(raw vegan*)
Warning: This bold and spicy seaweed salad is not for the faint hearted!
I love spicy foods, which is clearly reflected in many of my recipes. Of course, you can modify the spiciness by reducing or omitting the jalepenos and chili oil and it’ll still be delicious. Arame is a quick and easy sea vegetable to make with a mild flavor and firm, slaw-like texture. Dulse lends a chewy, salty, and lightly spicy bite. Recipe follows..
This recipe makes just a single serving, so if you love it, multiply as necessary!
1/2 cup Eden dried arame
Approximate 3″x3″ piece of dulse (such as Maine Coast brand, do not use flakes)
4″ long piece English cucumber
6 sweet grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
petite bunch fresh watercress leaves, long stems removed
1 lemon
1 inch piece freshly grated ginger
1/2 fat garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 jalepeno pepper
nama shoyu
raw agave nectar
flax seed oil
sesame-chili oil (such as Eden)
*Some varieties of arame are not truly raw.
Soak the arame in a bowl for at least 15 minutes with enough cold water to cover. Meanwhile, use a mandoline or slice very thinly 12 cucumber slices and arrange along the border of a plate, gently overlapping one another. Also mandoline about 3 lemon slices in half-moon shapes and place on opposite side of plate. (If the lemon is sliced thinly enough it is completely edible and compliments flavors in this salad.) Finally, thinly slice 3-5 pieces of jalepeno and randomly arrange on top of the cucumber.
Next, make a simple ponzu dressing by whisking together about 3 tablespoons nama shoyu, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1 1/2 teaspoons agave nectar.
Drain the arame, pat dry with paper towels, and add to a bowl along with ginger, garlic, and tomatoes. With kitchen scissors, snip in strips of the dulse. Add the ponzu dressing, reserving one tablespoon and toss to blend. Then drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the flax seed oil, and a tiny drizzle of sesame-chili oil. Toss again.
Arrange a small bed of watercress alongside the cucumbers and lemon. Add the arame salad over the top of the watercress. Finally, drizzle the remaining one tablespoon of ponzu over cucumber slices. Garnish with additional pretty orange dots of sesame-chili oil.
<3, JMK
