Raw Chili Rellanos

With temperatures already in the 90's in Central Florida, what better time to make a transition to raw, whole foods? Tasty, tempting, quick and easy — fruit and vegetables starring at every meal can be as simple as eating a bowl of fruit or a big green salad or as fancy as preparing some gourmet raw recipes.

I chose to make a nut & seed pâté with a Mexican flavor*, then stuffed it into Poblano pepper halves. The stuffed peppers make a great appetizer or a quick fix for lunch or supper, accompanied by a big salad of dark leafy greens, crunchy cabbage and sweet onions.

Or you can expand your raw food kitchen skills and take those Chili Rellanos a step further.

Here they are with a puddle of raw marinara sauce and a scattering of mock cheese. They spent an hour or so in the dehydrator, which softened the raw pepper a bit and warmed up the pâté and sauce. A nice little gourmet touch for guests or as a special treat for ones self.

* following the basic nut and seed pâté recipe in the last post, I added a dried chipotle to soak with the sun-dried tomatoes. Added a half cup of chopped fresh cilantro and a generous pinch of Mexican oregano to the mix for a little change of flavor.

Raw Marinara Sauce

Combine in a blender or food processor: 4-5 plum tomatoes, 2-3 soaked sun-dried tomatoes, a large clove of garlic, a generous helping of fresh parsley and basil (or use 1 TBS dried Italian herbs), a pinch of sea salt, and a teaspoon of agave nectar (optional) to offset any bitterness from the tomatoes. Add enough filtered water to achieve a thick purée. Taste for seasonings, adding more if necessary. Letting the sauce sit for 2 - 4 hours, if time permits, allows the flavors to marry. Or it can be made ahead and refrigerated in a covered container.