Zucchini Rolls with Basil Pesto and Red Bell Pepper Coulis

This is from the wonderful web page: rawepicurean.net. Please check them out for many raw ideas. I made 8 of these Zucchini rolls and had them for lunch. These make great appetizers for a party. Use fresh local ingredients and you will wonder how you ever survived without this beauty. It's the dish that will make you scream "Where have you been all my life sweet cheeks?"

Basil Pesto:

• Basil (1 cup, I used rosemary, thyme, savory and oregano as that's what I had fresh)
• Parsley (1 cup)
• Pine Nuts (1/2 cup, I used cheaper walnuts)
• Garlic (3-4 cloves)
• Olive oil (1/2 a cup, use a good one!)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Add the basil (or whatever garden herbs you have (experiment)), parsley, pine nuts and garlic to a food processor and mix. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula, if necessary. Add the salt, pepper, and the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is running. Makes about 1 cup.

Red Bell Pepper Coulis:
(Coulis is any sauce made from pureed vegetables or fruits, I had to look it up)

• Red Bell Pepper (1 large, Yellow works too)
• Onion (1/4 cup any kind) 
• Apple Cider Vinegar or fresh lemon juice (2 tbs)
• Garlic (1 large clove)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until well mixed and chopped. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Pour the red pepper mixture in the strainer. Use a spoon or rubber spatula to press the mixture against the strainer to push the juice through. Reserve the red pepper pulp for another use – keep refrigerated (lasts up to 4 days). This pulp is great for a fast soup (just add water) or a fast dressing (add oil and vinegar). Makes about ½ cup

Zucchini Rolls

Zucchini (1 large fat)

Using a mandoline cut the zucchini lengthwise into as thin as you can slices. Good chefs could do this with a knife. You need very thin so it rolls and does not break. Practice and have an extra zucchini handy just in case.

Assembly

Using a teaspoon, spread each zucchini slice with basil pesto. Roll up each slice – starting from one end roll to the other. Place a roll, seam side down, in a small curved plate and pour 3-4 tbs of the red bell pepper coulis over it. Then say hello to your new BFF. This can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Salud!

Rhubarb and Cucumber Mint Salad

It is the height of Rhubarb season and my neighbour Izzy has given me stalks so I have been experimenting and came up with this healthy and wasy recipe. There are variations of this dish on the net. Mine is a little different as I like to tone down the tartness of the rhubarb.

Ingredients:

• Rhubarb (1-2 stalks enough for 2/3 cup)
• Cucumber (One medium (1 cup), I prefer English but any kind works)
• Raisins (20+ or any dried fuit)
• Rosemary (Fresh 2 heaping tbs of leaves)
• Agave Nectar or Honey or real Maple Syrup (6 tbs)
• Mint leaves (10 or more chopped in thirds)
• Salt to taste
• Greens of any kind and combination

Slice the rhubarb and cucumber almost paper thin with a Mandoline slicer or with a knife. Combine the rhubarb, cucumber, raisins, rosemary and agave nectar in a covered dish and refrigerate overnight. This cuts way down on the tartness. When you are ready to serve, stir in salt and mint leaves. Place over any greens (lettuce, arugula, spinach, kale etc.). This makes a nice side dish for 4 people. It does not have to be put over greens as it can dance by itself.

Here is a dish that will turn out fine no matter what the combinations. Instead of raisins you can use chopped figs or dates, also cranberries, blueberries etc. The more cucumber and less rhubarb you use, then the less tartness. Recipes on the net call for honey. I have only experimented with agave nectar and maple syrup. Here is where you use trial and error to see how much sweetener to add. In the end the amount of each ingredient will vary depending on how you want the dish to taste. In the photo below I used dried cranberries instead of raisins. Salud!

Wild Rice and Tarragon Pilaf

I have not posted many recipes with sprouts as most of you are not yet sprouters. But this one is so good and so stunningly vivacious that I hope you will give it a try. This is a great one to take to potlucks and be the Bon Vivant of the party. No need for cuff links or a tiara, this baby does it for you.
 
Ingredients

• Wild Rice (2 cups soaked 48 hours)
• Celery (1/2 cup)
• Onion (1/4 cup any kind, red is best here)
• Apple (1/2 medium any kind)
• Olive Oil ( ¼ cup)
• Apple Cider Vinegar (4 tbs)
• Tarragon (1/4 cup mashed in mortar or chopped)(or Savory, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano etc.)
• Dry Mustard (2 tbs)
• Salt and Pepper to taste.

This recipe comes from the excellent web page meameoba.com. I have modified it a little. When selecting wild rice, look for rice that is harvested by hand in the wild and therefore more environmentally friendly. Much so called Wild Rice nowadays is artificially grown in ponds with chemicals. Also seek out Fair Trade rice harvested by First Nations Peoples. As to whether or not cooking alters the nutritional content is another matter. If you wash the rice and then soak them in a covered jar in a dark place for 48 hours you have a very tasty and nutritious grain. Be sure to change the water every 12 hours.

Cut the celery, onion and apple into small pieces. Combine everything in a bowl. I have never been able to save any to see if it tastes even better after it has marinated. I suspect you could make a big bowl of this and it would keep covered in the fridge for a few days to be used as each nights side supper dish. Any herb will work including also basil, oregano, cilantro etc. I have yet to do it without dry mustard powder so i am not sure how important that ingredient is. This makes enough for a side dish for four people. Do not be put off by the crunchness of the rice, savor its lingering flavor on you taste buds. This dish will really open your eyes to the power of fresh, raw, fair trade, natural, organic food. Salud!

Sweet and Sour Ginger Dressing

Here is a fast and flavorful dressing for when you are in a hurry.

Ingredients:

• Sesame Oil (4 tbs) (Hard to find in raw form)
• Apple Cider Vinegar (3 tbs)
• Soy Sauce (2 tbs, Braggs, Nama Shoyu, Tamari etc)
• Agave Nectar (2 tbs)
• Lemon Juice (1/2 lemon squeezed))
• Ginger (2 tbs grated)

Combine all ingredients in a cup and stir. Pour over salad and toss. A Chopin "Prelude" playing in the background helps. This can cover 4 side salads. A little of this goes a long way. You do not want too much. The secret is a light coating of the greens and vegetables. This works very well in a salad that has cubes of rutabaga, beets, carrots, cauliflower, brocolli and other crunchy vegetables. You want to be able to taste the flavor of each fresh vegetable and green leaf while it has a slight ginger tang to it. I have seen variations of this on the net with much more lemon juice, also with lime or orange or pineapple juice. This is also a “fit the ingredient amount to your taste “ dressing. Play around. If you have a great fresh local Apple Cider Vinegar (“Sea Cider” cider vinegar from Saanich, BC for example!) then you may want to add a few more tablespoons of it. Also vary the amount of agave and lemon juice to suit the mood you want to achieve for your salad.

I find a ginger grater to be indispensable. It is not easy to chop ginger. For years I baulked at buying a gadget that only grated ginger, lemon rind and nutmeg. Now that I have partaken in hand grating and learned how healthy and tasty these three foods are when prepared fresh, I cannot live without my grater.

Tarragon Nut Dressing

This is dedicated to my Cortes neighbor Izzy who gives me many wonderful herbs and vegetables from her beautiful Garden

When fresh herbs become available in late spring you can make all kinds of healthy dressings to put over any salad or vegetable medley. This dressing works great over a lone beet, yam or turnip that you want to use up. I was given some fresh tarragon by neighbour Izzy and found this recipe on the net by typing "tarragon dressing" and then playing around with all the wonderful recipes that appeared.

Ingredients:

• Nuts (almond, pine, cashew etc 1/2 cup)
• Onion (any kind including green onion, ¼ cup)
• Lemon Juice (1/2 squeezed)
• Garlic (2 cloves)
• Tarragon (1/2 cup)
• Olive Oil (3 tbs to one cup)
• Salt and pepper to taste.

The secret to this one is not to let the nuts over power the dressing. Tarragon can be rather strong but you want it to be the flag carrier here. Mix all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor. Add 3 tbs of olive oil for the last 5 seconds. Put the mix in a jar and add as much oil as you like, at least enough to cover it and stir thoroughly. The amount above makes enough to put lots over 4 salads. You may want to make enough to last a week or more so just be sure to put the rest in a covered container with enough oil to cover the mix. If you want a tradition dressing then you may add a cup or more of the Olive Oil to the mix so that it pours. I add a lot less oil and spoon it over the salad and then mix it into the salad. I like a chunky dressing  (Almost pestolike) and want to taste lots of tarragon in every bite. You may have a different preference so play around with this. Of course any herb will do in place of the Tarragon. Oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, cilantro even sage makes a nice dressing. I would like suggestions on other herbs to use here especially local wild herbs from the forest. The addition of onion and much more nuts and oil separate this from a pesto. Salud!