This Recipe is part of the 5 No-Cook Dishes Raw Food at Home Menu
I made a beet ravioli dish for the restaurant menu when we first opened, and it remained popular for quite some time. Our regulars weren’t at all happy when we finally took it off the menu. On special occasions, such as Valentine’s Day, we’ve brought back variations on that beet ravioli, sometimes using cookie cutters for hearts or other sweet shapes. If you can find them, candy-striped beets are beautiful and unique, or try using golden beets, or even a combination of all three.
Equipment
Food processor, high-speed blender
Pine Nut “Goat Cheese”
4 cups pine nuts, soaked 1 hour or more
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium shallots, peeled and diced
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 teaspoons nutritional yeast
2-1/2 teaspoons sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Rosemary-Cream Sauce
1/2 recipe Pine Nut “Goat Cheese” 1 teaspoon minced rosemary
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed 3/4 cup filtered water
lemon juice P inch of sea salt
1 clove garlic, peeled F reshly ground black pepper
Beet Ravioli
2 medium beets (2 inches in diameter or more), peeled
2 tablespoons macadamia oil, or other nut oil, or extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons high-quality aged balsamic vinegar
Microgreens or other herbs, for garnish
1. Pine Nut “Goat Cheese:” Process all ingredients in a food processor until as smooth as possible.
You should have about 4 cups. Reserve 2 cups for the sauce, and set aside the remainder.
2. Rosemary-Cream Sauce: Puree all the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.
3. Using a mandoline, slice the beets very thin (so they are pliable and not stiff, approximately 1/16 of an inch or less).
4. Make small stacks of the larger pieces and use a sharp knife to cut into squares—the size doesn’t matter much, as long as they are all roughly the same. Alternatively, use a round-, heart-or other-shaped cookie cutter to cut the slices. Cut at least 40 slices—10 per serving, with a few extra to spare.
5. In a medium bowl, place the beet slices, oil, lemon juice, and salt and toss gently to coat evenly. Allowing the beets to sit for a half hour or more will soften them; this is optional but a good idea if your slices are on the thicker side and still a bit stiff.
6. Lay half the beet slices on a clean work surface and top each with a rounded teaspoonful of the cheese. Top with the remaining beet slices and press down gently.
7. Spoon the sauce onto serving plates, and arrange the ravioli on top. Garnish with a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar and a few sprigs of either microgreens or fresh herbs.
Serves 4
Excerpted from Living Raw Food by Sarma Melngailis. Copyright © 2009 by 77 Lucky Cows, Inc. Excerpted by permission of HarperCollins. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Buy the book now.