CLEAN RECIPE: Beet Ravioli with Cashew Cream Cheese

On occasion, I find recipes that jump off the pages, as if to say Erin, you can make this, and it's going to be amazing... This recipe was one of those recipes. Probably because of my undying love for beets.

Fun nutritional benefits of beets:

1. Beets are a natural aphrodisiac. Enough said ;)

2. Beets are high in Potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorous, iron, and Vitamins A, B and C

3. Beets are a natural cleanser of the body - acts as a tonic for the liver, purifies blood and can prevent various forms of cancer.

4. Beets are a way to test your stomach acid levels: If you are eating beets or drinking beet juice and your pee turns pink.. guess what, you have low stomach acid! Wahoo!

5. Beets are an excellent source of energy - low in calories, high in sugar - however, the sugar is released into your system gradually, unlike things like chocolate. Very few foods found in the natural world are as beneficial as BEETS.

Do you see why I love beets so darn much??

Sorry.... back to the recipe.

Important Note: Make sure you marinate the beet slices!!!

Marinade:

1/4 Cup olive oil
1 lemon
sea salt - to taste
pepper - to taste

Marinate for 1 hour to overnight

Side Note: I roasted the marinated beet slices for about 12 minutes at 350˚ to soften the beets just a little to make them more ravioli-like... not mandatory, but recommended in my opinion.

I changed a few things here and there, like roasting the beets just for about 12 minutes at 350˚ to tenderize them ever so slightly, but the cashew cream cheese filling - it's what makes the dish.

Cashew Cream Cheese:

2 cups raw cashews - soaked in water for about 4-8 hours
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tbsp finely diced chives
1/4 cup finely minced parsley
1 1/2 tbsp finely minced shallots or red onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste

Directions: Blend the Cashews with water and lemon juice in a high speed blender until smooth. Stop periodically to scrape the sides of the blender with a spatula.
Transfer mixture to a bowl and mix in the remaining ingredients - OR you can do what I did and blend EVERYTHING in the blender.

Side note: I used garlic powder instead of onion powder, because that's what I had, and you know what? It was still delicious.

Happy Healthy Cooking!!