Thai Salad, Transcendent

I have decided not to list what I drink with each meal as I often get cheap, obscure beverages which are probably not for sale in your area. But with this Thai Salad last night I had a very nice red wine from Portugal ($9.99 CN). Here is an easy to make stunner salad:

Thai Salad:

Base:
2 medium cucumbers
2 cups of any greens (lettuce, Kale, arugula etc.)
1 yellow bell pepper
mint leaves
basil leaves
Sauce:
one third cup sesame oil
one third cup olive oil
lime or lemon juice(one half squeezed)
3 tbs agave nectar (or any sweetener)
2 tbs red chili flakes (or ground up dried chilies)
4 Heaping tbs cashew butter (or cup of 8 hour soaked cashews ground up)
water (enough to make it thickness you like)
Garnish:
Cashew pieces and chopped red bell pepper.

Mix all sauce items together in blender or food processor to make sauce. I like it rather thin so lots of water for me. The amount of hot chili is up to you, you can go from mild to forest fire. Chop cucumbers and yellow (can be also red or orange or green) bell pepper into cubes or strips, whichever you prefer. Tare mint and basil leaves in half. These two are the key items, the more you put in, the more unique this dish tastes. Pour sauce over vegetables. Garnish with the cashews and peppers. This makes enough for a side dish for two. To make it the main course just increase all ingredient amounts. This one will surprise everyone. Real Thai salads usually use bib or iceberg lettuce but in the summer so much local greens are available that we can have fun.If it is done quietly, with fresh food and with love you will taste each of the ingredients. Salud!

Nut cheeses

First I want to amend my previous blog. I think yams work better than sweet potatoes. My food processor cuts the yams into a creamy texture but the sweet potatoes stay on the crunchy side. I say try both and see what you like.

I am not 100% raw vegan yet. I still eat some cheese, especially Vancouver Island cheeses which are excellent. But I find nut cheeses are a nice and healthy alternative. I have yet to experiment with making real nut cheeses which involve cheese cloth and a number of days with weights on top of the nuts. Below are 3 recipes taken from raw food web pages. As usual, experiment to get the taste you like best.

Cashew Cheese:
4 cups of raw cashews
4 heaping tablespoon fulls of nutritional yeast
3 tablespoon fulls of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
(1 cup pine nuts if you can afford it)

Blend all together in a food processor. You do not have to soak the cashews. If you do soak them, it makes it creamier. Experiment with the yeast. I like even more yeast then 4 tbs. This cheese can be eaten immediately or left out on table for 12 hours then refrigerated for a stronger flavor.

Sunflower Cheese:
3 cups of sunflower seeds
1 cup pine nuts
3 heaping tablespoon fulls of nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons of mustard powder
water

Blend all together in a food processor. Add just enough water to make it creamy (usually just a few spoon fulls). This tastes like sunflower butter but adding more mustard powder and yeast gives it a unique flavor. You can soak the sunflower seeds for 4 hours for a creamier texture.

Nacho Cheese:
4 small tomatoes
3 avocados
1 red chili pepper
3 small sweet red peppers
1 half red bell pepper
2 or more tablespoons of taco seasoning
black pepper to taste

Blend all in food processor. i usually am missing one of the peppers so go with what I got that day. If you do not like hot then omit the Chili pepper. More taco seasoning gives it a stronger nacho taste.