Vegan Southern Mixed Greens

Recipe adapted from sweetpotatosoul.com

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

If you like your collards to have a "pot gravy" or broth, add about ¼-1/2 cup of water to the cooking greens, and season with 1 tablespoon more tamari.

Serves: 4
 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 juicy ripe tomatoes, diced or ½ 15-oz can of diced tomatoes

• 1 large bunch of collard greens and/or turnip greens (you can use either of these greens, or even mix them together); wash greens and remove any extra fibrous stem parts, otherwise the tender parts of stems are fine to eat; thinly slice the stems and leaves

• sea salt

• 2 tablespoons tamari (or normal soy sauce)

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika + more to taste

Instructions

1. Warm oil on medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed pot.

2. Add the garlic, and sauté on medium-low until it begins to turn golden.

3. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.

4. Add the chopped collard greens and a sprinkle of sea salt, and stir well. Reduce the heat to low, and cover the greens. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes, or longer depending on your preference.

5. Turn off the flame, then stir in the soy sauce and smoked paprika. Season to taste with more soy sauce if necessary.

Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini Fritters — we love these in the summer time, and they’re kid friendly too. We dip them in mayo mixed with finely chopped basil and fresh lemon juice/zest. yum!

Yield: 4 servings

prep time: 15 minutes

cook time: 10 minutes

total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds zucchini and/or summer squash (including patty pans), grated

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 large egg, beaten

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Place grated zucchini in a colander over the sink. Add salt and gently toss to combine; let sit for 10 minutes. Using a clean dish towel or cheese cloth, drain zucchini completely.

2. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, flour, Parmesan, garlic and egg; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Scoop tablespoons of batter for each fritter, flattening with a spatula, and cook until the underside is nicely golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, about 1-2 minutes longer.

4. Serve immediately.

Eggplant + Cucumber Crunch Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Eggplant + Cucumber Crunch Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Prep Time: 15 minutes    Cook Time: 30 minutes    Serves: 4

This Recipe has been adapted  from an amazing CSA Farm in Orgeon  (Tumbleweed Farm) and their farm food blog Dishing Up the Dirt
Check out the link above for an amazing resource for CSA cooking! It's the best! 
 

• 1 cup quinoa

• 1 medium-sized eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch chunks

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

• 3 Tablespoons finely chopped onion

• 1 large cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch chunks

• 1 bunch of parsley, diced

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas-if canned rinsed and drained

• salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 1/4 cup water

• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 2 teaspoons honey

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Prepare the quinoa by combining 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until quinoa has absorbed the liquid and can easily be fluffed with a fork.

2. Prepare the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together until smooth. Taste test and adjust seasonings if necessary.

3. Slice the eggplants into 1/4 inch chunks (no need to peel) and lightly salt them and set aside on a dish cloth.

4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the eggplant and chickpeas and continue to cook stirring often until eggplants begin to brown on all sides and chickpeas become lightly toasted. About 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

5. In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa with cherry tomatoes, cucumber and eggplant/chickpea mixture. Stir in the parsley and toss until well combine.  Drizzle with dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy

*Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Taste test as you go

Roasted Eggplant with Tahini

Roasted Eggplant with Tahini

Easy to make, comforting and delicious, this roasted eggplant with tahini is perfect as an appetizer or part of a mezze.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 25 to 40 mins
Total time: 35 to 50  mins (depending on how big the eggplants are)
 

Course: Appetizer/Starter

Cuisine: Israeli

Keyword: eggplant recipe, roasted eggplant recipe, vegan

Servings: 2 people

Recipe from  Caroline's Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant, or multiple small eggplants

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 3 tbsp tahini

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 tbsp water approx

• 1 tbsp pine nuts

• 1/2 tsp date syrup or pomegranate molasses/honey

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400F/200C.

• Halve the eggplant lengthwise, then score each side without cutting through to the skin in a criss-cross pattern around 1in/2.5cm apart. Put on a baking sheet, cut side up.

• Brush both cut sides generously with olive oil - use the full amount above - then sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake/roast. They should take around 25 to 40 minutes to become soft and tender inside and just starting to brown on top (this depends on how large the eggplant are)

• While the eggplant is roasting, mix together the dressing. Put the tahini, lemon juice and garlic in a small jar and shake together. Add some water and shake again, adding a little more if needed to get a good pourable consistency. 

• Gently toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet/frying pan or under the broiler/grill, watching them closely so they don't burn and set aside.

• When the eggplant is ready, drizzle with the tahini dressing (shake it again before using if it was a little while before), drizzle over a little date syrup/honey and the toasted pine nuts. This is probably best served warm but also good at room temperature.

Shishito Peppers -- the go-to method!

HOW TO COOK SHISHITO PEPPERS

INGREDIENTS

• Olive oil

• Shishito peppers, rinsed and patted very dry 

• Sea salt

• Lemon or lime wedges (optional)

DIRECTIONS

• 1. Heat a little olive oil in a wide sauté pan or skillet until it’s good and hot but not smoking.

• 2. Add the peppers, complete with stems, and cook them over medium, tossing and turning them frequently until they blister. They should only char in places. Don’t rush the process. It can take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to cook a panful of peppers, depending on the heat and the skillet.

• 3. When the peppers are blistered, toss them with sea salt and, if desired, add a squeeze of citrus.

• 4. Slide the peppers into a bowl and serve sizzling hot. Pick them up by the stem end and eat the whole thing—minus the stem!

Try some fun and funky variations . . .  Sesame oil instead of olive oil; add a little korean chile flake right before serving, or maybe even sprinkle with some fish sauce. The possibilities are nearly endless. 

Thai Basil Summer Squash

Recipe & Photo From www.noteatingoutinny.com
Follow the link for extra recipe details!

Thai Basil Summer Squash
(makes about 2 side dish servings)
4-6 small heirloom summer squashes, ends trimmed and cut to longish pieces no thinner than 1/2″
1/2 onion, thickly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 small Thai chilies, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
salt and pepper to taste

for the sauce:
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar (preferably brown sugar)

12-15 fresh Thai basil leaves (or substitute Italian basil)

Combine the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Heat a wide sautee pan with the oil over high, and add the garlic and chilies. Once fragrant and the oil is very hot, add the squash and onions along with pinches of salt and pepper. Spread them around so that most of the squash pieces have direct contact with the pan and don’t move for about ten seconds or so. Stir them around and repeat.

Once there are light golden-brown marks on some of the vegetables and the squash pieces are beginning to turn less opaque-white in flesh, add the sauce ingredients and stir immediately to combine. Taste for seasoning, adding salt or pepper as desired, and add the basil leaves. Remove from heat and turn onto a bowled serving dish. Serve immediately with rice (or as part of a multi-dish family meal).

Ginger Soy Hakurei Turnips with Turnip Greens

Ginger Soy Hakurei Turnips with Turnip Greens

Prep Time 10 mins        Cook Time 10 mins          Total Time 20 mins
Recipe adapted from www.nourishedsimply.com

Reduce food waste by eating the entire turnip plant.  Don't through away perfectly healthy and delicious greens.

Course: Side Dish

Servings: 2 or 3

Ingredients

• 1-2 teaspoons Olive Oil or coconut oil

• 1 clove garlic minced

• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated (also can us instead 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger)

• 1 bunch Hakurei Turnips wash, and chopped into 1-inch pieces

• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

Instructions

1. In a saute pan heat oil over medium heat.

2. Add in garlic and ginger, saute for 1-2 minutes.

3. Add turnips into saute pan, cook until slightly brown for about 3-4 minutes.

4. Add in greens and soy sauce cooking until greens begin to wilt 1-2 minutes.

5. Enjoy!

Fennel & Cabbage Slaw

Fennel and Cabbage Slaw

A light, refreshing springtime slaw made with fresh fennel.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes

• Total Time: 15 minutes

• Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium red cabbage, sliced (about 4 cups)

• 2 large carrots, peeled and grated

• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

• 3 green onions, sliced

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt (or Greek yogurt)

• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Toss the cabbage, carrots, fennel, and green onions in a large bowl.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients to make a dressing for the slaw. Pour the dressing over the veggies and mix well.

3. Serve on your favorite veggie burger, sandwich, or taco, or alongside your favorite main dish.

Easy Grilled Cabbage Steaks

Easy Grilled Cabbage Steaks            
(with or without a grill)

Recipe Courtesy of www.eatthegains.com

How to Grill Cabbage

The beauty of grilled cabbage steaks is they are so so easy to make. You need minimal ingredients (seriously 2 plus some salt & pepper) and they take minimal time. And the grilling just does something magical to them – they are tender while being nice and caramelized with charred edges. So dang good. Here is what you need:

• a head of cabbage

• oil – your choice!

• salt & pepper

• sauce for topping or whatever you want to put on top of them!

First light your grill and let it up to temperature. I grilled these on medium high to make sure we got some good char on the outsides and grill marks. While the grill heats up, prepare the cabbage by slicing it into steaks and seasoning it with oil and salt and pepper.

When the grill is up to temperate, add the steaks and grill for 5-6 minutes, flip, and grill for another 3-4 minutes. Be careful flipping them as some of the outer leaves may try to loosen and break away from the head. The time to cook them will depend on how thick your steaks are.

You want them to be tender, but have a nice char and get crispy on the outside. Keep a close eye on them as you don’t want to overcook them. Grilled cabbage totally transforms the flavor and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Once they are done, top them however you like! I left that part up to you, but some good ideas are ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, honey mustard, balsamic vinaigrette, fresh herbs, chimichurri, or mustard. Really whatever kind or dressing or sauce you like will work.

To Make Cabbage Steaks in your Oven

If you don’t have a grill, no worries. You can also make cabbage steaks in your oven as well. Simply follow the directions for preparing the cabbage and instead of lighting your grill, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and roast for 30-35 minutes until tender and crispy around the edges.

Mizuna and Choy Sesame Salad

Mizuna and Choy Sesame Salad

 This is warm salad that is quick, easy, and very delicious.  Make sure to include the stems of the mizuna and choi, they have great crunch and flavor. Other Asian greens like tatsoi can be substituted!

1 bunch (approx 1/2-3/4 lbs) Mizuna, Soaked in cold water, rinsed, and dried

1 bundle or head of Choy Soaked in cold water, rinsed, and dried

¼- ½  Cup Olive Oil or Salad oil

1 handful (~1/2-2/3 cups) Sesame seeds

To taste Sesame Oil

To taste Rice Vinegar

To taste Salt

Optional Garnish/Toppings:

Chopped Green Onions

Grated Carrots

Roasted Peanuts

More sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:
First Chop the mizuna and choy going against the stem into small ribbons. Include the tender pieces of stem.  Place in a heat resistant salad bowl

In a saute pan heat the the oil over medium heat and toast the sesame seeds.  When the sesame seeds are golden brown pour the mixture over the greens, it should sizzle a little.  With a pair of tongs scrap the pan with a portion of the greens and then mix the sesame seeds into the greens.  Dress with vinegar, sesame oil, salt, and serve.

Lemon juice, yuzu, or Umi Plum Vinegar (taste before adding salt) make great substitutions for rice vinegar.