Rawsome! Mushroom Loaf

My 6-day fast has come to an end. I have plenty of energy and have dropped 7 pounds. I feel great and I want to stay feeling that way. So, I'm following up by transitioning to more of a raw foods diet.

Raw food. Not only does this raw mushroom and nut loaf make for a great family dinner entree, but it is a big success with guests during the holidays. I served it at our raw foods potluck and party last December; everyone was amazed how good it was. I'm serving it on Valentine's Day, too.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups almonds, soaked overnight, then rinsed
1-1/2 cups pecans, soaked overnight, rinsed, then dehydrated until crunchy - about 12 hours
1 cup chopped fresh shiitake mushrooms (if dried, soak for 2 hours first)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon of herb mixture: 1 tablespoon each of dried: sage, thyme, rosemary and parsley
1/2-3/4 cup water
4 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 tablespoons flaxseeds, soaked in 6 tablespoons water for 15 minutes

Directions:

1. Puree all of the ingredients in a food processor until well ground, except the celery, onion, bell pepper and soaked flaxseeds.
2. In a large bowl, combine the celery, onion and hydrated flaxseeds with the rest of the ground ingredients and mix well.
3. Shape the mixture into a shallow loaf on a solid dehydrator sheet and dehydrate for 12 hours.

Serves 8

Recipe adapted from Rawsome! - Maximizing Health, Energy, and Culinary Delight with the Raw Foods Diet by Brigitte Mars. Page 202.