Browsing Tag

vegan

Melon Salad

September 24, 2012
melon-salad

Even though it’s perfectly legit to enjoy a melon with nothing but a fork, it only takes a few extra steps for something even a little more special. You can serve this as an afternoon snack, or alongside a more elaborate meal.

You may be surprised at the sight of basil, show curious interest in the addition of olive oil but it will surely prompt an addiction to each salty, sweet, cool and crunchy bite. It’s as simple as a few ingredients and magically transcends the sum of its parts, as they say. With Autumn well upon us, this may be our last chance to enjoy a few last bites of summer.

Melon Salad

Vegan, Raw & Gluten-free

Ingredients:

  • seedless watermelon, cubed
  • cantaloupe, seeds removed and cubed
  • cucumbers, cut into large chunks
  • Several branches of fresh basil
  • 1 Jalapeno–thinly sliced or diced small
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • olive oil
  • pinch of sea salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Prep the ingredients, being careful to put each in its own container. Remove basil leaves from the stem, tear.
  2. For the chili vinaigrette, remove seeds from the pepper and rinse before slicing, dice the pepper and add to the lime juice. Let macerate for several minutes. Add a healthy splash of olive oil to the citrus and pepper mix. Add salt and pepper for taste.
  3. When ready to serve, build each salad individually with an equal portion of colorful melon and cucumber. Toss with two tablespoons of chili vinaigrette and a big pinch of fresh basil. Top each portion with a nice drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.
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Baked Pistachio and Herb Falafel

September 18, 2012

baked-pistachio-herb-falafel

baked-pistachio-and-herb-falafel

There are Mediterranean dishes that I have become enamored with. With refreshing dishes like tabouleh and cucumber salads, bold use of garlic and onion, many vegetarian options, and of course, hummus, how can you go wrong?

Quick and easy weeknight cooking is something I try to focus on here. I quite enjoy the process of cooking, especially when I’m feeling inspired, but I think simpler is better. This is one of those meals that we’ve been eating a lot lately and not writing about because it always seems to get gobbled up before I get the chance to capture it in a photo.

These falafels are baked to perfection and burst with flavor from the nuts and herbs. Keeping ours gluten- free, we wrapped it up in some delicious and crisp white cabbage, but if you want a more hearty meal you could certainly wrap it all up in a good pita or flatbread. They received rave reviews in my house and I’m sure they will in yours.

healthy-falafel
Baked Pistachio and Herb Falafel
Adapted from Green Kitchen Stories
Makes about 12  falafels
Ingredients:
  • 4 sprigs of fresh parsley
  • 4 sprigs of fresh mint
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3/4 cup pistachio nuts
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
  • 1 – 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • Dash of cumin
  • 1 Tbsp. flour (I used gluten-free rice flour)
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • Salt and Pepper
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) .
  2. In a food processor, pulse the garlic and herbs together for a few seconds. Add in nuts and pulse until well combined. Add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse until mixture is almost smooth, but still a little rough in texture.
  3. Roll into balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  4. Place in preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes until they are browned and warmed through.
Tahini Dressing
Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in the blender.
  2. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. If sauce gets too thick as it sits, stir in a little more water or lemon juice to thin out.

Assembling the falafel
1 head white cabbage (or any lettuce with big leaves)
falafels (recipe above)
tahini dressing (recipe above)

Hold one cabbage leaf in your hand, add 2 or 3 falafels, a spoonful of tahini dressing and top with some fresh herbs and whatever creations you may fancy. Fold it gently. Enjoy!

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Orange & Pomegranate Salad

September 12, 2012

orange-pomegranate-salad

One of the most annoying questions that you come across as a vegan is: “What can you eat except for salad?”

I love soup, pasta, indian food, veggie burgers, cookies … but the thing that is kind of ironic is that I really eat a lot of salads. And often as the main meal. I try to vary them in different ways but one trick that I often come back to is adding fruit to the salad. Pear, strawberries, pomegranate, apple, orange, kiwi and mango all works well in salads.

In this particular salad I used orange and pomegranate. Since the salad is quite light I would normally make it for lunch or as a side dish. The last time I served this we ate it along side falafel wraps (hmmm, maybe a future blog post…)

You may have heard time and time again how antioxidant-rich pomegranates are. But you may not know that the jewel-like seeds also contain iron, calcium, vitamin C, magnesium, and a good dose of fiber.

pomegranate

orange-and-pomegranate-salad

Orange and Pomegranate Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups green leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn
  • 1 orange, peeled and chopped
  • 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1 Tbsp. onion, thinly chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
  • 1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • pinch of sea salt and black pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • sunflower seeds (optional)

Directions:

  1. Divide the lettuce between two bowls. Peel and chop the orange. Divide the chopped orange and pomegranate seeds among the two bowls and mix gently.
  2. In a small bowl combine the onion, natural sweetener, vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Whisk in the olive oil.
  3. Slowly add desired amount of dressing into bowls of salad. Gently toss the salad with your hands or salad tongs, coating the ingredients well with the vinaigrette. If the salad seems dry, add the vinaigrette in small increments until it is dressed to your liking.
  4. Sprinkle sunflower seeds over salad for a little something extra.

(Photo Credit: my sister, Jenny Norris – jjnorris.com)

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Sweet Tart Juice

September 6, 2012
sweet-tart-juice

You want to know a funny thing about Irish people? They always talk about the weather. Always. Come rain or come shine, they will talk about it. Several times each day. It’s one of the first things they mention when arriving at work, buying lunch, taking a taxi or meeting a friend in town. And since I find myself progressing into Irish ways, I’ve decided to tell you about the weather we’ve been experiencing in Cork this week. It has been a little bit chilly during my early morning runs, but we’ve had blue skies and pretty nice temperatures. The perfect weather for lounging outside.

Here in Ireland we didn’t experience much of a summer, just rain upon rain. As soon as September arrived it seems so has our Indian Summer. You could have bet your bottom dollar (or euro) that this would happen after such a non-event of a summer – the kids go back to school and everyone’s knuckling down again, then the weather takes a turn for the better. I think it is a real treat to be savored and it makes reading a book in the sunshine a particular pleasure.

I created a refreshing summer drink that tastes surprisingly like Sweet Tarts – those mouth-puckering candies of childhood. A whole lemon tart up this juicy blend of apple, pineapple and kiwi, while carrot sweetens the affair. It’s candy in a glass. Enjoy this summer-inspired drink for your weekend barbeques, picnics, parties or just while hanging out with friends this weekend.

Sweet Tart Juice

Ingredients:

  • 1 apple
  • 4 carrots
  • 1/2 small pineapple
  • 2 kiwis, peeled
  • 1 whole lemon, peeled

Directions:

  1. Place everything in juicer and enjoy!

* Serve it frozen or chilled for extra perk.

 

(Photo Credit: my sister, Jenny Norris – jjnorris.com)

4 Comments