Refreshing Saturday hike, vegan lunch, and more

After a busy week at work, I was frazzled and desperately needed some fresh air. So I went hiking over the weekend.

San Andreas Reservoir after the rain

My destination was San Andreas Trail along the ridge separating San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. I was drawn to it by its views and this was my first time there. The weather was dreary with some drizzles, so there were fewer people than usual. All the better because I can’t stand crowds.

The hike was short but rejuvenating. The sun re-emerged after the rain and bounced off the water in the tranquil San Andreas Reservoir. The air was clean and crisp. I even saw deer along the trail. My composure returned.

Not in a zoo…deer grazing along the trail

What’d be better than a raw, vegan lunch after a refreshing hike? I picked the interestingly named Que SeRaw SeRaw in Burlingame, which I’ve meant to try for a long time.

The store was small and all its products were in a refrigerated case for take-out. Knowing it’s my first visit, the cheerful storeowner recommended the mock tuna pate, a white mixture made from ground almonds, sunflower seeds, tahini, celery, and other ingredients. At $7, it was quite pricey for two small mounds of pate.

Que SeRaw SeRaw storefront in Burlingame

I was pretty hungry so I also grabbed a packet of Judy’s Breadsticks dipping sticks from the natural food store next door. Then I sat outside and enjoyed my lunch.

Perfect match:  Judy’s Breadsticks and mock tuna pate

The pate was remarkably fresh and had a toothsome texture. It tasted a bit like tuna salad (probably from the kelp powder), but without the fishy smell. It complemented the crunchy dipping sticks perfectly. I’d love to try other products from the store in the future.

Although the sun came out, it was still breezy. I rounded out my lunch with a steaming cup of cafe au lait. It’s amazing how simple things like this satisfied me.

After the hike and a healthy lunch, I felt I had a good excuse to indulge myself in the evening. I wanted to use up a can of sweet adzuki bean paste that had been standing in my pantry for months. I made a vegan adzuki bean paste cake.

I spread the bean paste on top of a cake base made from a recipe in Dreena Burton’s Eat Drink and Be Vegan. To give the cake a more mochi-like texture, I substituted some of the wheat flour with glutinous rice flour.

Sweet ending: adzuki bean cake

The bean paste turned out to be too sweet for my taste. Nonetheless, the cake was a great end for the day.