(raw vegan, gluten-free*)
Au poivre (French for “with pepper”) is most commonly a beef application in which one or more types of peppercorns are crushed to create a flavorful, punchy crust. As a lover of all things peppery or spicy, it’s also one of my favorite methods and one that I started longing for since giving up meat and poultry over eight years ago. But I learned something, although it did take me some time and dietary experimentation to figure it out. I didn’t really miss meat itself so much as I missed it as a vehicle to deliver countless delicious seasoning applications, methods, and sauces – like au poivre.
The same can be true for pasta and creamy sauces. Don’t get me wrong on this one, though, I absolutely adore pasta and still happily indulge. I was never too much of a fan, however, of heavy dairy-based cream sauces such as alfredo. On the other hand, raw cashew-based creamy sauces are a different story. I can’t rave enough on how delicious and versatile they are, both savory and sweet. They possess every bit of the velvety, creamy, richness that cooked dairy versions have, and then some, yet sans all of the bad fats and other health-hazardous properties.
Hearty, meaty, portobello mushrooms are a perfect, satisfying alternative to beef au poivre. And noodles made from goldbar squash or zucchini are a very popular pasta alternative in the raw food world. This lemon-herb cream sauce is pleasantly reminiscent of an indulgent cooked pasta dish.
(Makes 2 servings)
Portobello Au Poivre (preparation):
2 large portobello mushroom caps
Marinade: 2 tbs each nama shoyu*, balsamic vinegar, sweet vermouth, flax seed oil; 1 chopped garlic clove; 2 thyme stems with leaves.
Poivre (pepper crust): 1 tbs drained, rinsed, and finely chopped French green peppercorns packed in water; 1/2 tsp freshly ground multi-colored peppercorns; 1 tsp truffle salt; 1 small garlic clove; pinch of lavender.
Whisk together marinade ingredients and marinate the mushroom caps in a tightly sealed plastic bag for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, prepare pepper crust by first using your knife to mince and mash together the salt, garlic clove, and lavender so that it forms a coarse paste. Put it in a small bowl and mix together with green and multi-colored peppercorns. Note: Don’t be alarmed if at first the green peppercorns have a distinctive pungent smell and are a bit spicy. The dehydrating process dramatically mellows them out to a softer, balanced flavor.
Remove mushroom caps from bag (save the marinade), divide pepper mixture into two equal parts, and use your fingers to evenly coat the tops of the caps, pressing gently.
Pour the remainder of the marinade into a small bowl and place at the bottom of a dehydrator. Place the mushrooms on a Teflex lined tray and dehydrate both the mushrooms and marinade at 115 degrees for 3 to 4 hours. Halfway through cooking time, remove the sheets and finish mushrooms directly on mesh tray.
For gluten-free preparation, omit nama shoyu and add 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tbs water.
Creamy Lemon Herb Noodles (preparation):
3 large goldbar squash, sliced into strips about the width of fettucini (you can alternatively use zucchini)
Cream sauce: 1 cup cashews soaked at least 4 hours; 1 small garlic clove; 1 very small shallot (size of your thumb); 1 tsp grated lemon zest or 2 tbs lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil; 1 to 2 tbs flax seed or olive oil; cold water as needed, 1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
Sea salt & fresh, fine ground white or green pepper
Flax seed or extra virgin olive oil for serving
Season the squash noodles with sea salt and pepper and let them sit in a bowl for at least 30 minutes to extract water. Drain well, sprinkle with olive oil to lightly coat, and spread on Teflex lined dehydrator trays. Dehydrate for 45 minutes to an hour at 115 degrees, checking and rearranging so areas dry evenly. Remove sheets and finish dehydrating directly on mesh tray for additional 30 minutes, or until excess moisture is gone and noodle texture is chewier and resembles cooked pasta.
Meanwhile, prepare cream sauce by first adding garlic, shallots, lemon zest (if using) and sea salt to a food processor and blend until finely minced. Add cashews and blend again until very fine, then stream in olive oil and flax seed oil. During this process you may need to use a spatula to scrape down the sides and edges. Check seasonings. Gradually stream in as much water as needed to achieve a creamy sauce consistency.
Remove noodles from the dehydrator and place in a bowl. First add about 2 heaping tablespoons of cream sauce plus the minced thyme and tarragon. Toss gently and add more sauce, 1 tablespoon at a time until desired creaminess is achieved. Drizzle in small amounts of olive oil or flax seed oil if noodles clump.
To serve mushrooms and squash noodles:
Remove mushrooms from dehydrator and slice on a slight diagonal about 1/2″ slices. Arrange on a plate next to a serving of noodles. Remove marinade from dehydrator and spoon about 1 tablespoon onto the mushrooms. To warm, crank up dehydrator temperature to about 130 to 145 degrees and put plates in for about 10 minutes before serving (this will not “cook” the food).
<3, JMK
