Saturday, November 29, 2008

creamy dreamy ranch dressing & dip recipe























"so if you only eat raw foods, that means you just eat salads, right?"

that is a huuuge misunderstanding that i have been presented with often.
one of the reasons i am putting together a recipe book is to make
raw eating a delight to the palate, to have exciting meals, and to avoid monotony.
hence, i have been re-creating many cooked food recipes into the raw genre.
i have had a call for recreating dairy based recipes especially from
those who are lactose intolerant but miss it dreadfully. is it even possible?



this brings me back to the salad question
even though i eat a large variety of foods prepared in an even larger array-
i still do like my salads. but if you are eating out you can't always
make the salad as interesting as you can when you are at home.
so when i travel or eat out i usually bring along my salad excitement in a jar....
the dressing.
a creamy dressing can satisfy a need that just greens alone cannot,
and to answer the question... how can i have my ranch and eat it too-
i joyfully present my:

creamy dreamy ranch dressing & dip

for those missing that hidden valley feeling. soak time 1-2 hrs
5 Minutes to Prepare

Ingredients

1-1/2 c nuts (cashew or mac or combo)
soak them for a creamier dressing (1-2 hr is fine, then drain)
3/4 - 1 c filtered water for blending
3 T lemon juice
(translates into approx 1/2 lemon)
1/3 c cider vinegar
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
3 T agave ( or 3 soaked dates)
2 cloves garlic
1 t garlic pwd
3 t onion powder
1 t dill
1 T sea salt
1/2 t basil
and to add after it's done:
1/4 c finely minced parsley
additionally, 1/2 t dill, minced

Directions
makes 3 cups
serving size 2 T
high speed blend all ingredients till creamy and smooth except the last 2 (parsley & dill)
then once blended, stir in the last 2 ingredients.
thickens in fridge.
thin to desired consistency if using as a dressing- or toss into wet lettuce leaves as is.

Number of Servings: 24

Variations
Add a few drops of natural smoke flavor for that ‘bacon ranch’ flavor
Grind lots of pepper & add 2 T nutritional yeast for’ peppercorn Parmesan ranch’
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

enjoy a happy salad
or dipping your veggies!




till next time!
snowdrop

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Sesame Chicken Recipe

here i am thinking to myself which recipe from the
upcoming book should i publish on the blog?
it is a chilly day and being winter calls for warming
and more substantial foods i decided on...


my wonderful sesame chicken recipe:


raw & vegan

be sure to check out the thoughts of those who tried this
at the bottom of this posted recipe...

sesame chicken
‘Chicken’

begin the nite before…
2 c walnuts soaked 4-6 hrs or overnite
2 c sunflower seeds soaked 4-6 hrs or overnite

1 c sunflower seeds, soaked 4-6 hrs or overnite and then dehydrated

1 c sundry tomatoes soaked 4-6 hrs or overnite in:
1 c orange juice

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
¼ yellow pepper (or red)
10 fresh sage leaves or 1 T dried herb
1 t cumin powder
½ t tumeric powder
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1 T dark miso paste
1T braggs or nama shoyu

1 T lecithin to be stirred into batter by hand at the end

sesame seeds

food processor the tomatoes in their liquid and blend until it turns into a paste.
Add onion & garlic, blend
Add herbs spices blend
Add nuts, process till smooth (I did it in 2 batches)
Put into a bowl & stir in the lecithin.
With a coffee grinder, powder the dehydrated sunflower seeds.
Stir into batter till blended.
Spoon onto teflex sheets (I used 3 trays) by the tablespoon.
Dehydrate 6-8 hr at 105-115
Flip half way through drying time.
Make sweet & sour sauce*.
Dip your chicken nuggets into the sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds and continue to dehydrate another 4-6 hrs

*sweet & sour sesame sauce

¾ c nama shoyu
¾ c honey (or agave)
2 cloves garlic
1 pc ginger as big as your thumb (equal to the amount of garlic approx)
2 T sesame seeds
2 T coconut oil
1 t sesame oil
2 t red pepper flakes

chop the garlic & ginger so it doesn’t jam under your blades, and put all into the food processor and blend till the veggies are well pureed. The seeds will float up with the oils when left standing, that’s ok, just stir when using.
i made more that this recipe called for, because i will be using this on lots more veggies the next couple of days, as it is mind blowing good.

In a glass pie plate: Take a nice head of broccoli and make bite sized pieces. Slice up 4-5 mushrooms. Sliver up ½ red pepper. Toss these in some of the sweet & sour sesame sauce and put into the dehydrator till broccoli is tendered up some.


The nuggets were a nice change form what I had been eating, but…
The veggies + sauce was the finest thing I have put in my mouth in months!
I will be making that even when I don’t have any nuggets to serve them with,
just a dash of sesame seeds on top of those sauced up veggies.

Mmm!

i hope you like it as much as i do!
extra spiciness gives extra heat on these gray days
and adds a little extra warmth.

of course you can always wear a scarf for warmth
but i must say it tastes far better!

:)

some comments from people who have made this recipe:

okay... I just found my thanksgiving recipe!!! thanks ... YOU RAWK!... I am going to have the best thanksgiving FEAST EVER!!! RAWKIN AWESOME! omg... it look soo delicious... and the recipe.... wowzers! I'm so excited to try this.... THANKS SISTER GIRL!!! YOU RAWK!!

I made the veggies with your sweet and sour sauce today and you are absolutely right... that is truly FINE DINING!!. I love it!!!
Ya'll have got to try this.

We had these again for dinner and they are truly fantastic!!!
...were you ever inspired for this one, girl!
The nuggets are unlike anything I've ever tasted before. Yum yum yummers!!! And that sauce! Wowsers! Bet it would be awesome with my ginger rice or zucchini pasta. Mmmmmmmm
Thanks again! You RAWk girl!!!

KEEPER. This recipe is a keeper in my binder! It came out delicious. I dressed the vegetables first then the "chicken nuggets". I cut the broccoli into very small pieces, used the madoline to slice the veggies to mini sizes makes a great dish to enjoy. To make it more exciting, I added a squeeze of orange juice for an "Orange Sesame Chicken" version. It was a hit in the family! Thank you for sharing a great recipe.

My nuggets turned out great!!!! I used the lecithin granules...so i guess that works too!
Yummm...cant wait to serve these to clients.

I made this for the first time today. My DH was my assistant, since he's on vacation. We both really loved this, it is definitely a keeper. I realized after the nuggets were in the dehydrator that I forgot to add the miso, so I added it to the sauce, as I love the benefits of miso, i.e. the probiotics, and the alkalinity. I am so happy I have leftovers!
I froze the leftover nuggets.
And, how in the world did you ever create this recipe?
Thank you for a fabulous recipe! so happy you are so talented at pleasing your tastebuds, and I get the benefit too!

This sauce is amazing!! I haven't done the "chicken" yet but just make the sauce with veggies and cauliflower rice and throw it in the dehydrator to heat it up a bit. It is so awesome and authentic tasting that I have it every week.

great.now I need a new keyboard. Apparently this one isn't drool proof.

.... you've done it again.... YOU RAWK!!!


RAWmazing..........Thanks for Sharing, you are becoming quite the little Dehydrater...Keep it up.

I just made this and let me tell you that the nuggets are just SO DREAMY. It looked like so much 'batter' in the bowl so I only made one tray and froze the rest... errr... why did I do that. These really remind me of General Tso's Chicken from the Chinese place up the block. The texture is great, something I haven't experience much while raw. If you haven't made these yet, do so, TRUST ME!

((WDOK)) Wiping Drool Off Keyboard
Oh my, Eating Raw never looked so good...and to think it's healthy too!

You have done it again.... what wonderful creativity!

Oh my I had this for dinner tonight with my mom and sister and we went nuts over it. I was munching it before it was even ready and that sauce is to cry for. This recipe is a winner and one of my new favourites. Thanks for sharing with us.


I made this and it's super-yummy. thanks so much

I did this chicken yesterday and it is awesome! It really does taste like general tao chicken or something similar!
I thought I could get away with making the sauce in the blender at low speed, but even on the lowest it ground all the sesame seeds, it was still really really good though.
I tried making myself some chicken nuggets with sweet and sour sauce, I won't even bother posting my recipe, these are 50 times better!

Such a yummy recipe!

I wanted some sweet and sour vegetables for my lunch tonight, (if I get one at work) so I made the sauce and poured it over broccoli, red and yellow pepper and button mushroom slices. It's marinating in the refrig right now. Well, this sauce is so YUMMY! I just had to taste it. It will be a delightful meal tonight. When I have another day off I want to try the "chicken" nuggets too.

This IS good!!!! I thought I'd be smart and add pineapples to my veggies soaked in the sauce because well, pineapple is part of what makes up sweet & sour sauce, right? WRONG!! Don't try pineapples with it; it's a total clash of tastes.
That being said, the BROCCOLI of all things was my absolute favorite veggie soaked in the sauce!! What I did is put the veggies on a shallow pie plate and drizzled the sauce over it, then with my hands mixed them all together...I ended up with a little still on the plate in the bottom as it went into the D. After 1 1/2 hours it was absolutely delicious and the broccoli was just the right soft & crunchy. I devoured it.....! I'm thrilled with this because I've really been wanting to get more broccoli in my diet but it's just too strong to eat alone or in a salad. A bit softened in the D w/sauce is the perfect way to go!
The chicken itself, is almost like candied after being in the D - I think I put it in there longer than called for because I want it to be more crunchy. It's almost gelling - so so so yummy! I just picked out 6 nuggets and ate them alone on my plate since my second batch of veggies isn't finished yet.

Yep, we make that sauce all the time now and have the veggies weekly! Yummy! My family is full of gratitude for this recipe! THANK YOU!

I still haven't made the "chicken" yet as my mum hates the noise of my dehydrator so I can't use it for long if she's home
I did however make the veggies and the sauce, sprinkled with sesame seeds!
YUM!
I used broccoli, red pepper and mini sweetcorn! It was so good!
Its amazing how much broccoli softens up after just marinating in the sauce and dehydrating for half an hour! I used to love steamed broccoli but hadn't been so keen on it raw because it was too crunchy but now, omg

I've been eating broccoli with the sauce almost everyday for the last 2 weeks. It's really the best salty food I've ever made. I've made it for 2 cooked friends and my parents. They all love it soooooooo much. My dad even asked me to make the sauce for him so he can use it as salad dressing.
Thanks!

Thanks for the wonderful recipe Snowdrop! I can't wait to try the "chicken" too!


Made the sauce and loved it. One of the best. Thanks so much!

I found this yesterday and made it last night. This recipe made a little over 30 small "patties" so I brought 10 today with my lunch (with lettuce and dressing) and put the rest in 2 bottles (10 each) and froze those.
I didn't even do the extra step of covering with sesame seeds and dehydrating some more, etc. And boy, are they ever good. I didn't even have time to make the sauce and didn't realize I'd forgotten till I got to work. So what I've done is cut up the patties into quarters and put them in with my salad and dressing. Yum.
I used water instead of orange juice, too. Even with those drastic differences, these taste good.
Cheers.

WOW! Really good - really, really good. The sauce is killer - and I forgot to add the Coconut Oil and it's still awesome. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you so much! I feel blessed that you share your recipes with us!
This was really yummy! My family especially loved the veggies and sauce! The nuggets were great, but the veggies & sauce were awesome! We made those again the next day.
I made the sauce with no spice for my little ones and with the spice for hubby & I. Now I need more broccoli so I can do it again!
It was well worth all the trouble I had with my FP, which I haven't used since. It's on restriction.
I used my VitaMix for the sauce, yummo!

Thank you for sharing this recipe. My daughter and I used it for Thanksgiving dinner and it made for a special dish for us while the cooked vegans in our household enjoyed our old time favorite of tofu turkey. We did discover that our eyes were bigger than our stomachs as we filled our plates with the nuggets and veggies the way they would serve it at a Chinese restaurant - it was just too much food at this point in rawland!
But it was a delicious, mouth-watering treat that allowed us to not even covet the tofu turkey and other Thanksgiving stand-bys that we only make at holidays.



no my friends, thank YOU for loving this as much as i do!
till next time-

snowdrop

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

how to stay warm???



the first snows of winter are flying.
i love the snow but not the cold-
can't really have one without the other.

how does a raw fooder stay warm in the winter?
ahhh, many ways can help.

i have a wood burning stove that warms me better
than any modern day heating system.
it's soothing crackle warms the soul along with the body.

i warm my food- no need to eat cold raw food!
i do so by both heating the food and by adding heat to the food.
warming it on stove top or in the dehydrator to body temp
or a little bit higher... makes a world of difference.

also by adding cayenne to the recipe- i get a warming
glow as i eat, one that warms me from within.

warming spices:
* Black & white pepper
* Ginger
* Garlic
* Cayenne
* Cloves
* Coriander
* Chives
* Cinnamon
* Caraway
* Parsley
* Turmeric

warming foods

here is a list of foods to keep your body feeling warm.
ancient peoples believed that keeping the body warm came from within
and found that certain foods could raise the body’s temperature:

* Legumes
* Carrots
* Squash
* Parsnips
* Beetroot
* Walnuts
* Coconut
* Dates
* Red pepper
* Pine Nuts
* Chilis

don't forget to keep up on your variety of greens
as they are chock full of vitamins and minerals
thus boosting your immune system keeping you healthy
and full of energy.

i warm my plates, before i put my food on it
this way it doesn't plummet in temperature
from the counter to the table, before i even get one bite in!
what you take in can chill you if it is physically cold
so on those nippy days take care to avoid chilled food & drink
and don't forget to bundle up!
woolly knitted socks and hat are a sensible option

and don't forget to move around, get that blood pumping

all this without turning up the thermostat or eating cooked food!


...of course having a plate of warmed harvest apple crisp never hurt :)

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Savor the Flavor


today i was really needing some chocolate.
so i worked on a recipe that worked out well

it is a chocolate sponge with whipped cream and pomegranate seeds, and the most delightful part (well, besides the taste) is that it is all raw and completely guilt free!

and it's going into my new book 'raw delights'
i am working at sending it to be published in january.


the impressive part of this recipe for me, is the lightness that one has difficulty achieving without baking. most raw cakes and cookies are either a heavy and wet batter-like consistency.. or dry as a bone.
woof.
this is no 'alpo' or 'milkbone' let me assure you.

i have just set up this blog so this is my first entry
the tester outer blog :)
baby-blog, baby-blog!!!
so let me know what you think
and i hope you come to visit again soon
xo
snowdrop