Some of you might have had the good fortune of liaising directly with Amanda, my right-hand woman without whom this 30 Days in the Raw experience would still be on my list of things I’d like to do one day. In addition to being an invaluable part of the Eat Naked team, she’s also a pretty darned fabulous chef.
A few days ago Amanda posted the most gorgeous photo of some raw basil cashew beet ravioli on facebook, and I thought, Damn! That takes things to a whole new level. So I asked her to share the recipe and photos with all of us. Lucky for us, she agreed! Enjoy…
Recipe
What you’ll need
- A mandoline. I use this Japanese brand
- 1 red beet and/or 1 golden beet. (I love colorful food, so I used both)
- 1 cup cashews
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (I find everyone has a different salt preference, but if you need more add up to 1/4 tsp more. Taste first!)
- 1/2 garlic clove
- 1 dozen small basil leaves
- very small handful of spinach
Raw Cashew Basil Filling
1. Using a Vitamix, I put olive oil in first (having liquid at the bottom will help prevent the Vitamix from that powerful empty vortex sound it makes when it’s just spinning air)
2. Then, put cashews, spinach, basil, and salt in and blend until smooth and creamy.
Forming the raw ravioli
1. Using a mandoline, carefully slice beets to a very thin thickness
You can slice some persian cucumbers to place on top for an extra color boost OR leave the ravioli open-faced with a basil leave for decoration*… What ever you do, HAVE FUN and ENJOY!
*note, I tried making the cashew filling without basil and then using the whole fresh basil leaf on top of the plain cashew filling– It was a beautiful presentation, but not as tasty, in my opinion.
Bonus Recipe
Post ravioli making, I realized I had some left over cashew basil filling and really wanted to make a more complete dinner with my ravioli… So, I made a salad. To my surprise, it was AMAZING. Here’s a little extra bonus recipe for you!
Raw Goddess Salad
- 1/4 yellow bell pepper
- 1 persian cucumber
- 2 tablespoons sauerkraut (I LOVE this local LA brand, Brasica and Brine – The Four Thieves flavor)
- handful sprouted mung beans, sprouted black-eyed peas, and bean sprouts
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/2 grated beet
- a couple thinly sliced basil leaves
- squeeze of lemon
- a big bowl of arugula or a mix of fresh greens and lettuces
First, you’ll want to mix up the thick cashew paste with your greens. Then add in all ingredients, with the avocado last. Give a good squeeze of half a lemon to top it off and maybe a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
