Showing posts tagged salad
Vegan Pasta Salad So we have been failing on the blog front these days. I am about to graduate from college and E is about to start grad school at Stanford (what a badass). In all this craziness I have eaten way more Trader Joe’s Tofu Edemame Nuggets than I am proud of (for strict vegans, these do have egg whites), and haven’t managed to get my meals on here.  Anyhow, this is a simple pasta salad, best served cold.  Ingredients: 1/2 bag whole wheat rotini or other noodles 1 large carrot, cut into small chunks 1/2 cup frozen peas 1 zucchini, cut into small chunks Several marinated artichoke hearts, cut into small pieces 2 stalks heart of palm, cut into small chunks 3/4 can chik peas Dressing of choice ( I used tahini dressing, as always, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar) Directions: Boil water and cook noodles. After straining, rinse with cold water until all noodles are fairly cool, and set aside.  Meanwhile, lightly steam the carrots, zucchini and peas until slightly crunchy In a large bowl, mix cool noodles, all cut up and cooked veggies, chik peas, and dressing, and mix well Eat now or later, it saves well! -N View high resolution

Vegan Pasta Salad

So we have been failing on the blog front these days. I am about to graduate from college and E is about to start grad school at Stanford (what a badass). In all this craziness I have eaten way more Trader Joe’s Tofu Edemame Nuggets than I am proud of (for strict vegans, these do have egg whites), and haven’t managed to get my meals on here. 

Anyhow, this is a simple pasta salad, best served cold. 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 bag whole wheat rotini or other noodles
  • 1 large carrot, cut into small chunks
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1 zucchini, cut into small chunks
  • Several marinated artichoke hearts, cut into small pieces
  • 2 stalks heart of palm, cut into small chunks
  • 3/4 can chik peas
  • Dressing of choice ( I used tahini dressing, as always, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar)

Directions:

  1. Boil water and cook noodles. After straining, rinse with cold water until all noodles are fairly cool, and set aside. 
  2. Meanwhile, lightly steam the carrots, zucchini and peas until slightly crunchy
  3. In a large bowl, mix cool noodles, all cut up and cooked veggies, chik peas, and dressing, and mix well
  4. Eat now or later, it saves well!

-N

Colorful Salad with Homemade Herbed Croutons You know how when you go to buffets or dining halls or salad bars the salads are always SO good? There are so many choices and textures and flavors. There are croutons and veggies and fruits and seeds and peas and dressing and it’s all so crunchy and wonderful. When I moved off my college campus and away from those salad bars, I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands and create a salad just as exciting and versatile.  I have figured out that they key components to creating a successful salad are: croutons, good dressing, lots of colors, and small juicy items like peas or corn. I prefer making my own croutons to buying them (cheaper, healthier, more fun). I save the ends of bread (yeah, I don’t eat the ends, so what) and freeze them. When salad time rolls around I pop them in the microwave, chop them up and sautee them til they are crispy and greasy and delicious. In terms of dressing, I love tahini dressing or sesame-soy-ginger, but an easy and still yummy way to go is olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice, salt and pepper, or all of the above.  I made this salad with my wonderful best friend, A. She is just getting into cooking and it’s so much fun to teach her what I know and watch her get excited as she invents new and delicious meals.  You can really put in almost any vegetable and your salad will taste great, but here’s what we did: Ingredients: Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped Frozen peas, cooked and let to cool Canned corn, drained Broccoli (raw, or slightly steamed) Bell pepper  Carrots Celery Several pieces bread Olive oil Salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary and thyme Dressing Directions: Defrost bread if necessary, cut into crouton size pieces Heat olive oil in a pan, add bread and mix around so all the pieces get oily Add herbs and oil as needed (it takes a bit of oil to get them crispy) Sautee until croutons are crispy and flavorful (this tends to take at least 10 minutes) Meanwhile, wash and chop veggies into bite size pieces Mix veggies and croutons together in a large bowl, add dressing and toss Serve and enjoy -N View high resolution

Colorful Salad with Homemade Herbed Croutons

You know how when you go to buffets or dining halls or salad bars the salads are always SO good? There are so many choices and textures and flavors. There are croutons and veggies and fruits and seeds and peas and dressing and it’s all so crunchy and wonderful. When I moved off my college campus and away from those salad bars, I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands and create a salad just as exciting and versatile. 

I have figured out that they key components to creating a successful salad are: croutons, good dressing, lots of colors, and small juicy items like peas or corn. I prefer making my own croutons to buying them (cheaper, healthier, more fun). I save the ends of bread (yeah, I don’t eat the ends, so what) and freeze them. When salad time rolls around I pop them in the microwave, chop them up and sautee them til they are crispy and greasy and delicious.

In terms of dressing, I love tahini dressing or sesame-soy-ginger, but an easy and still yummy way to go is olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice, salt and pepper, or all of the above. 

I made this salad with my wonderful best friend, A. She is just getting into cooking and it’s so much fun to teach her what I know and watch her get excited as she invents new and delicious meals. 

You can really put in almost any vegetable and your salad will taste great, but here’s what we did:

Ingredients:

  • Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
  • Frozen peas, cooked and let to cool
  • Canned corn, drained
  • Broccoli (raw, or slightly steamed)
  • Bell pepper 
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Several pieces bread
  • Olive oil
  • Salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary and thyme
  • Dressing

Directions:

  1. Defrost bread if necessary, cut into crouton size pieces
  2. Heat olive oil in a pan, add bread and mix around so all the pieces get oily
  3. Add herbs and oil as needed (it takes a bit of oil to get them crispy)
  4. Sautee until croutons are crispy and flavorful (this tends to take at least 10 minutes)
  5. Meanwhile, wash and chop veggies into bite size pieces
  6. Mix veggies and croutons together in a large bowl, add dressing and toss
  7. Serve and enjoy

-N

Zesty Lentil-Veggie Salad This is my new favorite super easy meal. I like to think of it as healthy vegan fast food. It’s fresh, crunchy and packed full of protein. It takes about 3 minutes to prepare and saves well. I used Trader Joes pre-cooked lentils, from the refrigerated vegetable section. I added cubes of tofu, canned chick peas, organic green beans and cucumber, and mixed it up with tangy delicious tahini dressing from New Leaf (small yummy/overpriced chain of natural food stores in the Santa Cruz area). This is a great meal when you don’t have much time but need a nutrient-dense meal. It’s also great for when you want to eat something delicious. Ingredients: 1/2 cup lentils 1/4 cup chick peas Uncooked tofu cut into small cubes 1/4 cucumber Handful of green beans cut into bite size pieces  Tahini dressing or dressing of choice Lemon juice to taste Directions: Put all the beans, tofu and veggies in a bowl Add dressing and lemon juice, stir well Serve, or put in a container for a meal on-the-go Enjoy! -N View high resolution

Zesty Lentil-Veggie Salad

This is my new favorite super easy meal. I like to think of it as healthy vegan fast food. It’s fresh, crunchy and packed full of protein. It takes about 3 minutes to prepare and saves well. I used Trader Joes pre-cooked lentils, from the refrigerated vegetable section. I added cubes of tofu, canned chick peas, organic green beans and cucumber, and mixed it up with tangy delicious tahini dressing from New Leaf (small yummy/overpriced chain of natural food stores in the Santa Cruz area). This is a great meal when you don’t have much time but need a nutrient-dense meal. It’s also great for when you want to eat something delicious.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup lentils
  • 1/4 cup chick peas
  • Uncooked tofu cut into small cubes
  • 1/4 cucumber
  • Handful of green beans cut into bite size pieces 
  • Tahini dressing or dressing of choice
  • Lemon juice to taste

Directions:

  1. Put all the beans, tofu and veggies in a bowl
  2. Add dressing and lemon juice, stir well
  3. Serve, or put in a container for a meal on-the-go

Enjoy!

-N

Lunch Time

Oh, how I love going to the grocery store. Nay and I went together today, then returned to my house to annihilate what we’d just bought. After much debate (so many options!), I finally decided to have one of my all time favorite lunches: veggie sausage and a salad.

I am a humongous fan of Turtle Island Foods’ Tofurkey Sausages, in particular their Beer Brats. I like to slice these suckers in half and char them on my iron skillet. I then slather a piece of toast (too cheap for buns) with ketchup, Sierra Nevada’s Porter and Spicy Brown Mustard, and a generous helping of Berkeley’s own Cultured Sauerkraut.

I accompanied my beer-themed meal with a big salad of green leaf lettuce, apples, cheddar and sunflower seeds. I topped it off with my favorite homemade dressing, inspired by a recipe our dear friend (and all-star cook) Shirley taught us years ago.

Shirley’s Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1. Combine:

  • 2T mustard
  • 2T maple syrup
  • 2T fruit juice (Any kind works- I’ve made this with orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, and cranberry juice)
  • 1/4c balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4c red wine vinegar

2. Add salt and pepper to taste

3. Stir vigorously, then taste for balance. Mess around a bit, I usually find it needs a little more sweetener or juice or something.

4. Once you’re satisfied, stir in as much olive oil as you like (I usually add an amount equal to the vinegar mixture). 

Enjoy! -e

Ethiopian Food: I did not make this (I am not that badass, but this restaurant is having a cooking class next week which I want to try and go to). Ethiopian food is some of the most delicious and healthy food you will ever eat. It’s especially wonderful as a vegan because there is plenty to eat. It’s also easy to avoid wheat for all you gluten free-ers out there, as their ‘bread’, called injera, is made from teff, a gluten free grain. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but this is an enormous platter filled with various kinds of flavorful lentils, chickpeas, split peas, some spicy, some creamy, zesty potatoes and cabbage, marinated mushrooms and tangy salad. Rather than using silverware, you use the tangy, spongy injera to pick up the food, which is brilliant. Who doesn’t want to eat with their fingers and then eat the utensil afterwards? My obsession with Ethiopian food started after I studied abroad in Ghana in west Africa. The food isn’t even all that similar, but both places use lots of vegetables, beans, and basically whole foods, cooked with rich spices and full of flavor. If you have never had Ethiopian, get yourself to a restaurant pronto. My favorite place in the bay area is called cafe colucci, on telegraph and Alcatraz. Anywhere you go should have the veggie combo, which gives you a taste of everything, which I recommend trying. It’s also vegan. Happy cultured eating :) N View high resolution

Ethiopian Food: I did not make this (I am not that badass, but this restaurant is having a cooking class next week which I want to try and go to). Ethiopian food is some of the most delicious and healthy food you will ever eat. It’s especially wonderful as a vegan because there is plenty to eat. It’s also easy to avoid wheat for all you gluten free-ers out there, as their ‘bread’, called injera, is made from teff, a gluten free grain.

It’s hard to tell from the photo, but this is an enormous platter filled with various kinds of flavorful lentils, chickpeas, split peas, some spicy, some creamy, zesty potatoes and cabbage, marinated mushrooms and tangy salad. Rather than using silverware, you use the tangy, spongy injera to pick up the food, which is brilliant. Who doesn’t want to eat with their fingers and then eat the utensil afterwards?

My obsession with Ethiopian food started after I studied abroad in Ghana in west Africa. The food isn’t even all that similar, but both places use lots of vegetables, beans, and basically whole foods, cooked with rich spices and full of flavor.

If you have never had Ethiopian, get yourself to a restaurant pronto. My favorite place in the bay area is called cafe colucci, on telegraph and Alcatraz. Anywhere you go should have the veggie combo, which gives you a taste of everything, which I recommend trying. It’s also vegan.

Happy cultured eating :) N

Chrismakkah Salad

Every year we (and by “we” I mean our mom) make a big ol’ hearty salad to accompany our traditional Christmas chili. Actually, we eat salad with pretty much every meal. This one was full of carrots, roasted beets, medjool dates, tangerines, and Will’s avocados (he sells at the South Berkeley Farmer’s market and they’re the best in the world, I’m not exaggerating) atop a bed of green leaf lettuce and spinach. 

The roasted beets are my favorite part. Here’s how to make them:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚

2. Cut beets into slices, about 1/4” thick

3. Coat glass baking dish with oil (we like Trader Joe’s spray olive oil- like Pam but healthier) and dump in the sliced beets.

4. Toss with a little more olive oil

5. Bake at 350˚ in twenty minute increments until caramelized.

6. Yum.