Chicken Souvlaki Salad

I've made a couple entree salads this month (such as Barbecue Chicken and Grape Salad), and couldn't resist making another.  This salad riffs off the flavors of Greek souvlaki; technically, souvlaki refers to the "little skewers" on which meat is grilled, so in that sense, this salad doesn't deserve the name at all.  But souvlaki meat is then typically served in a pita with the Greek yogurt-cucumber sauce called tzatziki, and this salad captures that flavor and essence - with vegan equivalents, of course.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic, divided
• 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 Gardein Tuscan chicken breasts (without sauce)
• 3 cups peeled and cubed cucumber
• 1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
• 1/2 cup crumbled vegan feta (such as Sunergia)
• 2 tablespoons chopped and pitted kalamata olives
• 2 tomatoes*
• 1/2 cup plain non-dairy yogurt
• 1/4 cup peeled and grated cucumber
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Combine 1 teaspoon of the bottled minced garlic with the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag.  Add the Gardein chicken; seal and shake to coat.

2. Remove the chicken from the bag and grill for 5 minutes on each side, then cut into 1-inch pieces.

Note: this was another great occasion for me to use my Griddler counter-top grill, which lets me pretend I live in a home with a backyard instead of a New York City apartment.  Use a real grill, of course, if you prefer, or you can also broil the chicken in the oven for the same amount of time.

3. Core the tomatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces.  Combine the tomatoes in a large bowl with the chopped chicken, remaining 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic, 3 cups cubed cucumber, red onion, feta, and kalamata olives.  Set aside.

4. In a bowl, combine the yogurt, 1/4 cup grated cucumber, white wine vinegar, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, ground red pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.  Pour the yogurt mixture over the chicken mixture and toss well.

To continue with the Greek theme of the evening, I served the salad with simple Greek pita wedges: cut 2 (6-inch) pitas into 6 wedges each.  Arrange the pita wedges on a baking sheet.  Coat with olive oil-flavored cooking spray and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano.  Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes, until golden and crisp. 

*My note on the tomatoes tonight is the same as for my Tuscan Panzanella - despite the multi-colored heirloom tomatoes all around this time of year, your best bet for this salad are plump, red, ripe tomatoes.  Aim for the 2 tomatoes to be about 1 pound total.  You can easily core them by cutting the tomatoes into quarters, and then slicing the core out of each quarter before chopping.

For a fun dessert to end the evening, I served vanilla non-dairy ice cream (my favorite is the plain vanilla from Soy Delicious), topped with an amazing new find - Suzanne's Just Like Honey rice nectar.  An even closer substitute for honey than agave nectar, this was a delicious discovery.  Drizzle it over the vegan vanilla of your choice, and sprinkle with a little cinnamon.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (2 cups), Calories 259

Tasting Notes:
This salad was divine - Zeus or Athena, take your pick.  Wonderfully creamy dressing, and bursting with flavor from the feta, kalamata olives, ripe tomatoes, and yummy chicken.  There was just a touch too much red pepper heat in the dressing for my taste when eating the salad alone, but once scooped up on a pita wedge, the balance was perfect.  

Rating:
5

Broccoli Salad

This is the perfect summer salad to pack for a picnic. Pack it in a cooler with ice packs, since it needs to chill for 1 hour before serving anyway.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups small broccoli florets
• 1 and 1/2 cups halved seedless green grapes
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup salted sunflower seed kernels
• 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plain non-dairy yogurt
• 3 tablespoons vegan sugar
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

1. Combine the broccoli, grapes, celery, raisins, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.

2. In a second bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar, and vinegar.  Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the broccoli mixture and toss well.  Chill for 1 hour before serving.

To round out my picnic menu, I added the chipotle-lime crispy chicken fingers from Gardein, cubed watermelon, potato chips, and big glasses of lemonade.

Nutrition Info:
8 servings (about 1 cup), Calories 175 

Tasting Notes:

A great salad that's sure to become a summer standard.  The dressing was a little on the sweet side, so I recommend decreasing the sugar, but the other components were great - crunchy broccoli, sweet raisins, and salty sunflower seeds.  I did want a bit more of a salty element besides the sunflower seeds, so you might consider cooking and crumbling a couple slices of Lightlife bacon and adding to the mix.

Rating:
3.5

Tofurky Pesto Sandwiches

In the spring, I made a fancy Tofurky sandwich with homemade pesto and a caramelized onion filling (check out the post here).  The sandwich was to die for, but admittedly a little complicated.  Here's a version that comes together in literally 5 minutes, thanks to bottled pesto. 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon bottled pesto*
• 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 (2-ounce) French bread rolls
• 2 cups trimmed arugula
• 8 oven-roasted Tofurky deli slices
• 8 (1/4-inch thick) slices tomato
• 4 slices vegan mozzarella (such as Galaxy Foods)

1. In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pesto, lemon juice, oregano, and black pepper.

2. Cut the bread rolls in half horizontally, and spread the mayonnaise mixture evenly over the cut sides of the rolls.  Divide the arugula, Tofurky slices, tomato slices, and mozzarella slices evenly among the bottom halves of the rolls.  Place on a baking sheet and broil for 2 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cover with the top halves of the rolls. 

Just add a fresh fruit salad to round out this dinner for a busy night.

*It used to be hard to find commercially bottled vegan pesto (i.e. without cheese) until Meditalia hit the shelves - this line makes pesto and tapenade that taste great, and proceeds go towards supporting peace efforts in Israel and Palestine.  If your local grocer doesn't carry the brand, veganessentials.com does.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (1 sandwich), Calories 358 

Tasting Notes:

The pesto spread was amazing - creamy, with wonderful hints of lemon.  I would happily make it again and again for more than just this sandwich.  The rest of the sandwich also gets high marks - simple, and yet a great combination of the savory Tofurky slices, peppery arugula, fresh tomato, and crusty French bread - in sum, nearly a perfect bite every time.  I would increase the amount of turkey, and use larger rolls (or perhaps a full baguette, cut into slices).  The 2 ounce rolls nearly weren't big enough for all that filling.

Rating:
4

Black Bean Tacos

I realized that I've been blogging for 6 months now at this address, and haven't once pulled out a recipe using seitan.  To be perfectly honest, I don't use seitan a whole lot - tempeh and tofu have always been my preference, and with the advent of vegan meats like Gardein and Match, I find myself using seitan even less.  That said, I occasionally season or stir-fry it for a simple supper, and tonight I thought I'd try it in these savory tacos. Start with a homemade avocado salsa for super-fresh flavor, then put together the tacos themselves.

Ingredients:
For the Avocado Salsa:

• 1 cup finely chopped tomato
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup peeled and chopped avocado
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 seeded and minced jalapeno pepper

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, and lightly mash with a fork.

Serve with the taco recipe that follows, or stop reading right here, and add this salsa to any taco or burrito supper, or serve with tortilla chips.  It's a fresh alternative to bottled salsa.

Nutrition Info:
8 servings (1/4 cup), Calories 24

Now for the tacos themselves...

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 seeded and minced jalapeno pepper
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry*
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 (15-ounce) undrained can black beans
• 1 (8-ounce) package seitan
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 hard taco shells
• 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 1 recipe Avocado Salsa

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion, dried oregano, garlic, and jalapeno; cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently.  Finely chop the seitan and add to the pan, along with the sherry, soy sauce, and black beans.  Bring to a boil, then continue to cook for about 7 to 10 minutes, until the liquid is nearly all evaporated.  Sprinkle with the black pepper.

2. Warm the taco shells according to package directions. Stuff each taco with about 1/3 cup bean mixture, about 2 and 1/2 tablespoons lettuce, and about 2 and 1/2 tablespoons Avocado Salsa.

Note: I used the yellow taco shells from Whole Foods. 

A nice contrasting side dish to these tacos is crisp julienne-cut crudites.  Try jicama strips, bell pepper strips, carrot sticks, crisp radishes, and shredded cabbage.  You can toss the vegetables with a light dressing, or marinate in just a little olive oil and lemon before serving.  And voila!  You have all the fixings for a Tex-Mex meal.

*When buying sherry, your best bet is to look for one that is unfined and unfiltered, since almost all other sherries will have been fined through animal by-products.  My go-to sherry is the Fino en Rama from Alvear.  Because I'm not a sherry drinker, I find that a bottle will keep corked in the fridge a long time - a perfect arrangement since many recipes call for only a tablespoon or two.

Nutrition Info:
6 servings (2 tacos), Calories 283

Tasting Notes:
These were quite simply to die for - so much flavor your taste buds won't know where to begin.  Wonderful savory seitan, soy sauce, and sherry, with contrasting fresh avocado and lime in the salsa on top.  Just yum.  You might consider playing around with this recipe - break the taco shells into pieces and place in a bowl with the other ingredients on top, for a taco "salad."  Or try the filling wrapped up in soft tortillas.  Guaranteed you're going to want to make the filling again.

Rating:
5

Chicken, Eggplant, and Tomato Curry

Here's a complete, satisfying meal with veggies, protein, and a starch.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 8 Gardein Tuscan chicken breasts (without sauce)
• 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 5 cups coarsely chopped eggplant
• 1 and 2/3 cups thinly sliced onion
• 1 and 1/2 cups (1/4-inch thick) sliced green bell pepper
• 3/4 cup tomato juice
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 4 cups hot cooked rice

1. Combine the curry powder, salt, and paprika in a shallow dish.  Dredge the Gardein chicken in the curry mixture.

2. Heat 1 and 1/2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 4 of the chicken pieces; cook for 5 minutes on each side, until browned.  Remove the chicken from the pan, and repeat the process with the remaining 1 and 1/2 teaspoons oil and the remaining chicken.  Remove the chicken from the pan.

3. Add the eggplant, onion, and green bell pepper to the pan; cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.  Return the chicken to the pan, along with the tomato juice, crushed red pepper, and garlic.  Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 35 minutes.

You can cook the rice while the curry is simmering, and then serve the chicken and vegetables directly over the rice.  Sprinkle a little extra crushed red pepper on top if you like extra heat.

Nutrition Info:
8 servings (1 chicken breast, 1/3 cup vegetables, 1/2 cup rice), Calories 310

Tasting Notes:
There was great curry flavor to this dish, and the eggplant was cooked to perfection, but I would make a couple of changes so it's even better next time.  First, I would definitely double the amount of tomato juice, and might add chopped tomatoes into the mix as well to heighten the tomato flavor.  I also think the dish would have benefited from plain non-dairy yogurt stirred in toward the end, to thicken the curry.  Finally, I didn't love leaving the chicken pieces intact.  Next time I would chop the chicken before returning it to the saucepan, so that this dish could be served family-style with a big ladle, rather than plating one chicken piece per serving.

Rating:
3.5

Lebanese Layered Salad

This salad is a fairly standard recipe for tabbouleh - a Middle Eastern salad of bulgur, parsley, and tomatoes - but gets a visual pop from the layered ingredients.  It's worth buying a large glass bowl so you can present this dish the way it's meant to be seen, but in a pinch you can use any large bowl.  Right now is a great time to make tabbouleh, since the salad is bursting with the flavor of fresh herbs like parsley, dill, and mint.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked bulgur
• 3/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 and 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 2 cups finely chopped red onion
• 5 cups chopped tomato
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped cucumber
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1.  Place the bulgur in a large (glass) bowl.  Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and the garlic, stirring with a whisk.  Drizzle the lemon juice mixture over the bulgur.

Note: don't be alarmed if the bulgur layer of the salad looks small at this point - the bulgur will expand as it soaks up the lemon juice mixture, and be full and tender once it's time to serve the salad.

2. Layer the red onion, tomato, parsley, mint, dill, cucumber, and red bell pepper evenly over the bulgur mixture, creating a stratified appearance.  Sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and the black pepper.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving - you can even make this up to 48 hours ahead.  The longer the salad stands, the more the bulgur will soften. 

Nutrition Info:
8 servings (1 cup), Calories 148

Tasting Notes:
The great fresh herb flavor hit me first - mostly the dill and parsley.  Even though the added veggies like cucumber and tomato gave the salad a healthful boost, I found myself wanting a bit more of the standard tabbouleh flavor - that is bulgur, parsley and lemon juice.  But this was a nice fresh take on an old stand-by.  Since this salad feeds a crowd, keep it in mind for summer get-togethers.

Rating:
3.5

Vegan Extra:
If you're still craving fresh herbs after this salad, another fun one to play with is oregano. Here are a few of my favorite uses for this Mediterranean herb.

Sprinkle fresh oregano on top just before serving a classic Greek salad of romaine, bell peppers, onion, olive, and crumbled vegan feta.

Prepare a store-bought vegan pizza, but top with fresh oregano just before serving for a homemade taste.

Stir into tomato sauce and serve over couscous.

Serve in a sauce over Gardein chicken, or rub directly onto the chicken before cooking.

Shake together an oregano vinaigrette to drizzle over any salad.

Spring Vegetable Couscous

The very last days of spring are upon us, so here's my final recipe featuring spring's produce for the season.  You can play around with this recipe in the months to come, however; carrots, zucchini, and fresh spinach would all work great in this easy couscous.

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 small beets (about 6 ounces total)
• 1/2 cup fresh green peas
• 1/2 cup (1-inch) diagonally cut asparagus
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow squash
• 3 cups cooked couscous
• 1/2 cup quartered radishes
• 1/2 cup crumbled vegan feta (such as Sunergia)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Leave the roots and 1 inch of the stems on the beets.  Scrub with a brush and place in a saucepan.  Cover with water and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, until tender.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Drain again and let cool.  Once cool, trim off the roots, rub off the skins, and cut each beet into quarters.  Set aside.

2. Steam the peas, asparagus, and yellow squash, covered, for 3 minutes.  Combine the beets, peas, asparagus, squash, and all of the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

You can make this couscous the center of the meal, or it is also a great fresh side dish to veggie burgers.

Nutrition Info:
6 servings (1 cup), Calories 172

Tasting Notes:
Freshness in every bite.  There was a decadence to this dish that I didn't expect while making it, from the olive oil and coarse salt.  The vegetables were perfectly crisp-tender, and the fresh peas, radishes, and feta in particular were delectable tidbits hidden among the couscous.  A definite keeper.

Rating:
4