{ raw vegan, gluten-free, makes 1 generous portion or 2 sides }

It may be November, but here in Florida it still feels like summer.  While most are seeking autumn and winter recipes to keep warm, anything light and refreshing is still welcome around here.

This may seem more of a spring-time salad, but here in Central Florida I’m still seeing some great asparagus and Georgia vidalia onions around the markets.  Both of them make perfect dehydrator “roasting” vegetables, and a pretty hearty salad.

Salad ingredients:

1 bunch baby vidalia onions with green tops (green onions will work too)
1/2 lb green asparagus, bottom third trimmed
large bunch of fresh chervil
4 small yellow heirloom tomatoes, quartered
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Quarter the onion bulbs, and cut the green stalks into thirds.  Spread onions and asparagus on lined dehydrator trays.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Dehydrate for about 4 hours at 115 degrees, or until vegetables are tender. Put chervil in a shallow serving bowl. Add the onions, asparagus, and tomatoes, and spoon over the dressing.

Dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup walnut oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk to combine all ingredients. Spoon over salad.

<3, JMK

{ raw vegan, makes 4 sandwiches }

My all time favorite sandwich has got to be the pan bagnat, (Provençal tuna sandwiches) – sometimes referred to as a salade niçoise on baguette.  However you interpret it, this classic street food of Nice, France is all about the fresh bread and a certain but simple je ne sais quoi once it’s loaded with a combination of salad ingredients.  When in France, I find these hard to resist, but here at home I had to reinvent it the raw vegan way.

The Ezekial burger buns I used here are not technically raw, but in the raw food world most deem them acceptable since they’re made with sprouted grains and cooked at much lower temperatures than conventional bread.  For a pan bagnat, dehydrated raw flat bread just won’t cut it.  Especially when the other substitution is within a second primary ingredient – the tuna.

It’s easy to imitate tuna salads, chicken salads, and the like with nut-based pâtés.  The texture and weight are pretty spot-on, and what’s really neat is that the use of dulse flakes gives faux “tuna” a from-the-sea taste.  And of course, these pâtés are much better for us than soy or mock meat substitutes, which are loaded with sodium and processed ingredients.

If you’re a present or former tuna sandwich lover, you will definitely love this pan bagnat.

“Tuna”:

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for 8 hours
1/2 cup pine nuts, soaked 6-8 hours
1 small garlic clove
1 tbs finely chopped green onions
1 tbs dulse flakes
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1-2 tbsp cold water, for thinning

Combine all ingredients, except for green onions, in a food processor.  Pulse to a medium crumbly texture (not too fine or blended).  Stream in cold water as needed, to help thin and add some creaminess to the pâté.  Check seasonings.  The final product should be similar to a lumpy hummus, with texture like a tuna salad.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in the green onions.

For sandwiches:

4 Ezekial sprouted grain burger buns
2 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped niçoise olives
mache, lamb’s lettuce, or mixed baby greens
red onion, thinly sliced
red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp sea salt
fresh ground black pepper

To assemble:

First whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and a small dish.  Lay out the buns, and drizzle both sides with the oil and vinegar mixture.  On the base side, spread over some chopped olives, followed by the red bell pepper slices, red onion, lettuce, and tomato.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  On the top side of the bun, add about 2 tablespoons of the faux tuna and close sandwich.  Repeat with the others and serve.

<3, JMK

{ Raw vegan, gluten-free*, serves 4 }

Vegetables and herbs such as leeks, shallots and tarragon are staples in French cooking – and flavors I absolutely adore.  They also happen to be some of the most under-utilized in American cuisine until recent.  Singularly or combined, each of these ingredients adds sheer flavor heaven, and particularly work like magic with mushrooms.  Leeks are incredibly nutritious and while lending their mildly diuretic benefits, they’re loaded with minerals like iron and potassium.  I added leeks and tarragon to this otherwise Italian-inspired cannelloni dish, launching the marsala wine-marinated creminis and porcinis into taste bud bliss!

Mushroom mixture:

1 lb criminis sliced in half
1/4 oz dried porcinis, soaked and softened in 1 cup warm water and 1/2 cup marsala wine
1 small leek finely sliced, white and light green part only
1 tbs dried tarragon
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup marsala wine
1/3 cup nama shoyu*
1/2 tsp finely ground green peppercorns
1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper

Put all ingredients, except for porcinis and liquids, into a large bowl. Whisk together olive oil, marsala, and nama shoyu and pour over mushrooms. Toss well and marinate for 2 hours, occassionally turning to coat. Meanwhile, coarsely chop porcinis and set aside. Spread mushrooms on to a lined dehydrator sheet and dehydrate for 3 hours at 115 degrees, or until texture is slightly chewy and resembles a sautéed mushroom. Toss mushrooms occasionally while dehydrating.

Take 3/4 of the mushrooms and all the porcinis into the food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Reserve remaining mushrooms for plating.

* For gluten-free preparation, omit nama shoyu and substitute with 1-2 teaspoons sea salt.

“Raw”cotta:

1/2 cup soaked, moist cashews
1/2 cup soaked, moist pine nuts
1/4 cup soaked, moist hemp nuts (optional, I had to finish off a package)
1 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 garlic clove

Blend all ingredients in a food processor to a ricotta or thick cheese-spread consistency.

Tarragon marinara (I made this two days ahead):

2 lbs fresh roma tomatoes, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise
4 fat smashed garlic cloves
1 tsp dried oregano
1 heaping tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
handful fresh chopped basil
2 tbs fine quality aged balsamic vinegar
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil to coat
1 tbs dried tarragon

Combine all ingredients, except for tarragon, in a large bowl and marinate for about an hour. Spread tomatoes on to lined dehydrator trays face up, spooning herb mixture over them. Stuff the garlic cloves into a few of the tomato halves. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 8 to 10 hours (depending on tomato size). They should appear roasted, but still somewhat plump. You don’t want to totally dehydrate them to the sun-dried type.

Put tomatoes in a food processor along with the tarragon and blend to a marinara. It’s now ready to eat, or you can put it in a bowl a few hours before serving and keep warm in dehydrator. (This will also reduce excess moisture).

Cannelloni:

2 medium zucchini (you may have extra left over)
flax seed oil (makes it nice and buttery)
sea salt
finely ground green peppercorns
a hand-held mandoline

Slice zucchini lengthwise very thin, about 1/8″. Layer slices in a casserole dish, rubbing them with flax seed oil and sprinkling sea salt and pepper very lightly between each layer. Allow to sit for about an hour and careful drain water out of dish. Spread on dehydrator screens and dehydrate for 1-2 hours at 115 degrees so that excess moisture is gone and cannelloni have a chewier, more pasta-like texture.

For assembly:

On a work surface, lay 4 zucchini in similar lengths next to each other, slighty overlapping.  Beginning 1/2″ from one edge of the width (not lengthwise), spoon about 2 tablespoons each of rawcotta and mushroom mixture down the width of layered zucchini.  From this end, carefully pick up exposed edges and roll into cannelloni tubes.  The zucchini are very pliable and stay together quite well.  At this point you can keep the cannellonis heated in the dehydrator until ready to serve.

Spoon over tarragon marinara, garnish with remaining halved mushrooms and fresh basil leaves.

<3, JMK

(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

(raw vegetarian, raw vegan modifiable*, gluten-free)

This is a classic example of letting high quality fresh food speak for itself.  No need to overly complicate, and very simply dressed.  This was like, a magnificent Alice Waters moment.

Over the weekend, I went to the Winter Park Farmer’s Market which is held every Saturday from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm.  One of the produce vendors had a variety of the most beautiful heirloom lettuces, the first harvest, right from his organic garden.  Colorful, fluffy medleys of leaves were hand picked and neatly bunched into 6 to 8 ounce bags.  And right next to those were some lovely haricots verts.

The only other instances I’ve had lettuce that perfect, alive and bouncy from the garden was either at Primo restaurant here in Orlando, where the whole premise is based on garden-fresh local, organic, and sustainable foods, or New York City, or someplace in Europe.  It was just luscious.

Sherry-Shallot Vinaigrette:

1 tbs minced shallot
1 tbs sherry vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbs walnut oil
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp herbs de provence
1/2 tsp fleur de sel
a few turns of freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

6-8 oz heirloom lettuce leaves or other very fresh lettuce
8 oz haricots verts
raw goat’s cheese crumbles, such as Montrachet or chevre*
niçoise olives

To prepare vinaigrette, add the shallot and vinegar to a small bowl or cruet and let sit for about 30 minutes.  Add all other ingredients and whisk or shake well.  It is best to make the dressing a day ahead of time so that the flavors intensify.

I chose to blanch the haricots verts in a pan of shallow water for about 1 minute, then shock in ice water.  This is to take the “edge” off due to my personal digestibility.  Bypass this step for a completely raw preparation.

In a bowl, add a little of the vinaigrette to the haricots verts, toss, and let sit while preparing the rest of the salad.  In another large bowl, add lettuce and gently toss with remainder of vinaigrette.

For plating, simply present the lettuces along with desired amount of haricots verts for each plate portion, followed by a few niçoise olives and crumbles of goat cheese*.  If desired, add more freshly ground black pepper.

*Omit goat cheese for vegan preparation.

<3, JMK

(raw vegan, gluten free)

I love nut-based pâtes.  Not only are they incredibly nutritious, nuts present quite an amazing array of versatility.  From making milks and creams to hummus, spreads, and pâtes, whether sweet or savory, there are endless flavors and seasonings that work so well with them.  I’m always thinking of new spins to put on nut-based recipes.

These little finger foods are enticing and pretty, so they’re a great way to introduce guests to raw food.  They’re so unique and delicious, they’ll never know they’re so good for you!

1 pint perfectly ripe cherry tomatoes

1/3 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for at least 3 hours
3/4 cup walnuts, soaked for at least 3 hours
1 tbs minced shallot
1 fat garlic clove
1 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
2 tsp muchi curry powder (or yellow curry)
1 tsp sea salt
pinch of ground nutmeg
pinch of cayenne pepper
a few turns freshly ground white pepper
2 tbs flax seed oil
1/8 cup cold water

Optional garnishes: Curly leaf lettuce, extra curry powder, chopped fresh tarragon leaves or thyme leaves, black lava sea salt.

Slice off the tops of the cherry tomatoes.  With a melon baller, carefully scoop out the seeds and inner membrane.  Slice a thin sliver off the bottoms so that they will become stable and not roll around.  Be careful not to cut off too much or you’ll have a hollow tomato.  Set them aside while preparing the pâte.

Add all other ingredients, except for the water, to a food processor and blitz until you get a hummus-like texture and not too smooth.  Taste to adjust seasonings if necessary.  Blitz again while drizzling in only enough cold water to smooth out the mixture until creamy.

When you stuff the tomatoes, it’s best to use a rounded 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, or a melon baller, along with something to help scrape it off.  If you’re using the lettuce garnish, line the inside of each tomato with a small piece of lettuce leaf.  Scoop in 1 to 2 rounded teaspoons of pâte depending on the size of the tomato.

Arrange on a serving platter and finish with an additional sprinkling of curry powder, some chopped fresh tarragon or thyme, and/or a sprinkling of black lava sea salt.

<3, JMK

(vegetarian, partially raw)

I love crêpes and their sweet and savory versatility. This dish is simple, healthy, and of course, delicious, and can be served as a luxurious breakfast or dessert. I like to make my own traditionally prepared crêpes, although there are some natural and decent packaged varieties made without artificial or undesirable ingredients. I have yet to attempt any of the several raw crêpe recipes I have, most of which use young coconut meat.

Produce-wise, one good thing about being in Central Florida is the accessibility to strawberries. They are grown all year round, particularly in nearby Plant City. I found some perfectly ripened, sweet, organic jewels just down the street at Fresh Market along with some handsome, plump, organic blueberries.

I made a thick cream, infused with vanilla bean, from almonds and cashews. I like the balanced, lightly sweet, creamy flavor I get from combining the two. I macerated the berries in a modest amount of good port wine, a squeeze of lemon juice, the scraped vanilla bean, and a small bit of agave for 24 hours.

Before serving, I gently warmed the berries in a saucepan as well as each crêpe in a warm skillet. Then I stuffed them with some cream before folding into triangles, and then spooned over the macerated berries. One more dollop of cream and mint chiffonade garnish and voila! Très magnifique!

<3, JMK