The Best Snack in the World: Seaweed Sesame Nut Crunch

Seaweed Sesame Nut Crunch

1 cup sesame seeds
1.5 cups whole, raw cashews
1 ounce wild nori (laver), cut into approximately 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons coconut oil (or some other oil)
5 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Big pinch sea salt
Big pinch cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 325.

Combine all ingredients in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir until mixture bubbles and everything is coated and combined, 2 or 3 minutes.

Transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes. Watch closely. This will burn suddenly.

Cool at least 10 minutes. Tear into chunks. Watch it disappear.

Don't Hate Me Because My Kombu Chips Are Beautiful

Kombu is a seaweed, mostly used in Japanese cooking as an ingredient in soup stock (dashi), because of its amazing flavor-enhancing qualities. It is loaded with glutamic salts, basically MSG without the gross headaches or health risks, and so makes food taste better, and makes beans more tender and digestible. It's good for you too; a potent source of iodine, and a good source of iron and calcium. 

Here's a nice piece from the Kitchn about kombu as a handy pantry item. 

Kombu also, as it turns out, makes the most delicious chips you've ever eaten. All you have to do is heat some oil in a pan and drop in squares of kombu (I use scissors to cut them). They cook almost instantly, changing from leathery and inedible to crispy and delectable in a minute or less. Watch this video to see their dramatic transformation!

kombu chips a video by lovesmiths on Flickr.

Kombu Chips

Serves 2 as a snack

Approximately 4 strips kombu, cut into 1 or 2-inch pieces

Coconut oil for frying

Heat oil until very hot and moving around but not smoking.

Add kombu chips and cook for about a minute until they expand and bubble or curl. See video.

Remove with a slotted spoon or chopsticks and drain on paper.

Seaweed is the New Kale: Arame with Tempeh

Kale is so 2013. Seaweed is the new kale.

In the weird world that I alone inhabit.

But if you want to have an incredibly satisfying vegetarian dinner that will make you forget about winter, that will infuse you with minerals and give you superpowers, that will make your kids sad and inspire them to beg for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and that will remind you of when you--billions of years ago--were a creature swimming in a salty ocean, then please join me in celebrating arame, a lovely, edible weed of the sea.

Arame with Tempeh
Serves 2 as a main dish

8 ounces tempeh, cubed
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 bag arame (7.6 ounces)
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 or 4 carrots, cut into matchsticks
3-4 tablespoons soy sauce

Soak Arame in a bowl of cold water while you start preparing the dish.

Heat 3 tablespoons of coconut oil in a large skillet and brown tempeh, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes or so. Scoop browned tempeh pieces out of the skillet with a slotted spoon, trying to keep as much oil in the pan as possible. Set tempeh aside.

Add onions to pan with a small pinch of salt and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add carrots and cook 2-3 minutes.

Drain arame (reserve soaking water) and add to skillet on top of onions and carrots. Add tempeh cubes on top of arame. Cover with 2 cups of the soaking water, add 3 tablespoons soy sauce, bring to a gentle simmer and cover.

Cook undisturbed for 15 - 20 minutes, until liquid has mostly cooked off and everything is tender. Cook uncovered for a few minutes if necessary to finish cooking off liquid. Taste and add 1 more tablespoon of soy sauce, if you want to.

Serve on a bed of greens, or garnished with lots of parsley or green onions.