If you are still fine-tuning your Thanksgiving menu, consider incorporating a raw dish or two. Here is one of our favorites, from organic vegan chef Jason Wrobel, whose new TV show, How to Live to 100, is debuting on the Cooking Channel in January. (Wrobel’s new vegan food and lifestyle book will also be released in 2014.)
As Wrobel likes to say, “If you just make a few small changes—one raw meal a day—it’s going to make a massive difference in the way you feel.” Baby steps. After all, you don’t have to be a raw foodie to add raw to your repertoire.
We love this recipe because it is easy to prepare, loaded with nutrients, and a refreshing change from your standard mashed potatoes. “This raw and vegan recipe is a fantastic substitute for cooked mashed potatoes as it’s higher in minerals and enzymes while being non-dairy and much lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than a traditional recipe,” says Wrobel. Enjoy!
Smashed Rootatoes
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients:
6 cups jicama root, peeled and chopped
2 cups parsnips, peeled and chopped
4 cups raw cashews, soaked 2 hours
1 to 1 1/2 cups coconut milk or coconut water
4 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons fresh garlic minced
2 small shallots, minced
4 teaspoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons sea salt
Black pepper, to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Directions:
Process the chopped jicama root and parsnips in the food processor until a rice-like consistency is achieved. Press out most of the excess liquid with a cheesecloth, nut milk bag or fine-mesh strainer. Be sure to leave some liquid in the mixture, as you’ll need a little moisture to blend the rootatoes properly.
Place the semi-wet jicama and parsnip mixture with all remaining ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until very smooth and well combined. Add the coconut milk or water gradually until the desired thickness is achieved. Serve immediately or place the rootatoes in a glass baking dish and warm in a dehydrator or oven at 115 to 120 degrees for 45 minutes until warm and ready to serve.
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