food out of the garden – The Vegan Love Project

Pickled Beets with Onions

Pickled Beets with Onions

These keep amazingly well in the fridge- even though they may not last as long as you would like because they are SO DELICIOUS! They are a great accompaniment to lunches and sandwich type meals.

2 pounds red beets, scrubbed and washed

1 small onion, sliced very thinly

2T extra virgin olive oil

1/4c apple cider vinegar

1T red wine or rice wine vinegar

1/2t salt

1/4t black pepper

1T maple syrup or raw agave or raw local honey

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4c water

1/2t salt

Trim both ends of the beet off but leave the skin on. In a large pot, place the trimmed, whole beets and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low, simmering for 30-40 minutes partially covered, until the beets are tender all the way into the center. Drain. The skin should slip off the beets, if not, using a peeler, remove the skins and set aside. Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice the beets in rounds, evenly and thin. In a large bowl, place the sliced beets, sliced red onion, salt, pepper, olive oil, sweetener, and vinegar. Gently toss with a large spoon. Adjust the seasonings. This can be eaten right away but it gets better as it sits- I recommend letting stand at least 6 hours before serving.

Serve cold or at room temperature.

Cheddar Cheesy Zucchini Pappardelle

Because it is still apparently winter this late in March, I decided I needed something warming so I am slightly cooking the zucchini- you can definitely eat the noodles raw by salting them and setting them in a food dehydrator for a 1/2 hour or just set aside for 15-20 minutes so they soften. I pan fried the onion and garlic in 1T of coconut oil then quickly sautéed the noodles. Then the sauce and voila! Cheddar Cheesy Zucchini Pappardelle! THIS IS AWESOME.

Cheddar Cheesy Zucchini Pappardelle

1T coconut oil

1/2 onion thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, smashed and thinly sliced

1 zucchini per person, prepared as so;

Prepare the zucchini-

Using a vegetable peeler, create thin slices from the squash. Salt, pepper and set aside.

Prepare the sauce.

Raw Cheddar Cheesy Sauce

1/2c raw cashews

1/4c water

½ red bell pepper

1t chipotle powder

2T nutritional yeast

1T coconut oil

1T mellow miso paste

1t brown rice vinegar

1t ume vinegar or lemon juice

Salt and black pepper to taste (I used a pinch Smoked Salt)

In a blender or food processor, place all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Use over raw or cooked vegetables!!!

Saute the onions and garlic in the coconut oil until golden and browned. Add the squash and sauté just until al dente.

Immediately toss with 2-3T of the Cheddar Cheese sauce and enjoy!

Quinoa Vegetable Soup

This soup was made to feed my soul. Every vegetable in it was locally procured, if not from out of my own garden……food is healing, food is medicine.

Quinoa Vegetable Soup

1 clove garlic, minced

1small bunch kale, de-stemmed, torn into bite size pieces

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½ onion, small dice

1small jalapeno

1 small carrot, sliced

1 stalk celery, sliced

3T olive oil

1 small potato, small dice

2c broccoli florets

3/4c cooked pinto beans

1/2c cooked quinoa or brown rice or pasta

1t smoked salt

4c water, pre-boiled in a kettle

salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot over medium heat, add 1T olive oil and sauté the garlic, and hot pepper until golden and aromatic, then add the kale and sauté until bright green. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same soup pot over medium heat, add 2T olive oil and sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until golden and aromatic. Add the potatoes and pinto beans, and cover with the hot water. Add the smoked salt, reduce the heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Add the cooked quinoa, broccoli and cooked kale and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until the broccoli is tender and bright green. Adjust the seasonings, salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately and top with nutritional yeast and crusty bread.