, you can never take away. I start with lower quantities of everything, from rosemary to garlic to lemon juice, and add more as my taste buds demand.
The easiest way to do this is in your crock pot. Let the dried chickpeas cook on low in the veggie stock all day (or overnight – about 8 hours) until the chickpeas are nice and soft. When you’re ready to finish your soup, heat your olive oil in as saucepan over medium heat until it shimmers, add the crushed garlic and let cook for 1-2 minutes, add the rosemary and cook for 1-2 minutes more (stir constantly so that the garlic doesn’t brown or burn). Take the sauce pan off the heat, and add salt, pepper, and red pepper flake. Add this entire mixture to your crock pot of chickpeas and stir. I generally then let all of this cook over low heat in the crock pot for a few more hours to let the flavors meld. Finally adding the fresh lemon juice just before serving. But, you could also finish it at that point, as long as your chickpeas are really soft, you can eat it whenever your stomach tells you it’s time. I also take an immersion blender and mash up some of the chickpeas to make a creamier soup, but that’s up to you. I like to leave plenty of whole chickpeas so the soup has a nice bite.
Note: you can also make this with a bit less veggie stock and end up with something less like a soup and more like a main dish. The chickpeas are then delicious served over rice or another grain. Or, in corn tortillas with some vegan sour cream if you’re feeling really boundary-breaking.
1 lb bag of dried chickpeas
4-6 cups veggie stock
4 T olive oil
1 T fresh rosemary, chopped
6 gloves garlic, crushed
1 t sea salt
1 t fresh ground black pepper
1 t red pepper flakes (more if you like spicy stuff!)
1 lemon, juiced (start with half if it’s big and see how lemony you like this)
This soup is a study in my cooking philosophy: you can always add, you can never take away. I start with lower quantities of everything, from rosemary to garlic to lemon juice, and add more as my taste buds demand.
The easiest way to do this is in your crock pot. Let the dried chickpeas cook on low in the veggie stock all day (or overnight – about 8 hours) until the chickpeas are nice and soft. When you’re ready to finish your soup, heat your olive oil in as saucepan over medium heat until it shimmers, add the crushed garlic and let cook for 1-2 minutes, add the rosemary and cook for 1-2 minutes more (stir constantly so that the garlic doesn’t brown or burn). Take the sauce pan off the heat, and add salt, pepper, and red pepper flake. Add this entire mixture to your crock pot of chickpeas and stir. I generally then let all of this cook over low heat in the crock pot for a few more hours to let the flavors meld. Finally adding the fresh lemon juice just before serving. But, you could also finish it at that point, as long as your chickpeas are really soft, you can eat it whenever your stomach tells you it’s time. I also take an immersion blender and mash up some of the chickpeas to make a creamier soup, but that’s up to you. I like to leave plenty of whole chickpeas so the soup has a nice bite.
Note: you can also make this with a bit less veggie stock and end up with something less like a soup and more like a main dish. The chickpeas are then delicious served over rice or another grain. Or, in corn tortillas with some vegan sour cream if you’re feeling really boundary-breaking.
Chowdah!
This creamy, delicious stuff has no clams, and no cream, and does not
hail from New England (but rather my kitchen) but uh…we call it Chowdah
anyway.
2 T margarine (like Earth Balance)
8 ounces chopped mushrooms (lobster work fantastically, but oyster are also great, and shitake work too – and are easier to find!)
½ c raw cashews
2 c veggie broth
2 c water
½ medium sweet onion, diced
2 c cauliflower flourets, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ t thyme
1 t sea salt
1 c Yukon gold potatoes, diced
¼ t natural smoke flavor
fresh ground black pepper to taste
Cook your mushrooms in 1 T margarine over medium heat in a skillet for about 10 minutes, set aside.
In a blender, powder the raw cashews, then blend with 1 c veggie stock until smooth and creamy.
In a heavy-bottomed stock pot, heat other T of margarine over medium high heat and cook onion, cauliflower, and garlic for 10 minutes (careful not to burn the garlic). Add thyme, the rest of your veggie broth and the creamy cashew mix, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Blend until smooth with an immersion blender (if you don’t have one, you can do this in batches in a regular blender, just let it cool a bit, and be sure to remove the plastic piece in the center of your blender’s lid to let steam escape, and then cover it with a dish towel so you don’t end up with hot soup on your face). Add the diced Yukons to your smooth soup and cook over low heat (simmering) for 45 minutes. Finally, stir in your cooked mushrooms and the liquid smoke. Serve with a little sea salt with fresh ground pepper on top of each bowl.
2 T margarine (like Earth Balance)
8 ounces chopped mushrooms (lobster work fantastically, but oyster are also great, and shitake work too – and are easier to find!)
½ c raw cashews
2 c veggie broth
2 c water
½ medium sweet onion, diced
2 c cauliflower flourets, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ t thyme
1 t sea salt
1 c Yukon gold potatoes, diced
¼ t natural smoke flavor
fresh ground black pepper to taste
Cook your mushrooms in 1 T margarine over medium heat in a skillet for about 10 minutes, set aside.
In a blender, powder the raw cashews, then blend with 1 c veggie stock until smooth and creamy.
In a heavy-bottomed stock pot, heat other T of margarine over medium high heat and cook onion, cauliflower, and garlic for 10 minutes (careful not to burn the garlic). Add thyme, the rest of your veggie broth and the creamy cashew mix, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Blend until smooth with an immersion blender (if you don’t have one, you can do this in batches in a regular blender, just let it cool a bit, and be sure to remove the plastic piece in the center of your blender’s lid to let steam escape, and then cover it with a dish towel so you don’t end up with hot soup on your face). Add the diced Yukons to your smooth soup and cook over low heat (simmering) for 45 minutes. Finally, stir in your cooked mushrooms and the liquid smoke. Serve with a little sea salt with fresh ground pepper on top of each bowl.
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