A New Take on Tuna

When I stopped to see Lisa one afternoon, she was in the kitchen cookin’ up a storm. On the counter sat a bowl of almonds, soaking in water and she was chopping celery and green onions. 

“What’re you making?” I asked, since it wasn’t obvious.

“Tuna fish salad,” she said.

“So where’s the tuna?”

“It’s a vegan dish; there’s no tuna in the tuna salad.”

She went on to explain that the recipe came from Angela Liddon’s website. She’s the author of Oh, She Glows Cookbook, that was a NYT’s bestseller in 2014.  Liddon uses what she calls “energizing, plant-based recipes.” This one is also gluten-free, grain-free, and refined sugar free.”

“Where do these wet almonds come in?” I asked.

“Watch this.” She drained the raw almonds and whizzed them in a blender until they took on a flaky texture. Then she placed the almonds in a bowl and added the chopped veggies and a mixture of vegan mayo, lemon juice, Dijon, salt and pepper. 

We each grabbed a cracker and dug in. When the girls got home from school, they did the same.

A Pleasant Surprise

“By, golly, it’s a miracle!” I said. “I think you’ve just turned almonds into fish!” It wasn’t quite the texture of tuna, but it was a very tasty blend. It can also be eaten atop a salad or stuffed into pita, a wrap, or lettuce leaf or spread onto a sandwich.

As I thumbed through the cookbook, a number of recipes caught my eye. I snapped photos of them on my iPhone. Lisa had already marked several with an A+ rating, so I had a head start.

This looks like a good book to have around for those times when you have the urge to eat something healthy, as well as tasty.

Flaked Almond “Tuna” Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw almonds, soaked
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3- 4 Tbs. vegan mayo, to taste
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 – 3 tsp. fresh lemon juice, to taste
• 1/4 tsp. fine grain sea salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch of kelp granules (optional, lends a “fishy” flavor)

Directions:

1. Soak almonds in a bowl of water for 3-9 hours until plump. Drain and rinse well.
2. Add drained almonds to food processor (there’s no need to peel the almond skins) and process until finely chopped. It should look a bit like flaked tuna. Place into a medium mixing bowl.
3. Add the chopped celery, green onion, garlic, mayo, mustard, and lemon. Stir well to combine.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of kelp granules if desired. (Lisa left them out.)
5. Serve atop salad, in lettuce wrap, or sandwich. Refrigerate leftover salad for up to 3 days. Yields 4 servings.