Let's get Cheesy!

Apparently I have failed to post some of my most delish (and basic) recipes on this handy blog. When I taught my friends how I make raw work for me, I started them off with cheese. It's so basic, so easy and everyone (raw and SAD eaters alike) love it. Plus it's great for those with dairy/lacto concerns.

The only potentially dangerous aspect is a nut allergy. Nuts are hugely important to raw fooders and vegans alike, but if you or someone you know has an allergy please be careful. Thankfully peanuts are usually scarce (raw peanuts can carry dangerous toxins) and as with almost all raw recipes, the ingredients can always be altered to accommodate your need. I rely on google a lot for help with alternatives. Google key words/phrases and ask the Lord to guide you!

I will forewarn you, though, with my recipes. I rarely make the same dish the same way twice. Either I am missing an ingredient or need to use up something before it spoils or just feel creative. And, sadly but true, I often forget to write down the alternatives to some of my best creations. But hopefully it will inspire and empower you to go forth knowing that the result just may be better than you first intended. The most important thing is to know that YOU can do it and you will probably do it better than you thought.

With that said, here's my favorite recipe for raw vegan cheese (I can't recall where I first found it but it's been a mainstay from the beginning):

Raw Vegan Cheese

• 1 1/2 cup soaked, sprouted 2-4 hours sunflower seeds (I don't always wait for it to sprout--it's only for added nutrition but not necessary for the integrity of the recipe)
• 1 cup soaked almonds (you can use any other kind of nut: Brazil, cashew, macadamia)
• 4 tbs parsley
• 2-4 tbs raw tahini
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• Squeeze of Bragg's Liquid Aminos or Nama Shoyu or dulse (or even just salt!)

It's going to seem too easy, but just throw all the ingredients in your food processor, blend and taste. Depending on the strength of the ingredients you may need/want to alter the ingredients to meet your preference. If it doesn't blend well at first, add more lemon or Bragg's or water. The more you blend, the smoother it will become. I usually leave it so that the texture slightly resembles feta: creamy but has some firm consistency. It's neither liquidy nor solid enough to make a block out of by any means. There are recipes out there for "real" raw cheese that firms. Again, google it!

Raw Cheese Variations

I have not played enough with this to make it an exact science, but because of the somewhat bland taste of the nuts the cheese can be spiced to almost any specification.

For Mexican flavored cheese, use cilantro instead of the parsley. Add cumin, tomato, red onion and maybe a dash of tumeric. Taste as you go and have fun.

For an Asian flair, try peanut (or sesame) oil, Chinese 5 spice, fresh ginger and then either (or both!) spicy mustard or agave to sweeten. Again, it's not an exact science but hopefully after your first batch of cheese you will see how easy it is to flavor and enhance.

Raw cheese is one of the most important dishes we use as raw foodists. It is extremely high in protein and is versatile enough to add to anything. Use it as a dip for veggies or flax chips, layer it in a nori roll for a wrap and add veggies and sprouts for an awesome roll or burrito, spread it on sandwiches or add it to salads.

The consistency and versatility of nuts are important to remember because it's also what makes the best cheesecakes! I recently created my best cheesecake ever but cannot find the recipe. I know, I know. But I can provide the link to the first raw cheesecake I ever tasted. Kristen's Raw teaches classes in Scottsdale on raw food prep and has several recipe books out. Her cheesecake is addictive! It will not disappoint! Check it out here:

http://kristensraw.blogspot.com/2007/12/organic-double-chocolate-cherry.html

She suggests cherry extract but feel free to use vanilla or any other fruit extract to satisfy your craving.

Enjoy and voila!

2 hours = Endless Goodies!

As any good raw-er will confess, it's the preparation that can stink out any motivation. I love raw food as is: in it's raw natural state. I could probably eat raw kale, lettuces and veggies with tahini or almond butter all day. Well and toss in a few smoothies/juices. But have you tried raw cheesecake?!

I never cooked growing up or even after I grew up so I don't have much reference on traditional recipes, but I did somehow always manage to know that making homemade cheesecake was a chore if not entirely impossible. I knew something about all the different pans and forms needed to do it and I lost all interest.

Boy was I upset when I found raw cheesecake. Turns out, raw cheesecake is one of the EASIEST things to make and requires no

• dairy products
• sugar
• heating/cooking/special supplies
• lengthy amount of time

I can't tell you how duped I often feel by the mainstream society that raised me to believe sugar and dairy products are the supremacy of life. Phooey!

So last week when I got home from the grocery store I had some unshakable urge to stay in the kitchen. My husband finished up some belated Christmas gifts (we handed out home-made, organic sugar scrubs) and I just kept on making goodies. It took time, but it was so worth it.

In about two and a half hours I made

1. chocolate cheesecake (the recipe should be somewhere here on this blog...I should check, though to be sure)
   
2. almond halvah (a new recipe from Matt Amsden)
3. granola (note the pic welcoming you to today's post)
   
4. oatmeal raisin cookies
5. tabouli
   

And today we are still enjoying the fruits of my labor. I even had something to bring to a last minute dinner party on New Years Eve. And this is especially helpful for my formerly sugar-addicted husband--having treats around makes him feel spoiled and well-fed. And while that's not my goal, it's nice when raw food is this decadent.

Unfortunately, I cannot share all my recipes. My granola is one of my top secret recipes and if I ever open a restaurant, it's going to be on the menu. So please enjoy the pic. If you are in town, you're welcome to stop by for some. What I can say is be creative. Grab a bag of organic raw oats (oat groats) and add your favorite yummies. Mix and dehydrate.

What I will be sharing is my recipe for raw tabouli (I kind of created it from a variety of different recipes--I couldn't find a directly raw tabouli recipe online or in any of my thousands of books).

Raw Tabouli (using the Mother of all Grains: Quinoa)

• 1 cup organic raw quinoa, soaked 8-12 hours (taste it as you go, til it's as soft as you prefer--you can also sprout quinoa but it's not necessary for this recipe)
• 1 1/2 cups raw organic red onion (or scallions if you prefer a milder taste), diced
• 3 medium size tomatoes (raw and organic...obviously!), diced
• 3 cups raw organic parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (I just squeezed every last drop of liquid from a half a lemon)
• Olive oil to drizzle
• Salt to taste

Rinse the quinoa after soaking and add to large mixing bowl. Add onion, tomatoes, parsley and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil (taste as you go is my method of choice) and flavor with salt (You all do know about the importance of salt quality, right? Himalayan Pink is the best money can buy us here in AZ). Stir and serve room temperature or chilled. We ate this up like it was bailout money for the banks so I don't know how well it saves with the dressing on it. I do know that the ingredients will not last for more than a day or two in the fridge. YUM-MEEE! Just as tasty as traditional tabouli if not more so and completely raw. Voila!