“To remember a successful salad is generally to remember a successful dinner; at all events, the perfect dinner necessarily includes the perfect salad.”
~ George Ellwanger, German-American horticulturist (1848-1906)

Garden Fresh

The weather is expected to be in the 90’s this weekend, with high humidity. While perfect for the garden, such weather is not at all conducive to turning on the stove, leaving me, once again, to mull over the possibilities for cold suppers.

A long time ago, my Auntie Milli used to make a beautiful rice salad with peas and peanuts. It was simple and delicious, but contained mayonnaise, which I can no longer eat, so I decided to try something similar with a vinaigrette dressing. I think you will be as delighted with the result as I was.

Make the rice early in the day or the evening before so it is cold in time for supper. ½ cup raw rice will make the 1 cup cooked rice that is needed for this recipe. Using a short grain brown rice will give it a pleasant, chewy texture and add to the nutty flavor. The amino acids of the brown rice also compliment those of the peas and peanuts, making complete proteins.

We served our salad with cold, roasted beets (cooked overnight in the electric slow cooker) in an orange marmalade sauce, which provided a beautiful contrast in color. The mint in the salad gives a refreshing lift to the entire meal. While the salad is nutritionally complete as it is for vegans and vegetarians, I’m sure that the omnivores would be happy to have it as a side dish with a grilled beefsteak.

RICE SALAD

Serves 2 as main dish, 4 as side dish
Time: 40 minutes to cook rice + 5 minutes assembly

1 cup cooked brown rice, chilled
½ cup peas
2 tablespoons snipped chives or green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
¼ cup vinaigrette dressing (homemade or bottled)
½ cup unsalted, dry roasted peanuts
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the rice, peas, and chives or green onions together. Toss with the dressing. If you are making the salad ahead of time, you can refrigerate at this point, but do not stir in the peanuts and tomato pieces until just before serving.

If you are looking for something fun to do this weekend, why not dust of your bicycle and take it out for a spin. Wave if you see us passing by! Click here for a picture of us making news on our tandem.

“Well, I can’t eat muffins in an agitated manner. The butter would probably get on my cuffs. One should always eat muffins quite calmly. It is the only way to eat them.” ~ Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde, Irish writer (1854-1900), in The Importance of Being Earnest

What could be a better treat for breakfast than a warm muffin and a cup of hot, Irish Breakfast Tea? The mere thought makes my mouth water.

Recently, reader Anne from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, sent an e-mail asking if I had a recipe for a small batch of corn muffins. Being a single person, it was discouraging for her to make a full batch but only enjoy one or two while still warm. The call for a whole egg made reducing the recipes challenging.

As it happens, I am currently working on some recipes for Muggies – treats baked in the microwave oven in a mug. They are perfect for just one person and take less than 5 minutes. The problem with them is that they disappear so fast!

CORNMEAL MUGGIE

Serves 1
Time: 4 minutes

2 teaspoons canola oil
5 teaspoons milk (non-dairy is fine)
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon corn meal
¼ teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Measure ingredients in the order given directly into a microwave-safe, 12-ounce coffee mug. Stir with a fork until the ingredients are evenly moist – about 20 strokes. Cook in the microwave oven for 1 minute on high. Allow to rest for 2 minutes before turning out onto a rack. Serve warm.

Anne plans on trying hers out with a few blueberries stirred in. I like mine with buttery spread and strawberry jam. What will you do with your Muggie?

If you haven’t looked at our new cookbook MOSAIC MEALS: BRINGING VEGANS, VEGETARIANS, AND OMNIVORES TOGETHER, we want you to know it is now available. Check it out by clicking on the tab above “Mosaic Meals – The Book!”

“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”– Warren Buffett, American investor, industrialist, and philanthropist (1930 – )

The sultry days of summer are here, complete with all the heat and humidity the earth can muster; days that beg us to just sit and be still. Looking at gardening books while sitting on the front porch sipping something cold is a good way to do that, but it doesn’t get supper made.

To say that I enjoy cooking is an understatement. I am obsessed with it. Except in June, July, and August, when the mere thought of turning on the stove depresses me.

With that in mind, I have decided to pull together a series of recipes that will provide a cold supper that is tasty and filling enough to satisfy the heartiest appetites. That means taking the winter coat off of some favorites. In winter we like chili, so why not a summer version?

I used pablano chilies to make this dish, but feel free to use a spicier counterpart if you wish. While this chili is nutritionally complete when served with a whole grain bread, those who want meat for dinner will find that it goes well with grilled chicken.

SWEET ORANGE DRESSING

Makes ½ cup
Time: 5 minutes

2 tablespoons vinegar
¼ cup orange juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Measure all ingredients into a jar, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and shake to combine

CHILLY CHILI

Serves 4
Time: 15 minutes active prep time + 20 minutes standing time

1 (15-ounce) can navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
¼ cup diced pablano (about ½ ) chili pepper
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced chives or green onion
1 medium fresh tomato, seeded, cut into small dice
1 recipe for Sweet Orange Dressing (above)
Salt and pepper

Mix navy beans, black eyed peas, diced chili, parsley, chives, and tomato together in a large bowl. Toss with Sweet Orange Dressing and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (better yet, overnight) to allow flavors to blend. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serving suggestion: Hollow out some large bread rolls or remove the seedy center from whole tomatoes and fill with the bean mixture. Place the rolls (or tomatoes) on a bed of red leaf lettuce and drizzle any leftover dressing over everything.

After you have finished eating, pour a glass of iced tea and go sit in the shade to with a good book. Then, share the title with us!

“I wake up every morning in a bed that’s too small. Drive my daughter to a school that’s too expensive and then I go to work to a job for which I get paid too little. But on pretzel day….Well, I like pretzel day.” ~ Stanley in The Office episode titled “Initiation,” Season 3 on NBC.

Who doesn’t like pretzels?

I am especially fond of crispy pretzel sticks. They come in several shapes, they travel reasonably well, they taste good, and they’re non-fat! What more could we ask from a snack food?

The origin of pretzels is a fuzzy mix of lore tied to both Christian and pagan history, likely originating in Germany. They began as a soft bread like the ones we get at the pretzel stands in the mall, then someone (whether by accident or intention is not clear) created the crispy version, reportedly in Pennsylvania. That this simple twist of dough should be the subject of heated debate is captivating.

I have made pretzels at home but they are labor intensive so best left on the list for what to do to entertain ourselves in the middle of a 3-day blizzard. The ingredients in the basic pretzel, even in commercially prepared versions, are simple enough: flour, yeast, water, salt, and soda (actually, sodium hydroxide when made commercially, to create crispiness). Some add vitamin E as a preservative.

What is wonderful about the pretzel is the versatility in what we can do with them. I like the nugget shaped in my trail mix, the mini-twists in cereal treat mix, the waffle shaped topped with thin slices of cheese or apple, and the rods dipped into any number of concoctions.

Whatever you do, don’t overlook the pretzel for the after-dinner tray of treats. For those who want a healthier option than cake or cookies, some small pretzel rods with just their tips dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with nuts or dried fruit can be the perfect ending to a lovely meal. They’re easy to make – we’re talking mere minutes to prepare three dozen – and are just unusual enough to attract curious admiration. Include them on a tray with apple slices, nuts, and – if you wish – a little cheese for an evening nibble.

ChocolatedTipped Pretzels

Makes 36
Time: 10 minutes

¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
36 small (not mini) pretzel rods or half-rods
¼ cup finely chopped dried fruit and/or nuts

Line a baking sheet or cutting board with parchment paper, foil, or wax paper. Check to make sure it will fit into the refrigerator laying flat.

Measure the chocolate into a glass, microwave-safe measuring cup. Melt in the microwave oven, 30 seconds at a time at half-power. OR Place the measuring cup into a bowl of hot water and stir occasionally until melted, being careful to not allow any water to mix with the chocolate.

Dip the top ½-inch of each pretzel into the melted chocolate, using a slight rolling motion to prevent dripping as you remove the pretzel from the chocolate.

Lay the pretzels out on the lined baking sheet so they do not touch. Sprinkle the ends with the chopped fruit or nuts – or leave plain, if you wish. Place in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to harden.

Now, wasn’t that easy? Thank you for visiting. Have a lovely weekend and do stop by again on Monday for a cold supper idea that is perfect for hot summer evenings.

“Cinnamon bites and kisses simultaneously.” ~ Vanna Bonta, writer and film actress (birth date unknown)

There is a well hidden secret in the Mexican kitchen that is perfect at this time of year. Think tall, icy, and creamy; but don’t think dairy, because this splendid libation is made with a rice based milk product.

When friend Bob asked about making traditional horchata, I was disappointed to tell him that for one person it wasn’t worth the time and work it takes to make it as the restaurants do, beginning with soaking and grinding raw rice or almonds. To me, it was best left to the professionals. Then, my eyes lit upon the carton of rice milk that happened to be sitting on the kitchen counter and everything changed.

This easy version of the cinnamon and vanilla drink is great for children – think of it as a special treat the next time you throw a birthday party with a piñata – because it is low in sugar and has none of the ingredients that so many kids are allergic or sensitive to. Horchata will look like ordinary milk to your guests until they take that first sip, then WOW! The adults at the party can jazz their horchata up with a splash or two of rum.

Organic Rice Dream Rice Drink, the brand of rice milk I use, is available in most grocery stores, either in the aisle with canned milk or in the health food section with non-dairy, shelf-stable milks, in a quart-sized cardboard carton, or in 8-ounce individual drink boxes. It is made from brown rice and enriched with vitamins and minerals, so don’t save it just for special occasions.

I made my horchata in a Mason jar and use the microwave oven to heat it, but you can use a pot on the stove if you want to. Prepare this lovely drink a day or two ahead of time to allow the milk to absorb the cinnamon flavor.

Horchata

Time: 5 minutes prep
+ 12 hours refrigeration

For each serving:
8 ounces Rice Dream rice drink
1 stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon agave nectar or sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Heat the rice milk, stick cinnamon, and agave nectar or sugar together until hot, but not boiling. Transfer the mixture, stick and all, to a jar if it isn’t in one already. Stir in the vanilla, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Remove the stick cinnamon, stir, and pour over ice in a tall glass to serve.

Thanks for visiting. I’m not sure what is happening on Friday, but we’ll be having fun for sure, so do stop by on your way to the weekend!