Vegan Yum Yum (24 page)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Glazed Green Bean Salad

T
his easy green bean salad is the perfect summer side dish. It keeps well, so feel free to make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge. It's perfect for picnics too!

Glazed Green Bean Salad

Makes 4 servings as a side dish

step 1
Trim green beans to 2 inches (I like to trim them on an angle to dress up the salad a bit). Steam
gently
until tender-crisp, just a few minutes, then fully submerge in ice-cold water to stop the cooking process. Dry well and set aside in a large bowl.

step 2
To make the glaze, mix the cooking sherry, tamari, maple syrup, and cornstarch together until the cornstarch is dissolved. Place the glaze in a small saucepan and whisk constantly over high heat until the sauce turns clear and thickens. (This happens fast, so be on your toes.) Remove the sauce using a rubber spatula, pouring it onto the beans, getting every single bit of sauce out of the pot.

step 3
Place the pine nuts in a dry sauté pan over medium heat. Toast the nuts until golden brown, being careful not to burn them! You'll see the nuts turn slightly shiny just before they start to brown. Remove the toasted nuts from the pan and place into a mortar and pestle or food processor to crush them. (If you don't have a mortar and pestle or food processor, you could put them into a bag and crush them with a rolling pin or skillet.)

step 4
Toss the glazed beans with the crushed nuts. Grate fresh black pepper over the top, to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.

Ingredients

1 pound fresh green beans
(thinner “haricot verts” are preferred)

1 tablespoon cooking sherry
(white wine would work, too)

1 tablespoon tamari

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon cornstarch

cup pine nuts

Black pepper, to taste

Grilled Pear, Walnut, and Cabbage Salad

W
ho says cabbage can't be fancy? This elegant salad is perfect for entertaining. The grilled pear and the sweet dressing are set off by salty-sweet walnuts that play the part of croutons in this salad. All of the flavors work really well together and nothing overwhelms. Some black mission figs would be a great addition, if they are in season.

The walnuts, dressing, and cabbage can be prepared ahead of time. Dress the cabbage an hour or so before serving and refrigerate. The dressing does double duty here as a grill sauce for the pears. If you make the pears last minute, you can serve them slightly warm and still fragrant from the grill.

Grilled Pear, Walnut, and Cabbage Salad

Makes 4 large plate servings or 8 starter plates

step 1
Put the walnuts and margarine into a nonstick skillet. Cook on medium, tossing the walnuts until they are coated in the margarine. (You should have just enough to make them shiny, but you shouldn't see any pools of oil.) Add the soy and sugar sauce to the pan and be ready to mix like crazy. Now, mix like crazy! The soy sauce should bubble up and coat the walnuts. Turn off the heat and let the walnuts cool on parchment paper or a slightly oiled surface (so they won't stick).

step 2
To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, brown sugar, salt, soy sauce, and black pepper in a small bowl until completely combined, making sure the salt and sugar have dissolved. Slowly drizzle in the ¼ cup of peanut oil while whisking vigorously. Set aside.

step 3
Quarter the cabbage. Remove the outer leaves and cores. Shred into thin strips and dress with just enough dressing to coat, 4 to 6 tablespoons. Add poppy seeds, mix, and refrigerate.

step 4
Heat the grill. Halve the pear. Using a melon baller or a ½-teaspoon measure, carve out a neat ball, removing any seeds. Cut each piece in half again (4 pieces) and in half again (8 pieces). Use one of the seed balls to test the heat of the grill: dip it in the dressing and press it down on the grill; if it has grill marks after about a minute, the grill is ready.

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts

½ teaspoon Earth Balance margarine

1 teaspoon soy sauce

teaspoon sugar

1 recipe Lemon and Brown Sugar Dressing
(see below)

1 head green cabbage
(the round, pale green variety)

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 Bosc pear, firmly ripe

8 black mission figs, quartered
(if in season)

Lemon Brown Sugar Dressing

Makes scant ½ cup

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

¼ cup peanut oil

step 5
Gently toss the pears in the leftover dressing and grill. Place them at a 45-degree angle and grill for 1 minute; then turn them 90 degrees and grill for one more minute to get a crosshatch. Grill on the other side in the same manner and remove the pears to a plate.

step 6
Plate them by laying down a bed of cabbage. Lay the pears (and the figs, if you're using them) over that and sprinkle with the walnuts. Serve.

Pea Tendril and Daikon Noodle Salad

I
love this recipe because it looks super fancy, but it's super easy. I realize pea tendrils are seasonal and hard to find, so you can use any delicate, small-leaved salad green. I've given some suggestions in the recipe, but use whatever you find or that inspires you. Pea tendrils are particularly nice, though; look for them in early June. I recommend you serve this salad with chopsticks if you have them. They make the salad easy and fun to eat, and it plays well with the Asianthemed ingredients.

Pea Tendril and Daikon Noodle Salad

Makes 4 servings

step 1
Make the dressing by whisking together the soy sauce, soy milk, sesame oil, agave nectar, vinegar, ginger, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Then slowly drizzle in the canola or peanut oil while whisking vigorously, until emulsified. You can do this in a running blender or food processor if you prefer. Chill until ready to use.

step 2
Using a regular vegetable peeler, shave off long “noodles” from the daikon radishes. Turn the daikons while shaving to get fairly consistent widths; if you stay in the same place for too long your noodles will get wider and wider!

step 3
Toss the noodles gently with the pea tendrils or chosen greens, then pile high on the serving plates. Arrange if desired, and add more greens on top if needed. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately!

Ingredients

Sesame Soy Dressing

Makes approximately
cup