Ginger Peanut Soba Noodles with Maple Tempeh

For fourth of July this year, one of the dishes I made was Oh She Glow's Rad Rainbow Raw Pad Thai. It had an amazing lime-peanut dressing that I thought would go great on a soba noodle dish. I added a bunch of veggies, some sweet maple-glazed tempeh, and voila! A yummy, easy new dinner favorite!

A rare event

Sunday night my husband decided he wanted to make dinner. Vegan dinner. No, really, he did. To put things in perspective, this hasn't happened in about a year. Well, not if you don't count ordering take-out, or heating up jarred spaghetti sauce and boiling noodles.

Ever since we had an awesome dinner at an Indian place in SF called Dosa, we've been wanting to re-create the coconut and roasted corn soup we had there. I'm definitely surprised to say that my husband made a pretty darn delicious version of it. Here's the link to the soup he made. He pretty much followed the recipe, using fresh corn, but we subbed vegetable stock for the chicken stock. The only changes I would make are to make sure the corn is really well puréed, so it's nice and smooth. (I had to laugh a little at him when he was trying to blend the corn in our weak-ass blender instead of using the food processor, which he despises because it's so loud. He did need a little help.) Oh and my other recommendation would be to double the recipe, because there weren't any leftovers!

Tomato Pie

It's hard to believe it's already the end of August. This summer has been hectic and busy, and the past month has not been filled with as much cooking as I would have liked. So I was completely psyched to get back into the kitchen to whip up this 'lil pie. When I saw these heirloom tomatoes, I nabbed a bunch and couldn't wait to use them.

Corn Salad with Dill and Cilantro

Need a Memorial Day recipe? Fresh corn salads make for the perfect summer dish for pot-lucks, picnics, or easy light dinners. I've posted a few other variations before, but here's another one that might just be my new favorite!

Corn Chowder

I used to love clam chowder, though I never did really want the clams in there... I just liked the creamy soup in a bread bowl. After my yummy creamed spinach, I re-purposed some of the leftovers in creamed peas and corn, and then that eventually morphed into this soup after I was inspired by this post for vegan chowder. This recipe takes are a few of my favorite things, veganized!

Black Eyed Pea Dip/Salad

With the Superbowl coming up, here's a healthy alternative to chips & dip, and something more exciting than chips & salsa. Plus, you can use the leftovers on salad the next day for lunch.

This mix is quick and easy, and works well with scoops tortilla chips. Yum!

Corn Salad Mix-up

Another quick, easy, delicious recipe favorite here! This is a variation/combination of two corn salads I've posted before- the corn & avocado salad and the fresh corn salad. Very easy!

Ingredients: (serves 2)

• 3 large ears sweet corn
• 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium avocado, sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup black beans
• ~1 Tbsp lime juice, fresh
• Sea salt to taste

Steps:

1. Shuck & steam the corn until just tender- let boil for about 3 minutes. Remove & rinse with cold water. Let further cool.
2. Remove the corn from the cob by slicing off in strips using a large knife. 
3. Combine corn, tomatoes, beans in large bowl and add oil, salt, and lime juice; toss lightly. 
4. Add fresh herbs just before serving.

I actually did not have black beans, but think they would go nicely with this dish; instead, for protein, I added in about a cup of chic peas when we ate this. It's a versatile base dish that you can do a lot with!

Corn and Avocado Salad

From: Whole Foods recipes

Another corn salad! This is a slight variation on last week's corn salad recipe, but different enough that it warrants it's own post. My friend Paula introduced it to me, and it was love at first bite. The addition of the avocado gives it a nice hearty but healthy creaminess, while the dressing and cilantro add a fresh bright flavor.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 ears of fresh corn, kernels removed from cob
• 1 cup of halved grape tomatoes
• 1/2 ripe avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp champagne vinegar
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  

Steps:

1. Steam the corn in a large pot until just tender but still crisp, about 3 min. Cut from cob with large knife.
2. Whisk together the oil & vinegars, adding the onion.
3. Combine all ingredients in large bowl and toss to mix well.
   

Notes: As with the other corn salad, it's all about fresh sweet corn here. Substituting frozen corn won't cut it. The recipe on Whole Foods suggests pairing this with a salmon dish, but since I don't eat salmon, you don't get that recipe here! We paired it with artichoke griddle cakes and it made for a nice meal. Something Mexican-inspired would also work well with this side dish.

Here's another variation: Corn Salad with Beans & Avocado.

Succotash

From Bon Appetit culinary series, Sur La Table "Vegetarian Feast" cooking class

I was surprised to find out Sur La Table offers cooking classes; after taking one, I came home satisfied from a great night of delicious food, new techniques, fun people, and with a number of good recipes in hand. I was also surprised to realize I like succotash! Don't be afraid of lima beans!! They can be yummy, I promise!!! This dish is delish, healthy, filling, and quick & easy to make- the triple threat of cooking- more accurately, the quintuple threat!

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 and 1/2 cups chopped onion
• Coarse kosher salt
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 3 cups of chopped red tomatoes (about 1 and 1/2 lbs- the fresher the better!)
• 2 and 1/4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 10-11 ounces frozen lima beans and/or baby butter beans, thawed (you can substitute canned navy beans, cannellini beans, or northern beans here too)
  
• 3 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil

Steps:

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sprinkle with salt. Saute until soft and translucent, about 5min.
   
2. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1min.
3. Add chopped tomatoes, corn, and thawed beans. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until corn and lima beans are tender and tomatoes are soft, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
   
5. Stir in the sliced fresh basil just prior to serving.
   

Notes: If you are using canned beans, these can be added 5-10 minutes later through the cooking process. Also, steps 1-4 can be done ahead- either the day before or a few hours before- just re-heat prior to serving. Finally, I like adding BOTH lima beans and canned white beans- it adds more color, more protein, and more punch to the dish. The fresh basil really pulls everything together and makes it yummy. This is great for leftovers too- I like it cold for lunch!

Looking for a cooking class in your area? I was pleased with the Sur La Table options, and also found some interesting ones at Williams Sonoma. That's a good start, although they aren't cheap. Centers for adult education also often have them; I took a great one through Boston's BCAE when I was living there. Cooking classes are a fun way to get new ideas, meet new people, and enjoy a delicious, hands-on treat while learning something new!

Fresh Corn Salad

From: Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, and Food Network.com

It doesn't get much easier than this quick salad/side dish. I first tried it at my friend Amy's house, and was amazed when she gave me the recipe that it was so simple. I think the secret is fresh ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 5 ears of corn
  
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion (1 small onion)
  
• 3 Tbsp of good olive oil
• 3 Tbsp of cider vinegar
  
• 1/2 cup basil, chopped juilenne style
  
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
  

Serves: 4-6

Steps:

1. Shuck and steam the ears of corn in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from pot and run under cold water to cool.
2. Using a large knife, cut the corn from the cob when it is cool, cutting close to the cob. Put into a large bowl. Add the olive oil & vinegar and toss. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
   
3. Just before serving, cut basil and add to the dish, mix gently.

Notes: I like to add tomatoes (any kind work, but vine-ripe cut into bite-sized triangles) to this recipe. Also, it is really just as good with 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil only, if you don't have the vinegar and want to cut back on the dressing.

See also: My friend Paula's variation on this dish, with avocado and slightly different dressing, or my variation adding avocado & black beans.

Sweet Potato Salad with Apple and Avocado

From Vegetarian Times

Last year I subscribed to Vegetarian Times and was inspired to try lots of new dishes. While I can't say that all (or even most) of the recipes I tried I liked, this was a keeper. (To be fair, I did make a few mistakes, such as using barley when I should have used bulgar, and barley has about twice the cooking time... making for an unpleasantly crunchy dish...)

In any case, here it is, the yummy, filling "salad" that could be used as a side but I've considered more of a main course. It is good the next day as well as lunch!

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1lb sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/4 cup unsalted hulled pumpkin seeds or pepitas
• 1 medium red apple, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 small onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 avocado, finely diced (note: the Veg Times recipe calls for 1/2 an avocado, but hey, you might as well use the whole thing, right? I always did and it balances well, especially if you are using it as a main. Plus, avocados are rich in the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids- one of the good kinds of fat!)

Steps:

1. Put sweet potatoes in large pan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes.
   
2. Add corn to the pan w/ the potatoes and cook 1-2 minutes more, or until potatoes are tender. Drain in colander and rinse under cold water to cool (and make sure the veggies don't overcook); drain well. Set aside.
   
3. Toast pumpkin seeds or pepitas in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, about 3-4min or until they start to pop. Transfer to a plate to cool.
4. Combine chopped apple, onion, cilantro, and lime juice in a large bowl. Stir in sweet potatoes, corn, and oil, and season with some salt & pepper.
   
5. Just before serving, gently stir in the avocado and pumpkin seeds.

Tips: I may have liked this dish more than my husband, who thought it got too "mushy" - this is a good reminder to make sure you don't overcook the sweet potatoes, and you don't add the avocado too soon (ie, let the potatoes cool first, and don't mix too much!) More than a few times, I've just been lazy and stirred in the last 2 ingredients right after cooking everything, and then stored it in the fridge until dinner (hence the "mushy"). If you want to prep early, just leave the seeds out and store the avocado in a separate container in the fridge until you're ready to mix in, or better yet, cut the avocado just before serving (since it can discolor with time- one way to combat this is to use some lime juice though).

Nutrition information: (per 3/4 cup serving- note that adding the full avocado will increase this slightly): 179 calories, 3g protein, 9g fat (1g saturated fat), 23g carbs, 0mg cholesterol, 4g fiber, 8g sugar.
Here is the link to this recipe on Vegetarian Times.