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Archive for January 12th, 2007

Kohlrabi Waldorf Salad

Of all the winter vegetables I purchased, I decided to try the kohlrabi first. I kept on reading about people generally ate it raw. I’d glance at it and think, You? People eat you raw? Really?

I sliced off the ends and took off the tough skin. It seems I bought one larger than the ideal size, and therefore it was a bit tough. If you’ve never bought at kohlrabi, it’s suggested to select one no larger two and a half inches in diameter. Apparently you can eat the skin if you find one tender enough.

I had read that kohlrabi is actually a cabbage, and people reported the flavor to be anything from broccoli stems to turnips to apples. I found the flavor to be very mild, with the slightly sweet nuttiness of, here’s a surprise: cabbage. I was pleased with it actually. I put it through my food processor with a shredding disc, and found myself snacking on the pieces while I was preparing dinner. Kohlrabi is tasty! It’s so mild, it’s hard to imagine someone actively not liking it.

My plan for it suddenly materialized; I wanted to make a salad with granny smith apples, and a light, creamy dressing. Why not a waldorf salad?

This salad has just a touch of the dressing on it, much less than I’ve seen on real waldorf salads. I didn’t want to overwhelm the delicate kohlrabi, and I also didn’t want the dressing to scream HI, I’M MADE OF SOY MAYONNAISE!

Kohlrabi Waldorf
Makes four small side salads

1 Medium Kohlrabi, shredded
1 Medium Granny Smith Apple, shredded
1/2 Cup Raisins, plumped
1/2 Cup Pecans (or walnuts if you’re feeling traditional)

Dressing
3 Tbs Soy Mayo
1 Tbs Lemon Juice
2-3 tsp Sugar (to taste)
1/2 tsp Salt

Note: If you do not have a food processor, a hand grater or mandolin will also work. You just want to get the kohlrabi and apple sliced in thin strips, and it’d be a pain in the butt with a knife. Feel free to have a go at it that way, though. Directions here are for a food processor with a shredding disc.

Mix all of the dressing ingredients together, refrigerate. Place raisins in a small sauce pan, covered with water. Bring water to simmer and remove from heat. Let raisins sit in hot water to plump, about 15 minutes.

Trim the ends off the kohlrabi. If it’s tender, feel free to leave the skin on. If not, slice it off with a sharp knife. Cut into quarter inch thick slices. Trim the slices to they are narrow enough to fit in the feed tube of your food processor. Process the kohlrabi with the larger side of your shredding disc.

Repeat the process for the apple, leaving the skin on. Mix the apple and kohlrabi in a large bowl. Add raisins and toss with dressing. I used only 2 tbs of dressing, but the recipe makes more should you desire it. Salad may be refrigerated until serving - the dressing should keep the apples from turning brown.

2 comments January 12th, 2007

Pressed Avocado, Hummus, and Cucumber Sandwich

I used to work down the street from a little cafe that had only two vegan items on the menu - both of which were pressed sandwiches. They used a professional sandwich pressing machine, and I’ve seen fancy pans with heavy lids at fancy stores that do the same thing. I have neither of these things, but man, if I didn’t want a pressed sandwich today.

I decided to DIY it, and here’s what I came up with:

Yes. Four cans of beans, a small cutting board, and a piece of aluminum foil. Why are you looking at me like that? It totally worked! If you have a grill pan at home, I’d recommended using that one instead, but I don’t own one. A regular skillet worked just fine for me.

Pressed Avocado, Cucumber, and Hummus Sandwich
Makes one tasty, tasty sandwich

2 Slices of nice bread (really, it’s worth it)
1/2 Avocado
Hummus (recipe below)
Cucumber, thinly sliced
Salt
Cilantro (optional)
Olive Oil

Heat a skillet, dry, over medium heat for a few minutes. Spread hummus on both pieces of bread - this will help keep your sandwich from falling apart. Top one side with avocado, cucumber slices, salt, cilantro, and some extra lime juice if desired.

When sandwich is assembled, lightly sprinkle one side of the bread with olive oil, and place that side down in the pan. You should hear a polite sizzle. Place a sheet of aluminum foil on top of the sandwich, then place something heavy on top of that. Canned goods, another pan holding your gallon of soymilk - whatever’s clever. You could even press it down with your hand if you’re a patient (and careful) person.

My sandwich took 2-3 minutes to brown on the the first side. You don’t want the heat so high that the sandwich doesn’t have a chance to heat up on the inside before it’s browned. This is one of the reasons I decreed thinly sliced cucumbers - slice them too thick and your sandwich will be cold in the middle. Anyway! When it’s brown, remove the weight, flip the sandwich, and repeat. Smile at your fancy sandwich.

There are about a billion hummus recipes on the internet, but in case you don’t feel like finding one, here is one I made up all by myself:

Unadorned Hummus

1 Can of Chickpeas, drained, rinsed, brown ones removed
1 1/2 Tbs Tahini
1 Tbs Lime (or lemon) Juice
2 Tbs Water (or olive oil)
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Cumin

Place everything in your food processor. Pulse until chick peas are no longer whole, then blend for a few minutes until ultra smooth.

PS - I was playing around with the movie feature on my camera, so if you want to see a short, sideways video that shows you how to slice an avocado without smooshing it, click below!

How to slice a ripe avocado without smooshing it. Sorry about the sideways thing.