"Roasted" Mushrooms with Fennel Salad

As you probably know by now, I like to keep it simple. I prefer to spend no more than 20 minutes in the kitchen and still create something delicious.This dish is really quick to prepare but you'll need time to leave it in the dehydrator for a while. It's so delicious though that it's really worth waiting for and your house will smell heavenly! The mushrooms are just like roasted mushrooms and are nicely complemented with a simple salad that is not heavy on dressing or overpowering herbs, etc.
As I mentioned before, mushrooms are incredibly healthy and fennel bulbs are very rich in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer qualities. They're also a very good source of fiber and some vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C (to boost your immune system), folate (a B vitamin that will help reduce your homocysteine levels and lower your chances of a heart-attack), and potassium (to help  lower high blood pressure). These precious bulbs have other medicinal qualities too. They can improve digestion, help with urinary tract infections (UTI), and even provide relief from migraines! Of course it's always an option to just eat them for their unique flavor...

"Roasted" Mushrooms
Ingredients:
(Serves 2-3)
~20 white button or crimini mushrooms
1/4 red onion
2 in sprig of rosemary
4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbs nama shoyu (contains soy!)
water

Directions:
1. Brush the dirt off the mushrooms, trim the ends of the stems if necessary and quarter each head.
2. Prepare the marinade by mixing the olive oil, shoyu sauce, and a little water.
3. Take the rosemary leaves off the sprig, chop them really fine and mix with the oil and shoyu.
4. Slice the onion and toss everything in a bowl to mix well.
5. Place it all in the dehydrator (leaving them in a relatively flat bowl works best) for a couple of hours at 115ºF (46ºC) and toss them around every 15-20 minutes or so.

Fennel Salad
Ingredients:
(Serves 2-3)
1 apple ( I used a Fuji but I think green apples would work really well. Just use your favorite kind or whatever you have available)
1 fennel bulb and some of the feathery top (that looks a lot like dill)
few slices of red onion
2-3 tbsp of walnut oil
dulse flakes
Optional: chopped walnuts, salt & pepper or herbs of your choice

Directions:
1. Quarter the apple, remove the core, and slice the quarter pieces crosswise and as thin as possible.
2. Slice both the fennel bulb and the onion paper thin (or as thin as you can).
3. In a salad bowl, toss everything with walnut oil, sprinkle with dulse (add salt and pepper if you like) and garnish with some of the feathery parts of the fennel chopped up.

Now the question is, why would you go to a restaurant?

Featured in Funky Raw, UK's raw food magazine

The Most Amazing Buckwheat Crackers

Making crackers is what was on my agenda on Sunday morning and it was so lovely to get busy in the kitchen with the morning sunlight coming through the window. Since I had run out of everything that resembles bread/chips/crackers, this was an emergency and I couldn’t wait for them to be done. I did not expect them to come out so fabulous though. These are by far my absolute favorite!

For the first time in my raw-cracker-making adventures I used garlic. Don’t ask me why it took me so long. Come to think of it…I remember that up until now I was making sure my crispy snacks are more on the “plain” side so that they would go well with anything. Not this time. These are everything but plain, and they can be (and probably will be) devoured just by themselves!
I am not giving all the credit to the garlic either. I also added turmeric and cumin for the first time and the combination of those spices gave it a wonderful hint of Indian-food-like flavor, not to mention the gorgeous color. Flavor and aesthetics are not my priority though. As you may probably know by now, nutrition is at least equally important to me so here’s the breakdown of the goods…

Health Benefits of Turmeric
This ancient spice, commonly used in Indian cuisine, is known for its exceptional anti-inflammatory properties and being an excellent antioxidant, and there’s a whole list of health benefits that go along with that.
Its bright rusty-yellow color, peppery, bitter flavor, and most healing properties lie in the powerful compound, curcumin. Turmeric is a natural detoxifier, has been used in treating cancer and for the prevention of metasteses, can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and studies suggest that it’s effective at preventing it from developing as well. As an anti-inflammatory, it’s a natural treatment for arthiritis and can also be used to help the skin heal or to treat psoriasis. It’s very rich in iron and manganese and a very good source of vitamin B6, which can keep your homocysteine levels at bay and reduce your risk of heart disease. Manganese is essential for strong bones and healthy nerves, and it can protect your cells from free-radical damage.

Health Benefits of Cumin
Another spice that’s very rich in iron and manganese, cumin is also a good source of calcium and magnesium. It’s a good digestive aid and it can help in nutrient assimilation, but most importantly, it is claimed to have anti-carcinogenic properties, like turmeric.

Just to note, if you have never used either, these spices have quite distinct flavors that will either appeal to you or not the first time around but just give them a try, you might just fall in love with their aroma immediately!

Buckwheat Crackers
Ingredients:
(Makes 250 bite size crackers)
3 cups raw buckwheat groats
1 cup ground flax seeds
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
½ cup olive oil
5-6 cloves garlic
your favorite seeds for sprinkling (optional)

Soak the buckwheat groats for a couple of hours and let them sprout for about a day and a half as described in the Guacamole & Buckwheat Chips recipe. Once you have buckwheat sprouts (I let them grow to about ½ inch/6 mm length) it’s time to make crackers! I have to split up the ingredients and run two separate batches because only so much fits in my food processor at a time. 

Directions:
1.    Process all of the ingredients in a food processor until you get a well-mixed, sticky lump.





 2.    Using a butter knife, spread the mixture on teflex sheets (you should have enough for 4 of them) about 3-5 mm thick. Score them to your liking (I made 1.5 in/3-4 cm squares) and sprinkle with your favorite seeds if you like. Dehydrate them at 115 ˚F (46˚C) for a couple of hours before flipping them and then 3-4 hours longer depending on how thick they are and how crisp you like them.



3.    They’re ready whenever the edges and the center of the crackers look evenly dry. The other way to check on them is by stealing one out of there every half an hour…this is the method I use of course : ) but you'll end up with much less in the end!




4.    You can let them cool and store them in airtight containers for a couple of months (they will not last that long though), or serve them immediately. They’re absolutely fabulous fresh out of the “oven” while still warm. Enjoy and let me know how they came out!

Sources: http://www.whfoods.com/