Tabbouleh with Cantaloupe and Pecans

I like tabbouleh, but it's hit or miss with my family. I'll be honest, I think this would have been better without the addition of cantaloupe, but hindsight is 20/20. Make it and decide for yourself.

Tabbouleh with Cantaloupe and Pecans

1 c. bulghur wheat
1-1/2 c. boiling water
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 t. salt
Pinch of cayenne
1 c. chopped cilantro or parsley
Cubed cantaloupe
Chopped pecans
1 t. black pepper

Mix the bulghut, boiling water, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne in a large bowl. Mix well, then set aside for about an hour. The bulghur will absorb the water. Stir in the cilantro, cantaloupe, pecans, and black pepper. Chill for about an hour. Serve. Enjoy!

Bean Salad

I always thought bean salads were unappealing. I mean, I like beans and all, but something about bean salads just looked boring. Not this one!

Bean Salad

One can kidney beans, drained
One can pinto beans, drained
One can black-eyed peas, drained
One package frozen lima beans, thawed
One can corn, drained
1/2 an onion, diced
1 t. pepper
1/2 c. Italian dressing

You know the drill: mix everything together in a large bowl, stirring to make sure it's all coated well. Chill or serve at room temperature. Enjoy!

Grilled Potatoes

It's easy to talk my family into grilling something. Most of them love to grill and need only a suggestion, and they are happy to comply!

Grilled Potatoes

5 large potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
1/4 c. chopped green onions
2 t. parsley
2 t. chives
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. paprika
14 t. black pepper
Vegan bacon

Make several squares of heavy duty foil. Grease each sheet with vegan butter. Layer the potatoes, and sprinkle with remaining ingredients. Dot with additional butter. Fold the foil, sealing well, but leave enough room for steam. Grill over medium heat for about 30 minutes, turning packets over about every 10 minutes. Check for doneness. Serve. Enjoy!

Mixed Grill Kabobs

I really like kabobs. They are easy to make, and you can make them any variety of ways. They're so versatile!

Mixed Grill Kabobs

One package vegan chicken, cut into cubes
One package Gardein Beefless Tips
One package vegan sausage, cut into thick slices
Assorted fresh vegetables, cut into large chunks
1/3 c. vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 T. shredded lime peel
1/4 c. lime juice
2 t. crushed rosemary
1 T. olive oil

Place the everything in a ziploc baggie, seal, and shake well to coat everything as evenly as possible. Let marinate in the fridge overnight.

Drain well, but reserve any leftover marinade. Thread, in random fashion, the meats and vegetables on skewers (if using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them first!) Grill over medium heat, basting periodically with the leftover marinade. Cook until veggies are nicely cooked. Serve. Enjoy!

Thai Style Coleslaw

Coleslaw is often a staple with barbecue. Some people, like my dad, preferred the more sour version. Me, I prefer a sweeter slaw. But I get bored of the typical slaw served in most restaurants. So, I like to try out different variations. This is one.

Thai Style Coleslaw

3 c. shredded cabbage (or just buy one bag of ready to go coleslaw in the produce section)
One carrot, shredded
One onion, sliced thin
2 t. dried mint
2 t. dried basil
2 T. lime juice
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. water
1 T. sugar
Toasted sesame seeds

Combine everything, except the sesame seeds, in a bowl and mix well. Let sit to blend flavors. Top with sesame seeds. Serve. Enjoy!

French Style Green Beans

I've been reading several books lately about the way the French eat. It's been pretty enlightening, really. Their super power lies in portion control. That way they still get to drink wine with meals. ;)

Provençal refers to anything related to Provence. It is the birthplace of salade Nicoise, a salad that contains as one of its ingredients something called haricots verts. That translates to green beans, but they are skinnier, and more expensive than what most of think of as green beans. So this recipe uses regular green beans. If you wanted to make it more "French", you could hunt down some haricots verts.

French Style Green Beans

One pound green beans, ends snipped and then cut into 1 inch pieces
One can of diced tomatoes
One onion, chopped fine
Two cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Saute the onion and garlic in oil until softened. Add them, plus the oil, to a crock pot. Add the green beans and tomatoes to the crock pot, and season with salt and pepper. Stir well, cover, and cook on low for about six hours. Serve. Enjoy!

Stir-Fried Broccoli with Ginger and Garlic

We all know broccoli is good for us. It's an excellent source of fiber, and 1 c. of cooked broccoli provides 245% of Vitamin K, 135% Vitamin C, not to mention several vitamins and minerals. It even has Omega 3. It's a powerhouse in a cute little tree shape. And yet, there are some people who hate it! Fortunately, I'm not one of them. I love the stuff.

Stir Fried Broccoli with Ginger and Garlic

One head of broccoli, chopped (or buy frozen, if you're pressed for time)
Canola oil
Thinly sliced fresh, peeled ginger
1 t. salt
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3 T. vegetable broth
1 t. sesame oil

Heat the canola over high heat in a wok or frying pan. Stir in the ginger. Add the broccoli, garlic, and salt and stir vigorously. You don't want anything to burn. When the broccoli turns a bright green, and the vegetable broth, cover, and let cook over the high heat for about a minute. Remove from heat and stir in the sesame oil. Mix well. Serve. Enjoy!

Tattooed Watermelon

Yes, it's a thing. It's what happens when you grill watermelon; it makes it look likes it's been tattooed. But it's delicious. You can't see the tattoos on ours in the picture, but the faint lines are there!

Tattooed Watermelon

Slice a watermelon into thick slices. Brush with some olive oil (but not too much! You don't want it greasy!), and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over medium high heat about 2 minutes per side. Watch it carefully. If it gets too hot, the liquid will gush out, and nobody wants that! Serve. Enjoy!

Fruit Kabobs

I'm not sure anyone in my family is partial to cooked fruit, but these kabobs changed their minds.

Fruit Kabobs

Apples, bananas, kiwis, peaches, and pineapple, all peeled and cut into chunks
Strawberries, stems removed
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. lime juice
1 t. cinnamon
Brandy, optional

Thread fruit onto skewers (if wooden, soak first). Mix the oil, sugar, lime juice, and cinnamon together, and brush on the fruit. Grill over medium until just starting to brown. Watch closely, because they can burn quickly! Once they are off the grill, if you are so inclined, drizzle on some brandy. Serve. Enjoy!

Grilled Tofu with Mango

If you've never grilled tofu, you really need to try it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Grilled Tofu with Mango

One package extra firm tofu, frozen, thawed in boiling water, pressed dry, sliced into triangles
1 T. dark sesame oil
2 T. tamari
1/2 t. black pepper

Place tofu in a shallow dish and rub both sides with black pepper and brush both sides with the tamari and the sesame oil. Cover and let marinate overnight. Over a medium hot grill, grill the tofu about 3-4 minutes each side. Serve with a mango slaw.

Mango Slaw

1/3 c. rice vinegar
3 T. tamari
3 T. sugar
1 T. sambal oelek
1 t. mirin
2-3 mangoes, peeled and sliced into strips
1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Mix the vinegar, tamari, sugar, sambal oelek, and mirin together until blended. Let set about five minutes for flavors to blend. Add mangoes and cilantro and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve alongside grilled tofu.

Jerk Kabobs

Summer's here and the time is right for...grilling. Gosh how my family loves to grill! They often go for the tried and true, but every now and then I can convince them to try something new or different. Like these kabobs...

Jerk Kabobs

One red onion, cut into chunks
One yellow, green, or red bell pepper (or all!), cut into chunks
One zucchini, sliced into thick coins
Whole mushrooms
Cherry or grape tomatoes
1 t. thyme
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. cayenne
1/2 t. ground allspice
1/2 t. smoked paprika
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. black pepper

Mix all the spices together. Thread the vegetables on skewers. If you are using wooden skewers, like we do, soak them in water first. Once all the skewers are threaded, brush the kabobs with olive oil, then sprinkle on the spices, being sure to to coat well. Cook over a hot, oiled grill, about five minutes per side, or until done. Serve. Enjoy!

Fruit and Pasta Salad

My husband Loves. The. Beach. If we owned a beach house, I'd probably never see him for most of the year. When we go, we spend the day, so naturally food is an issue. We like to pack picnic type foods, and plenty of them. This one was particularly tasty.

Fruit and Pasta Salad

One package noodles (I used seaside shaped pasta)
2 c. cooked chick'n (I just used one package of Delight Soy Nuggets), cut into bite sized pieces
1 c. sliced celery
1 c. grapes, halved
1/4 c. red onion, chopped
1 11-oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1 8-oz can diced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 c. vegan ranch dressing
1/4 c. vegan mayonnaise
1 t. Beau Monde seasoning

Cook the noodles according to the package, drain and rinse. Mix the pasta in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients and mix well to coat. Cover and chill overnight. Stir again before serving. Enjoy!

Cauliflower and Pea Salad

Holidays are the perfect time for potlucks and picnics. And salad dishes are well suited to hot weather get togethers. This one was a big hit with my family recently.

Cauliflower and Pea Salad

One head of cauliflower
One package of frozen green peas
Onion, to taste (I took a red onion and chopped it up, then divided into thirds)
1 t. dill
1 c. vegan mayonnaise
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces. Cook the peas in boiling water, briefly (about one minute), drain, and rinse in cold water, drain again. Mix the cauliflower, onion, dill, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper. Gently stir in the peas until well coated. Chill several hours or overnight. Enjoy!