Spring Recipes for Fellowship - Gifts from the Pledge Committee!

Corrin Clarkson, chair of the Pledge Committee, brought a vegan “tuna” salad made with chickpeas that stole the evening at a recent gathering. When I asked Corrin for the recipe, Olaya Fernandez Gayol, the cook of the power-couple, replied “yes of course, but you must also try our new favorite thing – vegan spicy crab dip”. Taking advantage of pledge season, I also asked Pledge Committee member Pat Slabach for her version (my favorite!) of the classic spinach-artichoke dip. Click on the dips for the recipe links and enjoy a Happy Spring!

Vegan “No Tuna” Salad

1 15oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 Tbs vegan mayonnaise

1 Tbs tahini

1 tsp Dijon or spicy mustard, plus more to taste

1 Tbs maple syrup or agave nectar, plus more to taste

¼ cup diced onion, preferably picked red onion

2 stalks diced celery

2 large dill pickles, diced

1 Tbs capers, drained and loosely chopped

Healthy pinch of black pepper

Sliced pickled jalapeños

1 sheet nori, shredded or Furikake for topping

1. Add chickpeas to a medium bowl and mash with a fork, leaving only a few beans whole.
2. Add remaining ingredients through black pepper to the bowl and mix to incorporate. Adjust seasonings as you like.
3. Top with pickled jalapeños and Furikake when serving.

The original recipe serves the salad on toasted bread as sandwiches. Corrin and Olaya prefer it served with arugula and some nice crusty sourdough. Enjoy!

Spicy Tofu “Crab” Dip

1 16 oz package super-firm high-protein tofu (available at Bloomingfoods)

1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise

3 Tbs sriracha, more or less to preference

2 Tbs soy sauce

1½  Tbs rice vinegar

2 scallions finely sliced

2 Tbs finely shredded carrot optional, for color

1. Use a cheese grater or a food processor to shred the super-firm tofu. (If you are substituting extra-firm tofu, please make sure you have thoroughly pressed it beforehand.)
2. Mix the grated tofu with all remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Give it a taste and add an extra dash of sriracha or soy sauce if you like.
3. The salad can be served right away, but I usually like to refrigerate it for about 1 hour to let the tofu soak up the flavors.

NOTES

Substitute extra-firm tofu: If you can't find super-firm tofu, you can use about 1 and a half blocks of extra-firm tofu. Press it thoroughly for at least 30 minutes prior to preparing the recipe (Olaya goes 4 hours). If you don't press it, there is a good chance your salad will turn out soggy. A tofu press works best not only to remove the extra liquid but also to compress the texture so it holds up better to grating.

Original recipe: is for Vegan California Roll and may be found at https://sarahsvegankitchen.com/recipes/california-roll/#recipe

Pat’s Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Heat oven to 375 degrees

6 oz marinated artichoke hearts pieces

16 oz fresh spinach

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 small clove garlic

1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan

& extra parmesan for topping 

1. Cook the spinach - drain, chop and squeeze water out (you can also use 1/2 bag of frozen spinach) 
2. Chop artichokes into smaller pieces 
3. Mix all ingredients together
4. Add a little more sour cream, or heavy cream if needed, mixture should be creamy, but not too liquidy
5. Pour mixture into a small casserole baking dish. Top with parmesan cheese. 
6. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes until bubbly.  Cover with foil for the first 10 minutes. I usually let it stay in the oven until the top gets a little brown on top. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving 

Serve with corn tortilla or pita chips.  Enjoy the best of a classic!

Note - double the recipe for a large crowd.