Quinoa Salad with Fennel and White Beans in a Light Lemon Vinaigrette

I came across this recipe a while ago, whilst looking through “Spork-Fed : Super fun and Flavorful vegan recipes for the Sisters of Spork Foods” by Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg. I wanted to try in straight away but had two stumbling blocks. Firstly, I could not for the life of me find German mustard. I am not much of a mustard eater but remember years ago, having some by Masterfoods. I looked through two different supermarket chains and could not find it. After some online investigation, I found out that Masterfoods discontinued that variety. I found that quite astounding. Anyway, check out the international/import food stores and you should find some there.

My next challenge was the fennel. It was out of season and so was either hard to find or very small and very expensive. I decided that I would wait until winter when fennel is in season and easy to find. Oh, and the bulbs are big and lush.

I simplified and tweaked the original recipe to suit me.

What you will need:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well and boiled in 2 cups water until the liquid is absorbed (You can use a mix of colours if you want – red, white, black – it doesn’t matter)

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed

1 large fennel bulb, finely chopped

1 tbsp agave syrup

Juice of half a lemon

1 tsp German mustard

1 tsp cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil

5 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

A big bag of salad greens

Method:

This is really easy.

Throw all of the ingredients together and toss! You can season with salt and black pepper if you wish. Serve it warm.

I found this makes a meal size quantity for 2 people or as a side dish for 4 people.

Big Fat Taco Salad

This one is from "Appetite for reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. It is a big taco...as a salad. It is kind of fiddly, in that there are three components to it  - the salad, the tomato salsa dressing, and the Guacamame. If you are a bit of a lazy cook, at least try making the Guacamame - it is fantastic!

What you will need for the salad:
4 cups shredded cos lettuce
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 batch of Fresh Tomato Salsa Dressing (recipe follows)
Approx. 100g tortilla chips
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
1 cup of Guacamame (recipe follows)

Method:
Arrange the salad in 2 big bowls. (Original recipe states that this for 4 people but I think if you want to make a meal of it, it is good for 2. Otherwise double the ingredient amounts for 4 servings.)
Place the lettuce in the bowls, then layer on the beans and salsa. Crumble on the tortilla chips and top with cilantro. Serve with Guacamame on the side or a dollop on the top.

What you will need for the Tomato Salsa Dressing:
3 tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
salt to taste

Method:
Chop up the tomatoes fairly small and then add all the other ingredients. Use your hands to mush everything up really well and leave to sit for 10 minutes or so. You can make this in advance and place it on a tightly sealed container in the fridge, for up to 5 days.

What you will need for the Guacamame:
1 large avocado, sliced
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed (Woolworths sells cooked and frozen edamame but you can also find it in Asian food stores. For thawing, you can leave out for a few hours or you can microwave or run under hot water. It must be thawed well.)
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lime
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
Pinch of cayenne

Method:
Place avocado and edamame in a blender or food processor and pulse until everything is well chopped. Add water, salt and lime juice. Puree until mostly smooth. Add tomato, cilantro and cayenne and pulse a few times.  Taste test for seasoning and then you are done.

Sushi Roll Edamame Salad

This salad is exactly how Isa Chandra Moskowitz describes it in her book "Appetite for Reduction" - a big, deconstructed sushi roll in a bowl. You can have it with wasabi and soy sauce on the side, to dip each mouthful, if you wish.
The recipe features edamame which are soy beans still in their pods. You can buy these frozen from supermarkets. I found some precooked and frozen ones in Woolworths. Their flavour and texture is exquisite so don't leave these out of the recipe.
As for the nori sheet, I found a pack of nori pre-cut into thin strips, at the supermarket (Coles or Woolworths - I can't remember which one now) in the Asian foods section.

What you will need:
1 cup shelled frozen edamame, thawed
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp agave nectar
8 cups cos lettuce, chopped
2 cups cooked and cooled short grain brown rice
1 small cucumber, cut into matchsticks
1 medium sized carrot, cut into matchsticks
4 tsp sesame seeds
1 sheet nori, cut into thin strips
1 avocado, sliced

Method:
For the dressing, mix together the edamame, rice vinegar, and agave.
For the salad, place the lettuce in a large bowl and drizzle the dressing over the top.
Add the rice over the lettuce. Top rice with cucumber, carrot and sesame seeds. Sprinkle with the nori and add avocado on top.
Dig in!

Blue Potato and Corn Salad

This dish is based on the recipe I found in the book "Appetite for reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I changed a few things about it die to personal tastes, availability of some of the ingredients and time and effort involved. Basically, I made it a lot less spicy and took some shortcuts. The outcome was still very pleasing. Just be careful when cooking the potato, so they are not over done. I think I made mine a bit too soft.

What you will need:
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
900g blue (they look purple) potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp grapeseed oil (yes, you can get this at the supermarket)
1 tsp agave nectar (the light kind, not the dark)
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt
1 can beans, drained and rinsed. (I used black beans, but I think kidney beans or even a 5 bean mix would work.)
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
dash or two of paprika
1/4 cup roasted red capsicums, chopped
Mixed salad greens

Method:
Boil potatoes for 5-10 minutes, making sure they are cooked but still firm
Drain and place in a large bowl. Let cool.
Add capsicum, corn, and beans.
For the dressing, mix together in a small bowl, the vinegar, oil, agave, water and salt.
Add the dressing to the other ingredients and toss to coat. Add coriander and paprika and mix gently. Serve over mixed greens.

Everyday Chickpea and Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

This recipe is from the legendary vegan chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz's book "Appetite for Reduction : 125 fast and filling low fat vegan recipes". It is, infact, the very first recipe of the book. I thought I would do my best to try as many of the recipes in this book as I could, and this one is a good start.

What you will need for the salad:
2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
1 small red onion, sliced thinly (optional)
4 cups chopped cos lettuce
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
a few leaves of fresh basil, chopped finely
handful of snow pea sprouts
1 carrot, grated

What you will need for the vinaigrette:
1/4 cup cashew pieces
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp agave nectar
3/4 tsp salt

Method:
Mix all the salad ingredients together. For the vinaigrette, place cashews in a blender and pulse to chop up. Add rest of the ingredients and blend for about 5 minutes, to get the mixture smooth and not grainy. Add to salad and toss to coat. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up 3 days if a tightly sealed container is used.

Cucumber-sesame salad

A super easy dish that you can serve with pita bread or vegetable tempura. The original recipe (which I found in the book “30 Minute Vegan” by Mark Reinfield and Jennifer Murray) calls for the use of onions but I have omitted them and the taste is still fine without them.

What you will need:

¼ cup sesame seeds (toasted or raw)

4 cups sliced cucumber (about 1 or 2 large cucumbers), peeled and cut about 2cms thick. You can seed if you want but I didn’t bother.

1 tbsp minced red onion (optional)

1 sheet nori, grated or cut finely (I used a pre-cut pack I found at the supermarket tin the Asian Foods section)

½ tsp sea salt

2 tbsp rice vinegar (found in the Asian Foods section of the supermarket)

Bag of salad greens

Method:

Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Serve in bowls lined with mixed salad greens.

Easy!

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Another gluten free recipe I found in the book “Quinoa 365” by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming. This one is a mix of quinoa, black beans, corn and coriander. You can make it as hot (or not) as you like.

What you will need:

2 cups water

1 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup lime juice

4 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 ½ tsp ground cumin

1 tsp finely minced jalapeno (optional)

1 can corn kernels, drained and rinsed

1 diced red bell capsicum (optional)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup chopped coriander

¼ tsp salt

Method:

Bring the water and the quinoa to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover and reduce to simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat and leave covered to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and allow to cool.

Place quinoa in a large bowl.

Whisk oil, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, cumin and jalapeno (if using) in a small bowl. Stir dressing into quinoa.

Add capsicum, black beans, coriander and salt. Toss and serve.

Salad will keep for up to 3 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. 

White bean, corn and avocado salad

This recipe has been sitting in my ‘to try out’ folder for quite some time. I have no idea where I found it. My one regret is that it took me so long to give this one a go, as it is so yummy and pretty damn easy. A note about the red wine vinegar: make sure the brand you are using states that it is vegan, as not all are. (Animal products are sometimes used as filters.) I used Biona Red Wine Vinegar which I found at Alive Organics.

What you will need:

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 can corn kernels, rinsed and drained

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 large avocado, chopped

100g roasted capsicums, chopped (optional)

For the dressing:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp red wine vinegar

Method:

Place all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together.

Place the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and add dressing. Toss gently.

Easy! 

Tabbouleh-Style Quinoa Salad

This is such a simple recipe and yet it taste so good! I found it in the book “Carb-Conscious Vegetarian” by Robin Robertson.The original recipe instructs to cover and refrigerate the quinoa mixture for 1 hour or more before serving but I just could not wait and ate it straight away. Still tasted great, but I imagine the refrigeration was for the flavours to develop further.

What you will need:

2 cups water

Salt

1 cup quiona, rinsed well and drained

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

1 can chickpeas

½ cup flat leaf parsley

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tbsp lemon juice

4 cups mixed salad greens

Method:

Bring the water to boil in a medium sized saucepan and add salt to taste. Stir in quinoa and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until water is absorbed – about 15 minutes. Fluff and let stand, lid covered.

In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa, cucumber, tomato, chickpeas and parsley. In a small bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice and salt to taste.  Pour dressing over quinoa mixture and mix gently.

Place salad greens in individual bowls and then spoon out quinoa mixture over the top.

Tofu garden vegetable salad

This is a versatile recipe, in that it can be serves on its own, as a side salad, as a sandwich filling, or as a stuffing for tomatoes.

I found the amount of mustard  in the original recipe to be a bit too much, so I have reduced it. Feel free to double it if you want it stronger.

This recipe comes from “30-Minute vegan” by Mark Reinfield and Jennifer Murray.

What you will need:

450g extra firm tofu, crumbled (this is the stuff that is solid as a brick, NOT the silken firm variety, which is softer)

½ cup diced celery

½ cup seeded and diced red bell capsicum (optional)

2 tbsp diced kalamata olives

½ cup vegan mayonnaise ( You can find this in some health food shops or the health food section of some supermarkets. PAWS also stock it. I prefer the Plamil brand.)

1 tbsp fresh minced parsley or dill

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar

½ tsp minced garlic (optional)

1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

Dash sea salt and pepper

½ cup grated carrot

1 tsp turmeric powder

Method:

Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix gently.

Refrigerates well and tastes just as good the next day.

Sunny Summer Salad

This recipe is from the book “Quinoa 365” by Patricia Green. It is not a vegan or even vegetarian cookbook but there are quite a lot of vegan recipes in there, many that I have tried and quite a few that have become favourites.

This gluten free salad can be made and eaten straight away or can be prepared the night before. I have left out the use of bell capsicums because they just don’t agree with me, but feel free to use them, as they would add a nice colour to this salad. There is a strong contrast between the sweetness of the currants and the sour of the lemon juice. I found the use of a 1/3 of a cup of lemon juice to be a bit too strong, so I suggest taking it down to a ¼.

What you will need

1 1/2 cups water

¾ cup quinoa

3 cups finely diced zucchini

1 cup finely diced red bell capsicum

1 cup finely diced yellow bell capsicum

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup dried currants

2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

2 tbsp finely chopped coriander

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp minced fresh garlic (optional)

½ tsp salt

Pinch each of cayenne pepper, ground cumin and ground turmeric

Method

Bring water to boil in a small saucepan. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit with cover on, for about 5 minutes. Remove lid, fluff with fork and let cool.

Place zucchini, capsicums, sunflower seeds, currants, parsley and coriander in a large bowl. Add cooled quinoa.

Whisk lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt and spices in a small bowl. Pour over the salad and gently toss. 

Pasta and Kidney Bean Salad

This recipe is based on one that I found in the book Easy Vegan Cooking by Leah Leneman. I just fiddled around with it a bit to suit my tastes.
You will be surprised as to how filling it is and how well the ingredients go well with each other. I found adding some small cubes of Vegusto vegan cheese to be just right for this salad. You can get this at PAWS. Use either the No Moo Mildly Aromatic or the Piquant varieties.

What you will need:
2 tins of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
225g cooked pasta. Macaroni is good, but spirals, penne, etc are fine too. I use gluten free vartieties by Orgran
4 sticks celery
85g walnuts, chopped roughly
sea salt and black pepper to taste
4 tbsp safflower oil
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
a couple of handfuls of mixed lettuce leaves
a few slices of vegan cheese, such as Vegusto, cubed or vegan feta

Method:
Toss together the pasta, beans, celery, lettuce and walnuts. In a small bowl, whisk together the salt, pepper, vinegar and oil. Pour onto the salad and toss. Add the vegan cheese cubes and serve.

Asian inspired coleslaw

With the hot weather hitting us in Perth, recently, I thought I'd give this recipe a go. Simple, with not too many ingredients and no turning on of ovens or stovetops required!
I found this one in the book "River Cottage Veg Everyday" by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, which is a vegetarian cookbook with some vegan recipes included. The original recipe called for honey but I substituted that with agave syrup, to keep in vegan.

What you will need:
1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed and sliced (optional)
4 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
1 small white cabbage, shredded finely

For the dressing:
2 tbsp soy or tamari sauce
1 tbsp agave syrup
1 garlic clove finely chopped (optional)
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sesame seed oil
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of one lime
a handful of chopped coriander

Method:
If using, put the sliced spring onions in a bowl, add coarsely grated carrots and shredded cabbage. Combine.
For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together and pour onto the vegetables, tossing thoroughly.
Add the lime juice and coriander.
Leave for 20 minutes to soften and 'relax' and then serve.

Recipe: Russian Sauerkraut Apple Salad

I nabbed this super simple recipe from this website.

I know sauerkraut is an acquired taste. My mother, although Greek, spent most of her childhood in Poland, so she often cooked with sauerkraut when I was a child. If you haven't had it before, give it a go. You may be surprised at how tasty it is. Plus, it is full of probiotics, thanks to the fermentation process.

What you will need:
1 can of sauerkraut (about 400g)
2 apples (my favourites are fuji apples)
1 tbsp sugar
fresh chopped parsley, to taste
fresh chopped dill, to taste (optional)

Method:
Cube apples and add to other ingredients. Combine well and serve. Easy!

Recipe: Zucchini carrot ribbon salad in tomato dressing

This is a pretty simple salad and you don’t need any fancy kitchen equipment for it.  Your average fruit and vegetable peeler will do the job. I liked the blend of the crunchiness of the carrot and the softness of the zucchini, which looked and felt like eating fettuccine.  I think next time, I may double the amount of zucchini used.

You can experiment with the ratios of the dressing ingredients if you like, making it sweeter, perhaps.  I could not find sun-dried tomato paste/puree, so just used the regular stuff. Also, if like me, you are not keen on garlic and onions, you can leave them out and this salad will still taste good.

Credit given to the book from which I found this recipe: “Big Vegan” by Robin Asbell.

This amount makes enough for 3 people.

What you will need:

1 tbsp sundried or regular tomato paste/puree

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 garlic clove, crushed (optional)

½ - 1 tsp sugar

¼ tsp salt

2 medium to large zucchinis

1 large carrot

2 spring onions, chopped (optional)

Method:

In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato paste/puree, oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, sugar and salt.

In a large salad bowl, peel the zucchini and carrot down to the seeds, turning as you go.

Add the spring onions to the bowl and drizzle the dressing over the vegetables. Toss to coat and serve.

(The photo below doesn't do it justice, but rest assured that it is tasty!)

Recipe: Watermelon and tomato salad

I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about this recipe from “Big Vegan” by Robin Asbell. I looked at the ingredients and thought “How is this going to work??” but oddly enough….it does! Give it a try!

What you will need:

4 cups cubed seedless watermelon

1 large tomato (use yellow variety if you can find, otherwise a regular red one will do)

½ cup fresh basil

3 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp agave syrup (you can get this at health food or organics stores)

1 pinch of salt

Black pepper (optional)

Method:

Put the watermelon in a large bowl.

Slice the tomato into thin wedges and add to watermelon.

Slice the basil into thin strips and add to bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, syrup and salt. Pour onto watermelon and tomato. Serve topped with black pepper.

Recipe: Sweet and creamy coleslaw

This is a good one for summer. Can be eaten on the day it is made or refrigerated and eaten the next day, if you like the cabbage to be softer. This recipe comes from “Big Vegan” by Robin Asbell. I have altered it a little to include parsley and more carrot.

What you will need:

½ green cabbage

½ red cabbage

2 carrots

2 handfuls chopped fresh parsley

½ cup vegan mayonnaise (I used Plamil’s EggFree Mayonnaise which is also dairy free. You can find at PAWS or in some health food or organics shops.)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp agave syrup (again, you can find this in organics or health food shops)

½ tsp salt

Method:

If you have a food processor, with a slicing disk,  slice both the red and green cabbage very thinly. If not, just do it by hand.

Grate carrot.

In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, syrup, mustard, and salt. Add cabbage, carrots and chopped parsley. Toss to coat. 

Recipe: Warm tarragon and potato salad

This is a simple but pleasant warm salad that I found in the book Veggiestan by Sally Butcher.

I have not really cooked much with fresh tarragon before, so was surprised to find that it tasted somewhat like anise which I am not overly keen on. However, I found that it tasted quite nice, and not too powerful in this dish.

What you will need:

4 to 5 large potatoes (waxy varieties are best)

Handful each of fresh parsley and tarragon, washed and roughly chopped

1 medium onion, finely sliced (optional)

6 or so olives of your choice, chopped (optional)

4 tbsp olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

Peel potatoes and cut into 2cm cubes. Bring to boil and simmer in water until cooked. This should take about 10 minutes. Drain and place in large bowl with onions, olives and herbs. Whisk lemon juice, oil and seasoning together and toss through salad. Serve while still warm.