
We're back in the kitchen again, turning up the heat on raw foods with South of the Border Tomatillo Rawvioli! I wanted to do a dish that showcased the delightful flavor of tomatillos, the husky green cousin of the tomato. The resulting creation is a lively celebration of Mexican-inspired flavor, beauty and nutrition that's the perfect antidote to the summertime dinner blahs! Why sift through yet another boring pile of the same old greens, or clog your arteries with yet another helping of mayo-drenched macaroni salad, when you could be enjoying a satisfying plate of fresh tomatillo sauce with light cucumber rawvioli filled with rich, spicy cashew filling? This is a rhetorical question. The zappy flavor of the tomatillo is happily married to the smooth creamy richness of avocado, and the whole affair is well-grounded with the earthy taste of cumin. I love this stuff; it tastes so great I can barely remember that it's healthy, raw and vegan! It tastes so great, I can barely remember what I'm doing…. Tomatillo Rawvioli: Makes 3 large, or four small servings Zesty Tomatillo Sauce: 1 1/2 C tomatillos, chopped 1/2 a large avocado 1/4C sweet white onion, chopped 1/4C cilantro leaves 1 clove garlic 1/2 a large jalapeno 1t cumin 1t agave syrup 1t stoneground mustard Sea salt to taste Optional 1T olive oil or water to thin Kickin' Cashew Ricotta: 1C raw cashews, soaked 1hr. and drained 1 clove garlic Juice of 1 lemon 1T nutritional yeast 2t cumin 1t chili powder Sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste 1 medium English cucumber for the wrappers Blend all the tomatillo sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth, adding additional water or olive oil if necessary. Set aside and blend all cashew ricotta ingredients in food processor until creamy and fluffy. Cut the cucumber into 24-28 round, thin slices with a vegetable peeler or mandoline. Scoop about 2t of the filling onto each slice and fold in half. Serve with the tomatillo sauce, and garnish with minced jalapeno or additional cilantro. Delicioso!
