Rawsomely Garden Fresh

I'm so excited to see green stuff growing in my garden... and it's not just weeds!  Yesterday I trimmed my first batch of Mesclun Greens and made a big salad for lunch and a little side salad for tonight's dinner.

Nothing you buy in the grocery store, not even organic, comes close to how delicious and delicate these leaves are.  They're loaded with water and the sun's energy, and they're sweet, too.  Without sounding all new agey and mystical, they really do feel like a life force is entering your body.  In a good way.

I also made a creamy cashew dill dressing to drizzle on top.  The dill was also fresh from my garden, and the flavor was light and refreshing, unlike the dill you get at the grocery store which I often think has a flavor reminiscent of gasoline.  This was pure dill, and heavenly, too.

Yesterday's lunch was topped with an avocado.  There's nothing better than sitting outside on the deck in the sunshine, eating a meal made from produce that you pick with your own hands right out of your garden that you planted.  And as I sat munching away, I thanked the sun, the rain, the compost, the seeds, and the alchemy that brought it all together in the form of lettuce on my plate.

Tonight's salad had the same dressing, a few remaining greens, a handful of snap peas also from my garden, and some grilled tofu leftover from Father's Day.  Pretty nice way to start the summer.

Chickpea and Sundried Tomato Pate with Field Greens

The other day I was in a hurry for lunch (what else is new?), so I was thinking a quick sandwich would be the easiest solution for my hunger.  But then I looked in the fridge and didn't find any Daiya cheese, and I didn't feel like having peanut butter and jelly.  Again.  So I poked around my pantry and found some garbanzo beans which I thought I'd whip up into some hummus really quick and be out the door in 15 minutes.  Alas, I had no lemon, and you really need lemon when you make hummus.

What to do... what to do...  I set my mind to thinking what else might work well blended with garbanzo beans and had an epiphany:  sundried tomatoes!  Yes, definitely... they'd add a nice savory undertone and take the spread to a whole other level.  Since I still wanted a little lemony hint, I added some coriander to the puree.  I must say, this could easily become a regular sandwich filling in the Well on Wheels "quick and easy" repertoire.

I served mine all pretty as an open-faced sandwich on top of field greens fresh from my garden along with sliced cucumber topped with micro dill (also from my garden), and a few twists of Hawaiian Red Sea Salt and Grains of Paradise.

"Better Than Hummus" Chickpea and Sundried Tomato Pate

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbl tahini
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 tsp dried coriander
1-2 Tbl olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
squeeze of Sriracha sauce (optional... though I do think it added just the right kick)
enough water to get smooth consistency (a couple tablespoons should suffice)

Puree all of the above ingredients in a food processor.  Gradually add enough water at the end to get a smooth consistency.  I wanted mine thick and fairly dry for the sandwich filling, but if you were using this as a dip you could add more water to make it smooth and creamy like hummus.  Sooooo.... good!

Tofu, Cauliflower, Carrot and Kale with Indonesian Peanut Sauce

A client recently requested a cooking lesson to learn how to make Tempeh and Broccoli with Indonesian Peanut Sauce.  Since it was nearing lunchtime and I was in a peanutty mood, I decided to make some for myself with veggies I had on hand.  I think the cauliflower was the perfect vehicle for absorbing that sauce, and the flavors and colors worked really well together.  I'd also consider swapping the tofu for the tempeh in the future since I discovered it microwaved pretty well after marinating in tamari and toasted sesame oil for just a few minutes.  Quick, easy, and oh, so satisfying.

Today's Lunch: Grilled Cheese, Chili, Romaine Lettuce with Avocado

Even a gluten-free vegan can enjoy a grilled cheese, thanks to Daiya and Food for Life.  I was craving ooey gooey cheese the other day so I picked up a package of Daiya's shredded mozzarella and heaped a pile between two slices of Food for Life's brown rice bread.  The bread comes frozen, but once it's thawed in the microwave, it works really well spread with a little Earth Balance, then grilled in a frying pan. This cheese really does melt!

I completed the meal with a big bowl of chili and Romaine lettuce salad topped with fresh avocado.  This will keep me going for the next few hours while I grade papers.   

Oh me, oh Miya's

I had lunch yesterday at one of my favorite restaurants in New Haven, Miya's Sushi, on the corner of Howe and Chapel.  Anyone in Connecticut who knows sushi, knows this is the place to go.  But more specifically, for vegetarian sushi, this is really the only place to go, because once you've eaten it, nowhere else can compare.  Really.  It's that good.

It's all in the details:  the silkscreened message "Man cannot live on rice alone" printed on the front window, the menu, and t-shirts worn by employees and fans alike; the menu itself, which reads like the story of one man's evolving culinary adventure; and then the sushi, which is creative, artful, and delicious.

The biggest challenge is deciding what to order when every veggie roll I've tried has been an explosion of taste and texture.  Instead of using the traditional white rice, the rolls are made with a mix of whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, wild rice, and barley.  Then there's the fillings... not the usual avocado peanut or tempura sweet potato (although those are there, too), but flavor sensations like curry cauliflower, apricot chutney, artichoke cumin, roasted garlic and black beans, coconut avocado papaya... ahhh.  One of my favorites is the Japafrican Queen Roll, a hearty nod to Ethiopian cuisine with a filling of eggplant, apricots, avocado, pickled radish, scallions & ethiopian berbere spice mix, wrapped in injera.

Yesterday, I decided to have 3 simple rolls:  the Spicy Eggplant (melt in your mouth), cumin artichoke (nice smoky pickled contrast), and Rikki Tikki (mushroom and cauliflower with roasted garlic, chinese black beans, scallions, hot pepper and pine nuts).  It was a heavenly feast nonetheless.  Thanks, Bun, for creating a welcoming place where vegans can delight in good sushi!  You have a wonderful team working with you.

This week's menu

There was a variety of fall vegetables on this week's menu.  Clients were treated to a butternut squash risotto thickened with coconut cream, chickpea and cauliflower curry, and Brussels sprouts.  But since it feels downright balmy today with temperatures in the 70s, I reserved one last glimpse of summer for the third entree which featured baked eggplant with marinara and fresh basil.  Ahh... if only summer could last forever.

Dijon Glazed Baked Tofu with Coconut Butternut Risotto and Brussels Sprouts

Cauliflower, Chickpea and Potato Curry with Brown Basmati Rice

 

Baked Eggplant with Marinara and Fresh Basil,

Broccoli Rabe with Olive Oil, Toasted Slivers of Garlic, and Canellini Beans

Cauliflower and Red Bean Curry

This lunch falls under the category of "everything tastes better curried."  I had half a cauliflower and half a can of red beans left from cooking for a client this week.  I know that potato and cauliflower go well in a curry, and chickpeas work with chana masala, so I figured, why not try using the beans and mix it all together?

Success!  I sauteed some onion, stirred in some tomato paste, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, and a little sea salt, then added enough water to loosen everything into a sauce.  To add a little richness, I stirred in a tablespoon of Tofutti cream cheese, then topped it all off with a sprinkle of green onion.  Yeah, perfect.

Easiest Soup Ever

Whenever it's rainy outside, I seek comfort in a bowl of soup.  In this case it was red lentil dal for lunch.  This is such an easy process that you probably don't even need a recipe, but here it goes:

Place about a cup of rinsed red lentils in a soup pot with a 1-inch cube of fresh ginger, about a teaspoon of turmeric, and 3 cups of water.  Cover, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer about 15 minutes.  When lentils have softened, remove ginger and stir in about a 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, squeeze of lemon, and a giant handful of fresh cilantro.  Add water if you like the soup thinner.  That's it.  Done.  And even though it's about zero calories, it's surprisingly filling and satisfying. 

Lentil Redux

There's no need to be boring and predictable if you're vegan.  Sometimes it just requires a little creativity and planning ahead.  Take lentils, for example.  Yes, plain old ordinary and often maligned brown lentils, a staple of vegetarian cookery.  "Hippie food," if you will.

Moroccan Spiced Lentils with Raisins, Cumin and Cinnamon and

Brown Basmati Rice garnished with Fresh Cilantro

On Sunday I made a great big pot of lentils with butternut squash and collard greens from my garden.  I've been enjoying this lovely concoction through the week in various incarnations.  Yesterday it was Moroccan Spiced Lentils with Raisins, Cumin and Cinnamon and Basmati Rice granished with Fresh Cilantro.  The trick here was that just before serving I melted about a teaspoon of coconut oil on top for extra richness. 

For lunch today I'm planning Curried Lentils, perhaps with some Grean Beans Mallum on the side.  Tonight I think I'll mix the lentils with tomato sauce and toss them with pasta.  And if there's anything left tomorrow, it'll be lentil burgers on gluten-free bread for lunch because I have a tomato in my garden that will be perfectly ripe by then and would go nicely on top with a few fresh basil leaves. 

Any other ideas for what to do with a pot of lentils?

Summer Squash with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

I've been loving this roasted red pepper sauce, serving it recently on baked tofu and with black bean and brown rice stuffed zucchini.  For lunch today I tried it with a simple saute of zucchini and yellow squash. 

It worked really nicely all tossed together on top of a mix of quinoa and brown basmati rice.  With an extra little drizzle of olive oil at the end, it picked up a rich, glossy texture as well.  I'll definitely be making this as a side dish more often. 

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

12 oz. roasted red peppers

2 Tbl olive oil

1 Tbl red wine vinegar

¼ tsp cumin

1/4 tsp paprika

¼ tsp sea salt

pinch cayenne pepper
1-2 Tbl water

Puree together ingredients in a blender until smooth sauce forms, adding water if necessary.

Today's lunch

This morning I cooked for a client who had a "no salt" dietary restriction.  One of the entrees I made was a chickpea and quinoa pilaf with sauteed baby bok choy and shiitake mushroom.  It was tough restraining myself from adding tamari to the saute, so I decided to reserve some of the shiitake to freely augment according to my tastes for my own lunch.

I had half a block of tofu in the fridge which I decided to panfry since I didn't have the patience to marinate and bake it.  The key to getting the right texture is having a really hot pan (non-stick works best).  First, I swirled about a tablespoon of oil in the hot pan and let it heat up for about 30 seconds.  Then I added the sliced tofu, which sizzled as soon as it hit the oil (this is a good sign).

I let it go for about 5-10 minutes, while I did some weeding in the garden.  When I returned, the tofu was golden and firm enough to flip.  I tossed in some chopped red onion, then headed back out to the garden for another 5-10 minutes. 

While I was outside, I decided that the dish needed something green, so I rummaged the fridge where I knew I had half a bag of baby spinach.  That got tossed on top, then stirred together with about a tablespoon of tamari and cooked for several minutes until wilted. 

I added a sprinkling of sesame seeds and a drop or two of toasted sesame oil right at the end, just before plating.  Another quick and easy 15-minute meal!

Tomato Avocado

I just couldn't wait to pick this tomato. I had a perfectly ripe avocado that wanted to be eaten in a sandwich with it, so I had to do it.  Along with some fresh basil from the garden and romaine lettuce, it made for a rich and creamy lunch.  And even though the tomato wasn't yet a deep reddish orange, its flavor was fabulous, especially since it was still warm from the sun.  This is what summer is all about. 

Basil Sautee

It already feels like the middle of the summer, not just because of the heat wave, but because of all the basil in my garden.  And that means it's officially pesto season!  Even though I love pesto and could eat it every day, I must confess that I often don't feel like going through the trouble of making it.  On those days, I just grab a generous handful and sautee the leaves just like any greens.

The other day for lunch I tossed a big bunch in with some zucchini, crushed tomatoes, olive oil and garlic.  I stirred the basil leaves in at the end and cooked until they just wilted.

Then I melted a handful of Daiya mozzarella on top of some sliced polenta, and buried it all with the saucy mixture, creating a creamy, gooey center.  A chiffonade of a few reserved basil leaves garnished the plate and added a nice cinnamony kick to the whole dish.  Quick, easy, and delicious!

Yesterday's lunch

I love it when leftovers taste this good.  Thursday night I scoured the fridge for anything that might come together with a little bit of magic and become dinner.  I found half a red pepper, tempeh, a few red potatoes and lettuce.  Not much to work with, and at first I considered throwing it all together and making some sort of hash.  Instead, I opted for something a little more creative.  And the payoff included a little extra to enjoy the next day.

The red potatoes were perfect for potato salad since I didn't have to peel them and they don't fall apart if you accidentally lose track of time and overcook them.  Which I always do.  Plus, the scallions growing in a pot on my deck added the perfect amount of freshness.  I sauteed diced red pepper with some onion, then mixed it together with crumbled tempeh, gluten-free breadcrumbs, tahini and various seasonings to make a good burger dough.  Then I panfried them to perfections.

Result:  Pan-fried Tempeh Burgers with Salsa, Red Bliss Potato Salad, and Greens.  Delish!

A Quick One

I had about 15 minutes to throw together lunch yesterday and after my initial scan of the fridge, I was left feeling uninspired. The only item that drew my attention was a lonely little potato in the vegetable bin. It was too small to bake and not big enough to stretch into mashed potatoes, and I didn't have any tofu to toss into a scramble. What I came up with was a modified potato hash.

I diced the potato small and tossed it into a pot of boiling water so it would cook quickly. Meanwhile, I sauteed a diced onion and garlic in Earth Balance, then seasoned with chili powder when they were transluscent. For a little color, I added a carrot cut in quarter moons, then stirred in some chopped kale until it wilted. Since I knew this alone would not sustain me, I opened up a can of pinto beans, which turned out to be the perfect color and texture to complement the other ingredients. The boiled potato went in last, along with some sea salt and pepper and another teaspoon of Earth Balance. The end result was smashing!