Festive Loaf

This is a rich and hearty loaf, lightened with chopped fresh vegetables and savory herbs. Make it one day before your event to allow the flavors to develop. This loaf is the middle one in this picture. I made it for Thanksgiving, 2010 and served it on a bed of Swiss Chard Chiffonade greens and along with marinated portobello mushrooms (on left) and Macadamia Nut Stuffing
(on right)

LOAF
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup raw pecans
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons cranberry sauce (optional: see recipe in blog)

BREADING
3 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
2 tablespoons dulse powder
pinch of cayenne
1/4 cup raw pecans
parsley springs

For the loaf, combine the cashews, pecans, red bell pepper, two-thirds of the celery, and all the shallots and rosemary in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until smooth. Stir in the onion, the remaining celery, and the parsley. For a marbled effect, lightly swirl in the optional cranberry sauce. Place on a serving platter and form into a loaf.

For the breading, combine the flaxseeds, dulse, and cayenne in a bowl and sprinkle over the top and sides of the loaf, pressing it on gently. Decorate the top of the loaf with the whole pecans and a few parsley sprigs. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. This will allow the flavors to blend and the loaf to firm up.

Raw Food Celebrations, by Nomi Shannon & Sheryl Duruz

Sweet Potato Souffle

This is a very sweet side dish that contrasts well with all the savory tastes of a holiday meal. Look for yams (I used yams) or sweet potatoes with very deep orange flesh. Garnet and Jewel Yams are highly recommended. This recipe was adapted from the Raw Soul Food recipe collection of Lynda Carter at aliveandraw.com

4 large yams or sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or 1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 cup water, more or less as needed
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw pine nuts or macadamia nuts
2 vanilla beans, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6-8 pitted dates
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Peel the yams and cut them into small cubes. Transfer to a blender along with the lemon juice and enough water to allow the blender to work properly. Process until thick and chunky. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth and creamy. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, only if necessary to facilitate processing. Place into a casserole dish of your choice and garnish with carmelized pecans. (I soaked some pecans, then added some raw sugar and mixed well. Then placed them in the dehydrator at 110 degrees for 6-8 hours. They are really crunchy and sweet and wonderful that way!)

Wilted Greens

I used my last harvest of swiss chard from our garden to make this recipe for Thanksgiving. It made a great bed of greens to serve the other things with. You can use any type of green that is typically cooked such as collard, beet, dandelion (quite bitter), kale, mustard, turnip. The greens should be more robust than delicate greens such as lettuce or spinach. For greens that are pungent, like mustard and dandelion, a little sweetener in the dressing helps soften their strong taste. For greens that are hardy but not pungent, a salty and savory flavoring works well.

25-30 large, hardy, dark green vegetable leaves
1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt
1 to 2 teaspoons raw agave syrup, date sugar, or maple sugar (not raw)--use the sweetening only for pungent greens only
1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (use for less pungent greens only)
2 tablespoons raw walnut oil or extra-virgin cold-pressed olive oil

Wash and dry the greens and cut out any hard stems. Arrange the leaves in stacks, using 4-5 leaves per stack. Roll up each stack tightly like a cigar, then thinly slice the rolls crosswise into strips (this is known as chiiffonade). Place the strips in a bowl and sprinkle them with the sea salt. Toss the greens and massage and squeeze them with your hands for several minutes until they soften and begin to get juicy.

Add either agave syrup or lemon juice, depending on how pungent or mild the greens are, and toss thoroughly. Let rest at room temperature for 1 to 3 hours to soften and develop some liquid. If time is limited, toss and massage the greens gently with a wooden spoon every few minutes; they will be ready in 10 15 minutes. Just before serving, add the oil and toss. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary.

Raw Food Celebrations by Nomi Shannon & Sheryl Duruz

Marinated Mushrooms

Prepare this dish one to four days in advance. Keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator and toss the ingredients once a day. If you make it the same day it will be served, allow at least two hours for it to marinate at room temperature and toss the ingredients often.

8 portobello mushrooms
1/2 cup extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons finely minced onion
2 Tablespoons Nama Shoyu
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed
1 teaspoon sea salt

Remove stems and gills from the mushrooms with the tip of a teaspoon. Then wipe the caps clean with a damp cloth or paper towel. Cut each mushroom cap in half, then thinly slice it. Place all of the remaining ingredients in a shallow bowl, add the mushroom slices, and gently toss until they are evenly coated. Let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate, tossing occasionally. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Macadamia Walnut Stuffing

Zucchini absorbs the flavors of the herbs and seasonings and makes for a lighter stuffing. This recipe tastes best when it is made several hours before it is served so the flavors can mingle. If you don't have fresh herbs on hand, add poultry seasoning to taste, as it contains herbs and seasonings that are similar to those used in this recipe.

1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup raw macadamia nuts
1 cup peeled and coarsely chopped zucchini
1 small white onion, coarsely chopped
3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons fresh sage
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt


Place all of the ingredients in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until coarsely chopped and well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 24 hours. If desired, dehydrate at 105-115 degrees F for 1 to 2 hours before serving to warm and soften the mixture, taking care that it doesn't dry out.

Raw Food Celebrations, by Nomi Shannon & Sheryl Duruz

Raw Sour Cream

1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked for at least 2 hours)
2 young coconuts (flesh from--about 1-1/2 cups)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt or vegesal

Combine all ingredients in blender until smooth. Can add water to thin out if needed.

www.rawmazing.com

Chunky Guacamole

2-3 avocadoes, cubed
2 tomatoes, cubed
1/2 onion, chopped
1 lime, juice from
Celtic sea salt or vegesal to taste

Toss everything together in a bowl, stir to mix and serve!