purple potato & brussels sprout salad

the best thing about having a csa this year is that i have found so much new produce to cook with (hello, kohlrabi rocks!).  i only blog about one tenth of the things i make.  seriously, if you are in kansas city and are looking for a quality produce csa, i urge you to check out greeley gardens.  every saturday i jaunt down to the city market for pick up and rush home to start plotting and scheming what to make with all the goodies in my bag.  purple potatoes have been in my crop a few times, and i whipped up this tasty little salad a couple weeks ago.

• 6-8 small purple potatoes
• 1 cup brussels sprouts
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

caper dressing:

• 1½ tablespoons earth balance, softened
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1½ tablespoons jarred capers
• 1½ tablespoons vegan mayo
• 1¾ tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon caper brine
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 small clove garlic, minced

cut up the potatoes and steam for approximately 15-20 minutes.  while they are steaming, slice brussels sprouts into halves and toss with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. arrange them on a foil-lined cookie sheet and broil on low for 5-7 minutes on each side.

while potatoes and brussels are cooling, mix caper dressing ingredients into a food processor and blend well.  toss brussels sprouts and potatoes with caper dressing until well coated and sprinkle with vegan parmesan.  serve slightly warm.

purple potatoes!

cashew tamari dressing

 have long been a fan of homemade salad dressings, and rarely purchase the commercial variety.  however, there are a few bottled versions that i love, and i recently added another one to the list when i visited austin this past spring and my fabulous aunt took me to wheatsville co-op.  aside from the great selection of groceries and a myriad of vegan options at the deli, they also have a seriously awesome cashew tamari dressing. faced with the idea of funding a trip to austin every couple weeks to pick up a bottle, i hauled some back to kansas city and used it sparingly for several weeks as i tried to make a clone.  the result was... pretty darn close.  and cheaper than flying to austin once a month.

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 2¾ tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1¾ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1¼ tablespoon tamari
• 1/4 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

combine all ingredients in a magic bullet or blender, and let soak for about an hour.  after soaking, puree the heck out of it until the cashews have been effectively pulverized. add a little water along the way if needed or if you like thinner dressings.  makes enough for 2 or 3 salads and will keep in the fridge (sealed) for a couple of days.

served here over a yummy kale salad, courtesy of my awesome csa, greeley gardens.

raw matchstick salad

after the last couple of 'heavier' recipes, i decided to lighten up a little bit with a raw dish. one of my favourite offbeat flavor combinations is sauerkraut and avocados. i know it sounds a little questionable, but it's actually a party in your mouth. it must be something about the zing of kraut melded with the creaminess of avocado. i call this a matchstick salad because i julienned most of the veggies into small matchstick slivers. the recipe below yields one really filling salad.

• 3/4 cup raw sauerkraut, drained
• 1 carrot
• 1/3 red bell pepper
• 1/3 medium zucchini
• 2-3 medium button mushrooms
• handful of mung bean sprouts
• 1/3 avocado

julienne all your veggies (except kraut, sprouts and avocado) into small matchstick size pieces. cube your avocado. layer the drained sauerkraut first, then add each vegetable in subsequent layers. or, the wiser person would just dump everything in a bowl. as you can see, this was my realization after i took the first picture and tried to eat it.


i didn't use any dressing on this because the avocado and kraut were moist enough. however, feel free to use your favourite dressing - i bet one with ginger would pair especially well.

high raw salad (from lettuce wraps)

i wanted to make these lettuce wraps again, but i didn't have any large enough pieces of lettuce that would serve as a wrap. so i compromised with a salad, and it was so good i had to share! it's basically the same recipe, except in a bowl. :)

• 1/2 zucchini
  
• 1/2 cucumber
• 2 carrots, peeled
• 2 tablespoons bragg's aminos
• 1 ½ teaspoons dulse flakes
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 avocado
• 2-3 roasted red peppers
• almond cheese
  
• shredded lettuce
  

peel and julienne the veggies, then let marinate in the liquid aminos, dulse and minced garlic.


combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and serve as a salad. i didn't make a separate dressing because my red peppers came from an oil-packed jar. that plus the almond cheese made the salad rich and creamy. if you don't use oil-packed peppers, you may want to add a little something for creaminess... depending on taste.

creamy kamut salad

my dearest brother, aka 'produce boy', recently brought me an exciting foodie gift - 28 pounds of fresh asparagus. yes, i said 28 pounds. needless to say, i have spent the past several weeks cooking and eating asparagus a variety of ways - roasted, grilled, baked, steamed, boiled... i even made asparagus guacamole (not bad!). i thought this dish was perfect for a potluck, as a twist on the traditional pasta salad.

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked kamut (3 cups cooked)
• 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
  
• 1 pound of asparagus, cut to bite size
  
• 1- 2 tablespoons olive oil
• about 5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped/shredded
• 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
• 1 batch of buffalo mostarella cheese**
**with modifications
• 1/2 tablespoon liquid smoke

basically, you could try any vegan dressing. i wanted one that was a little cheesy flavoured so i tried the buffalo mosteralla from the ultimate uncheese cookbook. however, i omitted the agar and halved the onion powder and cornstarch in the recipe because i wanted it to be thick, but not set up like a cheese. i also added half a tablespoon of liquid smoke. if using this recipe, put all your dressing ingredients in a blender for 1-2 minutes (until the mixture is smooth). pour into a saucepan and heat on medium for about 4-5 minutes... until it starts to thicken. put in a 4-cup pyrex container (or anything glass really) and put in the fridge to cool overnight.

once you are ready to make your salad, pull your dressing out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature. steam the asparagus, quarter your tomatoes and cook your kamut. after your kamut has cooked, drain and combine w/ the dressing in a large bowl. because the kamut will still be warm from cooking, the dressing should soften up and coat the grain very well. add in the tomatoes, asparagus, basil and olive oil. toss a couple more times. i added a couple dashes of lemon juice at this point because i thought it needed it.... but that just depends on the dressing you use.

serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.

creamy avocado dressing (raw)

i'm always looking for healthy homemade salad dressing recipes - i'm sort of over the bottle stuff. a lot of the recipes that are non-oil based call for fruit juices like orange, but i'm just not a fruit-dressing kind of girl. i don't mind fresh squeezed lemon juice though. here is a raw creamy avocado dressing that i ad-libbed and really liked!

• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 haas avocado
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of bragg liquid aminos
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried kelp
• pinch of cayenne pepper

soak sunflower seeds in water for at least 4 hours. then just toss everything in a magic bullet and whir. seriously, i couldn't live without my bullet. thin with water if so desired. serve over your favourite bed of greens - here with kale, tomatoes and zucchini.

to keep it raw, make sure your kelp is sun-dried, not roasted or toasted!

sprouts & kale salad (w/ creamy dressing)

i've only recently tried kale, and i wasn't sure i was going to like it. i don't know why, i just had a food prejudice. but lucky for me, i forged ahead and found out that it is a pretty tasty little green.

• 1 cup of sprouts (i used lentil, red & green pea)
• 2 cups kale
  
• salad fixins: tomatoes, cucumber, etc.

for the creamy tahini dressing:

• 1 tablespoon white miso
  
• 1 ½ tablespoons tahini
  
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  
• 1 ½ tablespoons sesame oil
  
• 1/2 tablespoon stoneground mustard
  
• water to thin
  

you can buy sprouts in most produce sections, or just sprout them yourself. i don't have a fancy method of doing this. i soak my uncooked beans in a quart mason jars for about 8 hours. then i lay a damp tea towel in a colander, and dump in the beans, seeds, etc. i use the edges of the towel to fold over the top, and rinse the sprouts every couple of hours. then they just sit on my kitchen counter and i re-rinse about every 3 hours or so, keeping them moist. i usually sprout for a couple days before eating, making sure to rinse regularly.

when you prepare your salad, you will want to massage the kale for about 5 minutes with olive oil and/or lemon juice. the first time i ate kale i didn't know to do this, and it was like trying to chew a porcupine made out of cardboard. (thanks for the tip, lauren!) the kale should retain its crunchiness, but lose some of the extra-stiffness. toss in the sprouts, and whatever veggies you want for your salad. whisk the dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl, using as much water as needed to thin.

enjoy!

falafel salad w/ vegan tzatziki dressing

falafel has been one my favourite foods since i went vegetarian at 16. there is a great restaurant in town that makes the best yogurt tzatziki for their falafel pita wraps, and is what inspired me to make a vegan version. so the other day when i was craving falafel, but was out of pita, i just threw everything on top of a salad and made this vegan tzatziki dressing. i'll post my personal falafel recipe later, but this post is actually about the tzatziki dressing which i thought was the highlight of my meal.

• 1 bed of salad (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers)
• 4 falafel balls

for the tzatziki dressing:

• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fat-free nayonaise
• pinch of dill

make a bed of salad, and place 3 or 4 falafel balls on top. you can find a pre-made falafel mix at most grocery stores (i think fantastic foods brand is pretty good), or you can find many recipes online. personally, i bake mine (i'll post my recipe later).

in a magic bullet or food processor, blend up dressing ingredients. you can add more olive oil or lemon juice if it's too thick. top salad with vegan tzatziki dressing and enjoy your falafel bowl!

fresh cider cucumbers

so i'm still full from thanksgiving feast-week. and the jeans are starting to reach that all too critical tightness - when you know it's time to lay off the heavy meals for a while. here is a cider vinegar cucumber "salad" that i've been eating for light lunches. i had something similar to this at my aunt's house over the summer, but there were onions in it (which if you read my blog, you know i don't like). but i've never had better cucumbers!

• cucumbers, washed and sliced
• raw apple cider vinegar (bragg's)

my aunt mixes one part vinegar to one part water, but i prefer a stronger vinegar taste. cover the cucumbers and let chill for several hours.

drain the vinegar before serving and enjoy the guilt free eats!

raw carrot salad

i made this for a mid-day snack. i was feeling raw, and didn't want to spoil my dinner. perfect!

• 1 pkg. baby carrots (6oz.), hand chopped
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons raw mustard
  
• 3 tablespoons nama shoyu/braggs aminos
  

mix it all up and enjoy the healthy. i make raw mustard by grinding up a couple tablespoons of yellow mustard seeds with a dash of raw apple cider vinegar and water. of course, you can use regular mustard if you aren't worried about eating raw. it makes about two servings of a lite snack. i also think it would make a nice side dish for dinner.

chickpea, sun dried tomato & artichoke salad

i posted a feta recipe in my last post, and that yumminess found a home in this recipe. i'm always looking for new ways to mix up chickpeas, and this sort of just came together. i think it would be great for a potluck or holiday dinner, as this recipe makes quite a bit. and if you haven't tried miso mayo, you should give it a shot. it definitely has a unique flavour, but in small amounts, it's pretty dang tasty!


ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups dry chickpeas (about 3 cups cooked)
• 1 ¼ cups sun dried tomatoes (preferably not oil-packed)
• 1 can (14oz.) artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cups black olives, sliced
  
• 6 oz. vegan feta

dressing:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon stoneground mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup miso mayo, original

combine all ingredients except feta in a large bowl. if you prefer, you can mix up the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl and pour over the mixture. i take the lazy way and just throw all the dressing components in with the rest of the salad, stirring as i go. add the tofu last since it will be the most delicate and susceptible to crumbling. toss gently a few times after adding the tofu. chill for at least two hours, really letting the flavours meld. serve up just like a pasta salad.

as a side dish, i think this would serve about 8 (or more if they are super-small-helping types of folk). :)

tangy lentil salad

still working on the pantry clean-out and more determined than ever to eat all these ingredients that seem to carry over months after months. these lentils were leftover from the sloppy lentil burrito recipe and made a nice, tangy salad.

• 1.5 cups cooked lentils (about 3/4 cups dry lentils)
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced

just mix everything together. allow the mixture to marinate for at least 30 minutes or so. then serve on a bed of lettuce (2 cups romaine lettuce pictured above). it has a zip and is very tasty.

asian cabbage salad

this is a really fresh salad that is easy to whip up for just one, or you can multiply the recipe and it makes a great pot luck dish as well.

• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1/4 cup sliced red bell peppers
• 1/4 cup sliced green peppers
• 1/4 cup shitake mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 tablesppons yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or nama shoyu

all the ingredient amounts can be adjusted to whatever amount you prefer. i tend to just make it up as i go... i toss everything in a bowl and it has a great flavour with a little twang from the mustard. sometimes i even throw in a dash of rice vinegar.

you can get nama shoyu at most health food stores, or i have it listed in my vegan kitchen store.