A friend of mine recently went vegan. The carnivore in me wanted to lock her in a room and force feed her bacon, but my logical side kicked in and reminded me that was basically kidnapping and I could go to prison. I hear the food is terrible in prison, so I decided against it.
On a serious note, I realized that my blog wouldn't be very well rounded if I didn't include options for everyone. So here's one for the plant eaters.
INGREDIENTS: Dressing:
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original Almond Cashew Blend
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced or grated
kosher salt and pepper
Vegan Parmesan:
1/2 cup raw sesame seeds
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons raw hemp seeds
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
kosher salt
Salad:
1 bunch Tuscan kale, roughly torn
2 heads romaine lettuce, halved or chopped
1/2 of a cantaloupe, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup roasted, salted marcona almonds
grilled or toasted bread, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS:
Dressing: 1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Dressing can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the fridge. Vegan Parmesan: Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add 1/4 cup sesame seeds. Cook, stirring often until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining sesame seeds. Let cool. Add the sesame seeds, nutritional yeast, hemp seeds, and a pinch of salt to a blender and pulse until ground and the mix resembles grated parmesan. This can be made ahead and stored at room temp for up to a week. Salad: Add the kale to a large bowl and massage with olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the Dressing, and 2 tablespoons Vegan Parmesan. Toss in the cantaloupe. Divide the salad among bowls. Add the romaine lettuce. Drizzle with dressing and top with avocado and marcona almonds.