Granola Hippie Alert!

Charlene and I made some more awesome food tonight that we thought we would share with everyone! These are some suuuper healthy tacos made with some... unconventional ingredients that turned out to be absolutely DELICIOUS. It feels good to pig out on yummy food and know that everything you just put in your stomach is going to nourish your body and make you feel GREAT. Everything in this recipe is vegan, and best of all, RAW! Charlene and I have been reading a lot about nutrition lately and we've come to side with the idea that food is much healthier in its raw state (assuming it's organic, fresh, clean, and plant based) - lot's of scientific evidence behind all of that, but it's still a relatively small and new-ish (or very old) idea/movement. BTW, the tortillas are not raw but as soon as we get the new dehydrator that we ordered in the mail recently, which has a larger area for dehydrating things that need more space, we will be able to make raw tortillas - which we are super excited about.

On the left is a rice like recipe made mostly of root plants like parsnip and daikon, on the right is a bean like mixture made mostly of soaked seeds and sun-dried tomatoes.

"Rice"
2 med parsnips (peeled and coarsely copped - about 2 cups)
1 cup coarsely chopped daikon (long white radish thing)
1/2 cup untoasted pine nuts
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped parsley (we used dried and it still worked out! about 2 tablespoons)
3 teaspoons lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best!)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- place parsnips, daikon, and nuts in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles rice-like coarse crumbs
- transfer mixture to medium bowl and add the rest of the "rice" ingredients and mix
- EAT!

"Beans"
1 cup sunflower seeds
4 cups cool water
1 cup sun dried tomatoes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- place the sunflower seeds in 2 cups water and let soak for 4 hours. Drain and rinse and set aside.
- place the sun dried tomatoes in 2 cups of water and let soak for 1 hour - reserve the soaking water, drain the tomatoes and set aside
- place the seeds and tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until well blended, but still chunky
- transfer mixture to large bowl and add the rest of the "bean" ingredients and stir until combined
- EAT!
This is, essentially, a taco "meat" substitute made of ground walnut, seasonings, and mushrooms.

The Taco Meat

• 1 Portabella mushroom cap, rinsed and chopped medium-fine (nearly 2 cups finished)
• 1/2 cup raw walnuts, chopped (not too fine… leave some texture)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon cold-pressed olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar (ACV)
• 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon raw cane sugar (rapadura) or some other raw sweetener
• squirt fresh lemon juice (about 1/4 teaspoon)
• quality natural salt & fresh pepper to taste
  

Mix all ingredients well and check for taste. Should not be under-salted.

Spread on dehydrator sheet and put into the dehydrator on “almost high” — no worries, you’re not cooking it. It’s only coming to roomish-temperature while you fix the remaining ingredients, then it’s coming out. You could also put on plate and stick in the oven on “warm”, just to the point of releasing some of the mushroom’s moisture so they darken a bit.

For our accompanying beverage we made homemade lemonade. We make juice often with a citrus juicer. Orange juice fresh squeezed from good organic oranges tastes 20 times better than any store bought orange juice - and best of all, if you squeeze it yourself you have the joy of knowing it wasn't pasteurized, which, though it makes it safer for keeping on a shelf longer, burns out much of the flavor, delicate vitamins, and enzymes.