The Complete Book of Raw Food (39 page)

2 large red or yellow bell peppers, seeds and stems removed, cut in half lengthwise

Mash the avocados together with the corn in a bowl. Spoon the avocado-corn mixture onto the bell pepper halves and enjoy.

Pesto Mushrooms

B
Y
J
OHN
L
ARSEN

A
DVANCED PREP
:
3 hours for dehydrating
I
MMEDIATE PREP
:
35 min

S
ERVES
4
S
PECIAL
E
QUIPMENT
Food processor, dehydrator

1 bunch fresh basil, coarsely chopped

½ cup lemon juice

3 large cloves garlic, pressed

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 cups walnuts

¾ teaspoon sea salt to taste

¼ cup olive oil

20 Crimini mushrooms, stems removed

Combine the basil, lemon juice, garlic, peppercorns, walnuts, sea salt and olive oil in the food processor and process to a thick paste.

Fill the mushroom caps with the pesto. Dehydrate on Teflex sheets at 105°F for 3 hours. Enjoy as a main dish or as an appetizer.

Roasted Bell Pepper Cheese & Mushroom Risotto

B
Y
Q
UINTESSENCE
R
ESTAURANT

A
DVANCED PREP
:
None
I
MMEDIATE PREP
:
30 min

S
ERVES
4 to 6
S
PECIAL
E
QUIPMENT
Blender, food processor

2 whole red or yellow bell peppers

¼ cup cold-pressed olive oil from a dark bottle

4 teaspoons sea salt

2 to 3 dried chipotle peppers (for less heat remove seeds)

1 cup pine nuts

1 cup macadamia nuts

3 ½ to 4 cups chopped yellow squash

2 cups sliced button or Crimini mushrooms

chopped parsley, for garnish

Blend the bell peppers, olive oil, sea salt and chipotle peppers together in a high speed blender. Add the pine nuts and macadamia nuts and blend to a thick cream. Set aside.

To make the rice, process the chopped yellow squash in a food processor fitted with the “S” blade and pulse-chop to a rice-like consistency.

Transfer the bell pepper cream and the “rice” to a mixing bowl and add button or Crimini mushrooms. Mix well and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Romaine Roll-Ups

B
Y
S
HAZZIE

A
DVANCED PREP
:
5 days for sprouts
I
MMEDIATE PREP
:
20 min

S
ERVES
2
S
PECIAL
E
QUIPMENT
None

1 large head of romaine lettuce

3 large tomatoes, finely chopped

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and finely chopped

1 handful alfalfa sprouts

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped basil, oregano or mint, finely chopped onion and/or garlic, finely chopped (optional)

Separate the leaves of the romaine lettuce and place on a plate.

In a bowl, mix together the tomatoes, avocado, alfalfa, cilantro, basil, oregano or mint, onion and garlic (if using) to make the filling.

Spoon a generous dollop of the filling at one end of each lettuce leaf. Roll the sides of the leaf over, fold it in half. Continue until you have used all the filling and then eat like a sandwich.

Sauerkraut

B
Y
S
HAZZIE

A
DVANCED PREP
:
3 to 7 days to ferment
I
MMEDIATE PREP
:
40 min

Y
IELDS
3 to 4 cups
S
PECIAL
E
QUIPMENT
None

1 to 4 heads red or white (or mixed) cabbages

Remove some of the outer leaves from the cabbage heads and set them aside.

If you have a Champion juicer, roughly chop the cabbage into manageable portions and process it all using the blank blade. If you don’t have a Champion, use a food processor to chop the cabbage until it is very fine (you might need to do this in batches). If all you have is a blender, finely chop about half of the cabbage, and put the other half through the blender. Add enough water to get the blender going and blend until very fine. Combine the finely chopped and blended cabbage.

Place the cabbage into a big bowl and mix thoroughly. If the cabbage seems dry, add some water, and mix again.

Press the cabbage down, as far as it will go. It should not be watery, just moist. Put the saved cabbage leaves on top, and press it down again. Put a layer of plastic wrap on top and press it all down again. Put a weight on top, such as a bag of unopened lentils, which form to the shape of a bowl well.

Cover the bowl with a tea towel and place it somewhere in the house where you don’t go very often. The cabbage has a strong odor during fermentation.

In 3 days, check to see whether you have sauerkraut. You will know when it’s kraut, because it will smell pickled, and the cabbage will have a translucent appearance. If it still isn’t ready, leave it for another day or so. It will soon be sauerkraut.