Chickpea, Lentil, and Roasted Veg Salad

Simple, simple, simple. And nutritious! Serve room temp- no need to cool veg before tossing. 

• 2 small yellow squash- cut in chick pea size
• 1/2 red onion, cut the same
• Olive oil, garlic salt, pepper- broil the above till charred
• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters
• 1/4 cup black lentils, cooked
• Handful pumpkin seeds (a favorite ingredient of mine) 
• Dressing: 1/4 olive oil (best quality), 1/2 fresh lemon,  2T Parmesan, 1 t Dijon, 2 garlic cloves,     1 t apple cider vinegar

Cashew Cream Zucchini Sauce

What happens when you go away from your zucchini plants for 5 days? It’s no exaggeration to say you get some pretty large veggies.

I do believe zucchini could feed the world, and if we prepared it this way, everyone would be happy!

I filled my Cuisinart 2 times. Jam-packed. 

Here’s what you need:

Freshly picked zucchini

Lots of fresh garlic – minced

Lots of red pepper flakes

Lots of raw cashews

Fresh basil

Here’s what you do:

Saute the minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and cashews in a generous amount of olive oil. Roughly shred the zucchini and add it to the garlic mixture. I added more cashews at this point and I don’t regret it. Allow it to simmer and cook down a bit, but be warned, the zucchini never really ever shrinks at all. Toward the end, when the cashews are soft and the zucchini is pretty soft, add lots of fresh basil. Stir vigorously. The aroma is heavenly!

Allow to cook a bit and process in a high-speed blender. Serve on pasta with a nice parmesan. Delicious!

Vegan Zucchini Parmesan

Vegan Month of Food 2017

"Lines and Light" 

(a line or two of original poetry or a photo of beautiful Michigan light every day in October)

It's Raining

Two days of constant rhythm

Grey. Slate. Iron. Fatiguing.

The cold bleakness offers some warmth, though

a tiny rubber boot

wet bangs stuck to foreheads

puddles under reluctant dogs

open umbrellas propped against a bookshelf

Sated trees thankfully lifting October arms 

Day 25: Best Friend

I made a lovely zucchini parmesan for my best friend tonight. I've been making dinner for him for over thirty years and I never get tired of setting the table, placing a plate of homemade food before him, and sitting together after a long work day. Sometimes we talk. Sometimes we eat in silence. It's all good. In fact, it's awesome. 

I LOVE the New York Times method of prepping the zucchini. Slice it thinly lengthwise (maybe 1/4 inch), place on lightly greased baking trays, brush lightly with olive oil,  and roast at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes, babysitting and flipping the strips over if needed. 

Use an excellent quality sauce and the best quality vegan parmesan cheese. This excellent casserole freezes well. I have a huge one waiting in the freezer for Thanksgiving weekend. 

Also, consider prepping the pasta a bit before plating. Here, I sauted garlic and hot pepper flakes. I added water and white wine, Lawrys Season salt and lots of dried parsley. These simple additions create an excellent pasta side dish. 

Cheesy Cauliflower Mash Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

For whatever reason, my zucchini plants have produced tons of male flowers and very few female flowers the past few years. The male flowers have long stems and never produce any fruit. The female flowers grow very close to the base of the plant, they have stockier stems, and they develop into the squash.

So, I have learned to prepare and eat the gorgeous blossoms! How lucky is that? They are so fantastic! If you are fortunate enough to have blossoms on your zucchini plants, consider stuffing them and treating yourself to the most amazing treat!

Today, I stuffed them with leftover Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower and leftover corn.

Here’s what you do:

Pick the blossoms

Carefully open them, rinse out little critters and bees (I’m serious)

Remove the hard yellow part inside

Carefully stuff them with goodness (usually a cheesy mixture, but whatever seems good is appropriate)

Dip in a mixture of 1 C milk and 1 T cornstarch

Roll them in a mixture of 1 C flour and some seasonings (oregano, thyme, basil, salt, pepper, etc)

Lightly pan fry them until golden on all sides.

Admittedly, these were very delicate because the cauliflower mash was probably softer than the traditional stuffing used in blossoms, but no worries. They were delicious! 

Zucchini Crust Pizza

What’s your favorite color? Green
What’s your favorite book? “Lonesome Dove”

What’s your favorite song?  “Life Song” (Casting Crowns)

What’s your favorite vegetable? Lettuce (I’m serious)

What’s your favorite place? The lounge chair on my deck

What’s your favorite food? Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. And more pizza.

Here’s what you need:

2 medium zucchinis

½ C chickpea flour

1 T ground flaxseed

1 T vegetable oil

1 t oregano

Here’s what you do:

Grate the zucchinis by hand or in a food processor on the finest setting. Put the shredded zucchini in a large sieve and sprinkle with salt. Use your hands to mush the salt into the veg and allow it all to set over a bowl for about 20 minutes. Stir it once in a while and squeeze the liquid out. After 20 minutes, really get in there with your hands and remove as much liquid as possible.

While the zucchini is doing its thing, make a flax ‘egg’ by mixing 1 T ground flaxseed and 3 T water. Whisk the mixture and allow to sit in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

 

I flipped the crust over to show you how nice and golden it became. 

Mix the ‘dry’ zucchini (really, squeeze it a lot), the flaxseed ‘egg’, the chickpea flour, oil, and oregano and mix it all well with your hands. Spread it into a circle on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven The bottom of the crust will be nice and golden.

Top with your favorite pizza toppings and heat through for another 5-10 minutes. 

Creamy Zucchini Sauce - Vegan Month of Food

Poesy and Plate
 Vegan Month of Food  2014

(check out the hundreds of VeganMoFo blogs HERE)
My goal: cook and blog about vegan food 20 times
  during the month of September. 
My theme: words and food

Jabberwocky

BY LEWIS CARROLL

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

      Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves,

      And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

      The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun

      The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand;

      Long time the manxome foe he sought—

So rested he by the Tumtum tree

      And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,

      The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,

      And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through

      The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

      He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?

      Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”

      He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

      Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves,

      And the mome raths outgrabe.

This poem is pure genius. Read it ten times if you must, but be sure to read it with an open mind and a critical eye toward the structure of the beast (pardon the pun.) All nouns are in the correct place, verbs are in their proper tense and descriptors are true perfection. What,  in the English language, could be better than: "Twas brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe."? 

In case you don't know, this beautiful poem is in the middle of Carroll's novel "Through the Looking Glass," written in 1871. You could analyze the meaning of the poem for hours, digging into possible meaning for the 'nonsense' words that Carroll used. Apparently, he wrote the first verse years before publishing the novel and then extended it just for Alice's dream. 

Apparently, you must check the zucchini plants
daily. This sauce is perfect for the
monsters hiding in your garden.
Save the tiny zucchinis for a nice
presentation and use the humongous
ones for Creamy Zucchini Sauce. 

I don't need to know Carroll's purpose in writing it, I simply know that I love the sound and feel of this masterpiece. All my students study and memorize this one. 

And speaking of things that don't go together, like 'frumious' and 'Bandersnatch,' how about putting zucchini and cashew cream together? Another moment of pure genius, this time by ME! 

Creamy Zucchini Sauce 

Here's what you need:

Lots of zucchini - shredded

lots of garlic minced

red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

1 C raw cashews

Here's what you do:

Warm some oil in a large pot. Add the minced garlic and optional hot pepper flakes. Add the shredded zucchini. Cook and stir until all the veg is soft and wilty. Process all the zucchini in a high-speed blender until totally smooth. 

In the mean time, soak 1 C raw cashews in water for at least 30 minutes. Drain off that water and cover the nuts with fresh water. Blend at high speed in a high-speed blender. Add to the zucchini. Stir! 

I froze some of my sauce in plastic freezer bags, well labeled, laying flat on a baking sheet. When they are frozen solid, I slide them into another large freezer bag. 

Zucchini Tart with Basil Cashew Cheese - VeganMoFo

Poesy and Plate
 Vegan Month of Food  2014

(check out the hundreds of VeganMoFo blogs HERE)
My goal: cook and blog about vegan food 20 times
  during the month of September. 
My theme: words and food

What is Green? by Tracy Wood

-slime, mold, scum and bacteria

-life, fresh air, grass and tomatillos

Green is a shamrock on top of a cupcake

                a lucky gold coin at the end of a rainbow

                a Tennessee river

Can you see spring’s first crocus poking its insistent tip through the frost?

Can you smell freshly cut football fields?

                How about a tummy ache – that’s green too

Cold air on a March morning

The 1^st step into Lake Michigan

A bite of a sour apple

My birthday



For the basil cashew cheese recipe, click HERE. For the zucchini tart recipe, click HERE.

ps - slather the basil cheese on the pre baked pie crust underneath the zucchini. :) 

Mostly Zucchini Sauce – Vegan Month of Food

Poesy and Plate
 Vegan Month of Food  2014

(check out the hundreds of VeganMoFo blogs HERE)
My goal: cook and blog about vegan food 20 times
  during the month of September. 
My theme: words and food

Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.

George Washington 

The last time I was at Mt. Vernon, it was under a huge
renovation. Did you know that the exterior
is actually wood, which has been carved to
resemble brick? 

Harmony in all things. Wouldn’t that be a dream come true?  Washington spoke these words in his farewell address in 1796 and I believe his words still ring true today.  We actually could use a lot more harmony between the nations. I can’t stand to turn on the TV for fear I will see what the ravages of dis-harmony are doing to our earth and her people.

In the same address, President Washington warns against the party system, saying that it ‘agitates the community with ill-fouled jealousies and false alarms.’  Don’t even get me started. Why didn’t we heed his advice and just live in ‘good faith and justice’ toward all?

Whatever. The world’s a mess and it was a mess in Washington’s time too.

We *can* find harmony in lots of small places though and that is very satisfying. Let’s start in our own backyard gardens. I am talking about the harmony between a zucchini and a tomato.

Mostly Zucchini Sauce calls for a huge amount of zucchinis compared to a few tomatoes. Simply use a huge amount of minced garlic and a huge amount of hot red pepper flakes. Cook it all down to a mush and put it in the blender or food processor. Salt and pepper if you must. 

You might notice in the photo that the final color of the sauce was an unappetizing brown, but I’m telling you it tastes great! I will not hide this sauce in a lasagna or a casserole! I will pour it over pasta with great pride!

I usually freeze my sauces in portion size baggies, laying on a baking sheet. When they are solid, I slide the baggies into huge freezer bags. Never fails.

No mess. No waste.

Zucchini Tart

Food as art. This is what I see when I look at this gorgeous tart. Colors, textures, pattern. I never in a million years thought I could manage this recipe, but I tell you in all honesty, it was simple. Using my hands to make those lovely circles was very satisfying. A true creation.

The recipe comes directly from the fantastic blog, InVegetables We Trust and you can find the original recipe here.  I made a few changes including making it larger than the original. I also used a Pillsbury Brand crust, which is made with lard, so unfortunately, I can’t include this in the VeganMoFo. Speaking of which, anyone out there want to join me in the Vegan Month of Food? You don’t have to be a blogger or even a vegan, just a lover of great food. See what it’s all about here.

Here’s what you need:

6 medium zucchini, both green and yellow

3 T olive oil

Black pepper

Basil

One pie crust

Sesame seeds or poppy seeds for garnish

Course sea salt for garnish

Here’s what you do:

Prebake the pie crust at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Be sure to prick the crust so it doesn’t bubble up while baking. I used a 10 inch tart pan, but the original recipe calls for an 8 inch pie plate. Basically, the bigger the pan, the more zucchinis you will need.

Meanwhile, slice the zucchini lengthwise as thinly as possible – I used my mandolin, so there was a little bit was waste cuz there’s no way on earth I’m getting close to the killer blade on the mandolin. Drizzle the slices with olive oil and liberally season with pepper and basil.

Roll the veg up in circles, adding on to where you left off. Surprisingly, they all just kinda stuck together because of the oil. Keep going until you have enough to fill your prebaked pie shell. I actually recommend using a tape measure or ruler to measure the diameter of the crust.

Carefully place the circle of veggies in the crust and use a fork to arrange them in a pleasing way. I had to flatten the layers of zucchini a bit in order to actually fill my crust.

Bake for about 30 minutes, checking every 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and course sea salt.

Important!! Cool a bit before cutting. Use a serrated knife. Gently hold the tart with your hand while cutting. 

Cashew Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms

Anyone out there interested in participating in the Vegan Month of Food 2013?  (VeganMoFo) The fun starts in September. You can see my VeganMoFo2012 posts by clicking here. 

What a beautiful and elegant way to start our meal, with these delicious stuffed squash blossoms. Surprisingly, it wasn't that tricky…. except for the bees who were living in two of the blossoms!  I followed recipes I found here and here and I researched all kinds of tips on how to deal with the blossoms. Honestly, it wasn't hard at all and I was surprised how sturdy those beautiful golden curls were. Once the cashew cheese was inside, the petals just closed right up around it. Dip them in milk, dredge them in seasoned flour, pan fry them, sprinkle them with salt and gobble away. 

When choosing your squash blossoms, try to pick only the male flower. They have longer, slimmer stems. The female squash flower is attached to a thick, squat stem, which will become the fruit. But be sure to leave some male flowers so the bees can do their pollination thing!

Picked fresh from my garden

I tried to get a photo of the bee living inside - trust me, he was in there

Stuff them, dredge them

Fry them

Serve them with something light - Salad Nicoise was my choice

Here’s what you need:

Fresh squash blossoms – yellow squash, zucchini, pumpkin

½ C raw cashews, soaked overnight in water in the fridge

1 T white miso

2 T nutritional yeast

1 T olive oil

1 T fresh basil

1 C almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)

1 T cornstarch

½ C flour

A pinch of oregano, thyme, basil, etc for the flour

Salt and pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

Here’s what you do:

Make the cashew cheese by blending the cashews, miso, nutritional yeast and oil in a high powered blender. I had to stop and scrape and press down the cheese quite a bit because it’s really thick. Mine never got totally creamy, but it didn't matter. When it’s pretty well blended, add the basil. Scoop it into a pastry bag (or zip lock type bag).

Prepare the blossoms by opening up a seam and removing the pistol and rinsing away any unwanted stuff….like bees and such.  Fill each blossom cavity with some cheese. The yellow tips of the blossoms will wrap right around the filling. Don’t worry if the flowers break apart – the cheese will hold them together.

Mix the cornstarch milk and place in a shallow bowl. Season the flour with oregano, thyme, salt, pepper. Dip each flower in the milk and then dredge in the flour. Fry them in a bit of oil until brown and crisp. Serve immediately. 

(printable recipe) 

Vegetable Lasagna with Basil Cashew Cheese

I give this recipe all the best superlatives. It originally comes from  Oh She Glows blog , which is loaded with excellent food and photos. I tweaked it a bit by adding hot pepper flakes. Killer. !! I am going to put this outstanding Basil Cheese on a pizza soon….. dreaming and drooling. Double Killer!! 

Here’s what you need:

Olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1 onion, diced

2 zucchini, cubed

8 oz. baby bella mushrooms

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 large handful spinach

Salt and pepper

Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

1 ½ jars marinara sauce

1 box oven ready lasagna noodles (no boil type of noodle…. I love Barilla brand)

1 recipe Basil Cashew Cheese (see below)

1 ½ C non-dairy cheese (Daiya Shreds or Go Veggie Cheese)

Here’s what you need for the Basil Cashew Cheese:

1 c raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

¼ C vegetable broth or water (or more as needed)

¼ C lemon juice

½ C nutritional yeast

Salt and pepper

1 T Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves

1 ½ C fresh basil, loosely packed

Here’s what you do:

Soak the cashews in water for at least 30 minutes. Drain them. Place all the ingredients for the Lemon Basil Cheese in a high powered blender (like a Vitamix) and watch what happens! Amazing! I had to add a bit of water to help it along. Set aside.

Saute the onions in a bit of oil until soft but not brown. Add the garlic, zucchini, mushrooms, red pepper and red pepper flakes. Saute the huge amount of veggies till nice and tender. Be sure to season them liberally with salt and pepper. When they are ready, add a big handful of fresh spinach and cook for about 5 more minutes.

I split my lasagna into two pans: one for dinner and one for the freezer. 

To assemble the lasagna: Pour about ½ C sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Layer uncooked noodles over sauce. Spread basil cashew cheese over the noodles. Spoon ½ of veggie mixture over noodles. Pour more sauce over veggies. Repeat, being sure to end with sauce. Make sure the sauce is tucked down in and around the noodles.  End with a layer of non-dairy cheese. I used Go Veggie brand and it was super.

Cover with foil, make a few vents in the foil with a sharp knife, bake for 40-45 minutes in a 400 degree oven.  Remove foil and broil for a few minutes, watching carefully. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before slicing.

(printable recipe) 

Meatless Monday Link Up - White Pizza with Zucchini

Be sure to link up your favorite meatless meal! 

I'd love if you shared this post with other like-minded food lovers! 

Well, Christmas decorations are finally all down and put away for another year. I do keep the lights up in the front yard during the dark months though– so cheery and romantic to come home to a brightly lit front door. Every time we pull in the driveway I say, “Honey, look how pretty our house looks!” I never get tired of coming home. sigh. 

Hopefully Santa and the elves were good to you? I was fortunate to see lots of family over the holidays, my kids, my sister and her family, and even my parents from far away Florida. (Hi Mom and Dad!) We ate. We opened gifts. We sang carols around the piano. We ate some more. We laughed. And we played games….. and by ‘played games’  I mean marathon hours of Yahtzee, Dominoes, and Farkel.

My mom is trying to tell me an interesting story, but you can see I just want to play  more games. 

I got a professional knife sharpener and have already cut my fingers twice. Typical me.  I also received a lovely scarf and some books (“Chronicles of Downton Abbey” being a favorite.) My daughter gave me two copies of “Chickpea Magazine” and I must say it is a beautiful publication! This pizza comes from the Summer 2012 edition of the magazine.

Here’s what you need:

Your favorite pizza dough 

2 medium zucchini – one green, one yellow

16 oz tofu

Salt, pepper

3 T toasted pine nuts

¼ + 2 T Tofutti Cream Cheese

2-3 T olive oil

Here’s what you do:

Slice your veg super thin. Set aside. Make the cheese by blending the tofu, seasonings, pine nuts and cream cheese in a blender or food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil till smooth and beautiful. Spread the white cheese over the pizza dough in a very thin layer. Keep it thin or your dough will be soggy. I think there is plenty for three or four pizzas. Place the zucchinis in a pretty pattern over the white cheese and bake! You could sprinkle salt and pepper and herbs over the zucchini too. (450 degrees for 10 minutes….it really depends on how thick your pizza dough is.We like ours very, very thin.) EXCELLENT! 

(printable recipe)

Spice Rack Challenge : Basil

Chapter One:

Search around for a great way to use basil – of course it must be paired with other summer essentials: tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant.

Chapter Two:

Settle on Cornmeal-Crusted Roasted Ratatouille Tart…… directly from Food Network website and Ellie Krieger (one of my favorite TV personalities)

Chapter Three:

Go to the garden and see that there are only TWO basil plants this year…… spend some time wondering how that happened. Not enough for homemade pesto, sigh……. Will I have to purchase basil?? Horrors…..Is there still time to plant more? 

Chapter Three and a half:
Looking for a super way to use tons of basil? click here for my pesto recipe.

Chapter Four:

Make a trip to the health food store for corn meal.

Chapter Five:

Gather the simple ingredients and study the recipe. (Ellie Krieger’s recipes sometimes have way too many steps, but they are always worth the effort.)

 Chapter Six:

Make the crust.

Chapter Seven:

Bake with foil and beans.

Chapter Eight:

Bake longer without the foil and beans.

Chapter Nine:

Sautee shallots.

Chapter Ten:

Thinly slice all the tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant. 

Chapter Eleven:

Slowly roast the veggies.

Chapter Twelve:

Allow everything to cool.

Chapter Thirteen:

Layer all the goodness - veggies, cheeses, basil– beautiful really…. 

Chapter Fourteen:

Bake and serve with couscous salad.

Review:

We absolutely loved the layered veggies in this tart, but did not enjoy the crust. It was too dry and ‘corny’ for our taste.  This recipe only calls for 2 T butter and 2 T oil in the crust, whereas in other crusts there in an entire stick of butter and sometimes even more fat (cheese, or whatever.) So, if you’re looking to curb calories, this crust is fine. If you’re looking for a flaky bite, search for a different crust. If you want a delicious combination of roasted veggies, look no further.

  

Epilogue:

When the recipe says use 1/3 of an eggplant and a medium zucchini, you are left with these sad leftovers….. what to do? Roast them and put them on a pizza?

One Year Ago:
Oatmeal Bread - I make this all the time
Tomato Appetizer Pie - a summer classic

(printable recipe can be found here)