A Winner! An Annoucement! And Tu-No Salad!

The winner of my Second Friday Giveaway is:

Amber of Almost Vegan

Using a random number generator, the number 8 popped up and Ms. Amber just happened to be the third person to leave a comment. She wins a copy of Veganize This! by Jenn Shagrin as well as a few vegan goodies. Congrats, Amber!

But you still have another chance to win! My Third Friday Giveaway is the book Ani's Raw Food Essentials by Ani Phyo. According to Amazon, "Chef Ani Phyo is back with Ani’s Raw Food Essentials, full of everything you need to know to master the art of live food. Phyo shows you how to whip up simple, fresh recipes using what you’ve already got in your kitchen while also offering tips on dehyrating and more sophisticated techniques. Looking for innovative meals that are healthy and delicious? Phyo offers everything from classic comfort foods like nachos and burgers to Reuben sandwiches and bacon, along with more gourmet dishes like risotto, angel hair pasta, and her “you-won’t-believe-they’re-raw” desserts.
Ani’s Raw Food Essentials once again proves that you don’t have to sacrifice taste to reap the benefits of raw foods, all while living a greener lifestyle. Recipes include: Broccoli and Cheeze Quiche, Kalamata Olive Crostini, Cashew “Tofu” in Miso Broth, Grilled Cheeze and Tomato Sandwiches, Cheeze Enchilada with Ranchero and Mole Sauce, Pad Thai, Pesto Pizza, and many more."

This book couldn't come at a better time, what with all the farmer's markets and home gardens starting to produce fantastic fruits and veggies. The temperature is also getter warmer, which I know holds some people back when you live in colder climates. The time is ripe for some raw food!

So if you would like to win this book, all you have to do is leave a comment to get one entry. To gain up to three additional entries you can facebook it, twitter it, and/or make a post about the giveaway on your blog with a link back to mine. The contest ends at midnight on Wednesday, May 25 and is open to everyone! So happy entering!

Now time for a little garden update! The lettuce we planted back in April is finally ready! This buttercrunch lettuce is tender with a mild crunch and flavor. It would be real good mixed in a salad or eaten on a sandwich.

I however, decided to use it as a bed for my Tu-No salad (mock tuna salad), along with some whole wheat pita. I've made this recipe many times before, but it was just recently that I noticed that I've never actually written a post about it. So how about that? This recipe tastes very similar to tuna salad, due to the ingredients, but without the fishy aftertaste or the overharvesting of the ocean being involved!

Tu-No Salad:

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 Tb. veganaise
1 rib of celery, finely chopped
1/4 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 Tb. dill pickle relish
1 1/2 Tb. horseradish mustard (or regular brown)
1 tsp. nooch (nutritional yeast)
1/8 tsp. celery salt
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Make sure you get all the excess water out so that your salad won't be runny.

2. Stir in the veganaise, celery, onion, relish, mustard, nooch, celery salt, and salt and pepper.

3. Once everything is nice and mixed together, use a fork to mash up some of the chickpeas. You could also pulse it in a food processor for a little bit. This makes about three servings with around 190 calories a piece.

Then enjoy in all the ways you use to enjoy tuna salad: on crackers, in tu-no melts, on a salad, in a pita, and in your lunchbox at work or school!

As a variation you can also add about 1/2 tsp. or so of curry powder and omit the celery salt to get a nice curried tu-no salad. It's quite tasty as well.

So to enter my cookbook giveaway, just leave a comment. Do you guys have any plans for Memorial Day? Or any thoughts on tuna salads or summer vacations? On cabbages and kings? Or why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings?

Whew. I just woke up. The mind tenders to wander at such an hour. Anywho, have a great day!