They may not be able to tow you on water skis, but these flavorful vegan “boats” do make the perfect healthy appetizer for any party. They’re also filling enough to serve as a main course. Plus, it’s fun to fool your non-vegan friends with the convincingly authentic appearance of the crumbled walnut “meat!”
To make the walnut “meat,” you’ll need:
- 1 – 1 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Soak walnuts in water for up to 1 hour (the longer, the better) – this helps soften their texture and tone down the taste. Once they’re done soaking, drain and rinse.
Add walnuts, olive oil, spices and seasonings to food processor and pulse a few times until mixture is combined and walnuts are well-crumbled. (They should resemble ground turkey crumbles.) If you don’t have a food processor, you can add the walnuts to a re-sealable bag and pound them with a meat hammer, then add to a bowl to combine the remaining ingredients.
To make the “boats,” you’ll need:
- 4 small avocados
- 1 vine-ripened tomato, diced
- Organic greens (optional)
Halve each avocado and pre-slice into sections – scoop out a few small pieces to use as garnish, but leave the rest in the rind.
Sprinkle the walnut “meat” inside, then top with a few small avocado pieces and diced tomatoes.
Broil each “boat” for 5 minutes, then serve individually or atop a bed of greens. Makes 8 boats.
Nutritional information (per serving): 285 calories, 11 g carbs, 27 g fat, 5 g protein
If you love this recipe, check out my vegetarian walnut tacos!