“Jack up the raw” over the holidays…without giving up your favorite food or parties!

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Like many raw food enthusiasts, I find that raw, savory comfort food can be a challenge to make on-the-spot, without the use of a dehydrator or nuts. I’ve got nothing against dehydrators and nuts, but my preference is to make savory, non-dehydrated food made fresh with high-water-content foods… meals I can make and eat right away. So when I discover a great combination that offers those qualities, I’m just beside myself with ticklish glee.

This salad is so satisfying, you don’t need anything else to make a meal, just a bowl and a spoon. The portabella gives a “steaky” flavor, and the dressing has a very mild sweetness to it. And while it’s got some “zing”… it still has the mellow, comfy undertone that is necessary in all comfort food. Your body will sing with a feeling of nourishment and lightness afterwards, rather than the lethargy commonly brought on by cooked comfort foods.

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Raw Almond Butter

You will need raw almond butter to make this. Alas, with the advent of required pasteurization for all raw almonds, as per legislation made the law of the land this past year, the cost of raw almond butter has sky-rocketed. I have a source for non-pasteurized truly-raw almonds from Spain, and have been intending to figure out how to use them to make raw almond butter at home with my Blendtec, to see how the cost compares, but as yet I have not. 

So I splurged the nearly $15 for a jar of almond butter that was on sale (if you can believe… normally $22 a jar!) at my local health food store. I plan on using it judiciously for some of my favorite salads, like this one and my beloved Savoy Cabbage Salsa to make some delicious meals. A shame that almond butter is on the leading edge of being impacted by our changing food laws. There just isn’t a substitute for its gentle mellow sweetness.

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Ways You Can Use This Recipe

This is a great dish for a raw pot luck, or to bring to a buffet, a picnic, or to add to some color and unusual variety to a holiday dinner! It would also make an excellent filling for a Salad Sandwich, whether wrapped in a Nori sheet to make a sushi-type roll, or paired with some toasted Ezekiel bread for a “rawish” meal.

I think this is also a good recipe for introducing to non-raw family and friends. It’s an eye-opener as to what’s possible with living foods!

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Recipe for: Red Cabbage-Portabella Mushroom Chopped Salad with Almond Butter

(Raw Comfort Food!)

For body of salad:

• 2 cups red cabbages, chopped in small pieces (roughly half a head of cabbage)
• 2 portabella mushroom caps, chopped/cubed in small pieces

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Savory Almond Butter Dressing

• 4 heaping tablespoons raw almond butter (not roasted)
• 4 tablespoons cold-pressed olive oil
• 2 tablespoons raw, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon raw honey
• 1/2 teaspoon quality natural salt, such as Himalayan Crystal salt

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth. You may wish to add a tish more salt. Then pour over the cabbage and mushrooms and toss until well-combined.[/private]