DAY 1: IN THE RAW!

So, Im doing it!  I'm really doing it!  While I do eat a lot of raw food as it is, I have never gone all raw for more than a day.  I have decided I am going to go raw for 5 days.  Starting today, through Friday I will eat only raw foods.  I spent the weekend at the farmers market picking up insane amounts of fruits and veggies.  I spent several days jotting down notes as to what I could eat for my meals.  I spent yesterday preparing several.  Kale chips for snacks, raw cashew cheese and marinara for raw lasagna and the biggest hit of all for my daughter: Raw Jerky.

I was flabbergasted when she tried it, let alone sat there and ate the ENTIRE batch herself, save for a few measly pieces.  That's almost 2 entire portobello mushrooms my 5 year old ate.  Raw.

When I started, I thought mushrooms and eggplant would work well for the chewy texture.

I marinated them for about 6 hours to really absorb the flavors.  I ended up using 2 portobellos and 1/2 small eggplant.  I failed because I let my dehydrator run for far too long without checking the progress and the end result were delicious mushroom jerky and crispy eggplant crackers.  :-/

Raw Vegan Portobello Jerky

3 portobello mushroom caps
1/4 c Shoyu or tamari
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1/2 Tbsp liquid smoke
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 

Slice mushrooms long.  Mix all remaining ingredients together.  Layer your mushroom pieces in a shallow dish (one with a tight fitting lid) and pour marinade over the top.  Cover and turn a few times to coat all of the mushrooms.  It may not look like a lot of marinade, but the mushrooms soften and become smaller as it marinates.  Allow to marinate in the fridge for 6-8 hours, turning every so often to keep the top pieces soaking as well.  Dehydrate for 8-10 hours or until desired consistency is reached.   They should be tough and chewy like jerky.  Enjoy!