If eating healthier tops your New Year’s resolutions, then this dish is one you have to try!
It’s made with kelp noodles; a sea vegetable rich in minerals. It has no fat or sugar, a little fiber and only 6-calories a serving. You’d think we were talking about a stalk of celery or something, but nope, we’re talking about a gluten free, 1-carb per serving noodle that can be made into a lunch or dinner dish.
I’m such a fan of sea vegetable. It’s been a staple in my diet for years now and a driving force behind this blog (find out more in: About This Blog ). I believe they are the wave of the future because they’re so rich in vitamins and nutrients, beyond anything you can find in any other food group.
Spirulina is one of my favorite sea vegetables. I’ve been working on a spirulina granola bar for a while now. I can not WAIT for it to hit store shelves and make me millions! (If I throw it out there it’s more likely to manifest right?!) I have a name for it and everything. It’s made of spirulina, nuts, homemade applesauce, coconut shavings and a few other things. I’m not sure of its shelf-life though and its ability to hold together, so … at the very least, look for a blog post on these soon.
Onto kelp now… Kelp noodles are fantastic because they are light and really soak up the flavor of whatever you season it with. You just cut up the stiff noodles then layer on your flavors, always trying to balance; sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami.
This dish is the perfect balance of flavors. It takes just a little bit of seasoning, a few chopped vegetables and the blending of some cashew “cheese.” There’s no cooking or baking, just assembling, stirring and serving.
Here’s what you’ll need for this flavorful, healthy kelp noodle dish.
Creamy Kelp Noodle Ingredients:
1 pkg of kelp noodles
1 batch of cashew cheese (see recipe below)
3 Tbsp tamari
2 Tbsp lemon juice (1 small lemon)
1 & 1/2 tsp fresh ginger (grated)
1 tsp coconut nectar
3/4 tsp paprika
1 c purple cabbage
1 c bell pepper (1 medium bell pepper)
2 carrots
3 Tbsp of raw hemp seeds
2 Tbsp green onion (garnish, **optional)
Cashew Cheese Recipe:
1 c cashews (soaked 4 hours, drained and rinsed)
1 garlic clove
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp of water
the juice of 1 lemon
1/8 tsp pink himalayan salt (a pinch)
Directions:
- Make your cashew cheese. Soak one cup of cashews in water for 4 hours, drain off the excess water, give them a quick rinse under cold water then add them to a blender along with the remaining cashew cheese ingredients, blend until smooth, set aside.
- Drain liquid off of kelp noodles, give them a rinse under cold water then place them in a large bowl, chop up noodles using a knife.
- Rough chop your cabbage, dice your bell pepper, ribbon your carrots using a vegetable peeler, thinly chop your green onions.
- Mix the cashew cheese with the kelp noodles, add in your seasoning; tamari, lemon juice, paprika, fresh grated ginger, coconut nectar. Mix well.
- Add in chopped vegetables EXCEPT for the green onions, and mix well.
- Cover and place in refrigerator for 20 minutes to let noodles soften and soak up flavors.
You can garnish with a little green onion. Use it sparingly though because it can over-power the established flavors.
The creamy, garlic-y cashew cheese is such a great partner to the tangy ginger and salty soy sauce. It’s a great, Asian inspired dish that’s full of flavor and also nutrients thanks to the veggies full of vitamin-C, and the protein filled hemp seeds.
The perfect lunch to give you fuel during the day, or a great dinner idea if you’re looking to keep it light.
Kelp noodles for better health… give it a try!
Notes** You can find kelp noodles at most health food stores. I get mine on Vitacost.com for $3.99. You can get them on Amazon as well, ranging in price from $5-$7 a package.
** This vegetable peeler is ideal for this dish. It gives you julienned carrots. I got it in a three pack from William Sonoma. It comes in handy if you’re making zucchini noodles too, to find out more click here: Tangy Tahini Zughetti . OR, you can use a regular vegetable peeler, then slice the flat noodle vertically several times, to get this affect.
**Hemp seeds are incredibly nutritious. A great source of protein, essential fatty acids and vitamin E (great for beauty). If you don’t have hemp seeds though, try SUNFLOWER SEEDS.
**To keep this dish gluten free, use tamari soy sauce. You can easily substitute regular soy sauce If gluten is not a concern, or nama shoyu, a raw soy sauce, if you want to make this dish fully “raw.”
**If you like the cashew cheese, check out this creamy vegan mac and cheese recipe using quinoa pasta and this cashew cheese minus the garlic: Creamy Cashew Mac & Cheese
