New Beginnings.
Being the wise woman that she is, my mom recently reminded me to just let things happen. Don’t push things, don’t stress too much. If it’s meant to be, the universe will make it happen. Well, it happened for me! I’m so excited to say that there are some really positive changes in my life happening career-wise, and I am absolutely thrilled. I’m embarking on a journey of making positive changes in people’s lives while at the same time making sure that my own needs are met. The Spring season is here in NYC and these good news and warmer weather are a cause for celebration! Naturally I decided to make colorful, fresh and light raw beet ravioli- perfect for the blooming season!
So, beets. What’s so great about them besides dying absolutely EVERYTHING that comes into contact with them a nice deep red? Beets contain a phytonutrients called betalains, which support your body’s detox program. Specifically, betalains support the “Phase 2” detoxification process, which is where our body’s cells hook toxic substances with small nutrient groups. During this process, the toxins are neutralized and made water-soluble so that they can exit the body. To really get the full benefit, its best to eat beets raw as they tend to lose these valuable pigments as the cooking time increases. The simple way to marinate beets is to cut them with a mandoline and then place them in a small plastic zip-loc bag with the marinade. Get as much air out as possible and then marinade will be absorbed by the beets. I recommend marinating them for at least 2-3 hours, preferably longer.
- 2 beets (I used one golden and one red)
- 2 Tbls of olive oil
- juice of 1½ lemons, divided
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup cashews
- large handful of cilantro
- ⅓ cup water
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- chives for garnish (optional)
- Soak cashews overnight.
- Slice beets very thin with mandoline. If using different colored beets, place gold beet and red beet in two separate plastic bags.
- Add one Tablespoon olive oil, juice of half lemon, salt and pepper in each bag. Make sure that the liquid is dispersed among all beets and push all air out of bag. Refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours.
- Rinse the cashews and add to blender along with the water, remaining lemon juice, salt and pepper, garlic cloves, nutritional yeast and mustard and blend until smooth and creamy. There should not be any cashew pieces left.
- Heat a pan with no oil and add sunflower seeds. Heat until seeds begin to brown, remove from heat and let cool. You can roughly chop them as I did or leave them intact.
- To assemble, place one piece of beet on plate followed by a dollop of cashew cream, then another piece of beet. Garnish with sunflower seeds and chives.
Sources: whfoods.com
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