"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

Veggie Burritos

There are no beans in this burrito--vegetables only!  This fine meal was inspired by Minh Nguyen, from her 30 minute recipe DVD "Going Raw! with Ronnie and Minh".  I'd never considered placing my typical veggie sandwich ingredients on anything other than bread, and maybe into the occasional pita pocket.  But wrapping it up in a leaf of collard greens?  I didn't know raw food could taste this good or look so beautiful!  It wasn't even difficult to do!  Minh makes a special pate to spread on the leaf, but I simply used Follow Your Heart's Vegenaise and mustard.  It's not 100% raw with these condiments, but it's pretty close.  I specifically listed the ingredients pictured in my photos, (Thank you, Jordan, for holding my creation!) but you can use any assortment of veggies you want--whatever makes you happy!  Fresh food is healthy and fun!  I hope you give this raw recipe a try!  Makes enough for two large wraps.

Veggie Burritos 

Organic Ingredients:
4 collard green leaves, whole
1/2 head of red leaf lettuce, chopped
1/2 large cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 head of red cabbage, chopped
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 avocado, sliced
1 tomato, diced
2 cups baby spinach
2 cups alfalfa sprouts
Vegenaise (optional)
mustard (optional)
dash of cayenne pepper (optional) 

Instructions:
Rinse and prepare all the vegetables.  Set aside.  Evenly cut off the stems and very bottoms of the collard greens.  Be sure to shave off any tough parts of the leaves' remaining center stems.  Note: the cut ends will be the top of the wrap and the rounded edges will be folded in, like a burrito, to keep the ingredients from falling out.  So when you begin building your wrap, be sure not to cover the leaves' curved edges so you can tuck them in at the end.  Now, place two collard greens onto the counter, one leaf overlapping the other a little bit.  If you want condiments, spread them on the leaves first.  It's finally time to layer in the veggies!  Pile them however you see fit, just remember not to cover the collard green's edges, excepting the cut edge.  When you are done building, tuck the bottom up first, then pull one side in, then the other.  You should have a cute little collard green wrap in your hands--a veggie burrito!  Set aside on a plate, folded edges facing down, and make the second serving.  Enjoy!  (If you have any left-over ingredients, throw them into a bowl together for a side salad at your next meal, or simply rinse off some more collard greens and keep wrapping!)