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.
Joy wrote on March 10, 2014
Susan,
What size pie plate for the quiche? Thanks!
Susan wrote on March 10, 2014
I made this a long time ago. I think it was an 8 or 9″ Cheers!
loquia wrote on November 28, 2013
i cant wait to try this!
Anna wrote on February 20, 2013
I am eating this delicious dip on some some freshly baked naan and a side of sliced bell pepper. It is really great! Honestly though, it is a little too tart and I think I would have liked it more with juice from only one lemon.
Billie Silver wrote on September 3, 2012
Am I missing something? In the recipe for the spinach cashew cheese spread, the sundried tomatoes are listed as part of the recipe but you don’t mention when to add them!
Susan wrote on September 3, 2012
You stir them in with the remaining spinach, at the end, as stated above. Cheers!
Jessica wrote on July 9, 2012
Thank you so much Susan! I just made the pasta one for my boyfriend and his co-worker and they loved it! It was such an interesting combination of flavors and they all complemented each other so magnificently! I’m new to raw and I’m excited to try your other recipes :).
Patti J wrote on November 12, 2011
I made this for Potluck dinner at our church today. And let me tell you it was amazing, I could hear people saying who made this-” I DID, yep it was me :)” – we need the recipe – was so glad it was a big hit – will definately make it again. Yummmmm 🙂 !!! I just made a few minor adjustments in the ingredients – instead of peapods i sliced asparagus diagonally, and dehydrated my own cherry tomatoes instead of sundried ones because my store doesn’t carry them. and did not marinate the mushrooms just slices them super thins and the juices from the “cheese sauce” were absorbed by them – oh so yummy! Thanks again.
Jennifer wrote on October 29, 2011
Hello, I noticed that you sometimes dehydrate food at 145. is this the temperature farenheit? I always went by the 105 still alive rule, and I also heard 112 degrees. can you clarify that for me?
Susan wrote on October 30, 2011
The food temperature never gets above 115 during the beginning of dehydration. Starting higher reduces the time and helps prevent fermentation and possible bacteria growth that can happen at the low temps. As long as you keep the temp under 118 you should be fine. You can read more here: https://www.rawmazing.com/raw-food-dehydration-basics/