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.
Stefani Brown wrote on October 6, 2011
OMG! I just made the spinach cashew cheese spread and it is DIVINE! Thank you!! 🙂
Angela wrote on September 28, 2011
Hey, I’m new to raw as well.. The quiche will be my 2nd attempt! I’m excited. : ) I have a question though.. Will it always be stated when nuts need to be soaked before hand? My partner said I should just soak them for the crust, but now I’m second guessing our decision. We’ll see how it turns out. Thanks for being!
Susan wrote on September 28, 2011
If a recipe calls for soaked nuts to be used, you need to soak the nuts. The nuts need to be soft (for texture) and also have the extra water that they hold when soaked. We soak for two reasons. First, to release the enzyme inhibitors. Second, it is very important for the texture of the recipe. If it says to soak, you need to soak.
Gigi Garcia wrote on September 15, 2011
This spinach cashew cheese spread is amazing. You are “rawmazing” for sure!!! Can’t wait to serve this to my guests and family!!!.
Paty Barr wrote on September 6, 2011
I see you use a lot of cashews if I don’t want to use cashews, what nut would you subsitute?
Susan wrote on September 6, 2011
There isn’t an easy answer for that. It would depend on the recipe.
Sarah S. wrote on August 27, 2011
YUM! I just made this as a stand-alone dip. I substituted chopped roasted red peppers (I know, not raw but barely cooked) that I did on the grill yesterday. It came out really great. I am keeping this one!
Annette L. wrote on May 10, 2011
I made this recipe as the spread with the onion flax crackers and can I say is that it is fabulous. I doubt the spread will make it past the snacking stage (snack.. Ha.. it was my dinner last night).
I can’t wait to try more of your recipes (and your e-books are on deck for my b-day present this summer!)