Salad | The Sweet Life

Raw Pad Thai

May 7, 2013 13 Comments

It has been hot!

This is not typical for Oregon spring. Usually around this time of year we are getting a healthy dose of rain that get our early crops growing and keep our trees and grass green. Right now it feels like August. Eden is sitting on my lap wearing only a diaper, Swede (the dog) is passed out next to us, tongue hanging the side of her mouth, and I am downing ice water like it’s strawberry sorbet (because that’s what I wish it was).

I really do hope the rain comes to nourishes the earth and helps grow the food. Until then I will enjoy the unseasonal heat with refreshing dinner like this Pad Thai.

padthai3

This Pad Thai is made out of zucchini noodles and shredded carrots made from my new mandoline (love it!) and dressed with a light and zingy Pad Thai sauce that is so refreshing you may just find yourself licking the plate.

padthai

Raw Pad Thai
serves 2

1 large zucchini, peeled
1 small carrot, peeled shredded
1/4 cup bean sprouts
2 green onions, chopped (plus more for garnis)
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (plus more for garnish)
2 tbsp cashews, chopped (for garnish)
1 lime

Dressing
3 tbsp raw almond butter
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp tamari
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp cilantro
1/4-1/2 small jalapeño, chopped (to taste)

Using a mandoline, julienne peeler, or your awesome knife skills slice the zucchini into very thin, noodle sized strips. Place in a bowl and add carrots, bean sprouts, onions, and cilantro. Mix to combine. Set aside.

In a blender or food processor combine all the ingredients for the dressing, blending until smooth. Pour over noodle mixture and toss to coat.

Divide evenly on two separate plates and top with cilantro, green onions, and cashews. Squeeze fresh lime juice over pad thai and enjoy!

Vegan Cobb Salad

April 23, 2013 11 Comments

cobbsalad4

I made this salad for lunch today. Craving some serious proteins my original plan was to put some tempeh bacon on a salad, throw on some nuts, and call it good. Moments later I was online looking at Cobb Salad recipes. I had no idea this salad was so vegan unfriendly.

Well that of course got my head spinning and my blood flowing as veganizing is my super power.

After a quick look I was happy to discover that all I needed was an avocado. Eden was eager for a walk anyway, so we put on our shoes and jackets and Eden grabbed her reusable grocery bag, which is too cute not to share:

eden

and we took the short walk to the store all the while discussing how I was going to make a vegan hard boiled egg. Discussion might not be the right word, but Eden did learn how to say “egg”.

When I got home I tried carving eggs out of tofu and creating a “yoke” with a little seasonings. In theory it worked great, but I had used extra-firm sprouted tofu and was a bit disappointed with the texture. So Eden and I put on our shoes and jackets and went back to the grocery store for some silken tofu. I laughed with the cashier about my forgetfulness and returned home. When I got home I re-made the eggs, quite thrilled with the results.

By this time it was nearing noon, so I turned on the heat under my cast iron skillet and started heating up my vegan meats.

Now it was time to assemble.

Except I didn’t have any lettuce. Now this was getting ridiculous. Preparation, it turns out, is not my superpower. Eden and I put back on our shoes and jackets for a third time and walked back to the store. This time I went to a different cashier on the other side of the store because honestly, it was starting to get embarrassing.

The good news: I had certainly worked up an appetite by the time I was finally finished. Also, all that work was totally worth it.

I hope you agree.

cobbsalad5

Vegan Cobb Salad
serves 2

Salad
1/2 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 vegan chicken breast (I used Gardein’s Chicken Scallopini)
4 strips of vegan bacon (I used Tofurky’s Smoky Maple Bacon Strips)
or you can make your own
1/2 tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 avocado, cubed
1 vegan hard boiled egg (recipe follows), chopped
1/4 cup raw vegan goat cheese*

*Please note that my goat cheese recipe takes at least 12 hours of advance preparation.

Dressing
*adapted from Simply Recipes

2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp spicy mustard
1/2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional)
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together until well combined.

Vegan Hard Boiled “Eggs”
2-3 ounces extra-firm silken tofu
You will only use 2-3 ounces but if you want them to shape them like eggs, start with a whole block.
1/2 tsp spicy mustard
pinch of turmeric
pinch of salt

It is very important to use extra-firm silken tofu for the eggs, both for texture and mold-ability.

Using a small ice cream scoop gently carve out two halved ovals from the block of tofu. These should look like two halves of a hard boiled egg. With a melon baller scoop out the middle of each egg. Do not scoop too deep into the tofu as it will easily break. Transfer the excess tofu to a small bowl. Add mustard and turmeric and with a fork (or your fingers) mix together until the tofu is mashed and spices are well combined. Return to eggs, filling to the top. Top with a pinch of salt.

Place in the refrigerator while preparing the salad.

To simplify, cube 2-3 ounces of tofu, mixing about 1/3 of the cubes with the mustard and turmeric.

cobbsalad2 Prepare the vegan chicken and bacon according to packaged directions.

To assemble the salads, spread romaine lettuce evenly between two plates. Add the remaining ingredients in rows however you see fit. Top with Cobb Salad dressing and enjoy!

cobbsalad1

Question of the Day:

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

By day I’m a mom, but when that kid goes to bed I become: The Veganizer

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Raw Taco Salad

Raw “Goat Cheese” Pear Stacked Salad

Filed Under: dinner, salad Tagged With: dinner, gluten-free meals, salad

Raw “Goat Cheese” Salad with Pears, Hazelnuts, and Cherries

February 17, 2013 2 Comments

stackedsalad4

Last week on Valentine’s Day my mom hosted a luncheon for her daughters (me and my two sisters) and our daughters (Eden and my two nieces). It was a very nice occasion to get together; we watched the little ones run around chasing each other, made valentines cards out of contruction paper, and hunted for hidden treasures. At the lunch my mom served a stacked salad inspired by this. I, of course, then got inspired to make my own version because I can’t imagine a more elegant way to enjoy a fresh salad.

Originally I was planning on using Diaya spreadable cheese to stack in between pears and arugula, but with a desire to eat less processed foods and more raw foods I realized this dish was the perfect time to try making a raw nut cheese.

cheese

stackedsalad5

Vegan Goat Cheese Stacked Salad
Makes 2

1 large pear
1 large handful of fresh arugula or mixed greens
2-3 tbsp chopped hazelnuts
2-3 tbsp dried cherries

Macadamia Nut “Goat” Cheese
Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Macadamia Nut “Goat” Cheese
Makes about 3/4 cup

1 cup macadamia nuts, soaked 8-10 hours
1 tbsp unpasteurized white miso
2-3 tbsp water, as needed
pinch of salt
2-3 tsp lemon juice

Drain and rinse the macadamia nuts.

In a food processor or powerful blender mix together nuts, miso, salt and water (as needed) until it forms a smooth paste. You may need to stop the blender and scrape down the sides a couple times. Transfer onto a double layer cheesecloth, wrap into a small log, and let cheese to sit out for 12- 36 hours in a warm area of the house; the cheese becomes more tangy and salty as it sits.

Remove cheese from cheesecloth and adjust flavors (if necessary) by adding lemon juice and/or salt. Store in the refrigerator.

Sweet Apple Cider Vinaigrette

2-3 tbsp raw agave
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cold pressed olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

In a blender combine agave, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. With motor running, slowly add olive oil until thick and well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Store in refrigerator.

stackedsalad6

To assemble the salad: Core the pear and slice it into thin slices. Place few leafs of arugula on a plate and cover with a pear slice. Top the pear with a few hazelnut-sized pieces of nut cheese and a couple of dried cherries. Layer with a couple more small pieces of arugula and repeat 4 times. It will look like this:

arugula
pear
goat cheese & cherries
arugula
pear
goat cheese & cherries
etc….

It will also look like this:

stackedsalad

Top with cheese, cherries and a few crushed hazelnuts and finish with Sweet Apple Cider Vinegar. Serve immediately.

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Cuban Tempeh

Raw Tuna Salad

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Filed Under: dinner, Raw/Mostly Raw, salad Tagged With: dinner, gluten-free meals, nut cheese, raw, salad

Raw Taco Salad

January 11, 2013 18 Comments

Nine months ago I thought that eating raw meant carrots and walnuts for dinner and desserts of dates and bananas. I also thought it was all or nothing. So I chose nothing. Veganism, at the time, was entirely for ethical reasons and I didn’t feel any need to further restrict my diet.

In starting this blog last April I started working with new foods in my kitchen experiments. I eliminated tofu and processed vegan substitutes (mostly) in search of natural, whole food substitutes. And through that I began to discover that raw food was a whole lot more than carrots, walnuts, and bananas. I also learned that eating raw (for me) did not have to be all or nothing. Rather it could fluidly appear in my vegan diet for certain seasons, days, or even meals. Most interestingly of all, my ventures into raw food revealed new and creative ways to prepare and eat that in no way felt restrictive. A similar feeling, I am now reminded, to when I transition to a vegan diet.

This last week was the first time I ate raw for any length of time. Live food felt so good to my body and I didn’t have to feel bad when I ate way too many of these raw Salted Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies:

And many of the recipes I created this week will definitely become regulars in my house.

Especially this one.

Raw Taco Salad
Serves 4

What you need:

1. A large head of lettuce, shredded
2. 1 lime
3. Walnut Taco Meat

2 cups walnuts, soaked 4-6 hours
1 tbsp dehydrated minced onion
2-3 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne

Blend walnuts in a food process until they break down into small crumbs. Do not over mix, they will quickly form a paste. Add remaining ingredients and pulse a few times until well blended. Remove from processor and set aside.

4. Easy Guacamole

2 small, ripe avocados
1/2 cup tomato, diced
3 tbsp red onion, diced
Juice of 1/2 a lime
salt to taste

In a small bowl mash the avocados until fairly smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix together.

5. Pico de Gallo

2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/4 cup of cilantro, minced
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
salt to taste

Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl.

6. Cashew Sour Cream

1 cup cashews, soaked 4-6 hours
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

Blend the soaked cashews with 1/2 cup water in a food processor or powerful blender until very smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend until well combined.

To assemble, mound a generous handful of lettuce on each plate. Spoon the Taco Meat, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole onto the bed of lettuce. Drizzle Cashew Sour Cream over the top and finish with the juice of a lime. Serve immediately.

Raw Tuna Salad

January 7, 2013 7 Comments

I have decided to make this Raw Week at The Sweet Life. Struggling in the second week of Back-to-Health January, I choose to refocus with whole, unprocessed, real foods. Besides, raw food has occupied my mind recently as I have been hard at work on my first ebook; a cookbook featuring some delicious raw desserts.

SPOILER ALERT:

cook2

But more on that later…

Over a leisurely weekend of hanging with family, lots of naps, some cooking, and helping my mom on her new blog, I threw together this Tuna Salad. I love this recipe because it is so quick to make and easily provides lunch for a week.

raw

Adapted from The Complete Book of Raw Food by Lori Baird

Raw Tuna Salad
makes about 6 cups

2 cups walnuts, soaked overnight and rinsed
2 cup carrots, chopped
1/4 cup raw tahini
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup parsley
1/2 cup dill
salt and pepper to taste

Combine walnuts, carrots, tahini, and lemon juice in a food processor or powerful blender and combine it forms a rough paste. Depending on the strength of your processor, you may need to do this is two batches. Scrape mixture into a large bowl.

In the same processor combine chopped celery, onions, garlic, parsley, and dill and pulse a few times until vegetables are blended to a small dice. Add to walnut carrot mixture and combine with a spatula. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Enjoy on a bed of green, in between bread, or with raw flax crackers (recipe to come).

Raw Tuna Salad with Flax Seed Crackers

Have you been journeying with me during Back-to-Health month? What kind of challenges have you faced? Have you made any recipes worth sharing?

It has been harder than I expected to get out of some of my bad holiday eating habits. I still want sweets at the end of every day (or meal) and I’ve been craving breads and carbs. Here’s hoping a week of raw foods will kick these holiday habits for good.

Asian Noodle Salad

June 12, 2012 5 Comments

Recently I have had several requests for more savory, easy-to-make, foods on The Sweet Life. This Asian Noodle Salad is perfect! You can make it early on in the week and enjoy for several days to come, the ingredients are easy to find and affordable, you can make it in about 15 minutes. Oh and it’s delicious!

Asian Noodle Salad

8 ounces udon noodles
2 cups napa cabbage, shredded
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
3 scallions, chopped
2 tbsp basil leaves, chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

Spicy Peanut Sauce
1/2 tbsp peanut butter
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2-3 tsp green curry paste or chili paste
2 garlic cloves, minced

Cook the noodles in boiling water according to package directions. Meanwhile chop up all the vegetables and herbs and place in large bowl. Mix together ingredients for peanut sauce and set aside.

When noodles are done, drain and rinse under cool water to prevent sticking. Once completely cool, toss in bowl with vegetables and mix until thoroughly combined.

When ready to serve add peanut sauce and toss to coat.

Filed Under: salad Tagged With: noodles, salad

Raw Pad Thai

Vegan Cobb Salad

Raw “Goat Cheese” Salad with Pears, Hazelnuts, and Cherries

Raw Taco Salad

What you need:

Raw Tuna Salad

Asian Noodle Salad

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