I can't begin to tell you how many cans of tuna fish I consumed as a child. Truly, I kept half of Samoa employed at the starkist factory cranking out can after can. As a kid I loved the stuff. Forget PB&J - in my lunch box it was either sushi made with tuna fish or a tuna sandwich. I've loved tuna all my life...that was until IT happened. That fateful day still haunts my memory. It started out heavenly. My gorgeous hubby who should have tried out for Baywatch as a hunky life guard showed up on campus to bring me a surprise picnic lunch. We sat under a plumaria tree with the faint sound of waves crashing on the beach a block a way. He laid out a nice mat and pulled out some crackers, an avocado, and a can of tuna fish, what more could I want? Well, perhaps not having a worm in my can of tuna would be a good start...I haven't touched the stuff since! This salad is a sufficient substitute. I even took it to a carnivorous family gathering and the one person there who was brave enough to try it said she loved it!
Tuna Salad
1 can garbanzo beans mashed
pickle relish
1 green onion chopped
1thingy celery chopped
dill weed
Smash your garbanzos with a fork and add the rest of the ingredients. Season with dill weed to taste. This is great as a sandwich or scoop some in the middle of an avocado and serve on mixed greens for a beautiful light dinner.
I know I've talked about our favorite restaurant Benjas before. It truly is sublime! When we went for our anniversary Matthew and I were feeling adventurous and ventures away from our usual Masaman Curry and Pad Thai....well, we still got that but we also tried the seaweed salad. OH MY! The crunch, the flavor, the infusion of nutrition with each bite. I went back the next day and had it for lunch. Since our anniversary 4 months ago I've been craving it regularly. I HIGHLY recommend you find some and try it! But what does that have to do with celery?....Hold your horses, I'm getting there. About the same time we started signing up for "bountiful baskets"
How everyone in the world knew about this but me I have no idea but even my non vegetable eating brother was aware of the option. So we signed up and while I truly admit that it is a good value don't let people exaggerations miss lead you. I have spoken to several people about them and they go on about how much produce there is and how you couldn't eat it all there is always so much and people even split the basket because there is so much. yada yada ya....All I can say is that either Matthew and I are produce pigs or these people need to eat more fruits and vegetables! But it still is an extremely good value for your money. If there is one in your area I recommend you check it out. Plus co-ops are great! So, to make a long story even longer, in our bountiful basket one week we got 2 stalks of celery. One stalk is easy to go through but two got me thinking. I found this recipe on line and It was so yummy we went through one whole stock that night. And going back to the yummy seaweed salad, it tastes quite a bit like it and solved the whole craving problem. What do you think? Do they taste similar or are my taste buds just whacked out?
Simple Celery Salad
1 bunch celery
sesame oil
toasted sesame seeds
salt
chili powder or flakes
Slice the celery thin on an angle, toss with sea salt. Place in a strainer and put strainer in a bowl and let drain for at least 1 hour in the fridge. Rinse extra salt from celery. Toss with sesame oil, sesame seeds and chili powder. Serve chilled.
Who doesn't love stuffing? Even though the name can be a bit insulting considering the one time a year that people go for stuffing is the same day people gorge themselves on all sorts of indulgences followed by a new years resolution, which is consistently the result of trying to counter that one day of feasting. How about we take a tip from the south and call it "dressing?" Sounds much more in line with the healthy eater.
This dressing is just how I like it. Not too moist but not too dry. Feel free to twist and tweak this recipe however you like and be sure to make a bunch, you'll want to use this a lot!
Vegan "Dressing"
1 loaf firm bread cubed
3 tb EVOO
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 chopped onion
2 c chopped celery
3 c vegetable broth
1/4 c fresh parsley
salt
Toast the bread cubes in the oven. While those are toasting, saute the garlic, onion, and celery in Olive oil. In a large pot mix the toasted bread cubes, saute mixture and parsley. Add the broth till the bread sticks together but isn't mushy. Bake in a 9 x 13 for about 30 minutes turning occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.
