Category Archives: Vegan

When entertaining, it is always a good idea to serve delicious, easy recipes that friends who eat Vegan can also enjoy!

Curried Lentil Salad

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Just had a great gig at a Concert in the Park in San Juan Capistrano. There were so many friendly families and kids and once the sun went down, a nice breeze came in

Great gig. Warm breezes. Summer in San Juan Capistrano, California.

Great gig. Warm breezes. Summer in San Juan Capistrano, California.

over the mountains.

I love Concerts in the Park, whether I’m singing or watching other bands play. It’s so fun to bring and share food and wine with friends. I am sad that Summer is almost over.

 

This is one of my “Picnic Basket” side dishes that is inspired by the Indian Dahl recipe. It is incredibly inexpensive to make and a little goes a long way. When I was in college, I’d make a huge pot when I was out of money and eat it on toast topped with sour cream. Sometimes, I’d eat it for a week until I had money for groceries again. Lentils have no fat, are low in calories and high in fiber and nutrients – even iron so if your’e anemic, lentils are a great staple to add to your diet. And as usual, this side dish recipe is incredibly easy to make. 

 

Easy Lentil Salad Recipe.

Easy Lentil Salad Recipe.

  • 1 Cup Dried Lentils
  • 2 Cups Water or Broth
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1/4 Diced Onion
  • 2 Tablespoons Red Wine or Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive OIl
  • 1 Tablespoon Tamari or Soy Sauce (left it out of this batch as I had run out.)
  • 2 Tablespoons Curry Powder and/or Cumin
Lentils have no fat and are high in nutrients.

Lentils are high in nutrients.

 

Boil water (or broth) and add lentils.

 

 

Cook for 20-30 minutes until water is gone. (Drain if you have to). Remove from heat (don’t overcook.You want the lentils to have a bite to them and not be mushy).

 

 

Yummy Chilled Curried Lentil Salad. So easy.

Yummy Chilled Curried Lentil Salad. So easy.

Cool the lentils. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Done!

 

 

 

 

Shenandoah Valley Easy Peach and Tomato Salad Recipe

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Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.

Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.

My sister, after living and working in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC and Boston, now lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley in Virginia where she discovered this recipe at an amazing farmer’s market 10 minutes from her house (also nearby are 2 wineries and a lavender farm.) Every Tuesday and Saturday the market is jammed with local farmers who offer amazing vegetables, fruits, meat, honey, bread, eggs, and cheeses. All of the items are farm to table and the “ Buy Fresh – Buy Local ” movement is very big there.

Buy Fresh, Buy Local produce in the Shenandoah Valley.

” Buy Fresh, Buy Local ” produce in the Shenandoah Valley Farmer’s Market in Virginia.

 

She is loving living in the “country” now close to where the food grows. This recipe was featured as part of the market’s yearly tomato contest and is an unexpected pairing of two of summer’s greatest bounties – peaches and tomatoes. She has brought this very easy and fresh salad (perfect for the last days of summer which I am holding onto kicking and screaming like a child who doesn’t want to leave the park) to several dinner parties and everyone always asks for the recipe. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Beautiful Farmer's Market tomatoes make any easy salad gorgeous.

Beautiful Farmer’s Market tomatoes make any easy salad gorgeous.

Ingredients:

 

  • 4 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup of diced red onions
  • 4 slightly ripe (not mushy) peaches
  • 4 medium vine ripe tomatoes – you can also use cherry tomatoes (2 cups) cut in half if you have those handy
  • ½ cup of fresh basil (don’t use dry – it doesn’t taste the same)
  • ½ cup of fresh plain crumbled feta cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

 

 

Put 4 tablespoons of red wine vinegar in a large bowl. Add the 1/3 cup of diced red onions to the vinegar and let sit for 20 minutes Cut the tomatoes into bite sized (1 inch pieces) and add to the bowl. Cut the peaches in half. Take out the pit and peel with potato peeler or knife (I leave the skin on – it’s easier ). Cut into slices (1/4 inch or so) and put them into the bowl. Cut up basil into ribbons and add to the bowl. Add the feta cheese to the mixture. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Blend gently so that the vinegar and onions are mixed in to the salad. Don’t overstir since you don’t want the peaches and the tomatoes to get mushy. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until served. If you are taking it to a picnic, pack the cheese and lettuce separately and mix with the peach mixture before serving. Serves 4-5. 

Maura’s Italian Grandmother’s ” Jumbot “

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Maura is one of my BFF’s. She is the youngest of 11, from Peabody, Mass.. She has so much East Coast spirit, it’s contagious. Her mother’s name is Carmella. Of course she has a sister named “Tony” and Eva, who is the oldest. When I was describing the point of this recipe blog to Maura ( to post only easy recipes that are as healthy as possible and ideally handed down generation to generation so that I too could share with my kids), she immediately said, “My Grandmother’s Jumbot!”. I had to look up the spelling because it is not pronounced how it is spelled. Maura can say it like a true Italian.

 

Italian Jumbot Ingredients. ( Sausage optional.)

Italian Jumbot Ingredients. ( Sausage optional.)

You know someone is  a “foodie” when (like Maura) they describe a recipe and are so detailed, even when it’s a simple recipe like this one. “You have to use CRUSHED tomatoes, NOT diced or whole – CRUSHED!”. I had to twist her arm a little to share this recipe with me as lovely and simple as it is – that , and I showed up with a pitcher of Margarita’s when we went to Palm Desert together for a girls’, “get out of Dodge” weekend. I think the Tequila (even though it’s not Italian) may have helped motivate her to share. While this recipe is specific, the traditional “Jumbot”, is made with whatever vegetables and meats one has in the house. Without the sausage and cheese, it’s still a delicious vegetarian and vegan meal. Either way – it’s a great, healthy gluten-free option for my kids as well!

 

1 or 2 of each vegetable. So easy.

1 or 2 of each vegetable. So easy.

Ingredients:

 (double for a larger family or crowd):

  • Few Tablespoons of Cooking Oil (Olive or Coconut…)
  • 1/2 Yellow Onion, chopped
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, chopped (optional)
  • 1 Can Crushed Tomatoes + 1 Can of Water
  • 1 Sm. Can Tomato Paste
  • Tablespoon Dried Parsley
  • 1 Cup Mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 Cup Whole Green Beans
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into squares
  • 1 Large Potato, cut into cubes (personally, I scrub potatoes clean, it’s easy)
  • 1 Zucchini, cut into cubes
  • 1 Yellow Squash, cut into cubes
  • 2 Tablespoons of Grated Parmesan
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
  • 2-3 Sweet Italian Sausage, cooked in water (pierced to let the fat out) 

 

Cook onions in oil until start to look clear.

Cook onions in oil until start to look clear.

Cook onions in a large pot in oil until they start to look a little clear. Add the garlic if you’re using it and cook for an additional 20 seconds.

 

 

Add 1 can of water to crushed tomatoes,onion and garlic.

Add 1 can of water to crushed tomatoes, onion and garlic.

Then, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley and water. Reduce for 30-60 minutes on a low flame.

  

Then, add all the cubed vegetables except the zucchini and squash. When the potatoes are almost done, add the zucchini and squash and cook until done.  

 

If you are eating with sliced sausage, add and heat through. You can also add earlier if you want more sausage flavor infused in the liquid.

 

Add parmesan and serve alone, with crusty bread or over pasta or cous cous.

Add parmesan and serve alone, with crusty bread or over pasta or cous cous.

Serve in a bowl with crusty bread, or over pasta, rice or couscous.

 

Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables

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Eggplant, Zucchini, Peppers and Onions are great options for grilling.

Eggplant, Zucchini, Peppers and Onions are great options for grilling.

Many restaurants make this grilled vegetables recipe. Often, these types of grilled vegetables are what people think of when they think of the Mediterranean diet, but interestingly many of the vegetables that are often grilled originate from all over the world  (e.g. squash comes from the America’s , eggplant from Asia, onions from the Middle East etc…) 

 

 

Grilled vegetables are delicious served as a fiber rich, gluten-free, healthy, vegan side dish or in a vegetarian sandwich between crusty sourdough or gluten-free bread, or (as a restaurant I worked for served as a special), in between a portobello mushroom “burger” with delicious easy to make garlic aioli.

 

 

Vegetables cut for grilling.

Vegetables cut for grilling.

Fresh herbs and other flavors are best added after grilling. Do brush the pieces with oil before you grill to prevent them from burning. We make a batch almost every Sunday to keep in the fridge for future salads or snacks.

 

  • 1 Eggplant, sliced in 3/4″ circles
  • 2 Red, Green or Yellow Peppers ( stem removed and cut in quarters).
  • 1-2 Red or Yellow Onions sliced into 3/4″ slices
  • 2-3 Zucchini and/or Long Yellow Squash, cut lengthwise
  • Olive Oil 
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Fresh chopped Herbs of choice (optional)
  • Pinch of chopped Garlic (also optional)

 

Rinse and slice each vegetable for grilling. For peppers, remove the stems and inner veins (the white “pith”) of each pepper with your hands (it’s easier than a knife). Slice the zucchini lengthwise. You could choose to cut the vegetables smaller and use a grill pan with holes so the vegetables would not fall through the grill grates. This is a great, easy grilling option!

 

 

Brush vegetables with oil before grilling to prevent them from burning.

Brush vegetables with oil before grilling to prevent them from burning.

Put some oil in a small bowl, and with a pastry brush, brush oil on each piece (both sides) or better yet, put your kids to work and get them to do it! They start painting in Kindergarten, right? 

 

Place all the vegetable pieces on a grill and flip the pieces as each side browns. The pieces will finish cooking at different times (around 5 minutes or more on each side) depending upon their size and also where you place them on the grill as most grills have some hotter areas where items cook more quickly. Flip and remove pieces as they look ready. You can also grill on a grill plate on top of your kitchen burners (as you may have seen on TV on the Foodnetwork or other cooking shows) or even George Foreman type electric grills work well with this recipe!

 

Vegetables after grilling.

Vegetables after grilling.

When vegetables are done, add salt and pepper and a litle more olive oil and  balsamic vinegar (or other light dressing). If you like, add a small chopped clove of garlic (or substitute a pinch of granulated garlic or garlic salt), plus any fresh, chopped herb like fresh basil. We usually omit the herbs and garlic. But herbs and garlic add a nice flavor. These vegetables are even better the next day!