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Cannellini Bean Sea Cakes with Parsley Sauce

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Cannellini beans are so extremely versatile. They blend down to make sauces and dips; they make great binders in burgers; they taste good sprinkled over salads or cooked in a sauce. But they’re particularly good made into sea cakes, mixed with onion and sea vegetables, coated in breadcrumbs, and baked in the oven for a filling and healthy main dish. Makes 4 cakes.

Ingredients

For the sea cakes

2 cups cooked cannellini beans (another white bean will do)
1 tsp seaweed powder or flakes; I prefer kombu
1/2 onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1/4 cup water
75g wholegrain breadcrumbs

For the parsley sauce

Ingredients
2 cups unsweetened soya (or other plant) milk
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp onion granules
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
pinch white pepper
1 bunch fresh parsley, finely minced

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Make the sea cakes. Mash the beans in a large bowl with the back of a fork.Stir in seaweed, onion, and salt and pepper. Form the beans into four patties, dip in the cornflour mix, and coat in breadcrumbs.Bake on a silicone mat on a baking tray for 20 minutes, turning once.
3. Meanwhile, make the parsley sauce. Mix 1/4 of the soya milk with the cornflour. Set aside. Place the remaining soya milk into a saucepan and heat gently. Whisk in the onion granules, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and parsley. When the milk comes to a simmer, add the cornflour mix and stir continuously to thicken.
4. Serve the sea cakes with the parsley sauce, steamed greens, and mashed, boiled, or steamed potatoes.

Sushi Salad with Wasabi Dressing

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This colourful salad balances the flavours of crisp, refreshing vegetables with the sweetness of pear and the unique flavour and health benefits of sea vegetables. It makes a perfect packed lunch; just carry the nori in a separate container and add it before serving. Serves 4.

Ingredients

For the salad

2 cups dried sushi rice, cooked and cooled
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 yellow pepper, finely diced
2 pears, finely diced
1/2 courgette, finely diced
1/2 cucumber, finely diced
4 sheets nori, shredded

For the dressing

2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp white or yellow miso paste
3 pea-sized blobs wasabi paste, or more to taste

1. Mix all salad ingredients. Add the nori just before serving.
2. Mix all dressing ingredients.
3. Serve the salad with the dressing.

Black lentils, potatoes, and kale with lemon cashew butter and sea vegetables

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Seasoned with scallions, purple dulse flakes, toasted nori, and black sesame seeds, this dish relies primarily on the salty flavour of the sea vegetables, the sweetness of the cashew butter and the rich combination of lentils, potatoes and greens for its flavour. One pan, one bowl, one plate, no refined oil, no added sugar, added salt optional (but recommended if you’re not trying to cut out salt!).

Ingredients

For the lentils, potatoes and kale
1 1/2 cups water, divided
1/4 cup black beluga lentils (green, brown, dupuy will also work, but not red)
1 ‘spring’ dried kombu (about 1/2″)
1 medium yellow potatoes, about 1/8lb or 3/4 cups in 1/2″ dice
1 scallion, minced (2″ – 3″ green reserved for garnish)
1/2T minced garlic
1 cup green kale, chopped
1t purple dulse flakes, 1/4t reserved
1t nori flakes, 1/4t reserved
1T nutritional yeast
1t black sesame seeds (white will do)
Sea salt, tamari, and/or black pepper to taste

For the cashew sauce
1T cashew butter
1T warm water
1T nutritional yeast
1/2T lemon juice
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Start the lentils, add the potatoes and finish with the kale. In a medium pan with a lid, bring 1/2 cup water to a soft boil. Add the lentils and kombu, cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Drain the lentils and rinse thoroughly.

Return the lentils and kombu to the pan, add the
potatoes and add enough of the 1 cup remaining water to cover. Bring the pan to a soft boil on medium-high.
Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 20 minutes or until the potatoes are just shy of fork tender and most of the water has been absorbed. If you have more than 1/4 cup or so water left in the pain, drain the lentils carefully. Remove the kombu. Add the kale, garlic, purple dulse, nori, and scallions. Stir to combine and simmer on low for another 5 minutes until the kale is lightly wilted.

When done, remove from heat and set aside for 5
minutes to cool. Toss with the nutritional yeast. Season to taste. Whisk the cashew butter with the water and lemon. until creamy. Add the nutritional yeast and stir till its absorbed and consistent. Season to taste. Plate the lentils, potatoes and kale. Spoon the cashew mixture over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4t nori, 1/4t dulse, and black sesame seeds. Garnish with the scallion green sliced on an angle and serve.