Cathy Katin-Grazzini
Cathy's Kitchen Prescription LLC
www.cathyskitchenprescription.com
Chesapeake Crabless Salad
This tasty, lively salad evokes summer by the sea. It combines hearts of palm in lieu of crabmeat, fresh grilled corn, red peppers, sweet onion, and celery, dressed with a luscious vegan mayo and Chesapeake Old Bay spice blend. Stuff it in rolls or pile it high in sandwiches or and on leafy beds of salad greens. It makes a delightful lunch or light supper. Low in fat, high in fiber, loaded with lively flavors. To protect wild palm forests, choose hearts of palm from the multi-stemmed peach palm for an inexpensive and sustainable, climate-friendly option.
Prep time 20 minutes
Makes 5-6 cups
Mayo
1/2 14-oz package of silken tofu, drained well
1½ teaspoons granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon kala namak (Indian black salt) or 2 teaspoons shiro (mild white) miso paste, or to taste
Pinch freshly ground white pepper
1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 25-oz jar hearts of palm, drained and rinsed well
2 fresh corn cobs, roasted and sliced off the cob
1 cup mayo
1/3 cup Vidalia, Walla Walla, or Maui sweet onion, cut in a small dice
1 to 2 red bell peppers, cut in a small dice
2 stalks celery or 1 stalk celery plus 1 Persian cucumber, cut in a small dice
Juice of ½ large lemon
½ to 1 teaspoon of your favorite hot sauce, or to taste
1 teaspoon vegan Worcester sauce, or to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons Chesapeake Old Bay spice blend, or to taste
Several good grinds of coarse black pepper
To make the mayo, combine all the mayo ingredients in a high-speed blender and run on high for 1 minute, scraping down sides if necessary. Taste to correct its seasonings as you like.
Rinse and drain hearts of palm. Shred into irregular pieces with a fork to simulate crabmeat.
Over a gas burner or on a grill, lightly grill corn on all sides. Use a sharp knife to slice the kernels off the cob.
In a bowl combine the hearts of palm, diced onions, bell peppers, and celery/cucumber. Squeeze on the lemon. Mix in the mayo to combine well. Season with the Chesapeake Old Bay spice blend to taste, then the pepper, and Worcester sauce. Taste as you go. Season with hot sauce for a little additional acid and heat. Taste a final time to correct seasonings. Refrigerate until use. It will keep about 5 days in the fridge.
