Saturday, February 27, 2010

"Tuna" Salad Sandwich


The other day, I found myself dearly wishing for something tuna-fishy.  Not actual tuna, no no, but just something similar, to soothe my cravings.  Enter blogger, Zucchini Breath, at "Big Raw Vegan Blog".  She is full of earthy, tasty, raw, compassionate goodness over there!   While roaming her web address, I found a wonderful adaptation on this old classic.  Sometimes I get scared off by recipes that appear difficult to put together, but her chickpeas formula looked simple enough, even for timid little me!  :)  And it was well worth the easy effort!  I didn't have any nori, nor dulse, available for my first batch, but still, it was tasty.  For my second trial, I made certain to include the seaweeds and also a dash of relish--it was even more delish than before!  Sandwich heaven!  I admit to using more Vegenaise than some people might like, and I did leave out the vinegar, but really, this recipe is ready to go, hardly an adjustment needed.  I hope you give this "tuna" salad a try-- it doesn't disappoint!  For the ultimate sandwich, pair it with a couple of whole-wheat toasts and some freshly cut, organic tomatoes and lettuce, even cucumber!  Or wrap it up in a leaf of collard greens along with some thinly-pared veggies and homegrown alfalfa sprouts!  Enjoy!  Makes two large servings.

"Tuna" Salad Sandwich

Organic Ingredients:
1 15oz. can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 or 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/4 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup Vegenaise
1 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 tbsp sweet relish
2 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 or 2 tbsp dill weed
2 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp onion powder
pepper, to taste
2 tbsp ground nori (equivalent to half a sheet)
1 tbsp dulse, finely chopped



Instructions:
Open the can of chickpeas, drain off excess liquid, and pour into a large, wide bowl.  Use a fork or a potato masher to crush the beans.  Smash them to a consistency similar to tuna, or to your preference.  Set aside.  To finely chop the celery and onion, use a food processor.  If you don't have a fancy machine, no problem, just mince them down to size the old-fashioned way--with a knife!  Add these veggies to the chickpeas.  Now, measure in the Vegenaise, Bragg's, relish, lemon juice, dill, nutritional yeast, onion powder, and pepper.  Stir lightly; set aside.  Next, grab the nori and dulse.  Hopefully, you have these two seaweeds in a dry, flake form, already ground up, and easily measurable.  If not, here's what you do:  For the nori, take half a sheet, roll it up tightly, then gently cut away at the edges of the roll.  It will start to flake apart.  After a few minutes, you should have the approximate two tablespoons.  Add it to the bowl.  To prepare the dulse, pinch a tablespoon sized section from the dry, crinkled mass.  Rinse this small amount under gently running water, to wash away impurities.  Once wet, the dulse will start to break apart, even between your fingers.  Just chop it a little and manipulate it until it is mostly in fine pieces.  Or use your handy food processor.  Add it to the bowl.  Finally, give the mixture a thorough stirring.  Hooray, it's finished!  Ideally, cover and refrigerate for an hour or more before serving to let the nori hydrate and the flavors blend.  But if you can't wait that long to enjoy your "tuna" salad, I understand.  :D

13 comments:

Vegan Epicurean said...

Valerie,

I love using greens in place of bread, and your collard wrap looks SO good. Beautiful pics.

Thanks for sharing!
Alicia

Anonymous said...

Looks great!

kelli said...

yum! great photos!=)

Michal said...

Sounds yummy to me! :)

Enjoy your weekend.

HiHoRosie said...

Thanks for the link to my contest. :)

And your pics look super good! Yum!

Averie @ Averie Cooks said...

i love how you didnt use nuts in here! so many mock tunas use too many raw nuts which can be a digestive burden I find..i love your recipe!

and the theo bar and zelda reference..LOVE it!!!

thx for all your contest entries and i love the last post and tab u're gonna create. cool!

cc said...

You make all your food look so tasty! How do you do it? I get scared to try new recipes right now in case they hit my gag button and the time is wasted, but I really want to try this sandwich (and I still need to make your Sushi!) I keep telling Brian I want a personal chef right now. Vegan would be so easy if I had someone like you!

Zucchini Breath said...

What a great recipe! I think we may have this for dinner sometime next week. Thanks for the shout out! Great photos.

Zucchini Breath said...

Oh, that is a great idea about crumbling the nori, I love it!

Vegan Valerie said...

Hi ladies! You spoil me with your kind words! But none of this yumminess would be possible without the recipe shared with me by blogger, Zucchini Breath--Thank you! I am so flattered that you have given me your blessing, Miss Zucchini!

I love all of you! Thank you for your encouragement!

Zucchini Breath said...

o__0 I'm going to put some garbanzos up to sprout so I can make this next week

Heather said...

I printed this one out. Can't wait to try it!

Gauri Radha गौरी राधा said...

That sandwich looks splendid :-)