DDD #111 – The Ivy Copycat Grilled Vegetable Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2018

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Click the image above to watch the video.

The Ivy Copycat Grilled Vegetable Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

serves 2 as an entree

INGREDIENTS

for the dressing

Juice of 1-2 limes

match the lime juice with an equal part of olive oil so it is 50/50.

Add about 1 TBS each of balsamic vinegar (or other vinegar) and agave

Season to taste with S&P.

Combine & taste.  Tweak to suite your palate.

for the salad

Your choice of greens – or a mixture (arugula, romaine, butter lettuce, watercress, field greens – your call)

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

2 ears fresh corn – in the husks

1 bunch asparagus – tough bottoms trimmed

1 red bell pepper – seeded

1/2 cucumber – diced

1 handful cherry tomatoes – haved

3-4 radishes – chopped

1/4 small red onion – diced

1 avocado – chopped

OPTONAL  – chopped herbs (basil or cilantro), protein (chickpeas, black beans, vegan chicken or any other protein you desire)

DIRECTIONS

Make the dressing while the veggies are grilling.

Slice the zucchini & squash in 1/4 inch thick slices & grill until softened & there are grill marks – turning a few times.  Do the same with the red pepper & asparagus.  Set aside.  Grill the corn in the husks until blackened on the outside.  Cool & throw the husks away then cut the corn from the cobs.

Now – just assemble the salad the way you would any other.  If there are going to be leftover veggies – do not dress them.  They will stay fresher in the fridge undressed.

Serve & enjoy!!!

 

DDD #95 – Vegan Vietnamese Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich with Pickled Vegetables & Sriracha Mayo

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2018

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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Click the image above to watch the video. This fucker was awesome!  There are a few steps to assemble the ingredients but they are all easy.  You can make this with any sort of chicken substitute you might like.  I am obsessed with Beyond Meat strips.  They do not have an overpowering taste & can easily be manipulated & I like the texture, too. Seitan works nicely, too!

Traditionally, banh mi have pork in them but I haven’t found a decent fake pork – unless you believe that pork is “the new white meat.”  If so – this fake chicken could masquerade as fake pork, too.

This takes a few hours of planning ahead so that you can marinate the chicken & pickle the carrots & jalapeno & daikon.

If you cannot find vegan fish sauce – there are lots of pretty simple recipes for vegan fish sauce HERE.  Whatever you do, do not skip the marinade because it tastes great & the sriracha mayo is good enough to eat with a spoon.

 

Marinated Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich

Makes two sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

2 crusty rolls or some high quality baguette

8 oz faux chicken

1 avocado – cut into slices

1/2 cucumber – sliced thin

leafy lettuce

2 radishes – sliced thin

1 jalapeno – seeded & sliced thin

cilantro

Olive oil or cooking spray

For the pickled vegetables

1 carrot – cut into matchsticks

daikon – cut into matchsticks

1 jalapeno – seeded & cut into matchsticks

3 cups warm water

3 TBS sugar

2 TBS salt

4 TBS white or rice vinegar

For the marinade

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

6 garlic cloves (or to taste) – minced

4 shallots (or 1/2 small onion) – diced

2 TBS fish sauce (vegan version – or omit it)

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp Chinese five spice

1 TBS hoisin sauce

1 tsp sriracha (or to taste)

For the spicy mayo

1/4 cup vegan mayo

1 lime

3 TBS sriracha

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 350.

For the pickled vegetables

Warm the water & add the sugar, salt & vinegar & stir until the sugar & salt dissolve.  Put the matchstick veggies in a bowl or jar & cover with the warm water mix.  Store in the fridge for at least and hour or two.

For the marinade

Blend all the marinade ingredients & add the chicken to it.  Store in the fridge for at least an hour.

For the spicy mayo

Blend the mayo with the sriracha & the juice of the lime.  Store in the fridge.

For the Banh Mi

Prepare the cucumber, avocado, radishes & jalapeno.  Set aside.

Heat a frying or grill pan.  Treat it with cooking spray or olive oil & cook up the marinated chicken.  Set aside.

Scoop the soft part of the bread out & throw it away.  Heat the bread in the warm oven for 5 minutes.

To assemble – simply spread some spicy mayo on the bread.  Then layer on some chicken.  Then pickled veggies (drained well!) & radish slices.  Add sliced cucumber & jalapeno.  Add lettuce & cilantro.  Add some avocado.  Smash it together.  Shove it in your face – and feel free to dip it in the extra spicy mayo.

See?  What’d I tell you?

DDD #54 – Broccoli & Cauliflower Rice Salad with Rainbow Chard, Basil, Mint, Avocado & Citrus Vinaigrette

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2017

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To watch the video – click the image above.

Living alone can make eating all the food I buy difficult.  I buy produce with a thousand inspirations in my head – often forgetting that I have to eat everything I make myself.  That can get difficult – especially with produce like avocados & leafy greens that have a short shelf life.  Yesterday – I made a Spicy Vegan Szechuan Beef & Vegetable Stir-Fry (seen above) that used a lot of the veggies I had around – but – it did not use everything.  I also had a lot of leftover basmati rice.  So – I dreamed up this salad.  I used a little (1 cup) of the rice I had.  You could use more – or less – depending on how light you want this to be.  You could also use quinoa or brown rice or some ancient grain of your choice.  Or – as I do in the video – use grated cauliflower in place of rice.  Whatever you decide – this salad is full of nutrients & tastes clean & light & fresh.  If you do not add the avocado – this salad will keep in the fridge for a few days.  Just add the avocado just before serving.

Vegan “Eat Your Greens” Warm Broccoli Rice Salad with Rainbow Chard, Basil, Mint, Avocado & Citrus Vinaigrette

Serves 2-4 depending on appetite

INGREDIENTS

2 TBS olive oil (or coconut oil)

1 cup cooked rice or other grain (optional) or 1 medium head of cauliflower – grated

1 head broccoli – grated or pulsed in a food processor

1 cucumber – chopped

1 zucchini – chopped

Avocado – amount at your discretion – sliced

2-3 scallions – sliced

1 bunch (6-8 leaves) rainbow chard (or other greens of your choice) – ribs removed & chopped

1/3 cup fresh basil – chopped

1/3 cup fresh mint – chopped

Pepitas (or other nuts) – amount at your discretion

GARNISH: basil, mint, lime wedges

for the dressing

2 TBS olive oil

2 TBS cider vinegar

2 TBS fresh lime (or lemon) juice (or a combination)

1 tsp lemon or lime zest

2 TBS Dijon mustard

1 or 2 TBS agave (I used 2 but might go less next time)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Whisk the dressing together & adjust flavors to suit your tastes.

Pulse the broccoli in a food processor or grate it (grating is very messy).  Do the same with the cauliflower – if you are using it n place of rice.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over high heat.  Add the broccoli & cauliflower/rice & toss.  Add the zucchini & chard.  Add a few TBS water & cover the pan & remove from heat.  You just want to warm everything through & get the chard & broccoli & zucchini wilt a bit.

In 5 minutes or so – put the rice mixture in a large bowl (or in the pan) & toss in the scallions, mint & basil & cucumber & some (not all) the dressing.

Put some of the warm salad on plates & garnish with avocado slices, pepitas, extra basil and/or mint, lime wedges, additional dressing & freshly cracked pepper.

DDD #46 – St. Germain Gin Fizz Cocktail

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2017

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St. Germain Gin Fizz Cocktail

Makes one real cocktail or two minis

INGREDIENTS

2 oz gin

1 oz St. Germain

1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 oz club soda

1/2 oz simple syrup

Garnish options: sliced cucumber, mint sprigs, cracked pepper

DIRECTIONS

Shake the gin, St. Germain, lemon juice & simple syrup in ice for 30 seconds.  Pour into glasses filled with ice & cucumber slices.  Top with club soda & garnish with cucumber & mint.

Consume!  Make more!

Vegan “Eat Your Greens” Warm Broccoli Rice Salad with Rainbow Chard, Basil, Mint, Avocado & Citrus Vinaigrette

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2016

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

Living alone can make eating all the food I buy difficult.  I buy produce with a thousand inspirations in my head – often forgetting that I have to eat everything I make myself.  That can get difficult – especially with produce like avocados & leafy greens that have a short shelf life.  Yesterday – I made a Spicy Vegan Szechuan Beef & Vegetable Stir-Fry (seen above) that used a lot of the veggies I had around – but – it did not use everything.  I also had a lot of leftover basmati rice.  So – I dreamed up this salad.  I used a little (1 cup) of the rice I had.  You could use more – or less – depending on how light you want this to be.  You could also use quinoa or brown rice or some ancient grain of your choice.  Whatever you decide – this salad is full of nutrients & tastes clean & light & fresh.  If you do not add the avocado – this salad will keep in the fridge for a few days.  Just add the avocado just before serving.

Vegan “Eat Your Greens” Warm Broccoli Rice Salad with Rainbow Chard, Basil, Mint, Avocado & Citrus Vinaigrette

Serves 2-4 depending on appetite

INGREDIENTS

2 TBS olive oil (or coconut oil)

1 cup cooked rice or other grain (optional)

1 head broccoli – grated or pulsed in a food processor

1 cucumber – chopped

1 zucchini – chopped

Avocado – amount at your discretion – sliced

2-3 scallions – sliced

1 bunch (6-8 leaves) rainbow chard (or other greens of your choice) – ribs removed & chopped

1/3 cup fresh basil – chopped

1/3 cup fresh mint – chopped

Pepitas (or other nuts) – amount at your discretion

GARNISH: basil, mint, lime wedges

for the dressing

2 TBS olive oil

2 TBS cider vinegar

2 TBS fresh lime (or lemon) juice (or a combination)

1 tsp lemon or lime zest

2 TBS Dijon mustard

1 or 2 TBS agave (I used 2 but might go less next time)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Whisk the dressing together & adjust flavors to suit your tastes.

Pulse the broccoli in a food processor or grate it (grating is very messy).

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over high heat.  Add the broccoli & rice & toss.  Add the zucchini & chard.  Add a few TBS water & cover the pan & remove from heat.  You just want to warm everything through & get the chard & broccoli & zucchini wilt a bit.

In 5 minutes or so – put the rice mixture in a large bowl (or in the pan) & toss in the scallions, mint & basil & cucumber & some (not all) the dressing.

Put some of the warm salad on plates & garnish with avocado slices, pepitas, extra basil and/or mint, lime wedges, additional dressing & freshly cracked pepper.

Vegan Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches with Cucumber, Fennel & Arugula

 

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2016

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or just print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

These are not technically a purists version of a tea sandwich – as most tea sandwiches use white bread & have the crusts cut off.  And – you can opt to do that with these but I thought some healthier bread would be nice & I like the crust of the bread.

I used Ezekial 4:9 Low Sodium bread but you can use whatever you like.  I also used Tofutti brand vegan cream cheese.  You can use your own favorite brand.  And – I used thinly sliced cucumber & fennel & a few arugula leaves – and this was quite a yummy lunch.

This isn’t really a recipe – as you can pile as little or as much of each ingredient onto your bread as you desire.  I’m just making suggestion about the flavor combo.   This sort of light sandwich is traditionally served with tea in the afternoon – to stave off appetites until dinner.

 

Vegan Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches with Cucumber, Fennel & Arugula

INGREDIENTS

Bread of your choice – crusts cut off or left on

Vegan cream cheese

Fresh fennel – sliced very thin

Cucumber – sliced thin

Arugula

S&P

DIRECTIONS

Spread some cream cheese on both pieces of bread and add S&P.  Top with the veggies & assemble the sandwich.  Cut crusts away if you prefer.  Slice up the sandwich.  Eat – especially with some nice hot tea.

Chef’d & Beyond Meat Smash-Up – Part 1 – Vegan Beast Burger & Cucumber Dill Salad

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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There has been a huge rise in food services that send either already-prepared meals to your home for you to heat up and, more interestingly, ones that send pre-measured fresh ingredients & recipes & you make the food at home.  I tried Blue Apron – which is the latter service – and was not totally impressed.  One issue was the lack of selection for vegetarians (and nothing for vegans) & the fact that there was no option for a single person.  Their subscription plan meant I would get 3 meals – for two – each week – which meant six of my seven dinners were decided for me each week – with me eating the same thing twice – three times in a row.  Also – if you happened to LOVE a dish – you could not order it again soon – but had to wait – indefinitely – hoping it would eventually reappear in the cycle.

Chef’d has solved those problems.  No subscription – meaning order what you want & when you want it.  Get the same thing every day for two weeks – or just get one thing – different things – a few times a month.  Here is how they work:

Choose from Famous Recipes

Browse through hundreds of recipes from your favorite chefs, and cook them in the comfort of your own home!

From Our Kitchen to Yours

Fresh pre-portioned Ingredients delivered to your door. Reorder what you like, when you like. No subscriptions!

Cook, Love, Live

Enrich your life by creating memorable delicious experiences of love through our hand-cultivated recipes.

And look at the various tastes & lifestyles they accommodate

Shop Meals

LIFESTYLES:

FAMILY FRIENDLY

GOURMET

VEGETARIAN

GLUTEN FREE

PROTEINS:

BEEF

CHICKEN

SEAFOOD

LAMB

PORK

TURKEY

VEGAN

HERE is the list of the famous chefs contributing recipes.  And HERE are the vegan & vegetarian meals currently offered (kind of amazing looking).  I was given the opportunity to try the service & jumped at the chance.  I am a long-time fan of Beyond Meat & the pairing of these two companies is exciting to me.  I got the Beast Burger & Tacos & will post about the burger here – and the tacos in another post HERE.

Here is what showed up (for the burgers):

The box included everything I needed to make 4 Beast Burgers & the Cucumber Dill Salad.  I take childlike delight in tiny condiment bottles – to the degree that I didn’t want to open these & used some existing condiments I had.  So goofy.

Anyway – everything is outlined very clearly & the ingredients are pre-measured so – no measuring & no extra ingredients to leave around, unused, forever.

The Cucumber Dill Salad came together in five minutes & was tangy & crisp & light.

And – no surprise – the Beast Burger was huge & meaty & delicious!  I have had many Beyond Meat burgers in the past but – it was nice to have all the things I needed right there – including just 4 buns for the 4 burgers.  My freezer is jammed with freezer-burned buns that I stuck in there after buying a whole bag but only wanting one burger.

Assembled – the burger really is a beast & just as messy as any burger ad you see on TV – in the best possible way.   I feel like this is a great choice for a family of four on a night when there is minimal time to get dinner together – OR – to bring to a meat-eaters BBQ.  With this meal plan – you can walk into a BBQ with everything you need to provide 4 vegans/vegetarians with something as tempting as anything else likely to be served there – no fuss & no waste.

Be sure to check out their TACO dinner (seen below) HERE.

 

Cold Vegan Soba Noodles & Spiralized Cucumber Noodles with Avocado & a Light Peanut Sauce

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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Ugh – I am just having a shit couple of weeks.  The details are all, individually, mainly minor annoyances, disappointments & slights but – combined – they pack a wallop.   Add this to the triple-digit heat & the fact that I have no AC & you get a very despondent girl, thick with over-indulgence, self-pity & slimy sweat.  Ugh.

So – at 7 am – I decided to get cooking – before it got too hot to do so.  My first effort was a mushroom & baby kale tofu frittata.   It looks OK there in the pan but it was, ultimately, very thin (less than half an inch deep) and would not have photographed well – so I ate some & saved the rest to add to my dogs’ dinner tonight.

Next up, I wanted to use some stale French bread I had – so I attempted 4 little vegan maple-walnut bread puddings.  They started off looking promising – no?  But, even though I cooked them for nearly an hour – they never got crusty & when I let them cool, they collapsed in their centers & looked as defeated as I feel.  I tasted one.  Tasted good but they were definitely a no-go for the blog.

By this time is was officially sizzling outside & I still wanted to make a blog entry – so – cold noodles!  These are really easy, really fast, customizable & light.  I added only 1 TBS of peanut butter to what would make 2 good-sized servings.  You can see that the noodles are not heavy with sauce – critical in weather like this.   I also added a good portion of spiralized cucumber noodles to lighten it up even more.   You can get these together in ten minutes.  I reviewed two different spiralizers in my Vegan Sweet and Spicy Spiralized Cucumber Salad with Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes post but I recommend the less expensive hand held version seen below.

Cold Vegan Soba Noodles & Spiralized Cucumber Noodles with Avocado & a Light Peanut Sauce

Serves 2 very well.

INGREDIENTS

8.8 oz soba noodles – cooked & drained & run under cold water (drizzle with sesame oil to keep them from sticking)

Sesame oil

1 hothouse cucumber – spiralized (or cut into think matchsticks)

1 TBS tamari

2 TBS rice vinegar

2 TBS ponzu sauce (or 2 TBS tamari & juice of 1/4 lemon)

1 TBS peanut butter

1 tsp sriracha for heat (optional)

GARNISH OPTIONS – sliced scallions, sliced avocado, sliced jalapeno, sliced cucumber, sliiced red cabbage, black and/or white sesame seeds, lime wedges, cilantro, basil, chili flakes

DIRECTIONS

Spiralize (or slice up) the cucumber.  Cook the noodles.  Drain & run under cold when done (drizzle with sesame oil to keep them from sticking).

Meanwhile, whisk the tamari, rice vinegar, ponzu sauce, peanut butter & sriracha (if using).

Toss everything together & garnish with your selections.  Serve.

Vegan Sweet and Spicy Spiralized Cucumber Salad with Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

OK – kiddies!  Product review time!  My first ever!!   My Spiral Slicer was gifted to me for the purpose of review & I won the tabletop one in a contest.  So – they were both free for me.    The Paderno one with the cookbook (below) retails for about $50.

My Spiral Slicer (above) retails for about $14.

I decided to try this Sweet & Spicy Spiralized Cucumber Salad to experiment with both devices.

I tried the table-top one first – because I was very excited about it.  It comes with different blades to achieve different stylized veggie results.  I am embarrassed to report that I could not get this to work at all.  I felt too inept & stupid & I was making the salad for a Memorial Day BBQ & I was in a hurry & frustrated and, I must confess, perhaps did not give this beauty the proper patience.  But – the instability of the item kept giving me visions of my fingers being spiralized & I could never seem to get the cucumber to line up right with the blade. Exasperated – I moved on to the hand-held gadget.

My results with this bad boy were immediate & satisfying.  I just stuck the cucumber in there & twisted & cucumber noodles just kept pouring out.   Clearly, this model does not have the versatility of the tabletop jobby – and it requires phallic-shaped veggies to twist into the vortex but – if zucchini or cucumber or carrot noodles are you primary aspirations – I say go with this guy.   The price alone assures that you won’t overspend on a trendy device that just takes up room in your cabinets – because it also has the added advantage of its tiny, easy-to-store size.

I will return to the tabletop one on a day I am under less pressure & give it a more fair shot – and report back.  Never fear!

The salad itself was a huge success.  It is pretty & light & was a huge hit with my guest who loathes all things creamy – including dressings.  “Now THIS is a salad!” he declared upon tasting it.  It really is a yummy salad with the benefit of both a sweet flavor & a tiny bite of spice.  And I am always a fan of ways to use arugula.

Vegan Sweet and Spicy Spiralized Cucumber Salad with Arugula & Cherry Tomatoes

serve 4

INGREDIENTS

A spiralizer

4 large English (hothouse) cucumbers (less seedy)

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes – halved (I used heirloom)

2 large handfuls arugula

2 TBS Champagne vinegar or red wine vinegar

4 TBS olive oil

1 tsp (or more) crushed red pepper

1 TBS honey or agave nectar

1 orange – juiced

1/2 tsp garlic powder

S&P to taste

Directions:

1. Place a cucumber into the spiralizer, and follow the directions listed on the package until you have cucumber noodles. Repeat with the remaining cucumbers.
2. To a large bowl, add all the cucumber noodles along with the tomatoes and arugula.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients to make the dressing.
4. Using a wire whisk, mix the dressing until all the ingredients are incorporated, and pour over the top of the cucumber noodles.
5. Toss the cucumber noodles very well, making sure they are all coated with the dressing.
6. Transfer to a serving plate, and serve immediately.

Thai-Style Vegan Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce and Cucumber Salad

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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This can be made with faux chicken or real chicken, or beef strips or seafood (like shrimp of chunks of a meaty fish) but it is really good this vegan way.  I always use Beyond Meat (seen above) because it is the best I have found.  The chicken even shreds like real chicken.  It is pretty versatile stuff, too, and can be used in warm dishes or in cold ones – like chicken salad – as I did in my Cool Vegan Cashew & Cranberry Chicken Salad Tacos with Avocado (below)

or my Vegan Horseradish Chicken Salad with Pecans and Jalapeno Potato Salad in Baked Wonton Cups (below)

or my Vegan Chicken Salad Wraps (below).

Anyway – today, I made little satay skewers.  Skewers are not really necessary.  You can just cook the strips up on a grill pan or in a frying pan.  This satay goes really well over rice – drizzled with the sauce – for a more substantial meal.  The cucumber salad is the easiest thing EVER & really puts this recipe over the top – so I strongly encourage you to try it.

Thai-Style Vegan Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce & Cucumber Salad

Serves 2 as an appetizer – or as a main course over rice

INGREDIENTS

9 oz vegan chicken (or whatever you are making satay from)

olive oil

for the satay marinade

2 garlic cloves – chopped fine

2 Thai bird chilis (or 2 serrano peppers, or 1 jalapeño pepper) – seeded & minced

Juice of 1 lime

2 medium shallots – minced

1 TBS soy sauce or tamari (or fish sauce – if you are not vegan)

1/4 cup cilantro – chopped (optional)

1 tsp curry powder (optional)

1 tsp turmeric (optional)

 

for the cucumber salad

1/4 cup cucumber – thinly sliced

1/4 cup shallots – thinly sliced

2 Thai bird chilis (or 2 serrano peppers, or 1 jalapeño pepper) – seeded & minced

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

 

for the peanut sauce

3/4 cup lite coconut milk

4 TBS peanut butter (smooth or chunky)

1 TBS chili paste or sriracha

1 TBS sugar

1 tsp soy sauce or tamari (or fish sauce – if you are not vegan)

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp white vinegar

1/4 cup cilantro – chopped (optional)

 

GARNISH IDEAS – cooked rice, lettuce leaves, cilantro, lime wedges, chopped peanuts

 

 

DIRECTIONS

for the satay marinade

Mix the marinade ingredients & marinate the chicken in the fridge for an hour or so – or more.  Mine sat overnight in the fridge.  I just use the bag the chicken came in to marinate it.

for the cucumber salad

Mix the water, vinegar & sugar & whisk until the sugar dissolves.  Add the chili peppers, cucumber & shallots.  Stir & store in the fridge until you need it.

for the peanut sauce

Whisk or shake all the ingredients together.  Taste & add more peanut butter – if you fancy – or more chili paste.  Your call.

for the skewers

Skewer the chicken – if you have a grill pan.  It might be tough to use skewers in a frying pan.  I only stuck the skewers in an inch or so & cut them short with scissors.

Put 1-2 TBS olive oil in a frying pan or spray your grill pan with cooking spray.  Heat on high until the chicken begins to brown (turning a few times) and when the chicken is heated through (or your real meat is cooked) – serve it – either over rice or as an appetizer –  garnished with the peanut sauce & cucumber salad & any other garnish you choose.  Devour!

Vegan Garden Veggie Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles with Cucumber Sauce

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

~

All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

~

 

This is an easy & satisfying dish.  It can be made healthier by just increasing the ratio of veggies to peanut noodles.  There are zillions of recipes for peanut sauce and lots of varieties available in stores so – if you have a favorite recipe or brand – go with those.

I am adding a recipe for Thai cucumber sauce because it is nice to have this as an option to drizzle on the noodles & cut through a bit of how rich the peanut sauce can be.  It is in NO WAY critical or even necessary for this dish to be a hit.

Thai Cucumber Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/8 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 cucumber – diced

1-2 red and/or green hot peppers – seeded & diced

1 small shallot – minced

 

DIRECTIONS

Heat the vinegar in a small pan & add the salt, sugar, shallots & peppers.  Heat just until the salt & sugar dissolve.  Remove from heat.  Add the cucumbers.  This is good for about a 1/2 day to a day – or until the cucumber gets unpleasantly mushy.

This recipe for peanut sauce makes quite a bit but it stores well in a jar in the fridge – really for at least a week or more.  If it gets too thick, just stir in a bit of water.

Thai Peanut Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 13.5 oz can of coconut milk (I used lite)

2 oz red curry paste (skip it if you cannot find it in the store)

3/4 cup peanut butter (the more natural the better – but I used a combo of the ones seen below)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 TBS apple cider vinegar (or white or rice vinegar)

1 tsp (or more) sambal oelek (chili paste) or sriracha (optional)

Water at your discretion

DIRECTIONS

Whisk the ingredients together in a small pot.  Heat over MEDIUM until it comes to a boil – stirring the whole while.  Reduce heat to low & simmer about 5 minutes.  You might want to add water to thin it – or more peanut butter to thicken it.  Allow to cool.

Vegan Garden Veggie Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles

Serves 2 well

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb pasta noodles

Olive oil

Your selection of veggies – in both variety & quantity.  I used:

1/2 cup chopped purple cabbage

1/2 red bell pepper – seeded & sliced

5-6 baby squash – mixed variety – cut up

1 carrot – chopped

3/4 cup edamame

1 cup broccoli florets – cut small

1 hot red pepper – seeded & diced

4 small sweet peppers in different colors – seeded & cut into matchsticks

2 scallions – as garnish

1 handful cashews – some reserved for garnish – or use peanuts

Chili paste – as spicy garnish

 

DIRECTIONS

Prep your veggies.

Heat 2 or so TBS olive oil in a large saute pan over med-high heat.  Saute the vegetables until tender.  Remove from heat.

Cook the pasta as directed.  Reserve about 1 cup of hot pasta water & then drain the noodles.  Stir in a small amount of the peanut sauce.  Start light with it & add more to taste.  I don’t like the noodles heavy with sauce – but you might.  If it gets too thick – add some pasta water.  Once the noodles seem dressed to your liking – add them to the veggie pot & heat through.

Serve this goodness up on plates & garnish with cashews & scallions.  Maybe add a dollop of chili paste or drizzle some cucumber sauce over the noodles.  Experiment!  Enjoy!

 

 

Japanese Cucumber Salad with Toasted Sesame Seeds

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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Easy as can be and a nice side dish for sushi-themed meals.  I bought about 2lbs of gorgeous ahi today so brace for the sushi recipes!

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Japanese Cucumber Salad with Sesame Seeds

INGREDIENTS

2 cucumbers (I used regular ones)

2 TBS sesame seeds (I used 1 each of black & white)

6 TBS rice vinegar (or more – to taste)

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tsp sesame oil (or just 3 tsp sesame oil if toasted is unavailable)

4 TBS scallions sliced thin & diagonally

2 TBS mint – chopped finely

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a dry frying pan, toast the sesame seeds – shaking the pan a lot & being careful not to burn them – until they begin to golden – about 4 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Shave stripes into your cucumbers by peeling portions & leaving others with the skin on.

Halve them & scoop out the seeds.  Using the finest blade setting on your mandolin or other slicer or with a knife – slice the cucumber into slices as thin as you can muster.  Put in a colander & toss with 1 tsp salt & let drain for 10-15 minutes.

In a bowl – whisk the rice vinegar with the sugar & sesame oils.  An another bowl, toss the drained cucumber with the sliced scallions, mint and toasted sesame seeds.  Add the vinegar mixture & toss again.  Add S&P to taste.  Serve immediately.

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Tandoori Cauliflower with Mint Chutney & Cucumber Raita

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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Ok – I am posting this as a sweeping gesture of honesty.  If you follow this blog, you know I am in the throes of a passionate affair with cauliflower.   I have used it to mock Buffalo Chicken and  mashed potatoes & risotto and many other ways.  Check some out HERE.

Tandoori was the next frontier of my cauliflower exploration.  I made the tandoori spice from scratch

I marinated the cauliflower florets for about 6 hours.

I used a lot of red food coloring to mock that brilliant tandoori crimson.  I roasted & then broiled the florets until they had blackened bits.

I also made the mint chutney & cucumber raita from scratch.  The tandoori smelled SO GOOD roasting in my oven, it made me salivate.  Smelled good!  Looked GOOD!  When the cauliflower was done, I sat down with my little bowls of condiments & my tandoori cauliflower & eagerly popped a hot floret into my mouth.  It was then that the first wave of crushing disappointment hit me.  The floret tasted like someone had just poured a tablespoon of cumin into my mouth.  YUCK.  Secondly, the raw cauliflower hadn’t sufficiently tendered during the 25 minutes of roasting & subsequent broiling & was still too crunchy.  I am not sure how it all went so wrong.  Maybe I need to invest in a spice grinder.  Maybe my cardamom & coriander seeds were not properly pulverized by the mortal & pestle treatment I had given them.  The florets were definitely in more than enough moisture (yogurt) but they were still oddly dry & just WAY too heavily spiced.

I am not giving up on this idea, though.  Maybe I will buy a jarred tandoori paste & see what that turns out like.

My raita – on the other hand – turned out pretty good.  The mint chutney was OK, too, but not the best I’ve ever had.  The recipe still needs tweaking.  But – if you are curious – I will post the recipes for the condiments here now.

Mint Chutney

1 cup mint

1 bunch cilantro

2 TBS yogurt

1 tsp ground cumin

4 serrano peppers (this makes a VERY hot chutney – so reduce this if you desire) – seeded

1 TBS ginger paste or 1 inch chunk fresh ginger

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Puree in a food processor & salt to taste.

Cucumber Raita

1 1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 cup water

1/2 – 1 cucumber – peeled & grated

1/2 sweet onion

1 jalapeno – seeded

2 serrano – seeded

salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Peel & grate the cucumber.  Reserve some of the rated cucumber to the side & then puree the rest with all the other ingredients.  Salt to taste.  Add the reserved grated cucumber.

Smoked Salmon & Horseradish Cream Verrine with Cucumber & Tomato

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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I recently discovered the VERRINE.  Here is the web definition:

verrine

A verrine is a confection, originally from France, made by layering ingredients in a small glass. It can be either sweet or savoury.

If you Google image search “verrine” you get an amazing array of gorgeous appetizers & desserts.  See HERE.

Last night, I decided to try my hand at one.  As per usual, I was restricted to what I already had on hand.  Fortunately, I had smoked salmon, cucumbers, dill & heirloom cherry tomatoes.  I also had a fresh horseradish root.That fucker cost $8 but it is like a Fred Flintstone club.  I grated a bunch up with a microplane but in the end, couldn’t really taste it.  You might just want to use a little prepared horseradish sauce,instead, if you attempt this recipe.  Also – I left my cream sauce very thick – like a whipped cream cheese.  You might like yours a bit runnier.  In that case, just use more heavy cream.The only part of this dish that is a proper recipe is the horseradish cream.  The rest is just a layering of ingredients that you can alter to your own tastes.  I made these in three sizes: a shot glass, a stemmed apperitif glass & a tumbler.  You can choose the serving size appropriate for the occasion.  Know that I ate all three of these myself last night.  These would make a wonderful brunch starter – sort of like a bagel with the works – without the bagel.

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Horseradish Cream

INGREDIENTS

4 oz cream cheese

4 TBS fresh grated horseradish root OR prepared horseradish sauce to taste

2 sprigs fresh dill

7 (or more) TBS heavy cream

1/8 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Blend everything in a food processor.  Add more heavy cream if you like a thinner sauce.  Add more horseradish sauce if you enjoy kick.

Smoked Salmon Verrine with Cucumber & Tomato & Horseradish Cream

INGREDIENTS

Smoked salmon

Cucumber

Tomato (I used multicolored heirloom cherry tomatoes)

Dill

Capers

Fresh lemon

Fresh bread or bagel

Horseradish cream

Fresh pepper

DIRECTIONS

Dice the salmon, tomato, cucumber & bread.  Put some bread in the bottom of each serving glass (I only used bread in the tumbler – not in the smaller verrines) & layer with cucumber, tomato & horseradish cream.  Top with dill & capers & squeeze a little lemon on top.  Finish with cracked pepper & serve!

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Tomato, Jalapeno & Cucumber Yogurt Raita

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2012

Ok – I finally did it!  I made a raita that I actually like and it was EASY.  Again – a food processor makes this a supremely easy thing to make.  Raitas are condiments used as a sauce, a dip or something to cool one’s palette during a spicy meal.  They vary from firm to watery in texture. I find I prefer the watery ones.  This one is right in the middle.

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Tomato, Jalapeno & Cucumber Yogurt Raita

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 small onion

1/2 cucumber

1 tomato – quartered

2 Jalapenos – seeded

1 tsp (or more – to taste) ground cumin

Salt & pepper to taste (go LIGHT with the salt as it overpowers this dish quickly)

Cilantro – for garnish

Extra diced tomato or Jalapeno makes nice garnish, too.

DIRECTIONS

Put the yogurt in the food processor & whip it smooth.  Add the cumin & pulse until it is blended.  Drop the onion in & pulse til it is chopped finely.  Add the cucumber & jalapenos and pulse until they are chopped but not as fine as the onion.  Add the tomato & pulse a few times so that it appears diced – but bits are still clearly identifiable as tomato.

Put it in a bowl & garnish with cracked pepper, cilantro & tomato & jalapeno – if you are using them.