Hong Kong – Private Raw Food (Vegan) Chef – Moises Mehl

Topic: Private Raw Food (Vegan) Chef – Moises Mehl
Cuisine: Raw Food/Vegan/Vegetarian
Date: Apirl 21, 2010
Location: Hong Kong
Address: At home (in Hong Kong)
Price Range: $1000HKD about $133CAD (This does not include costs of purchasing all ingredients for recipes)

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

**Recommendations: Coconut Lime Cheesecake

While in Hong Kong my wonderful cousin, who is also a Yoga instructor, hired a private raw food chef for the day. Although neither of us are vegans or vegetarians I still like to learn about new food and cook new recipes. This was definitely something exciting and different.

How it works?

1. Hire Chef who will e-mail you the recipes for that day.
2. Customer buys required ingredients for recipes.
3. Private chef arrives to your house and teaches you about raw foods and new recipes.
4. Chef cooks for you and with you. (About 4 dishes, about 4 hours)
5. Pay. Eat. Complete. (Clean up on your own)

Private Raw Food Chef – Moises Mehl

My cousin hired Rawfoodist Moises Mehl or “Moy” who has been practicing the raw food lifestyle for years. He studied spiritual nutrition as well as yoga and traveled around the world to discover more about raw foods. He now resides in Hong Kong and continues to pass on his knowledge as a private raw food chef, caterer and coach.

The Food and Experience

I would recommend this sort of thing if you’re planning to really get into the raw food/vegan movement, and also if you don’t really know how to cook, but what to learn.

The ingredients  do add up, especially since most are things you wouldn’t have in the cupboard unless you’re vegan. There’s also some specialty items you need to pre order or buy online. It gets quite expensive, so overall it’s an experience you really have to pay for. Most of his recipes are adapted with a few of his own creative twists.

I’m including the raw/vegan recipes we learned today, with my own twists –  so this is a very special post! 😉

On the table:

These are some of the specialty items required for some of the raw food recipes. It was “superfood” overload – I felt healthy looking at it.

Soy Spiced Almonds Recipe

1. Soak raw almonds for a couple hours.
2. Toss almonds in soy sauce and your choice of spices (chili, cumin etc.)
3. Place on baking sheet and put in food dehydrator overnight or until dry.

**RAW/Vegan Coconut Lime Cheesecake Recipe – 6/6

I highly recommend this recipe. This is delicious and there’s no baking/cooking or cheese. It’s  frozen “cheesecake” made from coconut and cashews and the crust is made from almonds and dates.

One of my favourite cakes – the best vegan cake I’ve tried…but I haven’t tried many =p I like it better than real cheesecake (but I don’t really like cheesecake…so that doesn’t say much either lol)

It tastes like a frozen ice cream cake but even better!

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups raw almonds (soaked overnight)
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes
• 3 ounces Medjool dates
• 1/4 tsp organic vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp organic almond extract
• 1/8 tsp salt

Filling:

• 3 cups raw cashews (soaked overnight)
• 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk
• 1 cup of fresh lime juice
• Zest of 3 limes
• 3/4 cup Agave syrup
• 2 tsp liquid vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp lecithin
• 3/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
• Coconut flakes for decoration

Directions:
Crust

1. Place half of almonds, dates and coconut flakes, blend until it becomes a sticky paste.

2. Remove from blender, then place the other half and add the remaining ingredients (vanilla, almond, salt). You can add some water to allow the paste to mix. Not too much, try to keep it thick and sticky. (Use a knife to help you if there are still almond chunks.

3. Wax the pie pan with coconut oil and firmly press into the pan to form the crust.

Filling

1. Open 2 coconuts and use the juice from one coconut and the pulp of 2 coconuts. (If it looks thick, use less pulp. Blend together until smooth and slightly warm.

2. Add lecithin, blend again.

3. Add half of the cashews and the lime juice, add the agave nectar. Pulse. Add the rest of the cashews, vanilla and salt and blend until smooth. Add the zest and pulse until combined.

4. Pour the coconut mixture into the pie crust and shake it until it is even. Ensure there are no air bubbles and drag a skewer into the filling to release any that may be hidden underneath.

5. Sprinkle coconut flakes on top, but lightly because they may sink.

5. Place on freezer for about 4-5 hrs.

6. Use a toothpick to check it’s firm all the way down.

7. To remove pie from pan use a knife to score around the edges of the pie.  Carefully slide it into the board.

8. Stores for 5-6 days in the freezer.

We made mini coconut lime cheesecake tarts as well.

Recipe inspired by Matthew Rogers & Moises Mehl

Directions

RAW/Vegan Onion Bread  Recipe – 4/6

This is an uncooked bread made from sunflower seed and onions. The food dehydrator is used to “bake” it although it never fully cooks. It’s nice and crispy flat bread that’s almost like a chewy cracker. It goes well with hummus and has a Middle Eastern flavour. 

Ingredients:

• 3 Large yellow or purple onions
• 3/4 cup flax seed (ground high speed blender)
• 3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds (ground)
• 1/3 cup Nama Shoyu or 1/2 soy 1/2 water of 1/3 of a cup
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• Optional 1 tsp of ground cumin seed

Directions:

1. Cut raw onions into rings.

2. Ground the flax seeds and sunflowers seeds with a coffee bean grinder or spice grinder.

3. Mix onions and ground seed paste. Add ground cumin here if you prefer.

4. Spread evenly onto wax paper or teflex sheet and dehydrate. (Oven is an alternative)

Dehydrate:
First 1-2 hrs: 145’F
Then 120-115’F: 12 hrs

Flip the bread, removing teflex sheets into another mesh. Dehydrate for other 12 hrs or less, taste as desired

Inspired by Matt Amsden and Moises Mehl.

RAW/Vegan Live Hummus Recipe – 2/6

This is a raw hummus which means instead of chick peas it is made from zucchini. I was pretty amazed by this recipe, although it doesn’t taste that great. It’s a nice raw food substitute for real hummus – but I much prefer the real deal.

Ingredients:

• 2 zucchini (jade melon zucchini or regular organic is appropriate)
• 3/4 tahini paste (raw if possible)
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup cold pressed olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tbs ground cumin

Directions:

1. Chop zucchini into small chunks.

2. Add olive oil, zucchini chunks and remaining ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

3. Place hummus into dish and decorate with olive oil and paprika.

4. Eat with raw onion bread and veggie sticks.

Serves 4

Stores for 1-2 days
Inspired by Matt Amsden and Moises Mehl

RAW/Vegan Jackfruit Roll Up/Leather – 3.5/6

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Jack fruit
• 2 tbs of flax seed meal

Directions:

1. Blend jack fruit and flax seeds into a smooth puree.

2. Spread evenly onto a teflex sheet and dehyrate at 115 F for about 8-10 hrs.

3. Peel the sheets and wrap your favorite fruit with it.