Good Morning.
With some reservation I offer today a menu for a vegan dinner.
Where I live vegetarians are in the same category as Democrats: they're spotted only in the wild with the coyotes. In cowboy country, coyote is not pronounced with three syllables and the emphasis on the second; it's pronounced with two syllables and the emphasis on the first. In any case I invite the carnivores to step out of the box and prepare a vegan dinner. Your guests can always stop at McDonald's on the way home if they're hungry.
They won't be if you give them plenty of the following dishes.
Vegans drink. Think a Bloody Mary for a nice serving of tomato or this Sambuca Margarita. Out here in KYote land tomato is pronounced with three syllables and a long A in the middle. Where some of you live, it is pronounced ToMAHto. A KYote does not eat a ToMAHto. He is able to adapt his diet as we are attempting to do here, but he eats a ToMAYto when he finds one in a garden owned by a farmer who is probably a Republican.
For one beverage:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice, not Rose's
1/3 cup tequila
2 tbsp. Sambuca liqueur
4 or 5 ice cubes
Process the lime juice, tequila, Sambuca, and ice cubes in a blender until smooth. Salt the rim of a Margarita glass if desired, pour in the cocktail, and garnish with a slice of lime.
Serve with a Pinto Bean Dip.
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, a good sprinkle of each
In your blender or food processor, combine the beans, vinegar, olive, oil, garlic, and seasonings with 2 tablespoons of water. Process until smooth. Place in a bowl and serve with vegan crackers. You can get pita chips and even Triscuits that are made
with no animal products.
Moving along, we begin dinner with a Zucchini Gazpacho.
1 large zucchini, unpeeled and cut into chunks
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
2 small Roma tomatoes, quartered
1/4 medium white onion, rough chopped
1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 slice white bread, torn into pieces
Dash of Tabasco
Olive oil
Place the zucchini, pepper, tomatoes, onion, parsley, and garlic in a blender or food processor. Process until well blended. Add the orange juice, lime, torn bread, and Tabasco. Process again. Taste and add more Tabasco if desired. Chill for several hours before serving. Spoon into bowls and drizzle each with olive oil. Serves 4.
I actually like gazpacho a great deal and it's wonderful in the summer. The best gazpacho I ever had was one summer in the pub at the Red Lion Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts. It's an excellent place to be around noon on a Sunday during the summer. After your soup you can go hear a concert by the Boston Symphony at their summer home down the road.
Next we have a Black Bean and Corn Salad.
1/3 cup lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn. thawed
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
5 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Put the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a jar or a small pitcher. Stir until mixed. In a salad bowl, combine the drained beans, thawed corn, avocado, red bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Stir the dressing again and pour over the salad. Toss and serve on fresh salad greens.
For the main course we have Penne with Asparagus.
1 pound nice fat asparagus, trimmed
1/2 cup olive oil
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 shallots, chopped
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 pound penne, cooked to al dente according to package directions
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp. slivered almonds
Toast the almonds in a skillet for a few minutes and set aside. Roast the asparagus in your oven, cook it in boiling water, or steam it until crisp tender. Drain well and cut into one-inch pieces. Heat half the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the chopped carrots and shallots and saute over medium heat until the shallots are translucent and the carrots are crisp but done. Add the rest of the oil, lemon juice, and parsley. Add the cooked penne and toss to coat with the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the asparagus and toasted almonds and heat until warmed through.
This is a fabulous pasta because any starch is fabulous. When I was two or three, I loved potatoes but not carrots so the carrots were mashed into the potatoes and presto, chango, I thought orange mashed potatoes were great. This was called creative parenting. Fish made you smart, eating your crusts gave you curly hair, and carrots were good for your eyes.
Milk was good for washing down lima beans that tasted like paper towel.
Now we have Fruited Quinoa with Coconut.
1 1/2 cups water
2/3 cup quinoa seeds
1/3 cup unsweetened, dried coconut
3 kiwis, peeled and diced
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 14 oz. can pineapple tidbits, drained and save the liquid
Juice of one lime
Mix the water and quinoa in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce, and simmer, covered for about 15 minutes. Remove, uncover, and cool thoroughly. In a skillet, toast the coconut, stirring constantly, until golden. Toss the quinoa, kiwis, strawberries, and pineapple with a bit of the reserved juice and fresh lime. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and serve, perhaps with a scoop of sherbet. Add the following Peanut Butter Cookies and call it dessert.
1 1/4 cup finely chopped, pitted dates
1 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup oat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
Raisins, chopped
Combine the chopped dates and peanut butter in a blender. Process while gradually adding the almond milk and vanilla until smooth. Mix the flour and baking soda in a bowl. Add the date mixture and some chopped raisins to the dry mixture until a nice dough is formed. Add more flour if needed. Drop by a tablespoon onto a cookie sheet. Use a fork to press each cookie. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.
I would not make a good vegan because I'd miss the dairy. Give me butter, eggs, and cheese, and I'm a happy camper and I
suspect so is the cow who was milked by the farmer with the garden raided by a KYote.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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