Ravioli in Creamy Alfredo Sauce

Serves 3

Ingredients

24 homemade or store-bought butternut squash ravioli ( homemade recipe coming soon)

 1/2 small onion, very fine dice

2 tsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced to a paste
1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp. sugar or more to taste

1/4 tsp. hot chili powder ( optional)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 cup cashew cream ( recipe below)

1/4 cup of water  or more to reach the desired consistency

1/4 cup or more to taste Nutritional yeast

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup frozen peas

2 handfuls of fresh spinach

Heat olive oil in a skillet and add onions and cook for several minutes until translucent.

Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another minutes or so, don't let it brown.

Add the 1/2 cup of cashew cream and cook for another minute or so, then add nutritional yeast

 ( will get very thick). Add water

to dilute and make a creamy consistency. Add sugar, chilli powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste and sugar if your using. ( Adjust this seasoning taste to your liking)

Continue to cook until thick and bubbly, adding water as it gets too thick, to make a nice saucy consistency, to your taste. Add frozen peas and spinach until cooked through. and serve over ravioli.

CASHEW CREAM

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 8 hours or overnight

1/4 to 1/2 cup of reserved soaking water

salt to taste.

Please the cashew and 1/4 cup of soaking liquid, and 1/8 tsp.salt in a high powered blender and blend, adding more water and continue to blend for about 5 minutes,  as needed to create a thick, and smooth cream. Adjust salt to taste

Creamy Vegan Mushroom & Spinach Gratin

 Creamy Vegan Mushroom & Spinach Gratin

Recipe adapted from One Green Planet

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 container fresh baby spinach 
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock
• 1 cup heavy cashew cream, recipe included
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Cashew Cream

• 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight or 8 hours
• 1/2 cup water, slightly more as needed
• dash of sea salt

 Place drained cashews in blender, add dash of salt. Add water and blend until smooth and creamy. (The magic bullet is a perfect size blender for this job.) Add water two teaspoons at a time as needed to create desired thickness/thinness. Set aside.

1. Heat heavy pan over medium heat add onion, garlic and mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally until some of mushroom liquid cooks away and they start to brown ( about 8 minutes ) Add water by the teaspoon initially if vegetables begin to stick. Add the vegetable stock and boil for a couple minutes. Then add cashew cream and coconut milk, let simmer for several more minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for about 5 minutes.
2. Add spinach and more stock if needed, depending on the consistency you prefer.  Season with salt and pepper to taste

I served it over whole wheat udon noodles.



January 14, 2014

I am no raw-foodist, by any means, but I came across A Vegan Raw Recipe for brownies that looked pretty interesting, so I thought I'd try it out and WOW...I absolutely love these!!!  Thank you Emily Von Euw, for posting this ridiculously easy and delicious recipe.

Chewy, Fudgy Raw Brownies

1 Cup raw cashews

1 Cup raw oats

2 cups dates

1/4 cup dark raw cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp melted raw coconut oil

pinch of sea salt

Put everything in a food processor and process until mixture begins to stick together. Check with your finger and if you can press the mixture together it is ready.  Press into a pan and refrigerate, then cut into squares.