The dressing, made with cashews, lemon juice, garlic & water, subs for the olive oil. Serve it on a bed of peppery arugula for an elegant uber nutritious summer dinner. Delish! Outdoor picnic before a concert anyone? Serves at least 6, generously.

SUMMER RICE SALAD WITH ROASTED RED PEPPERS, DILL, CHICKPEAS, AND CASHEW HERBED CHEESE adapted from Jeanne Lemlin's "Simple Vegetarian Pleasures"

4 cups of cooked & chilled long grain brown rice (I used 2 bags of TJ's brown rice = 4 cups)

2 (16 oz.) cans or chickpeas, rinsed well and drained

3/4 (loosely-packed) cup of grated Treeline Cracked Pepper Cashew Cheese (can omit) Note: This is a perfect stand-in for feta.

2 whole large roasted red peppers, chopped--either jarred (I used Divina brand) or roasted 2 large peppers, yourself.

1/2+ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/3+ cup chopped fresh dill

3 scallions, very thinly sliced

THE DRESSING

1/2 cup of raw cashews
1/2 cup of water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped 
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
Add coarse black pepper to the dressing after it’s mixed.

1. Combine the rice, chickpeas, Treeline cashe cheese, roasted red peppers, parsley, dill, and scallions in a large bowl & toss well.

2. Combine all the dressing ingredients (except the pepper) into a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix & mix until well blended. If you don’t have a high-power blender, soak the cashews in the 1/2 cup of water overnight, first, then mix the cashews, along with the soaking water & the rest of ingredients in a regular blender.

3. Combine the dressing with the rice, vegetables, cheese, & herbs. Let it chill for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours before serving. Serve at room temperature.

Yield: 6 main dish servings.

INDIAN CHICK PEAS

1 15 oz can chick peas
2 cans chopped tomatoes with jalapanos
1 onion
1 eggplant
olive oil

curry
turmeric
cinnamin
garam marsala


Cook onion in olive oil with spices
add eggplant and chick peas
stir a few minutes
add tomatoes and cover

cook till eggplant is soft

can serve with chopped cilantro

quinoa tabbouleh

Quinoa Tabbouleh
My quinoa tabbouleh was inspired by my plate at the Broad but still stays true to the classic herb-laden salad we know and love. To get after the zingy lemon flavor of their salad, I dress the quinoa on its own, not just in the salad as we typically do with the bulghur. The result: so flavorful! This is a big salad that will make at least 12 servings or more; feel free to scale down, but know that the salad tastes great from the refrigerator all week long.

2 large bunches curly parsley
1/2 cup pearl quinoa
1 cup water
Juice of 2 lemons
Kosher salt, to taste
Big handful mint leaves, finely chopped
2 small cucumbers, cut in small pieces
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in small pieces
3 scallions, finely sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Thoroughly rinse the parsley by dunking it in clean water several times (see this). Lay it out on a clean kitchen towel to dry, blotting it with another dry towel, or running the parsley through a salad spinner in batches. If possible, wash the parsley a day in advance, lay it out to dry or spin it, then store it in the refrigerator in Ziploc bags overnight or until you’re ready to make the salad.

In a small saucepan, bring the cup of water to a boil over high heat. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer with cold water. Add the quinoa to the boiling water, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and cook the quinoa until it is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Immediately place the quinoa in a large bowl to cool and stir in the lemon juice and a pinch of salt.

While the quinoa cooks, chop the vegetables and work with the parsley last, so that it’s as dry as possible if it was just washed.

To chop the parsley, pinch the curly leaves from the stems and discard the stems. You’ll have about 10 cups of parsley. Finely chop the parsley in batches, or chop it in a food processor in two batches, pulsing just until no large pieces of parsley are visible.

Add the parsley, mint, cucumbers, tomatoes, and scallions to the bowl with the quinoa. Dress the tabbouleh with the juice of the second lemon, the olive oil, garlic powder, and a generous pinch of salt. Combine everything thoroughly, taste, and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve the tabbouleh immediately, or let it rest for up to several hours or in the refrigerator for several days. The tabbouleh is lovely served on a platter.

Vegan "Cheddar" Spread

1 15 ounce can white beans (rinsed)
1/2 cup  roasted red peppers from a jar (drained)
7 Tbl  nutritional yeast
3 Tbl  lemon juice
3 Tbl  cashew butter
1tsp  whole grain mustard in a jar
1-2 tsp  miso (I used red, but the recipe said to use chickpea miso)

Chill well before serving with crudites and crackers

Green goddess hummus

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Green Goddess Hummus

4.8 from 6 reviews

Author: Cookie and Kate

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Lebanese

Prep time:  3 mins

Cook time:  5 mins

Total time:  8 mins

Serves: 1¾ cup

Ultra creamy, healthy hummus flavored with herbs! Use classic green goddess dressing herbs like me or change it up with other fresh, leafy herbs. (You'll want to use 1 cup or less fresh herbs, to taste. I think arugula would be awesome.) Learn the trick to making creamy homemade hummus, too! Recipe yields about 1¾ cup hummus.

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup tahini
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon's worth)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
• ½ cup roughly chopped, loosely packed fresh parsley
• ¼ cup roughly chopped, loosely packed fresh tarragon
• 2 to 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh chives
• 1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped
• One (15-ounce) can of chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
• 1 to 2 tablespoons water, optional
• Garnish with extra olive oil and a sprinkling of chopped fresh herbs

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First, you'll whip the tahini and lemon juice together to make them ultra smooth and creamy. Combine the tahini and lemon juice in the bowl of your food processor (a smaller food processor will be better suited to the job) or high-powered blender (i.e. Vitamix or Blendtec). Process for about 1½ minutes, pausing to scrape down the bowl of your processor as necessary.
2. Add the olive oil, parsley, tarragon, chives, chopped garlic and salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice mixture. Process for about 1 minute, pausing to scrape down the bowl as necessary.
3. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl, then add the remaining chickpeas and process for until the hummus is thick and quite smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
4. If your hummus is too thick or hasn't yet blended into creamy oblivion, run the food processor while drizzling in 1 to 2 tablespoons water, until it reaches your desired consistency.
5. Scrape the hummus into a small serving bowl. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil on top and sprinkle with additional chopped herbs.
6. Store hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week.

Umami Winter Vegetable Soup

Makes 6 1/2+ quarts of soup 

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of cremini mushrooms, sliced (I used 1 lb)
• 1 large onion, chopped and sauteed in oil
•  2 large carrots, chopped
•  2 celery ribs, chopped (I skipped)
•  4 cloves of garlic, chopped
•  1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, chopped  (I skipped)
•  2 teaspoons of fresh sage, chopped  (I skipped)
•  28 ounces of crushed fire-roasted tomatoes (I used the kind with mild chilis)
•  2 ½ quarts of low-sodium vegetable broth (You can use chicken if you wish)
•  3 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce  
•  2” X 2” skinny square of parmesan rind  ( supposedly stays intact --I could not find mine)
•  1 pound, 2 ounces of pre-cut butternut squash cubes (the size of TJ's pre-packaged cut-up squash)   TIP:  You can roast the cubes & add near the end of the "soup-cooking" time, for an even richer taste.
•  10 ounces of chopped curly kale, stems removed (add near the very end to stay bright green--I did not)
•  2 cans (15 ounce ea.) no-salt Great Northern beans---DO NOT DRAIN! (I did drain)
•  2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. 

    Cook it all in a crock pot or regular pot. 

Mashed Cauliflower and Spinach

6 cups (600 g) cauliflower florets (fresh or frozen)
3–6 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 cup (120 g) raw cashew butter
2 tablespoons (12 g) no or low salt seasoning
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
10 ounces fresh organic baby spinach

Directions
1. Steam cauliflower and garlic for about 8–10 minutes or until tender. Drain and press out as much water as possible in a strainer. Set aside.
2. Add spinach to steamer and wilt slightly.
3. Place cauliflower, garlic, and cashew butter into the Vitamix container and secure lid.
4. Select Variable 1.
5. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
6. Blend for 45–60 seconds, using the tamper to press the ingredients into the blades. You may need to stop the machine and scrape down the sides to incorporate all the ingredients.
7. Add seasoning and adjust to suit your taste.
8. Mix puréed cauliflower with wilted spinach. Serve hot or warm.