vegan, semi-raw, gluten-free

Another recent craving for Mexican food got me experimenting again, and just like other similar dishes such as tacos and enchiladas, it works incredibly well with raw.  I believe it’s a combination of both the seasonings and the ingredients to which they are applied compliment each other famously.  Best of all, this deceivingly labor-intensive, elegantly presented dish requires quite the contrary.  It is so easy to make and friendly to those who are getting raw-acclimated.

I opted to slow-roast the poblanos for about 2 hours at a low oven temperature (200 degrees), using what I call the CWC (cooking with care) technique.  You can of course, alternatively use the dehydrator for a 100% raw meal. I chose the former because I prefer the texture, flavor, and moisture-retention that slow-roasting provides.  Once roasted, carefully cut a slit down one side of the pepper, forming a pocket. Gently remove seed membrane.

For the base of the “rice”, I once again used my favorite combination of jicama and pinenuts at a 3 to 1 ratio, reminiscent of Pure Food & Wine and Raw Food, Real World.  Add them to a food processor along with 2 cloves of garlic and a light sprinkling of sea salt and blitz to a rice-like consistency.  Then spread on Teflex sheets and dehydrate for an hour or two, to remove excess moisture.  To bring it all together and turn it into “confetti rice”, I combined the jicama and pinenut mixture with fresh sweet corn kernels, chopped green onion, chopped cilantro, diced grape tomatoes, ground cumin, paprika, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.  Keep checking the seasonings and adjust if needed.  Stuff this mixture into the poblanos.

The tomato-chipotle salsa cruda turned out a bit more spicy than anticipated, and that says a lot because I am spicy food queen!  But it was smoky and delicious, used sparingly. I used 6 halved and pitted roma tomatoes, 6 sundried tomatoes in olive oil, 1 garlic clove, chili powder, Sambhar curry powder, cocoa powder, chipotle powder (SPICY), a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg, agave, and sea salt, and blended until ultra smooth.

The cilantro crema really helped neutralize the heat of the salsa cruda.  One cup of soaked cashews, a big handful of fresh cilantro, 1 fat garlic clove, flax seed oil, sea salt, pepper, and cold water were blended together till silky smooth.

AND finally, though it may sound like an unusual combination, I enjoyed a wonderful 2004 Côtes du Rhône Rouge by E. Guigal with my poblano pepper meal.

<3, JMK

(raw vegan, gluten-free*)

Thursday night taco night…

Mexican food is among my favorite in the world, especially tacos! But we all know it’s not the healthiest cuisine…and that’s what’s so fabulous about raw tacos! They are authentically tasty, easy-breezy to make, satisfying, and SO good for you! What’s more is that they’re on the top of my list for serving to family and guests who then inevitably become very intrigued with raw food and that these tacos are actually considered “raw”!

To make the Mexi-paté filling simply take 8 ounces cremini mushrooms that have been marinated in nama-shoyu for at least one hour, 2 cups of soaked walnuts, and 3 big fat garlic cloves and coarsely blend them in a food processor. Add about 3 teaspoons each of ground cumin and chili powder, 2 teaspoons of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and a pinch of cayenne, and pulse again until fine and spices are blended, but don’t blend it to pudding! Drizzle in flax seed oil or extra virgin olive oil and carefully continue to pulse until you achieve a fine-crumbly textured-pate.

* For gluten-free preparation, do not use nama-shoyu.

For the taco shells, I used my favorite Ezekial sprouted corn tortillas and warmed them gently in a dry skillet on a warm stove top setting.

For the Rainbow Pico, I coarsely chopped some delicious multi-colored baby heirlooms and simply added some minced jalepeño, green onion, cilantro, sea salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime.

When an avocado is perfectly ripe, there’s no need to complicate things by adding a slurry of ingredients to guacamole. But still, it is fun to experiment with different combos and everyone seems to have their favorite method. Mine is sea salt, lime juice, chopped cilantro, minced jalepeño, and snipped chives.

So here’s a shot of the taco bar I set up so everyone can do it their way. Besides the pico and guac, other fixins included a chopped lettuce blend of romaine, frisee, arugula, and cilantro; raw queso fresco from a local organic dairy; organic sour cream; and one of my favorite condiments, a bottle of hot habanero sauce!

<3, JMK

Olé-Olé Pepper Party Salad with Lime & Avocado

(raw vegan, gluten-free)

The hot weather calls for refreshing dishes, and this salad includes a sensational way to incorporate citrus in your salad. In fact, it’s my new thing…paper thin slices of citrus like lime, lemons, and oranges lend a unique “pop” in flavor. And the entire slice is edible, peel and all, so long as you use a mandoline and make sure it is on the thinnest slice setting, you needn’t worry about bitterness or an overpowering sour bite. I highly recommend purchasing a hand-held Japanese mandoline. They are an inexpensive, practical alternative to their fancier French counterparts.

This salad incorporates a delicious contrast of a variety of pungent peppers with a spicy warmth, the sweetness of grape tomatoes, cooling avocado, and tangy lime. I use baby bell peppers for their milder, sweeter flavor than the full grown variety, poblanos and cubanelles for their unique bite, and serranos for heat. Use any combination of available peppers and adjust the heat to your liking. In addition to an awesomely yummy salad, bell peppers have 5 times the vitamin C of oranges!

Serves 2 side salads or one large serving.

1 cubanelle pepper thinly sliced into rings
4 to 5 baby bell peppers in assorted colors, chopped
1 small poblano, chopped
handful of sweet grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
1 serrano or jalepeño pepper finely minced (adjust spiciness to taste)
1 Haas avocado peeled, pitted and cubed
1 green onion, finely chopped into rings
handful fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
about 5 paper-thin mandoline sliced lime rounds, plus extra for garnish
big handful salad greens of choice
lime juice
really good extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Slicing limes with a Japanese mandoline

Put all peppers, cherry tomatoes, garlic, ground cumin and coriander, and a good sprinkling of sea salt in medium sized bowl and gently toss. Set aside.

In separate large bowl, put avocado cubes, chopped green onion, a squeeze of lime juice, and a sprinkling of sea salt, and gently toss. Then add in the pepper mixture. Gently toss once more to combine. Add a sprinkling more sea salt, and the chopped cilantro. Slice 5 of the lime rounds in half before adding to the bowl. Gently toss once more.

Pepper mixture

Arrange the salad greens on a large plate. Carefully top with the pepper and avocado mixture. Finish with a drizzling of extra virgin olive oil and a final seasoning of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with a few extra lime rounds.

Stay tuned for more upcoming scrumptious, citrus-accented salads!

<3, JMK

(raw vegan, gluten-free*)