Cashew Coconut Halos
They're round, white, and when you take a bite you'll think you've gone to heaven... they're cashew coconut halos! If you have a dehydrator, go make now! Quick!



Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup fresh cocnut meat, roughly chopped
2 medjool dates, pitted

Instructions:
Place the coconut meat in a food processor and mince until in fairly small pieces. Grind the cashews to a fine powder in a coffee grinder then add to the food processor and process until all combined with the coconut. Add the pitted dates and process until they're nicely chopped up and minced through as well. Form the mixture into small cookies, place on a mesh dehydrator sheet and dry for up to 18 hours until they are very crispy around the edges (the length of time will depend on your dehydrator and how moist they are, which in turn depends on your dates and coconut. Check about about 10 hours, and then every few hours after that).

Yum!

Edit: I forgot to mention that this makes about 10 'normal' sized cookies, (I guess that's a rather subjective term) depending on how much of the mixture you eat before it gets dehydrated! :-)

RAW Spaghetti Bolognaise with Parmesan 'Cheese'
Mmm, this is so hearty but at the same time it doesn't leave you full and bloated like regular pasta - just perfect!



Ingredients (for the sauce):
4 large sundried tomatoes (not oil packed)
about 3 tbsp chopped brown onion
about 3 tbsp chopped red capsicum (bell pepper)
1/3 cup firmly packed fresh basil
1 medium sized roma tomato
about 3 tbsp chopped peeled cucumber
water or vegetable juice to thin
1 small button mushroom (or other mushy of choice)

Instructions:
Soak the sundried tomatoes for at least half an hour (longer is better). Place in a food processor with the onion and capsicum and mince, then add the tomato, basil and cucumber. Process until saucy and well combined, then add liquid until it reaches your desired consistency (I like mine thick!) Stir through chunks of mushroom and serve with 'pasta' and parmesan cheese (see below).

Ingredients (for parmesan cheese):
2 tbsp raw cashews
1 small clove garlic
pinch sea salt

Instructions:
In a coffee grinder (or a food processor if you've got a good one!) grind the cashews to a powder. Place in a food processor with the sea salt and garlic and process till garlic is chopped - voila, parmesan cheese!

To make the pasta, use a vegetable spiralizer if you've got one or just grab a veggie peeler and peel pasta-like strips of zucchini into your bowl. Add long thin strips of other veggies as desired - I like sweet potato and butternut pumpkin. Dollop the sauce on top and sprinkle with 'cheese.' Enjoy!

Tip: to save time, I make the cheese first, put it aside in a bowl and use my food processor for the sauce without cleaning it.

Zucchini Cashew Dip
This is a delicious dip, thick and chunky and great with crisp vegetable sticks (I recommend carrot and sweet potato).



Ingredients:
1/4 cup raw cashews
1 small garlic clove
1/2 medium zucchini, peeled (also called courgettes)
2 tbsp parsley
a chunk of cucumber about 3cm (just over an inch) thick, peeled
pinch of sea salt
1-2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
water as neeeded

Instructions:
Grind the cashews and garlic until quite fine in a food processor (how fine you get it will depend on your processor) then add the zucchini, cucumber, parsley and process until all chopped and combined, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add the lemon juice (depending on how much bite you want it to have) and sea salt and process until all mixed, then add water and process until it reaches your desired consistency. Serve and enjoy!

Betternut Bites

These little pumpkin cookies are moist and delicious, with just enough pumpkin flavour peeking through amongst the sweetness from the raisins.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butternut pumpkin chunks
1/4 cup walnuts, soaked
1/4 cup almonds, soaked
3 tbsp raisins
1/2 a small orange

Instructions:
Soak the nuts for at least four hours, then drain. Place pumpkin chunks in a food processor and chop until small pieces, then add the nuts and process until homogenised (all mixed together). Get the orange half in your fist and squeeze out as much juice as you can into the food processor and process for approximately 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides and add 3 'segments' of the orange and the raisins and process, stopping to scrape down the dies as necessary, until the raisins are all chopped. Form the mixture into small balls, place on a mesh dehydrator sheet and flatten a little, then dehydrate for 6 hours, flip over and dehydrate for another six. If you want crispier 'bites,' dehydrate for another 3 hours or so. If you don't have a dehydrator these could probably be cooked in an oven on lowest heat.