Need to Impress w/o equipment or lots of TIME....

[rawkchicster]

Ok, so I want to make a great meal for my family (vegetarian) and grandparents, but I have to prepare it quickly and without much equipment... I can also prepare a litttle bit beforehand with my own equipment, but it would have to travel well. help!

[Revvell]

What "equipment" do you have? FP? VM? Give us a clue here please.

Revvell

[rawkchicster]

I haven't been to their house in a while, so I'm not entirely sure. Probably a FP, no VM, no Dehydrator....

I have all of the above.

[EZ rider]

Take along your juicer and some produce and show them how great juice feasting is.

[rawkchicster]

hmmmm.... maybe I should clarify a couple things, so that there's no confusion:

If I do a Juice Feast, they are going to think that I'm having eating disorder issues (it is a valid concern, as I had big problems back in the day. I don't care what they think, but I DO care about my mom's sanity. She does have some mental issues, and worrying about me is not going to do her any good).

I need to show them the concept of abundance, that raw food does not equal starvation, and that it's delicious and healthy (they are SDA, so they believe very strongly in the Vegetarian Health Message, as "most" Seventh-day Adventists).

Thanks guys!
:: nicole ::

[Revvell]

FP can make pates, ice cream, "taco" meat, guac, brownies... all kinds of things.

[rawkchicster]

yeah, I really think they'd dig the Taco meat, maybe used in a taco salad with guac and veggies? Thanks, revvell.

[Dimond]

Fruit pudding like Kiwi & Banana. Rawpriestess Brownies are always good.

[tanishamarshall]

If you have a coffee grinder you can grind up some sunflower seeds and take it along and make Alissas Almond butter balls in minutes right in front of your Grandparents, just by mixing it in a bowl. Do you have Alissa's book?

[rawkchicster]

CONFESSION... I don't have her book. I have several books, but since I rarely have to impress people, I generally avoid nut dishes for dh and I. So, getting her book would be a good idea for the other info, but the recipes not so much :).

[tanishamarshall]

There are recipes without nuts.

[rawkchicster]

I didn't mean that there weren't, but a friend has the book, and most do, and in large quantities... I just don't feel good in my running and training when I eat lots of nuts.

[rawkchicster]

Just an update on how the weekend at the 'rents went:

I made Vanessa Sherwoods Manicotti:
http://gliving.tv/greenchefs/recipes/manicotti/

The cool part was, it LOOKED LIKE THE PICTURE!!!!! So pretty! And Grandpa (who is never interested in cooking) and my Dad crowded around me using my mandoline, and commented on how neat of a tool it was.

Also, Pesto/sunburger stuffed Jumbo Portobellas, and a large organic salad.

For desert, I made chocolate chip cookie dough pie, with a coconut flake topping. YUM.

When we ate, dad said "You guys (dh and I) skipped the nasty experimental stage of healthy cooking, and gave us the good stuff!! Organic and healthy really does taste good this way!

It went over really well, everyone was full (comfortably, though).

So yeah... I'll keep doing this, and continue to live raw even when traveling.
Thanks for the ideas, guys!

[The Forager]

For desert, I made chocolate chip cookie dough pie, with a coconut flake topping.

Recipe? Please? :o

[rawkchicster]

hee hee !

This is my own, adapted from a raw cookie dough recipe I got somewhere.....

1 cup Raw tahini
1 cup Raw honey or Agave (i use agave)
1 cup Coconut Oil
2/3 cup Pecan Pieces
pinch salt
2/3 cup raw cacao nibs
1 T vanilla



Melt coconut oil in dehydrator.
Mix all the ingredients together.
Pour into square or round pie pan.
Put entire thing in dehydrator for like 30 min to make it all level, rather than lumpy.

Sprinkle 1 cup dried coconut flakes on top, and put into freezer.
Once solidified, shake excess coconut off the top. slice into squares or pie slices.

THIS IS AMAZING.


Sprinkle

[Eevie]

Hey rawchicster!

That sounds so great!
I can imagine how wonderful it is when your "normal eating" family loves what you un-cook for them!
I'm not a "recipe-person" usually, but you really motivated me to prepare a delish (and maybe more laborious) raw alternative for Christmas this year! Thank you for your inspiration!
I love the link you posted, didn't know it before!!

Love and many thanks again,
Eevie

[Marin Mom]

Did you mix by hand or put in the food processor?

I have cocoa beans and cocoa powder, would those work instead of nibs?

It sounds good and I would like to try it.:)

Thanks.

[rawkchicster]

I just mix by hand, since you want the nibs to stay intact, as they are the "chips" for the chocolate chip part. Since you have the beans, I would smash these somehow (never gotten the beans myself, so maybe the food processor?). Whatever the case, try to get the beans into mini chocolate chip size.

OOO! I think I forgot! I added 2/3 cup pecan pieces..... I better go edit!

Good luck (not eating it all at once!) :)

[Marin Mom]

Thanks rawchickster, just came back with the tahini, luckily I have pecans on hand! Wow, this sounds rich!

I have raw coconut, what would be the best way to "flake" it? FP with slice blade?. Anyone tried this?

[rawkchicster]

It really is rich. You won't want more than 1" squares probably :)

Young coconut or old? (for slicing with a FP)... I bought already flaked, so I don't know the best way to go about it..

[Dj 247]

When I need fresh coconut flakes I buy a brown hairy coconut and use the hard coconut meat and grate it with my hand grater. You can use the FP, but it won't be as finely grated.