Beet Ravioli with cashew cream cheese filling and asparagus salad

Beet Ravioli with Cashew Cream Cheese filling and Asparagus Salad

This one turned out a lot better than I thought it would.   You'll need to use a mandolin to get the beets as thin as possible, otherwise they are a bit too tough.  Next time I would reduce the amount of onion powder, or leave it out completely, in the cashew cream cheese to let the cashew taste come through.  Otherwise I think you just get a big mouthful of onion powder.  This one takes a lot of prep time to marinade beets overnight and soak the cashews in water overnight.  Take the time to do it overnight, it turns out much better than if you try to rush it with just a few hours.

1. Cut the beets as thin as you can on a mandolin.  Then combine with the following marinade either overnight or for at least four hours:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• juice of one lemon
• salt & pepper

2. To prepare the cashew cream cheese, soak 2 cups raw cashews in enough water to cover overnight to soften them. When you are ready to make the cream cheese, do this about an hour before you assemble to let the flavors meld together:

• drain the 2 cups cashews and combine with:
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tspn onion powder
• 1 tbsp shallot finely minced
• 1 tbsp diced chives
• 1/2 tspn salt

in a food processor or a high-speed blender and process until smooth.  Don't confuse your home blender with a high-speed blender, they aren't the same device.  Use a food processor because you want the blades to break down the cashews into a smooth cream.  It's going to take maybe five to ten to fifteen minutes to get creamy enough.  If you think it is taking too long, keep going.  The beets are crunchy enough, you want the filling to be smooth.

3. Once the cream has set for a while, fifteen to thirty minutes, place one layer of beets on your plate.  Put a spoonful of cream and then top with another beet.  You're done with this part.

4. To make the asparagus salad, wait until you've plated your beets, because the asparagus will break down after you shave it and you want a little crunch on it.  When you select asparagus for this salad you want the thicker stalks, but if you end up with thin ones maybe you just want to cut them in half or quarters length-wise.   If you have the thicker ones, I suggest holding the asparagus on a cutting board and run a vegetable peeler from the base to the tip to try and get a shaving like in the first picture above.

Place the shaved asparagus in a bowl, combine with either a tbsp of olive oil or avocado oil and some lemon juice and salt and pepper, then serve on top of, or alongside the beet ravioli.

Polenta Pizza

Polenta after broiling

When you make the polenta in this recipe, be sure to use a stock instead of water for a lot of taste.  

It is pictured here on a cutting board, because you have to put the pizza under the broiler to melt the cheese, and I did not want to use a baking sheet.  However, the truffle oil just slides off and will soak into your cutting board, so I suggest using an oiled baking sheet instead of a board.

Truffled mushroom polenta pizza

1 cup polenta
2 cups mushroom stock (or other flavor)
1 cup grated jack cheese
2 cups sliced mushrooms, crimini, shitake or a mix
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tsp sage leaves chopped
1 tsp tarragon
1 tsp chopped rosemary
5 oz taleggio cheese 
1 tsp truffle oil

Cook the polenta as per the directions, for mine I bring the 2 cups stock to a boil, stir in the polenta and cook on low for 30 minutes until creamy.  

While the polenta is cooking, clean and slice the mushrooms.  Add the olive oil to a hot pan, then mince or slice the garlic and add to the oil for about a minute but do not burn the garlic.  Add mushrooms and sage leaves, saute for 3-5 minutes until they are cooked but not limp, you want some bite left in them for this dish.

Add the grated jack cheese, tarragon, and rosemary and fold until melted into the polenta.