Butternut Squash Raviolis

OK this is a really pure version of this dish. My clients wanted no salt, no oil and one needed no wheat. So I made homemade ravioli using whole wheat pastry flour, oil (just a little), water and salt. Then a mushed up some cooked butternut squash with some allspice and stuffed the inside of the ravioli with them.

I made the sauce using oat milk, sherry, garlic, onions, thyme, a small amount of coconut milk, a dash of vegetarian worchestershire and oh yeah wild mushrooms (shitake and oyster). You don't have to saute the veggies you can just cook them in the sauce if you want.
Then I cut the rest of the squash into the same cute shapes as the raviolis and I baked them with a little allspice. She loved it.

Raw Tostada

Just a little raw snack I was hungry and happened to have some raw onion bread laying around. (Sunflower seeds, flax, onions and spice ground up and dehydrated) and some cashew cheese (The simple version just has salt,oil, lemon, water and cashews). The yellow tomatoes were grown at the Emile Street Community Farm and the variegated basil sprig is from my garden.


That's Joe at the farm. He's our hero!
A word about Joe and the farm. The farm sits inside the Houston city limits in a very poor part of town. Joe, who also has a full time job, spends all of his money, heart and soul on this project. He finds land, plops awesome magical mushroom dirt mix on top of the land (sometimes on top of concrete) and then he and the community farm the land. He's gotten the whole community out and involved, based mostly on his good looks and laid back charm. Make it happen Joe. And for all you style watchers out there; farming is the new punk rock!

Vegan Coconut Flan made with Goya Coconut Flan mix and two cans of coconut milk. Super easy!

Slightly less easy is the raw vegan cheesecake made with cashews. I need to work on my picture taking skills. I'm always in too much of a hurry.

Green Party Luncheon

Lunch for the Green Party Convention consisted of Mediterranean Wraps, Cilantro Pesto Pasta Salad and Melon balls in a Balsamic Mint Vinaigrette. The Wraps were Falafel, Lettuce, Tomato, Tahini Sauce and Pickled Turnip (that's the pink stuff in the middle).

Vegan Texas Chili

Recipe :

Well you have to start with a really good veggie stock and lots and tons of onions. Saute those onions in some nice safflower oil or any oil with a high flash point with some garlic. Add a bunch of dried oregano (Cowboys don't use fresh) and some salt, cumin, paprika and chopped up jalapeno. When the onions are translucent, add some vegetable stock.

Let's stop for a minute and talk about meat substitutes. Boca Crumble is a good one and so is Gimme Lean by Light life but if your having trouble locating any of those you can get you some TVP and soak it in some water and some Braggs Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce or browning sauce).

At any rate you should add your meat sub at this point and there should be enough stock to cover the meat by about an inch. Let that cook for a bit and then you can either add tomato sauce and let it stew forever or cheat and add tomato paste and let it stew for half of forever. While it's stewing you'll want to add some chipotles (if you like that kind of thing) and some black pepper. Keep tasting it for flavor in an obsessive and territorial way. Check the temp. It shouldn't be boiling. Stir it often anyway. It should be getting thicker. If it doesnt' thicken to your liking you can add some masa or some ground up corn tortillas but make sure if your adding masa to smooth out all of the lumps in a small amount of water first.

I topped mine with some crumbled Vegan Gourmet cheddar style and some pico de gallo but some saltine crackers would have ruled!

vegan raw lasagna

Here is my version of a vegan raw lasagna. It's got a cashew and pine nut cheese, a fresh basil pesto, a sundried tomato sauce, zucchini, crook neck squash and fresh organic heirloom tomatoes.

And here it is in all of it's uncut beauty. The recipe is a doozy.


Cashew Cheez:

1 cup soaked cashews
1 cup soaked pine nuts
1 small handful of onion
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Process all together in a good blender until creamy. You will have to stop and start it and push down the edges a lot because the cheese is so thick but that's how you want it.

Tomato sauce:

1 cup soaked Sun-dried tomatoes
1 small tomato
1 small handful chopped onion
1 small sprig rosemary
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Process this in the same way as the cheese. Again, this should be very thick.

Pesto:

2 large handfuls of basil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup pine-nuts
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Process in a blender or a food processor

Thin slices of fresh zucchini and heirloom tomatoes.

If you don't have a good mandolin, use a potato peeler to get extra thin zucchini slices and then use a couple of layers in each layer (if that makes sense). Cut the tomatoes by hand.

Line a plastic container with plastic wrap.

Sprinkle the bottom layer with a little pesto and a little cheez. This will end up being the top so this is for garnish. Arrange the prettiest tomatoes you have on the next level. Next, layer the zucchini and then the tomato sauce, then more tomatoes, then pesto, then zucchini, then cheez, then pesto, then more zucchini, then tomato sauce, then more zucchini, then more pesto and finish with a layer of tomatoes.

Cover with the plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool. When cooled place a plate over the whole thing and invert. Remove the wrap. Cut with a serrated knife.