150 Vegan Favorites (7 page)

In a mixing bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, horseradish, mustard, dill, pepper, and salt. Add the beets, potatoes, celery, onion, and sunflower seeds and blend. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Penne has a narrow, tubular shape and makes an excellent choice for a tossed pasta salad. Similar-shaped ziti can also be used.

Yield: 4 servings

In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta, stir, and return to a boil. Cook over medium heat until al dente, 9 to 11 minutes. Drain in a colander and cool under cold running water.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, mustard, parsley, garlic, oregano, and pepper. Add the pasta, tomatoes, scallions, chick-peas, and artichokes and blend. Refrigerate the salad for about 1 hour before serving.

Bow-tie pasta (also called farfalle) is jazzed up with a dressing of balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs, and garden vegetables.

Yield: 6 servings

In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta, stir, and return to a boil. Cook over medium heat until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta in a colander and cool under cold running water.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, herb mixture, oregano, pepper, and salt. Add the cooked pasta, tomatoes, scallions, bell pepper, spinach, and chick-peas and blend. Refrigerate the salad for about 1 hour before serving.

This Middle Eastern favorite should be part of every vegan’s culinary repertoire. It can also be served as a stuffing for pita bread.

Yield: 4 servings

In a medium saucepan, combine the bulgur and water and cover. Let stand until the bulgur absorbs all of the water, about 20 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine the bulgur with the scallions, parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, lemon juice, oil, pepper, and salt and toss thoroughly. Chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.

Serve the salad over a bed of leafy greens.

Braising—the method of cooking ingredients in a small amount of liquid—is one of the easiest ways to prepare dark leafy greens. Serve this as a warm salad or side dish.

Yield: 4 servings

Place the greens in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Remove the stems and coarsely chop the leaves.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the greens, lemon juice, pepper, and salt and cook over medium-low heat until the greens are wilted, about 5 minutes.

Using tongs, transfer the greens to a shallow serving platter. Sprinkle the seeds over the top and serve.

Beans and greens are a dynamic duo. For this Italian dish, a mild green such as escarole is commonly used, but feel free to use almost any leafy green vegetable. Serve it as a warm salad or side dish.

Yield: 4 servings

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the escarole, wine, sage, salt, and red pepper flakes and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the greens are wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans and basil and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat and serve.

Remove the fibrous stems from the kale and discard. Rinse the greens in a colander and coarsely chop the leaves.

In a large, wide skillet, heat the oil and wine over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 6 minutes. Stir in the kale and pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the greens are wilted, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to serving plates and serve.

T
he goals of a table condiment or sauce are to embellish, adorn, heighten, and enhance. Sometimes, a meal needs to be perked up or the palate craves a contrasting flavor or texture. This is the perfect time for a table sauce, such as a spicy salsa, tart chutney, or perhaps a bowl of pureed black beans. The main pillars of the vegan diet—pasta, rice, grains, and potatoes—are infinitely more interesting when paired with the proper sauce or topping. There is never a dull moment at the table when an appetizing sauce, dip, or dressing is part of the menu.

This chapter features a variety of enticing sauces, accompaniments, and dips. From Kiwi Vinaigrette, Black Bean Sofrito, and Marinara Magnifico to Jay’s Tempting Salsa, Roasted Chili Hummus, and Papaya Guacamole, these condiments and sauces
promise to electrify the palate and coax out the meal’s optimal flavors. In addition, homemade sauces, dressings, and dips contributing negligible calories and fat are far healthier than traditional sauces or condiments such as hollandaise, mayonnaise, sour cream dips, or sugar-coated offerings stocked in grocery stores.

Whether spooned over the top, drizzled from above, or served on the side, these recipes promise a bounty of appealing tastes and pleasing textures. Whatever the occasion or mood, when in doubt, sauce it!

Kiwifruits have a savory-sweet flavor and a soft texture and are loaded with vitamin C and other nutrients. Here, the small oval fruits are pureed into a delectable creamy dressing.

Yield: 2 cups (about 12 servings)

Place the kiwi, vinegar, oil, honey, pepper, and salt in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until smooth and creamy, 5 to 10 seconds.

Pour into a serving container and serve at once or refrigerate for later.

This versatile vinaigrette can be drizzled over tossed salads, tossed with pasta, potatoes, or rice (in place of mayonnaise), or lightly spooned over steamed vegetables.

Yield: About ⅔ cup (4 to 6 servings)

Combine the oil, vinegars, mustard, honey, dried herb mixture, pepper, salt, and fresh herbs in a mixing bowl or jar and whisk thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

This fruity dressing adds a taste of the tropics to the salad venue. The riper the fruit, the sweeter the dressing.

  Yield: About 2 cups (12 to 14 servings)

Place the mango, papaya, oil, vinegar, honey, pepper, and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade or in a blender and process until smooth, 5 to 10 seconds.

Pour into a serving container. To serve, drizzle the dressing over tossed green salads. Refrigerate the remaining dressing for later.

Roasted chili peppers transform your basic hummus into an exciting dip or spread. Hummus also makes a tasty sandwich spread.

Yield: 2 cups

Roast the chilies by placing them over an open flame or beneath an oven broiler until the outside skins are charred and puffy, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the chilies from the heat and let cool for a few minutes. With a butter knife, scrape the charred skin from the flesh and discard. Remove the seeds and chop the flesh.

Drain the chick-peas, reserving about ¼ cup of the canned liquid. Add the roasted chilies, chick-peas and reserved liquid, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, cumin, cayenne, and salt to a food processor fitted with a steel blade or to a blender and process until smooth, about 10 seconds. Stop to scrape the sides with a spatula at least once.

Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl and serve with warm pita bread and/or raw vegetables.