Perfecting Cafe Gratitude's Warm Sushi Salad
Two years ago, I bought the Cafe Gratitude cookbook, just so I could get the recipe for Warm Sushi Salad and the "I am accepting" almond and raw cacao milkshake (you just have to get over the names.. these two things are terrific.)
Anyway, the book neglected to have either of them. I rarely buy cookbooks, and make everything out of my head mostly, but this kind of food is different. It is helpful to know how to use "irish moss" or how to make nutmilks, so that was helpful for vegan tiramisu, which is great for Passover or whatever. So i figured out the milkshake (almond milk, almond milk "ice cream," almond butter, raw cacao, vanilla and agave syrup) but didn't start on the Warm Sushi salad until now.
After three tries, I think I'm relatively close.
Warm Sushi Salad
Make 1.5 cups of organic Bhutanese Red Rice according to directions
(Something like: bring 1.5 c rice, 2.25 cups water, dash of salt to a boil, cook for 20m, fluff and let sit until warm, makes 4.25 cups. Note that Gratitude does raw food and has some way to cook this rice with warm water, but given they didn't include the recipe in the book, i'm making it the way you do when you cook it on the stove.)
5 organic scallions or green onions, cleaned and chopped into 3mm slices all the way through the green
4 large or 7 small red kale leaves, well cleaned and with rib cut out and *very* thinly sliced
2 small organic persian cucumbers or 1 large english cuke, cut into slices and cut into small pieces
handfull of organic pea shoots
3 sheets of organic nori, sliced into 1" strips, then sliced thinly crosswise
2 organic avocados
Dressing:
3/4 cup organic sesame seeds, toasted, cooled, ground in a food processor
add:
3 T dark organic sesame oil
2 T organic EV olive oil
Dash of soy sauce (Gratitude doesn't use soy.. but I liked it in there)
Fresh ground organic pepper
3-4 Inches organic ginger, skin sliced off, and cut into slices
1/4 c organic rice wine or 3 T organic rice wine vinegar
Zest from 1 organic meyer, lisbon or eureka lemon
Blend with Sesame seeds in food processor
Taste for seasoning.
Directions:
Toss warm rice in kale and scallions. Let wilt. Once cooled, add nori, cucumber and dressing. Then when serving, put 1/4 of salad into bowl or plate, chop avocado half and arrange on top. Repeat for each other serving.
Serves 4.