Raw Salisbury Steak...Really? Really.

Last weekend, I taught my first raw food class – an Alissa Cohen Living on Live Food Level 1 – and had a ball. I think the students enjoyed it as well, and I’m really looking forward to teaching more classes very soon! Check out www.rawteachers.com/angelasalvucci for upcoming classes.

During class, I mentioned that once you get the hang of it, it can be fun and relatively easy to make raw versions of some of your favorite cooked foods. I said “Except maybe something like Salisbury Steak.” Well, a few days later, I found myself in possession of quite a few mushrooms, and decided to try for a version of that TV dinner, elementary school cafeteria classic.

I think I’ve probably actually had Salisbury steak maybe once or twice, and I looked at a few online recipes to get an idea. It’s basically meatloaf patties, maybe seasoned a little differently, perhaps made with a different cut of meat, but who knows – it’s all beef to me. Anyway, several of the recipes called for Montreal steak seasoning, some kind of steak sauce, and some onion to mix with the steak. There actually was some Montreal steak seasoning – just a mix of coarse salt, pepper, red pepper, maybe a little fennel, dehydrated garlic and onion, a little paprika – in the cabinet, leftover from my fiancé’s dark ages, and so began my little attempt at raw Salisbury Steak...

3 portobello mushroom caps, chopped

1 cup walnuts

½-1 teaspoon steak seasoning (blend of dry spices)

1-2 teaspoons Bragg Liquid Aminos or Nama Shoyu

Extra dash of onion powder (there likely already is some in the steak seasoning)

2 teaspoons olive oil

First, process walnuts in a food processor until they are finely ground. Set aside. Put mushroom in a food processor, and process until it is in very small, but still recognizable pieces, like a very fine dice. Add mushrooms and spices and oil to walnuts, and smoosh together with your hands. I recommend starting out small with the spices, and tasting as you add a little more, so it doesn’t get too salty. Form into oblong, ½ inch high patties, about four. Dehydrate for 3-4 hours.

In the meantime, make your mushroom gravy!

1 ½ cup chopped button mushrooms, but 6-8 extra sliced thin

1 tablespoon Bragg Liquid Aminos or Nama Shoyu

1 tablespoon olive oil

Blend 1 ½ cups if button mushrooms and liquids (again, start small with the salty seasoning!) in a food processor until smooth, then add the slice mushrooms. Stir to combine, and warm in the dehydrator if desires.

Serve with raw mashed “potatoes” or creamed spinach for that authentic TV dinner treat! The photo here is not pretty, but it is pretty tasty!