Two Bean Salad

This salad was another result of the particularly successful farmer's market haul I mentioned in my last blog.

I had already made the lemon pepper two bean salad the day before, but thought that it would be better suited as the main component of a fresh veggie salad. I am off to the farmer's market again in a couple of hours so, hopefully, I come back with an even better selection of fresh, local, and organic produce.



Lemon Pepper Two Bean Salad
(you can use any 2 types of beans you would like. Also, I used dried beans as opposed to canned beans and soaked them overnight. Most cans are lined with Bisphenol-A, so I have been making an effort to avoid them as much as possible.)

15 ounces garbanzo beans (1 can)
15 ounces pinto beans (1 can)
1 1/2 cups parsley, finely chopped
1 large lemon, juiced
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
*apple cider vinegar can also be used
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
dash of salt (optional)
drizzle of grade B maple syrup (optional)

Directions:

1. Drain and rinse your canned beans. Rinse in ice cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel and pour into a large mixing bowl.

2. Juice your lemon and add juice to mixing bowl.

3. Chop your parsley and add to mixing bowl. Also add in vinegar, pepper and optional maple syrup and salt.

4. Toss salad well - with a folding motion. Try not to mash beans. Transfer to serving dish.

5. Cover, and place salad in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes. Longer is fine too.

6. Serve chilled on its own, or as a side dish.

original recipe link


For the salad:

I made a simple sesame vinaigrette from white vinegar and sesame oil (to taste). I tossed that with red lettuce. Next, I layered sliced cucumbers and tomatoes all around the plate. I spooned the bean salad in the middle, and topped with a small amount of almond "mozzarella" cheese.

Tempeh Pesto Stuffed Tomatoes

That was a long hiatus that I don't wish to take again...It's been a busy summer! My dad came to visit, then my position was cut at work, then my sister came to visit, then I got a new job, then I went on vacation and, finally, I decided to take a few minutes for me.

I enjoyed a trip to the weekly evening farmer's market near my neighborhood where I made a serious haul for a mere $20. Included in that were 3 perfect heirloom tomatoes.

Tonight, I decided to beat the heat and indulge in a genuine tomato and tempeh dish that required very little from my stove top.

This recipe comes from a wonderful website I just discovered entitled, "Healthy Happy Life." I didn't alter a thing which, as you know, is rare for me. I am sure I will be re-posting several of her recipes on my food blog as they all seem to be pretty fantastic. Here is the original recipe: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/04/tempeh-pesto-stuffed-tomatoes.html

Tempeh Pesto Stuffed Tomatoes
serves two

2 beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes
1 cup pesto (recipe below)
1 cup tempeh, sliced into thin strips
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp black pepper
salt, to taste
1 lemon, juiced
garnish: salt pepper, fresh basil

Tomato Prep:
Slice out the stem of the tomato.
Slice into tomato at a deep angle on all sides until you are able pull the top off.
Hollow out the tomato. Keep 1/4 inch thick tomato rind still in tact.
Use removed tomato flesh when making the pesto.
Repeat for each tomato you are stuffing.


Roasted Walnut Cheesy Pesto
makes about 1 1/3 cups

1 large lemon, juiced
1 cup maple-toasted walnuts
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp black pepper
1 large bunch of basil, leaves
1/2 cup flat parsley, chopped
2-3 Tbsp vegan Parmesan cheese (I like the one in the purple shaker bottle)
5-7 cloves of garlic
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp fresh oregano
1 jalapeno, de-stemmed (de-seeding optional)
flesh from one of the cored tomatoes

To make:
Maple-toasted Walnuts:
Saute walnuts on high heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 Tbsp of maple syrup for 2 minutes.
Add walnuts to food processor.
Add basil, salt, lemon juice, cheese, pepper, parsley, garlic, olive oil, oregano and jalapeno to food processor. Blend on high until thick and fully processed. Pesto should be nutty and smooth, but not over-blended.


Tempeh:
Turn heat on high.
Place 1 Tbsp olive oil in a saute pan.
Add tempeh. Lay the tempeh strips in one layer in bottom of pan.
Add in 3 Tbsp of lemon juice, 1 Tbsp of maple syrup and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Let saute for 2 minutes.
Flip tempeh. Bottom side should have browned up nicely. If not, cook this side a bit longer than the first.
Add a bit more lemon juice and another dash of the remaining salt and pepper.
When tempeh is done, set aside.

Tomato Assembly:
Spoon 1 heaping spoonful of pesto on the bottom of the tomatoes.
Place one of the limper tempeh strips over the pesto in the bottom of the tomato.
Add in a few more spoonfuls of pesto and arrange 4-5 tempeh strips sticking out of the tomato. Spoon another final bit of pesto. Garnish with fresh basil and leftover candied walnuts and/or pine nuts (whatever you used in the pesto.)
Grind fresh black pepper on top.

Place tops back on tomato if you wish, or leave them open.

I indulged in my stuffed tomato with a glass (or 3, let's be serious) of riesling kabinett. I found that the saltiness and slight spice of the pesto paired really well with the sweetness of the riesling.

Enjoy!!

Falafel Salad with Lemon Sesame Vinaigrette

When I walked into my kitchen last night, I had no agenda. No plan, no recipe...I just knew that I was hungry and I had somewhere to be in an hour.

I took a peek into my freezer and found these falafel style patties (Sunshine Patty brand) and quickly decided that I wanted to incorporate one into a salad.

As I was considering what type of dressing I should make, I started thinking about other Mediterranean-style food, which led me to hummus. I thought about the components of hummus, which led me to lemon juice and sesame seeds, which led me to sesame oil--and that sounded delicious.

First, I grilled one falafel patty according to the package directions.

While, the falafel patty was grilling, I juiced 1 lemon into a small prep bowl, then slowly whisked in sesame oil to taste. I added a few drops of agave nectar to cut the acidity.

Next, I grabbed a generous handful of arugula and tossed into a mixing bowl. In the future, I am not sure that I would use arugula if there were other options, but it is what I had in my house, and it was quite good. Romaine or spinach would also be good choices.

I poured what I considered to be an appropriate amount of dressing onto the greens (which left me with a fair amount of dressing for later), and tossed.

Next, I threw a handful of cherry tomatoes and a tablespoon of slivered almonds into the bowl, and tossed.

Finally, I arranged the salad onto my plate, cracked a bit of black pepper and sea salt over the salad, then crumbled the falafel patty over the top of the salad.

The finished product took less than 15 minutes and turned out to be very tasty!

Sunshine Salad with Black Bean Patty

So, I have been a little lazy with the posts. Lazy due to work, not apathy. I haven't posted a blog in almost a week. One would assume I have been starving. Well, the laziness continues as this is not even a dish that I personally prepared. This is a combination of two menu selections served at my restaurant. I eat this every day that I work as it provides me with probably a day's worth of vegetables, beans, and nuts/seeds, not to mention some heart-healthy grains.

The salad consists of mixed greens, red peppers, broccoli, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, sunflower seeds and sprouts, and apple cider vinaigrette. Next, I top the salad with a patty made of black beans, corn, brown rice, and spices.

This would be super easy to prepare on your own and it's delicious!

Quinoa Salad with Yellow Grape Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Basil and Mint.

This is a light, delicious, and refreshing quinoa salad. It's the perfect combination of flavors for a lakeside picnic on a warm, sunny afternoon! I also remember this salad being equally perfect during an indoor picnic, next to a roaring fireplace, on a similar "spring" afternoon. It was a little less than year ago, and our former plans were disrupted by an unwelcome snowfall...Ahh, memories!

1 clove of garlic, peeled
2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked quinoa (package directions)
A handful of sweet grape tomatoes- yellow is low acid, and delicious
1 carrot, grated
4 scallions, sliced (white and light green sections)
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, whole or pitted and chopped
1/3 cup slivered nuts- pecans, almonds or walnuts
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Juice of 1-2 lemons or limes, depending upon size

Rub the clove of raw garlic inside a glass or ceramic salad bowl. While the cooked quinoa is still a bit warm (but not steaming hot) scoop it into a bowl and fluff with a fork. Halve or quarter the yellow tomatoes and add them to the bowl. Add in the grated carrot, sliced scallions, Kalamata olives, and slivered nuts. Toss lightly to combine. Season with sea salt and ground pepper. Add the chopped fresh herbs. Drizzle the salad with extra virgin olive oil- enough to moisten. Toss to distribute. Squeeze a lemon or a lime all over the salad and toss. Taste test (this is the fun part). Adjust seasonings. Does it need more olive oil? Salt? More citrus? Is there a good balance of quinoa and add-ins? When the seasoning tastes right, cover and chill until serving (at least one hour, but longer is better). Before serving, taste again and adjust seasonings if you need to. Chilling summer salads dulls the flavors a bit. Serve as a side dish. Makes roughly 4 to 6 servings.

Recipe courtesy of Karina Allrich.