Grilled Eggplant and Mango Noodle Salad with a Sweet Chili Dressing

It looks as though the heatwave here has finally passed.  Last weekend it was over 100 in my part of town, when it's barely topped 85 all summer.   The desire to cook and to eat both take a hit when it's so hot, but this salad from taste space looked so interesting, refreshing, delicious, and just pretty, I knew I had to try it.  But my neighborhood supermarket, although it has phenomenal produce, bulk goods, and strange imported pickled things, is not the best place to buy tofu.  Nor have they had asparagus for months.  By substituting chickpeas for tofu (inspired by yet another asparagus-fruit recipe), green beans for asparagus, and regular noodles for spiralized zucchini, we were able to make this awesome salad without making a more involved grocery run.

I chose to make this noodle salad and a chilled carrot soup because they were cold and refreshing.  I didn't think about how much heat I'd have to use to create said refreshingness!  Although in the original version Janet grilled the veggies outside, I don't have that option, and roasting in the oven really heated up my apartment.

The finished product, though, was delicious: chewy, salty eggplant and green beans; buttery tangy mango; crisp onions; aromatic basil and cilantro; and zingy vinegar and chili.  The overall product was ever so slightly too vinegary for my tastes, but I also didn't use quite enough noodles.  Anyway, I will definitely make a salad like this again--it would be easy to improvise some fun variations.

Grilled Eggplant and Mango Noodle Salad with a Sweet Chili Dressing

(adapted from taste space)

Instructions

1/6-1/4 c rice vinegar

1 TB agave or honey (omitted, partly because I had pre-seasoned rice vinegar)

1/4 tsp salt (omitted, partly because I had pre-seasoned rice vinegar)

1 clove garlic, pressed or minced

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

zest and juice from 1 lime

1 1/2 c chickpeas

1 TB soy sauce

1 TB toasted sesame oil

3/4 lb Asian eggplant (around 2), sliced lengthwise into 1.5-cm strips

3/4 lb green beans, trimmed

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced or diced, soaked in water for at least 10 minutes, then drained

1 large or 2 small mangoes, cubed

large bunch basil, chopped

small bunch cilantro, chopped

8 oz soba noodles, cooked

Instructions

1. Combine the rice vinegar, agave, salt, garlic, chili flakes, toasted sesame oil, lime zest and juice. Stir and set aside.
2. Marinate your chickpeas with the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil for 5 minutes or so.
3. If you had big eggplants, definitely salt your eggplant for 30 minutes or so. The smaller Asian ones don’t need it. If salting, after salting, rinse off the salt and drain off excess water. Drizzle with a bit of oil and spread out on an oiled baking sheet.  Toss the green beans with a bit of oil, salt and pepper and spread them out on a second baking sheet.
4. Roast both the eggplant and the green beans in the oven at 375.  For me the eggplant took longer: about 30 minutes, flipping midway, and broiling at the very end.  Remove the eggplant when soft and slightly golden; remove the beans when bright green and starting to blister.  Chop the eggplant into chunks when slightly cooled.
5. To assemble the salad, toss together the noodles, chickpeas, grilled eggplant and green beans, onion, mango, basil, cilantro and the dressing.  Serves 4-6.

11-Spice Lentil Salad with Capers and Dates

When Janet described this as "The Best Lentil Salad, Ever. For Sure. Make. This. Now.", I sort of had to take her seriously.  And the lineup of flavors sounded really cool: 

This recipe not only uses a combo of cumin/coriander/turmeric with cardamom/cinnamon/cloves/nutmeg; it does a similar curve ball with the pairing of dried fruit (I used dates) and capers/vinegar.  It's basically a party in your mouth.

I didn't change much, but I did use plain ol' brown lentils instead of du Puy--they don't retain their form quite as well as those fancy French ones, but as long as you are careful to watch for overcooking, they worked just fine.  I also skipped the Aleppo pepper and used cayenne.

11-Spice Lentil Salad with Capers and Dates

from taste space)

Ingredients

2.25 c (1 lb) French du Puy or brown lentils

1 medium red onion, finely diced and soaked in water for at least 5 minutes

1 c dried currants (or other dried fruit--I used chopped dates)

1/3 c capers, chopped if large

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

1 TB maple syrup

1 TB strong mustard

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp cayenne (or less)

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Rinse lentils well and drain. Place in a pot and cover with a 3-4 inches of water, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Check lentils for doneness after 15 minutes, but they should take about 20-25 minutes in total. You will know they are cooked if they still retain a slight tooth – al dente! Overcooking the lentils is the death of this dish. Be careful!
2. While the lentils are simmering, make the dressing by placing all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine.
3. Finely dice red onion – the salad is best if all the ingredients are about the same size. If using raisins, chop them roughly to make them a bit smaller, and do the same with the capers if they are large.
4. When the lentils are cooked, remove from heat, drain and place under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Once cooled slightly but still a little warm, place lentils in a large serving bowl and toss with dressing. Add drained onion, capers, and currants. Chill until serving, marinading at least overnight for the flavours to meld.
Serves 8.

Caprese Salad

Hearkening back to the time of the experimental fruit salads of last summer... I was like, I have tomatoes.  I have basil.  Let's make this work.

Fried tofu stands in here for the traditional caprese's mozzarella.  It's then jazzed up with lemon juice, scallions, red sea salt (a special house-sitting find!), and one last drizzle of olive oil.

Tofu Caprese Salad

Ingredients

oil

tofu, pressed and cut into little pieces

*

tomatoes (cherry or otherwise), cut into bite-sized pieces

salt (I used this red sea salt)

lemon juice

olive oil

basil, chiffonade cut

scallions, minced

Instructions

1. Fry tofu pieces until golden brown. Set aside.
2. Combine tofu with remaining ingredients.  Adjust to taste, and place in fridge, allowing flavors to mix before serving.

Pomegranate-Apple Chutney/Salad

I made this dish to go with the red lentil fritters I recently posted about. I wanted something that would balance out the fritters' textural heaviness, and tasteural umaminess. This recipe was bright-tasting and crunchy, not too sweet. I liked it, but it wasn't really a chutney so much as a weird little fruit salad.

I guess it's too late in the year for pomegranates, because I couldn't find them anywhere, and in LA, that's really saying something.  TJ's did have this packaged kind... for almost $5!!  Give me a break.  No way was I buying two of those, so pomegranate chutney became pomegranate-apple chutney... which made it even less of a chutney.

In addition to subbing in some peeled and diced apple, I also skipped the honey in the original recipe (it's fruit--how much sweeter does it need to be?!), and added a little cinnamon and cumin for interest.  The salt and the olive oil also make it pair well with savory dishes.

 Pomegranate-Apple Chutney/Salad

(from mideastfood.about.com)

Ingredients

seeds of 1 pomegranate

1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced

1 tsp lemon zest

1 TB olive oil

1 1/2 TB orange juice

dash of salt

Instructions

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours prior to serving.  Serves about 4.

Moroccan Carrot Salad, Take Two

How the hell do you spell Moroccan?  The question of whether to double your consonants or not becomes doubly tricky with the addition of "carrot" to Moroccan ... since in French it's "carotte."  What a mess.  As if British spellings weren't enough to mess up one's spelling.

When Helen sent me the link to this carrot salad in the LA Times, I was a bit like, ho hum, I've already made a Moroccan carrot salad, and it had harissa in it.  But this new one was WAY better!  Sauteeing the garlic, onions, and spices evened out the flavors.  Also, lightly cooked, larger chunks of carrot had a more pleasant texture than raw grated carrot.  Overall, this was a delicious, balanced dish: lemon, vinegar, chili, and cayenne all add zing, while sugar and cloves, ginger, cinnamon, etc. add warmth.  And of course, cilantro's off doing its own thing.  :)

I made a half recipe and it easily served three.

Spicy Moroccan Carrot Salad

(from the LA times)

Ingredients

2 pounds carrots

1/3 c olive oil, plus extra to finish

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tsp sugar

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 serrano chile, finely chopped (and seeded, if you want less heat)

1 green onion, finely chopped

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground coriander

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 TB white red wine vinegar

1 TB chopped preserved lemon lemon juice

salt, to taste

2 1/2 c cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, plus extra to garnish

1/2 cup Greek yogurt, chilled

Instructions

1. Peel the carrots and cut them, depending on their size, into cylinders or semicircles one-half-inch thick; all the pieces should end up roughly the same size. Place in a large saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until tender but still crunchy, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and leave to dry out.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the onion over medium heat until soft and slightly brown, about 12 minutes. Add the cooked carrots to the onion, followed by the sugar, garlic, chile, onion, cloves, ground ginger, coriander, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, and vinegar.
3. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and lemon juice, stir well and leave to cool.
4. Before serving, stir in the cilantro, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve in individual bowls with a dollop of yogurt, a drizzle of oil and a garnish of the extra cilantro.  Serves about 6.

Winter Tabouleh

I was so excited to make this recipe and finally buy some sumac, a spice I know only from its inclusion in za'atar.  But I didn't really like this recipe.  To be fair, I made it when I didn't have too much of an appetite to begin with, but even so... for one, I felt like there was far too much cabbage in relation to the chickpeas and the bulgur, and for two, the sumac was really overpowering.  I'd start with only a little bit and then add more if you want.  Sumac has a pungent, sour taste that's very unique.  I've posted an adapted recipe with these reactions in mind.

Winter Tabouleh

(adapted from taste of beirut)

Ingredients

1-2 c finely shredded cabbage

1/2 c bulgur

1-2 c chick peas

1/4 c green onions, chopped

*

1-3 cloves of garlic, pressed

1 tsp salt

juice of 1 lemon

1/3 c olive oil

1-3 tsp sumac

2 TB ground dried mint

*

1 avocado

Instructions

1. Cook the bulgur, then drain and mix in a large bowl with chickpeas and cabbage.
2. Mix together garlic, salt, lemon, oil, sumac, and mint.  Then mix this into the large bowl.  Serve with avocado slices.  Serves 3-4.

Warm Chickpea and Artichoke Salad

It was so time to get that photo of lentil loaf off the top of my blog!

Yet another recipe from the taste space here.  I made this chickpea salad for dinner last night for some friends.  I also made Robin Robertson's Turkish-Style Stuffed Eggplant with Walnut Sauce, and Amy brought a kale-tofu salad with dried cherries in it!  In each of these dishes, something sweet and/or acidic (lemon, artichoke, tomato, pomegranate, cherry) is balanced by something nutty (almonds, chickpeas, walnuts, tofu).  In this salad, the toasted almonds also add a really lovely contrasting texture.

The only actual change I made was accidental.  In picking up fresh basil at the store, I actually got something else which may or may not have been epazote (that's what my receipt said, but sometimes it also says I was born in 1911).  It tasted vaguely basil-like, though more bitter, so I just used it.  I also one clove of garlic rather than two.  I love garlic, but the raw stuff is so potent, and I think I might be slightly allergic to it.

And finally, I used artichoke hearts that didn't come from a jar.  I was never crazy about artichoke hearts until I had the marinated ones from the refrigerator case at Trader Joe's.  They are amazing, of a different class than anything shelf-stable you can find.  I once recently compared these artichoke hearts to God's testicles, which offended pretty much everyone I was talking to... but seriously.

Oh, and despite its name, this salad can certainly be eaten cold as well.

Warm Chickpea and Artichoke Salad

(from the taste space)

Ingredients

5 TB olive oil, divided

juice of 1 lemon

2 tsp dried basil, or 1-2 TB fresh, finely chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, pressed

1/4 tsp sea salt

*

2 cups cooked chickpeas

5 artichoke hearts, drained and sliced 

1/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds

Instructions

1. Toast almonds.  Set aside.
2. Combine ingredients up through sea salt.  Set aside.
3. Saute chickpeas til lightly browned (about 5 min).  Remove from frying pan.
4. Saute artichokes til lightly browned.  Then combine everything!  Serves about 3.

* 

By the way... I have heard that humans sometimes make meatloaf sandwiches, so I did the same thing with the lentil loaf.  But I wasn't sure if this delicacy was a ketchup-mustard or a mayo-mustard phenomenon.  I went ketchup, but I think the other would be better.

Beet and Pomegranate Salad

Strange.  I made three savory dishes for dinner on Thursday, and each of them had a different fruit in it: apples, orange and lemon, and here, two forms of pomegranate.

Cilantro... sesame oil and chili paste... pomegranate seeds and pomegranate molasses... Incongruous?  I wasn't sure about this recipe from vegalicious, but when it called for 4 beets and half a pomegranate--things I weirdly had on hand--it seemed like fate.  Following the lead of this bulgur pomegranate salad, I might have used fresh mint instead of cilantro, but cilantro was a more interesting choice, because it doesn't play along with the sweetness of the fruit, the pomolasses, and the beets nearly as much as mint would.  Instead, cilantro jives with the beets' earthiness.  And putting pomegranate seeds in anything makes the texture more fun.

A word of caution: I used 2 tsp of chili garlic paste, and it was rather hot!  I thought it was just right, but if you're not in the mood for spicy, you might want to reduce or omit the chili paste.

I killed two.. er, blocks of tofu with one stone by roasting the orange veggies for the Squash and Mushroom Pasta with Citrus at the same time as the beets.  Roasting beets took a long time, but the flavor is so much more intense than if you boil them, letting a good deal of their goodness seep out into the water.  Cooked like this, they're concentrated, sweet, slightly dirty in the best way.  The only bad thing about this is that you lose the trick of boiling with the skins on and then easily slipping those skins off later--roasting sort of welded the skins to the beets.  So, you might consider peeling the beets before roasting.

Beet and Pomegranate Salad

(from vegalicious)

Ingredients

3-4 medium beets, washed, peeled (if desired), and cut into bite-sized wedges

1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves

1 c pomegranate seeds

*

dressing:

1 TB pomegranate molasses

2 TB  lemon juice

1-2 tsp chili garlic paste

2 TB olive oil

1 TB toasted sesame oil

pinch salt

Instructions

1. Roast beets at 450* for 30-60 minutes, until firm but pokeable with a fork.  Then set aside and let cool.
2. Combine dressing ingredients.
3. Combine cooled beets with cilantro, pomegranate seeds, and dressing.  Serves about 3.

Apple, Lentil and Wild Rice Salad

My stepsister and her husband gave me Minnesota wild rice for Xmas, which was a really great gift.  This was the first thing I did with it.  I used 4 scallions instead of 2 shallots, and the onion flavor was a bit too much.  Otherwise, this is a simple, pretty salad that would be great to take to work for lunch because it's balanced, it tastes good cold, and it will probably get better after sitting in the fridge for a day or two.

Apple, Lentil, and Wild Rice Salad

(from taste space)

Ingredients

3/4 c wild rice

1 c green lentils, picked over and rinsed

2-4 scallions, chopped

1 apple, large dice

1 carrot, large dice

* 

dressing:

2 tsp ground cumin

1 garlic clove, minced

2 TB extra-virgin olive oil

2 TB balsamic vinegar

salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, to taste

Instructions

1. Cook wild rice and lentils separately according to instructions.  Drain if necessary and let cool.
2. Combine dressing ingredients.
3. Combine rice, lentils, remaining vegetables, and dressing, and allow to sit before serving.  Serves about 5.

Turkish Bulgur Pomegranate Salad

It's tabouleh gone wild!!!

Only very tangentially related: If this fusion restaurant's website could talk...

What a perfect recipe: balanced, high in fiber, higher still in deliciousness, inventive while still staying within the culinary realm of one part of the world.  This recipe from taste space was really lovely.  I omitted tomatoes because I didn't have any, and it was a little unclear to me whether the recipe called for 1 c cooked or uncooked bulgur--I went for uncooked, which meant that a greater proportion of the recipe was bulgur (especially in relation to the chickpeas), but when I added everything it seemed about right, and that's not even counting the tomatoes, if you use them.  The dressing was pretty strong, especially the sweet-tartness of the pomegranate molasses, so if you want a less intensely sweet flavor, you might want to cut back there, but I will definitely be making this again!  It's also perfect for taking to work as it's (again) delicious and complete unto itself.

Turkish Bulgur Pomegranate Salad

(from Taste Space)

Ingredients

1 c (that is, 1 c before cooking?) coarse bulgur, prepared according to package directions

1 c cooked chickpeas (i.e., about 1/4-1/3 c dry?)

2 c cherry tomatoes, about 1 pint, halved

1/2 c almonds, slivered and toasted

1/2 c pomegranate seeds (about 1/2 of a large pomegranate)

1/3 c chopped mint

zest from 1 lemon

1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste

*

2 TB (or less) pomegranate molasses

2 TB fresh lemon juice

2 TB olive oil

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

Combine everything through salt, toss well.  Combine remaining ingredients and add only just before serving.  Serves 4-5.

Roasted Squash Salad with Cilantro-Sunflower Seed Dressing

I am really loving the green sauces as of late.  This simple 'salad' consists only of grains, roasted onions and squash, and a really neat dressing made out of sunflower seeds and cilantro.

Because I had no wild rice, I used wheat berries instead.  I think the important thing there is to use a grain that has tons of texture to contrast with the soft squash.  I also topped the salad with the squash seeds I'd reserved and toasted.  Ok, I forgot this at dinner, but at least I remembered for the photo shoot the next morning...

The only other thing I'd note about this recipe is that it makes a TON of dressing.  I'm going to have to keep finding things to put it on... which reminds me: that Georgian Cilantro Sauce from last week was amazing on pasta, too.

Roasted Squash Salad with Cilantro-Sunflower Seed Dressing

(from 101cookbooks)

Ingredients

3 cups of pumpkin (or other winter squash), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes, seeds reserved

3 medium red onions peeled and quartered

extra-virgin olive oil

sea salt

 2 c cooked wheat berries

1/3 c sunflower seeds

1/3 c olive oil (I skimped on this a bit)

2 TB lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1 TB honey

2 TB warm water

1/2 c cilantro, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375*F.  Toss the pumpkin in a generous splash of olive oil along with a couple pinches of salt, and turn out onto a baking sheet. At the same time, toss the onions with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and turn out onto a separate baking sheet. Roast both for about 45 minutes, or until squash is brown and caramelized. The same goes for the onions, they should be deeply colored, caramelized, and soft throughout by the time they are done roasting. Flip about every 15 minutes.
2. In the meantime, make the dressing. With a hand blender or food processor puree the sunflower seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and honey until creamy. You may need to add a few tablespoons of warm water to thin the dressing a bit. Stir in the cilantro, saving just a bit to garnish the final plate later. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste.
3. Clean the squash seeds and pat dry.  Roast in the oven, on the stovetop, or in toaster oven until slightly brown and crispy.  Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, toss the wheat berries with a large dollop of the dressing. Add the onions; gently toss once or twice. Turn the rice and onions out onto a platter and top with the roasted squash. Finish with another drizzle of dressing, the toasted squash seeds, and any remaining chopped cilantro.  Serves 4.

Moroccan Carrot Salad with Harissa

Operation Use Harissa, phase....four?  I lost count.  But I put together a nice list of all the harissa recipes I've made this year:

• Carrots and Green Beans with Caraway, Harissa, and Pistachios
• Kale with Harissa
• Harissa Pasta and Kale with Olives, Pine Nuts, and Lemon
• Miso Harissa Squash and Kale (this wasn't very good)
• Roasted Cauliflower with Pistachios, Harissa, and Thyme
• Moroccan Raw Carrot Salad

This was a really simple recipe, but for some reason, it ended up particularly good.  I think the generous amounts of lemon juice and parsley kept it from being a soggy bowl of grated carrot.  Instead, it's zingy and refreshing (though I'd like to try adding a bit of cinnamon, too, to bring out the carrots' sweetness).  As always, I cut back on the raw garlic, too.

Moroccan Carrot Salad with Harissa

(from epicurious)

Ingredients

1 pound (6-8 medium) carrots, coarsely grated (about 4 cups)

1/4 c olive oil

1/4 c fresh lemon juice

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro and/or parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ground cumin or (1/2 tsp ground cumin + 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon)

1 tsp sweet paprika

pinch of salt

1 tsp harissa (Northwest African chili paste) (or 1 TB minced green chilies or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne)

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days to allow the flavors to meld and permeate the carrots. Served chilled or at room temperature.  Serves 4-5.

Note to self: A variation to try--Carrot-Orange Salad: Omit the cumin and add 1 1/2 tsp orange blossom water or 1/2 c fresh orange juice, 1/4 c chopped fresh spearmint, and, if desired, 1 TB sugar or honey.

Pistachios and Pomolasses, several ways

In this post:

• Apricot Sesame Kale REMIX with Pomegranate Molasses and Toasted Pistachios
• Cumin-Pomolasses Dressing
• **Carrots and Green Beans with Caraway, Harissa, and Pistachios**!!!
• Harissa itself 
• shameless photos of ice cream and cute animals

I finally bought some commercial pomegranate molasses, and it has way more kick than the stuff I made from scratch.  Sweet, but in an achingly tangy way, it's kind of like what a starburst candy should taste like.  A little bit adds exciting dimensions to recipes (without making them taste like candy at all).

For example, I did the Apricot Sesame Kale again, but added some pomolasses with the tamari near the end.  And, inspired by this recipe for vegetables with pistachios--about which, more soon--I also sprinkled it with pistachios.

Apricot Sesame Kale with Pomegranate Molasses and Toasted Pistachios

*

Pomegranate molasses also plays a totally bomb part in the salad dressing below--but its deliciousness doesn't exactly translate into a photo.  The combination of light citrus and coriander, fragrant olive oil, cumin, and cinnamon, with intensely sweet pomegranate, keeps your palate dancing!  I put this on a green salad, but the blogger I borrowed this from used it on couscous... I think you could use it in almost any kind of salad.

Cumin-Pomolasses Dressing

(from The Blooming Platter of Vegan Recipes)

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
juice of one lime
juice and zest of one-half of an orange
1 clove garlic, minced (I used the equivalent in garlic powder)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

*

But here's the real star of the day:

Carrots and beans--quintessential summer garden bounty.  [my mom and her friend Michele have a great vegetable garden, some of the spoils of which they photographed--

--anyway...]

But fresh carrots and green beans in August taste so good plain, why adulterate them?  Well, because this recipe is phenomenal.  Everything--the textures, the flavors--is exciting without being flashy.  The carrots and beans are just barely cooked in boiling water, then stir-fried in oil with garlic and a spice mixture (harissa).  I got lucky with the cooking times and temps, and the result was tender, but not limp, vegetables that had a slightly crispy, blistered, caramelized outer skin.  And, the caraway seeds and the pistachios crunch. !

When you first take a bite, the flavors seem pretty savory and heavy--there's sweet carrots, and quite a bit of garlic and cumin.  But then the chili kicks you a little bit, while the caraway gently pulls you somewhere else.  And then, a bit of lemon actually "finishes" it: you're left feeling as if the whole taste experience was light and clean.

The only sad thing about this dish (for solo cooks, anyway) is that it tastes better freshly made and slightly warm.  I followed the recipe pretty much to the letter, but I used slightly more veggies and more pistachios and harissa (the recipe for which follows).

Carrots and Green Beans with Caraway, Harissa, and Pistachios

(from ecurry)

Ingredients

2 cups carrots, quartered and cut into bite-sized lengths
1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-sized lengths
a good splash of olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 tsp harissa, or perhaps less (recipe follows)
1/4 tsp caraway seeds
1.5 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
sea salt to taste (optional--after the salted water, the salt in the harissa, and the salt on the pistachios, I didn't need any more)
1/4 cup toasted pistachios, chopped if you like

Instructions

1. Cook the carrots and the beans in salted water (just enough water to cover the vegetables) until just barely cooked--enough to remove the raw taste; they should still be crunchy.  Drain the veggies and ice them somehow to stop the cooking (at right)!
2. In a large skillet heat the olive oil and caraway seeds over medium high heat (yes, olive oil will splatter, but I think it might be worth it here).  Cover with a loose-fitting lid if needed.  Cook several minutes, then stir in the garlic and harissa.  Continue to cook several more minutes.
3. Add the drained vegetables (remove ice, obviously), and stir fry at medium heat for about 4-6 minutes.
4. Turn off heat.  Add salt if desired.  Stir in the lemon juice, and sprinkle the pistachios.  Serve warm as an appetizer, salad or a side dish.  Serves about 4.

*

A big part of the magic of the above vegetable recipe is due to harissa.  I've never actually made harissa before today, and it looks like the ingredients can vary quite a bit.  Lemon? Coriander? Fresh mint? Cinnamon? Rosemary? Cilantro?  Oh, the possibilities!  But it looks like the basics are cumin, oil, probably garlic and caraway, and tons of chilies.

I think this stuff is really fun.  It seems familiar to my palate, but just different enough (especially with the caraway and fresh mint in this recipe): Is it a pistou? A chili paste? Mouhammarah?

I think I followed the original recipe from ecurry pretty closely, except 1) I toasted and ground the spices, and 2) the thought of doing anything with 3/4 c garlic just made me nervous.  I probably used about 1/4 c and it was still pretty garlicky... And it's just bulked out enough with tomato paste and oil (and some chili-soaking water, too) that you can use it as a chili paste in cooking or as a condiment.  I think it would taste pretty amazing baked into some pita/pizza-type dough, for example.

Added Nov. 2010: Some uses for harissa:

• Carrots and Green Beans with Caraway, Harissa, and Pistachios
• Kale with Harissa
• Harissa Pasta and Kale with Olives, Pine Nuts, and Lemon
• Miso Harissa Squash and Kale (this wasn't very good)
• Roasted Cauliflower with Pistachios, Harissa, and Thyme
• Moroccan Raw Carrot Salad

Harissa

(adapted from ecurry)

Ingredients

3/4 cup dried red chile peppers, of which some should be chipotle
4 tsp caraway seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 cup minced garlic (about 10 cloves)
pinch sea salt
1/4 c chopped fresh mint leaves
2 TB tomato paste
2 TB olive oil
Optional: Cinnamon, Rosemary, Fresh Coriander/Cilantro...

Instructions

1. Remove the stems from the chilli peppers; chop coarsely and soak in hot water for 15-20 minutes, then drain, reserving some water.
2. Toast the caraway, coriander, and cumin.  When cooled enough, grind them.
3. Place all the ingredients in a small food processor (or mortar and pestle) and process until smooth but not absolutely pureed.  Add reserved chili-soaking water as needed for an even blend.  Store leftover harissa in a jar with a layer of oil on top. Makes about 1/2 c.

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And still more pistachios!!  After having the carrots and green beans with pistachios for lunch, I strolled over to Scoops, the ice cream shop in LA that I won't live more than a mile away from.  They make about sixteen different flavors every day, from pretty standard to pretty crazy (they had pistachio-hefeweizen today, too).  It's about 2/3 dairy gelato, and 1/3 soy, with a sorbet or two thrown in.  Now, I don't bother with the storebought soy ice cream because it's just not good enough, but this stuff is fantastic, due in part to the slightly higher gelatoish temperature they keep the ice creams at--I bet you actually can't tell the difference between the dairy and soy ice creams here.

Sorry for posting this.  I'm guessing that if you live in LA and you're reading this, you probably already go here all the time, and if you're not in LA, you're wishing you were.  :)

Strawberry-Rhubarb and Pistachio (vegan) Ice Cream from Scoops

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So many animals in my life this summer!  None of these animals are mine, but they all came from the mean streets of LA.  The kitty and the flower-smelling doggie both have amazing loving homes, but I believe the laughing dog on the right is still up for adoption--her name is Bunny, if you're interested.

Tempeh Salad (Sandwich)

I was attracted to this recipe because it called for a lot of random ingredients I happened to have on hand, but in the end it was a lot of work for a dish that was just ok--and it was too chunky to really make a sandwich out of.  Then again, I've never been a big fan of vinegar, mayo, or dill, so I think the deck was stacked against me.  I also had to add a lot more vegan mayo and mustard to the dish than was called for.

Tempeh Salad

(adapted from Epicurean Vegan)

Ingredients

1 pkg tempeh

1 red onion, minced

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

1 celery stalk, diced

1 carrot, diced

1/3 c frozen peas, thawed

1/3 c frozen green beans, thawed

1/2 small cucumber, chopped

1/4 c chopped kosher dill pickles

3 TB vegan mayonnaise

1-2 TB Dijon mustard

1 TB fresh lemon juice

1 TB chopped fresh dill, or to taste

2 TB chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Briefly boil onions, then drain and marinate in vinegar for 30 minutes.  Steam tempeh (cut only into quarters) for 20 minutes.  Briefly boil the celery, carrot, peas, and beans (about 1 minute), then drain and plunge into cold water to stop cooking.

Chop tempeh into small pieces.  Combine everything (but drain the carrots etc., first).

Guacamole Beans?!

Edit: I don't think I adequately stressed how good this is, at least at this time of year.  With really fresh vegetables, this was probably the best thing I ate in weeks.  It also kept for four days or so, thanks to the lime juice.

This is another simple salad that showcased the inherent goodness of the vegetables in it.  The mixture of textures is unbeatable!  Also, if you've ever wished you could just eat guacamole with a fork...

Green Bean Guacamole Salad

Ingredients

1 lb green beans, trimmed

20 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

2 avocadoes, large dice

cilantro, minced, to taste

garlic powder, to taste

juice of 1/2 to 1 lime, to taste

salt, to taste

cayenne, to taste

olive oil (not too much)

Instructions

1. Briefly steam beans and then place in cold water to stop cooking.
2. Combine ingredients.  Serve chilled.  Serves about 4.

New Bulghur and Kale Recipes

It is so summer!  Most of the things on this plate came from the farmers market.

Herbed Bulghur with Za'atar (see below), 

Balsamic-Glazed Kale and Carrots (see below), 

Watermelon Tomato Salad with Basil and Cashew Cheese, 

Squash and Chickpeas Sauteed with Garlic

The bulghur was an improvised, last-minute, nearly-instant kind of thing.  I've always meant to do a post on bulghur, a rather amazing and ancient food.  It's wheat that is cooked, then dried, then cracked, resulting in a delicious, high-fiber, high-protein, fast-cooking, nearly-impossible-to-spoil staple grain.  What's not to love?  I also love that at Jons it comes in four different grades of grind (#1 to #4), just like sandpaper.

(for more about the history of bulghur, see this great page)

Herbed Bulghur with Za'atar

Ingredients

bulghur, prepared according to directions*

*(pour 2 parts boiling water over 1 part bulghur and let stand 10 minutes--that's it!)

lots of za'atar

fresh parsley, chopped

olive oil

lemon juice

salt and pepper

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This isn't going to be my favorite kale recipe ever, but I was just really happy to have a new kale recipe, period.  The kale bandit has been working really hard this summer.  I'm not a big fan of putting sugar in savory dishes, and you have to do it here to make the flavors work.  The rich tamari and the sweet balsamic-sugar and carrot flavors hold their own against the slight bitterness of kale.

I've probably mentioned this before, but Vegan Planet is my favorite all-around cookbook of all time.  The recipes are not only delicious, they also feel simple and intuitive without eliciting the "why is this in a cookbook?" reaction (like, for example, some macrobiotic cookbooks with recipes for "Steamed Spinach").

Balsamic Glazed Kale and Carrots

(from Vegan Planet)

 Ingredients

1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and chopped

2-6 carrots, cleaned and sliced

1-2 TB olive oil

1-2 TB tamari

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1-2 tsp sugar

2 tsp cayenne (or to taste)

Instructions

1. Boil veggies in salted water about 5 minutes.  Drain.
2. Heat olive oil in a very large skillet.  Add veggies and everything else all at once.  Cook over medium-low heat until liquid has evaporated.