Roasted Beet Salad

 

 

Roasting beets whole concentrates their sugars, color, nutrition and delightful taste. Then turning those roasted beets into a salad with a little onion, parsley, sugar and vinegar produces a beautiful as well as delightful dish that is part of many traditions. Such a salad adds a “wow” to the dinner. 

Roasted beet salad is particularly associated with Greek and Turkish cooking (where it is often topped with yogurt or feta cheese). But the salad can also be made without dairy. Toasted walnuts are optional, but they enhance the contrasts as well as the protein value.

 

Beet salad can also be made with boiled or microwaved beets, or even canned beets. But it lacks intensity, and can be insipid, in my view. Roasting the beets takes some time, but it’s time in the oven while the cook can be working on other things.

 

Here’s a delightful roasted beet salad in the vegan tradition. The recipe serves six or more, but extra salad is great as a leftover.

 

1 pound fresh whole red beets, preferably all about the same size

A little vegetable or olive oil to moisten the surfaces

1 tablespoon very thinly sliced onion (lengthwise, “julienne” style)

2 sprigs fresh parsley, preferably flat “Italian” type, leaves coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons cider or wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

 

Rub the whole beets with a little oil or spray with baker’s spray. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 375 degrees until tender when pierced with a toothpick. That will take 40-60 minutes, depending on size of the beets. Let cool.

 

With sharp knife, peel and scrape off skin from the beets (a little messy, an apron is suggested). Slice beets 1/8-inch thick. Stack slices a few at a time and cut into 1/2-inch strips. Place in mixing bowl.

 

Add onion, parsley, vinegar, sugar and salt and mix well. Let rest ten minutes, then mix well again. Taste a piece of beet and a little of the accumulated juice. If preferred, add a little more vinegar and/or sugar and/or salt, to taste.

 

This can be served now, after a final mixing, or chilled and served later. Serve in a shallow bowl or on a platter. If desired, top with coarsely chopped toasted walnuts.

 

 

Quinoa Pilaf -- Easy

 

 

I’m a recent convert to quinoa. I’m not sure quite why it took me so long. Probably because the grain had such a cultish following, and because I loved rice so much in so many forms.

 

But trying to get more iron into the diets of several family members and cooking occasionally for several people dealing with diabetes or pre-diabetes, have both encouraged me to try more dishes with quinoa. The grain (technically a seed) is highly nutritious and has a relatively low glycemic index.

 

What I have learned is that quinoa is easy to cook, is fairly flexible in the variety of dishes that can be prepared with it, and (most important to me) I find I like quinoa. I’ll still cook and love rice, potatoes, grits/polenta, and pasta, but now I’ve expanded my repertoire for side dishes.

 

Raw quinoa has a negative feature that needs to be dealt with for best flavor. The seeds have a light coating of naturally occurring, bitter, soap-like saponins, which apparently give the plant protection from grazing animals and microbial organisms. This should be removed by washing the grains before cooking. (Some quinoa is already washed before it is sold, in which case further washing is not necessary.)

 

Here’s a pilaf-style dish I made using red quinoa, which is very attractive. White, black or tri-colored quinoa would also work. I used a rice cooker, but also suggest how to cook the dish on the stove-top instead.

 

The recipe serves six as a side dish.

 

1 1/2 cups quinoa, red or mixed color for attractiveness

1/2 small onion, finely diced

1 small Roma-type tomato, cored and finely diced

3 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme or a medium pinch of dry thyme

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Pinch of cayenne

2 2/3 cups vegetable broth, or water

Minced parsley for garnish, optional

 

Place quinoa in the rice cooker container or the pot in which it will be cooked. Add plenty of cool water, then rub the grains between your hands for a minute or so. Drain off the water through a sieve and rinse well with running water. Drain, then return rinsed quinoa to the rice cooker container or cooking pot.

 

Add all the remaining ingredients and stir well.

 

Rice cooker method: Cover and turn on rice cooker. Let cook through its full cycle, then rest, unopened, for ten minutes after the light switches from cook to “keep warm.” After 10 minutes, open cooker and fluff quinoa with a rice paddle or fork to mix well. Remove the bay leaves as you see them. Cover and keep warm until served.

 

Stove-top method: Keeping pot uncovered, bring contents to a boil. Stir, cover pot, and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Set timer for 20 minutes. At 20 minutes, keep pot covered but turn off the heat and let rest 10 minutes. Open and fluff quinoa with a rice paddle or fork to mix well. Remove bay leaves as you see them. Cover again until served.

 

If quinoa cools off, or there is some left over, it’s easy to reheat in a microwave oven in a covered casserole, fluffing a time or two during reheating.

 

Serve in a shallow bowl, dusting the top with a little minced parsley, if desired.

 

 

Spicy Pinto Beans

 

 

Here’s an easily made pinto bean dish of the sort that goes well as an ingredient in tacos, fajitas, nachos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and burritos. Alternatively, the beans go well with rice as a lunch or snack.

 

The recipe serves six people as a light meal, or serves more people if used as an ingredient in one of the Tex-Mex dishes mentioned above.

 

1 small green bell pepper or 1/2 a medium one

1 medium jalapeño pepper

1 small onion or 1/2 a medium one

1 clove garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 (14-ounce) cans pinto beans

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, if available, or 1 extra teaspoon regular chili powder

1 teaspoon regular chili powder, or 2 teaspoons if chipotle chili powder not used

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/3 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup water

Coarsely chopped cilantro for garnish, if desired

 

Core the bell pepper and cut it in chunks. Cut the stem off the jalapeño, and cut the jalapeño in half, keeping the seeds. Peel the onion and the garlic clove. Chop all four vegetables very finely in a food processor, or on a cutting board with a chef’s knife. Place vegetable mixture in a heavy pot with the olive oil. Set aside.

 

Open the cans of beans, and holding their lids on, drain off as uch liquid as you can, but do not rinse. Add 1 cup of water to one of the cans of beans. Measure the salt and dry seasonings and put them in a small bowl or cup.

 

Place the pot with the chopped vegetables and olive oil on the stove, and fry, stirring very frequently, until the vegetables are softened, but not browned. Add the beans and their water plus the spices to the pot. Heat, simmering for about ten minutes, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot, so that the beans don’t stick.

 

Remove from the heat. Taste, and add salt if needed.

 

Use a a lunch dish with rice, sprinkled with chopped parsley, or use as an ingredient on nachos, quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos, fajitas or burritos.

 

 

Red Lentil Dal with Spinach, a good Iron Source

 

One of my teenage grandchildren has been vegetarian for some years. And as she is active in sports, getting enough iron to avoid anemia is a challenge. She loves Indian food, and does some cooking. So this one is for her. 

Lentils, and especially red lentils (called “masoor dal” in India), and spinach (called “palak” or “saag” in India) are both good sources of dietary iron. They also have many other nutritional benefits, including protein, soluble and insoluble fiber, and multiple vitamins.

 

Here is a delicious vegan version of an Indian vegetarian dish, Dal Saag (or Dal Palak), that brings together these two fine iron sources. It also makes a great meal, accompanied by rice or chapati flat bread, plus a fresh chutney (I have a good recipe for fresh tomato chutney elsewhere in this blog).

 

Masoor dal, split and hulled red (or “Egyptian”) lentils, are available inexpensively at supermarkets, Indian stores, and natural food stores. The spices are relatively readily available at the same places. Frozen spinach is the easiest for this cooking, but fresh could be used if preferred. Indian cooks would typically fry part of the cumin seeds and part of the onion in a little oil (or clarified butter -- ghee) and stir it in at the end for heightened flavor. For simplicity (and for a teen-aged cook) I leave that step out and just cook all the seasonings in with the lentils.

 

The recipe makes about a quart and a half, enough for six people. It keeps well in the fridge and reheats easily in the microwave.

 

1 1/2 cup split red lentils

5 cups water

3 tablespoons vegetable oil (not olive)

1 small onion finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

1 1/4 teaspoons whole cumin seeds (or ground as a second choice)

1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds (or ground as a second choice)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 (12-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach (not thawed)

Coarsely chopped cilantro for garnish, if desired

 

Rinse and drain the lentils. Place in a pot with the water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of thee pot. Skim off and discard the foam that arises as the lentils boil.

 

Add the oil, onion and spices (not the salt), and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot, until lentils are tender and start to disintegrate, 25-30 minutes. If the mixture is getting somewhat dry, add a little water.

Add the salt and simmer a few more minutes.

 

Finally, add the frozen spinach, and stirring frequently, cook only until the spinach is heated. Do not cook after the mixture boils.

 

Remove from the heat, taste for salt and add a little if needed. Let cool. The flavors are enhanced as the mixture rests.

 

Reheat to serve. Top lightly with coarsely chopped cilantro leaves, if desired, when using as part of an Indian meal with rice or chapati.

 

 

Spring Greens and Strawberry Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette – All Year Long

 

Bright, young leafy greens and gorgeous red strawberries combine for a delightful salad that screams “springtime.” But -- happily -- the story is  more complicated.

 

“Spring Mix,” a collection of young salad greens is now available throughout the year. And most of it is hydroponically grown in greenhouses. Increasingly it’s produced locally in all seasons. Strawberries, which in my childhood were very seasonal and locally grown, are available year round, and are either shipped in, or now also greenhouse grown. Strawberries are safest if organic or at least raised in greenhouses.

 

Here’s my “springtime” salad offering, which was previously a column in Boom Magazine, an Athens publication for which I regularly write about food and cooking.

Using some of the strawberries, particularly the less beautiful ones in the package, to infuse the salad dressing makes the salad an even more intense celebration of spring. And, thanks to modern agriculture, it can be enjoyed any time of year.

 

The recipe serves six. The salad dressing can be made in advance.

 

1 pint (16 ounces) strawberries, organic or greenhouse grown

1 sprig fresh mint or other herb, optional

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt, plus to taste

3 tablespoons wine vinegar or cider vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 1/2 tablespoons sunflower oil or part olive oil

4 cups (loosely measured) spring mix salad greens (from supermarket)

 

Divide the strawberries into two halves, the prettiest berries in one half. Save those for topping the salad.

 

Using the less pretty berries, cut off the hulls and stems and chop or mash the berries finely. Mix them in a bowl with the fresh herb, if used, sugar, salt, vinegar and water. Mix well and allow to sit for an hour or more. Put mixture through a strainer into another bowl and press down firmly to extract the juices. Discard the squeezed-out strawberry pulp. Add the black pepper and oil to the liquid in the bowl. Mix and taste for salt, adding a little, if needed, to taste. It should be faintly salty.

 

Place the spring mix (no need to rinse the leaves if the package indicates they were already washed) in a salad bowl. Hull the reserved (prettier} strawberries. Slice them from top to bottom 1/4-inch thick and distribute them on top of the salad greens. Transfer the dressing to an attractive jar. Just before serving, and preferably at the table for the diners to see, toss the dressing with the greens and berries.

 

Red White and Blue Potato Salad for the 4^th of July

 

I love potato salad, preferably tangy sweet-sour potato salad without a lot of glubby mayonnaise.

 

Fourth of July, Independence Day, backyard “barbecues” in my childhood always included potato salad. I thought it must be the most American, and patriotic, of dishes. Those things someone cooked on the grill, after all, were named for Germanic cities.

 

Of course, later I learned that potato salad is a specialty throughout central and northern Europe, from Germany to Sweden to Russia and all points in between. Ah well!

 

For fun, I now make Fourth of July potato salad in the colors of red, white and blue. That’s not to be confused with the French national colors “bleu, blanc et rouge” (blue, white and red), or the Russian colors, white, blue and red.

 

When I began this culinary prank, I used small red-skinned potatoes and purple-blue potatoes. But the red skins cook to a weak pinkish tan and the blue potatoes fade to pale violet. That’s pretty wimpy for the Fourth of July.

 

Now I go bold, as our national honor dictates: red from diced or sliced beets and blue from blueberries to perk up the white of the potatoes. The beets are stirred into the salad briefly before serving so they don’t stain it pink. Pink potato and beet salad is a specialty in Sweden and Russia, especially around the winter holidays.

 

The trick for making good potato salad is proper simmering, not hard boiling, of the potatoes to achieve firmness yet without an under-cooked crunch.

 

The recipe serves 6 to 10 as a side dish or appetizer.

 

3 pounds small-medium yellow-skinned or russet potatoes

1 large fresh beet or equivalent in canned whole beets

1/4 cup minced onion

4 tablespoons plant-based “mayonnaise” (Hellmann’s works well)

4 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 3/4 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

 

In large, uncovered pan with plenty of water, bring potatoes just to a simmer over medium heat. Do not boil them or cover the pan. If water begins boiling, pour in a little cold water to slow it. Swirl the pan occasionally to gently move the potatoes around. After 10-12 minutes, start testing a potato for doneness by piercing with a toothpick. Continue simmering until potatoes are just tender. Remove from the heat. Drain and cool.

 

In a separate pan of water, boil the raw beet, if used, unpeeled. When tender when pierced with toothpick, let it cool. Peel it. Alternatively, use canned whole beets of roughly similar total volume to a large beet. Cut in small dice, or if small canned beets, slice them 1/8 inch thick. Season with a little salt and 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Set aside.

 

Peel potatoes. Slice them 1/4 inch thick, first cutting in half lengthwise if large. Place in a large bowl for easy mixing. 

 

Mince onion. Mix it in a small bowl with "mayonnaise," vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper until mayonnaise breaks up.

 

Stir mixture into potatoes, mixing gently with a large spoon or hands (use plastic gloves). Let sit for 10 minutes. Mix again and taste. If necessary, add salt, vinegar and/or sugar. The taste should be slightly salty (the potato will absorb more) and tangy sweet-sour.

 

Potato salad is best if made in advance and refrigerated a few hours or up to several days.

 

Shortly before serving, stir again. Taste and add salt, if needed. Stir in diced beets (drained) and part of blueberries.

 

Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with remaining blueberries.

 

Rice Pilaf with Peaches and Rosemary

 

With peaches coming in strong here in Georgia, I enjoy cooking savory dishes with them, as well as enjoy them as fruit. Rosemary, which is year-round here, makes a nice foil to the peach flavor, at least if used sparingly.

 

“Pilaf” historically applies to rice cooked with a seasoned broth and added meat, seafood, vegetables or fruits and nuts. Here’s a version using seasonal peaches. Rosemary and a few whole spices add delicate flavor highlights.  The dish will go well with grilled food or a savory braised dish.

 

The recipe serves six.

 

1 1/2 cups Basmati or other long grained rice

2 large or three medium peaches

2 tablespoons white wine

Water (see instructions below)

1 medium shallot or 1/2 small onion, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)

18 individual leaves taken off a sprig of rosemary

6 whole peppercorns

2 whole cloves

Minced fresh parsley for garnish

 

Rinse rice several times and drain well. Set aside to “dry” somewhat.

 

Peel peaches. Chop flesh coarsely. Place in large (4-cup) measuring cup with the wine. Add enough water to bring the volume up to 2-3/4 cups.

 

Mince shallot or onion. Heat a heavy pot and fry onion in olive oil, stirring frequently, until onion is limp and beginning to become golden. Add drained (and somewhat dried) rice and stir and fry one minute.

 

Add peaches and liquid mixture plus salt, sugar if used, rosemary, peppercorns and cloves. Stir.

 

Bring to a boil, without stirring until after rice is fully cooked. Reduce heat to low, cover pot. Simmer, covered without opening, 20 minutes. Do not lift lid, but turn off heat and let sit 10 minutes.

 

Remove visible rosemary leaves and whole spices from the surface. Fluff rice with a fork.

 

Serve, sprinkled with minced parsley.

 

Louisiana-Style “Dirty Rice” made with Mushrooms

 

 “Dirty Rice” is a Louisiana-Cajun sort of rice pilaf in which the rice was traditionally cooked with finely chopped chicken livers, ground meat or sausage, plus seasonings. But it can be made well fully Vegan. I prefer it made with chopped dark mushrooms rather than chicken giblets. That idea came from having the wonderful Riz Djon-Djon in Haiti, a specialty rice dish enriched as well as colored a rich brown by local hill-side black mushrooms. I use Basmati or other long-grained rice, but in Louisiana cooking medium-grained rice, from Louisiana or Arkansas, is more typical.

Dirty Rice in Louisiana is frequently served with stewed red beans. It makes a good side for a number of savory braised or stewed dishes.

 

The recipe serves six to eight as part of dinner.

 

1 1/2 cups Basmati or other long-grained rice

1 medium-small onion

1/4 large green bell pepper

1/2 stick celery

1/4 pound (4 ounces) baby Bella or Portobello mushrooms

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon tomato ketchup

1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning (or 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp celery salt, 1/4 tsp garlic salt, 1/4 tsp cayenne)

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 bay leaves

2 1/4 cups low sodium vegetable broth

Coarsely chopped parsley or thinly cross-cut green onion tops for garnish

 

Rinse and drain rice twice to remove excess starch, and set aside to dry. Finely chop together in a food processor the onion, bell pepper, celery and mushrooms, or finely mince them on a cutting board with a chef’s knife.

 

In heavy cooking pot in which the rice will be cooked, fry together the minced vegetables and olive oil. Stir frequently, scraping the bottom of the pot. When the mixture is becoming softer and darker, add the ketchup, dry seasonings, and bay leaves. Add the drained rice and stir well. Add broth and stir briefly. Then do not stir again until cooking is done. Bring pot to the boil, uncovered. When boiling, without stirring, cover tightly and turn heat to lowest setting. Set timer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off heat and allow to rest without opening the pot for 10 more minutes.

 

Open pot, remove bay leaves, and fluff gently with a fork. Cover and keep warm until served. When serving, sprinkle lightly with chopped parsley or sliced green onion tops.

 

An alternative cooking method can be used with a rice cooker. Put drained rice in rice cooker. Fry vegetables and the olive oil in a pan until color has changed. Add this mixture to the rice in the rice cooker. Add the ketchup, dry seasonings, bay leaves and broth. Stir briefly. Cover and cook as usual without opening the cover. When heat goes off, again without uncovering, let rest 10 more minutes. Then remove bay leaves, and fluff the rice with a fork. Keep warm until served. Sprinkle with the parsley or green onion garnish when serving.

Céleri (Celery Root) Rémoulade

 

Celery Root (Celeriac), or in French, “Céleri Rave,” is the heavy, bulbous stem base of one variety of celery plants. Although botanically part of the stem rather than a true root, it is treated like a root vegetable. It has a delightful, subtle celery flavor, and is used extensively in colder parts of Europe where the “root” stores well in winter, when the more typical stalk celery was not available prior to modern transportation. Used in soups and stews, or boiled and mashed, it also makes a wonderful type of slaw, “Céleri Rémoulade,” that is somewhere between a salad and a condiment.

 

This special dish is most typical in French cuisine, showing up in appetizers and small side dishes. It is also popular in Louisiana Créole (French-descended) cooking. Fortunately it is simple to make, other than the grating by hand, which is made easier using the shredder blade in a food processor. Recently I got a celery root for another cooking purpose, and prepared a rémoulade with the generous amount I had left over.

 

The recipe makes enough for six or more people as a side salad and may more with appetizers. Leftovers keep well for several days in the refrigerator.

 

1 medium-large celery root, about 1 pound after peeling

4 tablespoons Vegan mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

 

Peel the celery root, cutting off the twisted smaller roots at the bottom (the peelings and small roots make excellent vegetable broth). With a sharp knife, cut out any crevices left between the bottom roots. Grate the celery root on the coarse side of a hand grater, or use the coarse grater blade of a food processor (first cutting the root into chunks small enough to fit down the feeder tube). Transfer the grated root to a mixing bowl.

 

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Let the mixture rest five or ten minutes and mix again. Do this once or twice more, as the salt draws a moisture from the grated root and the rémoulade becomes moister. Its best to make this at least a half hour before eating time. Taste the mixture and add salt, if needed, to taste.

 

If serving as part of a meal, place in an attractive serving dish.

 Easy Rémoulade Sauce for Steamed or Roasted Vegetables

 

 

Rémoulade, a traditional cold, tangy condiment for seafood or vegetables, is originally a French sauce based on, or derived from, mayonnaise. There are many rémoulade versions, especially in Louisiana cooking. It can be easy to make, and at our restaurant we have used various rémoulades, particularly for enhancing roasted vegetables for catering.

 

Although not originally consistent with Vegan principles, rémoulade can be made Vegan succ
essfully, as shown below.

 

Here’s a rémoulade  I’ve made recently for steamed cauliflower. It can also be used over steamed broccoli or asparagus, or even over baked “Tater Tots.” I was thinking of seasoning it with pickled green peppercorns, but was not pleased with the outcome.

 

Since this one is intended for steamed vegetables. I’ve included a method of steaming cauliflower below.

 

The recipe makes enough sauce for food for six people. It keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days.

 

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup Vegan mayonnaise (Hellmann’s brand works well)

1/4 cup plant-based “sour cream” alternative

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoons wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon paprika

Minced parsley for garnish

 

Peel the garlic and bruise it by crushing it lightly with the side of a knife. Rub a mixing bowl well with the garlic, and discard the garlic remnants.

 

Place all the remaining ingredients except the garnish in the bowl and whisk the mixture (or use a fork) until the sauce is smooth. Taste, and add salt, if needed. Allow to sit at least 15 minutes for the flavors to mellow together.

 

Spoon sauce over steamed vegetables, and sprinkle with minced parsley for garnish.

 

Steamed Cauliflower:

1 small head of cauliflower, about 1 pound

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

 

Cut off the leaves.  Separate the cauliflower flowerets off the main stem, cutting the stems where necessary. For bigger pieces cut through stems lengthwise up toward the tops and then tear the two sides apart (so the tops don’t get bits cut off). Aim for one-inch pieces, which may require splitting bigger pieces again. (See the photo for an example.)  Place the pieces in a steamer basket, away from the heat.

 

Bring several inches of water to a boil in a pot that the steamer basket will sit on top of. Just before putting the steamer basket over the boiling water, sprinkle the vegetable with the salt. Place steamer basket containing the vegetable over the rapidly boiling water and cover the pot.

 

Steam  cauliflower exactly 5 minutes. Uncover and transfer the steamed vegetable into a shallow bowl or onto diners’ plates.

 

Spoon rémoulade over the vegetable and sprinkle with minced parsley for garn

 

Lentil Chili with Red Beans

 

 

Lentils, one of my favorite dry legumes, make fine chili. Tasty, versatile, inexpensive and quick-cooking, lentils are are also loaded with vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber. In many ways they’re a wonderfood.

 

Here’s my easily made lentil chili, in which I now use red beans. Small red beans, as opposed to red kidney beans, are a variety I am recently getting to know. They’re the favorite bean for New Orleans and Louisiana cooking as well as one of the most popular beans in several countries in Central America and the Caribbean. While I use them in this recipe, other beans would also serve, including pintos, light red kidney beans, and black beans.

 

Chili can be a main course, particularly if accompanied by rice or corn chips, avocado and salsa. Chili, can also be a snack or, if thinned down with extra liquid, can serve as a soup.

 

The recipe serves six, but leftovers are great to have.

 

1 small-medium onion, diced

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 1/4 cups (1/2 pound) dry tan-green lentils, rinsed and drained

2 1/2 cups water, plus more as needed

1/2 cup canned crushed tomato

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

A pinch of ground cloves

2 (14-ounce) cans red beans (or pintos or others), drained

1 teaspoon vinegar

 

In a heavy pot, gently fry the onion with the olive oil, stirring frequently, until softened. Add the minced garlic and fry one minute, stirring most of the time. Add the rinsed and drained lentils plus the water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat. Simmer, pot covered but stirring frequently, until lentils are becoming tender. Add a little water from time to time to keep a little liquid on the bottom of the pot. This cooking takes 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, assemble the other ingredients.

 

When lentils are nearly tender, add the crushed tomato, all the seasonings, and 1/2 cup of water. Simmer, covered, and stirring frequently, 10 minutes. Add drained beans and simmer about five minutes. Add a little water as needed to keep the mixture moist.

 

Remove from heat. Stir in the vinegar. Taste the chili and add a little salt if needed, to taste. The chili can be served now, or for better flavor, cool, refrigerate, and rewarm to serve. When rewarming, add a little water, if needed, to the desired thickness.

 

Accompany with sliced avocado, sliced tomato or tomato salsa, and corn tortilla chips. Optionally, also serve with rice.

 

 Tomato and Avocado Appetizer "Salad"

Avocadoes make an easy and delicious appetizer course. As simple a dish as a halved avocado with a simple salad dressing or just balsamic vinegar and salt starts a dinner well. But combined with fresh, sweet tomatoes and a fancier dressing. avocado can be quite elegant, yet very simple to prepare.

 

Here's an appetizer "salad" of avocado and tomato topped lightly with a Vegan version of my favorite Rose Sauce and a bit of chive or shredded green onion topping. Since fresh local farm-raised tomatoes aren't readily available right now, I'm using the Campari tomatoes that are available at supermarkets year round, which are reliably sweet and beautifully dark red. They are specially developed hybrids (not GMO) for hydroponic and greenhouse production. I believe this same type of tomatoes are also marketed as "Cocktail" tomatoes, and come on the stems.

 

The recipe serves six, and should be made and served on individual appetizer plates.

 

3 ripe avocadoes

6 medium-small ripe tomatoes, preferably "Campari" or "Cocktail"

Finely cut chives or green onion top for garnish

 

Rose sauce

3 tablespoons plant-based sour “cream”

2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

1 tablespoon Vegan mayonnaise (I like Hellmann's)

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

A large pinch of salt

Mix the sauce ingredients together well.

 

Cut avocadoes in half and remove the pits. Peel the avocado halves and cut each half into pieces on a separate appetizer plate. Cut a tomato into either four or six wedges, depending on size, and place them attractively among the avocado pieces on a plate. 

Spoon about a tablespoon of rose sauce over the vegetable pieces on each plate. Sprinkle a small amount of cut chives or green onion top over the dressed plate, allowing a few to fall onto the plate outside the vegetables and sauce.

Serve as the appetizer course for your dinner.

 

 

Potato Salad, German Deli Style

 

I prefer potato salad tangy sweet-sour and with little mayonnaise. This contrasts with the glubby, mayonaise-laden, yet somehow bland potato salad I grew up with. When I first tasted the striking potato salad at a German deli in New York, I never turned back. I keep the potato skins on, which the original would generally not, for convenience plus food value. And although I use relatively little mayonnaise, the vinegar makes the salad moist and creamy.

 

These days, I would keep the parsley as a garnish rather than mix it into the salad because some of my grandkids, as well as other young diners, avoid foods with “green things” in them. But the parsley would typically be mixed into the salad. If desired, coarsely chopped dill pickles can also be mixed into this salad. The potato salad is much better flavored if made ahead of time and refrigerated, a few hours to a few days, before serving.

 

The recipe serves 6 as a side dish or appetizer.

 

2 pounds small red- or yellow-skinned potatoes

2 tablespoons minced red onion

4 tablespoons white vinegar

2 1/2 tablespoons Vegan mayonnaise (I like Hellmann’s)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced parsley for mixing in or for garnish

 

In large, uncovered pan with plenty of unsalted water, bring unpeeled potatoes just to a simmer over medium heat. Do not boil them or cover the pan. If water begins boiling, pour in a little cold water to slow it. Swirl the pan occasionally to gently move the potatoes around. After 8-10 minutes, test a potato for doneness by piercing with a toothpick. When tender except for firmness, but no hardness, at the very center, remove from the heat. Drain and cool.

 

In a large mixing bowl, stir minced onion, vinegar, mayonnaise, sugar, salt and pepper until mayonnaise is thoroughly mixed in. Peel or do not peel potatoes according to your choice. Cut potatoes into quarters lengthwise then cut them across into 1/4-inch slices. Add them to the bowl as they are cut.

 

Stir the potatoes into the mayonnaise mixture, mixing gently with a large spoon or hands (wear plastic gloves). Let sit for 15 minutes. Mix well again and taste. If necessary, add salt, vinegar and/or sugar. The taste should be slightly salty (the potato will absorb more) and tangy sweet-sour. Refrigerate until used. If combining the parsley into the potatoes rather than garnishing with it when serving, stir it in now.

 

An hour before serving, stir potato mixture again. Taste and add salt, if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and sprinkle with minced parsley if it was not already mixed in.

 

Split Pea Soup with Vegetables

 

Pea soup dates back thousands of years. Street vendors sold it in ancient Athens. Peas, along with lentils and barley were among the earliest vegetables cultivated at the dawn of agriculture.

Tasty and nutritious, with loads of protein and dietary fiber, pea soup satisfies and sustains. Many versions of the soup are traditional in various cultures, but purely plant-based soup remains a winner. The richest flavor is achieved by browning the vegetables a bit in olive oil before adding them to the simmering peas.

The recipe serves six to eight, but leftovers are great.

1 pound (2 1/4 cups) dry green split peas

8 cups water

1 large bay leaf

1 medium-large onion

2 medium-large carrots

A small celeriac or 2 large sticks celery

3 cups broth made from the vegetable trimmings and peels

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons salt, plus to taste

1/2 teaspoon dry savory or oregano

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus a little at the end

A small pinch of ground cloves

 

Rinse peas. Place in pot with water. Bring to a boil. Skim off foam. Add bay leaf. Simmer, stirring frequently and scraping bottom of pot, until peas start to break down.

Meanwhile peel onion, carrots and celeriac, if used. Make broth with peels, leaves of celery, if used, plus 3 cups water, simmering 20 minutes.

Coarsely dice the peeled or trimmed vegetables. Fry them with the oil until softened. Add to simmering peas. Strain vegetable-peel broth into soup. Add salt, dry herbs, pepper and cloves.

Simmer until peas disintegrate and vegetables are very tender. Add water, as needed, to keep the consistency lightly creamy (it thickens when it cools). Taste, and add salt if needed. Finish with a generous sprinkling of ground black pepper.