Archive for category olive oil

Raw Kale Salad with Mango, Culantro & Red Chili

Aug 20

Posted by admin in almonds, culantro, kale, lime, mango, minimalism, olive oil, raw, red chili, simple, vegan | No Comments

Servings: 1-2

Equipment needed: knife, cutting board

Time: 15 min, 30-60 min for marinating

Kale is typically a winter green, but I’ll eat it anytime. I recently had a big bag of it in the fridge and was wondering how to “summer-ize” it. This recipe is what I came up with. I especially love the combo of mango and red chili, I’ve not had it often in dishes. But it really works, and especially in this kind of dish.

I discovered Culantro in a local grocery store a few months ago. There were small plants available in the produce section, and I immediately spotted this plant. I’d never seen anything quite like it, and to my delight, it smelled just like cilantro! Even stronger. I had to have it! So I bought the plant and came home to plant it on my side porch. The leaves look nothing like the leaves of cilantro, although they are related. Culantro is definitely stronger and should be used more sparingly than the more delicate cilantro. So I only use one leaf for any dish I make. Unless of course you’re doubling or tripling the dish for a larger family or group, then of course use more.

This is one of those minimalist recipes using only a few ingredients, so you’re not overloaded by too many tastes. Just enough. And just enough texture, color, and contrast to be interesting. Although some may think this is an “odd” combination, I think it’s fun. Eating doesn’t have to be boring and predictable, live a little! And as always, it’s healthy. And raw vegan.

Raw Kale Salad with Mango, Culantro, & Red Chili:

5-6 large leaves of kale
1/2 mango
1-2 leaves culantro (if using cilantro, 1 small handful)
2 ounces almonds
red chili flakes/powder, to taste
juice of one lime
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
sea salt & black pepper, to taste

De-stem the kale, stack the leaves on top of one another, and slice thinly, width-wise. Peel mango, dice into 1/2 inch cubes. Rough chop the almonds. Add the mango and almonds to the kale. Finely chop the culantro leaf and add to salad. Juice the lime, and add lime juice and olive oil to the other ingredients, toss well to evenly coat. I massage with my hands at this point. Season with red chili, salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and marinate for up to an hour.

-JW

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

Zucchini Fettuccine al Pesto

Jul 4

Posted by admin in basil, fettuccine, garlic, olive oil, pesto, pine nuts, vegan, vegan parmesan, zucchini | No Comments

Equipment needed: vegetable peeler, knife, food processor

Time: 20-30 min

Who doesn’t crave pasta? I certainly do. Classic comfort food, right? But no one wants to wake up in the morning with carb face The solution: raw zucchini “noodles”! Don’t underestimate the simplicity of this dish. This pesto really is delicious. And the noodle texture is surprisingly similar to regular fettuccine noodles.

Zucchini Fettuccine al Pesto:

one medium or two smaller zucchini
1 cup basil leaves
1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup pine nuts
1 garlic clove
pinch of sea salt
vegan parmesan cheese

Using a vegetable peeler to slice thin, flat “fettuccine” style noodles from a zucchini is quick and easy. So go ahead and peel your zucchini, preferably an organic one. Then starting at the top, slice all the way down with your peeler…making a long, flat strip. Peel until you come to the core, you’ll start to see the seeds. Stop here. You can use this for something else later, freeze it, or compost it. Put these “noodles” in a bowl and set aside.

Combine the basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, and vegan parmesan in your food processor and process until the basil is chopped. And your pine nuts and process until smooth. You should still see flecks of the pine nuts in the pesto, so be careful not to process for too long. Toss pesto with your zucchini pasta and serve with chopped tomatoes, fresh basil for garnish, and more vegan parmesan if you like. The pesto will keep in the fridge a few days. I like to toss and let sit or marinate for about 30 minutes before I eat. Enjoy!

-JW

Tags: basil, fettucine, garlic, olive oil, pesto, pine nuts, vegan parmesan, zucchini