Kelp ‘Meat’ Skewers with Vibrant Green Tahini Sauce
May 20, 2022

Kelp ‘Meat’ Skewers with Vibrant Green Tahini Sauce

We had a lot of fun making these skewers with the vegan kelp 'meat' made by our lovely friends at AkuaAnything that involves a grill, warm weather, good company and delicious whole ingredients will keep us happy! Watch us make them here.

We paired these skewers with a vibrant, herby tahini sauce that works perfectly as a creamy base for dipping your skewers into, drizzling over the top, or serving on the side! We doubled the sauce when we made this and kept some for our salad dressing as well. 

INGREDIENTS
For the skewers
1 16oz pouch of Akua kelp 'meat,' defrosted
3 tbsp Seed + Mill Organic Tahini
2 zucchinis,
 we used both zucchini and yellow squash for added color
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the sauce
1 c Seed + Mill Roasted Garlic Tahinior our Organic Tahini
¼ c lime juice 
¼ c water
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, or any white vinegar
1 tbs maple syrup, or honey 
1 large bunch (about 2 cups) fresh green herbs, we used a mix of basil, parsley, cilantro and mint (including parsley and cilantro stems)
1 clove garlic, skip if using our Roasted Garlic Tahini
1 shallot, roughly chopped
Salt & pepper, to taste

STEPS
For the skewers

    1. Make sure your skewers have been soaked for up to 1 hour (so they don’t burn on the grill).
    2. Pre-heat your grill.
    3. Using a vegetable peeler or mandolin, shave the zucchini into long ribbons and place in a bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, then set aside.
    4. In a mixing bowl, stir the kelp ‘meat’ and Roasted Garlic Tahini until well combined.
    5. Gently roll the ‘meat’ into small balls and set aside on a parchment lined tray.
    6. Take each zucchini ribbon and fold it over itself in alternating directions (concertina style) and then thread it onto the skewer. Add a ‘meat’ ball and continue alternating until all the skewers are prepared and lined up on the tray. If you have time, we suggest placing the tray in the fridge for about 15 mins to help keep the 'meat' balls from breaking on the grill. 
    7. Just before grilling, drizzle the skewers with olive oil and gently place on the grill. Cook on each side for 3-4 mins or until slightly crisp and grill marks appear on the zucchini ribbons. 
    8. Note: the ‘meat’ is delicate and may fall apart, so be careful when turning. Some of our skewers broke while we were grilling, but we were able to put them back together before serving and we used the leftovers to fill a tortilla wrap the following day (they were even more delicious!)

For the sauce

  1. Blend the herbs and water in a food processor for 1-2 mins. Add remaining ingredients and blend again until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add more water. If it’s too thin, add more tahini and herbs. 
  2. Note: this sauce can be made up to 2-3 days in advance or will keep in the fridge for leftovers for the same period!

To assemble

  1. Spread sauce across a serving platter and top with skewers. Add an extra drizzle of sauce or serve in a dipping bowl.