Hearts of Palm “Crab” Cakes (Serves 4)
Recipe by: Chef Chad Sarno’s

Ingredients:
1 sheet of nori or 2 teaspoons of nori flakes
Two 14-ounce cans of hearts of palm
¼ – ½ cup canola oil, more if needed
¼ cup finely diced red onion
¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper
3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Preparation:
Toast nori sheet by holding it with tongs and fanning it over a low gas flame or electric burner. Be careful not to let it burn. Turn the sheet frequently, so that it toasts evenly.

Grind the nori using a spice grinder or a clean coffee grinder, by breaking the nori into pieces and pulse until a fine powder. Alternatively, pulverize with a mortar and pestle or drain the hearts of palm and press in a towel to dry them. In a food processor, pulse gently until it looks like the consistency of crabmeat. Place a small sauté pan on medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and hear for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. Sauté the onion and bell pepper until soft, 3 to 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the hearts of palm, onion-pepper mixture, veganize, 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, nori flakes, nutritional yeast flakes, arrowroot or cornstarch, and salt and pepper, to taste. Combine until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Scoop the mixture with an ice cream scoop or a large tablespoon to portion into small cakes. Combine breadcrumbs with remaining 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning on a small plate. Coat the cakes with the breadcrumbs and press into place to make neat edges. Place on a plate and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.