Busy, busy, busy! That is my life at the moment, and when life is busy it is far to easy to let things slip, especially diet, why cook when you can grab a take away I hear you say, but they are so bad for you, full of chemicals, additives and so many calories, plus healthy meals really do not take long to prepare. I have found more and more that as a family we are eating vegetarian meals, a few vegan meals, but not completely ruling out the odd meat dish here and there. Plus so many of these delicious meals are so quick and easy to prepare. I love knowing exactly what is going into our family meals, it gives me a sense of peace, knowing that I am setting a good example on how to eat and keeping them well. My children are never ill and I can count on one hand the trips we may of had to the doctors over the years, and they maybe had antibiotics once in their lives, if that, so I must be doing something right.
With 5 children aged from 14 up to 27, only two now at home, I have had my battles over the years with them over food, of course they love the odd McDonalds and one of them in particular drinks far too many energy drinks which I have had to ban, but on the whole they all eat extremely well and just love food, but even I thought that this Vegan Caesar Salad maybe a step to far even for them, but I have never stopped them from eating a little of what they fancy, I have just never had a naughty cupboard at home (its called naughty for a reason!!!) and have never brought fizzy drinks or squashes for them and they turned out just fine, LOL !
To be honest, I did only try this recipe out on Hubby and Luca (the youngest), but they loved it and ate the lot.
This Vegan Caesar Salad is so delicious, so filling and there are so many textures and flavours. I am currently trying out recipes that I can try on unsuspecting family and friends, passing them off as just a salad etc, then only revealing to them that it was vegan, raw or a paleo dish after they have said if they like it or not! Sneaky I know, but people can have a preconceived idea on healthy food before they even try it. This is a less obvious way of trying to introduce people to new foods without me shouting from my soap box. Which I would do if I thought that it would work, LOL !!!
So go on, try something new on your taste buds, friends and family, it really is delicious.
Buon appetito
SERVES 5-6 SMALL BOWLS
Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, no bake/raw, refined sugar-free
ROASTED CHICKPEA CROUTONS:
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
FOR THE DRESSING (MAKES 3/4-1 CUP):
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 small garlic clove (you can add another if you like it super potent)
1/2 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (I use Wizard’s gluten-free brand)
2 teaspoons capers
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt and pepper, or to taste
NUT AND SEED PARMESAN CHEESE (MAKES 1/2 CUP):
1/3 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons hulled hemp seeds
1 small garlic clove
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
fine grain sea salt, to taste
LETTUCE:
1 small/medium bunch Lacinato kale, de-stemmed (5 cups chopped)
2 small heads romaine lettuce (10 cups chopped)
Soak cashews in a bowl of water overnight, or for at least a few hours. Drain and rinse.
To roast chickpea croutons:
Preheat oven to 400°F/200 C. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Place chickpeas in a tea towel and rub dry, don’t worry if some skins fall off. Place onto large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle on oil and roll around to coat. Sprinkle on the garlic powder, salt, and optional cayenne. Toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes, then gently roll the chickpeas around in the baking sheet, then roast for another 10-20 minutes, until lightly golden. They will firm up as they cool.
Dressing:
Add the cashews and all other dressing ingredients (except salt) into a high speed blender, and blend on high until the dressing is super smooth. You can add a splash of water if necessary to get it blending. Add salt to taste and adjust other seasonings, if desired. Set aside.
Parmesan cheese:
Add cashews and garlic into a mini food processor and process until finely chopped. Now add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse until the mixture is combined. Add salt to taste.
To prepare the lettuce:
De-stem the kale and then finely chop the leaves. Wash and dry in a salad spinner. Place into extra large bowl. Chop up the romaine into bite-sized pieces. Rinse and then spin dry. Place into bowl along with kale. You should have roughly 5 cups chopped kale and 10 cups chopped romaine.
To assemble:
Add dressing onto lettuce and toss until fully coated. Season with a pinch of salt and mix again. Now sprinkle on the roasted chickpeas and the Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Note:
We enjoyed this Vegan Caesar Salad as a meal on its own, but it would be great served as a side dish for a buffet or BBQ and trust me, no one will ever know that it is sooo healthy for them, let alone vegan 😉
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