Vegetable & Mung Bean Noodle Salad with Creamy Teriyaki Dressing

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when a recipe with a name like this one has would have scared me off. Asian flavor profiles have never been my strong suit, and an ingredient list like this one takes some getting used to.

Tofu...miso...sambal oelek... Not everyone has purchased these items before. Don't worry; they're easy to find in any large grocery. Check the refrigerated produce section for tofu (often near other "specialty foods" like ginger root, fresh herbs, and bottled garlic) and the Asian foods section for everything else that sounds strange. Though the products may be unfamiliar, I guarantee you'll recognize their aromas and flavors. They may even become new staples in your kitchen, as they have in mine.

Though it involves stir-frying, this recipe is more easily managed than many Asian dishes because it is intended to be served at room temperature. So, there's not need for that sweaty rush from wok to table. Speaking of woks: If you don't have one, a deep, heavy-bottomed skillet works fine. I prefer to use a Dutch oven to make tossing the ingredients easier.

Vegetable & Mung Bean Noodle Salad with Creamy Teriyaki Dressing

Dressing:
4 oz firm silken tofu
1/3 cup spicy miso teriyaki sauce
1 Tbs sambal oelek (ground fresh chili paste)
2 Tbs fresh ginger, grated
2 Tbs lemon juice
1Tbs sesame oil

Combine dressing ingredients in food processor and blend until creamy. If you prefer more heat, add additional sambal oelek to taste. Bear in mind that the dressing will taste milder once combined with the vegetables and noodles. For a saltier dressing, add a dash of soy sauce.

Salad:
1 (6 oz) package saifun (mung bean noodles)
6 cups thinly sliced vegetables (I used carrots, broccoli, celery, and bell peppers. Sugar snap peas, mushrooms, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, and more would also be tasty.)
2 Tbs sesame oil
2 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted
3 scallions, chopped

Stir fry vegetables (except scallions) in sesame oil, over medium-high heat, until crisp-tender. Allow to cool. Meanwhile, cook saifun according to package directions (boil, don't fry). Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.

Combine saifun, vegetables, and dressing in large bowl, stirring gently to combine. Serve topped with sesame seeds and scallions.

Makes 4 dinner servings.

Side dish suggestion: Mix hot, brown basmati rice with onion, garlic, and kale lightly sauteed in sesame oil and drizzled with soy sauce.

Curried Coconut Coercion

My mother isn't fond of the spice that gives curries their name, so I wasn't introduced to this marvelously flexible dish until I was well into my twenties. These days, they're one of my favorites for quick, hearty, aromatic suppers. Curries adapt readily to whatever ingredients you have on hand; the fact that I had pasillas instead of sweet bell peppers led to this rather unusual, but surprisingly tasty, version. As an added benefit, the dish reheats beautifully for lunch the next day.

In this curry, which is named in honor of loyal reader who insisted that I get back here and post something already, I use red lentils for their attractive color. I located them in the bulk section of a large grocery, and any specialty foods store ought to carry them. If you can't find them or don't want to bother, regular brown lentils would work just fine. I opted for the richness of full-fact coconut milk (C'mon, have you ever heard of anyone getting obese off coconuts? Plant fats are good for you!), but the reduced fat version would also do the trick.

The recipe as written will deliver a flavorful but mild curry. If you want to turn up the heat, increase the red curry paste or add hot curry powder. You could also throw in a diced jalipeno, so long as we're flirting with fusion!


Curried Coconut Coersion
Flegan

1 medium onion, diced
1 pasilla (also known as a poblano), diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 Tbs red curry paste
1 (14.5 oz) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 oz) vegetable broth
1 (14.5 oz) can petite-diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups red lentils
1 tsp salt
4 green onions, chopped
Lime juice to taste

Saute onion and pasilla over low to medium heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute one minute. Add red curry paste and saute one minute more. Add next five ingredients (coconut milk through salt) and simmer until lentils are done, about 25 minutes. Serve over brown basmati rice with a sprinkle of green onions and a squeeze of lime.

Serves 6.
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Still hungry? Try my November Lentil Curry

Harvest Enchiladas

I'll (almost) shamelessly admit that this recipe is based on Cooking Light's Black Bean, Corn, and Zucchini Enchiladas. The original recipe struck me as a good way to use zucchini, but it looked a bit bland; also, it called for more cheese than I wanted to use.

I added several ingredients to liven up the enchilada filling and replaced the cheese with tofu mixed with cheesy-flavored nutritional yeast, plus a sprinkling of chives. (If you're feeding picky eaters, don't mention the tofu -- chances are, they'll assume it's ricotta or cottage cheese.) Cooking Light's sauce recipe is excellent, and I prepared the original version.

As you can see, I served the enchiladas with fresh tomato salad (diced garden tomatoes with fresh basil, cracked black pepper, a pinch of kosher salt, and a splash of rice vinegar.) If you want something heavier, Spanish rice would be a good choice.


Harvest Enchiladas
Flegan

2 tsp olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 cups zucchini, diced
1 1/2 cups black beans, cooked
1 10-oz package frozen corn
1 12.3-oz package silken tofu
2 Tbs nutritional yeast
1/3 cup fresh oregano, chopped
8 whole wheat tortillas (8-inch)
1/3 cup fresh chives, chopped
Enchilada Sauce by Cooking Light

Saute onion, garlic, and zucchini in oil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add beans and corn; heat just until corn thaws.

Meanwhile, stir together silken tofu, nutritional yeast, and oregano.

Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of a lightly greased, 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Fill each tortilla with zucchini mixture and tofu mixture. Place rolled enchiladas in prepared pan and top with remaining sauce. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with chives immediately before serving.

Serves 4.

Digging for Gold

The potato blossoms have faded, the leaves withered, and it is time for harvest. Travis dug the first row of Yukon Golds.


I diced them.


And mixed them with a bit of olive oil, kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and fresh rosemary.


Then roasted them to purest bliss.


Ahh, homegrown potatoes. You simply can't buy this flavor at the store.

Zucchini Egg Salad

Ah, zucchini. It sounds wonderful in March when you tuck the slender, white seeds into wee beds of starting mix. It satisfies by germinating quickly, springing into robust seedings in a matter of days. It fills your June garden with glorious green. Bright blossoms unfurl, birthing the first fruits. You carry them triumphantly to the kitchen. Summer at last!

But they keep coming. No sooner do you pluck a squash than three more grow in its place. You grill them, stuff them, bake them in breads, grate and freeze them for winter soups, pile them by the sink, haul boxes of them to work to foist on your co-workers, and still they come. By mid-August, you've given up picking them, let weeds spring up around them, threatened the sprawling vines with rototiller and hoe...and still they come. What are you going to do?

Try this salad. Not only is it fast and easy, but it's a great way to use up zucchini while reaping the nutritional benefit of eating the squash raw. The texture of raw zucchini is remarkably like that of hard-boiled eggs, especially if you peel the squash before dicing it (I don't). You can use some eggs in the recipe (I do) or replace them with additional zucchini. This version reflects a bit of Italian influence, but feel free to experiment with more traditional egg salad ingredients instead, or branch out and create a zucchini potato salad instead.


Zucchini Egg Salad
Flegan

6 hard-boiled eggs, diced
3 cups raw zucchini squash, diced
1/4 cup green olives, sliced
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, diced small
1/4 cup pickled pepperocini peppers, sliced
1/2 cup plain, full-fat yogurt
2 Tbs mayonaise
2 Tbs honey mustard
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1/4 - 1/2 tsp black pepper, coursely ground

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir gently. Serve as a side dish, or with spinach in tortillas or pitas for a light meal. Serves 6.

Stuffed Date and Apricot Skewers

I've settled on a Mediterranean menu for our Independence Day feast. We'll have spiced lamb skewers (now there's the flex in flegan!), grilled rosemary flatbreads, grilled vegetables with feta, melon kebabs with honey-lime drizzle and mint, and these stuffed fruit skewers.

I doubt there's anything genuinely Mediterranean about this rich, but not overly sweet, dessert. However, it offers a bit more nutrition than your average slice of devil's food, despite its use of cream cheese. (I don't believe in that 3-a-day nonsense. A little research reveals that dairy is decidedly unhealthful.) Anyway, the skewers will suit the general theme of the meal.

I used almonds in the apricots and walnuts in the dates, but you could speed preparation by mixing the all nuts into the cream cheese before stuffing the fruit. I'll use toothpicks as miniature skewers to combine one stuffed date and one stuffed apricot for each serving... Well, okay, I made enough for three mini-skewers per person. So sue me.


Stuffed Date and Apricot Skewers
flegan

18 whole, dried apricots
18 whole, dried dates
3 oz cream cheese
1 Tbs fresh orange zest
1/8 cup chopped almonds, raw and unsalted
1/8 cup chopped walnuts, raw and unsalted

Carefully split dried fruits so they can be stuffed, but are not completely halved; set aside. Soften cream cheese in microwave for 30 seconds. Add orange zest and stir to combine. Stuff each fruit with a pinch of chopped nuts and approximately 1/2 teaspoon cream cheese mixture. Skewer two fruits on each of 18 toothpicks. Chill before serving. Makes 18 mini-skewers.

Warm Crowder Pea Salad with Green Herb Dressing

A favorite in the South, crowder peas (also known as cow peas, poor man's peas, or China beans) aren't just for Hoppin' John on New Year's Eve. They make a great foundation for vegetarian soups, salads, and burgers. This recipe features them in a light but filling salad that tastes of spring. I used black-eyed peas, but any variety of crowder peas would work beautifully.

By the way, you can avoid that "canned" taste and a lot of sodium -- and save money -- by using dried beans and peas from the bulk bins instead of canned varieties. Just cook the dried legumes in boiling water, drain, and freeze portions in airtight bags. I usually put about 3 cups of cooked legumes in each bag. To thaw, just soak a bag-o-beans in hot tap water for ten minutes. (Microwaving works too, but it kills the nutrients in the beans.)


Warm Crowder Pea Salad with Green Herb Dressing
Vegan

Green Herb Dressing:
1/2 cup mixed fresh herbs (such as oregano, thyme, chives, and sage)
1/3 cup onion, diced
1/3 cup white rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 Tbs honey
1 Tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp black pepper

Combine ingredients in blender and puree. Set aside.

Salad:
1 Tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
3 cups cooked, drained crowder peas
6 cups mixed salad greens

Saute onion, celery, and carrot in olive oil over medium heat until slightly tender (about 5 minutes.) Gently stir in crowder peas and heat until warm. Gently stir in 1/2 of Green Herb Dressing.

Arrange salad greens on large plates; top with crowder pea mixture and remaining dressing. Makes 3 dinner-sized servings.

Curried Oat Groats with Dried Fruit and Almonds

Even after fourteen hours of horse training and farm work, I'd rather create a healthful, tasty meal than break out a box of Hamburger Helper. Curries provide maximal flavor for minimal work, and whole grain-based dishes like this one are exceptionally satisfying. Toasting the spices in the nearly dry saute pan heightens their flavor.

Curried Oat Groats with Dried Fruit and Almonds
Vegan

1 cup oat groats, uncooked
1 Tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, vertically sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup dried apricots, diced
1 Tbs curry powder, mild
1/4 tsp tumeric
3/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/3 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Boil 2 cups water. Add oat groats, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed (about 40 minutes). Saute onion in olive oil until golden (7-10 minutes). Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add spices and and heat until spices are fragrant (about 30 seconds). Stir in cooked groats, dried fruit, parsley, and green onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Served topped with slivered almonds. Serves 4.

Time-to-Go-Shopping Black Bean Chili

Several weeks after my monthly shopping trip, while the spring garden is still hardly more than tilled soil and flecks of green, fresh produce is hard to come by here on the farm. This turns out to be a blessing in disguise, because it's perfect motivation to use up odds and ends from the pantry and freezer.

Vegetarian chilis are a great way to use a variety of ingredients during these final, chilly nights of the year. This sweet, smokey, multi-spiced black bean chili is one of my favorite ways to reduce my stockpile of green tomatoes rescued from the vines last October. Ripe tomatoes or tomatillos would make a good substitute.

Time-To-Go-Shopping Black Bean Chili
Vegan

1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs mustard seeds
1 1/2 Tbs chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 cups sweet potato, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups vegetable broth
4 cups cooked black beans
1 1/2 cups green tomatoes, diced
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 14.5-oz can tomato sauce
1 4-oz can fire roasted diced green chilis
1 chipotle canned in adobo sauce, minced
1/3 cup molassas
1 1/2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Pre-heat large Dutch oven over medium flame. Saute spices in oil until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add onion, sweet potato, and mushrooms. Saute 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining ingredients except cilantro. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with cilantro.

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

I heard of baked oatmeal for the first time just a few months ago. Perhaps I was the last to know. In any event, it's become one of my favorite breakfasts. Easy, healthful, and filling, the lumpy-liquid mixture bakes into a moist, dense cake. If you have any left over, it reheats well in the microwave for busy weekday mornings.

The recipe below is one I developed while experimenting with various, other baked oatmeal recipes. It is quite adaptable, so feel free to make adjustments according to what you have on hand. (Try replacing the cranberries, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice with chopped apple, applesauce, and allspice.) I like to top my serving with soy milk, and serve fresh fruit salad with a honey-vanilla-cinnamon dressing on the side.


Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
Vegetarian

2 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats or 5-grain blend
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 cups plain soy milk (or dairy milk)
2 beaten eggs
1 Tbs vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Combine oats, sugar, dried fruits, spices, and salt in large bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in medium bowl, then add to large bowl and stir until well blended. Pour mixture, which will be very runny, into an 8x8 inch, glass baking dish. Sprinkle nuts on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until center is set and firm. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.

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Welcome, Runners World Forum readers! I'm delighted that you're enjoying this recipe; I, too, find it to be excellent running fuel, though I confess that I only run during winter because my summers are too full of gardening and horseback endurance racing. Click here to explore other flegan recipes on Nightlife.

Sundried Tomato & Artichoke Heart Pizza

This may not be the healthiest item on our menu, but it hits the spot after an evening of tree wrestling. The rich flavors of pesto, parmesan, and sundried tomatoes render the excessive use of mozzarella, so common on commercial pizzas, quite unnecessary. The homemade crust is unusually quick for a yeast bread and spares us the preservatives baked into pre-fabricated, grocery-store crusts. To help the dough rise even faster, place the bowl in which the dough is rising inside a second, larger bowl containing hot tap water and cover both with a fresh dish towel.

By the way, I find that an ulu works much better than your standard pizza cutter. Ulus are my all-time favorite kitchen tool -- I have two (and need a third) so I can be sure of having a clean one available at all times. I use them to slice and dice everything from carrots to calzones.

Sundried Tomato & Artichoke Heart Pizza

Vegetarian

Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs yeast (one packet)
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 cup warm water (about 115 degrees)
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp cornmeal

Combine first five ingredients in large mixing bowl. Beat on slow speed 30 seconds, then on high speed for 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed and add whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough forms a ball and no longer sticks to the bowl. You may not require all 1 1/4 cups of whole wheat flour.

Place dough in bowl coated with cooking spray; coat top of dough with cooking spray. Set in warm place to rise until nearly double in size (10 or 15 minutes).

Roll dough to preferred thickness (1/4 - 1/2 inch) and place on cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes.

Toppings:
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
3 Tbs basil pesto
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, cut into strips
2/3 cup canned artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
5 cloves roasted garlic, sliced (optional)

Combine tomato paste and basil; spread on partially baked crust. Top with cheese, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and garlic (if desired). Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes. Cool 2 minutes before slicing.

November Lentil Curry

Last night's weather featured a lightning storm complete with wind-slung hail and an unsettled greyhound who velcroed herself to me for hours. Training horses was out, so I caught up on seed starting, then simmered a Dutch oven full of a favorite cold-weather dish.

I created this curry last November (hence the name), when a series of published recipes failed to offer sufficiently pronounced flavors. Though I've pictured it here with brown jasmine rice, my curry is even better served with whole wheat naan.


November Lentil Curry
Vegetarian

1 medium onion, diced
1 cup sweet potato, diced
1 1/2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs fresh ginger, grated
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbs curry powder
2 14-0z cans vegetable broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 tomatoes, diced
1 1/4 cup lentils
1 Tbs red curry paste
4 Tbs plain yogurt, optional

Heat Dutch oven over medium flame. Saute onion and sweet potato in olive oil until onions turn yellow (4-5 minutes). Add ginger and garlic; saute 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and curry powder; saute 1 minute. Add next five ingredients (broth through curry paste) and simmer until lentils are fully cooked (about 30 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in yogurt, if desired, immediately before serving. Serves 4.

Greek Zucchini & Spinach Salad

Horse training is hard and addicting work. I don't like to waste much daylight on food preparation, but nourishment is essential. Here's what I concocted for Saturday's lunch:

Greek Zucchini & Spinach Salad
vegetarian

Dressing:
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs oregano, dried
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

Salad:
1/2 zucchini, raw diced
1 roma tomato, diced
1 1/2 cups spinach leaves, torn
1/3 cup red onion, sliced
6 kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup crumbled Feta

Other ingredients:
Whole wheat flatbread

Whisk together dressing ingredients, set aside. Chop salad ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to coat. Serve over whole wheat flatbread. Makes one large serving.