No Pigs in a Blanket and Homemade French Fries

This is great for a weekend lunch.  It is super fast and always a pleaser.

No Pigs in a Blanket


Ingredients:
1 package of Tofu Pups
1 package of Vegan Crescent Rolls (most are vegan, but check the ingredients)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Unroll the crescent roll dough and separate it into squares.  The rolls are cut to be triangles, so use two of the triangles to make one square.  Take your tofu pup and roll the crescent roll around it.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until they start to brown.

Homemade French Fries


Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato
4 medium yukon potatoes
3 cups of vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 brown bags (from the super market) for draining the oil

I don't peal the potatoes because the skin makes the fries so yummy, so I make sure to wash my potatoes  really well.  Cut your potatoes in half and then in half again.  I then cut them into smaller pieces until I have pieces that are about 1/4 of inch thick.

Put your oil in a deeper pot and turn the heat up to medium.  You will want to give your oil a good 5-8 minutes to heat up, but you won't know it's ready until you put a fry in and see the oil start to bubble.

You have to do these in batches and each batch needs to be fried twice.  The sweet potatoes will take a little longer to cook then the yukons, so I usually do them first.

Drop in your first batch of fries and let cook about 3-5 minutes, until they start to brown.  Pull them out using a slated spoon or wire skimmer and immediately place them on one of the brown bags to drain the oil.  Continue this process until all of the fries have been fried once.

Then start frying them a second time.  They will not need to be in the oil as long this time, but you want to let them brown nicely.  As they are ready use the second brown bag to drain them.  While they are draining, season with a little sea salt and pepper.  If you like to add a little kick to them, use a little all spice to season as well.

Baked Ziti

This a quick and easy recipe for a week night.  It's good because it is fast and you will have leftovers for lunches.

Baked Ziti


Ingredients:
1 package of brown rice ziti
7 oz of LightLife Smart Ground (1/2 package)
1 jar of tomato sauce (I used Classico Tomato and Basil)
3 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 tablespoon of thyme
1 cup of thinly sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup of finely diced onion
1/4 cup of dry white wine (I used Savignon Blanc)
1/2 of vegan Parmesan
1 cup of Daiya mozzarella
Salt and pepper to taste
EVOO as needed

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Bring 8 cups of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt and a splash of EVOO.  Add your ziti and boil until al dente.  The brown rice pasta takes a little longer to cook then regular pasta.

In a sauce pot, add a little EVOO and your onions to medium heat and saute until they start to become translucent (about 3 minutes).  Add the garlic and mushrooms and saute for another 4 minutes.  As the EVOO cooks off, add the white wine gradually and saute for another 2 minutes.

Next at the LightLife Smart Ground and reduce the heat.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the Smart Ground starts to brown.  Now add the sauce and the vegan Parmesan and the oregano, thyme, salt and pepper and mix well.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Let the sauce simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Drain your pasta and add it to your sauce mixture with half of the Daiya cheese.  Make sure to mix this really well.  Take a baking dish (any shape is fine- I used round), and lightly grease.  Add the the pasta mixture and then take the remaining Daiya and spread evenly over the top of the dish.

Cover your dish and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  Then uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the top starts to brown.  After removing your dish from the oven, let is stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's pie is basically meat pie (either lamb or ground beef).  So it's impossible to make vegan, right?  Wrong!  I have to admit I was nervous about this.  I basically took an old recipe for a traditional shepherd's pie and tried to make it vegan.  It could have been totally hit or miss.  Thank g-d it was a hit!

I would say that this is a good dish to make for non-vegan friends because you couldn't even really tell it was vegan and it is really filling and wholesome.

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:
7 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
Handful of chives, chopped fine
1/4 cup of of fake bacon bits
1 head of garlic plus 1 tablespoon of garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, fine diced
1/2 cup of button mushrooms, sliced thin
1 cup of frozen corn
1/4 cup of daiya cheese
1 package of LightLife Smart Ground (usually near the tofu in the grocery store)
2-3 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup of Earth Balance plus 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons of chickpea flour
1 cup of veggie stock
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 teaspoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 tablespoon of thyme
1 tablespoon of rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Start by cutting the top off of the head of garlic.  Wrap it in tin foil and add a bit of EVOO.  Roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until completely soft.

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Add the chives, fake bacon bits and 1/4 cup of Earth Balance and mash.  Remove the garlic from the oven and squeeze it into the potatoes (it should come out really easily).  Add a little salt and pepper to taste and continue to mash.  You can add some soy milk here if you want, but I didn't.  If you need to add a little more Earth Balance to make them more creamy.

While the potatoes are boiling, peel and dice your carrots and steam them.  Dice your onions and add them to pan with a little EVOO.  Saute them for about 3 minutes and then add the mushrooms and 1 tablespoons of chopped garlic.  Next add the Smart Ground, be sure to break it up really fine, and steamed carrots.

Saute for about another 5-10 minutes until the Smart Ground begins to brown.  Then add the chick pea flower and stir well until it has completely disappeared into the mixture.  Add the corn, veggie broth, 1 tablespoon Earth Balance, soy sauce, oregano, thyme, rosemary and tomato paste.  Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

I used a round casserole dish, but you can use square too.  Take about 1/3 of your mashed potatoes and use them to coat the bottom of the casserole dish.

Then add your meat and veggie mixture to the casserole dish.  Make sure to distribute evenly so that everything cooks well.

Then add the 1/4 cup of daiya cheese on top of the meat and veggie mixture.  Scoop the remaining 2/3 of the mashed potatoes into the casserole dish and distribute evenly, making a thick top layer.

Cook this for 40 minutes at 400 degrees.  I cooked it covered for the first ten minutes and then uncovered for 30 minutes.  You know it is ready when the potatoes start to brown.

Remove it from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes.  This is absolutely crucial so that everything melds together and you are able to cut it without it falling apart too much.

Enjoy!

Vegan Vegetable Lasgna

Let me preface this post with saying that this could have been an epic disaster.  Why you ask?  Well, seeing as I had never made real lasagna, let alone vegan lasagna, I had no real idea what I was doing.  That coupled with the fact that the ricotta is a pretty essential ingredient in lasagna, let's just say I was skeptical.

Much to my surprise, not only did this recipe rock and I have had tons of left overs, but I actually learned how to make tofu ricotta.  Yeah, you heard me right- TOFU RICOTTA.  I had heard of the elusive tofu ricotta and event eaten some at Peace O'Pie, but I didn't really know how I was going to make it.  BUT, now that I have, this may be a new staple for me.

Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients
4 tablespoons Earth Balance
6 tablespoons chick pear flour
1/4 cup of soy milk (unflavored)
1/4 cup vegan grated cheese- usually in the same aisle as tofu
2 cups of tofu ricotta
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup green pepper, chopped
1 ½ cup raw carrots, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 package of lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat)
8 ounces daiya Mozzarella cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Start by cutting up all your veggies.  Sauté the onions and peppers in some olive oil. Next add in the carrots and zucchinii. Sauté until the veggies become soft, and then remove from the heat.

While the veggies are cooking, prepare your tofu ricotta (see recipe below) and lasagna noodles (be careful not to break them!).

Take the Earth Balance, and melt it in a large saucepan. Then stir in the flour to make a paste, and add the soy milk. Continue to stir until this mixture begins to thicken. Add the vegan Parmesan cheese and tofu ricotta. I used a whisk to help keep this smooth.  Remove from heat, and set aside.

In a baking dish, put a little sauce on the bottom of the pan, and cover it with a layer of noodles. Spread the veggie mixture, more sauce and a layer of the daiya mozzarella cheese. Repeat and in the next layer spread some of the tofu ricotta mixture as well.  When you get to the top layer of the lasagna, spread the last layer of
the tofu ricotta mixture and load up with the rest of the daiya mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle grated vegan Parmesan over it. Finally, cover the lasagna with aluminum foil, and bake for about 30 minutes. Uncover it for the last 10 minutes so the cheese browns a little.

Tofu Ricotta

Ingredients
14 ounces of extra firm tofu, drained well
1/4 cup of EVOO
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 tablespoon of parsley
1 tablespoon of basil
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
Some fresh ground pepper
A dash of salt

Make sure that you drain the tofu really well before you start.  I do this by wrapping it in paper towels and then placing a pot on it.  Let it sit for about 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients and mash/combine well.  You can do this by hand, but I used a potato masher.  You don't want to pulverize it, as you want it to be crumbly.

Refrigerate for 20 minutes before using.  Um, this was so yummy.  I have like a million other ideas for how I can use it!

Veggie Quesadillas and Gaucamole

I know what you are thinking, how can you make a decent vegan quesadilla?  Well, I am here to tell you that you totally can.  And guess what? They can still be gooey and cheesy and delicious.

Before daiya, vegan cheese was a joke.  It tasted like cardboard and didn't melt.  Not so delicious.  But today we are so lucky to have daiya which melts and tastes as good as real cheese.  I know what you are thinking, you are a vegan, how do you know what real cheese tastes like?  Granted, I don't really remember, but my non-vegan boyfriend eats cheese and he gave these quesadillas two thumbs up.  Geez, don't be so skeptical!

So try these out and make your own variations!  I included a bonus guacamole recipe at the bottom too.  It is super easy and yummy.

Veggie Quesadillas

Ingredients
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Veggies of your choice (I used mushrooms, red peppers, green peppers and onions)
Daiya Cheese (I did a blend of Cheddar and Mozzarella)*

*If you are lucky enough to live in the Boston area, you can buy fresh daiya at Peace O'Pie.  Peace O'Pie is a great vegan pizza place in Allston.  You can read my review here.  They also sell great vegan cookies, treats and daiya!  Daiya is $5 per 1/2 pound there!

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Using a grill pan (or frying pan), saute your veggies with a little salt and pepper.  I also added a little lime juice and red pepper for some extra flavor.  When they are done, remove them from the heat.

Cut a piece of tin foil about the size of one of your tortillas.  lay the tortilla on the foil and fold in half to make a crease on the tortilla.  Add a layer of daiya and then a layer of veggies and then one more layer of daiya.  Fold the other half over and seal up the foil.

Put the quesadillas on the oven rack and back at 400 degree for 20 minutes, 10 minutes on each side.  Unwrap and cut into fourths.  You are ready to serve them!  I serve mine with guacamole and salsa.

Yummy Guacamole

Ingredients
3 avocados
1 red onion
1 vine ripe tomato
1/4 cup of corn (I just defrost some frozen corn)
2 jalapenos
1 lime
1 lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste

This a quick and easy recipe that is so yummy.  Make it about 1 hour before you want to serve/eat it so that the flavors have a chance to marinate together.

Dice the red onion and and jalapenos.  I cut the top off of the jalapenos and then cut them in half to remove the seeds before doing a fine dice.  You also want to dice the tomato and defrost the corn.

Cut your avocados in half and remove the pits.  I then make several cuts (thin lines) int he avocado lengthwise and then width wise and then use a spoon to scoop the pieces out.  

Combine the diced ingredients and the avocado chunks and mash together.  In a separate small bowl combine the juice of the lemon and the lime.  mix them well and add them to the other ingredients.  Then use the back of a fork to mash the avocados and combine all of the ingredients.  I add the lemon/lime juice mixture throughout this process. 

Once everything is mixed well, add salt and pepper to taste.  I then put this in a a dish and keep in the refrigerator until I am ready to serve it.

Roasted Parsnip and Garlic Soup

I got this delicious soup recipe from a great vegan cooking site, Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen.  This soup is delicious and surprisingly filling!  Perfect for a snowy day.

Roasted Parsnip and Garlic Soup


Ingredients:

1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 head garlic
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 rib celery (including leaves), chopped
4 to 5 cups veggie broth
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup great northern beans
6-8 ounces mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 green onion, sliced thin
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400F. Place the parsnip cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment papert. Cut the top off of the head of garlic, just enough to expose the tops of the cloves. Place it on a square of aluminum foil, drizzle it with a little EVOO and sprinkle it with a little salt, and wrap it up. Place it on the baking sheet with the parsnips and put it into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, turn over the parsnips, and cook for 10-15 more minutes until parsnips are tender and just touched with brown. Remove from oven and cool.  I had to cook the garlic about 5-10 minutes longer.

Heat a non-stick saucepan and cook the onion until it’s translucent. Add the celery and cook for a couple minutes more. Add 3 cups of the broth, the parsnips, and the pepper. Squeeze the garlic out of the cloves into the pan. Cook for a few minutes, until parsnips have softened. Add the beans.  If you are using canned beans (which I actually did this time), be sure to rinse them well.  Canned beans are preserved in a lot of oil and you want to get it all off before using them.

Puree the soup using an immersion blender. The smoother you get it, the bette. Return the pureed soup to the pan and warm over low heat. If the soup is too thick, add more broth until it reaches your desired consistency. Keep it covered because it will “erupt” from time to time.

Cook the sliced mushrooms in a small non-stick skillet until they soften and release their juices. Season them with salt and add the green onion. Stir most of them into the soup, setting some nice-looking ones aside to use as a garnish. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Minestrone Soup

I got this delicious recipe from a woman at one of my favorite local restaurants, Theo's Cozy Corner.  It is delicious!

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

10 cups of vegetable broth (I make mine every Sunday and freeze it)

1/2 cup of cannelloni beans

1/2 cup of white navy beans

1 cup of pasta (I used cavatelli)

1 large onion
2 Carrots
3 White Potatoes
4 stalks Celery
1 tablespoon dried Basil
1 tablespoon dried Oregano
2 teaspoons Rosemary
1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Black Pepper

3 cloves of Garlic

6 bay leaves

I always use dry beans.  If you are doing the same, soak your beans over night to prepare them.  I soaked and cooked mine separately.

When you are ready to start, drain your beans and add 3 cups of water and 3 bay leaves in two separate pots.  Bring the water to a boil and then add your beans to each pot and cover.  Reduce the heat and stir often.  Beans generally take about 45 minutes to cook.  Try one to make sure they are ready and make sure they are tender. Once they are done, drain them and set them aside.

Start by cutting all your veggies into matchsticks, I use the mandolin for this.  Then hand cut them into really small pieces.

Add all your veggies to a large soup pot and add the broth, garlic and spices. Bring to a boil and cover, then reduce heat and simmer until your veggies are tender.  Prepare your pasta.

Add the pasta and beans to the veggies and simmer on low for another 5 minutes.  Then you are ready to eat!

Mushroom and Broccoli Alfredo

I got this idea from my Baked Mac and No-Cheese recipe. Since I learned that you can make a cheese-like sauce from boiled veggies, I decided I could probably do an Alfredo sauce from boiling light colored veggies.  It came out even more delicious than I imagined!

Mushroom and Broccoli Alfredo

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

2 medium white potatoes

3 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon of oregano

A dash of paprika

1 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of fresh ground pepper

1 lb of crimini mushrooms, sliced thin

1/2 lb of broccoli

1/4 cup of vegan Parmesan

1/4 cup of dry white wine, I used Savignon Blanc

1 medium white onion

1 1/2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast

Chop up the cauliflower and peel and chop the potatoes into 1 inch cubes.  Chop the garlic and onion as well.  Combine them all in a medium sauce pan and water, enough to cover the veggies.  Cover and boil until soft. This takes about 15 minutes.

While the veggies are cooking, make your pasta.  I used cavatelli, but you can use whatever you like best. 

Saute the mushrooms in a separate pan using a little EVOO.  When the mushrooms are nice and juicy, add the white wine and salt and pepper.  Cover and reduce the heat to low, stirring often, until all of the wine is absorbed.

Clean and cut the broccoli.  Steam in a medium pot, I use one of those metal steaming things.  Drain it, and keep it covered until you are ready to use it.

Once the veggies are ready, add them to the food processor with the remaining water, spices, nutritional yeast, vegan Parmesan and salt and pepper.  Process the ingredients until you have a smooth mixture.  At this point everything is ready to go!

In the pot that you cooked the pasta in, combine the sauce mixture, mushrooms and broccoli and mix well.  Then you are done.  Enjoy!

Vegan Meatballs

Hi everyone!  Sorry I have been MIA, but life has been a bit hectic.  I am almost two weeks out from ACL reconstruction surgery.  YUCK!  In any case, I did lots of cooking to prepare for my surgery (so I would have plenty of food), so get ready for a bunch of posts.  I promise not to disappear for this long again!

Vegan Meatballs

Ingredients:

Gimme Lean Vegan "Ground Beef"

1 medium yellow onion

3 cloves of garlic

1 bunch of Italian flat leaf parsley

3 tablespoons of tamari (or you can use Braggs)

1/4 cup of vegan Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons of EVOO + 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon of thyme

1 tablespoon of oregano

1 tablespoon of red pepper

1 tablespoon of rosemary

1 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of fresh ground pepper

Start with one package of Gimme Lean vegan "ground beef".  I usually find this in the grocery store near the tofu.  You can buy in a a condensed cylinder (like above) or in look crumbles.  For this recipe, I recommend the condensed version.

Start by finely chopping the onion and garlic.  Add a small amount of EVOO, about a tablespoon,  to a pan and add the onions and garlic.  Add a dash of salt and a little bit of ground black pepper and saute for several minutes.  You want to saute them until the onions start to get translucent but before the garlic starts to brown, about 3-4 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the Gimme Lean, sauteed onions and garlic, and all the remaining ingredients.  You are going to want to wait a few minutes for the onions and garlic too cool before hand mixing.  In the mean time, chop the parsley and add it to the bowl.  You are going to want to use your hands to knead the mixture until it is well combined.

When you are done, our completed mixture should look like this:

Take a baking sheet (I used two) and use cooking spray or grease with a little EVOO.  To shape the meatballs, take a spoon and take the mixture into your hand.  The size of your meatball is totally up to you.  I make mine about golf ball size.  Pat the mixture in your hands and then begin rolling into a ball.  Place completed balls on the baking sheet.  Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, rotating them once to assure they cook on all sides.

While the meatballs are baking, take a frying pan and put 4 tablespoons of EVOO in the pan.  At the same time, start the water to boil your pasta.  When I am looking to make this a quick meal, I used canned sauce.  I tend to use Classico Tomato and Basil, but I jazz it up a bit.  I start by adding some mushrooms (thinly sliced crimini) and garlic in a small sauce pan.  I saute them for a few minutes before adding the sauce.  I then add about 1/4 cup of vegan Parmesan cheese, salt, red and black pepper.  I let this simmer on low while preparing the pasta and finishing up the meatballs.

Heat the EVOO in the frying pan for the last 2-3 minutes that the meatballs are baking.  Remove the meatballs from the stove and add them to the frying back.  Cover them and keep them on medium heat.  You are going to want to rotate the meatballs every few minutes until they are browned on all sides.  As they are ready, drain them on on plate with paper towels.

Once they are done, combine them with your pasta and sauce and you are done!  This is a quick recipe that is a real pleaser.  My boyfriend loves these and he is a meat eater.  For leftovers, you can make meatball subs too. Yum!

Mushroom & Asparagus Brown Rice Risotto and Avocado & Broccoli Salad

Mushroom and Asparagus Brown Rice Risotto

Let me start by saying that this recipe takes ALONG TIME.  Make sure you have adequate time and patience to do it.  It is a labor of love and totally worth it though.  Even Joe, who was starving last night (and not even a vegan), thought it was worth the wait.  Regular risotto (with Arborio rice), takes about 30-40 minutes.  With brown rice, you need a longer amount of time because it takes longer for the brown rice to absorb the liquids and get to an al dente texture.  

Ingredients

2 cup of SHORT GRAIN brown rice (it is really important to use the correct rice)

4 cups of vegetable broth (I used the stock I make at home)

5 cups of water

2 cups of dry white wine (optional; can use additional veg. stock)

4 tablespoons of EVOO

1 large sweet onion, finely chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used cremini)   

1/2 pound (about 1/2 bunch) asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes (optional)
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
2 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
2 tablespoon mixed fresh herbs, chopped (I used flat leaf-Italian parsley, rosemary, thyme, and basil)
 

Bring broth and water to a boil in a medium pot. Add asparagus and simmer until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the asparagus and transfer it to a bowl of ice water until well chilled, then drain and set aside. Cover broth-water mixture and bring back to a simmer.

In a medium lidded saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and ¼ cup of white wine and sauté the mushrooms just until tender. When done, remove with a slotted spoon to a separate plate, leaving the flavored oil and mushroom liquid in the pan (remove it from the heat)

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring gently, until toasted and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of the broth-water mixture and cook, stirring constantly and adjusting heat if needed to maintain a simmer, until liquid is almost absorbed. Repeat process, this time adding about 1/2 cup of the white wine. Stir constantly while incorporating the liquid; this will provide a creamy consistency. Once the wine is absorbed, begin adding about ½ cup of the broth-water mixture.  Keep alternating between the white wine and broth-water mixture until rice is just beginning to get tender, about 40 minutes. Liberally grind fresh black pepper in to taste, grate in your nutmeg and season with salt (be very careful not to over salt if your stock is salted) and nutritional yeast. The secret here is to keep the pot moving and to keep the risotto as simmering temperature.  Like I said, it is a pain in the ass, but it makes it so good!  I keep the simmering pot of stock on the back burner and the risotto pan on the front burner and simply ladle the broth in directly. Again, the secret to ideal risotto texture is to add this very hot liquid very slowly while stirring the entire time.

The amount of liquid you need to add to the rice will vary depending on how hot your pan is, the age and character of your rice, and so forth.  I keep my pot on a low simmer, so the liquid listed in this recipe if just right.  There is a chance you may need more liquid on hand. The rice is done when it has a creamy soft, exterior but still some bite/chewiness to the interior.

When you've finished cooking the rice and adding all liquid (wine and stock), fold in the cooked mushrooms, the flavored oil and mushroom liquid in the pan and the chopped fresh herbs and stir over low heat for another two minutes.  Correct the seasoning with additional salt and/or pepper, to taste. Let the risotto rest for about 10 minutes once you have finished cooking it.  This allows it get a little thicker before serving.

Broccoli and Avocado Salad

Last year for our anniversary, Joe and I took a group cooking class at Yasin Culinary in Waltham.  Mr. Yasin is a great chef who has owned a few restaurants.  He specializes in Syrian cooking.  I would totally recommend his classes!  He uses great fresh ingredients and was willing to adapt the class to include vegan recipes for me!

In any case, to accompany my lovely risotto last night, I re-created a recipe from Mr. Yasin’s class.  I hope you like it!

Ingredients:

1 bunch of fresh broccoli (cut into small pieces, stems removed)

1 large, ripe avocado

Several small cherry tomatoes

Fresh lemon

Sea salt, to taste

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Wash the broccoli really well and remove the stems.  You want to have small florets here, so make sure you break up the broccoli well.

Dice and pit the avocado.  You want the avocado to be in about ½ inch pieces.  

Slice the cherry tomatoes in half.

Slice the lemon really thin.  You will include the slices in the salad.  Mr. Yasin told us that the lemon rind is one of the healthiest and nutrient rich parts of any fruit.  BTW, the lemon rind is also rich in fiber and B6 which are important for vegans.

Combine all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.  Add fresh squeezed lemon juice as the dressing. Between the oil from the avocado and the lemon, you will have a nice light dressing.  

Mr. Yasin also added sliced green olives when he made this.  I am not a big olive person, so I skipped this.  But if you like olives, go for it.  Note that adding the olives will make the salad saltier, so cut down on the salt or eliminate it completely.

I love this salad!  It is so easy, light and nutritious!