Beetroot Ravioli With Cashew Cheese

By Chad Sarno (Crazy Sexy Kitchen)
Yield 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

Marinade:

• 1/4 cup olive or garlic oil
• 1 lemon
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Beetroot Ravioli:

• 2 large beets, peeled and sliced into paper-thin rounds
• 1 cup Cashew Cream Cheese (see below)

Asparagus Salad:

• 1/2 bunch asparagus
• 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin-seed oil, or quality olive oil
• 1/2 lemon
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Garnish (optional):

• Fresh minced chives
• Aged balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Sea salt, to taste

Method:

1. Prepare Marinade: Combine olive oil, squeeze of lemon, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add sliced beets and marinate for at least 1 hour to overnight.
2. Prepare Ravioli: Lay half of the sliced, marinated beets on a flat surface (these are the bottom layer of your ravioli). Using a spoon, scoop one tablespoon of the Cashew Cream Cheese in the center of each beet slice (you could also use a pastry bag). Cover the cheese with another sliced beet to complete the ravioli.
3. Prepare Asparagus Salad: Shave the asparagus into long, thin pieces using a veggie peeler. Combine the asparagus, toasted pumpkin-seed oil, squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper in a bowl, and gently toss to mix ingredients well. Do this just before serving, to ensure you keep the crispness of the veggies.
4. Serve: Place 6 to 8 ravioli on each plate. Arrange a handful of shaved and dressed Asparagus Salad on top of the ravioli. Garnish with minced chives, a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar, cracked pepper, and a pinch of sea salt if using.

Ingredients:

Cashew Cream Cheese (makes 2 cups):

• 2 cups raw cashews, soaked for a few hours or overnight in water, to soften
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely diced chives
• 1/4 cup finely minced parsley
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely minced shallots or red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Blend the soaked cashews with water and lemon juice in high-speed blender, until smooth. Pause often to scrape sides of blender and fold ingredients to ensure a creamy texture.
2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the nutritional yeast, onion powder, chives, parsley, shallots, salt, and pepper, mixing thoroughly.