Greek Salad with Oil-Free Greek Dressing and Feta (vegan)

Author: Brand New Vegan
Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen 
Serves 4-6

Instead of discarding the water (aquafaba) from the chickpea can, save it and use it to make the dressing for the salad.  The dressing goes perfectly well with this Greek style salad.  I added a heaping tablespoon of hummus to the dressing to give it a bit more body.  The salad ingredients are pretty typical for a Greek salad, but I think adding some bow tie pasta would be an especially nice addition.  Make this for your next work day lunch or a picnic.

Dressing:
⅓ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup aquafaba (garbanzo bean water/juice)
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 heaping Tablespoon hummus
¾ teaspoon dried basil
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon chopped kalamata olives 

Salad:
2 English cucumbers, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
15 oz can drained chickpeas, saving the liquid (aquafaba)
Handful fresh spinach
¼ cup kalamata olives, sliced 
¼ cup crumbled vegan feta

Drain the water/juice (aquafaba) from a can of Garbanzo Beans and save (we'll need ¼ cup for the dressing).  Save the beans too and we'll add those to the salad. 
Mix all Dressing Ingredients together.  Whisk or shake until thoroughly mixed and set aside. 
Chop cucumbers and bell pepper into bite-sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl.  Thinly slice the onion, and cut the cherry tomatoes in half and mix into the salad.  Add the chickpeas, spinach, and the dressing and toss to coat.  
Add as little or as much feta as desired and garnish with sliced Kalamata Olives, fresh Basil and/or Parsley. 

Notes:
Artichoke hearts, couscous, or bow tie pasta would make nice additions to this salad.
Reviewers added pepperoncini and sliced beets with good results.
One reviewer substituted capers for the olives in the dressing.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 6 servings) 140 calories; 4 g fat; 35 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 512 g sodium; 5 g sugars; 6 mg cholesterol; 6 g fiber; 51 mg vitamin C; 112 mg calcium

Pickled Prunes

Recipe from Hard Like Armour via Food52

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 1 quart

I think these are just the cat’s meow.  They are so easy to make and can be served on their own or would be excellent with a dollop of mascarpone, a soft tangy cheese or over ice cream, as a salad component or with oatmeal, or as an accompaniment to roast pork, if you’re a meat eater.  Make a couple of jars and then keep one for yourself to serve on a party platter and then give the other as a hostess gift.

1 cup red wine vinegar
12 (2-inch) strips orange peel 
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cardamom seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon pink peppercorns
1/2 3" stick cinnamon, broken in half
1 pound pitted prunes
2 teaspoons orange blossom water (A reviewer suggested using Cointreau.)
Combine vinegar, orange peel and juice, sugar and spices in medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it's at a boil, add the prunes and decrease heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft, but not falling apart.
Remove the prunes & orange peel to quart jar (or other suitable container) using a slotted spoon. If you like, return the syrup to the heat, and reduce for several minutes until fairly thick. Stir in the orange blossom water. Pour the syrup over the prunes, stir to mix well and cool to room temperature. Once cool, cover and refrigerate. These taste best after a minimum of 8 hours in the fridge, and should last for 2 weeks.

Notes: Here are some serving suggestions from reviewers of this recipe: 
• Spread a toasted baguette slice with a mild blue cheese and then top it with a prune and a drizzle of syrup.
• Serve as a part of a cheese plate. 
• Cut up into salads. 
• The sauce from the prunes is delicious mixed into salad dressings. 
• Drizzle over ice cream.
• Use the prune syrup in bubbly water with lemon juice as a soda, too.
• Really, really yummy with lightly sweetened goat cheese followed with a chaser slice of cold crisp apple.
• Spoon them over Greek yogurt and top them with almonds for an amazing take-to-work lunch. 

Caesar Dressing (Vegan)

Recipe from Power Plates by Gena Hamshaw of The Full Helping blog

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes approximately 1½ cups or 12 ½ ounces or 25 Tablespoons

I recall years ago attending a dinner party at an Italian restaurant. I knew only a few people at the table. There was a man seated next to me who declared quite loudly that he absolutely hated anchovies and then he proceeded to order a Caesar Salad.  I was feeling wicked and waited until he had eaten his salad to casually mention that what made Caesar Salad dressing so yummy was the anchovies.  For those of you who love a good Caesar salad, but don’t like the idea of eating the little fishies we know as anchovies, this vegan (no anchovies) Caesar Salad Dressing is just scrumptious and would taste great on just about any salad.

¾ cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours* and drained

½ cup water (This is separate from the cashew soaking water which is drained off and discarded.)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic

2 Tablespoons capers

1½ Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1½ Tablespoons red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup nutritional yeast

Put all the ingredients in a high powered blender.  Process until smooth.  If the consistency is too thick for your taste, you can add just a bit of water to thin it out.

*You can save time by covering the cashews with boiling water and allowing them to soak for about ½ hour.  (The goal is to soften the cashews so that the dressing will be smooth. Drain off the water before proceeding with the recipe.

Dilled Cucumber Salad

-->

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

Cold-Processed Shrub Recipe

-->

Makes 20 to 24 ounces

Recipe from Serious Eats (Michael Dietsch)

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This recipe makes about 20 to 24 ounces of shrub syrup, enough to make anywhere from 10 to 20 drinks, depending on how much syrup you use per drink. Store it for up to a year in your fridge. The acid and sugar will preserve the syrup and keep it tasting bright and fresh.

1 cup berries or other fruit, washed and quartered or lightly crushed

1 cup sugar (You can also use honey instead of the sugar.)

1 cup red wine vinegar or apple-cider vinegar

Place berries or fruit in bowl. Cover with sugar and stir.

Cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator until juice exudes from fruit and starts to combine with sugar to form syrup. This may take only 5 or 6 hours, or it may need a couple of days. A longer maceration won't harm anything, so feel free to leave it in fridge longer than it might need.

Strain syrup from fruit. Press lightly on solids to express any remaining juice/syrup. Scrape remaining sugar into syrup. (The remaining fruit will have lost much of its flavor to the syrup, but it should be tasty enough to serve atop ice cream or cake.)

Add vinegar and whisk to combine.

Pour through funnel into clean bottle. Cap and shake vigorously, and mark date on bottle. Store in refrigerator.

Check periodically. Some sugar may remain undissolved for up to a few days. Shake to combine.

After about a week, acids in juice and vinegar should dissolve sugar entirely.

To serve, just add 1 oz. strawberry shrub to an 8 oz. glass.  Add 1 oz. vodka or gin (alcohol optional.) Top it off with club soda or sparkling water.  Stir and enjoy!

Here is a step-by-step photo guide to making a shrub...

-->