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Archive for category kelp noodles

Fordhook Limas & Kelp Noodle Pesto with Lemon

Jul 21

Posted by admin in basil, fordhook limas, garlic, kelp noodles, lemons, olive oil, pesto, vegan, vegan parmesan, walnuts | 1 Comment

Equipment needed: food processor, knife, cutting board

Time: 30 min

My basil plant is so huge and lush this time of year that I MUST take advantage of it’s odiferous, basily goodness Ok, so I made up the word “basily” but “odiferous” really is a word! You’ve just gotta love words like that…. I have a great view of my basil plants from my side porch where I hang out morning and night, and so I’ve been thinking of ways to incorporate it into dishes. I actually thought of basil ice-cream yesterday, seriously. Apparently it’s not new, I googled it and lots of people have attempted it already. A sweet, basil ice-cream. But, that will wait until another day! Oh…one of my cats, Ava, came inside the other day smelling of basil. I’ve never known her to play in the basil bush, but even she’s into it these days.

Today’s recipe consists of my favorite kelp noodle “pasta”, lightly cooked fordhook lima beans, a mostly raw vegan pesto, and fresh lemon juice. My hands still smell of basil

Fordhook Limas & Kelp Noodle Pesto with Lemon:

1/2 package Sea Tangle kelp noodles
1/4 cup fordhook limas (these are the really big ones and are meatier than the smaller ones)
1 cup of fresh basil
juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup walnuts (or pine nuts if you have them)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup vegan parmesan (or regular parm if you prefer, or Bragg’s nutritional yeast to keep it raw)
sea salt to taste
freshly cracked black pepper to taste
pinch of nutmeg

Soak a 1/2 package of Sea Tangle kelp noodles in water with the juice of half a lemon for about 30 minutes or so. This will soften the noodles and give them a better taste and texture. Boil fordhook limas according to package, if using frozen as I did. Set aside. Combine all other ingredients and process in food processor until nuts are broken down. The pesto should have a texture, not be completely smooth. Drain your noodles in a colander. Take a pair of kitchen scissors and snip them a bit, this will make the strands easier to roll on your fork later. Otherwise, it’s a nice little mess. Toss your noodles with the pesto, add the limas, and chiffonade some extra basil leaves to toss in, maybe an extra touch of olive oil at the end. I squeezed a little extra lemon juice at the end also. I’ve never used lemon in pesto until today, and I really liked it. But, this is optional… you may prefer a traditional pesto. The nutmeg was an after thought, and it turned out well I think. But again, this is a personal preference.

This is a great summer lunch or dinner, enjoy!

-JW

Tags: basil, fordhook limas, garlic, kelp noodles, lemon, pesto, vegan, vegan parmesan, walnuts

Asian Kelp Noodle Explosion

Feb 4

Posted by admin in almond butter, kelp noodles, tahini | 5 Comments

This is an asian inspired raw pasta made with kelp (seaweed) noodles. Surprise, not all seaweed is green! Kelp noodles are loaded with minerals and vitamins that your body doesn’t always get enough of. And these noodles aren’t full of empty carbs that you’re body can surely do without! They don’t have a strong, off-putting taste like some seaweed. You can find them at Sea Tangle Noodle Company or, like everything else these days, at Amazon.

You’re going to need to plan ahead to allow for soaking time in a bath of water and lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar). These noodles are a little rubbery straight out of the bag. The acid in the lemon or vinegar softens the texture, and the water plumps them up a bit. It also tames the mildly bitter flavor. You won’t regret this first step. Just fill a bowl with some filtered water and add the juice of half a lemon or a tablespoon of the vinegar. I used Bragg’s raw apple cider vinegar on these.

While the noodles are soaking, put together this yummy, spicy almond butter-tahini dressing:

2 Tablespoons almond butter (substitute peanut or cashew butter)
1 Tablespoon tahini
1.5 Tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (substitute Tamari, Nama Shoyu, or Soy Sauce)
1.5 Tablespoons raw agave (substitute honey or maple syrup)
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 piece of garlic
1/2 piece of ginger (*see below for how to always have this on hand!)
cayenne to taste
red pepper flakes to taste (I go heavy on these ’cause I like some heat)

*Skip the dried ginger, it has very little taste. Buy a knob of ginger root in the produce section. Use what you need and freeze the rest. When a recipe calls for it, just take it out and cut off a piece, use a knife or vegetable peeler to shave off the woody, outer bark. This is the best way to always have it on hand, and it keeps from wasting a leftover knob.

Since I ran out of almond butter in the jar, I made my almond butter from scratch. There were just enough almonds in my fridge to pull it off. It’s simple, but a bit time consuming. All you need are raw almonds, and a food processor. Oh, and patience!

It will look like this when you first start grinding:

After a while, the almonds will start to stick against the walls of the container. Stop pulsing, and use a spatula or spoon to scrape down the sides. Keep grinding. In 10 – 15 minutes it will look like this:

Keep scraping the sides, and after a little while longer, you will have almond butter that looks like this:

Drain and rinse your kelp noodles, squeeze out the excess water and place in your bowl. Toss with the asian dressing until well coated. If you want, you can add some chopped veggies. Good choices are bok choy, red bell pepper, cilantro, basil, grated carrot, green onion, and sesame seeds. Set aside the combined dish to let the flavors culminate, for about 15 minutes.