Ani's Raw Food Essentials - Ani Phyo [72]
Enjoy immediately.
“RICE”
It’s easy to make a mock “rice” by processing an autumn squash, turnip, and/or jicama into rice-size bits. All these vegetables are hard when whole but soften up when broken down into small pieces. Chopped pine nuts can be mixed in to create an even softer texture. The neutral flavors make for a rice that’s easy to season and works well across many different recipes.
Also, raw seeds can be soaked and sprouted to make raw “rice.” Wild rice and quinoa are both seeds rather than grains and can be soaked and sprouted. I like to soak wild rice for a day or two in filtered water. It will double in size and soften. The texture is chewy, hearty, and perfect on a cold day when I’m craving a heavier, starchier-tasting food. Following, you’ll find tips for soaking and sprouting seeds.
These various rice bases are great with veggies or any of the sauces throughout this book. You can also use the rice with soups, as filling for wraps, or in sushi rolls.
Quinoa only needs to be soaked and sprouted for a few hours. To sprout it, I soak it for 3 to 4 hours, drain the soaked quinoa in a sieve, and rinse it well. I then set it aside in a covered bowl for anywhere from 4 to 8 hours, just until tails sprout and grow to 1/8to ¼ inch. Sprouted quinoa is a bit softer than sesame seeds, but still crunchy.
SUSHI “RICE”
MAKES 2 CUPS
Sushi rice is a glutinous short-grain rice that gets sticky when cooked. It’s seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. My version is made with turnips and pine nuts to add softness, apple cider vinegar for tartness, and a pinch of sea salt.
It’s crumbly rather than sticky and will work best with a sauce that will help it hold together inside your nori rolls.
1½ cups peeled and diced turnips
½ cup pine nuts
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
In a food processor, combine the turnips, pine nuts, and salt. Process into rice-size pieces. Add the vinegar and pulse gently to mix.
Will keep for a couple of days in the fridge.
If you don’t have pine nuts, cashews are a good substitute here. And if you don’t have turnips, you can also use jicama instead.
SOAKED WILD RICE
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
Soaked wild rice is my favorite “rice.” It’s hearty and chewy and tastes great in salads, salsas, and soups. It takes a few days to soak but is easy to prepare. All you need to do is soak and rinse. You can sprout it, too, if you prefer, though I usually don’t bother.
Wild rice is supposedly heated up during the manufacturing process. If you’re concerned about this issue, I encourage you to do your own sleuthing to figure out what works for you. Truly raw sproutable wild rice is available online at my site at Ani-Phyo. com/store, and also at natural food stores and other Web sites.
1½ cups wild rice
3 cups filtered water
Place the wild rice in a bowl and cover with twice as much filtered water. Let it sit for at least twenty-four hours. I prefer to soak for 2 days when I have time. Rinse and change the water two to three times per day, making sure the new water covers the rice. Finally, rinse well before using.
To sprout, pour into a large sieve and rinse well. Set out on your counter top over a bowl, cover, and let sit for 2 to 3 days, rinsing a couple of times a day.
SPROUTED QUINOA
MAKES 2 CUPS
Quinoa, pronounced “keen-waa,” is the seed of the goosefoot plant. It’s rich in amino acids and protein and contains all nine essential amino acids. Quinoa contains lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair; it is also a great source of manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, and phosphorus and is said to help people with migraine headaches, diabetes, and atherosclerosis.
Quinoa only needs to be soaked and sprouted for a few hours. The texture of sprouted quinoa is similar to sesame seeds, and a bit softer. I choose red quinoa when available (though feel free to use the brown, black, or mixed varieties) and like to make a simple