I can't begin to tell you how many cans of tuna fish I consumed as a child. Truly, I kept half of Samoa employed at the starkist factory cranking out can after can. As a kid I loved the stuff. Forget PB&J - in my lunch box it was either sushi made with tuna fish or a tuna sandwich. I've loved tuna all my life...that was until IT happened. That fateful day still haunts my memory. It started out heavenly. My gorgeous hubby who should have tried out for Baywatch as a hunky life guard showed up on campus to bring me a surprise picnic lunch. We sat under a plumaria tree with the faint sound of waves crashing on the beach a block a way. He laid out a nice mat and pulled out some crackers, an avocado, and a can of tuna fish, what more could I want? Well, perhaps not having a worm in my can of tuna would be a good start...I haven't touched the stuff since! This salad is a sufficient substitute. I even took it to a carnivorous family gathering and the one person there who was brave enough to try it said she loved it!
Tuna Salad
1 can garbanzo beans mashed
pickle relish
1 green onion chopped
1thingy celery chopped
dill weed
Smash your garbanzos with a fork and add the rest of the ingredients. Season with dill weed to taste. This is great as a sandwich or scoop some in the middle of an avocado and serve on mixed greens for a beautiful light dinner.
Who doesn't love stuffing? Even though the name can be a bit insulting considering the one time a year that people go for stuffing is the same day people gorge themselves on all sorts of indulgences followed by a new years resolution, which is consistently the result of trying to counter that one day of feasting. How about we take a tip from the south and call it "dressing?" Sounds much more in line with the healthy eater.
This dressing is just how I like it. Not too moist but not too dry. Feel free to twist and tweak this recipe however you like and be sure to make a bunch, you'll want to use this a lot!
Vegan "Dressing"
1 loaf firm bread cubed
3 tb EVOO
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 chopped onion
2 c chopped celery
3 c vegetable broth
1/4 c fresh parsley
salt
Toast the bread cubes in the oven. While those are toasting, saute the garlic, onion, and celery in Olive oil. In a large pot mix the toasted bread cubes, saute mixture and parsley. Add the broth till the bread sticks together but isn't mushy. Bake in a 9 x 13 for about 30 minutes turning occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Anyone who knows me knows I AM NOT a baker! This comes from despising exact measurements. This is why I failed math....1/4 is close to 1/3.....1,that's just 1 away from 2, that's close...what's the difference? I also can't stand following recipes exactly. It cramps my creative flowage. For most recipes I just read the recipe, get a general idea what it's supposed to taste like and then I let the buds lead. I go to the fridge and see what I have that would work and wait like everyone else to see what comes out at the end. I guess you could say I like surprises. This is why I'm a cook, not a baker.
Baking requires the letter of the law....I'm more of a spirit of the law kind of gal, if you know what I mean. This of course, has gotten me in trouble from time to time. For example, we were having the LDS missionaries over for dinner. One had previously mentioned that he loved Utah scones (ya, they're actually called that. To the rest of the world scones are more of a biscuit thing...I guess Utah's just a little different...in more than one way). Having been a missionary myself, I knew what it meant to have some comfort food every once in a while so I decided to make some. Well, after adding a pinch of this and a dash of that they were flat gobs of goo....this signaled they needed more flour, which made them hard rocks of goo. I thought they would soften as they cooked in the oil, so into the pan they went where 4 "scones" quickly soaked up ruffly a 1/2 quart of oil. The missionaries had just arrive so I had no choice but to serve them. One bite and oil came squirting out. The missionaries insisted they were delicious but I quickly took them back to the kitchen vowing to never bake again!
This is why Matthew is the baker at our house. Matthew is THE baker man - I love to watch him in the kitchen! rar! He makes these great pita pockets from a no-fail recipe for wheat bread. We've had some amazing meals with these pockets. This is just one to wet your whistle.
Pita Sandwiches
1 pita per person
1 can garbanzo beans
sliced cucumber
1 carrot
sprouts
sunflower seeds
green onion
cabbage
cherry tomatoes
Slice in half, toast, and open your pitas, Lather the inside with hummus (yum, you could stop right there). Now, in a food processor place everything but the sprouts and cherry tomatoes. Pulse once or twice just to chop everything but leave it chunky. Slice the tomatoes in half. Fill your pocket with the mixture and slip in a few tomato halves and sprouts. Can you just feel the raw goodness?
My first bout with Quinoa was more then frustrating. I got the kind that needs pre-washing and these little suckers get everywhere! I finished washing them, put them in my beloved little rice cooker, turn around and they were everywhere. I don't know if my animal magnetism just drew them to me or if I was just having a really bad day with static cling but as I cleaned up the kitchen I found them on the counter, in the sink, and in my hair(don't ask).
I was fully prepared to bid quinoa adue but then I found the pre washed! I dumped it in the cooker added water and that was it. Another big save by moder technology. After that we were hooked. We enjoyed it so much we had a quinoa party ( ya, we're geeks....what of it?) Everyone brought a quiona dish. Some friends even brought inkan warrior quinoa balls (prof there are people geekier then we are) But what is quinoa? This link should clear up the matter
http://www.cookingquinoa.net/quinoa/
This salad is one of the simplest, best tasting salads I know. It works great as a side dish or its own meal. Fantastic at a pot luck and nobody even has to know it's vegan.
Quinoa Salad
1-2 C Pre washed Quinoa
1/2 red onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
juice of 1 lemon
extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
Place Quinoa in your rice cooker with double the amount of water (1 c quinoa = 2 c water) let the quinoa cook through a cycle. While thats cooking chop your onion, and pepper. one the Quinoa is done fluff with a fork. Add onion, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Cover and let cool in the fridge. Serve with a slice of fresh home made wheat bread (recipe to follow)
That's it, your basic recipe for Quinoa salad....now let your imagination run with it, like olives? add olives. Like garbanzos? knock yourself out!
