Did We Get Natasha Hooked?

A few weeks back we got Natasha, an aspiring chef, to try a raw chocolate pudding.  She fell in love, on the spot.  And when she later got the recipe from us she ran out to load up on avocados, and has been raiding her fridge spoonful by spoonful ever since.

On another recent visit she tried some Carob Balls we had, full of sesame seeds (but made with cacao instead of carob, cuz we don't like carob.  I'm not suggesting that cacao is a health food.  Lots of debate out there.  I presently am in neither camp, but still use it somewhat sparingly....I suppose its still good for enticing people).  She also had some nut pate and a (not Pea-)nut sauce on a rye crisp.

Then she was coming over for lunch to see Rauchelle, and as a chef who adores food we knew we could put her to work.  So I had the ingredients ready for her to make our Blueberry Dream Cake, but with strawberries instead.  This was a raw cake she'd mentioned wanting to try, so we decided we'd share it with her after she learned how to make it.

So, here's Natasha making the topping for the cake, startled by Everette & the camera.

Next on the list was for her to make a Sun-dried Tomato Pate made with walnuts, which Natasha claims she doesn't like, but she sure liked the pate!

For lunch we served up wraps of your choice ~ nori, rice paper, or romaine leaves.  Everybody got to stuff them with whatever they wanted.  Options included :
~spiralized carrots and beets
~dill pickles
~celery
~cucumber
~sun-dried tomato pate
~almond & veggie pate
~cultured cabbage/carrot/cauliflower/broccoli mix
~spinach
~avocado
~green onions
~hot mustard dip
~spicy (pea-)nut sauce
~creamy ranch dressing (raw, tastes like a Caesar salad dressing with Parmesan cheese in it, but its a    raw recipe made primarily from macadamia nuts & lemon juice)

We discovered after having the rice papers (not raw) a couple of times, some of the children prefer just putting it in romaine leaves like a boat.  I don't think they can get past the gummy texture of the rice wrappers.  Some of the dc put up with the texture because its fun soaking and wrapping their own creations.  Or, like Toveli, she likes to blow into her rice wrap and watch the other end expand!  Whatever!

I think Mitchell has decided he prefers the nori rolls, Anders and Gaelyn the lettuce, and the rest don't mind the rice papers (my intention was for them to be an option, a fun packaging to get more greens & veggies down their throats).  Most of the family also likes to make 'sandwiches' in the romaine.  And most of us also like making collard wraps, we just didn't offer that option the other day.

Overall, its been a hit.  It's somewhat like a big salad bar, but you take it in the Wrap!

And we finished it all off with this creation from Natasha!  (this recipe is from Andrea Nison )