Squash and Israeli Couscous Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

Last Sunday, Austin and I had attended a pre-Independence celebration at one of his coworker's houses on Lake Gaston. About an hour before we were supposed to leave, we still hadn't made anything and our fridge was looking pretty barren. 'Twas make-it-work time. In less than half an hour I took all the veggies we had left, some basil, and a few pantry items, threw them together and voilá, a couscous salad emerged. We both tried it and deemed potluck worthy, but I wasn't sure how well it would go over with the burger-loving guests. 

The other vegetarian party goers totally approved of the salad, which I had kind of expected. After all, they probably thought they'd be the only ones bringing plant-based food. I was shocked though when another guest, who I'm pretty sure isn't big into salads or couscous, started raving about the salad. He became my salad's PR rep, making rounds and telling everyone "Hey, have you tried the couscous salad? You have to, man, it's delicious!!". It was hilarious and, of course, really flattering.

Sorry I didn't share this with you all in time for the 4th, but I hopefully you'll be able to come up with an excuse to make it soon.

Squash and Israeli Couscous Salad with Basil Vinaigrette 
Makes 6 servings

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat (or regular) Israeli couscous
• Scant 1 3/4 cups vegetable broth (you can use water in a pinch, but broth gives the couscous better flavor)
• 1 cup packed basil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 medium summer squash, spiralized into ribbons or cut into strips using a vegetable peeler
• 1 small zucchini, spiralized into ribbons or cut into strips using a vegetable peeler
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium red onion, quartered and thinly sliced (I just realized I have a pretty thick slice of onion in the picture. Oh well, do as I suggest, not as I do.)
  
• 1 15 oz / 425 g can great northern, canellini, or pinto beans
• Optional: Torn basil for garish

1.  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the couscous and cook, stirring occasionally, until it's toasted which should take 5-7 minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth or water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and cook for 6 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let rest covered for about 10 minutes. Whatever Israeli couscous you buy may need more or less liquid and its cooking time may vary from what I've indicated, so make sure you follow the instructions on the package.

2.  While the couscous is cooking, prep your veggies and make the dressing. In a mini food processor (or a regular one, if that's all you've got) combine the the remaining olive oil, basil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper and process until smooth. Combine the squash, zucchini, tomatoes, onion and beans in a large mixing or salad bowl. Fluff up the couscous with a fork and add it to the bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat evenly. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with torn basil if you'd like.

Morrocan Chickpeas and Zucchini

At the end of last week, while other food bloggers were busy listing their most Independence Day worthy recipes I let my blog go dark and skipped from barbecue to barbecue. Blogger fail. Sorry. Something blogworthy did come out of this weekend though: I made an amazing couscous salad I'll share with you later this week, so stay tuned.

The downside of attending several early celebrations is that by the time July 4th proper actually rolled around, Austin and I had eaten enough festive fare. We wanted anything but more grilled tempeh, cold salads and watermelon. It was also pouring like crazy in Durham, and that kind of weather always makes me want warm food, even if it's still in the 70s. So stew it was. I went with a Moskowitz creation and, as usual, it didn't disappoint. This stew packs some serious flavor, and takes under an hour to make (most of that time is inactive). We served it over Israeli couscous, seasoned with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. It was the perfect antidote to a weekend of not-so-perfect eating.

Morrocan Chickpeas and Zucchini
Adapted from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction
Makes 6 servings

• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated or minced ginger
• 1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cup vegetable broth
• 3 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise then chopped into 2 in / 5 cm pieces
• 2 zucchini, sliced into 1/4 in / 1/2 cm thick half moons
• 1 28 oz / 795 g whole tomatoes, roughly broken into pieces with your hands
• 2 15 oz / 425 g cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Optional: 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1.  In a medium to large pot or deep pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, or about 5 minutes. Toss in the garlic, ginger and red pepper, cooking for another 2 minutes. Mix in the rest of the spices and the salt and cook for about a minute.

2.  Pour in the vegetable broth and add the carrots. Cover the pot and bring the stew to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the zucchini and the broken up tomatoes with their juice. Cover the pot again, and gently boil for 15 more minutes. Mix in the chickpeas, partially cover the pot and cook for another 10 minutes. If using the mint, stir it in right before removing the pot from the heat. Serve hot over couscous or rice.

Black Pepper Tempeh

I already gushed about how much I love Heidi Swanson's blog, 101 Cookbooks, and her new book, Super Natural Every Day, in this post so I'll spare you an encore. I will say that this though -- this recipe is every bit as great the mushroom, asparagus and tempeh sauté I wrote about a couple weeks ago. Actually, it may even be better.

Even though it's a quick, one-pan meal, it doesn't sacrifice healthfulness or flavor. The soy sauce and maple syrup provide the perfect --in my opinion-- balance of sweet and savory. The garlic (and there's a lot of it; garlic lovers rejoice!) and onions are a tad sweet and very tender, thanks to the slow cooking process. The cauliflower provides nice texture, adds some veggies to the mix and it serves as a perfect vessel for the sauce. Now, I'm usually not a huge cauliflower fan (unless it's mashed up with potatoes) but cooked this way I could eat it by the pound. The star of the dish is, of course, the tempeh. Nicely soaked in sauce, slightly caramelized, and a tad spicy, it's a such a tasty way to get your protein.

We've already made this twice and I'm sure it's going to become a staple, especially since Austin loved it too. We paired it with some delicious sweet corn from the farm (almost as good as New England corn, shocking!) and had ourselves a perfect summer meal.

What quick summer meals are you enjoying these days?

Black Pepper Tempeh
Adapted from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day
Makes 3-4 servings

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 15 (no, that's not a typo) garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or cane sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 8 oz / 225 g tempeh, cut into pencil-thickness strips, then again into bite size pieces
• 1/2 medium head cauliflower, finely chopped 
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Optional: 2 loosely packed cups arugula

1.  In a large pan over low heat, combine the oil, onions, red pepper, garlic and ginger. Cook slowly until the garlic has cooked through, which should take about 15-20 minutes. While the garlic is cooking, mix the soy sauce, maple syrup or sugar and water in a small bowl.

2.  Once the garlic is cooked through, raise the heat to medium-high and add the tempeh. Cook for about 3 minutes, making sure the other ingredients don't burn, then add the soy sauce mixture. Cover the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the cauliflower, cover again and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the tempeh and cauliflower start to brown, which should take another 3-5 minutes or so. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the black pepper. Serve immediately, on a bed of arugula if you'd like.

Low(er) Fat Three Bean and Potato Salad

There's a very simple reason why I have a tag just for potatoes: I love 'em. In the summer, especially in blazing hot NC, my favorite way to eat them is in a salad. About a month ago, I shared a variation of my go-to potato salad recipe (and another chapter of the anti-mayo chronicles). The salad is delicious, in no small part thanks to 1/3 cup of olive oil, or 1 1/4 tablespoon per each serving. I don't know about you, but that's honestly not enough fat to make me think twice. That's why I hadn't considered making a leaner dressing until about a week ago, when I came across a recipe on Fat Free Vegan Kitchen for a (not surprisingly) fat free potato salad. I thought I'd give it try because, after all, it is bikini season.

My version of the salad does have some oil (couldn't part with all of it, sorry!), but only 3 tablespoons, or 1/2 tablespoons per serving. That's less than half of the fat in the potato salad I mentioned earlier. So, what's the secret? How does one make a creamy dressing without the extra oil? Blended potatoes! When combined with a bit of oil, vinegar, some herbs, garlic, salt and spices they form a thick and tasty dressing. Is Susan Voisin a food magician or what? Using a potato-based dressing will obviously yield a lighter salad, but I'd say one that's just as enjoyable.

Low(er) Fat Three Bean and Potato Salad
Makes 6 servings
Adapted from Susan Voisin's Potato-Green Bean Salad

• 1 3/4 lbs / 795 g new red potatoes (another variety will work too), scrubbed and cut into bite size pieces
• 1 lb / 455 g green beans, ends trimmed and washed
• 1 15 oz / 425 g can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15 oz / 425 g can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced small
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 5 tablespoons apple cider (or other) vinegar
• 1 teaspoon miso
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 heaping tablespoon parsley

1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously and add the potatoes. Cook them for about 8-13 minutes or until a little under done. Add in the green beans and continue to cook for another 3 or so minutes. Drain the potatoes and the green beans by pouring the contents of the pot into a colander. Quickly rinse the vegetables in cold water and then plunge the colander into a big bowl filled with ice and water; this will stop the cooking process. Once the potatoes and green beans are cool, pull them out of the ice bath and let them drain.

2.  Combine the garbanzo and kidney beans, bell pepper, celery and onion in a large bowl. Add the potatoes and green beans. Take about 1/2 cup of potatoes and toss them in a small food processor along with the olive oil, garlic, vinegar, miso, salt, pepper and parsley. Process until smooth. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Take a few test bites and adjust the dressing to your taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Vegan Baked Chiles Rellenos (Stuffed Peppers)

How many green bell peppers or poblanos can you and your family go through in a week? Well, call me uninventive, but I think it's pretty hard to work more than a few of them into week's worth of meals without thinking "Enough!!". How did I find myself with a surplus of peppers, wondering such things?  My CSA, of course. One of the reasons I like being a part of it is that it challenges me think of new ways to prepare both strange and familiar vegetables, sometimes en masse. Case in point -- these chiles rellenos.

Ok, so I cheated. Again. In several ways. These stuffed peppers aren't battered and deep fried, like the real deal, nor did I serve them with a sauce (although you certainly could). Also, they're labeled "Mexican" not because they're authentic, but because of the concept and flavors they were inspired by. Lastly, they were supposed to have a cheese-like topping made with silken tofu but Whole Foods didn't have any (surprising, I know). They did, however, have Daiya -- a tapioca and arrowroot flour-based vegan cheese substitute (delicious sounding, huh?) -- in the same case as the tofu. Yes, Daiya is an ultra-processed fankenfood and therefore totally against the "For Real" part of this blog. It did taste suspiciously like the real deal though, and melted as promised, but I still won't be buying it regularly. So now that you've read all these caveats, I present to you these bastardized chiles rellenos. Enjoy!

Oh, and if you have any other ideas for how to get rid of tons of green peppers, please send them my way.   

Vegan Baked Chiles Rellenos (Stuffed Peppers)
Makes 2-3 servings

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small tomatillo or red tomato, diced
• 1 15 oz / 425 g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 chipotles in adobo sauce (you can find them canned in most Hispanic foods sections), seeded if you don't like heat
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons of your favorite salsa (I used Herdez's Salsa Casera)
• 3/4 cup cheddar style Daiya or other cheese substitute
• 4 smallish green bell or medium-large poblano peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded and deveined
• 1/4 cup panko (or conventional) breadcrumbs
• Optional: 1/8-1/4 teaspoon dried chipotle or cayenne pepper, a few leaves of cilantro for garnish

1.  Preheat your oven to 375 F / 190 C. In a medium pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Toss in the onions and let them soften for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another couple minutes. Stir in the tomatillo or tomato and cook until it starts to release some of its liquid, which should take 4 minutes or so. Add the garbanzos, chipotle, spices and salt, and cook until the garbanzos are warmed through. Using a potato masher or a fork, mash the garbanzos until you're left with mostly quarter and half beans. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the salsa and 1/2 cup of Daiya.

2.  Stuff each pepper with 1/8 of the garbanzo mixture and place it cut side up on a foil lined or greased baking sheet.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of Daiya and the breadcrumbs on top of the peppers. Bake in the top third of your oven for 20-25 minutes or until the peppers have softened and the tops have browned. 

Vegan Moussaka

Last week I had a serious craving for moussaka, one that needed to be satisfied immediately. While I've had the dish several times I'd never made it before so, full of hope, I consulted one of my first and favorite vegan cookbooks -- Veganomicon. For me, Veganomicon is to food what Zara is to clothing, a resource I can count on to never disappoint. Sure enough, I found a vegan moussaka recipe, one that promised deliciousness no less. And deliciousness is exactly what it delivered.

If you love eggplant, zucchini and potatoes as much as I do you absolutely have to (I put that in italics, people, which I save only for special occasions) give this moussaka a try. The preparation is a bit laborious (bear with me) but please don't be instantly put off. I promise it's not as bad as it initially seems if you make some components of the dish while others are cooking largely unattended. Also, I know the idea of having the oven on for over an hour at this time of year makes some of you break out in hives, but just trust that this is worth cranking up the AC for or just wiping the sweat of your brow.

Vegan Moussaka with Macadamia Nut Cream
Adapted from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terri Hope Romero's Veganomicon
Makes about 6 servings

Vegetable Layers 

• 1 lb / 455 g eggplant
• 1 lb / 455 g zucchini
• 1 3/4 lbs / 795 g russet potatoes (another variety will do too)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Tomato Sauce

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth or red wine
• 1 28 oz / 795 g can diced or crushed tomatoes and their juice
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Macadamia Nut Cream

• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, preferably soaked for at least 8 hours (the original recipe called for pine nuts, which are much more expensive, but you can use those, without soaking, if you'd like)
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lb / 455 g lite silken tofu (regular silken tofu is fine)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 F / 205 C. Either wash and scrub your eggplant, zucchini and potatoes or peel them (I decided to leave the skins on). Cut the vegetables lengthwise into 1/4 inch / 3/4 cm slices. Place each vegetable on a separate baking sheet with as little overlap as possible, drizzle them with the olive oil and sprinkle them with the salt. Bake the eggplant and the zucchini for 15 minutes or until tender, and the potatoes for 20 minutes or until brown around the edges. If you don't have three baking sheets, or three racks in your oven (I have two of each) bake the vegetables in batches. I baked the zucchini and the eggplant first, then the potatoes. Once the zucchini are cool enough to handle, grab a bunch of slices and gently squeeze out as much of their moisture as possible. This will prevent your moussaka from being too watery.

2.  While the vegetables are roasting, make your sauce. Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots, sautéing for about 4-5 minutes or until the shallots are tender and the garlic is fragrant. Pour in the vegetable broth or wine and cook until reduced by about half, which should take about another 5-7 minutes. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer partially covered for about 10 minutes. Take the cover off and simmer for another 5 minutes.

3.  While your sauce is cooking, make the macadamia nut cream. Toss the macadamia nuts and the lemon juice into the food processor and pulse repeatedly, scrapping down the edges if necessary, until pulverized. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until completely smooth.

4.  To assemble the casserole, first place about 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch / 23 by 33 cm pan. Arrange a layer of eggplant on top of the sauce, then a layer of potatoes, followed by a layer sauce and half of the breadcrumbs. Place all the zucchini on top of the breadcrumbs in a single layer and follow with single layers of eggplant, potatoes, sauce and bread crumbs. Pour the macadamia nut cream on top of the moussaka and smooth it out using a spatula. Bake the casserole in for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top starts to brown and crack. Let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing. 

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (Salsa Verde)

I became somewhat obsessed with tomatillo salsa my junior year in college. I'd never had such green, tangy, spicy delicious stuff until then, and I definitely wasn't going to go without it while back in Spain for the summer. My mother and I scoured my home town in search of tomatillos, the green tomatoes with sticky husks that are the base for the salsa. Not even my mother's veggie and fruit guy, Luis, could get them for us. That's when we resorted to El Corte Inglés, because as my friend Ana says "Lo que no tenga El Corte Inglés no existe en España" ("If El Corte Inglés doesn't have it, it doesn't exist in Spain").

Well, El Corte Inglés might sell everything from houses to toothpaste, as well as most specialty groceries but it didn't have tomatillos. I realized the difficulty we had finding these suckers was probably the reason I hadn't tried green salsa until I moved to the US. So with a heavy heart and a pouty face I prepared myself for a salsa verde-less summer; red salsa would have to cut it. Fortunately, if you live in the US you will probably be able to find these funny looking nightshades in almost any well-stocked supermarket. If you live elsewhere, you may have to go on a scavenger hunt, which will hopefully have a happier ending than mine. Once you have a big bowl of homemade salsa in front of you, though, I promise whatever tomatillo-finding expedition you went on will seem worthwhile

I got my tomatillos in my weekly CSA box: it doesn't get much easier than that. Instead of boiling them, I stuck them under the broiler, along with some jalapeños and garlic, until they were charred, for a salsa with more depth of flavor. After blending it all together, and stirring in a few more ingredients I had a lot of salsa. So I did the only reasonable thing- I ate lots of it. I put tons on my black bean tacos, served it to my girlfriends with some tortilla chips, spooned some into a wrap... You get the point. In spite of my best salsa-eating efforts, I still have some left in the fridge but I can guarantee it won't survive the weekend.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (Salsa Verde)
Makes about 2 1/2 to 3 cups

• 2 lbs / 910 g tomatillos, husks removed, washed, dried and halved
• 2-3 jalapeños, seeded if you'd like
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 small red onion, diced small
• 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro, finely chopped
• Optional: 1 small avocado, diced

1. Preheat your broiler, with your oven tray set about 4 inches or so away from it. On a greased sheet pan, arrange the tomatillos (cut side down), the jalapeños and the garlic. Drizzle with the olive oil and rub it in to make sure it coats all the ingredients. Place under the broiler until partially charred, or about 5-7 minutes. Flip everything with a spatula and broil the other side for about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Place the jalapeños in a bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Alternatively, place them in a paper bag and close it tightly. This will steam the charred skins off and make the jalapeños easier to peel. Once they're cool enough to handle, peel the jalapeños and the garlic cloves. You don't have to completely peel the tomatillos, just do your best to remove the blackened parts of the skin.

2. Place the tomatillos, jalapeños, garlic, lemon juice and salt in your food processor or blender and whiz until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the onion and the cilantro. If you'd also like to add avocado, I'd recommend doing so right before you're about to serve the salsa, to prevent it from getting mushy. Serve chilled or at room temperature over tostadas, black bean tacos, or with your favorite chips.