Peachy Keen Green

Larry has fond memories of cold spinach salad in Japan. We compared several recipes, and did a mix of several (from  salu salo ,  fine cooking ,  iheartumami ,  and  bon appetit  - seriously, you used frozen spinach?). Serve with Larry's miso soup  and TJ's yakisoba! Note that I originally tried 3 T sesame seeds, 3 T soy sauce, 1.5 T rice vinegar, and a little sesame oil, but the dressing was too strong. Then I reduced it 2/3 (2 T sesame, 2T soy, etc.) and it was still too strong for us. The following pares it back even more because we like it mild so the spinach taste comes across; increase if you like it stronger. Ingredients 2 lbs fresh spinach (2 bunches or 1 Costco box) Salt (for boiling water) Dressing (mild version) 4 tsp sesame seeds  2 tsp rice vinegar (or rice wine or sherry) 4 tsp soy sauce 1 1/2 tsp sugar  Instructions Prepare spinach 30 minutes to 3 hours ahead: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil add a pinch of salt...

Viki brought her adaptation of a carrot-top chimichurri  to our outdoor distance gathering, and I fell in love with it! The tang and garlic are amazing on bread, or as a salad dressing (see Viki's salad, below). I made a pesto with carrot tops a couple of months ago and it was meh... After that, I just ended up throwing carrot tops in soup (it was great in split pea soup) . But next time I get farmer's market carrots, I'm definitely making this! Ingredients 1 C finely chopped carrot greens 2 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp sweet paprika (that is, regular, not smoked) 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp sea salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 T rice vinegar 2 T red wine vinegar 1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil Instructions In a small bowl, combine the carrot greens, oregano, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir in the vinegar and olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Figs! We have so many figs. Larry is picking a dozen a day, scrambling onto the roof to get half of them from the top of the tree. During an afternoon get-together, Shuchi tells us that she gets a lot of different fruits off her trees and dries them -- the sugar concentrates, and they taste like candy! She keeps them in jars on her counter and they snack on them for days. So we bought a Cuisinart dehydrator  and tried it out with some figs and pears and other fruits. Figs are pretty juicy and took a lot longer to dry than the others, so we decided they were better when cut into smaller sizes, and perhaps dried by themselves - or if you do other fruits, just check the others earlier. Ingredients Fresh figs, a dozen or more Instructions Figs are pretty juicy, so slice them into quarters at minimum, and into eighths if you can (i.e., they still have integrity). Place them on dehydrator shelves, skin side down so they don't stick to the shelf. We put our dehydrator on our outdoor...

We've had some really good buffalo cauliflower at Vegenation in Las Vegas, and I finally got around to trying to make it. It was tasty! Here's what a did - which is a combination of a recipe in Vegan Comfort Classics and some recipes I found on the web, like  this one that has a nice video . Yum! Ingredient s 1 large (or 2 small) head cauliflower 2 cups bread crumbs 1/2 cup wheat germ (optional) Batter: 3/4 cup flour 2 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp onion powder (optional) 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper 1 1/3 cup nondairy milk Buffalo sauce: 2 T vegan butter 1/4 cup Sriracha (or more; 1/3 ?) 1/4 cup ketchup 1 T maple syrup Ranch dressing: 1/2 cup vegan mayo 2 tsp apple cider 1 T chopped fresh dill or 2 tsp dried 1 T chopped chives 1 tsp onion powder (optional) 1/4 cup nondairy milk (optional; if you like it a little thinner; I do) salt and pepper to taste chopped chives for topping (optional) Instructions Clean and cut up the ...

Shelley made this mango guacamole and served it with pita chips and sliced jicama. Delish! Ingredients 3 large avocados, peeled and pitted 1 small red onion, chopped 1 mango - peeled, pitted, and chopped 1 lime, juiced 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon salt 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro For serving: pita chips sliced jicama Instructions  Mash avocados in a medium bowl to a lumpy consistency. Mix onion, mango, lime juice, garlic, salt, and cilantro into avocado.

Munira gave us some delicious homemade hot green chutney. I tried to replicate it - with success: even Munira and Vinod liked it! This is adapted from a video Munira shared for this r ecipe for Green Chutney (Mind & Coriander)  and also Neelam Batra's The Indian Vegetarian cookbook. Most of the ingredients came from our garden, which was extra fun. Serve with samosas, on veggie burgers or sandwiches like  Pav Bhaji  (but that might make it too hot to eat!). Ingredients 1 red onion or 2 long scallions, sliced 2 jalapeno peppers, sliced (carefully!) 2 inches of ginger, sliced 2 C cilantro (fresh coriander) 1 C fresh mint (or 2 parts cilantro to 1 part mint) 1 tsp cumin juice from one lime (or lemon) optional: 1/4 cup seeds from pomegranate 2 cloves garlic 1 green or yellow pepper salt and pepper to taste Instructions In the food processor, grind the onion, peppers, and ginger coarsely (and any optional ingredients like pomegra...

Another hit from Cyndy. She got this recipe in a vegan cooking class. The instructor said this was meant to be a kind of "fake chicken." It didn't really taste chickeny to us, but it was delish - not a bite left. Ingredients 1 container firm tofu 1 cup bread crumbs canola oil (for frying) Marinade: 1/3 cup soy or almond milk 2 T mustard 1 tsp worchestershire 1 T soy sauce 1 T nutritional yeast 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper Instructions Slice tofu and press the water out of the tofu as much as possible. Chop into small squares. Put in marinade and let marinate for an hour or more. Drain off the marinade. Toss tofu in bowl of bread crumbs. Saute. Drain on paper towel and serve on a flat tray with toothpicks!

Shuchi made this delicious  salsa for a pool party last weekend. It's fantastic and super easy to make. This one will become a pool party staple! Ingredients 1 bunch green (spring) onions (3-4 with green stems/leaves) 2-3 tomatoes, sliced cilantro - 1 cup (or 1 small bunch) 1 lime Tortilla chips (for serving) - I like the white chips at Trader Joes that have the aztec symbol Instructions   Add green onions, tomatoes, and cilantro in a food processor. Pulse for a few minutes till finely chopped. Add salt and squeeze lime. Serve with chips!

Mark brought Trader Joes Beet Hummus to our pool party this weekend, and we loved it! I had 3 huge (potato-sized) fresh beets from Farmdoor in my fridge, so I decided to give it a try. I cut up one of the big beets, microwaved it for 6 minutes, and added it to my regular hummus recipe . Yum! It's delicious, and very slightly sweet from the beet. The Trader Joes version lists balsamic vinegar in the ingredients, and we tried adding a little to a bit on the side, but didn't like it so much. It has a whole lemon, and I think that's enough acidic punch. Ingredients 2-3 large cooked beets, cut up 1 can garbanzo beans, drained 2 T tahini 1 lemon, juiced 1 clove garlic (or 1 tsp minced) 1/2 tsp salt 1-2 T olive oil Instructions Drain and rinse garbanzo beans. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend! Scrape into a bowl to chill, or serve right away. Note: If you're starting from raw beets, you can cut them up into half-inch chunks to microwave th...

I found a nice cucumber salad from Oh She Glows that included these roasted spiced chickpeas as a topping. We mostly just ate them as a snack - really good! Ingredients 1 (15-oz) can chickpeas 1/2 teaspoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon cumin 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric Instructions Preheat oven to 400F and line a medium baking sheet with a couple pieces of paper towel. Rinse and drain the chickpeas and place onto paper towel. Add a couple paper towels on top and roll the chickpeas around until completely dry. Or leave them out for a few hours with paper towels on top and bottom. This helps them crisp up in the oven. Put the chickpeas into a medium mixing bowl and stir in the oil until coated. Now stir in the rest of the seasonings. Discard paper towel and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Add chickpeas back onto the baking sheet. Roast at 400F for 20 ...

An easy appetizer that is delish! Ingredients 6 tomatoes 3 cloves garlic 1/2 cup fresh basil 1T olive oil salt to taste baguette (french or sourdough) Instructions Dice the tomatoes and garlic, and chop the basil. Toss together with olive oil and a little salt to taste.  Slice the baguette diagonally, brush with olive oil, and toast. Assemble together on a nice plate with a spoon so folks can top their own toast!

This is a South Mediterranean version of caponata, the famous Italian eggplant salad. I often double the recipe if we make it for a party, so we have leftovers at home.Thanks to Christine for the delicious recipe. Serve with pita bread (whole wheat, lightly toasted if desired) or pita chips or baguette. Ingredients 1/4 cup olive oil (or more, as needed) 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 medium cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp salt 1 large eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes 3 T tomato paste 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1 cup small pitted green olives 1 small jar (6 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, (drained, each piece cut into 2 or 3 smaller pieces) 1/4 cup toasted pinenuts Instructions 1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, and salt, and saute over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent (5 to 8 minutes). 2. Add the eggplant cubes, stir, and cover. Cook until the eggplant is very well done (15 to 20 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add s...

This is a thick, yummy homemade hummus slightly adapted from Judi's hummus.  For the two of us, I halve her recipe, don't use as much salt, and don't use any olive oil (it doesn't need it). Serve with pita chips or sourdough baguette. Eat it up in a day or two while it's still fresh! Ingredients 1 can chickpeas, or fava beans (from dried) 2 T tahini 1 lemon, juiced 1 clove garlic (or 1 tsp minced) 1 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp salt 1-2 T olive oil One of the following flavorings (optional) 1/2 C roasted red peppers (or half jar TJs) 1/4 C shiracha 1/4 C chipotle sauce ( Judi's recipe ) YUM 1/2 C sundried tomatoes Instructions Drain and rinse garbanzo beans (I don't use any of the liquid; it's better thick!). Put beans, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cumin, olive oil, and an (optional) flavoring in a food processor and blend. Scrape into a bowl to chill, or serve right away. The picture here is with Judi's chipotle sauce.