Raw-sotto

Remember in my last post when I said that I needed to eat more raw foods? Well, that is what inspired last night's dinner. Actually, I had been brainstorming this dish for days but was unsure if/how it would work. Finally I just decided to wing it, and I came up with something absolutely knock-your-socks off delicious. Seriously, it's better than the cooked risotto I made a few months ago and much healthier. I apologize for the rough recipe(s), but like I said, I mostly winged it.


Raw-sotto
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients
For "rice"
- 1 head cauliflower
- Marinated mushrooms (recipe to follow)
- "Cream" sauce (recipe to follow)
- 1 small summer squash, very thinly sliced
- 5-6 torn basil leaves
- 1 tsp dried tarragon
- S&P, to taste

Instructions
- Separate cauliflower into florets.
- Place cauliflower florets into a food processor, one batch at a time. Remember, don't overfill your processor; only put in what your machine can handle at one time.
- Process until a rice-like consistency is reached. Dump into a bowl, add sauce and remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Leave at room temperature until serving and enjoy!

For sauce
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds or pine nuts, soaked
- Reserved soaking liquid
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2-3 torn basil leaves
- 1 lemon, juice
- S&P, to taste

Instructions
- Place all ingredients (aside from reserved liquid) in a food processor and process until smooth, adding liquid as needed to create a smooth, creamy consistency. Set aside.

Marinated mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1-2 cup(s) crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 lemon, juice
- S&P, to taste

Instructions
- Whisk together marinade and pour over mushrooms. Allow to marinade for at least 4 hours and drain before using.


I suggest marinating the mushrooms late morning/early afternoon and allowing them to sit in the fridge all day. Take them out and let 'em sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving so they're not completely chilled; the raw-sotto is meant to be served more at room temp.


This was ridiculously good. The cauliflower didn't have a raw bite to it (I don't usually like raw broccoli or cauliflower) and the sauce made it deliciously creamy. What surprised me was how much I liked the mushrooms. The marinade was pretty pungent due to the ACV, but they were soft, flavorful and worked really well in the dish. This will definitely be made again and again. Maybe asparagus and peas next time? Hmm.