Crusted Herbed Macadamia Nut Cheese Ravioli | Raw

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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, grain-free ~

Ravioli. Comfort food embodied.

That almost sums it up in the simple sentence. Ravioli is often made up of cheese, carbs, and spicy tomato sauce. And it’s no wonder that cheesy foods are revered as comfort food. Scientists claim that cheese and dairy products can trigger the brain’s opioid receptors, which are responsible for addiction. But I am not going to get into all of that; my main focus is about comfort foods and what sparked the creation of this recipe.

Comfort food is food that causes us to feel more psychologically comfortable. They give us that sense of home, the feeling of contentment, or of being grounded.

Foods have the power to create nostalgic feelings, a wistful memory of times that now seem better, simpler, or they re-establish the familiar. They have a different identity and meaning for everyone.

Just a whiff of your favorite childhood food can cause memories to come flooding in.  There is no stopping it; it happens within a split second. It might create a glimmer of a smile to adorn your face, or you might long for a hug, or it could even have the opposite effect.

Seeking out comfort food is ultimately inevitable.  There is nothing wrong with that, but most comfort foods come with an unhealthy price tag attached and, in the end, washes away that feeling that we were so desperately seeking.

We can remedy that by taking “those” foods and healthifying them. Turn them into being a pleasure, but not a guilty pleasure. We can combine food enjoyment and health… aligning them to run parallel for the ultimate positive relationship with food, as well as with ourselves.

So on to the recipe at hand… Crusted Herbed Macadamia Nut Cheese Ravioli… I have to confess that some childhood memory didn’t spark the craving for such a dish. It was designed out of necessity; I needed a plate of food that was nutritious and grounding.  I wanted a plate of food that wouldn’t leave me feeling bogged down. Instead, I wanted to walk away feeling light, satisfied, you know, the type of dish that makes your taste buds squeal in delight.

Buy me a new hat and take me dancing… I accomplished just that! I made small squares of young Thai coconut wraps, plumped them up with a creamy herbed cultured macadamia nut cheese,  bathed them in a seasoned Italian coating, and dehydrated them to perfection. I then served a raw marinara sauce on the side for dipping. The bright acidity of the tomatoes balances out the richness of the ravioli, leaving me to feel well-grounded… There was no doubt I had partaken of a wonderful comfort food! I hope you give this recipe a try. And if you do, please leave a comment below. Blessings, amie sue

Ingredients:

yields roughly 58 (1 tsp filling per ravioli)

Culturing base for cheese:

• 2 cups (300 g) macadamias, soaked for 8 hours
• 1 cup (216 g) water
• 1 tsp (2 g) probiotics

Add-ins for cheese:

• 1 Tbsp (5 g) nutritional yeast
• 3/4 tsp (6 g) Himalayan pink salt
• 1/2 tsp (2 g) garlic powder
• 1/4 cup (5 g) fresh chopped parsley, rosemary, Thyme, or cilantro

Crust Dredging Station:

• 1/2 cup fine almond flour
• 1/3 cup ground flax seeds
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/8 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 1-2 cups coconut milk

Ravioli Wrap:

• Coconut wraps, homemade or 4 store-bought

Preparation:

1. After the mac nuts are done soaking, drain, and rinse them before adding to the recipe.
   • Soaking the nuts will help neutralize the flavor and reduce digestive inhibitors.
   • Macadamia nuts don’t soften, like other nuts when soaked.
2. In a high powered blender, combine the macadamia nuts, water, and probiotics. Blend until creamy.
   • If you detect any grittiness, keep blending.
   • Keep one hand on the base of the blender carafe and make sure that it doesn’t get too warm.
3. Place a strainer inside of a bowl and line the strainer with cheesecloth, allowing the edges to drape over the edge of the bowl.
   • Place a nut bag in the center of the cheesecloth and pour the cheese into the bag, close and pile the rest of the bag on top, then wrap the cheesecloth around everything.
   • If you don’t have a nut bag, you can pour the cheese mix straight into the cheesecloth, just be sure to double or triple the layers.  The nut bag is my personal preference but is not required.
4. Place a weight on top of the cheesecloth ball.
   • It should not be so heavy that it pushes the cheese through the cloth, but heavy enough to start to press the liquid out gently.
   • I either use a mason jar filled with water or marbles for the weight.  Cover everything with a towel.
5. Leave to ferment for 24-48 hours at room temperature.
   • Use the timing as a basic range. The culturing process can go slower or quicker than expected, depending on the ambient room temperature.
   • Taste test the cheese throughout the fermenting process to find the “sweet spot” of flavor that you prefer. Be sure to use a clean spoon, so you don’t contaminate the cheese.

After fermentation:

1. Once fermentation is complete, remove the cheese from the cloth and place in a medium-sized bowl.
2. Stir in the salt, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and fresh herbs.
3. Place in the fridge in an airtight container overnight to firm up.
   • If the cheese holds its shape well enough right away, go ahead and proceed with the recipe. You can make these cheese days in advance if you want.

Ravioli Wrap:

1. I used store-bought coconut wraps. If you make your own, follow the directions on the link above on how to make them.
2. Cut into quarters, then cut those in half.  You should get 16 pieces per coconut wrap.
3. Dip each piece of coconut wrap in water or pass it through the water running from the faucet.
   • This technique will soften them and make them tacky, so the edges stick together when folded in half.
4. Place 1 tsp of cheese towards one end of the wrap, but do not spread it all the way to the edge.
5. Fold the wrap in half and with gentle fingers, lightly press the edges of the wrap together.
   • Be careful that you don’t press too hard, or it will cause the cheese to squish out of the edging.
   • Don’t try to make them perfectly flat and square… ravioli are lumpy, plump, and uniquely shaped.

Dredging Station:

1. Mix the crust ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and pour the milk in another.
   • You can use any non-dairy milk. I used thick coconut milk.
2. Dip each ravioli into the milk, give it a little shake (nothing violent) then lay it into the dry crust mix. Flip it over and push the crust mixture on it, so it covers both sides.
   • Use 1 hand for dipping in milk and 1 hand for dipping in the crust mix. Your finger will get thick with batter. You might want to rinse them off every once in a while.
3. Place each ravioli on the mesh sheet that comes with the dehydrator. Repeat the process until all the ravioli are coated.
4. Dehydrate at 115 degrees (F) for 4-6 hours.

 

Tags: Gluten Free, Raw, Vegan