Egg-Less Salad (raw/vegan)

 

I have to say, I've never been big with raw foods.  I personally enjoy cooking so I always blew the raw food movement off, never thinking uncooked food could actually taste good.  Well, it does!  I found a small shop in my town that caters to the vegan, raw food diet.  If you live in (or near) Montclair, NJ, I encourage you to check it out: Go Lightly, located at 4 So. Fullerton Avenue.

 

After trying Jen Chaky’s No-Egg Salad I was totally hooked. I was expecting raw foods to be bland but that's simply not the case. Everything was filled with such texture and flavor, I was truly wrong. I even loved the raw bread! Do check this place out and visit their website for information on vegan living: golightly.com.

Naturally, I wanted to recreate the no-egg salad and tried many different concoctions before finding this recipe. It's not as brilliant as Jen's but it's pretty damn close and delicious.

Additionally, it's never easy to keep on track when you're trying to watch your diet. I find that it's far easier to eat better when you prep your lunches for the week. Remember- when you fail to plan, you plan to fail! This recipe is great for meal planning that's high in both healthy fats and protein. Make a batch and use this for the entire week. Use about 1/4 cup for half a sandwich, which you could enjoy with some fruit and a small cup of non-dairy vegetable soup  Use 1/2 cup for a whole sandwich and serve with a side salad, dressed with lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, and ground pepper.

THE STUFF

1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked for 2 hours
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 cloves garlic
3/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt
3 celery stalks – finely chopped
3/4 of a fresh red pepper – finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (optional) 

1 small white onion - finely chopped (optional)

sprinkle pepper
sprinkle paprika

THE PREP

Drain cashews and allow to dry. 

Blend everything but except celery, onion, parsley and red pepper into a blender. Blend very well until it resembles a smooth, creamy hollandaise sauce.

Pour the mixture into a large bowl.  Stir in red pepper, celery, onion, and parsley. Sprinkle with pepper and paprika

Serve on your favorite multigrain or stoneground wheat bread with a side of fruit and a small cup of vegetable soup for the perfect lunch!

*Originally found on therawatarian.com