NEED YOUR HELP!!! Raw Entrees for a Vegan Restaurant!

[andypdx]

An acquaintance of mine owns a (cooked) vegan restaurant, and he's been giving me some (good natured) grief ever since I went raw four months ago (Due to the fact that I could no longer eat much of the food on his menu). Anyway, I think I've finally won him over, because now he's told me that he's dropping two items off the dinner menu, and he wants to replace these with two new 100% RAW dishes! If things go well, he might even add more raw dishes to the menu!

Of course, he's asked me to design these raw entries, but I am going to be held to a few restrictions...

1) Preferably, no dehydrator needed (but he may be flexable if the dish is REALLY good)
2) Quick / Easy prep time.
3) Not TOO many ingredients.
4) Delicious! :D

Keep in mind that this is a full service/sit down place where normal entrees with soup or salad cost about $10-14 each. In any case, I see this as a GREAT opportunity to get more people exposed to RAW! These new dishes will be featured, and people who would normally eat a COOKED vegan meal, may elect to try a RAW vegan meal instead!!!

So, I guess my question is this...If you could go to a nice restaurant and have any raw dish you could, what would it be? I've already decided on trying my own special version of raw 'tacos', because it usually only takes me about 3-4 minutes to make (aside from the soaking). Each dish must also have a 'side' dish as well, and so far, I'm a little stumped in that department.

I've also come a LONG way on my raw ice cream, which he will be adding to the menu as well!

So, if you have any ideas, please throw them my way.

Thanks!

[Naiad]

Raw sushi rolls with the traditional works (nama shoyu/ginger/wasabi)

Or maybe something along the lines of collards wrapped around shredded vegetables with a sweet and sour dipping sauce?

There's also ye olde, ubiquitous raw lasagna ;)

[firefaery]

raw spring rolls

how about a huge gorgeous salad platter with a raw slaw and hemp seeds on top?

zucchini linguini with a creamy sundried tomato pesto sauce

cucumber salad ( I modify Alissa's dill cream cheese dip, adding honey and ACV to make a dressing. I pour it over thinly sliced cukes with sliced avacado)

Sounds like a great opportunity!

[Cinnamon]

I would want a fancy raw pizza, (with a side of green salad), I don't have any recipes to share but I've sure seen some great ones on this site. I think most crusts have to be dehydrated though, so this might not help. Nori rolls with parsnip rice are a favorite of mine and I'd sure go out to eat if I could them raw. I hope your raw tacos are a hit as I'd also love to try them. I am in the Seattle area, I see you are in Portland. I'd sure stop by to eat at your friend's restaurant when I am in the area if I knew I could get some raw dishes!

[eatyourbroccoli]

woo!!

i have no recipes to share as i basically live on green smoothies, but this is so exciting!!!

eta: oh wait..how about a version of zucchini spaghetti with a reall great garlicy tomato sauce and a side salad with a great pesto dressing and sprouts and sesame seeds and tomatoes

etaagain: OH thats what firefaery said! oops.. :o

[LightLover]

I think definitely a green smoothie will be a nice entrance, I mean the ones with luxury fine ingredients, not with dandelions...

ll

[SchoolOfRAWk]

Pasta. For Sure.

[Veganforlife]

How about the egg-less spread and a platter of gorgeous veggies and a green smoothie? They go together well.

[Biff]

The raw ravioli recipe from the book "raw food real world" is one of my favorites and is great for a raw dish. It looks appealing and tastes incredible!

[Mike]

Hi Andy,

Which restaurant are you referring to?

I persuaded the folks at Proper Eats in North Portland to serve raw gourmet.

Mike

[SchoolOfRAWk]

THANK YOU, MIKE!

;-)

Erica

[eachpeachpearplum]

Do you have Raw Food Real World? I think it would be very inspiring to your friend to see the amazing photos in there. Also would help with menu ideas. dessert is especially important at winning people over and RFRW chocolate torte is pure bliss!!!

My first thought was Alissa's lasagna as it is amazing (although I triple the zucchini) unfortunatly it completely does not address a single one of your requirememts.

Where is the restaurant?????

all the best!

eppp

[andypdx]

Do you have Raw Food Real World? I think it would be very inspiring to your friend to see the amazing photos in there. Also would help with menu ideas. dessert is especially important at winning people over and RFRW chocolate torte is pure bliss!!!

My first thought was Alissa's lasagna as it is amazing (although I triple the zucchini) unfortunatly it completely does not address a single one of your requirememts.

Where is the restaurant?????

all the best!

eppp
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS!!!

The name of the restaurant is Pirates Tavern (in Portland), and it is a 100% (cooked) vegan restaurant. The owner is a hardcore ethical vegan (as am I), so up until now his effort has been on serving food that does not harm animals in any way. I think he's been impressed by my example of taking this even one step further, (by being ethical vegan PLUS raw) that he now wants to add the raw dishes. Until now, the restaurant has been focused on serving all of those delicious home-style kind of dishes that ethical vegans usually have to give up when going vegan, but they have tended to be on the rich/fatty side of the spectrum.

But now it seems that this trend is going to reverse a bit. Before long there will be at least two 100% vegan, 100% raw dishes on the menu, and with any luck, a few more. We will be in the test kitchen for the next few finding out what works and what doesn't, but I'll inform you all when the new menu is ready!

[PDXGeoff]

Any update on this? It would be nice to have an option at Pirates Tavern that wasn't fried and that was Raw!

[Conscious Midwife]

Raw tacos sound great with a raw salsa and guacomole salad

I 2nd the Pizza, looks like you guy might have to go ahead and get a dehydrator, just for crust and shells and rewarming

RAWSAGNA can be made ahead stored in a fridged and warmed in about 10 min on the bottem of the dehydrator, especially if a plate warmer is used. This would be great with a huge Salad with Raw olives and maybe a fax cracker with a raw bruschetta

RAW Brownies or Fudge BAlss with your ice cream would make an excellent very filling desert

Collard greens filled with sprouts and a nut pate

Oh and I second the nori wraps similiar to standard happy hour fair, so should be an easy seller, and an exotic fruit sald. A raw sorbet would be a great after dinner compliment too.

[kristi7mark]

I make organic gourmet dishes, all of them raw, at the cafe I work at two days a week. Alissa's recipe for collard rolls always sells out quickly as does pesto lasagna. I serve the collard rolls two to a plate, use guac rather than plain avo for the stuffing. I serve a generous portion of pesto lasagna with a garden salad on the side and creamy italian herb dressing. Both plates, lunch-size serving, sell for $6. The tacos sound great also. Wish you well!

[beppa66]

There is a raw restaurant in OK that has an amazing menu, perhap you could look it over and something might catch your eye or give your friend ideas. (especially if he sees there are people willing to pay to have these entrees cold-shipped) PS. good for you for getting this going!

http://www.purerawcafe.com/