Archive for the 'Vegan Recipes' Category

Zucchini Recipe Festival: Charred Salsa Verde Recipe for Fab Frugal Friday

Published on September 3, 2010 in Appetizers, Frugal Tips, Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes and Vegan Recipes. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .
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Charred Zucchini Salsa Verde served over Cottage Cheese

It’s the end of summer – time for a foodie zucchini festival!

With gardens overflowing with zucchini and several of my neighbors anonymously leaving large summer squashes at my doorstep and then running before I could catch them, I decided to char the zukes on the grill and blend up some salsa verde. Verdict: zucchini and chiles: a match made in heaven!

(Nostalgic Note: I used to eat salsa as a child served over cottage cheese (pictured above). I know,  I know. It sounds weird, but the salty mild cottage cheese pairs perfectly with spicy salsa. Yum! Serve any salsa this way, especially if you have kids!)

Yes, Fab Frugal Food and zucchini go way back. Check out our Zucchini Crudo Salad, Wholegrain Zucchini Cakes, or our Oven Fried Zucchini Crisps.

And, everyone knows in their bones that  zucchini should be on our “must-eat-more-of” lists. They are packed with nutrients and yet are low-calorie and low-carb. And few things are more frugal than zucchini in season. So. What’s not to love?

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Simple Tabbouleh Recipe with Millet and Fresh Parsley

Published on September 1, 2010 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes and Vegan Recipes. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

This has always been one of my favorite sides, and alas, I’m currently in a land without Middle Eastern restaurants. I happily make hummus all the time, but haven’t been making my own tabbouleh (a.k.a. tabbouli, and other transliterated variations) due to the cracked wheat factor,  since we have some gluten issues around here. Rice would be too heavy. I like quinoa a lot, and Kalyn’s Kitchen recently did a very good one using quinoa, but I decided to try millet, and I think it turned out to be a great substitute. Do try!  Continue reading ‘Simple Tabbouleh Recipe with Millet and Fresh Parsley’

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Panini-Grilled Ratatouille Salad

Published on August 4, 2010 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Vegan Recipes and Vegetarian Entrees. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

This time of year, a lot of fellow food bloggers have me shamefully coveting their outdoor grills. From the old-fashioned round kettle-style charcoal barbecues of yore to handy little Hibachis to the swanky flattop Weber grills of today and everything in between, I covet them all. It’s the one major appliance I don’t have. But a truly fabulously frugal person is a resourceful person.

I realized that, thanks to a lovely gift from Santa, I DO have something like a close, indoor cousin to the grill – a panini press (quite a nice one, too, a Breville). This was the perfect solution, really – I loved how it cut the time in half by grilling both sides at once! Continue reading ‘Panini-Grilled Ratatouille Salad’

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Meatless Monday: A Light, Cool, Refreshing Summer Salad – Crispy Tofu Cubes with Mango and Avocado in Sweet Chili Sauce

Published on August 2, 2010 in Appetizers, Entrees, Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Vegan Recipes and Vegetarian Entrees. 14 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

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I make a cold shrimp salad with avocado and mango in an Asian sweet chili sauce. It is a great go-to quick main dish salad for the summer – cool, refreshing and so flavorful.  Crispy tofu cubes in place of the shrimp is a wonderful switch up – added at the last minute, of course, to preserve their crispiness.

Anne and I have been huge tofu fans since writing 101 Things to do with Tofu a few years ago. It’s a fab frugal source of protein – and has a mild flavor that plays well with pretty much any other flavors. And, this sweet chili dressing is bright and flavorful with a touch of heat. If I wasn’t in mixed company when I ate this salad last night, I would have licked my plate. No, really.

Perfect for a summer Meatless Monday!

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Tangy Summer Slaw

Published on July 29, 2010 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes and Vegan Recipes. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Slaws are absolutely EVERYWHERE these days. I had been tinkering with different ones for a while when I happened upon a spicy slaw from Elana’s Pantry, and it sounded like almost exactly what I had been looking for! I wanted a little more tang and a little less heat and adapted it accordingly, but I think either version of the recipe is perfect for a summer side. Continue reading ‘Tangy Summer Slaw’

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California Rainbow Chard Wraps

Published on July 21, 2010 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Vegan Recipes and Vegetarian Entrees. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

I do believe I’ve finally hit the summer wrap jackpot. I love wraps of all kinds, and have lately been infatuated with the Alchemy Wrap using teff, but as the days get hotter and the produce gets more plentiful, I’ve been craving something lighter still. I think I’ve devised a winning combination: my California Rainbow Chard Wrap, using hummus made with avocado and a touch of coconut oil, sprouts, grated carrot, marinated artichoke hearts, and topped with toasted pine nuts. Continue reading ‘California Rainbow Chard Wraps’

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Celebrate the Fourth! Red, White and Blueberry Quinoa Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Published on June 26, 2010 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes and Vegan Recipes. 8 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

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Sure, we love those pretty flag cakes with the white frosting, red strawberries lined up like stripes and blueberry stars in the corner. But I wanted to make something different yet festive – a patriotic salad. What to make that has those All-American colors? How about protein powerhouse white(ish) quinoa, red strawberries and blueberries. I know, I know. Quinoa is usually eaten savory style but I think it is a perfect mild canvas for sweet flavors.

This dish is  a perfect Fourth of July recipe: a mayo-free refreshing fruity salad that can even go along on your next picnic. And the sweet tangy grapefruit vinaigrette is sublime! And, if you leave off the yogurt drizzle this is a great vegan dish.

So, cut yourself some watermelon triangles and place them in a star shape around the edges of your platter with the quinoa salad heaped in the middle. Drizzle on some Greek yogurt for a stripe-like flag effect. Then, just stand back and salute!

Happy Fourth, Everyone!

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Meatless Monday: An American Classic Goes Healthy – Lentil Sloppy Joes

Published on May 24, 2010 in Entrees, Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Vegan Recipes and Vegetarian Entrees. 14 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

For Meatless Monday, I decided to attempt a re-do of an American classic recipe – Sloppy Joes. I tried a version with a variety of beans, but the beans turned out too starchy for this – not at all resembling ground meat. So then I thought of lentils. These little high-protein gems are packed with nutrients and they are so much easier and handier than using dried beans – no pre-soaking required! Turns out they are similar to the texture I was looking for to replace ground meat.

I used the ingredients I would have used 25 years ago to make Sloppy Joes for one of my kid-friendly desperation dinners – onions, peppers, tomato paste, brown sugar, spices and just a touch of mustard. Takes me back to the big-hair and florescent-fashion 80′s.

Sometimes a vegetarian re-do of a recipe is a distant second to the original in taste. Not so here. I was shocked to find out that this is a BETTER dish than if I had used hamburger. Seriously – much better. Bye, bye ground beef - Hello lentils!

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S.O.S. Challenge: Wilted Spinach Salad with Thai Peanut Vinaigrette

Published on May 19, 2010 in Entrees, Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes, Vegan Recipes and Vegetarian Entrees. 7 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

It’s strange. I don’t like peanut butter, but a good spicy Thai peanut sauce is one of my favorite things. I love it drizzled on just about everything and I discovered that it is a fabulous flavor pair with spinach. This recipe is re-worked to make it low-glycemic and vegan this time around and for the May vegan recipe challenge – SOS (a.k.a Sweet or Savory) - by Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs and Kim of Affairs of Living. We agree with these two fabulous food bloggers: spinach is one of the healthiest things you can put in your mouth – calorie for calorie dark greens have the most nutrients of any food! We should all eat it every day!

I always had trouble making good peanut sauce until it finally dawned on me: to have really good Thai peanut sauce, you must start with really good peanut butter. It was one of those “Duh” moments for me!  It is a little more expensive, but you only use a little and it is well worth it. I like the all-natural “dark roasted” style with only two ingredients: salt and peanuts. I made this recipe with the idea of serving it cold on salads, so it is more like a vinaigrette than a sauce you would serve warm with chicken. I must admit that I tried to mimic Trader Joe’s Peanut Vinaigrette, which is also good BUT mine turned out even better – fresher tasting and more of a flavor punch!

I very lightly and briefly sauteed some rough chopped spinach for less than a minute until it just barely started to wilt. You could also blanch it quickly in boiling water. I then drained it and drizzled it with peanut vinaigrette, and sprinkled it with some diced roasted peanuts. Wow! Such an explosion of flavors!

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Fab Frugal Friday: Let Your Taste buds Have a Fiesta! Grilled Pineapple Mango Salsa Recipe

Published on April 30, 2010 in Appetizers, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes and Vegan Recipes. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , .
Grilled Pineapple Mango Salsa

Grilled Pineapple Mango Salsa

With Cinco de Mayo coming up, I naturally have been looking for fun fiesta recipes and  ideas. I grew up a few miles north of the Mexican border, so celebrating Cinco de Mayo is in my blood!

Then, two surprises greeted me at the produce department recently: Mangoes at 99 cents per pound and pineapples at 88 cents per pound. I swear they were screaming at me as I walked by: “Buy us, please! Make us into Pineapple Mango Salsa!!!”

This is such a delightful and refreshing fruit salsa. Pineapples and mangoes are so delicious that you forget how healthy they are. Pineapple has a positive anti-inflammatory effect and aids in digestion. Mango is an antioxidant powerhouse.

This tropical style salsa is perfect for so many things – Here’s just a few ideas: topping pan seared fish fillets, spooning into soft tacos and stirring into black beans for a side dish. Or, seriously, just serve with chips!
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