Pisto with Potatoes

Spanish pisto is somewhat like ratatouille, but this one is made using potatoes and isn't nearly as much work!

Pisto with Potatoes

One onion, chopped into chunks
1/4 c. vegetable broth
Two large potatoes, cut into cubes
One green bell pepper, cut into pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 t. oregano
One eggplant, peeled and cubed
One yellow squash, cut into cubes
4 tomatoes, diced
1 T. paprika
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper

Saute the onion in oil or water until softened. Add the broth, potatoes, bell pepper, garlic, and oregano and saute until the bell pepper is softened. Stir in the eggplant, squash, tomatoes, paprika, and about 1/2 c. water and cook until the potatoes are tender. Season with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve. Enjoy!

Memorial Day Barbecue

My husband, who is a veteran, decided he wanted to grill on Memorial Day. Never one to argue with him when he announces his intention to cook, I nonetheless have to come up with something for him to grill for the vegans in the house. We've had so much great success with the Gardein Chick'n Scallopini that I immediately pulled some of those out of the freezer. I wanted something that didn't require much in the way of preparation, and this was the delicious result!

The Best Ever Grilled Chick'n

1/4 c. organic apple cider vinegar
3 T. coarse ground mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. lime juice
1 t. lemon juice
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. salt 
Black pepper
6 T. olive oil
One package Gardein Chick'n Scallopini

Add everything to a gallon sized Ziploc baggie and seal. Turn the bag over and under until the scallopini is well coated, and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Grill over coals, making sure to turn the scallopini over to avoid burning and thorough cooking.
Serve. Enjoy!

These really, really were the best ever grilled chick'n we've had. So tasty and the flavor was incredible! My son, who normally eschews anything I make with brown sugar, claiming he does not like sweet in his savory dishes, loved these. Next time I am doubling the recipe.

Hubby wanted to grill corn and potatoes together, but I wanted something more to go along with everything. This squash dish hit the spot!

Grilled Zucchini and Yellow Squash

3 zucchinis
3 yellow squashes
Olive oil
Salt
2 T. lemon juice
2 t. thyme
2 clove garlic, minced
Vegan butter
2 t. agave nectar

Slice the zucchinis and squashes into half moons. Divide into several foil squares and pour 1 T. olive oil and sprinkle salt over each group and seal up in the foil. I think I got about 10 packets. Grill the packets, keeping a watchful eye that they don't burn. Mix up the remaining ingredients in a bowl. While the vegetables are grilling and you are keeping a close eye on them, periodically pull back the foil and brush on the sauce. Use all the sauce, it is just that good. Serve with a sprinkling of vegan parmesan.

National Macaroni Day

National Macaroni Day was July 7, but a series of distractions prevented me from taking advantage of the day. Not to be denied, I made my mac and cheese, finally, last night. I had to rescue some of it from my son for my lunch today. Otherwise, he couldn't stop eating it. He plans to go buy all the ingredients just so I'll make it again this weekend. Probably all for him! LOL!

In addition, to round out the meal, I made a couple of different mixed vegetable dishes.

Macaroni and Cheese

One package elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions
1/4 c. vegan butter
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
2-1/4 c. rice milk
1/2 t. salt
Dash of black pepper
One package of Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds

Melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Gradually add the milk and some of the Daiya until creamy. In a lightly greased casserole dish, layer the macaroni, then Daiya, the macaroni, then the sauce and top with more Daiya. Bake at 400 for 35 minutes.

Summer Garden Vegetables

1/4 c. chopped onion
2 T. butter
2 c. fresh or frozen corn
3 tomatoes, cut into chunks
4 small yellow squash, sliced
1 t. salt
3/4 t. dried oregano leaves
1/4 t. pepper

Saute the onion in the butter until softened. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, covered, over medium heat until vegetables are tender.

King of the Jungle Vegetables

Handful of carrots, sliced
Olive oil
One package of frozen green beans
One package of frozen cauliflower florets
One bunch of green onions, sliced
2 c. water or vegetable broth
Dash of garlic powder

Saute the carrots in the olive oil until beginning to soften. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and cook 20-30 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Enjoy!

Shredded Veggie Rice

I have several vegan cookbooks. There isn't a one I don't love. So I'm going to trip through some of them and introduce others to the fantastic variety out there!

Shredded Veggie Rice

This tasty and very simple dish is courtesy of Rice & Spice by Robin Robertson, one of my favorite vegan cooks. This fried rice is loaded with veggies - squash, zucchini, onions, garlic, ginger, carrots, etc. She suggests using tamari, but I used Braggs Aminos instead. The ginger gives it a really nice kick. I didn't mince the garlic, I just allowed it to be shredded with the rest of the veggies.

Let the Days of Grilling Begin!

You know the weather is warming up when the familiar smell of charcoal permeates the air. You decide you want to throw something on the grill but before you even start you can tell your neighbors have the same idea. Nothing really says it's the weekend like that smell.

We actually have two grills - one charcoal, one gas. Hubby likes the charcoal grill, but I'm seriously considering designating the gas grill as mine and vegan only. I should probably learn how to use it first.

Hubby is really good about it, though - he scrubs the grill before he cooks our stuff, and always cooks the vegan stuff first. He announces his desire to grill and follows it with a directive to me to find something for the vegans in the house to grill, so we can join in on the grilling goodness.

I am particularly fond of The New Vegetarian Grill, and adapted the following recipe from it:

Grilled Veggie Salad

One eggplant, sliced thickly
One zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
One yellow squash, cut in half lengthwise
Two large tomatoes, sliced thickly
One red bell pepper, cut in half lengthwise
One large sweet onion, cut in quarters and skewered
1 T. balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh basil, chopped

Over a medium hot grill, place the veggies. Brush liberally with olive oil and grill until nicely done. When cool enough to handle, cut the veggies up in bite sized pieces and place in a large enough bowl. Add balsamic vinegar, basil and salt and pepper. Mix well and let set for about 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Enjoy!

To accompany our salad, I marinated some tempeh strips in some bourbon laced barbecue sauce. After hubby grilled the tempeh, I chopped it up fine with some onion and had myself a delectable sandwich. It was a great Sunday afternoon meal for a beautiful day.