Raw Kelp Noodles with Chipotle Creme

The first I heard about Kelp Noodles was from @MatthewKinney and his book Raw Food Express which I have written about, and been inspired by in the past. This is an adaptation of his recipe and has become a fixture in the lunch time rotation of meals here. This is the plated salad with a  garnish of red carrot, peppers on a bed of  Arugula. You can use most any vegetable you have on hand. Salad Ingredients

• 1 Bag Kelp Noodles – we like the ones that are soaked in Green Tea – you can find them at Whole Foods or online here. We like the Sea Tangle (and no, they are not from Plutonium rich waters off the coast of Japan) – see note* at the end of this post to read more about this fascinating new addition to our raw diet.
• 1 Heirloom Carrot – this one was bright red like a beet, but completely tasted like a carrot – I julienned it, then cut the strips into one inch long pieces, reserving a few aside for the garnish. We happen to be seriously fortunate to have a Farmers Market seven days a week here in Santa Barbara, so access to these types of vegetables have become commonplace. If you can’t find such things, improvise – it’s all good.
• 2 Mushrooms, sliced thin
• 2 mini peppers – sliced, not hot – though you could use Serrano or Pasilla if you liked
• 1 Avocado – pitted, peeled and diced

I like to roughly chop the Kelp noodles, as they can be as long as spaghetti – you may like them long, your choice. I assemble everything in a salad bowl and chill while I make the sauce. Chipotle Cashew Creme Sauce

• 3/4 cup of soaked raw cashews (remember you soak them to unlock the enzymes, if you forgot, well, who are we gonna tell?)
• Juice from one Meyers Lemon
• 1 teaspoon smoked chipotle chili powder (technically this may not be raw, so if you are a purist, leave it out. If you don’t like hot/spicy, leave it out, if you can’t find Chipotle Chili Powder, then don’t call it a Kelp Salad with Chipotle Cashew Creme, call it something else – I made up the name of this dish myself)
• 1 teaspoon Herb de Provence – we get this from Tom Shepard of Shepard’s Farm in Carpinteria at the Farmers Market – best I can get locally, it’s really fresh.
• 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes (or from Whole Foods). This gives the sauce a ‘cheesy’ taste
• 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3/4 – 1 Cup filtered water – I like a thicker sauce, so use less water.

Place all of the ingredients into a high speed blender (I use the Vitamix) so that it will pulverize the cashews and turn this into an extremely creamy textured sauce. I typically blend for one minute on high, then adjust liquid accordingly. Once complete, I pour the sauce over the noodle, veg mixture and toss thoroughly. Plate as pictured, or make up your own masterpiece and send me a picture! NOTE: *Kelp Noodles are a sea vegetable in the form of an easy to eat raw noodle. Made of only kelp (a sea vegetable), sodium alginate (sodium salt extracted from a brown seaweed), and water, Kelp Noodles are fat-free, gluten-free, and very low in carbohydrates and calories. Their noodle form and neutral taste allow for a variety of uses including salads, stir-fries, hot broths, and casseroles, while their healthful content provides a rich source of trace minerals including iodine, which kelp is well known for. Their unique texture completes the package, making Kelp Noodles a one-of-a-kind healthful and tasty alternative to pasta and rice noodles. Best of all, no cooking is required. Just rinse and add the noodles to any dish and they are ready to eat! – this text is from the Sea Tangle Noodle website