Raw Vegetable Salsa & Cooked "Chili"

Step 1: Preparing the Raw Vegetable Salsa

• 1 small red onion, (1/2 cup diced)
• 1 medium zucchini (1 cup diced)
• 1 medium red pepper (1 cup diced)
• 2 tomatoes (1 cup diced)
• 1 bunch cilantro (1/2 cup chopped)
• 2 small cloves garlic
• 2 tsp date paste* (maple syrup or agave)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

To prepare the salsa, first dice the onion, zucchini, red pepper and tomato and place into a bowl. Roughly chop the cilantro and mince the garlic and add to the bowl.

Next, add the date paste, coriander, cumin, chili powder and salt.

*Note: To make a small amount of date paste, place one pitted date into a small bowl and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of boiling hot water. Let sit for a minute or two and then mash into a paste (search Rouxbe for "Date Paste" recipe).

Fold everything together. At this point, remove about 1/3 of the mixture and place into the food processor. Pulse several times until fairly smooth. Add this mixture back to the bowl of salsa and stir to combine. 

Set aside while you prepare the chili mix.

Step 2: Preparing the "Chili" Mix

• 1 cup cremini mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup raw walnuts
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos (tamari or soy sauce)
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

To prepare the ingredients, place everything into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is crumbly and just starts to come together.

Place this mixture onto a parchment lined baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes or until the moisture has evaporated from the mushrooms and the mixture has browned nicely. Be sure to stir the mixture once or twice during cooking.

To serve the dish, place some of the salsa into a bowl and top with some of the mushroom chili mixture. Garnish with some fresh cilantro, if desired, and enjoy!

This is a dish i had to prepare during culinary school