Recipe: Jackfruit 'Crab' Salad

If you can get your hands on a can of Young Green Jackfruit in a Brine, try making a mock crab salad. The mayo, spices, and flecks of nori (seaweed) give a wonderful seafood flavor that's boosted by the steamed-crab texture of the jackfruit.

Before I became vegan in 2013, I enjoyed the occasional seafood salad that you'd spread on crackers or eat as part of a sandwich. And, when it was a special occasion, I'd even jump at the chance to order a creamy lobster roll.

Now that I don't eat animals or animal-derived ingredients, I've learned how spices and certain plants can be used to mimic flavors and textures that I thought could only come from meat.

You can purchase cans of Young Green Jackfruit at Indian grocery stores or even at veganessentials.com, here. Be careful not to purchase ripe jackfruit, which is orange, sweet and resembles roasted red bell peppers. Ripe jackfruit is not good in savory dishes. Young green jackfruit has a stronger texture, yet subtle flavor.

Jackfruit is popular among vegetarians and vegans because the fruit has some chew to it and comes apart in chunks and even shreds when cut or pulled apart in certain ways. These characteristics make it a great substitute for meat in dishes. I've tried jackfruit pulled pork, for example, but it didn't really appeal to me. When I came across this recipe for jackfruit "crab" salad, I thought it might be another recipe that sounds good but doesn't taste that great.

I was wrong. Very wrong!

I find young green jackfruit to be juicy, almost like canned artichokes. And the fruit still retains some of that juiciness even if you push out as much liquid from it as possible. Because of this, jackfruit is a wonderful substitute for crab and lobster, which has a tender, juicy flesh when cooked.

When the jackfruit is mixed with mayo and the seasonings used with seafood, you'll think you're biting into a traditional seafood salad sandwich or even a lobster roll. This vegan version is cruelty-free and affordable food at its finest.

Jackfruit “Crab” Salad
Serves 4
(Inspired by this recipe from a blog at Vegetarian Times)

Ingredients:
1 20-oz. can Young Green Jackfruit in Brine, rinsed and squeezed dry as much as possible (about 1 cup)
2-4 tablespoons of Vegenaise or other vegan mayo (start out with 2T and add more if desired)
¼ cup fresh minced onion
2 teaspoons of dried minced onion (what you find in the spice aisle)
¼ tsp. dulse flakes or powder (I used a folded piece of nori [seaweed] -- what you use for sushi -- and grated it for powder/flakes) This ingredient is necessary for a seafood flavor.
1-2 teaspoons of Old Bay Seasoning
½ tsp. curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Chop the drained jackfruit with a knife until it resembles lump crab meat. Next, mix the jackfruit and all the other ingredients in a bowl. Before serving, sprinkle on a little paprika, dried parsley (I didn't have fresh), and fresh lemon juice.

The chopped jackfruit. You can see the yellowish seeds of the fruit, which are soft.

The chopped jackfruit mixed with the remaining ingredients.

Before serving, I added a little extra nori powder/flakes, some dried parsley, paprika, and a splash of fresh lemon juice.

This mock crab salad -- that even mimicked the flavor of a lobster roll -- tasted creamy, slightly sweet, salty, fishy (from the seaweed), and just plain awesome. 

Recipe: Broccoli Salad with Cranberries

This tangy broccoli salad makes a wonderful lunch or side dish.

This refreshing broccoli salad is perfect for when you have lots of fresh broccoli and you're not sure how to use it all. The sliced almonds and sunflower seeds add a nice flavor after being toasted in a pan for 5-10 minutes on low heat.

I like to soak my dried cranberries for 5-10 minutes in warm water to help them plump up before adding them to the salad.

Broccoli Salad with Cranberries
(4-6 servings)

Salad Ingredients:

• 3-4 cups of broccoli florets
• Half of medium to large carrot, shredded
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 T dried minced onion

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup of vegan mayo (I used Vegenaise)
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• Juice from half a lemon
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1-1/2 tsp of maple sugar
• Tiny pinch of salt (optional)

Directions:

Toast the seeds and almonds for 5-10 minutes over low heat, and mix with all the other salad ingredients and set aside. Whisk the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad.

Review: Drink Chia Lemon Blueberry

Drink Chia offers four flavors. I received Lemon Blueberry in my January Vegan Cuts Snack Box. The drink is best served chilled, and don't forget to shake the bottle before drinking.

Drink Chia's bottled beverages contain an interesting ingredient: whole chia seeds.

I hardly noticed the seeds at first when I was chugging it down. Toward the end of the bottle, you do get bombarded by a large amount of the gelatinous seeds, but they go with the flow thanks to their slippery coating that emerges upon soaking. 

People who are sensitive to textures in their drink may find it odd at first. Oh, and if you collect the seeds in the bottom of your mouth while you drink, check your smile later because you're bound to have some seeds stuck in your teeth. 

The lemon and blueberry flavors work well together. There was almost a lightly sweetened ice-tea flavor to it, which I particularly enjoyed. Often called a "super food," chia seeds are loaded with fiber and minerals. 

Drink Chia's beverages are geared toward active people who want a wholesome energy drink. I’ll stick to water for now, but if I ever come across this drink, I won’t hesitate to try the other flavors: Honeysuckle Pear, Strawberry Citrus, and Mango Tangerine.

Bonus: Check out Vegan Cuts for a deal on the product.

Recipe: Borscht (Beet Soup)

This thick, sweet soup makes it easy to incorporate beets into your diet. Beets are rich in antioxidants and are heart-healthy. Read more about their benefits here.

This soup has a deep maroon color and is sweet thanks to the beets, sweet potatoes, and carrot. Adding a splash of fresh lemon juice just before serving provides a little acid to cut through the sweetness.

Borscht

(Inspired by the recipe from The Lotus and the Artichoke cookbook)

Ingredients:

3 medium beets, peeled and chopped into small pieces

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small pieces

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into small pieces

1 small onion, chopped

2T olive oil

1T apple cider vinegar

4 cups water

1tsp salt

Garnish: fresh dill or dillweed; vegan yogurt or vegan sour cream; fresh lemon juice

Directions:

In a large pot, sautee the onion in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the chopped beets, sweet potatoes, and carrot, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the vinegar, and cook for 1 minute. Add 4 cups water, bring the water to a boil, cover the pot, and simmer until the vegetables are fork tender (about 15-25 minutes). Blend the mixture with a hand blender or blend in batches in a high-speed blender (be careful when blending hot food/liquids in a blender – allow room at the top for steam to escape). Return the pureed vegetables to the pot. Add the salt, and stir the mixture well. Taste and add salt to your liking. Serve hot with a little fresh lemon juice squeezed over the top. Garnish with a dollop of vegan sour cream or yogurt and sprinkle with fresh dill or dillweed. 

Recipe and Review: Pesto using Parmela’s Parmesan-Style Aged Nut Cheese

Good things come in small packages. 

I was always intrigued by pesto. All the celebrity chefs were making it on their shows, and I loved how green it was and how fresh it looked because of how quick it was made using simple ingredients. 

I never tasted or made pesto prior to becoming plant-based (I know, hard to believe, but I just stuck to tomato- and cream-based sauces). But that all changed when I came across Parmela’s Parmesan-Style Aged Nut Cheese.

I was thinking of different ways to use the product other than sprinkling it on homemade pizzas. So I thought I'd give pesto a try.

Parmela's Parmesan has a nutty, cheesy flavor that comes from the cashews and nutritional yeast. The texture is medium to fine course, and I find that it has a slight zing as an aftertaste (maybe from the fermented soybeans).

A lot of vegans simply use nutritional yeast when they want a Parmesan-like cheese. I don’t mind the taste of nutritional yeast (or nooch, as it’s sometimes called), but I don’t like to flavor my pesto with it. My pesto tastes bland and unappealing with it.

I’ve read some reviews online from people who don’t particularly care for Parmela’s. The reviewers don’t mention how they apply Parmela’s Parmesan, so I’m not sure what their issue with the product is. I’ll admit, I don’t notice the flavor of this nut-cheese product too much when sprinkled on a finished dish, but my dishes often feature robust spices and strong ingredients that can easily overpower this subtle cheese alternative.

But in my pesto, which is sweet, fragrant, and mild, this product adds body and nutty, cheesy notes that make me want to keep eating it.

Pesto

Ingredients:

2 cups of loosely packed basil

1/3 cup of pine nuts (toast them in a pan for a couple minutes, tossing frequently, until they darken slightly and give off an aroma)

3 cloves of garlic

1/3 c of Parmela’s Parmesan

1/3 c to 2/3 c of olive oil, depending on how runny you want the sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Put everything into a food processor – except the salt and pepper – and blend until mixed thoroughly. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. Blend again and taste.

This is how my pesto looks with 2/3 cup of olive oil. 

I'm about to boil some organic whole wheat spaghetti.

Finish off your plate of pasta with a sprinkle of Parmela's and a splash of fresh lemon juice.

Recipe: Cheesecake with Silken Tofu, a Nut Crust, and Homemade Caramel Sauce

The zest and fresh juice from one lemon gives this cheesecake a delicate, tangy flavor. A drizzle of homemade caramel sauce provides a burst of sweetness, and the nut and coconut crust provides a hearty chew.

This crust recipe comes from: Hungry hungry hippie

The homemade caramel sauce comes for the entertaining VeganZombie (part of Butterbeer recipe)

Lemon Cheesecake

Crust:

1 c. of nuts (I had a mix of almonds and Brazil nuts) 

2 T liquid sweetener (I used agave)

1 c. coconut flakes

1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions: 

Soak the nuts for four hours and then drain and empty into a food processor. Add the rest of the crust ingredients and pulse for 1-2 minutes until mixed thoroughly. Press the crust into a pie dish. (I didn’t grease the pan and my crust came out fine)

The blended nut crust is sweet and chewy.

The tofu in the cheesecake recipe

 Filling:

1 12oz package of silken tofu

1 tsp of almond extract

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

¼ c. of sugar

½ c. of vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti)

Tiny pinch of salt

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350. Wash the food processor after making the crust and place all the filling ingredients inside. Blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides as needed.

Empty filling into crust and bake for 15 minutes. Turn down heat to 250 and bake another 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Cool and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Ready to bake

Caramel sauce from the Vegan Zombie:

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup almond milk

In a medium saucepan, heat the sugar and water up to a boil. Add lemon juice (to prevent crystallization) and swirl pan around without stirring (but you can scrape the sides to keep sugar from sticking to the sides of the pot). Once it turns a dark amber color, remove the sauce from heat. Add the almond milk and stir it all together.

My contribution to this recipe is that I add a pinch of salt and 1 tsp. of vanilla extract at the end. 

The cheesecake filling is tangy and creamy and goes well with the sweet caramel sauce.