Raw "Tu-Nut" Salad

I want to go raw. I really do. I am not ready to make that life change quite yet. It's a monumental commitment, and I still have a lot of reading and researching to do.

When I did the master cleanse in February, the outcome was a decision to go vegan. I am gearing up to do another cleanse in late September/early October. Maybe this time, the ultimate goal will be a transition into a raw diet.

Until then, I have challenged myself to try and only eat one cooked meal a day, with every other meal being raw. I think that will be the most realistic progression into a raw lifestyle. It's an experiment, to say the least!

Karina Allrich (the Gluten Free Goddess) re-tweeted this recipe a couple of weeks ago, and I have been anxious to try it ever since. It did not disappoint!

I enjoy things like tofu, and tempeh for their own flavors, and the flavors they take on when they are cooked with other things. When I make a tofu scramble, I am not trying to replicate the flavor of scrambled eggs, rather appreciate the dish for it's own flavor. If I make a tempeh burger that just happens to taste like the real thing, awesome...but it was not the goal.

Well, strangely enough, this raw "tu-nut" salad kind of tastes like tuna fish salad. But it tastes cleaner...no fishy flavors, or heavy oils from the mayo. It's delicious. I opted to keep it raw and pair the salad with cucumber slices and sweet baby heirloom slices (which, by the way, may be the best tomatoes I have ever tasted...part of my farmer's market haul yesterday...see brownish-purple tomatoes below), but the salad would also be awesome as a sandwich.

Kathy's Tu-Nut Salad

2 cups soaked raw unsalted almonds, reserve salted soak-water (I opted NOT to salt...didn't need it!)
1/2-1 cup reserved water
1 cup marinated mushrooms, drained
2 Tbsp liquid from marinated mushroom container
(I used garlic-pickled mushrooms I found at the farmer's market. You could also use Trader Joe's Garlic Marinated Mushrooms)
2 Tbsp grape seed oil
1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup (or agave) (I used agave)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
optional: 1/2 jalapeno with seeds - for spiciness
optional: additional herbs/spices like dried rosemary or fresh tarragon, basil or parsley

Fold-in:
1/2-1 cup celery bits
extra black pepper

Tools: 6-cup+ food processor
*you will need to blend in two batches if using a mini 3-cup food processor*

Directions:

1. Soak your almonds overnight - at least 6 hours. Add a few pinches of good salt to the soaking water. I use a seasoned black sea salt I bought at a specialty store.

2. When you are ready to process the almonds, add 2 cups of the soaked nuts to a food processor. Add about 1/2 cup of the soaking water as well. Next add the maple syrup or agave, grape seed oil, garlic powder and a pinch of the salt and pepper.

3. Blend on medium/high until the mixture becomes blended into fine flaked scraps. Add more water if too dry. You do not want to over-process the nuts for this recipe because you want them to resemble a flaky tuna-inspired texture.

4. Next, add in the mushrooms and mushroom marinade liquid. Any canned or bottled marinated mushrooms should work well. The brand I used were soaked in a vinegar/oil/garlic/seasoning mixture. Just make sure you use juicy marinated mushrooms - something dry and raw will require a few recipe modifications (like adding your own vinegar, much more liquid and extra seasonings).

5. Blend the almond/mushrooms mixture until you are happy with the texture. Pulsing is a good food processor setting to use. Do a taste test and adjust salt/pepper/sweetness/spices/water to your taste buds. If adding jalapeno, do it here.

6. Scoop out the finished product. Set aside.

7. Finely chop about 1/2-1 cup of washed/scrubbed celery. Fold the celery, plus a bit of additional black pepper into the mixture. You can also fold chopped tarragon, dill or flat-leaf parsley into the mix for an 'herbed' flavor.

8. Cover and chill in fridge for a few hours before serving for best taste/texture results.

9. Serve on sandwich bread or as a dip. Perfect for stuffing a pita. No other ingredients required to create a flavorful vegan sandwich you and your family will crave.

original recipe