Betty,


The bean dip recipe that you mentioned in an earlier post, where you add an additional 4 cloves of garlic, sounds heavenly. Is there any way I could get you to share it with us? My hubby (75% SAD) loves bean dip, and I'd feel blessed to be able to offer him a healthy alternative.

Thank you,
-smile

Funny, I happen to be making this right now. Seeds are soaking as I write.

1 1/2 c sunflower seeds, soaked for 2 hours or more
1 c sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for 1 hour or more
1 T miso
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ancho chili powder (I just use regular)
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 T olive oil
1 tsp. agave nectar
1 tsp. sea salt
6 T filtered water
1/2 to 1 jalapeno, cored but with seeds, chopped (I'm leaving this out because it was too hot last time.)
3 green onions, chopped
1 small handful fresh cilantro
4 cloves of garlic w/hearts cut out (that's my addition)

Grind everything up until the water in a food processor until thoroughly combined. Add the water a few tablespoons at a time and process further for a wet dough-like consistency. Taste for seasoning, then add the rest of the ingredients. Leave some cilantro whole. Put it into a bowl and break up any larger ices before adding the tomato sauce below.

Tomato sauce that gets mixed in:

2 c sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for at least 1 hour
1 small tomato, chopped
1/4 medium onion, chopped
2 T lemon juice
1 tsp. sea salt
pinch of hot pepper flakes (again, I'm leaving this out)

Grind it all in a food processor to a thick sauce consistency. Combine it into the bean dip well. It should be thick and somewhat spreadable.

You don't HAVE to add the tomato sauce, but it tastes and looks better when you do.

I don't know, Smile, I think he'd really like the tortillas with this. Here they are:

3 cups fresh corn kernels, cut from about 3 ears of corn, or thawed frozen corn
1 1/2 c chopped yellow, orange or red bell pepper
3/4 c golden flaxseed, finely ground
1 T lime juice
1 T ground chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. ground cumin

Grind the corn and bell pepper, then add the remaining ingredients, process until almost smooth.

Divide onto two Teflex sheets and spread to the edges. Dehydrate for 3 to 4 hours. Flip the sheets onto a mesh tray and carefully peel away the teflex. Place back into the dehydrator for about 2 hours.

When the tortilla is completely dry but still pliable, remove it from the dehydrator and either use a round cutter or small plate about 4" in diameter and trace around it with a knife to cut round tortillas. I use scissors. It'll make 9 tortillas per 14-inch tray, and the scraps make a good snack.


From Raw Food Real World by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis

Betty

"Don't believe everything you think."

--Bumper Sticker

Betty,

Thank you, thank you for taking the time, energy, and effort to type out the refried bean and tortilla shell recipe. I went out to my garden, plucked some tomatoes, and am dehydrating them right now for the sun-dried tomato portion of the recipe.

I have known of the raw and living foods lifestyle for four years now, and have been researching and talking about it for that long. We had a family camping expedition in July, and my youngest sister (26) and I talked a lot about it during that time. Last Saturday I got an e-mail from her that said, "I've been raw for 9 hours!" What an encouragement that was to me, and I hopped on the wagon. At 10:45 this morning I will be 100% raw and living for 5 days! My sis and I heard Tonya Zavasta speak Monday evening, which was deeply informative and fanned our flames for this lifestyle.

All this to say that I was never able to go a day or two raw because it was difficult for me without a support system, and now God has blessed me with a comrade. We're celebrating my sister's birthday this Saturday, and we've been collaberating on what to bring so that there'll be foods we can both eat. I'm excited to prepare your refried bean recipe to celebrate the occasion.

I have one question for you regarding the tortilla shells. When I think of corn chips or tortillas, I think of a mildly earthy, salty flavor. I once made a corn chip recipe with corn on the cob. My recipe turned out so sweet that it actually turned my stomach, and I ended up getting rid of the chips. Do these tortillas taste sweet?

thank you,
-smile

Hi Smile,

Do they taste sweet? Maybe a little. But the whole thing together doesn't taste sweet. The tacos can be put together right before serving, and they hold their shape beautifully. The beans go on the tortillas, then top the beans with guacamole and fold them into the taco shape. I served them for a dinner party last night with all cooked people, and everyone loved them. I also served "cheesecake", and everyone agreed (except my son, of course) that it was better than the real thing, because real cheesecake is so heavy and rich. Do you have a good cake for the birthday? This cheesecake is easy because it doesn't use any coconut meat. Let me know if you want the recipe.

Betty

"Don't believe everything you think."

--Bumper Sticker

there are several kinds of corn and the corn used for standard tortillas and chips and such is not a sweet corn .

get some cattle corn from a farmer .. thats what ive used for homemade cornmeal and its the same taste as the chips

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Thanks for that tip Jodi.My first and only attempt at corn chips was way too sweet. My husband liked them, but I couldn't stomach them!

Betty -

I would love your cheesecake recipe. I don't understand the high failure rate, but it seems like out of all the raw recipes I try, only 1 in 10 is a winner. This is why I greatly appreciate the recipes that you're willing to share. It's frustrating to buy expensive ingredients and invest a lot of time in a recipe and then have it turn out poorly.

-Smile

I agree Smile...that too has been my biggest frustration. I end up throwing a lot of stuff out.

Yeah, and sometimes I like the recipes, but they'll be too rich for me to eat more than a couple of bites. I ate enough of that cheesecake now that I'm counting on the rest of the household to finish it off so I don't have to chuck it. It's really good, don't get me wrong, but I have this compulsive eating pattern where I feel the need to eat a particularly delicious item nonstop until it doesn't taste good anymore. On the one hand, it makes me feel gross for about an hour. On the other, I no longer have to suffer from cravings for it. I'll not feel the need to eat this cheesecake for a good long time. Had I not OD'd, I'd still be dreaming about it now.

Yesterday I was walking with my neighbor who's a psychologist that works with overeaters, and I asked her what she does with them. A lot of the things she said made good sense, like teaching them that there are other options, helping them to feel they're in control, etc. But the one thing I related to the least was her trying to teach people moderation. I could probably teach myself moderation; now that I've been raw for awhile, it feels like a real possibility. But for now it seems easier just to overdo feeding myself the cheesecake, then have the freedom of not thinking about how it's just sitting there in my fridge, waiting for me to eat it. Anyway, it's a good thing I'm raw, because at least now I don't have to think about how it's affective my thighs.

I shall get that recipe to you very soon. I lent it to that psychologist neighbor last night after the meal, because she wants to make the cheesecake, too. I'll borrow the book back from her tomorrow.

Betty

"Don't believe everything you think."

--Bumper Sticker

I was just thinking I'd love to make a cheese cake so I'm eageraly awaiting the recipe....

Hi Islandgirl and Smilebig,

Here we go. Ani Phyo calls it "The Real Cheezecake".


CRUST

1 1/2 c madacamia nuts
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 c pitted dates
1/4 c shredded coconut

FILLING

3 c cashews
3/4 c lemon juice, from about 6 lemons
3/4 c agave syrup
3/4 c coconut oil
1 vanilla bean (I used 4 tsp. vanilla extract)
1/2 c water, as needed

BERRY SAUCE

1 pt. raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or strawberries
agave to taste
enough water to blend


For the crust, process madacamias into small pieces with salt in the food processor. Slowly add dates and mix well.

"Flour" the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with the shredded coconut. Pess crust evenly onto the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

To make filling, blend cashews, lemon juice, agave, coconut oil, and vinlla in your blender. Add just enough water to blend into a smooth kream. Pour into sprngform pan, and place in the freezer until firm.

Before serving, take cake out of the freezer and remove from the pan while frozen. Place cake on a plate and deforst in the refregerator for an hour before serving. Spoon berry sauce onto individual slices.

Will keep in fridge for five days, and in freezer for more than a week.


Remember how I was talking about overeating? Today I listened to Dorit on Raw Summit. I rather think she showed me the light. The podcast will be there until this evening if you're interested.

Betty

"Don't believe everything you think."

--Bumper Sticker

PS Do you two want the sushi recipe in Raw Food Real World? Of the 4 different recipes I've seen, this looks and tastes the most like the real thing.

Betty

"Don't believe everything you think."

--Bumper Sticker

I would absolutely love the sushi recipe when you have a chance! Thanks!

Yum. You gals are going to love this. I wish you could see the picture in the book.

Math and Sarma's Shiitake, Avocado, and Pickled Ginger Sushi Rolls
--Raw Food Real World


1 c thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (I used dried and soaked them, but they don't make me feel wonderful after eating a bunch.)
1/4 c nama shoyu plus 1/2 c for dipping
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 large young gingerroots, peeled and sliced very thin on a mandoline (I used picked ginger from Whole Foods because it has no preservatives. If you use that, you don't need the 3 ingredients below.)
2 T sea salt
1 1/2 c agave nectar
1/2 c beet juice* (optional)

In a small bowl, toss the shiitakes with 1/4 c of the nama shoyu and olive oil. Allow to marinate for about 1 hour. Drain well and set aside.

If you don't get the pickled ginger in the jar, here's how to make it:
Place the sliced ginger in a bowl and sprinkle generousy with the salt. Let stand for about 5 minutes. Rinse well, drain aand squeeze out the water. Place about 2/3 of the ginger in one bowl with 1 c uof the vinegar and 1/2 c of the agave nectar. Add the beet juice (if using) to the bowl with the julienned ginger. Be sure the ginger is fully immersed in liquid--if not, simply add more vinegar and agave accordingly. Cover both bowls and refrigerate for at least 1 day and up to 3 days. Drain well before using.

*If you don't want to get your juicer dirty for only one beet, grating it will work fine instead. Just add the grated beet to the vinegar, agave and ginger. The color from the grated beet will seep out into the liquid and color the ginger almost as well as the juice.

For the rice--this is the coolest part:
6 c chopped jicama (roughly 1-inch cubes)
1/2 c pine nuts
1 T plus 2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 c brown rice wine vinegar (I also found this at Whole Foods. If you get the seasoned one, you don't really need the salt and agave.)
3 T agave nectar

Place the jicama and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until chopped to the approximate size of rice grains. Press the jicama between clean kitchen towels or paper towels to remove all of the excess moisture.

In a large bowl, combine the rice with the salt, rice vinegar and agave nectar and mix well. Gently spread the mixture onto dehydrator screens and dehydrate for about 2 hours to remove additional moisture. It's a good idea to check the rice occasionally to make sure it is not getting too dry, and to toss it around a bit on the tray as the edges dry faster. If left too long in the dehyrator, it will start to turn pale brown, which is not really so bad, it just doesn't look as nice. If this happens, just add a bit more seasoning liquid, and keep in mind that the yield will be a bit less, and the texture not as soft. The rice will keep for up to 2 to 3 days in a covered container in the refrigerator. You should have about 4 1/2 cups.

For the assembly:

6 to 8 sheets untoasted nori
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and thinly julienned
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 small bunch sunflower sprouts or other long-stemmed sprouts
2 green onions, white and 1 inch of green, thinly sliced (I didn't use this.)
1/2 c wasabi (I got this from Whole Foods, too)
2 T black sesame seeds for garnish

Place a sheet of nori on a bamboo mat with the rougher side facing up; if you look closely, one sied is usually smoother. Make sure the shorter side is closest to you (portrait, not landscape--or in teacher terms, hot dog, not hamburger). Place about 1/2 c of rice on the nori and spread out evenly across the bottom third of the sheet, leaving 1 inch of space clear on the bottom. Lay some of the cucumber, avocados, shiitake filling, sprouts, and the pink julienned ginger across the rice. It's nice for presentation to let the leafy ends of the sprouts extend beyond the edges of the nori. Sprinkle with some of the green onion. If you like wasabi in your rolls, spread a small amount anywhere across the exposed nori before rolling.

Fold the bottom of the bamboo mat up and over the filling and roll the nori tightly. Wet the top edge of the nori with a little water to help seal it shut. Hold the roll in the mat for a few seconds to let it seal. Gently unwrap the mat, and using a very shart knife, cut the roll into 6 pieces, wiping the knife clean with a wet towel between cuts. It helps to cut it in half first, and then cut each half into 3 evenly sized piees.

Arrange the sushi on a plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Garnish with a small pile of the pickled ginger slices and a bit of wasabi.


I'm having a dinner this afternoon with their lasagna. I'll let you know how it is.

Betty

Thanks Betty for the sushi recipe. I made the cheesecake today. Oh my goodness...it was divine! Een my non-raw family LOVED it. Thanks again.

Yay! I am thrilled that it worked out. I tried the lasagna today. It was really good, but the pine nut ricotta was a bit rich, so I got a bit tired of it before I was finished. The pesto is out of this world, though. I took a picture of it.



Unlike the sushi, eating this doesn't feel just like eating lasagna, I think because it's not warm. It's very similar, though. The zucchini does feel like lasagna noodles, the ricotta really feels like I'm eating ricotta, and the leftovers taste better than eating it at dinner. Let me know if you want it, and I'll be happy to send it to you.

Here's a picture of the sushi.



Betty

"Don't believe everything you think."

--Bumper Sticker

Betty -

I made the refried beans for my sister's birthday, and she loved them!! This recipe is a keeper.

I had a big black platter, where I first laid the bean part. I then smeared the tomato mixture on top of the beans, leaving a one inch outside ring between the layers so that people could see the beans and tomatoes contrasting one another. I used sweet potatoes slices as the chips.

Thank you again for taking the time to write out this recipe for me.

Smile

Wow, Smile, that's awesome!

Betty

"Don't believe everything you think."

--Bumper Sticker