wild rice kale wrap

i've been a terrible blogger lately - summer is just so crazy busy.  the good news is that i'm still cranking out lots of recipes, i'm just not getting them posted as quickly as i'd like.  like a lot of vegans, finding a wrap or tortilla that doesn't contain l-cysteine has presented its challenges to me.  luckily our local store started carrying joseph's flax, oat bran & whole wheat tortillas, and i snatched them up in a hurry.  they were pretty decent, although they did start to dry out a little after a few days. you can see a few tears in the wrap, but that could also be because i overstuffed them.  at any rate, i was just happy to have a wrap to stuff all these yummy ingredients in.

• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 6 oz of tofu (marinated)
• 1/3 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 carrot shredded
• 1 kale leaf, shredded
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 joseph's flax wrap

tofu marinade:

• 1/2 cup wheat free tamari
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon of pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

mix the tofu marinade ingredients in a bowl.  crumble the tofu and mix with marinade for a least 2 hours.

cook wild rice according to directions.  about 15 minutes before rice is done, heat a large non-stick skillet and pour both the tofu and the remaining marinade in and sauté on medium-high until liquid dissipates. turn the heat down to medium-low and continue to fry the tofu, using a spatula to flip over occasionally.  this creates a nice crispy outside on the tofu.  after it reaches your level of crispiness, turn off heat and let cool.  the rice should be done as well, and should cool for about 5 minutes before placing in the wrap.

you will want to use a small dash of olive oil to massage your kale - this will remove the cardboard stiffness that raw kale can have.   layer the rice, avocado, tofu, carrot, and kale.  add salsa to your liking and wrap like a burrito.

the delicious kale was part of week 3 csa bounty!

cashew tamari dressing

 have long been a fan of homemade salad dressings, and rarely purchase the commercial variety.  however, there are a few bottled versions that i love, and i recently added another one to the list when i visited austin this past spring and my fabulous aunt took me to wheatsville co-op.  aside from the great selection of groceries and a myriad of vegan options at the deli, they also have a seriously awesome cashew tamari dressing. faced with the idea of funding a trip to austin every couple weeks to pick up a bottle, i hauled some back to kansas city and used it sparingly for several weeks as i tried to make a clone.  the result was... pretty darn close.  and cheaper than flying to austin once a month.

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 2¾ tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1¾ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1¼ tablespoon tamari
• 1/4 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

combine all ingredients in a magic bullet or blender, and let soak for about an hour.  after soaking, puree the heck out of it until the cashews have been effectively pulverized. add a little water along the way if needed or if you like thinner dressings.  makes enough for 2 or 3 salads and will keep in the fridge (sealed) for a couple of days.

served here over a yummy kale salad, courtesy of my awesome csa, greeley gardens.

sprouts & kale salad (w/ creamy dressing)

i've only recently tried kale, and i wasn't sure i was going to like it. i don't know why, i just had a food prejudice. but lucky for me, i forged ahead and found out that it is a pretty tasty little green.

• 1 cup of sprouts (i used lentil, red & green pea)
• 2 cups kale
  
• salad fixins: tomatoes, cucumber, etc.

for the creamy tahini dressing:

• 1 tablespoon white miso
  
• 1 ½ tablespoons tahini
  
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  
• 1 ½ tablespoons sesame oil
  
• 1/2 tablespoon stoneground mustard
  
• water to thin
  

you can buy sprouts in most produce sections, or just sprout them yourself. i don't have a fancy method of doing this. i soak my uncooked beans in a quart mason jars for about 8 hours. then i lay a damp tea towel in a colander, and dump in the beans, seeds, etc. i use the edges of the towel to fold over the top, and rinse the sprouts every couple of hours. then they just sit on my kitchen counter and i re-rinse about every 3 hours or so, keeping them moist. i usually sprout for a couple days before eating, making sure to rinse regularly.

when you prepare your salad, you will want to massage the kale for about 5 minutes with olive oil and/or lemon juice. the first time i ate kale i didn't know to do this, and it was like trying to chew a porcupine made out of cardboard. (thanks for the tip, lauren!) the kale should retain its crunchiness, but lose some of the extra-stiffness. toss in the sprouts, and whatever veggies you want for your salad. whisk the dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl, using as much water as needed to thin.

enjoy!