Lemon Garlic Salad Dressing

Here is some simple, yummy salad dressing inspired by a wonderful salad I had on a recent trip to San Francisco. If you're ever there, you should eat here. One of the best meals ever. Anyway, I got a delicious zucchini and heirloom tomato salad with a fresh, light dressing. After my meagre attempt at recreating it, I realized I missed a key ingredient, mint! Still, this dressing I came up with tonight is yummy, vinegar free (for those who can't have it), and easy. I'll try it next time with fresh mint.

For 2 side salads, you'll need:

• 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 T fresh basil
• juice of one lemon
• a couple dashes of salt
• 1 T vegan mayo or plain yogurt
• 1 T olive oil

The steps:

1. Place all ingredients in the food processor and combine. That's it!

I served this on a simple red oak green lettuce salad with orange peppers and [homemade] croutons. I think this would be good as a dressing for cole slaw or any number of vegetable salads. Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers & Basil Garlic Smashed Potatoes [vegan]

Well, here is a sorta fancy looking dinner with very simple ingredients. Seasonal, savory, delicious. Let's start with the peppers then move onto the potatoes. I cooked the potatoes while the pepper was cooking in the oven, so it's easy to time these together.


VEGAN SUMMER STUFFED GREEN PEPPER

For two stuffed peppers you'll need:

• 2 bell peppers
• 1 medium large tomato
• 1 fennel bulb
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 T margarine
• 3/4 c pastini
• dash paprika
• dash oregano
• 1 t good balsamic vinegar

The steps:

1. Slice the tops from the peppers, remove seeds and membranes.
2. Place peppers in a pot of salted water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes
3. Chop fennel bulb into small pieces. 
4. Melt margarine in a skillet over high heat and add fennel. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
5. While fennel is cooking, smash and mince your garlic.
6. Add garlic to the pan, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. 
7. While garlic and fennel are cooking, chop your tomato and measure out pastini.
8. Once the fennel is just beginning to brown, add pastini and tomato. Return heat to high, stir quickly until just combined then remove from heat. Pastini should not be cooked yet. Pastini will cook through as the peppers bake.
9. By this time, your peppers should be finished boiling. Remove from water with tongs and place in a baking dish.
10. Preheat oven to 365.
11. Stuff your peppers to the brim and place in oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes until pepper skin just starts to brown and blister.
12. Let stand a few minutes and serve

VEGAN BASIL GARLIC SMASHED POTATOES & GRAVY

For 4 servings of potatoes (leftovers are nice), you'll need:

• 10 small potatoes. We used a mixture of royal purple and red potatoes.
• 3 T margarine
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 t nutritional yeast
• 1/2 c soy milk
• 2 t basil
• salt & pepper to taste

The steps:

1. Wash potatoes and chop into 1 1/2 inch chunks
2. Place in a pot covered with water (you can re-use the hot water from boiling your peppers) and salt. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until fork tender.
3. Drain potatoes, add margarine, garlic, yeast, soy milk, basil, salt, & pepper.
4. Mash potatoes in the pot until smooth as you desire. Taste and season as needed.

For 2 servings of simple vegan gravy (it's best to make it fresh), you'll need:*

• 3 T margarine
• 2-3 T flour
• 1 t nutritional yeast
• 1-1 1/2 t herbes de provence

The steps:

1. Melt margarine in a pan over high heat. When margarine just begins to bubble, reduce to low and quickly add flour, nutritional yeast, and herbes de provence.
2. Stir constantly, being sure not to let the flour burn to the bottom. Stir quickly until smooth.
3. Serve quickly over your potatoes.

*To make this meal gluten free, use rice flour to make the gravy.

Caprese Pasta Sauce

Oh wow, the Droid really didn't do a good job capturing this one!
More yummy than it looks!

I'm calling this "Caprese Pasta Sauce" because it has all the flavors of a Caprese salad.  I love creamy pasta sauce, so I thought I'd give it a try.  Turned out pretty well and is very filling.  I froze some for winter.

You'll need (for about 6-8 servings):

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour (ish)
• 1lb fresh mozzarella
• 1/4-1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
• 2 cups (ish) half n half
• 1/2-1 cup vegetable juice (or tomato juice)
• 2 cups (ish) roasted veggies (eggplant, yellow squash, bell peppers)
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• Italian Seasoning & kosher salt to taste

The Steps:

• Roast veggies as directed in my "roasted summer veggies" post
• Chop veggies into small pieces.
• Cut butter & cheese into small, easy to melt pieces
• Melt butter in a non-stick pot & add enough flour to make a good rue
• Add cheese and about half of the half n half and vegetable juice
• Stir constantly on medium high heat until all cheese melts
• Add enough more vegetable juice and half n half until sauce reaches a smooth, easily pour-able consistency
• Add olive oil also to help with consistency
• Add the rest of the ingredients, chopping basil coarsely.  Season carefully so as not to overpower your delicious fresh basil.  
• Simmer long enough to incorporate, but avoid over cooking
• Serve over "shape" pasta, like shells.

This is a very yummy, pretty simple recipe.  It's very very rich, so you really don't need much sauce for one serving.  I also think this could be good with some grilled chicken.  

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