Seaweed is our Whole Food of the Month and one of my missions was to pull together a simple seaweed salad recipe for YU.

I love seaweed salad now—wait, hear that?—I think everyone who knew me from childhood just fell over in shock. See, I am the girl who ate her first salad at 19 and even then it was iceberg lettuce. Vegetables were not something I was interested in at all, and SEA VEGGIES? Forget it. Never. Well, you know what cliché I could use here, but I am happy and confident to report that obviously the palette does change (it can in a matter of weeks, actually) and foods that may seem impossible for you to add to the rotation will become something you crave in time when you switch to a clean, whole food, plant-based diet. So if sea veggies scare you, step out of your comfort zone and give this recipe a try. It tastes just like a toasted sesame noodle salad with very little, to no sea flavor and it takes 10 minutes max to prepare. I promise you’ll love it whether you are a newbie to sea veggies or if you are one of those long-time seaweed salad junkies.

Makes: 2-4 servings
Time: 10 minutes

Tools:
Medium glass bowl
Small glass bowl
Small pan
Spoon, whisk or blender
Towel (paper or cloth)
Strainer

Ingredients:
Try to buy everything organic. Here’s why.
4-5 pieces whole or cut wakame
Warm pure water (enough to fill medium bowl)
1 scallion, sliced
1 tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 carrot, shredded (optional)
1/2 granny smith apple, cored and shredded (optional)

Dressing
1 tbsp rice vinegar/Mirin
1 tbsp coconut aminos (gluten-free/soy-free) or nama shoyu
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp sucanat
1/4 tsp minced ginger
1/4 tsp minced garlic
Pinch salt

Let’s get started.
Select your dry wakame pieces.

Soak them in warm water for about 8 minutes.

While wakame soaks, mix dressing ingredients by hand, or in the blender, and set aside.

Toast sesame seeds in a small pan over medium heat 2-3 minutes and set aside. Wash and chop cilantro leaves. Set aside.

Drain and rinse wakame in cold water. It’s pretty amazing how large the leaves become when hydrated. I can’t help but think of summer at the beach.

Press/squeeze out excess water with hands and/or a strainer. Pat dry with a towel.

Roll leaves lengthwise and slice thinly—chiffonade-style.

You are creating long noodles. Just set them aside until all leaves are chopped.

Don’t forget to slice some green onion.

Place sliced wakame in a glass bowl and toss with dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, cilantro and onion.

Store leftovers in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to one week. Enjoy!

. . .
Extras/Tips: Add some shredded carrots and/or shredded granny smith apples if you have some. If you are not someone who manages chopsticks, or long noodles in general very well, chop up your chiffonade strands into smaller bites so you can skip the twirling with your eating utensils.
. . .

Have you tried our other recipes that use sea veggies?

Almond Butter Kelp & Kale Noodles

Lemony Powerhouse Dulse Spread

Gluten-Free, Dairy Free Vegetable Lasagna

Brendan Brazier’s Lemon Lime Workout Recovery Drink

Raw Carrot Almond Crunch Maki

Also, when cooking grains, legumes or seeds, put a piece of kombu in the cooking water. It will not only expedite the cooking process, but will improve the digestibility, without adding any sea flavor to your dish. I keep a pack of kombu in my pantry at all times.

There’s a really yummy comfort-food vegan restaurant in Chicago that has a version of this wrap, only it’s filled with tofu, a soy-based dressing and wrapped in wheat. It was my “junk-food” vegan fix until I finally kicked soy and gluten (almost) for good. I have missed that little wrap so much. The cooling ranch dressing paired with the spicy kickbutt Jamaican Jerk tofu. I decided that it was high-time that I come up with a nutrient-rich, soy-free version for myself, and I have to say that this recipe is better than my old flame. You can use lightly steamed (or raw) collard greens for a wrap instead of the sprouted grain tortilla that I use, and you can also dump all of the fixins in a large bowl and have yourself one of the tastiest salads around. All options are delish.

Tools:
Steamer*
2 large pots
Large plate
Large glass bowl

*If you don’t have a steamer, you can place diced sweet potato in a glass casserole dish with 2 tbsp water in the bottom and roast the potatoes about 20 minutes until soft.
Ingredients:
Try to buy everything organic. Here’s why.
Sprouted grain tortillas (or collard greens raw or steamed or gluten-free tortillas to make this recipe GF)
Mixed greens
Fresh lentil sprouts (optional)
1-2 tbsp clean gluten-free jerk seasoning from a jar (not a dry rub)*
Creamy Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Ranch Dressing (homemade is best)
2 cups cooked chickpeas (try your best to soak them overnight and prepare them yourself instead of eating the aluminum-soaked ones)
1 1/2 cups cooked buckwheat (here’s how)
2 cups sweet potato, diced and steamed
3-4 large kale leaves, chopped and steamed for 2 minutes, until they wilt.

*Make sure that if you are not making your own jerk seasoning, that you buy a clean one where you recognize all of the ingredients. It really should be onion/scallions, Scotch Bonnet peppers, sea salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, thyme and maybe a smidge of sugar. That’s it. Jerk seasoning is very spicy and I am the type to put enough in to start a fire, so please start with small amounts. Stir in 1-2 tsp and taste, add more if you want more kick and remember that the ranch dressing is cooling and will be a terrific accompaniment when all wrapped together.

Let’s get started.
I prepare sprouted buckwheat and chickpeas for this recipe and then cook them. Here’s how to cook chickpeas and here’s how to cook buckwheat. Place together in a large glass bowl when done.

Take your diced sweet potato and steam for 15-20 minutes until soft—a fork should go in easily, but not so much that they are mushy. Once cooked, toss in the bowl with your buckwheat and chickpeas. Add the chopped kale to the steamer for 5 minutes, or until soft.

Add your steamed kale. Stir well.

Now, stir in the jerk seasoning. Start with less and slowly add more as you go, and remember that the ranch dressing is very cooling when paired with the spice.

Lightly steam a sprouted grain tortilla for about 2-5 minutes and lay flat on a large plate. Spoon in some of your jerk veggies and legumes. Add some lentil sprouts and mixed greens.

Top with Creamy Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Ranch Dressing and wrap it up!

You can skip the tortilla all together and make a ginormous salad. This recipe is a great one because all week you will have fixins in the fridge to play with. Make wraps, make salads…have fun.

I found some kelp noodles at a raw foods store in Chicago recently and thought I’d give them a go since I’m trying to eat more sea veggies these days. And since they are the Whole Food of the Month, I know you are too. The texture of these raw noodles is pretty interesting—they are soft yet wirey and have a bit of a snap to them when you bite them, kinda like cabbage. Mixed with the pad-thai-like sauce and soft, chewy kale “noodles”, I think this could be a new favorite dish. Kelp noodles have an incredibly neutral taste and they are a fantastic source of trace minerals like iodine. Give them a try.

Makes: 2-4 servings
Time: 15 minutes

Tools:
Blender
Chef’s knife
Large glass bowl
Small pan

Ingredients:
2 large handfuls of kelp noodles*
3 large leaves kale, ribs removed, cut into ribbons (chiffonade) and steamed for 5 minutes
2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro leaves (more if you like, I know I do)
1-2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (just toss in a pan warmed over medium heat for 5 mins)
1 tbsp sliced green onion

Almond Butter Sauce
2 tbsp almond butter
Juice of 1/2 a fresh lime
2 tsp lime zest
2 tsp miso (make this dish soy-free by choosing 100% brown rice, chickpea or adzuki bean miso)
2 tsp sucanat
2 tbsp nama shoyu (use coconut aminos for a soy-free/gluten-free recipe)
1 large clove garlic
1/2 tsp ginger, minced
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Pinch cayenne

*If you want the noodles to be softer versus crunchy, just boil them in pure water with a pinch of sea salt for about 10 minutes, then strain and rinse.

Let’s get started.
Wash and chop cilantro and set aside.

Prepare your lime zest. Prepare your kale. Toast your sesame seeds and slice your green onion.

Place miso, lime juice, lime zest, almond butter, sucanat, nama shoyu, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and cayenne into the blender and blend well.

Place kelp noodles and kale into a large glass bowl. Add sauce and toss.

Top with green onion, chopped cilantro and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Store in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to one week. Serve cold or warmed up over the stove/wok.

Substitutions:
If you can’t track down kelp noodles, use buckwheat noodles (make sure they are 100% buckwheat if you have a gluten sensitivity), rice noodles, mung bean or sweet potato noodles. It’s all about the sauce, so really, have fun experimenting. Just share what you create with us. And if you don’t use the kelp noodles, definitely get your sea veggies in by sprinkling the dish with some dulse flakes at least!

 
Have you tried our other recipes that use sea veggies?

Lemony Powerhouse Dulse Spread

Gluten-Free, Dairy Free Vegetable Lasagna

Brendan Brazier’s Lemon Lime Workout Recovery Drink

Raw Carrot Almond Crunch Maki

Also, when cooking grains, legumes or seeds, put a piece of kombu in the cooking water. It will not only expedite the cooking process, but will improve the digestibility, without adding any sea flavor to your dish. I keep a pack of kombu in my pantry at all times.

I had to make a pie on the fly recently and luckily found a 2-pack of gluten-free pie crusts at the store—there was no time to make one from scratch. It all worked out great, but I had almost forgotten about that second crust until dinnertime came after a long day last week. I was craving something substantial, yet easy and after gathering up some ingredients from my kitchen, this quiche recipe was born. I encourage you to keep pie crusts in the freezer from now on. Whether they are homemade or store-bought, you can fill them with veggies, legumes and grains and have an easy nutrient-dense meal that will last you all week long.

Tools:
Blender
Chef’s knife
Medium pan

Ingredients:
Try to buy everything organic. Here’s why.
1 9″ frozen pie crust*
3 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup red pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
1 cup cooked red quinoa, cooked (here’s how)**
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp cold-pressed virgin coconut oil
2 cups pure water
3/4 cup cashews, soaked for 1 hour
3 tsp agar powder (or 3 tbsp agar flakes)
1 tsp fine ground sea salt
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Fresh ground pepper to taste

*Look for sprouted grain or gluten-free if you have a sensitivity. You can also make your own GF crust. Just use one of these recipes and leave out the sucanat.

**Feel free to use gold quinoa for a more traditional “egg-looking” quiche.

Let’s get started.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove pie shell from freezer if you are using a store-bought one.

Prepare quinoa if you haven’t already.

In a pan over medium-high heat, add coconut oil and brown onion, garlic and pepper for 10-15 minutes, stirring often.

Wash, cut and place broccoli florets in the pie shell. Top with cooked quinoa, then the cooked onion, pepper and garlic.

Blend together cashews, agar, salt, lemon juice and water until ultra creamy and smooth. Pour over broccoli, onions, etc. If you need to, use a fork to carefully move the filling around, allowing cashew mixture to fill up shell.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until top starts to brown.

Remove and allow to cool fully—at least 30 minutes. For the prettiest quiche, once baked, chill in the fridge overnight so the agar sets firmly. Slice, reheat in the oven at a low temp or enjoy cold.

Store in the fridge for up to one week.

Try something new this holiday season—Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash instead of potatoes! Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamin C, manganese and antioxidants, so serve them with Easy & Amazing Gravy and enjoy all the surprised, happy expressions around the table.

Tools:
Steamer
Large pot with lid
Chef’s knife
Food processor (or a masher and elbow grease)

Ingredients:
Try to buy everything organic. Here’s why.
1 head cauliflower, florets removed and chopped
7-10 cloves garlic, roasted
1 tbsp extra virgin cold-pressed coconut oil
1/2 tsp fine ground sea salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Let’s get started.
Steam your cauliflower florets, covered with a lid, for 20 minutes or until you can easily pierce with a fork.

While steaming, roast your garlic either on a parchment-lined cookie sheet in the oven (350F) for 7 minutes, or in a skillet over low/medium heat until browned.

Place all ingredients in the food processor and pulse until super creamy. No food processor? Use elbow grease, a masher and/or potato ricer to get that creamy consistency.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

Store in the fridge in an airtight glass container for up to 7 days.

Planning ahead? Make this recipe 1-2 days in advance, store in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop or in the oven.

This recipe has holiday dinner written all over it—comforting, seasoned, hearty, healthy and bursting with flavor. Enjoy it as-is or top it with savory, rich Easy & Amazing Gravy. This recipe is an involved one but not difficult. Use it as a perfect opportunity to put on your favorite holiday tunes and feel grateful for this time of year. Make the time to prepare this dish for the folks you care about—nothing is more important. They will taste the love in every bite.

Tools:
Glass casserole dish
Chef’s knife
Saucepan
Large pan
Spoon

Ingredients:
Try to buy everything organic. Here’s why.
1 batch of Lentil & Quinoa Breakfast Patties

4 acorn squash (I used a variety of colors)
1/2 cup onion diced (here’s how)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 cup raisins
1 tbsp sucanat (optional)
3/4 cup pecans
1 cup wild rice
5 cups pure water
2 tbsp cold-pressed virgin coconut oil
1/2 tsp fine ground sea salt plus more for seasoning to taste

Bring water and a pinch of sea salt to a boil. Add wild rice and return to boil. Reduce to medium and cook uncovered 45 mins until all water is absorbed then set aside. While rice cooks, prepare Lentil & Quinoa Breakfast Patties—just cook as crumbles and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Wash and slice your squash vertically in half. Remove seeds with a spoon. Pop your pecans in the oven or toast in a pan over medium heat for 5-7 mins.

Place squash open side up in the casserole dish. Brush with coconut oil and sprinkle with salt and sucanat.

Roast for 40 minutes, remove from oven and set aside. In a pan, brown onion 7-10 minutes over medium-high heat. Add raisins, pecans, vinegar and 1/2 tsp salt and stir together a few minutes. Add Lentil & Quinoa Breakfast Crumbles.

Fill your acorn squash with wild rice mixture, pop back in the oven and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Serve warm. Top with Easy & Amazing Gravy if you wish (pretty tasty).

Store in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to 7 days. Always reheat in the oven, never a microwave.

This gravy recipe prompted one of my most recent dinner guests to ask “is this beef gravy”? Well, I take that as a pretty nice compliment since, from what I remember, beef gravy is rich, savory and undeniably beautiful (if done right). This version is definitely rich, savory and purty, but it’s also gluten-free, dairy-free and 100% plant-based. Did I mention it’s incredibly easy to make as well—using only a handful of ingredients? Try it out this holiday season on recipes like Mushroom and Thyme Mashed Potatoes and wow the omnivores in your life.

Tools:
Blender or
Food Processor or
You can leave the gravy unprocessed, just chop veggies super small
Saucepan
Spoon or whisk

Ingredients:
Try to buy everything organic. Here’s why.
3/4 cup yellow onion, chopped (here’s a tip)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp brown rice miso
2 cups veggie broth (make your own, or I recommend low sodium Imagine brand)
Slurry made with 1 tsp arrowroot powder and 2 tsp pure water (just mix well)
1/4 tsp fine ground sea salt plus any more you’d like to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tsp cold-pressed coconut oil

Let‘s get started.
In a saucepan, place coconut oil and chopped onion. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onion become translucent and start to brown—about 7 minutes. Add garlic, stir and cook another 2 minutes.

Add veggie broth and slurry and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Stir in miso and salt. Once boiling, reduce heat to maintain a rolling boil for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool down for about 5 minutes. If you like the thickness of the gravy, go ahead and blend in the blender or food processor until smooth (don’t blend if you like a chunky gravy, just go ahead and serve). If you want more thickness, add another round of arrowroot slurry and return to a rolling boil for one minute—stir constantly. Season with pepper and salt to taste. Serve warm.

Try out this gravy on Rea’s Mushroom and Thyme Mashed Potatoes, Easy Herb Roasted Veggies or Canadian-style on Mixed Root Veggie Fries. And stay tuned for more holiday recipes coming soon that would also be tasty with Easy & Amazing Gravy.

Enjoy!

This dairy-free Korma sauce recipe is an easy one to make and you can put it on a variety of veggies and legumes to create a delicious and satisfying dinner or lunch. For this recipe, I combine it with purple potatoes, butternut squash and some black chickpeas that I found at an amazing Whole Foods in the DC-area (the whole salad bar is organic, Chicago should take notes). Try cauliflower, sweet potato, broccoli, lentils, quinoa or white beans—just share with us what combination works for you!

Tools:
Large saucepan
Spoon
Chef’s knife

Ingredients:
Try to buy everything organic. Here’s why.
Toasted and cooked Basmati rice (here’s how) or
Cooked Quinoa (here’s how)

Veggies
Butternut squash, cubed and steamed or roasted*
Purple potatoes, cubed and steamed or roasted*
Black garbanzo beans, soaked and cooked**

*For steaming, peel and dice your veggies and place in a steamer over boiling water until soft (15 mins).
*For roasting, peel and dice your veggies and place in a glass baking dish with 1/4 cup water and bake at 350F until soft (15-20 mins).
**Here’s how you prepare legumes like chickpeas and why you want to make them fresh versus using canned. Many times I will kill two birds while boiling legumes by placing a steamer filled with veggies above the chickpeas. Easy!

Korma Sauce
1 can coconut milk
1 cup pure water
1/2 yellow onion, small dice
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 packed cup fresh, chopped cilantro leaves
1 1/2 tsp minced ginger
2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp fine ground sea salt
1 tbsp + 1 tsp cold-pressed, virgin coconut oil

Let’s get started.

Brown your onion in a sauce pan with 1 tsp coconut oil for 7-10 minutes. Add garlic and stir, cooking together for about 2 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for about 7-10 minutes.

Add your cooked veggies and legumes and cook together another 2 minutes. Serve warm over cooked quinoa or basmati rice, top with fresh chopped cilantro and enjoy!

Store in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to one week. It’s gets better each day since flavors sit together. Always reheat on the stove top.

This is a recipe that I make all the time, especially for roadtrips since it tastes delicious cold, too. I’m sharing today because it would make a perfect dish for No-Turkey Day Thanksgiving. Go ahead and toss a purple potato, or a golden beet into the mix—improvise—and tell us what combo you like best. It’s really all about the herbs!

Tools:
Chef’s knife
Peeler
Glass casserole dish
Medium pan

Ingredients:
Try to buy everything organic. Here’s why.
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 head cauliflower
1/2 red onion, diced (here’s a tip)
10 leaves fresh sage, chopped fine
1 large sprig rosemary, leaves removed and chopped fine
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp +1/2 tsp cold-pressed coconut oil, warmed to liquid
1/2 tsp fine ground sea salt, plus more to taste
Pinch fresh ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (optional but add a nice crunch)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (optional but add a nice crunch)

Let’s get started.
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place 1/2 tsp coconut oil in a pan and heat to medium-high. Add onion and cook 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.

Place all veggies, prepared herbs, seeds and onion/garlic mixture into the casserole dish with remaining coconut oil and mix well.

Sprinkle on salt and pepper.

Bake 35 minutes, or until starting to brown. Enjoy!

Store in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to one week.

These little beauties are a perfect way to make your guests feel special this Thanksgiving. Each ramekin is carefully layered and seasoned to perfection and it shows in appearance and flavor. If you don’t have ramekins, just layer all ingredients in a medium glass casserole dish and slice once baked. Top either preparation with dairy-free Macadamia Cashew Cream Sauce and toast to the infinite possibilities for a plant-based Thanksgiving.

Makes: 8 servings
Time: 60 minutes

Tools:
4, 4″ Ramekins (or a medium glass casserole dish)
Mandoline slicer (or you can carefully, thinly slice by hand)
High-powered blender
Pastry brush (or small spoon to drizzle)
Cookie sheet

Ingredients:
Try to buy everything organic. Here’s why.
Gratins
5-6 golden beets
4 granny smith apples
1 butternut squash
1 red onion
1 tbsp sucanat (optional)
1/4 cup fresh thyme, roughly chopped
1/2 cup cold-pressed coconut oil, warmed to liquid
Fresh ground black pepper
Fine ground sea salt

Cream Sauce
1/4 cup macadamia nuts, not soaked
1/2 cup cashews, soaked for 4 hours
1 cup water
1/4 tsp salt

Let’s get started.

Slice your onion on the mandoline and add it, 1 tsp of coconut oil and sucanat, to a pan and brown over medium-high heat 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. While onions brown…

…peel and slice your beets on the mandoline and set aside. Slice your apples (do not peel, the green is pretty) on the mandoline, and cut out the core/seeds on the slices where you find it. You want nice round slices of the beets, apples and squash to fill your ramekins.

Peel your butternut squash and slice as well. If your rounds are too big, use kitchen scissors, or a knife to trim off any extra diameter. Chop up and use your scraps/extra for a delicious batch of Peppered Lentils with Kale & Butternut Squash.

Using a pastry brush, or your fingers, grease your ramekins (or baking dish).

Place a beet round on the ramekin. Paint with coconut oil. With a very light hand, sprinkle—SPRINKLE!—a touch of sea salt and pepper on your round. It’s important to season all layers, so be sure to be delicate with your amounts. A tiny pinch will do. Imagine, if you had to (or could) count, you’d make it so only 20 little grains of salt/pepper are on each round. I like the kick of fresh pepper, but if you are not a fan, use pepper every third layer instead of on each one like I do.

Sprinkle beet with fresh thyme. Now place an apple slice on top of your beet. Then place a few onions on top.

Paint with oil. Add a pinch of salt/pepper. Now place a butternut squash round on the apple/onions. Season with pepper/salt. Repeat this order until you are able to exceed the height of your ramekin about 1/2″. They will bake down.

Again, use this order and repeat until ramekin is full:
Beet: coconut oil, fresh thyme, tiny pinch salt/pepper
Apple: coconut oil, tiny pinch salt/pepper
Onion
Butternut squash: Coconut oil, tiny pinch salt/pepper

No matter what layer you finish on, make sure you top it with fresh thyme, salt and pepper.

If you are using a casserole dish, follow the order and steps above. Just fill the dish.

Place your ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.

While they are baking, place cream ingredients in the blender and mix until ultra smooth. Drizzle over warm gratins and serve!

You can prepare gratins a day in advance. Just make sure they are covered well and you reheat them in the oven, never a microwave. Always use fresh cream sauce to drizzle, too.

If you want to keep this recipe/prep simpler, I bet you can make it without the butternut squash and it is still delish. Let us know.