Vegan Nicoise Salad

Serves: 4

Cook Chickpeas

1 cup chickpea

Overnight soak chickpeas in water

1 tsp salt
5 cups water

Drain chickpeas, wash, add salt, water and allow it to boil, reduce the heat to low, cook for 45 minutes. Drain.

Yields: 3 cups cooked chickpeas

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp dried dill or 1 tbsp fresh dill

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp roasted unsalted sunflower seeds

Add drained chickpeas to a mixing bowl, along with dijon, maple syrup, dill, salt and sunflower seeds. Stir to combine and mash few chickpeas to create texture. Set aside.

Potatoes

13.16 ounces baby red or yellow potatoes (12 baby potatoes),
water

Add potatoes to a small saucepan and add water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered for 15 minute. Then drain throughly and let cool on a cutting board. Once slightly cooled, slice each potatoes into 4 slices. Set aside.

Note: I think we can add 16 or 20 potatoes next time, so that each serving will get 4 to 5 potatoes, this time, each serving got just 3 potatoes 

Green Beans

2 cups water

Allow the water to boil.

7 ounces green beans, trimmed

Add washed and stems removed beans to steamer basket.

Insert the steamer basket to the pan with boiling water, close the pan, DO NOT reduce the heat and steam the beans for 7 minutes.

While they are cooking, fill in a large bowl with ice cold water. Once the green beans are done cooking, drain throughly and immediately add to the water to stop the cooking process. Drain and pat dry.

Chop each beans into 2 or just leave it.

Dressing

1/4 cup shallot, minced
1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped (3/4 tsp dried thyme)
1/2 cup white or red wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp olive oil

Add dressing ingredients to a mason jar and shake vigorously to combine (or whisk in a small mixing bowl). Set aside.

Yields: 1 cup dressing (1/4 cup dressing per serving)

Salad

2 head lettuce, chopped (such as butter, green or romaine) (1/2 lettuce per serving)
24 green olives (6 green olives per serving)
24 kalamata olives (6 kalamata olives per serving)
1 pint grape tomatoes (divide into 4 servings)
1 cup red beet, grated using big whole grater or julienned (optional) (1/4 cup per serving)

To Serve

To serve, divide the lettuce between 4 plates and top with chickpeas, green beans, potatoes, olives, tomatoes and beets. Serve with dressing.

Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME
Source: minimalistbaker

Abundance Kale Salad with Savory Tahini Dressing

Serves: 4

Cook Chickpeas

1 cup chickpeas

Overnight soak chickpeas in water

1 tsp salt
5 cups water

Drain and wash the chickpeas, add salt, water and chickpea to a large pot allow the water to boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 45 minutes.

Yields: 2 and 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas

Crispy Baked Chickpeas (MUST)

2 and 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas, very well drained, throughly dried
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and set out a bare baking pan.

Drain the chickpeas well and spread the chickpeas on a clean absorbent towel and use your hands to gently roll and dry the chickpeas. Some of the skins should start coming off. You can opt to peel all of the chickpeas - which can help for extra crispiness (the skinless chickpeas were really crispy and we loved them - so if you take some time to remove the skins, you will get amazing crispy chickpeas) - or simply remove the skins that come off.

Transfer the chickpeas to a mixing bowl, add oil and salt, mix well to combine. DO NOT add the other seasoning at this point - it can interrupt the crispiness process, so wait to add until after baking.

Bake for a total of 50 minutes or until golden brown and dry / crispy to the touch.  Turn the pan around and shake the chickpeas around at the halfway point for even cooking.

1 tsp curry powder / shawarma spice blend / chili powder

Remove from the oven and toss with seasonings while still warm. Then let cool 5 to 10 minutes - they will continue crisping as they cool.

Serve as is or atop bowls or salads!

Yields: 2 cups crispy chickpeas
Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME
Source: minimalistbaker

To Store

Place in a jar and DO NOT tightly cover. Instead crack lid so they can breathe a bit. This helps them stay crispy longer. These are best in the first day, but they will last for 4 to 5 days at room temperature.

Quinoa

1 cup quinoa (red or white)
2 cups water

Rinse quinoa throughly in a fine mesh strainer.

Add quinoa and water to a sauce pan, bring to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 18 minutes.

Yields: 4 cups cooked quinoa

Roasted Vegetables

1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4" rounds (8.24 ounces)
1 medium sweet potato, sliced into 1/4" rounds (1pound and 0.81 ounces)
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp curry powder

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Arrange zucchini, sweet potato, red cabbage on a baking sheet.

Drizzle with coconut oil, curry powder and salt and toss to combine.

Roast for 25 minutes or until tender and slightly golden brown.

Dressing

1/3 cup tahini
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp coconut aminos
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic clove, grated
6 tbsp water

Add all the above to a mixing bowl, whisk to combine.

Yields: 12 tbsp

Salad

baby kale
4 small radishes, thinly sliced (1 radish per serving)
4 tbsp hemp seeds (1 tbsp per serving)
2 avocados (1/2 avocado per serving)
2 tbsp lemon juice (1/2 tbsp per serving)
organic micro greens

Assemble the salad by adding greens, radish, hemp seeds and avocado. Add lemon juice and toss to combine.

Add roasted vegetables, quinoa, crispy chickpeas and serve with dressing.

Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME.
Source: minimalistbaker

Jackfruit Seeds Stir-fry

7.21 ounces jackfruit seeds (1 cup)
3 cups water
1/4 tsp salt

Allow water and salt to boil, add jackfruit seeds, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes.

1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped

Heat oil in a pan, add onion and sauté for 5 minutes in medium flame.

1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup tomato, chopped

Add turmeric powder,  red chili powder, coriander powder, salt and tomatoes, sauté for 3 more minutes.

Add cooked jackfruit seeds, mix well and cook for 2 more minutes.

Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Chimichurri

Serves: 4

Macadamia Nut Cheese

1 and 1/4 cup macadamia nuts
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water*

Add all the above to food processor.

* First add just 1/4 cup water and blend until smooth. If needed, add 1 tbsp water at a time until a thick paste forms.

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or cilantro (optional) - I used parsley

If adding herbs, add at the end and and pulse for 10 seconds.

At this point, the cheese is ready to eat! But its better after chilling. Transfer cheese to nut milk bag and rest over a fine mesh strainer set over a mixing bowl. Twist the bag, so it forms a loose ball. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, up to 24 to 36 hours (I made the cheese on Sunday afternoon and used it on Tuesday night). The longer it chills, the firmer the cheese will become.

Note: Store leftover nut cheese in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Yields: 10.5 ounces

Note: The best texture results with a food processor,  but in a pinch, blender can work too. It just generally requires more scraping and more liquid.

Roasted Vegetables

5.2 ounces red sweet potato, chopped into 1/4" rounds (1 small)
1 pound baby yellow or red potatoes, quartered
4.2 ounces carrots, halved and chopped
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Add sweet potato, potato and carrot to a baking sheet and toss with coconut oil, curry powder and salt. Bake sweet potatoes for 25 minutes. Potatoes and carrots for 35 minutes.

1 bunch broccolini, chopped (9.2 ounces)
2 cups red cabbage, chopped
1 color (red/yellow/orange) bell pepper, sliced (7.45 ounces)
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp salt

To a separate baking sheet, add broccolini, cabbage and bell pepper and toss with coconut oil, curry powder and salt. Bake for 20 minutes.

Chimichurri

1 tbsp garlic, grated
1 serrano pepper
1 cup (1.23 ounces) packed cilantro, thick bottom stems cut off
1 cup (1.18 ounces) packed flat-leaf / curly parsley
3 tbsp ripe avocado
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp water

Add all the above to vitamix and blend until smooth.

Yields: 10 tbsp

Salad

2 cups hearty greens / serving (spinach, kale or mustard greens) - (I used 1 pound spinach box)
1/2 ripe avocado per serving
1 tbsp hemp seed per serving
1 radish, sliced per serving
1/4 of macadamia nut cheese per serving (2.625 ounces per serving)

Plate salad by adding mixed greens to a serving platter and topping with roasted vegetables.

Arrange avocado along the edges, along with radish and macadamia nut cheese.

Sprinkle the top with hemp seeds and serve with dressing on the side.

Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME and very very heavy
Source: minimalistbaker

Vegan Potato Salad

Serves: 4

1 cup raw cashews

Overnight soak the cashews in water. (or) Add cashews to a small bowl, cover with boiling water. Let sit uncovered for 1 hour.

6 cups water

Allow the water to boil.

1.5 pound RED baby potatoes

Add potatoes, reduce to medium-high heat, cook for 20 minutes. Drain, set on a cutting board or counter top to slightly cool. Once they are cool, chop the potatoes into bite-size pieces.

Note: Yellow baby potatoes work too, but can get soft.

2/3 cup + 1/4 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp white wine or apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp spicy mustard
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
2 tbsp dried dill or 5 tbsp fresh dill

Dressing Yields: 2 cups

Once the cashews have soaked, drain well and add to a blender along with an additional 1/3 cup of water. Then add olive oil, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, salt, black pepper powder, garlic. Blend on high scrapping down the sides as needed, until texture is creamy and thick but pourable. Add more water, if it has trouble blending.

1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped

Add the chopped potatoes to a large mixing bowl along with chopped vegetables. Top with all of the sauce and stir to coat.

Salad Yields : 6 and 1/2 cups

Taste Note: Tastes OK. There was some weird taste, could not figure out which one gave the taste, but somehow didn't like that one particular taste, which made me not like this salad.
Source: minimalistbaker
Note: Thought it would be great to chop 1/2 romaine lettuce per serving to make it little bit more filling salad.

Gingery Thai Kale Salad with Cashew Dressing

Serves: 4

Kale

1.9 pounds lacinato (NOT curly) kale, torn into bite-size pieces, large stalks removed (14.25 oz chopped)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sesame oil

Add kale to a large mixing bowl, drizzle with lemon juice and sesame oil, use your hands to massage the kale to soften and remove some of the bitterness. Set aside.

Yields: 15.71 after massaging

Green Beans

14 ounces (0.89 pounds) green beans, stems removed

Add washed and stems removed beans to steamer basket.

2 cups water

Allow the water to boil.

Insert the steamer basket to the pan with boiling water, close the pan, DO NOT reduce the heat and steam the beans for 7 minutes.

1 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp tamari
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp maple syrup

Transfer beans to a small mixing bowl and top with tamari sesame oil, maple syrup and sesame seeds. Toss to combine, then transfer to refrigerator to chill.

Dressing

2/3 cup salted cashew butter / peanut butter
2 tbsp tamari
4 tsp ginger, grated
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup hot water

Prepare dressing in a small mixing bowl by whisking together all ingredients and thinning with a little hot water until pourable.

Yields: 1 and 1/4 cup

Shallots

1 tbsp sesame oil
1 cup shallot, thinly sliced (4 shallots)

Heat oil in a pan, add shallot, saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and slightly brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

Salad

14.5 ounces FAT carrots, ribbon carrots with vegetable peeler (3 fat carrots, 10 oz peeled carrots )
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced (6.15 ounces) (1/4 bell pepper per serving)
1/4 cup freshly thai basil or cilantro, tightly chopped (1 tbsp per serving)
1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews (1/4 cup per serving), if preparing dressing with peanut butter, use roasted and unsalted peanuts

Add green beans, sautéed shallots, ribboned carrots, sliced red bell peppers, chopped basil, salted cashews to massaged kale and toss with dressing. Enjoy immediately.

Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME and very very filly.
Source: minimalistbaker

Mexican Quinoa Salad with Orange Lime Dressing

Serves: 4

Black Beans

1 cup black beans

Overnight soak the black beans in water

1 tsp salt
5 cups water

Drain and rinse the black beans, add black beans, salt and water to a large pot, allow to boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Drain.

Seasoned black beans

1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Add salt, cumin, chili powder and garlic powder to the cooked and drained black beans and mix well.

Yields: 2 and 1/4 cups cooked and seasoned black beans

Quinoa

1 cup quinoa (red or white)
2 cups water

Rinse quinoa throughly in a fine mesh strainer.

Add quinoa and water to a sauce pan, bring to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 18 minutes.

Yields: 3 and 1/4 cup cooked quinoa

Dressing

1 avocado
3 tbsp lime juice
6 tbsp orange juice
2 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp red chili flakes * (read notes)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
2 tbsp cilantro, minced
1/4 cup olive oil

Add all the ingredients to vitamix, blend until smooth and creamy.

Yields: 16 tbsp

Salad

mixed greens (I used 1 romaine, 1 red leaf, few spring mix)
1/4 cup frozen / fresh corn / serving
2 tbsp onion, diced / serving (MUST)
1 orange, segmented (1/4 orange / serving)
1 avocados, chopped (1/4 avocado / serving)
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped / serving

Plate salad and serve with dressing on the side or toss with dressing before serving. Pairs well with salsa, fresh lime juice and tortilla chips.

Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME
Source: minimalistbaker
* The recipe asks for 1 tsp of red chili flakes, I added just 1/2, next time and I think we can handle more heat than what 1/2 tsp provided. Add 3/4 tsp and see whether you can handle that, if 3/4 tsp is ok, next time when you prepare this add 1 tsp and see whether you can handle 1 tsp.

Curried Cauliflower Grape & Lentil Salad

Serves: 4

Lentil

1 cup lentil, picked over and rinsed
3 cups water

Throughly rinse lentil under running water using colander.

Add lentil and water to a saucepan. Bring water to boil, reduce the heat to medium. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes. Lentils are cooked as soon as they are tender and no longer crunchy. Strain the lentils.

1/2 tsp salt

Return the lentils to the pan and stir in salt.

Yields: almost 2 and 3/4 cups cooked lentil

Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower
1 and 1/2 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Add cauliflower to a mixing bowl, toss with coconut oil, curry powder and salt.

Transfer to baking sheet and roast cauliflower for 25 minutes or until golden brown and tender.

Green Curry Tahini Dressing

1 tsp garlic, grated
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 lemon grass
1 serrano pepper
2 green onion
1 and 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped (1/2 bunch)
20 thai basil leaves
1 and 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp water

Blend all the above in vitamix to make thai green curry paste.

4 and 1/2 tbsp green curry paste
2 tbsp tahini
1 and 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt

Add all the above to the vitamix and blend until smooth.

Yields : 13 Tbsp

Salad

butter lettuce, mixed greens, kale or spinach (or other green of your choice)
cooked lentil, divide into 4 servings
1 cup red or green grapes, halved

Assemble salad by adding greens to serving platter or bowl. Top with lentils, grapes, roasted cauliflower and serve with dressing.

Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME
Source: minimalistbaker
Note: Next time when you prepare this, prepare green curry paste from minimalist baker and try this. I guarantee it would be amazing with her green curry paste.