Creamy Lemon Dill Cashew Sauce

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes about 2 cups

This is a rich, versatile sauce that pairs perfectly with roasted or boiled potatoes or as a spread for a veggie sandwich or as a sauce under blanched vegetables, roasted vegetables, tofu or tempeh.

1 cup raw cashews (soaked, rinsed and drained)
½ - 1 cup water
2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh dill
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Blend all ingredients until completely smooth, adding more water for a thinner consistency. 

Vegan Pickle Soup

Recipe from Sarah’s Vegan Kitchen

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Here’s a vegan version of Polish pickle soup, or zupa ogórkowa. Savory, sour, and full of flavor, pickle lovers will rejoice for this cozy soup.  Be sure to use good quality pickles, preferably fermented for this soup.  I’m thinking that next time, I’ll add some white beans to the soup to bulk it up a bit.

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegan butter divided

1 small white onion diced

2 stalks celery diced

2 medium carrots peeled and diced

4 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1" cubes

5 cups vegetable broth or more if you prefer a thinner soup

1 cup grated dill pickles

1/2 cup pickle brine

1/2 cup vegan sour cream see notes for recommendations

2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill plus extra to garnish

salt and pepper to preference

In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoons olive oil or vegan butter.

Add diced onion and celery and sauté 3-5 minutes, until onion is translucent.

Add in carrot and sauté for an additional minute.

Add in cubed potatoes and cover with vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low or medium-low to establish a gentle simmer. Let the soup simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are very soft and easily pierced with a fork.

In the meantime, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegan butter. Add in the grated pickles and pan-fry, stirring regularly, for about 3-5 minutes. I pull mine off the heat when the extra moisture in the pan cooks off.

Once the potatoes are very tender, add the cooked pickles to the soup, along with the pickle brine. (Make sure you aren't adding the brine before the potatoes are soft, as the acidity will interfere with the potatoes cooking.)

Measure the vegan sour cream into a small heat-proof bowl. Add a few ladles of the hot broth from the soup into the bowl and whisk it together in order to temper it. (This will help prevent the cream from curdling once you add it into the hot soup.) Pour the mixture back into the pot of soup and stir to combine.

Stir in the chopped fresh dill. Give the soup a taste and add more salt if needed. (Each brand of veggie broth varies a little in terms of sodium content.)

Add extra fresh dill to serve, if you like! Enjoy this with a slice of sourdough bread.

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Chopped Creamy Dill Pickle Salad

Recipe from The First Mess

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 4 servings

Crunchy and crisp vegetables combined with a tangy, dairy-free dill pickle dressing makes for a perfect autumn dinner with friends. The toasted and seasoned breadcrumbs add extra flavor and crunch. 

Creamy Dill Pickle Dressing

⅓ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained*

⅓ cup chopped dill pickle (about 1 large pickle)

⅓ cup + 1 Tablespoon water

1 tablespoon pickle brine

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon maple syrup or agave nectar

Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

¼ teaspoon dried dill weed

Seasoned Breadcrumbs & Salad

1 tablespoon olive oil

1½ cups fresh breadcrumbs**

1 teaspoon nutritional yeast

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon dried dill weed

sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

2 cups finely chopped kale (lightly packed)

2 cups finely chopped red cabbage (I used a slaw mix.)

2 cups chopped romaine heart (I used greens mixture because that's what I had.)

2 cups finely chopped cauliflower (about ½ small head of cauliflower)

¼ cup chopped fresh dill (optional)

Instructions

Make the dressing. In an upright blender, combine the cashews, chopped dill pickle, water, pickle brine, white wine vinegar, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, agave nectar, salt, and pepper. Blend this mixture on high until smooth and creamy. Check the dressing for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Pour the dressing into a small bowl and stir in the dried dill weed. Set aside.

Make the toasted and seasoned breadcrumbs For topping the salad. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and swirl it around. Add the breadcrumbs to the skillet. They should sizzle a bit. Give them a stir and then add the nutritional yeast, onion powder, dried dill weed, salt, and pepper. Once the breadcrumbs are starting to darken around the edges, lower the heat to medium-low. Keep stirring the breadcrumbs until they have dried out a bit and are evenly toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove the breadcrumbs from the heat and let them cool completely.

Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine kale, cabbage, romaine, and cauliflower. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Using tongs, give the salad a thorough toss until all vegetables are coated in the dressing.

Top the salad with the toasted breadcrumbs and fresh dill (if using). Serve immediately!

Recipe Notes

*For a quick soak, you can add boiling water to the cashews and let them soak for 30 minutes while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

**For fresh breadcrumbs, just pulse bits of bread in a blender or food processor until you have uniformly small pieces.

You can make the salad components in advance.

Creamy Dill Pickle Pasta Salad (vegan)

By That Vegan Babe

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 4-6 servings

Are you celebrating the summer holidays with a picnic?  If so, be sure to include this scrumptious vegan salad in your picnic basket.  The tasty, creamy dressing can be made in advance.  What makes it particularly creamy?  Cannellini beans!  They are very nutritious.  They're fat free and an excellent source of fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, and protein.  This is an oil-free dressing.  It includes hemp seeds, which are rich in healthy fats, including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.  Both of these fats are known for improving heart health, reducing blood pressure, and triglycerides.  I used chickpea pasta for this to make bump up the protein even more.  Using chickpea pasta makes this salad gluten free.

Dressing

1 cup cannellini beans
1/2 cup plant milk (I used homemade oat milk.)
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1 clove garlic
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salad
8 ounces uncooked whole wheat pasta (I used chickpea pasta.)
1/3 red onion, minced
1 green bell pepper, minced
1 cucumber, chopped
3/4 cup chopped dill pickles, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes

Cook your pasta then run it under some cold water to cool. Add to a large bowl.
Chop up your veg and add them into your bowl
Blend up the ingredients for the sauce until smooth then drizzle over your pasta salad.

Tofu “Egg” Salad (Vegan)

Recipe from Simnett Nutrition

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Make 4-6 servings

When it's too hot to turn on the stove or the oven, take a few minutes to make this delicious salad. Serve it atop some sourdough toast or greens and top with sprouts, another drizzle of Sriracha Sauce and sprinkled on some Homemade "Bacon-ish" Bits (vegan).  

Ingredients

1 package of firm tofu, drained and pressed 

¼ – ½ package of silken tofu, drained a bit 

2 stalks celery, minced

¼ purple onion, minced

2 dill pickles, chopped

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon kala namak

1/2 teaspoon celery seeds 

1/4 teaspoon turmeric 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 heaping Tablespoon vegan mayo

big squirt of Sriracha sauce

1/4 cup fresh dill 

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon capers, drained

Sea salt, to taste

Instructions:

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. 

 

No Tuna, Tuna Salad (Vegan)

No Tuna Tuna Salad served on corn tortillas with Cilantro Lime Avocado Sauce 
shredded carrots, cucumber slices, hot sauce with Wild Rice Salad on the side

Recipe from Rainbow Plant Life

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 4 servings

Well, this was marvelously good and no little fishies were required in the making of it.  The Nori or Dulse will give the salad a taste of the sea.  The chickpeas give the salad a meaty feel with the tender hearts of palm giving it smoothness.  I didn’t use the optional pickle relish because I prefer my salads not to have much sweetness.  Though this was delish as is, next time I make it, I will add some capers and some scallions as I do when I’ve made tuna salad.  I served this on warmed corn tortillas along with veggies because that’s what I had on hand.  This takes only a few minutes to prepare and would make an excellent Meatless Monday lunchbox addition.

1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup canned or jarred hearts of palm (This was about ½ jar, 4 “hearts.”)

1/3 cup vegan mayo

4 teaspoons spicy brown mustard or regular mustard or Dijon mustard

2 celery ribs, diced

2 teaspoons celery seeds

2 Tablespoons sweet pickle relish (optional)

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 Nori sheets, crumbled OR 1 Tablespoon Dulse flakes

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Sea salt or kosher salt, to taste

Fresh dill, optional

*I think 1 Tablespoon capers would be excellent in this.  Also, maybe a scallion.

Place all the ingredients in a food processor.  Pulse 15-20 times until well combined, but still a bit chunky.  Taste and adjust seasonings. 

Serve on whole grain toast or bread. 

For sandwich embellishments, add cucumber slices, shredded carrot, fresh tomato slices, greens, pickles, jalapeno slices, onions or even pickled onions, etc.

Chickpea Sunflower Sandwich Filling (with Garlic Herb Sauce)

Recipe from Minimalist Baker

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 3-4 sandwiches

This prep-ahead filling makes a very substantial meatless sandwich.  It’s mildly sweet which goes nicely with the garlicky herb sauce for healthful lunch perfection.  My husband and I LOVED this!

Sandwich Filling

1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

¼ cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds

3 Tablespoons vegan mayo (tahini may be used as a substitute for a more earthy, nutty flavor)

½ teaspoon Dijon or spicy mustard (If using tahini instead of mayo, use half as much mustard.)

1 Tablespoon maple syrup (or substitute agave syrup or honey, if not vegan)

¼ cup chopped red onion

2 Tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped or 1 Tablespoon dried dill

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Garlic Herb Sauce

¼ cup hummus

½ medium lemon, juiced, about 1 Tablespoon

¾-1 teaspoon dried dill (2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped)

2 cloves garlic, minced

Water or unsweetened almond milk (to thin)

Sea salt to taste, optional

Sandwich Addition Options

Whole Grain Toast or Bread

Whole-Grain Tortilla

Sliced Tomato

Avocado Slices

Lettuces or Spinach

Onion Slices

Prepare the Garlic Herb Sauce, by mixing the ingredients well, and set aside.

Add the chickpeas to a mixing bowl and lightly mash with a fork for texture.  Then add the sunflower seeds, mayo, mustard, maple syrup, red onion, dill, salt and pepper and mix with a spoon.  Taste and adjust the seasonings. Use right away or store in an airtight container for a few days.

To make a sandwich, toast some bread.  Spread some of the Garlic Herb Sauce on the toast.  Add lettuce, tomato, avocado and/or onion.  Spoon on some of the Chickpea Sunflower Filling.  Top with another piece of toast.  Serve.

Nutritional Info (1 of 3 servings without bread) 311 calories; 16 grams fat (1.7 grams saturated fat); 107 mg sodium; 26 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams fiber; 7.3 grams sugars; 11.5 grams protein

Dilled Cucumber Salad

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Here you see Dilled Cucumber Salad served alongside 

Spicy Paprika Rubbed Roasted Chicken and Veggies

Serves 4

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Here’s a quick, refreshing side dish to make for a weeknight dinner.  I made this salad while my sheet pan dinner of Paprika Rubbed Roasted Chicken and Veggies was roasting away.  So easy and so yummy!  (Feel free to add cherry tomatoes, radishes, scallions, etc. to this salad because it's quite adaptable.)

2 English cucumbers

Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt

¼ cup loosely packed fresh dill, finely chopped (I’ve also made this with a heaping teaspoon of dried dill when fresh wasn’t available.)

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Have the cucumbers lengthwise.  With a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds.  Slice crosswise into ¼ inch pieces.  Place in a colander set over a bowl or sink.  Toss with 2 teaspoons salt; let stand 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, dill, vinegar and pepper. 

Rinse the cucumbers, drain and pat dry.  Add to the bowl with the yogurt dressing; toss to combine. 

Nutritional Information:  (per serving) 30 calories; 0.6 grams fat; 1.9 grams protein; 4.6 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber