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My body sometimes calls for a cleanse, a detox, anything to aid the digestive system and encourage me to eat more simply. Summer is the perfect time, when local, fresh vegetables, herbs and fruits are plentiful. I recently decided to eat only raw, plant-based dishes for two weeks. That means only fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds in their uncooked forms – no dairy, meat, sugar, alcohol or refined foods. I’m not even allowed to cook anything! It may seem extreme, but it can also force you to get creative with recipes and food prep.
The thought of dehydrated sweet potatoes turned into crackers was irresistible, especially when paired with a garden-fresh gazpacho. If you aren’t in possession of a dehydrator, you can also make these chips in a very low-temperature oven. While using any temperature higher than 115 degrees is technically not raw cooking, the effect is largely the same. Just give the oven plenty of time – four to five hours – to slowly dry the mixture for a crisp crunch.
Raw Sweet Potato Crackers Makes about 70 2-inch crackers
3 cups peeled and shredded sweet potato
3 cups corn kernels
1 cup chopped greens (kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, etc.)
½ large red pepper, chopped
Juice of half a lime
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves
1/3 cup ground chia seeds
1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds, soaked overnight
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1½. Tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ tsp. allspice
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the shredded sweet potato, corn, greens, red pepper, lime juice, apple cider vinegar and garlic and blend for 1 minute. Add the chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and cilantro and pulse until thoroughly mixed. Then add the sea salt, red pepper flakes and allspice and pulse again until blended.
• If using a dehydrator, preheat it to 110 to 115 degrees. Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly in ¼- to 1/3-inch layers on 2 dehydrator sheets or parchment paper-lined dehydrator trays. Use a knife to score into 2-inch squares or desired cracker size.
• Dehydrate about 20 hours to achieve crisp crackers, flipping once to help them dry evenly.
• If using the oven, preheat it to the lowest temperature possible. Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly in ¼- to 1/3-inch layers on 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Use a knife to score into 2-inch squares or desired cracker size.
• Place the trays in the oven, propping the door open slightly. If possible, place a fan in front of the oven door to encourage air circulation. Bake 4 to 5 hours until the cracker sheet feels stiff and dry.
• Slide the sheets onto a wire rack to cool and completely harden, then break into crackers.
Garden Gazpacho 8 servings
4 large tomatoes, quartered
¾ cup peeled and shredded sweet potato
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 small cucumber, chopped
¼ cup chopped red onion
½ large red pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. chopped parsley
3 Tbsp. chopped basil
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
Hot sauce to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Chopped avocado for garnish
• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the tomatoes until roughly chopped. Add the sweet potato, celery, cucumber, onion, red pepper and garlic and process until desired gazpacho consistency is achieved.
• Drizzle in the oil and add the parsley, basil, vinegar, lime juice, hot sauce, salt and pepper and pulse a few more seconds to fully blend.
• Garnish the gazpacho with fresh herbs and serve with raw sweet potato crackers and chopped avocado.
This article appears in Readers’ Choice 2014.