I’ve made plenty of potato salads with vinaigrettes, but for an occasion like the 4th of July, I like to go back to a more traditional American style. Alas, mayo is not the heart-healthiest of foods, so I substituted Greek yogurt and olive oil. I got the idea of a yogurt dressing from this New York Times recipe, which was good but not all that exciting. I jazzed it up with lemon, coarse-ground mustard, pickle relish and onions. The result was as American as, well, potato salad!

Of course, if I’d wanted to be truly traditional I would have used celery, but some just-picked snap peas came into my possession, so I just had to use them. And it was a good thing, because hey added the perfect amount of crunch and color, as well as a slight sweetness.

Another thing that took this salad to the “fantastic” level was a tart garlic-dill relish from McClure’s. You could use regular old pickle relish, but this relish is fantastic – and not at all sweet like the grocery store variety. I didn’t use a lot of it, but you could really taste the pickle-ness in every bite.

Hope you try this healthy potato salad on the 4th – it’s sure to set off some flavor fireworks in your mouth.

Potato Salad with Snap Peas and Yogurt

2 pounds Yukon Gold or red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
1 pint sugar snap peas
1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon light eggless canola mayonnaise (Spectrum makes this)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon coarse-grain dijon mustard
1 heaping tablespoon pickle relish (see above)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup minced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayo, olive oil, mustard, relish, lemon juice, onion, parsley, salt and pepper.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Pull the string down the length of the snap peas. add them to the boiling water and blanch for about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon, and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water. Let sit until they are completely cold, then drain well. Chop into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside.

Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook until just tender, about 12-14 minutes. Drain. Add the potatoes and snap peas to the dressing and gently stir. Adjust salt to taste. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate for later use.

Serves 8-10

My friend Jeff (amazing artist, by the way) makes a big pot of quinoa every week and eats quinoa salads for lunch every day. It’s a brilliant idea, because it’s easy, nutritious, and let’s not forget, cheap. So with Jeff as an inspiration, I created this Quinoa and Black Bean Salad. You can make it on Sunday, then you’ll have the perfect brown-bag lunch for most of the week.

This salad is fresh and tangy, thanks to the radishes, cilantro and lime, and a tad sweet from the corn and red bell peppers. The Aleppo pepper give it the requisite kick. And of course, with both quinoa and beans, this is a protein-packed dish.

You can use this as a base recipe for all kinds of quinoa and bean salads. I could see using mango instead of corn, for a slightly sweeter variation. Or for a Mediterranean-style salad, omit the corn and use chickpeas, parsley and lemon instead of black beans, cilantro and lime. Oh, the lunch possibilities….

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

2 cups quinoa (recommend no-rinse variety)
1 ¾ cups water
1 red bell pepper, diced small
¼ cup thinly sliced spring red onion or scallions
5 radishes, sliced paper thin using a mandoline
1½ cups fresh corn (from about 2 ears)
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (optional but great!)

Combine the quinoa and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 12 to15 minutes, until you see the little white spiral “tail” appear on each kernel. The quinoa should be just tender, but still with a little crunch. Drain off any excess liquid.  Cool.

Blanch the corn kernels in boiling water for one minute. Drain.

Combine the quinoa with all ingredients. Adjust salt and lime juice to taste, and serve. Can be served chilled or at room temperature. Note: for leftovers,  you might want to squeeze on some more lime juice when serving, to freshen up the flavors.

Serves 6, or up to 12 if you are serving as a small side dish

P.S. Please use the nice little buttons below to share this recipe. Stumble, tweet or whatever you feel like doing!

When rhubarb’s in season, I dream about strawberry rhubarb pie. It seems like such a  simple and homey dessert, but if you don’t overwhelm it with sugar, the tartness makes it seem more sophisticated somehow.

In this strawberry rhubarb pie, lemon juice and a bit of orange zest highlight the tartness, while cinnamon and allspice play off the sweet notes. It’s the perfect balance.

This was the first time I tried a vegan version of my famous pie crust. I was worried that substituting soy milk for the regular milk in the recipe would change the crust, but it was just as delicious. It once again fooled several of my guests, who were convinced they were eating a rich butter crust until I let them in on the vegan secret.

Photo prop fun: thanks to my friend Pam for this super cool tea towel. Friends who give me table linens are the best!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Filling:

2/3 to 3/4 cup sugar, depending on whether you want a “very tart” or “pretty tart” pie
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon orange zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups strawberries, hulled and cut into large chunks
3 ½ cups rhubarb, cut into ½-inch slices

Crust:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (see note below)
1 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (see note below)
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup organic canola oil
6 tablespoons soy milk (regular flavor, not vanilla or unsweetened)
½ teaspoon sugar

Note: Measure the flour by pouring or gently spooning into your measuring cup – do not scoop the cup into the bag of flour!

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, allspice, salt and orange zest. Add the lemon juice and fruit, stirring gently to combine.

Whisk the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the oil in a glass measuring cup and add the soy milk, without stirring. Pour this mixture into the flour and stir briefly, just until combined. Divide the dough in half and form two balls. Roll the pie crust out immediately; do not refrigerate this dough.

Place a 15″ piece of wax paper on your work surface, putting a few drops of water under the paper to keep it from sliding around. Put one ball on the paper and use your hands to press it into a 6-inch circle. Top with another piece of wax paper and roll it out with a rolling pin to a 12-inch circle (the edges may extend beyond the top and bottom of the wax paper slightly, but you can loosen it with a knife when you lift the dough.)  If your circle is uneven, simply tear off a piece from one part and add it to another – it’s easy to make repairs, before or after the dough is in the pan.

Remove the top sheet and turn the dough over into a 9-inch pie pan, pressing to remove any air pockets. Pour in the filling. Roll out the second disc between fresh wax paper and place it on top of the pie. Fold the top crust under the bottom all the way around, and crimp the edges. Cut some slits in the top and sprinkle with the sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake about 50 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden and the filling is bubbling. Cool 4 or more hours before serving.

When I saw this Mango BBQ Beans recipe on The Taste Space blog recently, I was intrigued … but also a little hesitant to make them, because the beans were cooked on the stovetop rather than baked. After all, I’m a traditional baked bean kinda gal. But I fell in love with the flavor of these tangy, mango-y beans.

I made a few changes to the recipe, which originally appeared in the Appetite for Reduction cookbook, including:

– Pinto beans instead of kidney beans, because the soft texture of pintos is better here.

– Bean cooking liquid instead of vegetable broth, because why waste delicious bean liquid?

– Less than half the amount of liquid smoke, because it can be overpowering, and because this product freaks my friend Francine out!

The result was slightly sweet and smoky, and absolutely delicious. Next time will probably go all the way and bake them at 300 degrees for an hour or two instead of simmering on the stovetop. But that will simply be guilding the lily (or the beans, as the case may be.)

These beans go well on a traditional barbecue menu, but would also make a nice dinner when served with something simple like brown rice and braised collard greens, or maybe some quinoa-corn cakes. I’ll have to get creative with my menu planning this week, because even though these beans were a huge hit at my Memorial Day party, I have loads of leftovers!

One ingredient note – I had to send two friends on a hunt for Aleppo chili pepper flakes, but it was worth it. We were putting them on everything this weekend. They went in the potato salad, on bread & cheese, etc. They have an intriguing, slightly smoky flavor that’s different than regular crushed red pepper. So do hunt some down for yourself.

Photo prop fun: Eagle-eyed readers of this blog will notice that I’ve featured these salt & pepper shakers once before. But I just can’t get enough of these kitties. Can you?

Mango BBQ Beans

3/4 pound dried pinto beans (1 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 cups chopped fresh ripe mango
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1 cup bean cooking liquid
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo chili flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon agave nectar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place the beans in a large bowl of cold water and soak overnight. Drain, return to the pot and cover with cold water by 1-2 inches. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then reduce heat and simmer until tender. This may take anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes, depending on the freshness of your beans. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Add the mango, tomato sauce, bean cooking liquid, pepper flakes, allspice, coriander, beans and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove off the heat and stir in the agave nectar and liquid smoke. Add more salt to taste, and serve.

Serves 6.

Just in time for Memorial Day, I’m bringing back my Authentic Smoked Seitan recipe. Truth be told, this stuff is just too good to languish in the early pages of my blog!

As I said originally, this comes as close to real barbecue as vegetarian food can get. It’s smoky, crispy and chewy – and perfect on a bun with a vinegary, North Carolina-style sauce. If you don’t have a smoker, you can smoke in a Weber grill.

Trust me, if you make this, people will be talking about your amazing vegetarian barbecue for months to come!

Step 1:  Make Seitan

1 ½ c. vital wheat gluten*
¼ c. nutritional yeast flakes*
1 c. + 2 T. ice water
1/3 c. low sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 t. lemon zest
2 t. paprika
¼ t. cumin
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
½ t. chili powder

Liquid for simmering:

10 cups extremely cold water
1/3 c. low-sodium soy sauce or tamari

Combine gluten and nutritional yeast in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together water, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, lemon zest and spices.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine. Knead dough in the bowl for about 3 minutes until you have a spongy dough (this will look and feel like the most disgusting food ever). Excess liquid will accumulate in the bottom of the bowl, and that’s fine – just leave it in the bowl.  Let rest for a few minutes, then shape into a log about 7 or 8 inches long. Cut into 3 pieces.

Put the cold water and soy sauce in a large saucepan and gently put the pieces of dough in the liquid. Partially cover the pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for one hour, turning the pieces occasionally.  Let it cool for ten minutes, then remove the seitan. As soon as it’s cool enough to handle, squeeze out all the liquid you can, being careful not to break the hunks of seitan.  Wrap each piece in plastic wrap or place in a zip lock bag and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

* Vital wheat gluten and nutritional yeast are available at any health food store or markets like Whole Foods.

Step 2:  Rub and smoke

Dry rub:

3 T. paprika
1 T. black pepper
1 T. sugar
1 T. chili powder
2 t. garlic powder
2 t. onion powder
1 t. cayenne pepper
½ t. dry mustard powder

Start a fire in your smoker.  Soak wood chips (preferably hickory) for 45 minutes or more. Coat the seitan pieces in the dry rub mixture and put it on a grill basket or right on the grate. Throw some wood chips on the hot coals and close the  cover. Smoke for 1 ½ hours, adding more soaked wood chips occasionally.   If your smoker has a thermometer, keep the temperature at about 225.

Step 3:  Sauce and eat

Barbecue sauce:

1 c. water
1 c. cider vinegar
2/3 c. ketchup
1 T. sugar
½ t. red pepper flakes
½ t. freshly ground pepper
1 t. salt

Whisk the sauce ingredients together until sugar dissolves. Let the smoked seitan cool for 5 minutes, then slice, drizzle with sauce and serve plain or on buns.  (Note: It’s best served right after you smoke it – if you reheat it in an oven later, the edges will lose the crispiness.)

A black bean soup recipe from Eating Well caught my eye because it contained coffee. I’m a notorious coffee hater, yet the idea of using it in black bean soup was oddly appealing.

The recipe suggested using a ham hock – but as you can guess, ham hocks aren’t exactly on my diet plan. So I substituted a couple of chipotle peppers to add smokiness. Between the coffee and the chipotles, this soup is earthy, smoky, and spicy. My three favorite qualities, all in one bowl!

The crowning glory of this black bean soup is the cilantro-chive pesto I made using some of the zillions of chives growing in my garden. It’s so good, you’ll want to use it on tofu, potatoes, tacos and anything else that could use a Southwestern or Mexican flavor boost. Here’s the, uh, recipe: take a large fistful of chopped chives, one bunch of cilantro (leaves and small stems), a couple tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of a small lime and a pinch of salt. Puree in a food processor.

Smoky Black Bean Soup
Adapted from Eating Well magazine

1 pound dried black beans
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
5 cups water
1 1/2 cups brewed coffee
2 chipotle peppers from canned chipotles in adobo (use only 1 if you’re a wimp), chopped
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 1½ teaspoons salt, to taste

Yogurt (regular or soy) or sour cream, for garnish
Cilantro-chive pesto, for garnish (see above)

Rinse the beans and place in a large bowl of cold water. Soak overnight, then drain.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, pepper, celery, jalapeño and garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the beans, water, coffee, chipotles and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until beans are very tender, about 1½ hours. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the pepper and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Add more salt if needed.

Puree half the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender until very smooth. Return to the pan with the rest of the soup and reheat. Garnish with sour cream or yogurt, and cilantro-chive pesto.

Other black bean recipes you might enjoy:
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Salad
Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash