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

Tempeh Pesto Stuffed Tomatoes

That was a long hiatus that I don't wish to take again...It's been a busy summer! My dad came to visit, then my position was cut at work, then my sister came to visit, then I got a new job, then I went on vacation and, finally, I decided to take a few minutes for me.

I enjoyed a trip to the weekly evening farmer's market near my neighborhood where I made a serious haul for a mere $20. Included in that were 3 perfect heirloom tomatoes.

Tonight, I decided to beat the heat and indulge in a genuine tomato and tempeh dish that required very little from my stove top.

This recipe comes from a wonderful website I just discovered entitled, "Healthy Happy Life." I didn't alter a thing which, as you know, is rare for me. I am sure I will be re-posting several of her recipes on my food blog as they all seem to be pretty fantastic. Here is the original recipe: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/04/tempeh-pesto-stuffed-tomatoes.html

Tempeh Pesto Stuffed Tomatoes
serves two

2 beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes
1 cup pesto (recipe below)
1 cup tempeh, sliced into thin strips
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp black pepper
salt, to taste
1 lemon, juiced
garnish: salt pepper, fresh basil

Tomato Prep:
Slice out the stem of the tomato.
Slice into tomato at a deep angle on all sides until you are able pull the top off.
Hollow out the tomato. Keep 1/4 inch thick tomato rind still in tact.
Use removed tomato flesh when making the pesto.
Repeat for each tomato you are stuffing.


Roasted Walnut Cheesy Pesto
makes about 1 1/3 cups

1 large lemon, juiced
1 cup maple-toasted walnuts
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp black pepper
1 large bunch of basil, leaves
1/2 cup flat parsley, chopped
2-3 Tbsp vegan Parmesan cheese (I like the one in the purple shaker bottle)
5-7 cloves of garlic
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp fresh oregano
1 jalapeno, de-stemmed (de-seeding optional)
flesh from one of the cored tomatoes

To make:
Maple-toasted Walnuts:
Saute walnuts on high heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 Tbsp of maple syrup for 2 minutes.
Add walnuts to food processor.
Add basil, salt, lemon juice, cheese, pepper, parsley, garlic, olive oil, oregano and jalapeno to food processor. Blend on high until thick and fully processed. Pesto should be nutty and smooth, but not over-blended.


Tempeh:
Turn heat on high.
Place 1 Tbsp olive oil in a saute pan.
Add tempeh. Lay the tempeh strips in one layer in bottom of pan.
Add in 3 Tbsp of lemon juice, 1 Tbsp of maple syrup and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Let saute for 2 minutes.
Flip tempeh. Bottom side should have browned up nicely. If not, cook this side a bit longer than the first.
Add a bit more lemon juice and another dash of the remaining salt and pepper.
When tempeh is done, set aside.

Tomato Assembly:
Spoon 1 heaping spoonful of pesto on the bottom of the tomatoes.
Place one of the limper tempeh strips over the pesto in the bottom of the tomato.
Add in a few more spoonfuls of pesto and arrange 4-5 tempeh strips sticking out of the tomato. Spoon another final bit of pesto. Garnish with fresh basil and leftover candied walnuts and/or pine nuts (whatever you used in the pesto.)
Grind fresh black pepper on top.

Place tops back on tomato if you wish, or leave them open.

I indulged in my stuffed tomato with a glass (or 3, let's be serious) of riesling kabinett. I found that the saltiness and slight spice of the pesto paired really well with the sweetness of the riesling.

Enjoy!!

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

Potatoes are so ridiculous. Have you ever had a variation of potatoes that you didn't like? Because I really don't think that I have...Red-skinned, yukon, gold, purple peruvian, russet, deep-fried, baked, mashed, au gratin, scalloped, potato salad, tater tots...It just doesn't matter. I love them any style, any time.

Today's recipe is a creamy, cheesy-tasting, too-rich-to-be-vegan dish that should not be missed. Karina Allrich (the gluten-free goddess) highlights my favorite vegan "cheese" sauce to date, and I use it in dishes other than these potatoes.

Enjoy!

You'll need:
4 medium gold potatoes, scrubbed (the first time I used gold potatoes, this time I used red-skins. Both turned out awesome)
Sea salt

Boil a pot of salted water. Slice the potatoes very thin and parboil them for 5 minutes; drain.

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons light olive oil
2 tablespoons millet (or rice) flour
2 1/2 cups unsweetened plain hemp milk- I use Tempt
4 rounded tablespoons good tasting nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons sesame tahini (or almond/cashew butter)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or more, to taste
A good dash or two of Simply Organic Garlic Powder, to taste
A good dash or two of Simply Organic Minced Onion, to taste
1/2 teaspoon gluten-free Dijon or honey mustard
1 tablespoon golden balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, or lemon juice- to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup white wine, to taste
1 cup frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, chopped

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and stir in the millet/rice flour (I like to use a whisk to do this). Cook and stir the flour for about 30 seconds- it will make thick paste- and continue stirring to cook the raw flour taste out of it. Slowly add in the hemp milk, whisking to blend the flour paste and hemp milk. Bring the mixture to a bubble (it will thicken as it heats) then reduce the heat to low. Add the nutritional yeast, sesame tahini, sea salt, garlic and onion powder, mustard, vinegar, nutmeg, paprika or turmeric, wine; whisk to blend. Add in the chopped artichokes. Continue heating and stirring the sauce over gentle heat for about five to ten minutes till thickened. Remove from heat.

Assemble your dish: Rub a clove of raw garlic in a gratin style shallow baking dish or casserole. Layer about half of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Pour half the sauce over this layer. Press down a bit, making sure the sauce seeps in and around all the slices. Add in the remaining potatoes and pour the rest of the sauce all over the top. Press down a bit and shimmy the edges to allow the sauce to sneak in all around the edges. (I like to add a light dusting of nutritional yeast on top to give it a crisp, cheesy finish) Cover and bake for 50 minutes. Then uncover and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Serves 4.

original recipe source: http://karinaskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/02/vegan-scalloped-potatoes.html