French Countryside Raw Recipes

I made dinner for my housemates last night – who aren’t raw vegans – and they adored the recipes, inspired from the French countryside. I looked through Julia Child’s classic French cookbook and modified recipes – for example, by using healthy raw fats instead of butter (i.e. macadamia nuts), and eliminating the heating process. Et voila.

The menu (all raw vegan):

• Creamy leek soup
• Loaf of sprouted bread with a strong ‘cheese’
• Friseé salad with almonds, raspberries & ice-wine vinaigrette
• Summer vegetables in a basil cream sauce
• Red ice wine gelato

I’d love to share these recipes with you. All are for 4 people. If all you have is a blender, you’re good to go.

Creamy leek soup

Blend together:

• 1 large leek
• Handful Brazil nuts
• Salt & pepper
• Spoonful honey
• 1 shallot
• 1 bunch basil
• Spoonful olive oil
• Cup of water

Garnish with chopped Brazil nuts and sliced basil leaves.

Strong ‘cheese’

Throw these in the food processor:

• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 tbsp macadamia nuts
• A whole lime, with the peel chopped off
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch basil
• A little water to get it all going
• 1 clove garlic

I purchased the sprouted loaf of bread from The Big Carrot, who sources them from Patricia – here’s her website: http://www.naturallyalive.ca/Products.aspx

Friseé salad

Blend these together for the dressing:

• 1 whole lemon, peel removed
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp white ice wine (or regular wine if unavailable in your region)
• 2 tsp salt
• Ground pepper
• 1 tbsp honey
• 10 macadamia nuts

Salad ingredients:

• Friseé, washed and chopped into very small pieces
• 1 large bunch of fresh mint
• 1 carton of raspberries
• 1 handful of chopped almonds

Pour the dressing over the body of the salad and serve. Mmm.

Summer vegetables in a basil cream sauce

This was everyone’s favourite, by far.

The vegetables I used:

• Asparagus (each spear sliced into 4 long strips)
• Snow peas (each sliced into 4 strips)
• Heirloom carrots (sliced into strips)
• Radishes (cubed)
• Shallots (sliced into thin coins)
• Endive (sliced into thin strips)

Marinate the vegetables in olive oil, lemon juice, and honey while you prepare the sauce.

The sauce: throw the following into a blender:

• 2 cups water
• Handful macadamia nuts
• Whole lemon (peel removed)
• Salt & pepper
• 1 bunch basil
• Clove garlic
• 1 small spoonful nutritional yeast

Pour the cream sauce over the vegetables and serve. If you have time, let marinate for 30 minutes.

Red ice wine gelato

Blend the following together:

• 1 branch of red grapes
• Vanilla
• Half cup almonds
• 1 cup water
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp red ice wine

Pour into a container and freeze, stirring every hour if you have the time. If you don’t have the time, after it’s frozen, place it in the fridge to thaw for a few hours, or outside for 1-2 hours. Serve into bowls and before giving to guests, add on 1 tbsp red ice wine and a few grapes.

Bon appetite!