A Girl Needs Her Omega-3s!

I was in a big cooking mood last night when I got home from work. I started out making some guacamole, thinking I'd have a taco salad for dinner. But once I finished having a few chips & guac, decided steamed broccoli sounded delish -- random, I know. So I steamed some broccoli and topped with with nutritional yeast, to give it a bit of a cheesy flavoring. It's the best a vegan can do, really. :)

Then I remembered I had purchased some tempeh when I was at Whole Foods last weekend. If you haven't tried tempeh, you are missing out! It's basically a cake of fermented soybeans. By fermenting the soybeans, you are left with a higher amount of protein, fiber and vitamins - things everyone needs more of! I haven't done too much cooking with it, but I have fallen in love with a recipe for Tempeh "Chicken" Salad my cousin, Leah gave me. Leah has been a vegan for many years. (Her mom is my Aunt Sanda, who passed along the Kale Soup recipe to me -- so it's a trusted source!) I always thought it was a strange diet choice, but of course now totally understand. She has such a warm heart and a kindness for animals and our earth. I appreciate her wisdom. She has been so supportive of and helpful with my vegan lifestyle.

I digress...as usual. So she made this recipe as sort of an appetizer at both Thanksgiving and Christmas this past year. I DEVOURED it. It looked strange at first, but it tastes so good. It really is similar to a chicken salad, but not so heavy and mayo-y. She just served it with crackers (I prefer Triscuits or Ritz), but I've also put it in wraps or between bread for a nice sammy! It's easy, makes a good amount - which keeps well int he fridge for several days - and is really healthy! Oh, and this is also a great way to work in flax seeds. I bought some awhile back, after learning how high in protein, fiber and Omega-3s they are - but have not found a good dish to work them into...until now!

Tempeh "Chicken" Salad

8 oz pkg of tempeh (recipe calls for the 3-grain tempeh, but I used the garden veggie tempeh)
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
1/4 c. flax seeds
1-2 carrots, shredded
1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
1/4 c. onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. finely chopped parsley (I used about 1 tbsp dried parsley)
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup soy mayonnaise
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp sea salt
1/2 tbs soy sauce
pepper to taste

* Cut tempeh into approx 1" cubes and steam for about 10-15 mins, until tender. Remove from heat, allow to cool a bit and crumble into mixing bowl.
* Saute sunflower & flax seeds over med heat for 4-5 mins or until golden. Remove from heat and mix with crumbled tempeh.
* Add carrot, celery, onion, parsley, basil and garlic to tempeh mix.
* In separate dish, combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and soy sauce. Add to tempeh mix.
* Add mayo and stir well.
* Serve on sandwich or as dip for crackers.