Esalen Cookbook (18 page)

Authors: Charlie Cascio

Toast the curry powder in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until it has a strong, flavorful curry smell. Be sure to stir the curry powder as you toast it. Mix the mayonnaise, orange juice, cumin, salt and toasted curry together, and then add it to the chicken mixture and toss.

This salad can be served as a lunch for 4 people atop a bed of fresh salad greens or over 4 pieces of toasted whole-grain bread as open-faced sandwiches.

THAI CABBAGE SALAD

This is a perfect salad to accompany stir-fries or other oriental dishes such as Egg Foo Yong or Pad Thai. This recipe comes to Esalen by the grace of one of our Esalen office staff who worked as a tour guide in Thailand. The secret to a good cabbage salad is in the shredding. The shredding should be as thin as possible-paper-thin if you can. This releases more of the cabbage flavor and has an easier texture to chew.

Serves 4 to 6

6 cups finely shredded green cabbage
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1½ teaspoons sea salt
½ cup dry-roasted peanuts
1 cup sliced red bell pepper (sliced into thin
½-inch strips)
2 green onions (sliced in fine rounds)
1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil

Be sure when you cut the cabbage that you remove the stem part and that you lay the flat side down and cut as thinly as possible. You want to have long, thin strips of cabbage.

Whisk together the vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, cilantro, garlic, and salt and place in a mixing bowl; add the cabbage, onions, and bell peppers and toss. Continue to toss while other dishes are being prepared for your meal to coat the salad as much as possible with the marinade. Drain off half the marinade just before serving. Chop peanuts and toss into salad last.

Kale Salad

KALE SALAD

Kale is the original plant that all the cabbage family evolved from. It is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. Kale is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. It is extremely rich in meta carotene, dietary fiber, and antioxidants. It is very low in fat and high in trace nutrients. The Esalen garden grows large crops of kale year-round, and we’re glad they do because our staff and guests can’t get enough of this salad.

Maggie Dawson, an extended student at Esalen, first started making kale salads in our kitchen. It didn’t take long for this to become a standard dish on our salad bar.

Serves 4 to 6

⅓ cup Bragg Liquid Aminos or tamari soy
sauce
⅓ cup lemon juice
⅓ cup flax seed oil or extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium-size red onion
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sesame seeds
1 pound fresh kale
½ cup sunflower sprouts
½ cup alfalfa sprouts
1 avocado, cut into 1/2-pinch cubes (optional)
1 cup thinly sliced shiitake or crimini
mushrooms (optional)

KALE

Red Russian and/or Siberian are nice choices, but any kale works as long as it’s tender.

Combine the Bragg or soy sauce and lemon juice in a blender or whisk in a bowl. Slowly dribble in the oil as the blender turns or as you whisk vigorously. Slice the onion into thin half-moons and marinate in the dressing as you prepare the rest of the salad.

Toast the seeds in a heavy-bottomed pan (cast-iron is the best) over medium heat until seeds are just golden and fragrant. Toast each seed type separately as their size requires varying roasting times. Cool to room temperature.

Destem the kale; you can do this by holding the bottom of the kale stem in one hand and then running your other hand down the stem, pulling off all the leaves as your hand runs down the kale stem. Stack the kale leaves and slice into 1/4-inch ribbons. This is the most important step, so take your time. The success of this recipe lies in cutting the kale into small ribbons and in completely massaging the kale with the dressing.

Toss the seeds, sprouts, and kale together with the marinated onions and as much dressing as necessary to lightly but completely dress the kale. Massage the dressing into the kale with your hands. Add the avocado and mushrooms if using and toss again with your hands.

GREEK SPINACH SALAD

A regular summer lunch in the Esalen dining lodge is the Greek Feast. When the Esalen garden is full of fresh organic spinach, you will always find the Greek Feast on the menu. It includes hummus and pita bread alongside a large salad full of crisp spinach that has been picked just a few hours before serving, tossed with other vegetables and feta cheese. Our Greek Spinach Salad is dressed with a simple LemonSage Vinaigrette.

Serves 4

6 cups small spinach leaves
1 cup sliced cucumber
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon chopped fresh sage
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Pinch freshly ground white pepper
2 small red onions sliced in very fine rings
1 cup finely sliced crimini mushrooms
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
1½ cups crumbled feta cheese

Wash and stem the spinach; if the leaves are too large, rip into bite-size pieces. Peel the cucumbers and cut lengthwise down the middle; then scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Slice the cucumber halves into 1/4-inch slices, in the shape of horseshoes.

Whisk the oil, lemon juice, garlic, sage, salt, and pepper in the bottom of a large salad bowl until well blended. Add the cucumbers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and olives. Toss these vegetables with the vinaigrette until they are well coated and then add the spinach and toss again. Finally, sprinkle the cheese into the salad and give it one final toss.

Greek Spinach Salad

Balsamic-Glazed Bect Salad with Fenne & Ai-ii-iila

BALSAMIC-GLAZED BEET SALAD WITH FENNEL & ARUGUAL

This is a real crowd-pleaser at the Esalen salad bar. The gardener brings into the kitchen baskets of freshly picked fennel and arugula that are added to the cooked beets. The reduction of the balsamic vinegar, the beets, and the fennel create a contrast with the sharp and piquant flavor of the arugula.

Serves 4 to 6

6 medium-size beets
3 bulbs fennel
5 cups chopped arugula*
1 cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

* If you can’t find orugula
,
fresh spinach is a good replacement.

Place beets in a 4-quart saucepan and cover with water. Boil on high heat for approximately 1/2 hour; they are done when a knife goes into the beet without resistance. Place under cold running water to cool and peel off skin when cool enough to handle. Slice the beets into eighths and place in salad bowl.

Trim the fennel, cut in half, and slice into fine 1/4-inch slices. Place into bowl with beets. Chop the arugula into fine ribbons and add to the vegetables. Place the vinegar into a small saucepan over medium heat and reduce down to half (about 1/2 cup). Whisk the oil and salt into this reduction. Dribble over salad and toss well. Garnish with the feathery tips of the fennel tops.

HONEY-MUSTARD GLAZED TOFU

This recipe can be served with German Potato Salad to make a complete vegetarian meal. It’s a great way to prepare tofu and can be used in many different vegetarian lunch and dinner menus.
1 pound firm tofu
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼cups warm vegetable stock or water

Drain the tofu and cut into 4 steaks. Place tofu steaks onto a clean kitchen towel and cover with another kitchen towel; then place a heavy weight on top of the tofu to press out as much water as possible. Let this press for about 20 minutes. The more water that is pressed out of the tofu, the more flavor it will absorb.

Whisk the mustard, honey, salt, and stock or water together until honey and salt are dissolved and all the ingredients are blended. Dip the tofu steaks into the mustard marinade and then place into an oiled baking dish.

Cover tofu with remaining marinade and place into an oven preheated to 350 degrees F. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes and then turn the steaks over and bake for another 30 minutes or until the marinade has been absorbed by the tofu. The steaks should have a brown, glazed appearance. Remove from oven and serve.

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