Instant Pot Kale Gomae With Tahini

A room temperature summer salad

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ALL YEAR ROUND SALAD

One of the things I miss the most during this pandemic, besides seeing my children, grandchildren and friends, is eating out in restaurants. Sure, I have enough food in my veggie garden to feed the entire town, but it's nice to occasionally go out and have someone else do the cooking and cleaning up. For now, the most I will dare to do is takeout, but it's just not the same.

Recently, I was missing going to our favorite Japanese restaurant and eating their spinach gomae salad. Since I'm growing kale in two of my garden boxes this summer (see below), and not spinach, I thought I'd try making this salad at home using kale. Although most of the recipes I have found make the dressing by grinding sesame seeds, I took the easy way by starting with raw tahini.

KALE GOMAE

Vegan, Dairy and Gluten Free

[makes 6 servings]

INGREDIENTS

2 bunches kale

1/4 cup water

3 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoon gluten free tamari soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon sherry or miron

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon water if needed

1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

Prepare the kale: Wash the kale and remove the center stems. Roll up and cut in 1/2" slices. Place the sliced kale in an Instant Pot with 1/4 cup of water. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. When done, immediately release the pressure and drain the kale. If you do not have an Instant Pot, steam the kale on the stove top until tender.

Place the drained kale in a bowl and let cool to room temperature or place in the refrigerator if you prefer the salad slightly chilled.

Make the dressing: Place the tahini in a small bowl. Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, miron and sugar. If the dressing is too thick, add a bit of water but that may not be necessary.

Toss the kale with the desired amount of dressing. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and serve.

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Zucchini And Corn Fritters With Fresh BasilVegetarian, Dairy And Gluten Free

A yummy recipe to use up your garden zucchini!

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Grow Your Own Food
We've had a veggie garden for decades but it's never been as important as now. With the pandemic, we try to avoid the grocery store as much as possible so we grew extra food this season.

Happily, the garden is flourishing! We are growing four types of tomatoes, two types of beans, corn, zucchini, cucumbers, several types of carrots, shishito, padrone, jalapeño and bell peppers, red and green lettuce, radishes, eggplant, kale and more. 

It's only been a few weeks since our first zucchini, and I'm already scrambling for ways to use it all. And I have several beds of corn too. This recipe uses both so I will be making it a lot. The corn gives these fritters a nice chewy texture and together with the shredded zucchini and fresh basil, presents a beautiful and colorful dish that can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And if you make smaller fritters, you can serve them as appetizers.

Serve with a dollop of non-dairy sour cream or top with guacamole and a handful of sunflower sprouts. Feel free to replace the basil with other seasonings, such as cilantro and cumin. 

This zucchini is called Pantheon, from Johnny's seeds. It's like classic Costata Romanesco but doesn't have those prickly hairs.

I have several beds of sweet corn, also from Johnny's.
This one is almost ready and I just planted another bed.

 

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Zucchini and Corn Fritters with Fresh Basil

Vegetarian, Gluten and Dairy Free

[Makes 10 fritters]

Ingredients

3 cups grated zucchini, on a large grate

½ teaspoon salt plus some for sprinkling

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen and defrosted)

2 packed tablespoon fresh basil, thinly sliced

1/3 cup small diced onion or sliced scallions

Big pinch cayenne pepper (or black pepper to taste)

½ cup gluten free Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 to 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil

Directions

Place the shredded zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for 15 minutes while it sweats. Afterward, squeeze out the moisture as best you can. 

Place the beaten egg in a large bowl with the zucchini, corn, basil, onion, pepper, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix well.

Stir in the flour and baking powder until well combined. 

Heat a medium or large skillet with a thin layer of oil over medium heat and spoon the zucchini corn mixture into the skillet (about ¼ cup for each fritter.) Press down with a spatula to flatten. It will take two or more batches depending on the size of your skillet. 

Cook the fritters until they start to brown underneath, about 3 minutes. Turn over and cook another few minutes until brown. 

Serve immediately. If you have leftovers, it’s best to reheat them on a nonstick skillet so they remain crispy.

Served topped with guacamole
and sunflower sprouts

Creamy Asian Cabbage Salad With Black Sesame Seeds Featuring "Just Mayo" From Beyond Eggs

Raw cabbage is inexpensive, delicious and healthy!
And it's only 53 calories per serving!

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Hampton Creek's Egg Replacer
Whether you eat eggs or not, there's something interesting brewing in the food industry. Hampton Creek, a fast-growing food company, is trying to develop food that is eco-friendly, compassionate, and healthy. And, of course, delicious - something many vegan food products are not. Their first target is to replace the egg.

They haven't come out will a product that will make scrambled eggs yet, although they are supposedly quite close, but they have developed a pretty delicious mayo substitute called "Just Mayo." 

Just Mayo comes in four flavors:
Original, Chipotle, Garlic, and Sriracha.

I'm not a big mayo eater but now and then you need a little bit for a creamy dressing like the one I'll share with you today. I'm also not terribly fond of vegan mayo because it doesn't have the taste or texture of real mayonnaise but this product really does. It's not that I totally exclude eggs from my diet. I'm lucky enough to have several friends who raise the happiest chickens on the planet. But when you buy regular mayonnaise, you can bet that the chickens that produce those eggs are from industrial farms and I don't like to support companies like that. 

What's in Just Mayo?
The ingredients include expeller-pressed non-GMO canola oil, while vinegar, and 2% or less of the following: organic sugar, salt, pea protein, spices, modified food starch, lemon juice concentrate, fruit and vegetable juice (color), and calcium disodium EDTA to preserve freshness. 

1 tablespoon provides:
90 calories
10 g total fat
1 g saturated fat (no trans fat)
Zero g of cholesterol 
80 mg sodium
Zero g carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, and protein

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My Favorite Cabbage Salad
There's a Japanese restaurant nearby that has the best cabbage salad. It's big and it's meant to share with the table but every time I go there, I eat an entire bowl or two of it. The last time I was there, I came home determined to make it myself. I think my recipe is a bit lighter (more vinegar, less mayo), but it's pretty darn close to what they serve at the restaurant. I'm excited to use Just Mayo as the base.

Besides being delicious, raw cabbage is extremely healthy to eat. First of all, it's a cruciferous vegetable which can help prevent cancers such as bladder, colon, and prostate but only if it's eaten raw or lightly cooked. Plus, it's a great source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, folate, potassium and manganese. It's also a good source of vitamin A, B6, thiamin, calcium, iron and magnesium. All this for one of the least expensive veggies you can find!

Creamy Asian Cabbage Salad with Black Sesame Seeds
Vegan, Gluten and Dairy Free
(makes 1/2 cup dressing)

Ingredients for the dressing
1/4 cup Just Mayo
1/4 cup Marukan organic seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon pressed or grated fresh garlic
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds plus some for sprinkling

For the salad
1 to 2 cups very thinly sliced cabbage per person

Directions
To make the dressing, place the Just Mayo in a small bowl. Slowly stir in the rice vinegar and then the ginger, garlic and 2 teaspoons of the sesame seeds. I don't think it needs any salt but if you do, add a little pinch. There's already some in the mayo.

Place the cabbage in a large bowl and dress with the desired amount of dressing. To keep the calories low, start with 1 tablespoon of dressing per 1 1/2 to 2 cups of cabbage. Add more if needed. Sprinkle with a few extra black sesame seeds. Serve with chop sticks.

Nutrition
Per tablespoon of dressing: 53 calories, 5 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g protein, 1.5 g carbohydrates, 0 g dietary fiber, and 160 mg sodium. 

Per 1 1/2 cups of cabbage: 18 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 3 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, and 9 mg sodium.

If you enjoyed this recipe, check out my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen.

Raw Sesame Noodles With Scallions

My goal is to eat raw food for the entire month of May. For me, it’s an easier way to cleanse than doing a fast. So if you want to take a break from cooked foods, lose some weight and cleanse and detoxify your body, please join me. I have already posted a number of raw food recipes that you can use and I will post many more during the month. Here are 14 raw recipes that I have already posted that can help you get started:

• Raw Kale Salad – January 23, 2009
• Good Morning Kale (a raw smoothie) – January 23, 2009
• Tropical Chocolate Truffles – February 12, 2009
• 5 Minute Breakfast Salad - February 20, 2009
• Pear and Papaya Salad – April 1, 2009
• Not – Tuna Roll with Japanese Cucumber and Strawberry Salad – April 3, 2009
• Mango Avocado Salad with Lime Chia Seed Dressing – April 9, 2009
• Chia Pudding – April 11, 2009
• Guacamole and Raw Jalapeno Corn Chips – April 14, 2009
• Vegan Coleslaw with Creamy Cashew Dressing – April 16, 2009
• Vegan Lemon Basil Pesto on Raw Zucchini Spaghetti – April 20, 2009
• Raw Veggie-Seed Crackers - April 23, 2009
• Faux “Tuna Fish Salad” Stuffed Heirloom Tomato – April 25, 2009
• Carrot, Celery, Apple, Beet, Ginger Cocktail – April 28, 2009

Menu for Day 1
A raw smoothie for breakfast, a big green salad for lunch with a scoop of faux “tuna fish salad” and today’s new recipe, “raw sesame noodles with scallions” for dinner. Snacks will include various raw fruits and nuts and several small glasses of freshly juiced carrot, celery, apple, beet, and ginger cocktail.

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Raw Sesame Noodles With Scallions [serves 4]
8 medium zucchini for about 8 cups of noodles (For a cooked version, use 1 lb angel hair pasta)
1/4 cup unrefined sesame oil
1 tablespoon cold pressed flax seed oil
1/4 cup Nama Shoyu soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup raw tahini
4 scallions, finely sliced

Combine oil, Nama Shoyu, rice vinegar, red pepper and tahini until smooth and set aside. Peel zucchini and prepare “noodles” with a spiral vegetable slicer. Put the noodles on paper towels to dry. Put dried zucchini noodles in a large serving bowl and mix together with the sesame dressing. Gently mix in the sliced scallions saving a few for garnish and serve.

Per serving: 302 calories, 24.5 g fat, 3.3 g saturated fat, zero g cholesterol, 7 g protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 1.9 g omega 3 and 9.1 g omega 6. This recipe gives an omega 6 to omega 3 ratio of 4.8.