I think we’re finally nearing the end of our green bean and tomato harvest. Even after eating them frequently for weeks on end, I still haven’t tired of them. One of the reasons, I think, is the fantastic Nicoise-style salad that I make at least once a week. Sometimes I just combine all the ingredients in a salad bowl and toss, but most often, especially when that’s all I’m serving for dinner, I prefer to serve a “composed” salad, arranging the various ingredients aesthetically on dinner plates.

Just for fun, I changed things up a bit the other day. I came up with a colorful twist on the classic salad, using roasted sweet potatoes instead of steamed white potatoes, yellow tomatoes instead of red, and dark red kidney beans instead of my usual chickpeas (which I use instead of the traditional tuna.) For comparison to the colorful salad above, I’m also posting a photo of my regular Nicoise.

Here is the recipe so you can make it either way:

Nicoise-Style Salad
(This recipe is adapted from The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook by Robin Robertson.) The colorful adaptation ingredients are in brackets.

1 1/2 pounds white potatoes [or sweet potatoes]
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces green beans
1 or 2 ripe red tomatoes, sliced [or yellow tomato]
2 tablespoons Niçoise or Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed [or dark red kidney beans]
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
Torn salad greens

Cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch dice and steam over boiling water until tender. Alternately, the potatoes can be tossed with olive oil and spread on a baking sheet and roasted in a 435 degree oven until tender. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
Steam the green beans until tender. Run cold water over them to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
Place a layer of salad greens on dinner plates. Arrange a portion of the potatoes, green beans, tomato slices and chickpeas (or beans) decoratively on each plate. (Alternately you can cut the green beans and tomatoes and combine all the salad ingredients in a large salad bowl, including torn salad greens.)
In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, parsley, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until blended, then drizzle some of the dressing over each salad, or if making one large salad, drizzle on enough dressing to coat and toss gently.

Serves 4

Labels: green beans, potatoes, salad nicoise recipe, tomatoes, Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook

# posted by Robin at Vegan Planet @ 6:00 PM 6 Comments

Labels: carrot cake, carrots, potatoes and carrots

# posted by Robin at Vegan Planet @ 12:30 PM 2 Comments

Labels: baked tomato sauce

# posted by Robin at Vegan Planet @ 6:22 PM 5 Comments

I had some medium cheddar Sheese on hand and some cooked pasta in the fridge, so what could I do but make Mac and Sheese? I usually add some cooked spinach or broccoli to the casserole anyway, when I make mac and “cheese,” so this time I cut some of the cooked green beans into bite-sized pieces and added them instead.


Whenever I make mac and “cheese,” I usually serve some version of "stewed" tomatoes with it, but this time, I combined the tomatoes with, you guessed it, some cooked green beans. Both dishes complemented each other nicely, yet each had its own unique flavor.


For an appetizer, I served chilled green beans with hummus for dipping, using a just-picked tomato to hold the hummus.


To complete my “green bean sampler” I couldn’t resist tossing some of them in my favorite peanut sauce. It was so yummy, it could almost qualify as dessert. And of course, we had enough of everything leftover for lunch the next day.



Easy Green Bean Mac and “Sheese”
I usually prefer making my own “cheese” sauce than using a commercial product, but I couldn’t resist the chance to try some oh-so-cheddary flavored Sheese in this recipe and I’m glad I did. It has a great taste and texture. Recipe by Robin Robertson © 2008.

8 ounces elbow macaroni
1 (8-ounce) package Medium Cheddar Sheese, grated
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 cups soy milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

Cook the macaroni in a pot of salted boiling water until it is al dente. Drain and set it aside in a large bowl.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a saucepan, combine the shredded Sheese, nutritional yeast, mustard, paprika, and soy milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring to melt the Sheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Combine the sauce with the reserved macaroni and the green beans, and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled baking dish. Sprinkle on the bread crumbs and bake until hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes.
Serves 4

Green Beans with Tomatoes and Garlic
Adapted from a recipe in Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson © 2003, Harvard Common Press.

1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 fresh ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced or 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steam the green beans over boiling water until just tender. Run cold water over the beans to arrest the color and cooking process. Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until the tomatoes break down and the flavors are well combined, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in the reserved green beans and cook a few minutes to heat through.
Serves 4

My Favorite Peanut Sauce
Adapted from a recipe in Vegan Fire & Spice by Robin Robertson © 2008, Vegan Heritage Press.

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Asian garlic-chile sauce
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/3 cup water

In a bowl, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, chile sauce, sugar, and ginger, stirring to blend well. Slowly add the water, stirring, to make a thick sauce.
Makes about 1 cup

Labels: green bean recipes, Green Beans and Tomatoes with Garlic, hummus, Mac and Sheese, Seitan Satays with Ginger Peanut Sauce, Sheese

# posted by Robin at Vegan Planet @ 5:44 PM 4 Comments

This time of year, the vegetable garden can be a full-time job — or at least two part-time jobs, with Jon tending to the weeding, watering, and picking and me doing the washing, trimming, and cooking. (We both share in the eating.) Even in this heat, we still have a few cabbages like the one in the photo. We’ve been enjoying them in vegetable soups, halushki (sautéed cabbage and onions with pasta), and of course, coleslaw.

Below is a photo of what we picked this morning. I’ll cook up the beans for tomorrow’s dinner — probably a Nicoise Salad, one of our favorites. I’ll wash, cut, and freeze the bell peppers. The baby chard is for tonight’s dinner – just steamed lightly and served with a little Earth Balance and salt and pepper. I’ll use the cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, hot chiles, and Thai basil in two salads for lunch today and tomorrow.


After an endless parade of Italian-style tomato salads, I decided to make the African-inspired Spicy Peanut Tomato Salad from Vegan Fire & Spice for today’s lunch. Since I had Thai basil that needed picking, I changed up the recipe slightly, making it more Thai than African in flavor. Either way it’s a different and tasty way to enjoy a few of the many tomatoes in our midst. I garnished the tomato salad with a Thai basil flower. So pretty.


Tomorrow we’ll dig into the Cajun Coleslaw. It tastes great today, but will be even better tomorrow. If I’m feeling ambitious, I’ll make some fried green tomato po’boys to go with them. Here are the recipes for the two salads:

Spicy Peanut Tomato Salad
This recipe is adapted from Vegan Fire & Spice by Robin Robertson © 2008, Vegan Heritage Press. This salad is best eaten shortly after it is made.

3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 scallions, chopped
1 small hot chile, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon chopped Thai basil (or parsley)
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (or fresh lime juice)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
Salt, to taste
2 tablespoons crushed peanuts (optional)

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, scallions, chile, and basil. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, rice vinegar, oil, soy sauce, sugar, and salt to taste. Stir to mix well, then stir in water, 2 tablespoons at a time, to make a smooth and pourable dressing. Add the dressing to the vegetables and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the crushed peanuts, if using.
Serves 4

Cajun Coleslaw
The flavor of this zesty slaw improves if you allow it to sit overnight, so plan to make it the day before you need it. (This recipe is adapted from Vegan Fire & Spice, by Robin Robertson © 2008, Vegan Heritage Press.)

1 small cabbage, cored and shredded
1 medium carrot, grated
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 fresh jalapeño, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons minced parsley
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco, or to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage and grated carrot, and set aside.
In a food processor, combine the garlic, jalapeño, parsley, vinegar, sugar, salt, and Tabasco, and process until well combined. With the machine running, slowly add the oil. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix well. Cover and refrigerate.
Just before serving, drain the excess liquid and adjust the seasonings to taste.
Serves 4 to 6

Labels: Cajun coleslaw, fresh vegetables, salad recipes, Spicy Peanut Tomato Salad, vegan fire and spice

# posted by Robin at Vegan Planet @ 9:44 AM 3 Comments

Labels: Veggie Awards

# posted by Robin at Vegan Planet @ 6:21 PM 4 Comments

The Brilliant Berry Parfaits were an obvious choice and they turned out great. I substituted blackberries for the blueberries in the recipe and I opted for a basic vegan whipped cream garnish instead of the maple cream called for in the book.

This dessert is sublime and I could have stopped there, but I still had unspoken for berries and Jon was whining about his favorite dessert, vegan cheesecake. In this heat, I didn’t want to turn on the oven, and Hannah came to the rescue again with her Mini Icebox “Cheese” Cake, which goes into the freezer instead of the oven.

In addition to making a blackberry “jam” for the topping, I added some pureed blackberries to the filling as a replacement for the liquid in the recipe, thus adding an additional whisper of blackberries to the dessert. The “cheese”cake turned out great — the taste and texture reminded me of a mascarpone semi-freddo from my pre-vegan days.

I’m usually too busy testing my own recipes to try anyone else’s, but in the case of My Sweet Vegan, I’m glad I did. This is a dessert cookbook that grabs your attention with gorgeous photographs and follows through with terrific recipes. Do you enjoy this book as much as I do?

Labels: blackberries, blackberry cheesecake, blackberry parfaits, Hannah Kaminsky, My Sweet Vegan

# posted by Robin at Vegan Planet @ 10:19 AM 5 Comments