Garlicky Red Pepper Dip With Basil And Cashew Cream - Why Cruciferous Veggies Fight Cancer When Eaten Raw

Raw Vegan and Gluten Free Red Pepper Dip
shown with broccoli, radishes and purple bell peppers.

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Creamy and Garlicky Appetizer 
At the end of the day, Doug and I enjoy sitting on the back deck that overlooks Turtle Vines, our organic Pinot noir vineyard. Right now the grapes are starting to turn purple and harvest is only six weeks away. While we sit and count the humming birds, we like to enjoy a little glass of wine and have an appetizer. This one was so yummy and hearty, it pretty much turned into our dinner!

Being allergic to cheese, I love anything that's creamy yet dairy-free. This one fits the bill. Raw Cashews provide a creamy base for this easy-to-make red pepper dip. Garlic, lemon, basil and red pepper provide the delicious flavor. With just a handful of simple ingredients and a good blender, this appetizer will please anyone - even those who are gluten free!

Raw Benefits
Everyone has heard that eating broccoli is good for you. It's a cruciferous vegetable and contains phytochemicals that helps the body fight cancer cells and prevent tumor growth.  Broccoli contains the enzyme myrosinase that helps convert these phytochemicals into their most potent, cancer-fighting forms. Unfortunately, this enzyme is destroyed by heat. So the best way to take advantage of these health benefits is to eat raw broccoli.

Broccoli retains most cancer-fighting
chemicals when eaten raw

Don't Like Raw Broccoli? Dip it in This!
I don't really enjoy raw broccoli as much as I like it steamed. But for some reason, I totally love raw broccoli when it's coated in this yummy dip! So if you want to get the most health benefits out of broccoli, radishes, cauliflower, daikon, and other cruciferous veggies, try dipping them in this creamy appetizer.

Red Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are another vegetable (they are actually a fruit) that are best eaten raw. They are an excellent source of vitamin C but this critical vitamin is extremely heat sensitive. That's why I use raw red bell pepper (and not roasted red bell pepper) in this recipe.

Eat red peppers raw to get the most vitamin C.

1 medium bell pepper contains:
37 calories
2.5 g dietary fiber
75% daily requirement of vitamin A
253% daily requirement of vitamin C
Also a good source of B6 and folate

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Garlicky Red Pepper Dip with Basil and Cashew Cream
Vegan, Gluten Free
Requires a high-speed blender (such as a Vitamix or Blendtec)
[makes 4 servings]

Allow 6 hours for soaking cashews.

1 cup raw cashews
1 medium fresh red bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped (or 3 if you love garlic)
3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
Water as needed (about 1 tablespoon)
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped

Soak the cashews for 6 hours. Rinse well and place in a high-speed blender with bell pepper, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth. Add about a tablespoon of water, if needed, to achieve the desired consistency.

Remove the mixture from the blender and place in a bowl. Stir in the basil and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.

Serve with sliced raw veggies - broccoli spears, radishes, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, etc. 

Per serving (dip only): 170 calories, 12 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 29 g omega-3 and 2,198 g omega-6 fatty acid, 0 mg cholesterol, 6 g protein, 13 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, and 439 mg sodium.

If you enjoyed this recipe ....
take a look at my ebook, Health Begins in the Kitchen: Delicious and Easy Vegan Recipes and Seasonal Food Plan Plus Raw Food Cleanse.