Smoky Ribs and Raw Zucchini and Corn Salad

Ever have a weekend that you needed a rest from? Well last weekend we shopped, and planted and planted and attended 3 other events, it was a relief when Monday showed up.  But all our hard work paid off; the flower pots are planted, the vegetable gardens are planted and watered and much of the yard clean up is done so now we can relax a bit.

I went to the Herbivorous Butcher again - I had to Dan had never been there and he really, really wanted to go. This time we purchased Smokey BBQ ribs, Siracha brats, deli ham, teriyaki jerky and maple sage breakfast sausage. I love having those little white packages in my fridge/freezer.

On Sunday night we tried the Siracha brats – very tasty. Last night we tried the Smoky BBQ ribs which were amazing. The smoky taste, the texture, the spices, it all comes together perfectly.  And heating them is as simple as putting them in foil and in the oven at 400 for about 15 minutes. 

Now for the side dish something that would compliment the ribs but not overpower them. We had zucchini in the fridge and I had an idea. I like zucchini, it's flexible you can roast it, steam it, saute it or eat it raw and it's good. It's secret is that it easily absorbs the flavors around it. I'm teaching a spiralizer class in July so I've been testing out recipes lately adn this one could be a candidate for the class. It comes together in about 15 minutes and no cooking is required which is perfect for hot summer days when turning on the oven is not an option.

You will need:

For the salad

1 medium zucchini

2 small yellow summer squash

1 ear of corn

1 ounce of feta (I use sheep feta)

fresh basil

For the vinaigrette

½ cup olive oil

3T fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. spicy brown mustard

2 cloves of garlic minced

1T fresh basil – torn

1 tsp red pepper flakes

salt

pepper

Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar, shake well and set aside.  Using a spiralizer (can be Paderno, Pampered Chef or any other) with the ribbon blade spiralize the zucchini and summer squash, then cut them into smaller pieces. Place in a serving bowl.

Remove corn from the cob, add to bowl, then toss in 1 ounce of cheese (goat, feta or what ever you like) add some black beans and then toss with vinaigrette (you will have leftover vinaigrette, use it for your salad then next night).

Done, dinner is ready and you didn't even break a sweat. Stop back next week, I'm making cashew cheese over the long weekend. Have a great Memorial Day weekend, take some time to relax and connect with friends and family. 

Ciao

The Wonders of Cauliflower

Growing up I never really gave cauliflower much thought – it wasn't part of our regular routine maybe my mom didn't like it. We did have a lot of salads tho, actually I once threatened to run away from home if I had to make ONE MORE SALAD. To which my mom replied "Would you make a salad before you leave" – funny girl.

I didn't really start eating cauliflower until I was in my 30's and I usually steamed it with broccoli, carrots and zucchini and that was great for a long time. In the last 8+ years however, I've become known as the veggie queen by my husband's family and I roast veggies and it is my  favorite way to eat them.

With a head of cauliflower in the fridge I wanted to try something different. I've done the grilled cauliflower steaks, which are good, but I wasn't in the mood for that I was thinking sweet and savory. I recalled seeing a whole roasted cauliflower recipe online so I dug that out and altered it (because I never have everything they call for in my pantry/fridge but I'm good at substitutions) it was simple and delicious.

I started by removing the leaves and stem from the head of cauliflower so that it will sit firmly on a flat surface. Rinse the cauliflower and pat dry.

Combine 2 T. spicy mustard (I used a spicy brown mustard), some olive oil and a splash of maple syrup in a small bowl.  Using a basting brush cover the head of cauliflower and then liberally add salt (pink sea salt) and fresh ground black pepper.

Place the cauliflower on a baking sheet or a stone and bake for about an hour in a 450-degree oven. It's done when you can stick a knife in it and it no longer feels hard. Remove it from the oven, add a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese and if you have any of the basting sauce left over drizzle it on top and bake for an additional 5 minutes. 

You can pair this with a nice green salad (we did) or some vegan sausages, or whatever sounds good. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Warming up on a Cold Spring Day

It's been one of those days – some good things, some not so good things – all I can say is it's over – and as my friend Irene says "Onward and upward."

I know that talking about the weather is one of those boring topics but it's been nasty and rainy here all week; I keep looking out the window to see if Noah has parked his ark in the driveway and is waiting for me to board. I mean seriously my squash plants (which I started from seed in late March) are flowering but it's too cold to put them in the ground.

All I can say is cold weather calls for warm food and I've been waiting for a day exactly like today to make some Moroccan eggplant; onions, eggplant, carrots and tomatoes with cumin, cayenne and chili pepper the house smells wonderful.  

Let's get started:

Moroccan Eggplant

1 T olive oil

1 medium onion – finely diced

4 cloves garlic – peeled and crushed

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cayenne

¼ tsp ground chili

3 T tomato paste

2 large eggplant – chopped into small cubes

2 – 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes

1 cup vegetable broth

2 cans beans – I used 1 white kidney and one great northern (which was what I had) but you can use chickpeas too

Heat 1 T olive oil in pan and add diced onion and garlic, sauté for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add spices and stir to combine. Add all other ingredients (except beans) and sauté 15 – 20 minutes until the eggplant is cooked through. Add beans and cook an additional 5 minutes. Serve with brown rice, couscous, quinoa or your favorite grain. 

We served it with a fruit salad of strawberries, grapes, mango and bananas.

Enjoy!