Raw Italian Lasagna

The Noodles

2-3 zucchini, sliced into 1/6 inch thick rounds

Place the zucchini rounds on a mesh dehydrator and dehydrate at 105 degrees for 45 minutes.

The Marinara

7-8 tomatoes, quartered (may seed if you like but I don't)
3/4 cup sun-dried tomato powder OR 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup yellow or red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
5 raw kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon tamari, wheat free
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano,, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried (optional)

Place the tomatoes in a food processor, fitted with the "S" blade, and briefly pulse (keep it chunky). Add the sun-dried tomato powder, onion, garlic, Italian Seasoning, olives, apple cider vinegar, and tamari and pulse briefly to incorporate. Add the basil and oregano and pulse again to mix briefly. Place the marinara in a fine mesh strainer, over a bowl, to drain off any excess water while you prepare the remaining components to the lasagna. You don't want marinara that's too "wet" or it will have trouble holding together in the lasagna.

The Mushrooms

20 mushrooms, sliced
1-1/2 teaspoons raw hemp or olive oil (should say cold pressed on the bottle to be raw)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
pinch of black pepper

Toss the mushrooms in the tamari, oil, lemon juice, and pepper. Set aside for at least 10 minutes to marinate. Drain well and gently squeeze to remove excess liquid.

The Ricotta Cheeze

2 cups Brazil nuts
1 clove garlic, more if you like
2-1/2 teaspoons tamari, wheat free
dash nutmeg
pinch black pepper

Using a food processor, fitted with the "S" blade, process all of the ingredients until it's a thick puree (you may add a little water, if needed). Voila! You're done with the cheeze!

The Spinach

1 bunch spinach
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

Briefly chop the spinach and dried basil in a food processor, fitted with the "S" blade, and set aside.

The Assembly

Spread a thin, sparse layer of the marinara on the bottom of a 7x7 glass-baking dish or spring form pan. Place a layer of zucchini on top of the sparse layer of marinara (don't overlap the zucchini). Spread another layer of the marinara over the zucchini, making it a little thicker this time. Then spread a layer of mushroom mixture and press gently. Place a layer of the cheeze on top of that, followed by a layer of the spinach mixture and continue layering: zucchini, marinara, mushrooms, cheeze, and spinach. Press gently, but firmly, between each layer. Keep layering until you get to the top of your pan or until you run out of lasagna components. It's easiest to do this process using a small offset spatula. Serve immediately at room temperature or warmed slightly in the dehydrator at 110 degrees for 1-2 hours. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Corn Symphony Soup

2 packages frozen organic corn (or 6 ears of fresh corn cut from the cob)
2 cups raw almond milk (see recipe below)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 jalapeno chile
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Place corn in a strainer and run hot tap water over it until thawed if you're using frozen corn. Drain and transfer to a blender. Add the remaining ingredients to the blender, and process until smooth. (I like this soup with fresh cilantro and chopped red pepper on top--my variation)

Note: You can adjust the heat by adding more or less jalapeno chile. If you are sensitive to spicy food, omit the jalapeno chile.

From "Alive in 5" by Angela Elliott

Broccoli in Cheese Sauce

1 bunch broccoli (I use the organic broccoli flowerettes from Trader Joes)
6 Tbs raw tahini
1 Tbs nutritional yeast powder
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt (I use Vegesal)
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice (my variation)

Clean the broccoli, trim the stems, and slice it into bite-size pieces. Combine the tahini, nutrional yeast powder, salt, and cayenne in a large bowl. Add the broccoli and mix well.

Happy Dressing

2/3 c filtered water
4 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Tbs raw tahini
2 Tbs nutritional yeast powder
1 tsp Himalayan or sea salt
1/2 tsp raw agave nectar
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper (optional)
1/8 tsp ceyenne (optional)
1/4 tsp dill weed (my variation)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (my variation)

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir with a wire whip until well blended.

From "Alive in 5" by Angela Elliott

Ranch Dip/Salad Dressing

1 cup soaked raw cashews (soak in filtered water for 8-12 hours)
1/2 cup water
2 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp sea or celtic salt
2 Tbs minced fresh chives or green onions
1 Tbs minced fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
1 Tbs minced fresh dill or 1 tsp dried

Place the soaked cashews, water, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder and salt in a blender and process until smooth. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the blender jar with a rubber spatula. Add the chives, basil and dill and pulse just briefly to mix. Chill for at least 30 min. before serving. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, this ranch dip will keep approx. five days. ***Try young tender raw asparagus dipped in this! Delicious!

Variation: For salad dressing just add 2-4 Tbs water for a thinner texture.

From "Raw Food Made Easy" by Jennifer Cornbleet

Raw Marinara Sauce

1 ripe tomato, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil, or 1 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic (1 clove)
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons filtered water
Place all the ingredients in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until smooth. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Marinara Sauce will keep for at least three days.
From: "Raw Food Made Easy" by Jennifer Cornbleet

Not Meat Balls

1 cup soaked raw walnuts
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
1 teaspoon tamari
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Dash salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced onion

Place the walnuts, lemon juice, olive oil, tamari, garlic powder, and salt in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process into a paste. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Transfer to a small mixing bowl. Stir in the parsley and onion and mix well. Form into balls and top with a raw marinara sauce. Serve with spiralized zucchini pasta. Yummy!!!

From: "Raw Food Made Easy" by Jennifer Cornbleet