One Raw Recipe Three Ways!
“Oh my gosh, I would never have the time or patience to prepare food for a raw food diet.” I hear this all the time. Important Fact: with just a little forethought, preparing raw food can be easier than traditional cooking! So, now I am on a mission. Bringing you ways to simplify your life with raw!!!
Spinach Cashew “Cheese” Spread Pictured with Onion Flax Crackers
I have been working on a couple of raw food recipes that can be used to make three different meals. The first recipe in this series is Spinach Cashew “Cheese” Spread. It is great by itself, as a spread on crackers or to add to sandwich flat breads. With just a few additions we will turn it into a quiche, and a great zucchini pasta sauce.
Now that spring is here, and warmer weather if finally arriving, I am feeling the desire to lighten things up. Cashew “cheeses” can be heavy but with the addition of lemon and spinach, this spread has a lighter texture while still being full of flavor.
Spinach Veggie Quiche
Pumpkin Seed Crust
Spinach Cashew Zucchini Pasta
Spinach Cashew Spread Three Ways
Base: Spinach Cashew “Cheese” Spread
- 1 cup cashews, soaked at least 6 hours
- Juice from 1 1/2 Lemons
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 2 handfuls of spinach, separated (aprox 2 cups firmly packed)
Drain cashews and place in food processor. Add lemon juice and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add shallot, and garlic. Process until well blended. Add one handful of the spinach. Continue to process until spinach is well incorporated. Remove the mixture from the food processor. Hand chop the remaining handful of spinach and stir in along with the sun dried tomatoes. This is the base spread.
Option 2: Spinach Veggie Quiche
Pumpkin Seed Pine Nut Crust
- 1 Carrot, finely chopped
- 1/2 Shallot
- 1 cup Pine Nuts
- 1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds
Chop carrot into 1″ pieces and place in food processor. Process until very fine. Add 1/2 shallot, 1 cup Pine Nuts. Pulse a few times to start to blend. Add 1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds. Process until you have a formable mass but not so much that you lose the integrity of all the seeds. I like to see chunks of them. It also makes for a better texture! Press into small pie plate. Dehydrate @ 145 for 1/2 hour.* Reduce heat and dehydrate 6 hours @ 114.
*The higher temp will not compromise your food. The actual food temp never gets that high. This is a great technique I read about from Cafe Gratitude. It helps sweat the food, removes moisture and also decreases the dehydration time.
Spinach Veggie Quiche Filling
- 3/4 cup Spinach Cashew “Cheese” Spread
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup Pea Pods, Chopped into 1/2 ” pieces
- 1/2 cup Sundried Tomatoes (softened and chopped)
Mix together all ingredients and place in prepared quiche crust. Refrigerate at least a couple of hours to set up.
Spinach Cashew Zucchini Pasta
- zucchini pasta (made from zucchini with spiral cutting blade)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup pea pods, chopped
- 3/4 cup marinated, mushrooms
- 5 scallions, sliced
- 1/2 cup dried sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup spinach cheese spread
- 1/4 cup water
- sea salt and pepper to taste
To marinate mushrooms: cut the mushroom into slices about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Toss with 2 tablespoon of Nama Shoyu and 2 tablespoon oil and let sit for at least 1/2 hour. Mix 1/2 cup Spinach Cheese Spread with 1/4 cup water to create sauce. Add all other ingredients and toss.
Christine wrote on October 14, 2010
LOVE your recipes… they are inspired, delicious and beautiful… Bright Thanks! 🙂
Stephanie wrote on August 1, 2010
Susan, how long does the spread stay good in the fridge? How long would you recommend that we can keep it, when should we throw it out?
I only cook for myself and I am still learning…I have no clue the refrigerator life on things like this.
Nadine wrote on July 20, 2010
I made this dish 2 days ago and it is terrific! It’s the perfect dish for a raw food potluck.
I make a slight change and added 1 tsp of nutritional yeast for a more “cheesy” flavor. Tomorrow I plan to make zucchini pasta with the sauce.
I can’t believe how easy your recipes are to make. Every recipe I’ve followed to the letter and the food has been amazing.
Can’t thank you enough, Susan!
Linda wrote on June 26, 2010
Susan,
Your recipes and presentation are so appealing! My dear friend, Michele, just shared your site with me tonight and I LOVE IT! She has been such an inspiration to me regarding the raw foods and now I am even more motivated. My desire has been to learn to prepare raw that will get my families attention…your site will help me do that. Maybe I won’t have to hear, “Grandma, what’s really in this” or “We just want regular food”. Thanks again.
Bonnie Nugent wrote on June 17, 2010
Just made the cashew dip with “almonds” and used romaine and mixed baby greens instead of spinach. I just couldn’t wait for the ingredients called for. It was fabulous! We dipped veggies into it and tomorrow I plan to make the Spinach Veggie Quiche. I love your site and recipes. Thanks so much and keep doing what you are doing.
Ricki wrote on May 30, 2010
Just found your blog via Delectably Free, and I am suitably Rawmazed! Fabulous. I think I could eat all three of these–at the same meal! 😉 Off to check your previous recipes and get ready for some heavy-duty drooling.
Vegan wrote on April 30, 2010
Hey your recipes look great! I definately will try them myself. Great job!
Elizabeth wrote on April 24, 2010
I made the quiche yesterday with some slight modifications including dehydrating after filling the partially dry crust. It was EXTRAORDINARY!! I have been making raw food for 10 years and have an obsessive collection of recipes, but this is certainly one of the most outstanding recipes I have ever made. This would be a great recipe for a dinner party with non raw eaters. Thank you! This is the first recipe I have tried from your site and I look forward to more.