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 JAM

I absolutely love this recipe.  Three ingredients blended in a few minutes and voila!  I was recently asked by a reader and friends about finding a good recipe for raw jam and so here it is.  I took it to a party and it was really a hit!  Use it with your favorite PB&J dish (or AB&J - Almond Butter :) ) Or, as we did, make some raw vanilla whipped cream and eat it atop your favorite cracker or bread with the jam - its oooooh so good!  And don't forget my Fig Jam when fig season comes around... which is just around the corner.  I can't wait.

One thing to remember though when you make raw jam is that is fresh, so it will not last as long as regular jam.  Make them in small batches... it a treat that you're whole family will love.

 

RAW JAM

1 cup organic blueberries or strawberries

1/2 teaspoon psyllium husk powder*

1 teaspoon raw agave or raw honey

Blend all the ingredients together to the desired consistency.  Transfer the mixture to an air tight jar or container and let it chill for 15 minutes.  Voila, you now have your jam!  I love this jam.  It tastes so fresh you can't go wrong.

If you want it just a tad firmer, then use 3/4 teaspoon psyllium husk.

*To learn more about psyllium husk check out this link.  The psyllium husk powder asks as a thickening agent.  Only a small amount is needed.  I have also seen raw jam made with chia seeds.  I haven't personally tried using chia seeds yet, but I can definitely see how that may work too.

Enjoy!

Join the discussion!

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



RAW BANANA CREAM PIE

 

Seriously you guys... its super delicious.  There's nothing like raw desserts for me.  The freshness and flavor you get with raw desserts is like no other.  Once your tastes buds adapt to it, you may not be able to take as much the artificial sweetness from other sugary desserts.

 

I especially love the raw crust with the creamiess of the pie.  The combination is fabulous.  I hope you enjoy it too.

 

 

For the Crust

 

1 cup macadamia nuts

1 cup dried, shredded coconut

10 medjool dates, room tempurature, pitted

 

Put the macadamia nuts and coconut into the food processor and process until it resembles crumbs. Then add in the dates and process until the dates are well combined.  The stickiness of the dates will kick in and it will hold together. 

 

 

For the Filling

 

1-1/2 cup cashews, soaked 8-12 hours, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup raw agave or liquid sweetener of choice

1/2 cup coconut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup coconut water from a young Thai coconut or coconut milk

1 cup packed coconut meat from a young Thai coconut

2-3 medium bananas, sliced (approximately 3 cups)

1 lemon, juice of

1-2 bananas sliced and dipped in lemon juice for garnish

 

Place all the ingredients except the bananas and lemon juice into a high speed blender. Blend until smooth. You will need to use the plunger or spoon and a little patience to get the mixture moving but it's well worth the effort... Transfer the mixture into a bowl.

 

Slice the 2-3 bananas and toss them with the lemon juice and drain, then fold them into the banana cream mixture.

 

 

To assemble, place the entire crust mixture in your favorite pie pan and press it down evenly all around.  Then, pour the cream mixture on top and spread evenly with a spatula and finally layer with thinly sliced bananas to garnish.  Chill for 1-2 hours and serve.   

 

Enjoy!





Join the discussion!
Do you have a favorite raw pie or cake recipe? We'd love to hear what if is. Please share in the comments below. Links are welcome!

RAW KETCHUP

 

Yup you read right... You may think that you don't need to make raw ketchup, but let me tell you, this ketchup tastes so fresh and zesty it's better than any bottled ketchup you've ever tasted. You can really taste every ingredient.

I was inspired by a recipe over at Pure Mamas...  My son LOVES ketchup! (What four year old doesn't?) So when I saw a recipe for raw ketchup on Julie's blog I had to try it! My recipe is an adaptation of hers. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Thanks Julie!



 

RAW KETCHUP

1-1/2 cups chopped organic red tomatoes
1 cup dried tomatoes
1 clove garlic {or 1 tsp garlic powder}
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon raw honey or raw agave
Pinch of sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a blender until it is as smooth as possible.  Place in an air tight container. Keeps in fridge for 5 days.
We ate ours with baked sweet potato fries.  If you want to go raw, why not try it with slice jicama?  So yum!

Enjoy!

RAW ZUCCHINI HUMMUS

 

 

 

Usually, when I want a savory snack, I turn to hummus.  I love absolutely love hummus.  So, naturally, I needed to get my hands on a recipe quick.  I grabbed one of my raw cook books... Going Raw by Judita Wignall and found this simple, easy and very tasty recipe.  You are going to love it!

 

RAW ZUCCHINI HUMMUS

 

1 cup peeled and chopped zucchini
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper
½ cup raw tahini paste
2 teaspoons minced parsley
Paprika or chilli powder, olive oil, and pine nuts for garnish

Instructions:   Place zucchini, lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, paprika, cumin and cayenne in a blender and process until smooth. Add the tahini and blend again until well incorporated. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the minced parsley. Garnish with the za’atar seasoning, paprika, olive oil, and pine nuts. Chill for 2 hours. The hummus will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator.   Enjoy! 

Nutrition Note: Tahini is made of ground sesame seeds and is used in many Middle Eastern dishes. Sesame seeds are a great source of B vitamins and calcium, which are even more bioavailable when ground into tahini paste. Two tablespoons of tahini contains almost 35 percent of your recommended daily calcium intake.

Chef’s Tip: Za’atar is a popular Middle Eastern seasoning made of dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, sesame seeds, and other spices. It’s not essential for this dish, but provides an authentic touch.

I need to make this again stat!

Join the discussion!

If you have a favorite savory raw dip recipe, feel free to share it in the comments below. Links are welcome!

 

 

RAW STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE WITH VANILLA CREAM

 

 

It's strawberry season and I am loving it!  These Raw Strawberry Shortcakes with Vanilla Cream is so refreshing and easy to make.  The cookie dough is really versatile, I can see myself using this raw cookie dough recipe for many tart like treats.  Oh, and I hope to be able to go strawberry picking soon too!



 

 

RAW STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE WITH VANILLA CREAM

 

For the Raw Cookie Dough

1 cup raw walnuts

1 cup raw cashews

3 tablespoons raw agave

1 teaspoon water

 

For the Vanilla Cream

1 1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked 2 hrs
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp agave (or 2 dates - I used the dates)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Strawberries

For the vanilla cream, in your food processor blend all ingredients, minus 1/4 cup water. Stop frequently to scrape the bowl. When the mixture is quite smooth, drizzle in the last 1/4 cup water till fluffy.  Chill in the refrigerator.

 

 

For the raw cookie dough, process the walnuts and cashews in the food processor until they are chopped small and are combined well. Then add in the agave, process until crumbly, and add in the teaspoon of water. Process until a large sticky ball of dough is whirling around in your bowl. Remove the dough, place it between two sheets of parchment paper, and roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut the cookies out of the dough using a small circle cookie cutter (mine was about 2 inches in diameter), and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and chill in the freezer for about an hour.

 

Once the cookie dough is chilled, plate it onto your plate or platter, then add sliced strawberries on top of it, then add a dolop of the vanilla cream and top it with strawberry tips.

 

Voila!  So pretty and delicious!

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Join the discussion!

If you have a favorite strawberry dessert recipe, feel free to share it in the comments below. Links are welcome!

 

 





NUTTY COCONUT CRANBERRY BARS



 

 

Many of you know that we love homemade bars here at A Simply Raw Life, this time though, I wanted to try one that was slightly different. I was inpsired by these bars I saw on Ascension Kitchen.  These looked so good and they turned out to be more versitile than I thought. Thanks Lauren!  Super delicious... Check it out...



NUTTY COCONUT CRANBERRY BARS

 

Note:  Remember that it's is preferrable to soak the almonds and cashews first and then dehydrated until they are dry to activatge your nuts and seeds, which give you added nutritional benefits.  Of course, if you don't have time or do not have a dehyrator, this recipe still works just as fine.

1 cup of raw almonds
½ cup of shredded coconut
1 cup of cashews
½ cup of dried cranberries
¼ cup of hemp seeds
¼ cup of chia seeds
¼ cup of coconut butter
¼ cup of raw honey
4 tablespoons of coconut oil
4 Medjool dates
pinch of sea salt
Zest of one lemon

 

In the food processor, chop up the almonds for a quick second to chop them into smaller pieces.  Add the coconut, cashews and chopped a little more for a few seconds.  Transfer the mixture into a large bowl.  Add the hemp and chia seeds.

 

In the food processor add the coconut butter, honey, coconut oil, dates, salt and lemon.  Mix together unitl well combined into a nice paste.  Now combine this mixture to the dry mixure and and fold it in with your hands combining it well.

 

Press the mixture well into a 8" x 8" baking dish that is lined with parchment paper and chill in the freezer for 1 hour.  Now it's ready to be cut and eaten!  Makes about 10 bars.

 

Store the remaining bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

 



I also have used these bars as grawnola and crumbled it on top of a smoothie bowl, ice cream, and fruit.  In the photo above, I topped it on my Chocolate Almond Milk Ice Cream.  So delicious!

Enjoy!

Join the discussion!

If you have a favorite dairy free ice cream recipe, feel free to share it in the comments below. Links are welcome!