Raw Supper: Sunflower Burgers with Spicy Cashew Spread and Warm Marinated Veggies

I have been getting over some kind of evil stomach bug for the past few days, and am just starting to regain much of an appetite. Last night my body wanted as much nutrition as possible, and I decided to make an all-raw supper (that hasn't happened much since we headed up to the cold, cold North for the winter!)

The result was a fine meal of sunflower/veggie/flax burgers with spicy cashew sauce on lettuce leaves, a side of warm peppers and mushrooms, and a speedy sweet dessert of mission figs split in half with raw almond butter and shredded coconut to top it off. The burger and the veggies both taste 'cooked'...so this is a good way to get some raw foods into a meal without your guests being too suspicious!

I followed a recipe for the burgers and will be tweaking it a little the next time I make it (perhaps adding garlic, more spices...and maybe even glazing with a BBQ Sauce as they cook for that sticky, savory outer layer I was missing here) - but they were still pretty good. The rest I made up, and it was tasty.

Although a food processor and dehydrator would have made this meal even easier, I got away with a coffee grinder and my oven and it worked just fine.

Raw Sunflower Burgers (not my recipe...came from a Google search...and I didn't remember to copy the site I got it from. Sorry!)

2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 sweet bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 tsp himalayan salt
2 Tbsp oregano
1 cup sunflower seeds, ground (I did this in a coffee grinder)
1 cup flax seeds, ground (ditto)
1/2 cup water

to serve:
Large lettuce leaves, cleaned
thinly sliced tomato and cucumber
Spicy Cashew Cream (see below)
anything else you like on burgers

Mix ingredients together, adjust seasoning, form into 4 patties (make them fairly thin so they dry well). You can also use this mix to make small 'meatballs', or, as I prefer to think of them, 'falafel'...You can dehydrate burgers in a dehydrator (they recommend 3 hours, flipping once) or in an oven on low with the door propped open a crack (I cooked mine for about 1 1/2 hours).

When ready to serve, place 2 lettuce leaves on top of one another on the plate (2 layers makes it easier to hold onto). Spread a little Cashew spread on the lettuce, top with your burger, spread more Cashew sauce on that, and top with your veggies. Eat open-face, with your marinated veggies (see below).



Warm yet Raw Marinated Veggies

1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 red pepper
8-10 mushrooms
olive oil
lemon juice
1 tsp rosemary
salt and pepper

Using a mandoline, thinly slice the veggies. If you don't have a mandoline, use a knife and do the thinnest slices you can (the thinner the slice, the more soft and 'cooked' the veggies get). Place veggies in a small casserole dish and add olive oil to coat. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon, and season with rosemary and salt and pepper. Gently toss the veggies in the marinade, and add to the oven/dehydrator with your burgers. Stir occasionally and 'cook' for about an hour or till soft, warm and delicious.

This idea would work with many different thinly sliced veggies (I am thinking zucchini!) and with many combinations of spices as well.


Spicy Cashew Spread

1 cup cashews, soaked 1/2 hour
1/2 large tomato, or one roma tomato, roughly chopped
1 large clove garlic
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1 tbsp lemon juice
dash of himalayan salt

Put it all in the blender and then add about 1/2 cup of water, slowly, till desired consistency is achieved. Adjust flavors to taste. Will thicken up when refrigerated so keep it a bit thinner than you want. Will keep 5 days or so in the fridge.