Chickpea "tuna" Cakes with Miso Mustard

This chickpea mix tastes just as good raw as a great sandwich filling or dip. Kelp powder is the secret ingredient to most vegan foods that are trying to recreate a seafood taste. That seaweed flavor is exactly what you need to elevate you dishes to taste like the ocean. I find kelp powder in the bulk spice section at my grocery store but you can also use finely crumbled nori sheets (found in the Asian food aisle).

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Chickpeas, celery, red onion, tahini and lemon finely mixed together and formed into soft, seafood-y cakes with miso mustard.

Miso Mustard
3 tbl dijon mustard
2 tbl white miso paste
1 tbl mirin
2 tsp maple syrup
2 tsp water
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce

Whisk all of the ingredients together and set aside.

Chickpea "tuna" Cakes
1-15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp kelp powder
3 tbl minced red onion
1 celery stalk, minced
2 tbl tahini
1 tbl vegan mayonnaise
2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil

Add the chickpea and kelp powder into a food processor and pulse 4-5 times until the beans have broken up. Add the remaining ingredients except oil and pulse 3-4 more times. The mixture should still be somewhat chunky. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Stop right here and eat this on toasted bread as a sandwich, over greens or with crackers!
OR divide into 5 patties and chill for at least 30 minutes to one hour.
Saute in olive oil until golden brown on both sides.

Mock Tuna Cucumber Rolls

Mock tuna doesn't have to mean eating that nasty fake seafood that tastes like pencil eraser. It means something as simple as sunflower seeds, a bit of kelp powder and all the traditional mix-ins in tuna salad. It's simple and delicious and great for crisp cucumber rolls, in a sandwich or on top of salad.


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Mock Tuna Cucumber Rolls
1 cup raw, shelled sunflower seeds, soaked for at least 6 hours
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbl dill relish
2 tbl chopped, fresh parsley
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 tbl lemon juice
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp dulse flakes or kelp powder
salt and pepper, to taste
2 english cucumbers
black and white sesame seeds

Drain the sunflower seeds and pulse in a food processor about 10 times. Add the onion, celery, garlic, relish, parsley and olive oil. Pulse into a fine but slightly chunky paste. Add the lemon, dill and kelp powder. Pulse to combine.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Peel the cucumber and cut in thirds. Hollow out the middle and fill with the sunflower mixture.
Roll the entire cucumber in sunflower seeds then cut into 1/4-1/2" slices. Sprinkle the cucumber with a little salt right before serving.

Chickpea Salad Sandwich

This chickpea salad is reminiscent of tuna salad sandwiches I used to eat as a kid. It's fast to put together and great for lunches. Additionally, it tastes great just over lettuce and topped with a little vegan cheddar.

Chickpeas, crunchy celery, red onion, dill relish, toasted walnuts and a touch of mustard sandwiched between toasted seed bread with cucumbers and spring greens.

Chickpea Salad
serves 2
1-15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 celery stalk, minced
2 tbl roughly chopped, toasted walnuts
2 tbl vegan mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbl dill relish
1 tbl dijon mustard
2 tsp grated red onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mash the chickpeas into a chunky consistency. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper.

Sandwich Assembly
2 tbl vegan mayonnaise
1/2 cup baby spring mix lettuce
8 thin slices of cucumber
4 slices whole grain bread, toasted

Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on each piece of bread and top with lettuce, cucumber and chickpea salad.

Chickpea "Crab Cakes" with Cocktail Sauce, Blueberry Corn Salad and Star Fruit

I thought I would start a quest to make the best vegan crab cakes possible to serve to my parents the next time I visit them. Being from the East Coast, they are no strangers to crab cakes but they are definitely strangers to crab cakes..minus the crab and plus tons of flavor, texture and good karma. The key to this perfect texture is using dried beans instead of canned. Normally I always use canned beans when I cook because I don't tend to think of what I want to eat until hours prior. The use of dried beans requires some forethought but very minimal execution. Simply soak the beans in water before you go to work in the morning and by dinnertime they will be ready!

"Crab cakes" made simply with chickpeas, a hint of the sea and traditional Old Bay seasoning to give each patty a taste that is wonderfully reminiscent of the real thing. Served with cocktail sauce and a fresh, raw salad with a surprising and bright combination of fresh corn, blueberries, jalapeno and star fruit.

Chickpea Crab Cakes
makes 8 small patties
1 cup dried chickpeas
1 large sweet onion, small dice
1 celery stalk
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp nori powder (or 1/2 tsp finely, finely minced nori sheet)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup canola oil

Soak the chickpeas in water for 10 hours. Drain and toss into a food processor.
Pulse 10 or so times until the chickpeas are ground but not pureed. Add the remaining ingredients except the oil and continue pulsing until no whole beans remain. Be careful not to overdue it, you want texture, not mush.
Form the mixture into 8 small patties and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oil in a saute pan and cook the chickpea patties until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total.

Cocktail Sauce
Traditional cocktail sauce is made with horseradish sauce which is almost never vegan unless you can find it at a specialty store. Knowing I would probably never use it again, I decided to make this sauce without going on a hunt around Portland to find vegan horseradish sauce or fresh root. The result was still a nice spicy-sweet dipping sauce perfect for my crab cakes.
1 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp organic cane sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Blueberry Corn Salad with Star Fruit
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 yellow corn cobs, kernels removed
1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed, minced
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 tbl fresh chopped parsley
2 tbl coconut oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 star fruit, thinly sliced

Combine all of the ingredients except the star fruit and toss. Chill for 15 minutes. Add the star fruit once you are ready to serve.

Summer Boil

Tonight's dinner was inspired by the idea of a shrimp boil, minus the shrimp. Served with loads of great summer time vegetables and a flavorful broth, this meal could be eaten just as is in a big bowl, or over some fluffy jasmine rice.

Summer Vegetable Boil
2 tbl canola oil
1 large sweet onion, large dice
2 celery stalks, small dice
1 lb extra firm tofu, pressed and drained, large dice
2 tbl fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp allspice
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large red potatoes, medium dice
1-15 oz can whole artichoke hearts
1-15oz can diced tomatoes
3 cups vegetable broth
2 corn cobs, cut into 2" pieces
3 tbl chopped fresh parsley
2 cups cooked jasmine rice

Heat the oil and saute the onions and celery over medium heat until soft and translucent, 7 minutes. Add the tofu and all of the seasonings and saute until the tofu is golden brown, 10 minutes. Add the garlic, potatoes, artichoke hearts, tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the corn and cover, cooking 15 minutes more. Serve over rice and garnish with parsley.

Summer Squash Etouffee, Louisiana Style Grilled Tofu, Russian Bananas

It's Fat Tuesday and that means everyone should be eating delicious food native to the home of Mardi Gras, Louisiana. Here I make a vegan version of traditional Etouffee (usually served with crawfish or shrimp, yuck!) with summer squash and zucchini. Etouffee means "smothered" and both vegetables soak up all these the great flavors in no time at all. Great served over rice or potatoes, I used Russian Banana potatoes, a kind of fingerling potato to use as a bed for this dish.
If you have grilled tofu in the past, and found that it sticks pretty bad, that is because your grill isn't hot enough! When searing hot, lay the tofu on the grill and let the grill tell you when to flip the tofu. After 7 minutes, my tofu lifted beautifully and had great grill marks.

Large chunks of summer squash and zucchini smothered in a rich tomato, red pepper and celery stew, served over roasted russian banana potatoes tossed in fresh and dried herbs. Serve with a side of grilled tofu rubbed in traditional Louisianan rub.

Summer Squash Etouffee
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small red onion, medium dice
1/2 small spanish onion, medium dice
2 celery stalks, small dice
1 red bell pepper, medium dice
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, rough chop
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbl ap flour
1 cup vegetable broth
1-15oz can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 large zucchini, large rounds
1 large summer squash, large rounds
1 tbl salt, divided
pepper
1 tsp-1 tbl hot sauce, to taste
3 tbl freshly chopped parsley
2 tbl freshly chopped basil

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or large saute pan. Add the onions, celery, red pepper and 1 tsp of salt. Saute over medium-high heat until the onions are translucent and the other vegetables are soft. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute 4 minutes more until they start to brown. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix to coat and cook out the raw flour flavor, 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, tomatoes, bay leaf, cayenne, remaining 2 tsp of salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the zucchini, summer squash and hot sauce to taste and continue to simmer, covered for 10 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings and toss in parsley and basil off the heat.

Russian Bananas
10 fingerlings, halved lengthwise
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary
salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, grated
3 tbl freshly chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 425.
Bring a large pot of salted water and the fingerlings to a boil. Boil until the potatoes just start to get tender but are not cooked completely. Drain and pat dry.
While still warm, toss the potatoes with oil, dried rosemary, salt and pepper to taste and grated garlic.
Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes until they start to brown and have cooked through fully. Toss with fresh parsley and serve.

Louisiana Style Grilled Tofu
16 oz extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into large cubes
1 tbl salt, paprika, black pepper each
1/2 tsp cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder each
1/4 tsp dried oregano, dried thyme each
1 tbl vegan worcestershire sauce
3-4 dashes hot sauce, more or less to taste
2 tbl canola oil or canola spray
1 scallion, sliced for garnish

Toss the cubes of tofu with all the spices to coat completely. Then drizzle with hot sauce and worcestershire and rub to coat. Store in a plastic bag and marinate for at least 30 minutes, 2 hours is great, overnight is best.
Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Brush the grill pan with oil and add the tofu. Cook, turning on each side for 20 minutes total or until the tofu is firm and has grill marks. Garnish with scallions

Creole Coconut Tofu and Grits, Seared Snap Peas

A play off traditional Southern shrimp and grits, this dish has all the substance and way more flavor.

Fresh tofu roasted in a spicy mixture of maple syrup and cayenne pepper then tossed in coconut shreds and pan fried until golden brown and crisp. Creamy grits serve as a base, cooked with coconut milk and garnished with cilantro and quick seared snap peas.

Creole Coconut Tofu
1lb fresh tofu, cut into large cubes
salt and pepper
1c maple syrup
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup rice flour
2/3 cup shredded coconut
1 1/2 tablespoons creole seasoning
Canola oil for frying
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Preheat the oven to 400.
Season the tofu with salt and pepper.
In a large baking dish, combine the maple syrup and cayenne. Add the tofu and toss. Roast for 25 minutes, tossing every 7 minutes. Let tofu cool in baking dish. Reserve marinade.
In a large paper bag or a bowl, combine the rice flour, coconut shreds and creole blend. Toss the cooled maple tofu thoroughly in the dry mixture. Shake off any excess.
Fill a shallow frying pan with 1/4" canola oil and heat to 350. Fry tofu until golden brown and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. Toss the tofu back in the reserved marinade and fold in cilantro.

Southern Grits
2c water
1 1/4c coconut milk
1 tsp salt
1c quick cooking grits (not instant)
1/4c earth balance vegan butter
salt and pepper to taste

In a small pot, bring the water, coconut milk and salt to a boil. Slowly stir grits into boiling mixture. Stir continuously. Let the mixture return to a boil, cover, lower temperature and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water if necessary. Stir in butter and season with more salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Seared Snap Peas
1 tbl canola oil
3c snap peas
2 tbl lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

In a large saute pan, heat the oil until very lightly smoking. Add the snap peas, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss. Saute for 3-5 minutes until the snap peas are crisp-tender and have seared slightly.

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