Live Cauliflower Curry and Watermelon Gazpacho

By admingen | May 28, 2015 |

Although we tend to associate the most nutritious foods with vivid greens, reds and yellows, the all-white cauliflower is a favorite for raw, plant-based eaters not only for its versatility in a variety of recipes, but also for its incredible antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, heart- and brain-boosting benefits. Another reason not to be fooled by its rather sober color: One serving of cauliflower contains about 75% of the daily value of vitamin C!

This week, Chef Rich has cooked up a creamy curry that explodes with multiple flavors—and nutrition that takes your health up a notch or two.

Q: What are your favorite flavors in this Cauliflower Curry?

We have been serving a cooked Cauliflower Curry at the Health Retreat for years now, and it’s become a huge favorite on our menus. I wanted to use some of the same flavors to make an equally delicious and satisfying raw version, and this recipe does not disappoint. The creamy, tangy curry sauce is complemented beautifully by the fresh herbs and spring onions. Along with the cashews and dates, which provide some nice texture and sweetness, the flavors literally come alive in this dish!

Q: Can you give us some guidance on the nuts?

At the Health Retreat, we always soak our raw nuts before eating them. This makes them much more easily digestible, and allows you to absorb many more nutrients from the nut.

For storage purposes, we dehydrate our nuts after they’ve been soaked, just until they’re dry, so that we can store them in jars in the freezer. If this is something you don’t want to do, you can always just soak what you will be using for a specific recipe. For brown-skinned nuts (almonds, pecans, etc.), we recommend soaking overnight. For white-skinned nuts (cashews, macadamias etc.), soaking for just a couple of hours is fine.

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, so it’s the perfect time to get your hydration levels up with watermelon!

To help you incorporate watermelon into your diet creatively and simply, Chef Rich has created the Watermelon Summer Gazpacho just in time for the heat. He says, “This dish is sweet, herbaceous and refreshing, and of course packed with amazing live nutrients and enzymes. You can also play around with the flavors, herbs and seasonings to personalize this soup to your own tastes. I love it with the fresh ginger added, and some extra mint and basil, but you can try the recipe as is and make it your own.”

Chef Rich says, “I’m not sure a smoothie gets more simple or more delicious that this one, which is why I call it perfection! It’s almost reminiscent of a creamsicle, and is by far my favorite way to enjoy cantaloupe. So many of us scoop out the seeds and throw them away when preparing to eat this melon, but the seeds are where so much of the nutrients and enzymes reside. Blending them into a smoothie is the perfect solution!”

*If your cantaloupe is extra sweet, you can leave out the liquid stevia, but adding a few drops enhances the flavor of the cantaloupe.

Whipped up a dish you fell in love with? Share your vegan or plant-based recipe with your fellow healthy eaters! Your recipe may be featured on myHDiet.com and in the Fall In Love Again With Food Again newsletter.