Summer Orzo and Vegetable Salad

This salad was inspired by one I saw Giada De Laurentiis do on Food Network. She, of course, used large shavings of Parmesan and some fancy-schmancy vinegar I'd never heard of.

That's OK, I've made this so many times now, I'm sure it doesn't resemble her recipe any more, I still like to say I got it from Giada though, sorta sounds impressive... At any rate, it's a refreshing summer lunch salad and a great way to use up tomatoes and zucchini; feel free to add whatever sounds good, it's so easy to throw together!!

Summer Orzo and Vegetable Salad

Vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Sherry (or White Wine) Vinegar
• 1 Shallot, chopped (or 2 Tbsp. white onion, chopped)
• 1 clove Garlic, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Italian Parsley
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Mint
  
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Lots of fresh ground black pepper to taste

Puree the ingredients together in a small processor or blender. Set aside.

Salad:

• 2 (or three or four!!) medium zucchini (or yellow summer squash), diced into small (1/4-inch) pieces
• 1 cup drained, rinsed chick-peas/garbanzos, canned or cooked from dry
• 1 1/2 cups dry orzo, cooked as directed and drained well
• 1 container (or 1 1/2 cups) tiny grape tomatoes, halved or quartered (if you have the time and patience)
  
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced, rinsed (or diced small, the rings just look really pretty)
  
• (optional, but yummy!) 1/4 cup coarsely chopped (pitted, obviously) kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup finely minced FRESH Italian flat-leaf parsley, or parsley and basil or whatever you have...
  
• (optional) toasted pine nuts
  
  

Directions

For the Vinaigrette: Puree ingredients and set aside.

For the Salad: Place the orzo, garbanzo beans, zucchini, tomato, red onion, olives and parsley in a large salad bowl.

Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and more chopped parsley if desired. Chill and serve.

This keeps well for several days in the fridge, if you can manage to stay out of it!

Grilled-Bread Salad

I need to use up some extra bread! For whatever reason, we have two lovely loaves of starting-to-go-stale whole-grain sourdough.

I made French Toast last night for supper and it was exceptional. But I've blogged about French Toast before. And if my middle Sprout was home, we'd make her wonderfully buttery garlic-toasted croutons. But that's her recipe so I'm left to other means.

I also have a few sad end-of-summer zucchini and tomatoes languishing away in the produce crisper that need to be used and appreciated, and several jars of half-used miscellaneous in the door of the fridge. Time to get creative.

Here you have the results of my using leftovers - sometimes a dangerous thing, as I hate to waste ANYTHING! But today's efforts turned out pretty tasty, and with a side of pasta, was a perfect supper to go with our unexpected bit of sunshine!! Use whatever ingredients you have on hand, I think wild substitutions here are not a problem!

Marinated Vegetables and Grilled Bread Salad

(I didn't make this idea up!! Bread Salad, or Panzanella, is a rustic, Italian peasant salad designed to use day-old bread, I swear it is!)

4 - 6 slices whole-grain sourdough bread or any hearty, whole-grain bread (thick slices are nice but not necessary)

2 small zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise

1 red bell pepper, halved
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper

Heat Panini or outdoor grill to medium heat.
Brush bread, pepper and zucchini with olive oil, kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper. Grill on both sides, watching closely, until nicely browned. Don't let zucchini get overly soft.
When bread is cool enough to handle, cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Slice zucchini into 1/2 inch slices and pepper into chunks. Set aside.

Marinade:

5 Tablespoons champagne, red wine, or balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic, put thru garlic press
freshly ground black pepper

Mix marinade together.

1 1/2 pounds ripe, meaty tomatoes, cut into 1/2 cubes or small cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small cucumber, cut into 1/2 cubes (1 1/2 cups)

1/2 a red onion, sliced
2 Tablespoons capers, drained, rinsed (optional but good!)

In a small bowl, marinate the tomatoes, capers, cucumbers and red onion in the marinade for 10 minutes, or while grilling bread and veggies. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl, reserving the marinade.

3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
3 Tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (use more or less of these herbs as you have them)

1/2 cup (more or less) chopped Kalamata or Spanish olives (I've done it both ways)

Toss the bread cubes, grilled vegetables, marinated vegetables, herbs and olives together. Drizzle with marinade as much as you want. You should have slightly moist bread but not overly soggy lumps. This is great even the next day, though the bread is considerably soggier by then, it's still good!! And if you should happen upon some firm, smoked tofu? It's AWESOME cubed in the salad. Just sayin'...

Zucchini Pakoras (Fritters)

Another great way to use up extra zucchini!

These look entirely too much like batter-fried sea creatures, but I SWEAR they're entirely vegetable and very, very yummy!!! (Yes, they're FRIED, no wonder they're yummy, right?)

Adjust the spices if your family prefers things more mild or more spicy. These are a huge hit with my kids.

Zucchini Pakoras or Fritters

1 cup chickpea/garbanzo/besan flour (it's all the same thing)

1/8 tsp. (pinch) baking soda

pinch ground cumin

pinch ground coriander

pinch cardamom

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 tsp. ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garam masala OR "Old Bay seasoning"(optional but so yummy!)

2 cloves garlic, crushed/pressed

3/4 cup water

3 cups oil for deep frying

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (or some carrot or cabbage is nice here too!)

1/4 cup grated onion

Sift the chickpea flour into a medium bowl. Mix in the baking soda, salt and spices.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Gradually pour the water into the well and mix to form a thick, smooth batter; it should be thicker than pancake batter.

In a medium-sized heavy saucepan, heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Squeeze extra moisture out of shredded zucchini by wrapping it in a paper towel and wringing. Add shredded vegetables and garlic to batter and stir to coat. Spoon into hot oil by the scant Tablespoonful and fry in small batches until golden brown, about 2 - 4 minutes, turning to brown both sides.

Drain on paper towels before serving.

Vegan-Cheesy Zucchini and Corn Casserole

MMMmmmm... supper last night, full of garden yumminess...

That yellow blob is a zucchini and corn casserole I stole from Paula Deen or someone over at Food Network and completely re-wrote and veganized as my own. Sorry for the disjointed recipe, I sorta scribbled it as I cooked...

Also, we had some heirloom tomatoes, and quinoa with carmelized onions.

"Cheesy" Zucchini and Corn Casserole

5 or so tender zucchini (about 8 inch long), sliced or chopped

1 lg. onion, chopped

1 lg. garlic clove, minced

1 can or 1 cup frozen or fresh corn

1/4 cup roasted green chiles (optional, I didn't have them when I took this picture but added them the next time...)

1 Tbsp. dry vegetarian "chicken-flavor" bullion-broth powder

1/4 cup water

Saute onions and garlic in several tsp. coconut oil or vegan margarine until tender-crisp.

Add zucchini and corn (and chiles if using), sprinkle with broth powder and water, cover pan and saute until zucchini and corn is tender. Check to make sure mixture stays "juicy".

SAUCE:
Make a medium cream sauce, using the juice drained from cooked zucchini.

Add soymilk to make 1 1/2 cups of liquid. Bring to boil in small sauce pan.

Mix 2 Tbsp. cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water.

Add to hot soymilk and cook, stirring with a wire whisk, until thickened. Turn heat very low.

Whisk in 1/2 cup nutritional yeast, 1/2 tsp lemon juice (or umeboshi vinegar), 1/2 tsp onion powder and salt and pepper to taste. (Add a sprinkle of turmeric if you like the yellow "cheesey" color.)

Remove from heat.

Pour sauce over zucchini mixture.

Pour in 9 X 9 casserole pan, top with bread crumbs, cracker crumbs or french-fried onions if you want. Bake 20 min at 350 until sauce is bubbly.

Tempeh-Vegetable Tacos

My "Sprouts" came home tonight wanting tacos in the worst way.

Unfortunately (and incredibly unusual at our house) I didn't have any beans or burger or 'cheeze' or lettuce or really much that was traditionally "taco-like", other than some nice organic corn tortillas...
AND I was way short on time... but tacos were what the natives were demanding, so tacos they got!

I coarsely grated some zucchini, tomato, carrot and onion and flash-sauteed it for less than a minute, just until the tomato got mushy.

Then I mashed an avocado with cilantro and lime, into a guacamole sort of thing, and crumbled some tempeh and smooshed it around in the pan and sauteed it with plain ol' canned tomato sauce and "mexican" spices until it almost looked like taco "meat"...

I browned the corn tortillas just a bit, folded them in half, and away we went...

The "tacos" turned out deeee-lish, and more importantly, my kids gobbled them without asking for (veggie) Taco Meat or 'cheeze' or olives or beans or salsa. All items I usually have on hand (except tonight). They aren't even tempeh fans but that didn't seem to matter either.

I thought they looked rather pretty, with all those colors, too.

Speaking of pretty, here's a Mother's Day picture of my Sprouts (which they hate!), complete with matching tee-shirts which I forced them to wear since it was MY day and I nostalgically wanted them to "match".

They never wear matching outfits any more - I miss those days... I realize they think they are MUCH too old to be dressed up in frilly, fussy matching "sister" outfits like I used to... and also, if they matched their sibling(s), even a little bit, you KNOW I would rush over with my camera and record the moment...
Good times!

Zucchini and Veggie "Lasagna"

Zucchini and Garden Veggie Lasagna

You know it's time to clean out the vegetable bin when I make this stuff.

I use the term "lasagna" here rather loosely, because this recipe has no actual lasagna noodles in it. I make this for potlucks a lot during the late summer, it uses up a nice variety of vegetables!

Zucchini and Veggie "Lasagna"

2 6-inch zucchini, sliced very thin (I use a mandolin slicer)
2 6-inch yellow summer squash or yellow crookneck, sliced very thin

1 cup pureed pumpkin or squash
1/2 a large sweet onion, sliced thin
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
2 large fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced
handful fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 - 2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce
nutritional yeast or vegan Parmesan

Tofu "Ricotta" Lasagna Filling (See recipe below)

In a deep, well-oiled casserole pan, lay down a single layer of summer-squash, then with a single layer of mushroom slices slices.
Spread a 1/2 of tofu "ricotta" over squash. (use about 1/2 of the mixture).
Layer sliced fresh tomatoes and basil leaves over "ricotta.
Spread pumpkin or squash puree over tomatoes.
Layer thinly sliced onions, zucchini, mushrooms and any remaining summer squash.
Pour remaining "ricotta" over veggies, it should cover all of them. (If not, add a bit more soymilk, up to a 1/2 cup or so).
Top with a layer of marinara and sprinkle with nutritional yeast or vegan Parmesan.
Cover with foil and bake 45 min. Remove foil and bake 15 - 20 min until set and not juicy (sometimes the veggies are far more juicy than other times, if this happens, turn oven up and bake another 15 minutes or so. Sorry, this isn't an exact science here.)
Remove from oven and let set 10 minutes or so before serving.

"Tofu-Ricotta"
1 Cup of soy or rice milk, heated but not boiling!
1/2 Cup of raw cashews
1 box silken tofu
1/2 carton Tofutti Cream Cheese
1/8 Teaspoon of salt
1 Teaspoon of onion powder
1/4 Cup of nutritional yeast flakes
*2 garlic cloves
2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
2 Tb. cornstarch
1/4 cup fresh herb leaves (I use a mixture of basil, oregano, sage, parsley and rosemary)
In food processor or GOOD blender (like a Vitamix) place the very warm milk and cashews in first, blend until liquefied, (careful, hot liquids can splatter) then put in the rest of the ingredients and blend until thick and creamy.
Should be fairly thick but still a little"pourable" like very thick pancake batter, add more soymilk if needed.


Once completely cooled, this "lasagna" sets up really nicely. It can be reheated, covered with foil in the oven or in the microwave, it's even pretty good cold in lunches!

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And on a final note, my littlest sprout went to the pumpkin farm this morning with her 2nd grade class. Here are some of them riding the little tractor-drawn cart out to the field. (She's in the maroon sweatshirt). I love their excited little faces! Who doesn't LOVE getting a nice big pumpkin!

Tofu Scramble with Zucchini

Weekend breakfast. Yum.

Tofu scramble with zucchini and herbs from the garden.

Since I'm a toast freak, we had to have some toasted Rudi's Organic Whole Wheat Bread, and a couple nectarines on the side - we're still getting the most beautiful nectarines from the Farmer's Market!

Tofu Scramble is about the easiest and most basic thing I do with tofu.

My kids love it and would eat it three times a day if I made it! It's quick, it's versatile; I can season it any way I like, and usually whatever veggies we have on hand get added as well. Serve it with toast, rolled in a burrito, on an English Muffin, in a taco, in a pita... Best. Vegan. Breakfast. Food. Ever.

Tofu Scramble With Garden Zucchini

1 lb firm water-packed tofu, crumbled
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 of a white onion, chopped
2 small zucchini, chopped
1 tsp turmeric powder if you like it an "eggy" yellow
large handful of fresh basil-oregano and rosemary; chopped finely
2 tsp. veggie "chicken-style" bullion powder
*pinch of India Black Salt (Optional: but gives it a very authentic "eggy" taste! Look for this seasoning next time you're at an Asian or Indian Market)
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

Heat your skillet on medium. Add the oil.
After a minute or two add all remaining ingredients and cook, stirring frequently, until tofu has browned, veggies have cooked thru and it has achieved your desired consistency.
I like it pretty dry and crumbly. If you prefer it more moist, you can add 1/4 cup soy milk right at the end for "creamy" scrambled tofu.

You can add whatever seasonings you like, and whatever veggies as well. ANYTHING goes here!

Curry Veggies and Tofu

I had a bunch of tofu to use up last week, so I cubed it, browned it in some coconut oil, and then froze those cubes.

So this week when I was feeling tired, (lazy) and not very creative, but craving tofu and curry, it was SOOO easy to whip this together!

Yellow Curry, Tofu and Veggies

1 Tb. Aroy-D brand yellow curry paste

(I'm posting a picture because people keep asking where I find vegan Thai curry paste.

This brand, Aroy-D, makes a very authentic, but vegan, Thai-style curry paste that does NOT have shrimp paste, fish paste, bonito or any other non-vegan nastiness in it.

It's a million times more flavorful than the bland 'supermarket' varities, so give it a try if you get a chance!

Read your labels though, many curry pastes are not vegan. I find it at my local Asian market.)

1 can coconut milk
Aprox. 1 lb. tofu, cubed and fried until brown.
2 cups veggies*

*This is PERFECT for leftovers!!
Most veggies (except peas) should be cooked or partially cooked through before adding to curry.
Other good choices are cauliflower, peas, white or sweet potato cubes, mushroms, garbanzos, green beans, tomatoes or okra.

To put it all together:
Wisk curry paste and coconut milk together over med. heat until curry paste is mixed in completely and sauce is heated though.

Add fried tofu cubes, as much as you'd like. Simmer in curry sauce until tofu is hot, about 10 minutes.

Add 2 cups (or more if you want) cooked or partially cooked veggies - I used leftover zucchini and frozen peas tonight. Simmer until veggies are heated thru and done to your preference - this won't take long if they're already partially cooked.

Serve over steamed rice.