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.