Black Pepper Kelp Noodles with Cashew Cream

Back in January, my fiancé and I took a Vegan cooking class that was led by the head chef at Matthew Kenny M.A.K.E. in Santa Monica. The food was not only vegan but also raw. I would like to note that raw cuisine doesn’t mean the food has to be served or enjoyed cold but rather nothing is heated over 105°F.  Dehydrators are often used in raw cuisine world to achieve this luke-warm temperature without diminishing the nutrients in the food. Let me tell you, this raw vegan cuisine is like nothing you have ever seen or tasted before. It is so vibrant, beautiful and out-of-this-world delicious!

One dish that was featured was kelp noodles with a black pepper cream sauce (dairy free of course!). Kelp noodles are exactly what you’d think – kelp! Kelp is an edible seaweed or sea vegetable that grows in shallow oceans. The noodles contain three basic ingredients, water, kelp and sodium alginate (salt extracted from brown seaweed). Kelp noodles are a sea vegetable in the form of an easy to eat noodle and are fat free, gluten free and low in carbs and calories. The best part is that you don’t even have to cook them! Remove the noodles from the package, soak in water for a few minutes and dress them anyone you’d like. So easy and so good! 

Kelp noodles contain over 70 nutrients and minerals such as iron, iodine, calcium, magnesium and potassium. This means stronger bones from the calcium, improved thyroid functioning from the iodine and anti-inflammatory properties due to the magnesium. In addition, raw kelp noodles contain over 21 amino acids. With only six calories per serving, they are an ideal pasta substitute for those trying to shed a few pounds.  Check out Sea Tangle for more recipes!

Ingredients

1 bag of Kelp Noodles (brand Sea Tangle - found at Whole Foods)

 1 teaspoon of baking soda

¼ cup + 2 teaspoons of lemon juice

¼ cup of Tamari (soy sauce)

2 tablespoons of EVOO

1 tablespoon of agave

1 cup of raw unsalted cashew (soaked in water)

¾ cup filtered water

½ tablespoon of black peppercorns

1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast

Sea salt

1 cup of snap peas sliced thin

½ cup of pea sprouts/tendrils

*1 cup of black olives dehydrated (optional)

Directions

Empty the bag of kelp noodles into a strainer and rinse with water. Transfer the noodles to a bowl of warm water and baking soda for 15 minutes. Rinse well and marinate the noodles in the tamari (or soy sauce), 1 tablespoon of olive oil and agave.

Add the cashews, filtered water, peppercorns, ¼ cup of lemon juice, nutritional yeast and sea salt (based on your preference) to a blender. Blend on high until you have a smooth, creamy sauce.

Toss the sugar snap pea slices and pea tendrils with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and sea salt.

Strain the kelp noodles and toss them with the cashew cream sauce and snap pea mixture. Top with the crispy dehydrated olives and enjoy!!

* I dehydrated by black olives in the oven at the lowest temperature setting for approximately one hour, rotating every 20 minutes.