If you have mushroom stems stashed away, make this with homemade Mushroom Stock. This gluten-free, vegan soup is hearty enough to make a meal with nothing more than a hunk of good bread.
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Category Archives: Vegan
No Work Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
How to preserve the flavor of summer tomatoes? I love the whole concept of canning, but more often than not I’ll opt for low-heat and a deep freeze instead. After roasting, let the tomatoes cool to room temperature and pop the whole pan in the freezer (this freezes them individually, so they’re easy to separate later). When the tomatoes are firm (usually after just an hour), slide them into a Ziploc bag and keep them in the freezer for luscious, flavorful roasted tomatoes all winter long.
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Watermelon-Basil Agua Fresca
Agua fresca is Spanish for “fresh water,” and it’s an ideal summertime drink. As refreshing as a slice of watermelon with a little hint of perfumed sweetness.
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Grilled Onions with Chile-Nut Puree
These grilled onions make me think of Mexico and cebollitas (little onions), nestled in embers, turning buttery soft with a rich, smoky flavor. I like to wrap the charred tail around the bulb like wrapping string around a ball, then I scrape it through the flavorful paste and pop it in my mouth whole.
2 red bell peppers
1 tomato, halved lengthwise
1/2 onion
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 ancho chile, halved, stemmed and seeded
3 chile morro (or 2 dried chipotles), halved, stemmed and seeded
1/4 cinnamon stick
3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
3/4 ounce peanuts, (about 3 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 pounds spring onions, cleaned, greens kept on
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
On a medium-high grill or over an open flame, roast bell pepper until flesh is completely charred, 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a paper bag until cool enough to handle, then peel, stem and seed. Place roasted peppers in the bowl of a food processor.
Heat a large skillet to medium and toast tomato, onion and garlic. Turn every few minutes to char all surfaces, about 5 minutes total, and transfer to food processor. Flatten chiles onto the skillet and toast for 30 seconds on both sides, until shiny and fragrant (be careful not to scorch). Transfer to the bowl. Add cinnamon stick and pumpkin seeds to the skillet, and transfer to the bowl when toasted and fragrant. Add peanuts, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the mixture and process until a coarse paste.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and when oil is hot, add puree (be careful; puree may splatter at first). Fry sauce for 5 minutes, until darkened a shade and thickened. Remove from heat, stir in vinegar and transfer to a serving bowl.
Toss green onions with remaining teaspoon oil and salt and grill for 5-8 minutes, turning often, until charred but not burnt on all sides. Serve with Chile-Nut Puree.
Serves 4
Open-Faced Avocado Tomato Sandwich
This avocado and tomato sandwich embodies all sorts of nutritional virtues: whole grains, healthy fats and fresh vegetables. But really it does even more than that . . . it exemplifies how enjoyable even the simplest fresh food can be.
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South of the Border Melizansalata (Eggplant Dip)
I created this eggplant dip for a class I’m teaching at Rancho La Puerta spa in Tecate, Mexico, to take advantage of all the gorgeous vegetables in their organic gardens. It’s a spin on one of my favorites from Greece—melinzansalata — and makes a tasty summer appetizer.
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Sweet Pepper Confit
There are many versions of sweet pepper confit, from Sicilian peperonata to Basque piperade. Summer vegetable confits, like this one are exceptionally versatile in the kitchen; the ultimate summer convenience food. Serve them on grilled bread as an appetizer or as a side dish with our Spice-Rubbed Skirt Steak or Pesto-Rubbed Butterflied Grilled Chicken.
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Green Beans with Frizzled Shallots
This simple side dish is our answer to that Thanksgiving classic: green bean casserole. But since it’s made with fresh green beans, it’s sooooo much better. The method may seem backwards, but adding the olive oil and shallot at the end makes the flavors even more intense.
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 pound medium green beans, topped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Bring broth to a simmer over medium heat and add beans. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, until beans are just pliable. Uncover and increase heat to high. Sauté beans until all liquid has evaporated. Add olive oil, shallot, salt and pepper and continue sautéing for 3-5 minutes, until shallots are crispy and beans are tender and browned in places.
Serves 4
Grilled Crostini with Fava Bean Spread
This nibble comes together super-quick once the fava beans are shelled, so you can whip it up and be back outside before the conversation even hits a lull.
Note: Fava beans need to be shelled twice–once from their pods and again from the skins that hold the bean itself.
1 baguette, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
3 cloves garlic, peeled and divided
3 pounds fava beans, shelled from the pod (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grill or broil the baguette slices until crisp and use a halved clove of garlic to rub both sides of each. (can be done ahead of time)
Bring a pot of salted water to boil and drop fava beans in for 20 seconds. Drain. Then slip each bean out of its skin and into the bowl of a food processor.
Add remaining 2 cloves of garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano and lemon juice to the bowl and process until smooth. Drizzle in extra-virgin olive oil and blend until emulsified. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and spoon into a serving bowl.
Serve fava bean spread with the crostini.
Serves 6-8