Marinated Spring Vegetables

I picked up some beautiful asparagus the other day, for a really reasonable price. The stalks were all thin, not the usual thick. I couldn't wait to use them.

Marinated Spring Vegetables

1# thin asparagus, tough bottoms removed and tender parts cut into 2 inch pieces

Marinade:
2 c. vegetable broth
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
2 bay leaves
3/4 t. thyme

8 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 bulb fennel, stalks removed and bulb sliced
Feathery fennel fronds

Boil 2 c. of water and add the asparagus. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain, and immediately rinse under cold water. Drain again. Refrigerate.

In another pot, bring the marinade ingredients to a boil. Add the carrots and cook about 5 minutes.

Pour marinade and carrots into a ziploc baggie and refrigerate.

About an hour before serving, add the asparagus and fennel to the marinade. Chop a few of the feathery fennel fronds and also add to the marinade. Leave at room temperature.

To serve, drain the marinade and place vegetables in a bowl.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving, Part Two

As a vegan, our meals don't revolve around a meat dish as a centerpiece. For us, there is no such things as too many side dishes! This year could be considered an exception in that we did make our first Tofurky roast, which could easily be viewed as a *main dish*. However, it was just one of many dishes we made that day.

Orange Fennel Salad

One bunch fresh, organic spinach, washed and leaves separated from stems
One fennel bulb, cored and sliced thin
3 Clementine oranges, peeled and sliced
Citrus Dressing

We bought already packaged baby spinach and baby kale. Place this in a bowl with the sliced fennel and oranges. Pour the dressing on top and mix it well.

Citrus Dressing

1/3 c. vegan mayonnaise
One container vegan plain yogurt (I used one made from almond milk)
2 T. frozen orange juice concentrate

Mix well.

Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips

1-1/2 lbs. potatoes (I used a mixture of red and gold potatoes)
1/2 lbs. parsnips
Vegan butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegan milk
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

Cut the potatoes into chunks. I never peel mine, but do so if that is your preference. Peel the parsnips and cut into chunks. Add both potatoes and parsnips to a large pot of water, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Let simmer for about 30 minutes, until potatoes and parsnips are soft. Remove from heat and drain. Add back to the pot, along with the butter, salt, pepper, milk and parsley. Mix well until nicely mashed.

Baked Cheezy Cauliflower

One head of cauliflower
1/2 c. vegan mayonnaise
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. vegan milk
Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
Daiya cheddar shreds

Remove leaves from the cauliflower and trim away the core so that the head of cauliflower can sit flat. Place in a glass pie plate with 1/2 c. water. Cover with wax paper shaped to form a tent. Microwave for 10 minutes.
When cooled enough to handle, slice the cauliflower. Arrange the slices in a baking dish.
In a pot, melt the butter. Add the mayonnaise, mustard and Daiya cheddar shreds until the shreds have melted into a sauce consistency. Pour this sauce over the cauliflower. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

I'll add more recipes from our day tomorrow!