RAW JICAMA TACOS WITH SPICY CASHEW CHEESE

 

 

I think this has become one of my favorite raw meals for the moment!  My husband and I are taco fans and wow!  This dish is super refreshing and delicious.  This recipe was inspired by Gluten Free Cat. I saw this Raw Jicama Tacos with  Spicy Cashew Cheese recipe on Facebook and just fell in love with the idea.  Once I tasted it, I was sold.  It will be one of my go-to recipes, especially this summer.  Thank you Gluten Free Cat!

 

If you haven't tried jicama yet, I really encourage you to do so.  It's a refreshing and crisp and has a mild flavor that adapts to its surroundings.  It's a root vegetable native to Mexico and Central America and often is simply eaten peeled with a dash of salt, chili powder and some lime juice.  There are definitely many other ways to eat it and these raw tacos is one of them.  Check out these facts about jicama.

 

I also love this spicy cashew cheese recipe because there is no fermentation time. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 

RAW JICAMA TACOS WITH SPICY CASHEW CHEESE

 

1 jicama, cut into round slices

Spicy Cashew Cheese - recipe below

Slice tomatoes

Micro greens

Baby spinach or your favorite leafy greens sliced thin

Gucacamole

 

 

Slice the jicama in thin round slices using your mandoline.  Soak them in lemon juice, if you have time, overnight.  Or, for at least 30 minute.  This will help soften the jicama if you cannot slice it thin enough and gives it flexibility.  Prepare all your other ingredients. 

 

 

SPICY CASHEW CHEESE

1 cup cashews soaked for at least 2 hours, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

2-3 slices of jalepeno pepper

1 clove of garlic

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 cup water - use a little more if needed

 

 

For the spicy cashew cheese, blend all the ingredients together in a high speed blender scrapping down the sides making sure that its all blended well smooth or to your desired consistency.  It is now ready to serve.  Makes about 1 cup.

 

To assemble the tacos place a few jicama shells together folded and fill with your ingredients and serve with limes.  The lime juice just adds that extra kick and zest.  And there you have it.

 

Bon appetite!

 

Join the discussion!

Do you have a favorite raw taco recipe?  We'd love to hear what it is. Please share in the comments below. Links are welcome!

 

 

RAW CASHEW CHEESE

I was vegetarian for many years before I switched over to mostly raw vegan.  For years I thought I would miss cheese too much.  But, to tell you the truth, I don't.  And the fact is, there are so many great alternatives like this, eating is still very exciting.  The flavors and textures are just out of this world!  I can't forget to mention too that my body is thanking me for it. 

One of my new favorite blogs is jarOhoney. They have fabulous recipes!  This recipe is based of their Cashew Cheese recipe. This is my first attempt, and really it was so easy! 

 

I will be using this cheese to make one or two recipes in the next couple days and hope to post them next week.

RAW CASHEW CHEESE

2 cups whole raw organic cashews  - buy whole cashews to ensure the best quality of nut which equals the best quality of cheese

1/4 cup raw organic apple cider vinegar

1 small ripe organic lemon, reserve juice then save peel for another recipe

3 tablespoon of water

3 layers of cheese cloth about 8 inches long

large rubber band

twist tie

long wooden or plastic spoon

deep container to hang the cheese ball from - read further and as show in the photo above

In a large bowl, soak the cashews in clean water for 16 hours.  Drain the cashews and rinse well.  In a blender blend on high the cashews, vinegar and lemon juice.  Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, to ensure smoothness of the cheese.  Be sure to blend to a creamy paste. 

Open up and then layer your cheese cloth together on top of each other.  Spoon in the cheese into the center.  Gather the sides of your cheese cloth up to make a pouch over the cheese and twist tie the top that is gathered tightly to the cheese but do not squeeze.  Tie the cheese cloth onto the large spoon or stick and suspend it in the large bowl to allow it to drain. It needs to be at least 2 inches deeper that the cheese ball.  Hang for 24 hours, drain the container if need be.  Gently unwrap your cheese and place in a sealable container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

  

Enjoy!

Join the discussion!

Do you have a favorite raw cheese recipe? We would love to hear what it is! Share it in the comments below. Links are welcome.

SESAME KIMCHI SPREAD AND FILLING

This post is the second part to my Kimchi with Endive and Carrots recipe.  This recipe is probably one of my favorite raw recipes that I learned from my experience at the Matthew Kenney Weekend Intesive course that I took.  It's one of the best flavors in raw cooking that I have savored thus far.  I just love the taste of the kimchi mixed in with a few additional ingredients.

You have to make this when you get a chance.  So delicious!

SESAME KIMCHI SPREAD AND FILLING

1/2 cup cashwews, soaked 1-2 hours

1-1/2 teaspoon tamari

1-1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1-1/2 teaspoon raw tahini

1/2 teaspoon agave

1/2 cup kimchi, drained

Process the cashews, tamari, sesame oil, tahini, and agave in the food processor until combined and you get a chunky consistency.  Add the kimchi and pulse a couple times until mixed but don't process too much.  Voila!

You can spread or stuff this onto your favorite vegetable or include it in your favorite raw wrap.

I also made veggie chips and ate it as a dip. So divine!

Enjoy!

Join the discussion!

Do you have a favorite raw spread recipe? We would love to hear what it is! Share it in the comments below. Links are welcome.



RAW SOUR CREAM

 

 



I mean seriously.  This recipe is ridiculously simple and tastes so good.  A realy nice substitute for sour cream. This is definitely a condiment to keep in the fridge if you loved sour cream.  So, here you go!

 

RAW SOUR CREAM

 

1 cup cashews, soaked over night and rinsed

1-2 lemons, juice of

1 teaspoon lemon zest, or more

1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 cup water, approx

 

Add everything to your food process and process well. Add the water last and add in parts until you get the consistency you think you want.  Then transfer the mixture to a high speed blender and blend until light and fluffy.  Store in an airtight container and chill.

 

What a great substitute for sourcream.  Enjoy!

 

 

RAW CRANBERRY + SWEET CACAO NIB ICEBOX COOKIES



My friend Britney and I usually have this 3 o'clock snack craving everyday.  Not sure why that is but, its there. Does anyone else have that problem?  Maybe we just love food.  But because of that, we are constantly trying to find healthy snacks to keep handy for those occassions.  I LOVE this recipe.  The flavors of the sweet cacao nibs with the cranberries and nuts is just divine.  I shared these with my friend Alicia at work and she loved it!  I have a few taste testers close by and she is one of them.  Thanks Alicia for being a guinea pig for my new recipes!  (And thank you Sydney, Kelsey, Jackie and James for being my other taste testers! ~They live around the corner from me.)



We are all about ridiculously simple recipes here.  We may create a few, slightly more intese recipes, but overall we are all about simplicity and ease.  This recipe only took a few minutes, literally.  I hope you like it as much as I did.  Here it is...



RAW CRANBERRY + SWEET CACAO NIB ICE BOX COOKIES

1 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw almonds
1 cup dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean
2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave
1/4 cup sweet cacao nibs
1/4 cup dried cranberries chopped small

Process the nuts in your food processor until finely chopped.  Add in the dates and process until the ingredients are mixed well and it starts to get moist from the dates.  Add in the vanilla and maple syrup or agave and process to combine.  Pour all the ingredients into a bowl and fold in the nibs and cranberries.  Mix with your hands until combined.  Shape the dough into 1-1/2" diameter cookie dough logs and wrap with parchment and saran wrap, then put it in the freezer for 1 hour.   Finally, remove the saran wrap and cut the logs into half inch cookie dough rounds. 

Makes about 2 dozen.

Enjoy!!



Join the discussion!

Do you have a favorite raw chocolate spread recipe? We would love to hear what it is! Share it in the comments below. Links are welcome.

RAW ENERGY BAR WITH DATES AND APRICOTS

 

 

I really wish these bars would last longer when I make them.  Seriously,  they seem to disappear so quickly and probably so because I love giving these to friends to try.  So far, my first energy bar post has been the most popular.  You can find that recipe HERE. 

 

What I love about this recipe is that you can literally use any of your favorite nuts, dried fruits or even oatmeal and switch the recipe up to keep it interesting.  And this recipe is what we like to call super simple.

 



 

Here's the recipe...

 

RAW ENERGY BARS WITH DATE AND APRICOTS

Ingredients:

 

16 oz pitted dates
1 cup dried apricots

3/4 cup pepitas

3/4 cup cashews

1/4 cup macadamia nuts - optional
3 table spoons chia seeds

 

Note: You can also add 1/2 cup dried shredded coconut, which I think I am going to do next time.

Blend the dates and the apricots in the food processor until blended. It will be very, very sticky. Transfer it into a blow and then mix in all the other ingredients. Wet your hands slightly and knead and fold the ingredients togehter by hand. It will be tough but if you knead and fold it will eventually all be mixed togeher.

Tip, don't put in too many dry ingredients, it will make it more difficult to fold, mold and stick together.

Press the ball of ingredients into a wax paper lined 9" x 13" baking pan. Chill for 1 hour in the freezer and then cut into bars. I like to store these in the refrigerator, it keeps them at a nice firm consistency.

Voila!  I know you will love these and make them as much as I do.

Join the discussion!

Do you have a favorite energy or granola bar recipe? We would love to hear what it is! Share it in the comments below. Links are welcome.

 



RAW: MAYONAISE



 

I LOVE this recipe!  As a kid I grew up eating maynaise on sandwiches but especially in potato salads.  So, when I found this recipe I was thrilled.  It's super easy and really has a lot of flavor.  I adapted it from this Rawmazing recipe...

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

1 cup cashews, soaked 6+ hours, drained and rinsed
1/2 lemon, juice of
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon agave
2 teaspoons dried mustard (if you want to give it a kick, use Chinese dried mustard, I did)
Himalayan salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.  If the mixture seems too thick, just add a little more olive oil a table spoon at atime.

Enjoy!


Check these nutritional facts in regards to cashews! 

A ½ oz. of cashews counts as one serving in the meat and beans group of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Guide Pyramid, although most people probably eat more than that in one "serving." Cashews come from trees related to mangoes, pistachios, sumac and poison ivy. Cashews, like other nuts, are calorie-dense but can play a role in a healthy diet.

OTHER NUTRITIONAL FACTS

One ounce of cashews provides 12 percent of the vitamin K that your body needs for blood clotting. One ounce of these nuts also provides 8 percent of your daily thiamin and 6 percent of vitamin B-6. They provide 1 gram of fiber and just 1 percent of the recommended dietary allowance for calcium. This serving size also provides about 10 percent of your daily iron.

 

SODIUM

Raw cashews are low in sodium. One ounce contains only 3 mg of sodium, which is less than 1 percent of the maximum recommended daily allowance. This is significantly less sodium than the amount in roasted, salted cashews, which is typically 181 mg.

 

MINERALS

Raw cashews contain numerous essential minerals. One ounce of cashews supplies 69 percent of the DRI for copper, which is important for the breakdown of iron in the body. Cashews also supply iron, with one ounce providing 24 percent of the DRI for men and 11 percent for women. Other minerals supplied by cashews include magnesium, phosphorus and manganese. One ounce of cashews provides over 20 percent of the DRI for all three of these minerals. Additionally, one ounce of cashews supplies 10 percent of the DRI for selenium, and more than 15 percent for zinc.

 

HEALTHY FATS

Only 2 grams of the 12 grams of fat in one ounce of cashew nuts is the unhealthy, saturated variety. The rest of the fat in cashew nuts is polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Eating these types of fats as 25 to 35 percent of your daily calories is healthy, according to the American Heart Association. In addition, consuming unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats may help lower blood cholesterol.

 

DIETARY IMPACT

Eating nuts, including cashews, can improve your overall nutritional profile. A study in the “Journal of Nutrition” published in 2008 found that people who consume nuts as a regular part of their diet have higher intakes of the nutrients folate, beta-carotene, vitamin K, phosphorus, copper, selenium, potassium and zinc.

 



RAW: HOME MADE ENERGY BARS

  

I love these bars! These home made energy bars are so good, I make them just about every other week, if not every week.  The fabulous thing about this is that you can make many varieties by just switching out a few ingredients.  This recipe is super easy, so here it goes...

INGREDIENTS:

16 oz pitted dates (These were from Trader Joe's and I just used the whole package.)
1-1/2 cup dried cherries (If you buy them at Trader Joe's use the whole package.)

1/2 cup dried coconut

1/2 cup pepitas

1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup pistachios
3 table spoons chia seeds

Note:  I got all the ingredients at Trader Joes, all except for the coconut.  (I think we all need to write them to ask them to stock the coconut for us!)

Blend the dates and the cherries in the food processor until blended.  It will be very, very sticky.  Transfer it into a blow and then mix in all the other ingredients.  Wet your hands slightly and knead and fold the ingredients togehter by hand.  It will be tough but if you knead and fold it will eventually all be mixed togeher. 

Tip, don't put in too many dry ingredients, it will make it more difficult to fold and mold.

Press the ball of ingredients into a wax paper lined 9" x 13" baking pan.  Chill for 1 hour in the freezer and then cut into bars.  I like to store these in the refrigerator, it keeps them at a nice firm consistency.

Voila! 

I know you will love these and make them as much as I do.

Process pitted dates and cherries.

I love the information I found about dates at LIVESTRONG.COM... I think dates are my new favorite go to sweet treat.  Also, check out these nutritional points about dates if you need a little convincing.

Also, a side note about Chia Seeds, one tablespoon will give you 3 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, and 2.9 grams of omega-3 fatty acids.  What a powerful little seed!



Knead all ingredients together.

Press into 9" x 13" pan



Close Up...



So yummy!

RAW SWEET AND SPICY CASHEWS

Sweet and Spicy Cashews

Ok, friends, I made a little mistake on my Instagram post about the dehydrated cashews.  I called them Chilli Lime, but they are in fact Sweet & Spicy.  So sorry about that folks!  In any case, they are still very tasty!

You will also need a dehydrator to make these if you want to keep them raw.  I got mine HERE and it works great.  I love using this to to dehydrate mushrooms and tomatoes, and I've made Beet Chips too!

These cashews do take a little time, so plan about two days ahead if you want to make these.

RAW SWEET AND SPICY CASHEWS

1-1/2 cups raw cashews ~ soak for 4 hours or more

1/4 cup raw honey

2 teaspoons ground chili pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

 Drain and dry the cashews and toss them in a medium bowl with the honey, chili pepper, and salt until well coated.  Spread them in one layer on a texflex-lined dehydrator (so they don't fall through the grid on the open tray) and dehydrate at 115 degrees for 1-2 days, until crunchy.  I dehydrated mine for 48 hours.

What a tasty treat.  You can eat these alone as a snack or use them in a salad.  I added them to a spicy peanut salad that I made last night.  I'll be sharing that recipe, I think tomorrow.

Enjoy!