Monday, June 7, 2021

Essential Vegan Recipes for Summer.

Lebanese recipes are a natural for fresh, delicious vegetarian and vegan eating. We are not vegans at home here, but we eat meatless, dairy-free recipes often. They fit squarely into my must-have checklist for the dishes we eat a lot of:

1. Healthy, Fresh, and Colorful

2. Easy to make

3. Full of flavor. A.K.A.: Delicious!

At the top of the list of my essential vegan recipes that hardly require a recipe at all is this Quinoa Protein Salad. The quinoa soaks up the vinaigrette dressing like a dream, for full flavor (always taste and adjust before serving). The edamame, lentils and kidney (or black) beans make this filling, satisfying. Crunch it up with chopped peppers, raw corn cut from the cob (or frozen corn), and red onion. Throw in whatever chopped vegetables and herbs make your people happy or need using up. The salad travels like a dream to a picnic table, beach, or cookout. Please every type of eater at your table with a sheet pan of roasted Cauliflower Shawarma. Flavor, flavor, flavor, and just as good room temp as warm. Great as a side or a main dish. Explore the world of traditional Lebanese dishes but without the meat; this is not my great idea though. We have quite a repertoire of main dishes that require no meat to measure up. Stuffed koosa (or zucchini) in tomato broth is terrific with a bulgur-based stuffing. Kibbeh goes meatless with tomato as the foundation, a dish that is meant for none other than ripe summer tomatoes. Speaking of tomatoes, you'll want to try them roasted to concentrate they're flavor, topped with za'atar and generously oiled over a bowl of white beans. We add parmesan but that is easily left off for vegan-joy.