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| Large bowl of Starkhaven Fish Salad with a rubber spatula. |
Starkhaven, in Dragon Age lore, is the largest and wealthiest city state of the Free Marches and is known for it's river-based cuisine. It is a nation and culture we have yet to experience in game (something I had hoped for back when Dragon Age: Inquisition was still in the lead-up phase to launch and speculation of maps, mechanics, and story ran rampant... good times) but we do get a glimpse of a popular dish in World of Thedas Volume II. Starkhaven is located on the Meanta river and Having access to a river rich in fish, fish recipes like Fish and Egg Pie is a well-loved recipe of the nation.
As you can imagine, this dish is not vegan at all and while I do not like the idea of backing down from a challenge to veganize a Thedosian recipe, I have not even begun to experiment making vegan eggs. But replacing fish with mashed or processed chickpeas is a well known practice and much less time consuming than re-creating eggs from vegetable ingredients. While I do want to try to bake this warm, savory Starhaven staple, the season and my skill level demand I leave hot dishes behind for more savory salads. So I made up a Starkhaven Fish Salad.
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| Open container of chickpeas next to a bowl of vegetables and sauces with secret pasta underneath. |
Chickpeas are a hearty, protein-packed legume that combine well with certain ingredients and easily simulate fish-like flavors and textures. Adding salt, nori, or seaweed, and dill can make them taste and smell of fish. And simple mashing gives chickpeas a flaky texture that layers well with other herbs. Combined with vegetables and pasta, they become a new spring dish fad and topic of the Vael court!
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| Cooked chickpeas close up with the head of a potato masher. |
This recipe is best with fresh ingredients, like fresh herbs and fresh, homemade vegan mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is a daunting sauce, but vegan mayonnaise recipes are more forgiving than non-vegan ones. And are far healthier! The trick to a stable, creamy vegan mayonnaise in chickpea brine, or aquafaba. The method for bringing the ingredients together is a slow one and requires an immersion or high-speed blender, but your patience will be well worth it.
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| Fresh dill laid out on a wood cutting board. |
I made my dill vegan mayonnaise the day before I made up the fish-inspired pasta salad. I recommend chilling overnight before using but it is not required.
For pasta, I recommend small or medial elbow macaroni. Medium shells would work well, too.
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| A large pot of boiling water with a wooden spoon. |
The recipes below are inspired by Plant Based Jane's Vegan "Tuna" Pasta Salad. It is a perfect spring and summer dish to serve for a party or to keep for lunch for the week. I made a double batch, so I did both! I hope you give it a try and experiment with the herbs and seasonings to get the flavor and texture you like best! And remember to tag (#)foodsofthedas on social media when you share!
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| Close up of small elbow macaroni pasta with carrot, chickpeas, fresh dill, cover in vegan dill mayonnaise. |
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| Starkhaven Fish Salad spread on a slice of whole wheat bread laid out on a wood cutting board. |
Vegan Dill Mayonnaise
Ingredients:
1/4 cup aquafaba
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoons dry mustard
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
Directions:
Add the aquafaba, white vinegar, salt, sugar, lemon juice, and dry mustard to a tall cup and mix well with an immersion blender.
While blending, slowly pour the olive oil in a thin stream. Blend on the highest setting for 3 to 4 minutes until creamy and fluffy like non-vegan mayonnaise. Then add the fresh dill. Blend again on the lower setting for another minute.
Promptly store in an air-tight container and place in the coldest area in your refrigerator. Once chilled, use as a dip, spread, or salad dressing. Vegan mayonnaise will keep for one week. To prevent separation, store in the coldest area of your refrigerator.
Starkhaven Fish Salad
Recipe Yields: 3-5 servings
Prep Time: 10-12 minutes
Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked elbow pasta
2 cups or 15 ounces of chickpeas
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup peas
1/4 of a large red onion, chopped
1 cup vegan mayonnaise (see recipe above)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 to 3 tablespoons of shredded, crushed, or finely cut Nori
1 to 2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill, leaves and stems
A pinch of salt and pepper
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook elbow pasta according to package instructions.
While pasta is cooking, add chickpeas to a large bowl and mash with a potato masher. (If using canned chickpeas, rinse them before mashing). Then prepare vegetables, seasonings, and sauces. When pasta is done, drain and rinse gently in cool water. Mix all ingredients thoroughly together in a large bowl. Add more vegan mayonnaise as desired. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Chill for one hour before serving. Serve as a salad or as a sandwich.
Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
END NOTE: This entry was a decidedly hot mess and was posted later than I would have liked, but life happens. You all know how it goes, right?
Next weekend I will be making myself something for a special May entry. Last year around this time I attempted Orlesian style cakes (with a nod to Orlesian theater) to celebrate my birthday. This year, I will be treating myself to a calmer affair with delicate flavors, and only one cake this time. I'm excited to share my experience and recipe! Follow me on Instagram for more food, cats, wildlife, Dragon Age screenshots, and sneak peeks of the next blog entry!
Walk always in the Maker's light.
Like what you are reading? Great! Come back for a new entry on the third Thursday of each month. And have a look at my previous entries for other recipes and Dragon Age-related trivia and oddities!
Have any friendly suggestions or cool ideas? Want me to veganize your favorite recipe? Please feel free to comment below. You can also email me at foodsofthedas@gmail.com, message me at AGSamuels on Reddit, or tweet me at @FoodsofThedas on Twitter. You can also follow me on Instagram, @foodsofthedas.
If you try out any of my recipes, please share pictures on social media using the hashtag (#)foodsofthedas.
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Sources:
Plant Based Jane: plantbasedjane.com/
Plant Based Jane, Vegan "Tuna" Pasta Salad: plantbasedjane.com/2017/08/vegan-tuna-pasta-salad/
Foods of Thedas, Formerly Gourmet Vegan Thedas
