Squash with Wine Sauce and Marinated Mushrooms

This is a slight variation from that wonderful raw foods web page www.rawmazing.com. Check them out for great recipes and excellent photos. On paper this dish does not jump out, but make it and you will enter another dimension.

Ingredients:

• Squash (1-1 and 1/2 cups, any kind)
• 8 Button Mushrooms (medium size)

Marinade:

• Olive Oil (4 tbs)
• Balsamic Vinegar (4 tbs)
• Braggs (or Tamari sauce, 3 tbs)

Wine Sauce:

• Cashews (½ cup, soaked up to 12 hours if possible)
• Wine (White or Red ¼ cup)
• Lemon Juice (1/2 medium lemon)
• Sage (3 tbs dried)
• Water (1/2 cup, I use soak water from cashews)
• Salt to taste

Cut the mushrooms (portabellas work best but I cannot always afford them) into whatever size you like. I like big. Put in a bowel with the Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar (I use one with 15 year old aged sherry added) and Braggs. Mix thoroughly and keep mixing throughout the marinating process if possible. Leave covered or uncovered in fridge anywhere from 4 to 24 hours. Some mushrooms really soak up the marinade so check after an hour and add more if needed so that all mushrooms are coated. This keeps for 4 days so can be used on top of anything. There are many variations to this on the web. Experiment because I like it vinegary. You can add any spice to this marinade to see what happens. Paprika or Chipotle powder works well on days I want heat.

For the sauce it is best to soak the cashews. But sometimes I forget to do this and have made this dish with unsoaked cashews or cashews that soaked for around 20 minutes. Because I have a cheap food processor I end up with a chunky sauce which is ok. Soaking give you a creamer sauce. Other nuts work too. The “rawmazing” web site recommends white wine. I have done it with both red and white wine and been very happy. White makes sweeter, red makes sourer. Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a blender or food processor.

Peel the squash. Use a spiralizer or cut the squash into small chunks to make the noodles. Mix the sauce with noodles and place on a dish. Put the marinated mushrooms on top and there you have it. The amounts listed above make enough for one person for a full meal. I have yet to make a large amount of this and leave overnight in the fridge but I am sure it would do well for a few days. Salud!