Raw Sprouted Sunflower Seed Dip and Sandwich Spread

Three dips and spreads and two Crackers. A party, a snack, or lunch. A great entry into exploring raw and living foods while treating friends, family and yourself to some very healthy and tasty treats! When I serve this at parties and events, most people are surprised it is raw and are amazed at the vibrant flavors that cooking depletes from the flavor in foods.
Enjoy!

This makes a tasty dip with veggies for a party snack or use as a sandwich spread made with soaked sunflower seeds. It mocks a tuna salad and with the dulse seaweed flakes, had a very mild tuna flavor. Dulse is an excellent source of iodine. I have even made a great grilled sandwich when I am missing grilled tuna salad sandwiches.

Sunflower seeds are a great source of vitamin E. They are also a very good source of vitamin B1. In addition, sunflower seeds are a good source of manganese, magnesium, copper, selenium, phosphorus, vitamin B5 and folate.

In this recipe make sure you buy raw shelled sunflower seeds. You need to soak the seeds overnight to begin the sprouting process which adds the extra benefit of activating live enzymes which help aid better absorption of all the good nutrients found in sunflower seeds. I have used this spread with sprouted grain bread which I can eat on rare occasions, But as shown in the photo, wrapping the spread in swiss chard leaves along with other veggies gives a nice crispy dark leafy green wrap and a serving of dark leafy greens to boot. You will find that all the nuts in the raw recipes require extra time for soaking as well. Not all nuts will sprout, such as walnuts and hazelnuts. The long soak also serves to draw out the tanic acids in raw nuts that inhibit the body's ability to absorb the proteins. One reason people get stomach aches and gas from eating un-soaked raw nuts.

I use cashews to make an easy rich eggless vegan mayonnaise with a nice creamy tang.

The night before: Soak in a small bowl
1 cup organic raw shelled sunflower seeds
The next day, strain and rinse sunflower seeds and place in a food processor with:
1/2 tablespoon dulse seaweed flakes
1 teaspoon Real Salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Pulse until well blended and somewhat smooth. Doesn't have to be completely paste. The spread is better with some texture to it. Scrap into a bowl.
Chop into fine pieces:
1/2 a tart apple
1 stalk celery
Add everything to the sunflower mixture.

In a high speed blender jar:
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Real Salt
1/4 teaspoon garam marsala
Blend on high speed, stopping to scrap down the sides on occasion, until creamy. Add the cashew mayo to the sunflower mixture and mix well. Taste to adjust for seasoning.

For one sandwich wrap, wash, dry and stem one large swiss chard leaf. Cut into quarters and smear with a spoon full of the sunflower spread. Slice some tomato and ripe avocado to lay on top of the spread. I like to add sprouts and then roll the leaves up to eat. Makes a great meal to take along on a hike if you pack the rolls tightly in a re-sealable sandwich baggy. (I take them along in my backpack when I ski for lunch too) You can also use large squares of the Sweet Onion Flax crackers or Spinach Crackers. (I dry the Spinach crackers until soft instead of crisp, so they are bendable to use as a wrap)

Raw Zucchini Hummus
Raw Pepita Seed Burrito Filling or dip
Raw Curried Spinach Flax Seed Crackers
Raw Sweet Onion Flax Crackers