Panzanella salad

Panzanella salads are one of my top 5 favorite spring/summer foods. I have been feeling a bit cheated by the tantalizing taste of spring we had the other week. 70-80 degree sunshine followed by 40 degree rain is a bit depressing. So to cheer myself up, I whipped up this summer special a little early. Serve with a glass of rose to really get in the springtime spirit!


Ingredients:

1 box cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 loaf of stale country bread (a baguette would also work here), torn into bite size pieces
1 green pepper, cut into small 1/2 inch pieces
1 English cucumber, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tsp salt
2 teaspoons herbs de province
1/3 cup of good olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper

Directions:

Add vegetables and bread to a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the olive oil, herbs de Provence, vinegar, and salt. Toss vegetables with dressing and salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld before eating.


*Note: While most recipes call for garlic and basil in panzanella salads, I like to skip the garlic and add a bit of herbs de Provence to make the dish a bit more simple and pure. Using really good ingredients and olive oil is important though, since those flavors really take the spotlight!

Spicy Vegetarian Chili & Vegan Cornbread

This is going to be a busy week so I wanted to make something I can eat for a few days for dinner. The chili recipe below is from a Whole Foods recipe that I found online - super simple, totally vegan, and quite delicious! I found the cornbread recipe in Vegonomicon - aka the Vegan Bible. The cornbread came out a bit mushy, but I also did not use the recommended iron skillet for cooking it.

Spicy Vegan Chili

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 mium yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped chipotles in adobo 1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
3 cups cooked red kidney beans, drained
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, drained
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, peppers and garlic and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until vegetables are softened but not browned. Add chipotles, oregano, cumin, chili powder and salt. Stir to blend. Add tomatoes and 4 cups water. Gently simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Add beans and simmer an additional 30 minutes.

Vegan Cornbread
Ingredients:

2 cups soy milk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 cups cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
1 cup frozen corn
3 jalapenos

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease pan.
Saute corn and jalapenos in 1 teaspon of olive oil until corn is browned (about 5 mintues) and set aside. 
Combine the soy milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle. Sift together dry ingredients. Create a well in the center and add the wet ingredients. Mix together until just combined, fold in corn and jalapenos. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, let cool a bit before serving.