Spring Pea & Basil Salad with Chicken and Fingerlings

Much to my shagrin, spring is in the air. While I love the vegetables spring brings, this can only mean one thing: summer is coming! Boohiss. It's not quite there yet so I will count my numbered days with bright, fresh produce in every meal.
A new type of vegan meat has come around these days that is now being sold in Whole Foods called Beyond Meat. It is by far the closest thing to real chicken you will ever taste. Granted, I don't remember what real chicken tastes like at all BUT when I tried this for the first time, my brow furrowed and I scowled. I was pretty much convinced I was being duped and someone was getting me to eat chicken. I chewed it with so much suspicion that my eyes hurt from squinting. Now, knowing full well that this is in fact, vegan I will certainly be replacing it with the old (old/new) Gardien standby.

One Year Ago Today Barbecue Ribs with Cold Farfalle Salad

Two Years Ago Today Tempeh in Rosemary Balsamic Redux with Asparagus & Polenta

Fresh green peas, crisp cucumber, vegan chicken and creamy fingerling potatoes drenched in basil, cilantro, lemon and garlic for a new springtime salad great warm or at room temperature.

Spring Pea Salad
serves 3
1 cup(6 or so )fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
12 oz vegan chicken strips (such as Beyond Meat)
salt and pepper
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
3 tbl minced scallions, green parts only
1 tbl fresh lemon zest

Combine the potatoes in a pot of cold, salted water and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Add the peas and remove from the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes to warm the peas through then drain.
While the potatoes are cooking, saute the chicken strips in olive oil until lightly browned and crisp on the edges. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss together the potatoes, peas, chicken, cucumber, scallions and lemon zest.
Add all of the basil dressing and stir to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature

Basil Dressing
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup packed cilantro, leaves and stems
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbl minced scallions, green parts only
1 garlic clove, smashed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
juice from 1/2 lemon

Blend together until smooth.

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Rosemary Garlic Oil

This roasted vegetable salad is quick and incredibly easy to throw together for a family of four or double for a large crowd. Fresh rosemary blended into olive oil adds the perfect touch of herb flavor that accentuates even more while the vegetables become tender.

Roasted brussel sprouts, pearl onions, fingerling potatoes and green beans coated in garlicky olive oil with fresh rosemary. 

Two Years Ago Today Sausage and Black Eyed Peas with Spooned Cornbread & Tobasco Remoulade


Rosemary Garlic Oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbl fresh rosemary leaves
2 garlic cloves

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Roasted Vegetable Salad
serves 4 as a side dish
1 lb baby potatoes (such as fingerling, red or yukon)
8 oz frozen pearl onions, thawed
20 brussel sprouts, ends trimmed & outer leaves removed
2 handfuls fresh green beans, ends trimmed
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400.
Prick the potatoes all over.
Combine all the vegetables and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Pour all of the rosemary oil over the vegetables. Season liberally with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Toss all of the vegetables together to coat the oil and vegetables evenly.
Roast for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and caramelized.

Summer Squash Etouffee, Louisiana Style Grilled Tofu, Russian Bananas

It's Fat Tuesday and that means everyone should be eating delicious food native to the home of Mardi Gras, Louisiana. Here I make a vegan version of traditional Etouffee (usually served with crawfish or shrimp, yuck!) with summer squash and zucchini. Etouffee means "smothered" and both vegetables soak up all these the great flavors in no time at all. Great served over rice or potatoes, I used Russian Banana potatoes, a kind of fingerling potato to use as a bed for this dish.
If you have grilled tofu in the past, and found that it sticks pretty bad, that is because your grill isn't hot enough! When searing hot, lay the tofu on the grill and let the grill tell you when to flip the tofu. After 7 minutes, my tofu lifted beautifully and had great grill marks.

Large chunks of summer squash and zucchini smothered in a rich tomato, red pepper and celery stew, served over roasted russian banana potatoes tossed in fresh and dried herbs. Serve with a side of grilled tofu rubbed in traditional Louisianan rub.

Summer Squash Etouffee
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small red onion, medium dice
1/2 small spanish onion, medium dice
2 celery stalks, small dice
1 red bell pepper, medium dice
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, rough chop
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbl ap flour
1 cup vegetable broth
1-15oz can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 large zucchini, large rounds
1 large summer squash, large rounds
1 tbl salt, divided
pepper
1 tsp-1 tbl hot sauce, to taste
3 tbl freshly chopped parsley
2 tbl freshly chopped basil

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or large saute pan. Add the onions, celery, red pepper and 1 tsp of salt. Saute over medium-high heat until the onions are translucent and the other vegetables are soft. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute 4 minutes more until they start to brown. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix to coat and cook out the raw flour flavor, 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, tomatoes, bay leaf, cayenne, remaining 2 tsp of salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the zucchini, summer squash and hot sauce to taste and continue to simmer, covered for 10 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings and toss in parsley and basil off the heat.

Russian Bananas
10 fingerlings, halved lengthwise
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary
salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, grated
3 tbl freshly chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 425.
Bring a large pot of salted water and the fingerlings to a boil. Boil until the potatoes just start to get tender but are not cooked completely. Drain and pat dry.
While still warm, toss the potatoes with oil, dried rosemary, salt and pepper to taste and grated garlic.
Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes until they start to brown and have cooked through fully. Toss with fresh parsley and serve.

Louisiana Style Grilled Tofu
16 oz extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into large cubes
1 tbl salt, paprika, black pepper each
1/2 tsp cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder each
1/4 tsp dried oregano, dried thyme each
1 tbl vegan worcestershire sauce
3-4 dashes hot sauce, more or less to taste
2 tbl canola oil or canola spray
1 scallion, sliced for garnish

Toss the cubes of tofu with all the spices to coat completely. Then drizzle with hot sauce and worcestershire and rub to coat. Store in a plastic bag and marinate for at least 30 minutes, 2 hours is great, overnight is best.
Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Brush the grill pan with oil and add the tofu. Cook, turning on each side for 20 minutes total or until the tofu is firm and has grill marks. Garnish with scallions

Grilled Fingerling, Snow Pea & Asparagus Salad, Cannellini Red Pepper Cakes

Savory cakes, crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, filled with red peppers, cannellini beans and lemon. Roasted fingerling potatoes, snow peas and asparagus tossed with arugula and a lemon-garlic vinaigrette.

Cannellini Red Pepper Cakes

2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
1 celery stalk, minced
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
Juice of half a lemon
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1-15oz can Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 tbl whole wheat flour
1 cup plus 2 tbl panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 cup canola oil

In a large saute pan, heat 2 tbl of olive oil and saute the onions and celery until soft and translucent, 5 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and saute 5 minutes more so they are cooked but still have a crisp bite. Add the garlic cloves, salt, pepper, Old Bay, lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine and lightly toast the garlic. Remove from the heat and add the white beans. Mash up the mixture but not fully, make sure there is still some texture. Stir in whole wheat flour and 2 tbl of panko bread crumbs. The mixture will be fairly wet.
Combine the remaining 1 cup of breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and dried parsley in a bowl.
Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop even sized cakes out, slightly flatten and coat in breadcrumbs.
Heat up the canola oil in the same saute pan and pan fry until golden brown on both sides, 10-15 minutes total.
Garnish with lemon wedges and a sprinkling of sea salt.

Grilled Fingerling, Snow Pea and Asparagus Salad

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon, zest of half
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
8 fingerling potatoes
1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed
2 cups fresh snow peas
2 scallions, whole
1 cup arugula, packed

Bring a small pot of salted water and the potatoes to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are almost tender. Drain, half and pat to dry.
In a large bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice and zest, salt, pepper and minced raw garlic. Whisk to combine and set aside.
Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Brush with some olive oil. Grill the potatoes, flat side down, until they are completely tender with dark grill marks. Grill the asparagus and snow peas for 5 minutes. Grill the scallions for 2 minutes until limp and charred.
Roughly chop the scallions and add them to the lemon vinaigrette along with the asparagus, snow peas and fingerling potatoes. Add the arugula and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste.