Spicy Sesame Salad & Wasabi Aioli

We absolutely LOVE raw, organically grown cabbage!

Whether it be red, green, garden grown or sourced from trusted local farmers/markets, cabbage is always wonderful and an absolute pleasure to use in so many ways.

The following creation was formulated and presented in the kitchen/dining space of our Riverdale location in New York. The images show our resident raw culinary educator & co-founder piecing together an incredibly simple, spicy, and quite filling Asian fusion-style salad which features both green and purple varieties of cabbage.

Salad:

• Cabbages -
  ½ red,

  ½ green (chopped)

Green cabbage was chosen for its delicacy & flavour, whilst red was equally incorporated due to the presence of anthocyanins and other useful antioxidant qualities found in brightly coloured plant foods.

• Cilantro - 1 bunch, (chopped & stemmed)
• 1 Large Carrot (shredded)
• Scallions - 1 bunch (optional)
• Unhulled Sesame Seeds

Wasabi "Aioli":

This recipe makes a surplus. The reason for making oversize batches is mainly to do with the fact that personal taste comes into play with recipes involving a fair amount of spice. If serving a crowd of varied taste when it comes to horseradish content, I advise using a small amount and leaving some on the table to be added as additional condiment for those who prefer a hotter dish.

• Green Pumpkin Seeds (soaked) - 1
  ½
  C

Pumpkin seeds are amazing, but sadly most are imported from China. Even the major producers of living foods have been sourcing theirs from China, so I opt to avoid them at all cost unless I am able to find a fair trade, domestic supplier. In New York City*, we are most fortunate to have Gary Null's Uptown shop. Dr. Null is very particular and mindful in his buying, so he always seems to manage a domestic supplier for his stock of bulk seeds, nuts, etc. Gary Null has been a trusted source for ethically & domestically supplied seeds and nuts for many years.

* (For those in the U.S. who are outside the NYC area, we have managed to locate some some small farms on the West Coast who produce seeds using organic growing methods and are presently working toward adding them to our soon-to-be-launched veganic bulk co-operative buying club)

• Organic, Unrefined Sesame Oil - 2Tbsp
• Horseradish (fresh root or powdered) - How much can you handle?

We did not have any fresh root available on that day, so we used a certified organic, dried powder obtained from a small local business (above image, at left). This powder is actually quite a bit milder than the fresh roots I have incorporated in the past, but tolerable amount is really a matter of personal taste

• Ginger - 1 large piece

• Udo's 3•6•9 Fish-free DHA Oil (Flora Health) - 1.5 - 2 Tbsp

• Celtic Sea Salt - to taste
• Water - add as needed

At this point I should probably make mention of the fact that all of my measurements are approximations. As noted in my brief outline of food methodology, I prefer to prepare food without recipes, using the "eyeballing" method and my own personal preference at any given time. Taking this into account, please feel free to do the same.

Preparation:

1. Combine cabbage, shredded carrot, cilantro, scallions & a small amount of sesame oil in a large serving bowl.
2. Place pumpkin seeds, ginger, horseradish & salt into Vitamix
3. Add oils & a small amount of water

4. Start blender on lowest dial setting, gradually increasing speed & adding water as substance breaks down and becomes pasty/creamy, but not too liquidy (stop & re-start to check consistency).

The end result should appear something like this:

5. Pour wasabi mixture over cabbage salad & mix well.

6. Garnish with unhulled sesame seeds

7. Serve & enjoy!