Summer Sandwich and Salad

Is there anything better than a home-grown tomato and basil sandwich?

That was our dinner the other night, along with a salad of mixed greens. If you want to push your tomato sandwich over the top, use basil mayonnaise on the bread. Yum.

To add to the summery-ness of the salad, I used beer in the salad dressing. No, it doesn't taste like beer, but it has a complex sweetness which goes well with the tomato sandwich.

The salad recipe is from McAuslan Brewing, a Montreal microbrewery. The salad dressing calls for St. Ambroise pale ale, but that's hard to find in LA so I used Newcastle instead. Just don't use a lager - it will be all bubbles and no flavor.

For cheese I used Cashel Blue from Ireland -- a soft buttery blue with a salty bite.

Unusual? Yes. And surprisingly delicious. It might become your go-to summer salad.

McAuslan Salad
1 tbsp mustard
1/4 cup pale ale
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tbsp honey
mixed greens
blue cheese

Combine mustard, ale and vinegar. Whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk in honey and taste again.

This will make 1 1/4 cups dressing. It keeps well in the fridge.

Toss some mixed greens with a little dressing. Put on individual plates and dot each serving with 1 tbsp crumbled blue cheese.

Hummus

In this heat, I do not feel like cooking. Or eating much. But a dinner of Greek salad with pita and homemade hummus is zesty enough to tempt the appetite, and there's no need to heat up the kitchen.

Hummus is great on pita, or as a dip with vegetables, or layered in a sandwich. Dilute it with olive oil or yogurt for a thick salad dressing that's also good spooned over cooked vegetables or rice.

Not only does it taste good, but it's good for you. Chickpeas contain a special type of fiber that is extremely beneficial to the cells that line the colon. They also contain antioxidants, minerals, protein and other nutrients. Whole books have been written on the health benefits of garlic, but suffice to say that it is anti-inflammatory, good for those blood numbers your doctor worries about, and helps protect against cancer.

I cook dry chickpeas the day before, drain them and refrigerate them overnight. You can use canned beans if you prefer.

I like my hummus garlicky. Use fewer cloves if that's not your thing. Also, make the hummus exactly the way you like it by adding extra lemon juice or salt or olive oil before serving.

Leftover hummus will last a week in the fridge, if you hide it.

Hummus
2/3 cup dry chickpeas, cooked (or 1 can, drained)
1/4 cup tahini
6 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp salt

Put all the ingredients in the food processor. Process until smooth - it will take a couple of minutes, be patient and let it take the time it needs to get smooth.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Portabello Mushroom Burgers

Portabello mushrooms make a meaty, flavorful vegetarian "burger." The mushrooms are usually grilled whole and served on a bun with various toppings. (At a Montreal bistro last week, my mother was served a "burger" composed of three grilled mushrooms stacked on top of each other.)

The mushrooms in this recipe, however, are not whole. Instead they are diced and stirred into grated cheese, bound with eggs and oatmeal, and lightly fried until crisp and golden on the outside.

Even Larry, not a big fan of the mushroom, really enjoyed these burgers. I think they're the best ever.

But don't try cooking them on the barbecue - they will annoy you by crumbling through the grill.

Mushroom Burgers
1 1/2 cups portabello mushrooms in rough 1/3-inch cubes (about 5 oz total)
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup scottish oatmeal
8 oz jarlsberg cheese
salt and pepper
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil

Combine mushrooms, eggs, oatmeal, cheese and salt and pepper. Shape by hand into four burgers. At this point I am sure they will not hold together. But they do.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add burgers and cook 3-4 minutes per side until golden.

Serves 4

(The cooked burgers last a couple of days in the fridge. They taste even better reheated.)

Tofu Teriyaki

If you invite a vegan to dinner, this is a great meal to serve. The brown rice and greens make it healthy, and the teriyaki sauce makes it yummy. Your friends and family will think you ordered out, until they taste the food and realize how good it really is.

The teriyaki sauce is complex -- a little sweet, a little salty, with good depth of flavor. It transforms the tofu, and there'll be enough to pour over the rice as well.

You can find brown rice syrup, mirin and tamari at any health food store. The brown rice syrup gives the sauce its sheen and a slight sweetness. Mirin is a rice wine that is cheap and lasts for years in the cupboard. Tamari is a wheat-free soy sauce with less sodium than most national brands.

Start the meal prep by putting brown rice on to cook - a rice cooker makes this easy because you can set it and forget it.

While the tofu is pressing, wash and coarsely chop the greens (removing any tough stems) and make the teriyaki sauce.

Start the tofu cooking, then the greens. I used kale, but any green you like will do. For one bunch of greens, sauté 1/2 onion in a little olive oil until soft. Add 1 clove minced garlic and a sprinkling of chili flakes if desired. Add the damp chopped greens and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir well, then cover and let cook for 5-8 minutes before stirring again. Cook until they are the consistency you like. Add extra water if they start to stick on the bottom. They will be ready at the same time as the tofu, but if one is finished first, cover and keep it off the heat until all is ready to serve together.

This is a simple meal that looks fancy and tastes great. Give it a try!

Tofu Teriyaki
1 lb firm organic tofu
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup tamari (soy sauce)
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Place the tofu on a shallow plate. Put a second plate on top of the tofu with a jar of beans or other heavy weight on top. Press for at least 15 minutes. Drain off the excess water.

In a small bowl, whisk together the brown rice syrup, tamari, mirin, apple juice and toasted sesame oil.

Cut the tofu into roughly 3/4 inch slices. Cut each slice into triangles. Pat dry.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large frypan. Add the tofu and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Add the sauce and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is syrupy and coats the tofu, about 15 minutes.

Serves 4

Zucchini casserole

Back in the '80s my mother bought Frances Moore Lappé's groundbreaking book, Diet for a Small Planet, and its companion volume Recipes for a Small Planet. As a new vegetarian, I used Recipes so much its pages started falling out.

The books were innovative in the way they addressed the concerns of protein in the vegetarian diet. Lappé showed how grains, beans, seeds, nuts and dairy products can be combined to create large amounts of complete protein.

The recipes in these books are heavy on the dairy. As I learned more about the protein and complete nutrition in vegetables, and eased away from the regular eating of dairy products, the books drifted to the back of the bookcase.

However, I pulled Recipes out the other day when I bought some St. Benoit yogurt at the Hollywood Farmers Market, and was inspired to make this creamy and delicious casserole for the first time in years. St. Benoit yogurt is made from the rich milk of organic Jersey cows in Sonoma county. It makes a wonderful topping for this brown rice and zucchini dish. You can use thick Greek-style yogurt or whole-milk yogurt if you can't find some made from the milk of happy Jersey cows.

Zucchini Casserole
1 1/2 cups raw brown rice
4 cups (4 small) zucchini, in 1-inch dice
2 cups yogurt
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup grated cheddar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives or scallions
1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds
bread crumbs
butter

Cook the rice in 3 cups of boiling water with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp paprika until tender. Drain if necessary (it probably won't be).

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine the yogurt, toasted sesame oil, cheddar and salt in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat until the cheese melts. Remove from stove and stir in the beaten egg and chives. Make sure the sauce is not so hot that it curdles the egg. (That's an esthetic issue -- it will taste good either way.)

Stir the cooked rice and sesame seeds together. Spread on the bottom of a 7 x 11 shallow baking dish. Spread the zucchini cubes on top. Pour the yogurt sauce over, then top with a layer of bread crumbs and dot generously with butter.

Bake 25 minutes until the crumbs are browned and the squash is tender but still firm.

Good news on franken-foods

I can't believe we humans are still considering genetically-modified organisms as a food source.

But the Big Agra lobby is very big, and puts a lot of pressure on money-grubbing politicians to do the wrong thing. (What can you expect with a political system where millions of dollars are needed to run a campaign? But I digress.)

Larry wrote about the pervasiveness of Big Agra after watching Food Inc. last March.

(In the US, the only way to be sure of not eating gmos - genetically modified organisms - is to buy organic or to check for a label like the one in the picture above on a bottle of canola oil. Or on the bag of soy flour lower left. Canola, soy and corn are the most genetically-modified foods, so always read labels for them.)

However, I have good news. In July, genetically-modified food took a large step backwards when the US refrained from opposing the gmo labelling guidance document in the Codex. Now any country who wants to require genetically-modified foods to be labelled as such is free to do so.

(The Codex alimentarius is a project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization. They are codifying worldwide food practices. I first heard of them 20 years ago when they were attacking the vendors of herbs like echinacea, saying their products were not patented like drugs are, and therefore were less effective. Say the word Codex in parts of Canada and to various natural health practitioners and they will growl at you.)

But since the Codex will govern most of the world food production, a line in it saying countries can demand that genetically-modified organisms be labelled as such is a great step forward.

Note that the US did not vote for this excellent rule. They abstained from fighting it. Big Agra (I'm talking about you Monsanto and perennial NPR supporter Archer Daniels Midland) can live to fight another day.

The only way you can be sure the food you eat is not genetically modified is to buy organic. For a non-gmo shoppers guide, click here.

For more information on the Codex deal, click here.

Why do I care about genetic modificiation? As a vegetarian, I don't want to eat fish genes in my tomatoes (yes, they've tried that). Plus, nature has been doing great for thousands of years without us. The only benefits I can see of genetic engineering is it makes square tomatoes which ship more easily and it creates corn that is not killed by Roundup so farmers can spray more pesticides on my food.

With my food dollars I vote no on gmo. I hope you do too.

Chopped Italian Salad

This is a great marinated salad in the Italian style. Although it contains many antipasto ingredients, I serve it as a meal by itself, maybe with some good bread to sop up the dressing.

The protein comes from garbanzo beans (chickpeas). Toasting gives them a nutty flavor, and they act as croutons in the salad. They're not crunchy, but they have a density that makes a nice contrast to the tangy vegetables. Plus they have the added benefit of detoxifying your body of any sulfites in the wine you're drinking. They contain molybdenum, a trace mineral that detoxes sulfites, as well as plenty of insulin-balancing fiber and protein. Isn't it great that health food can taste so good?

Chopped Italian Salad
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans
1 6 1/2 oz jar marinated artichokes
3-4 tbsp olive oil
2 large stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 small red onion, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch dice
8 kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
2-3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
4 cups romaine leaves torn into bite-sized pieces, chilled and crisped

Rinse garbanzo beans and blot dry with a kitchen towel. Drain artichokes, reserving liquid, and cut them into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in skillet over high heat. Add garbanzo beans and cook, shaking pan often, until browned, about 7 minutes. (Add more oil if necessary.) In a 2-quart bowl, combine garbanzo beans, artichokes and their liquid, 2 tbsp olive oil, celery, onion, bell pepper, olives, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Toss until well mixed. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Let rest at room temperature up to 4 hours.

Toss vegetables again. Add romaine and mix well. Taste. If desired, add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and toss again until well mixed. (I often leave out this second round of dressing because I find the salad tangy enough without.) Mound salad on platter and serve.

4 very large servings.

High-Protein Granola

This is my current favorite granola. The protein from the soy flour keeps me going all morning. And Larry says it tastes like a granola bar - I understand that's a compliment.

The recipe is from a '70s hippie commune called The Farm. I have a few old cookbooks from intentional communities in the '60s and '70s. They are full of earnest recipes by people trying to live the good, earth-friendly, socially-responsible, self-sufficient life. And while vegetarian tastes have evolved in the past 50 years, this granola has stood the test of time.

High-Protein Granola
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup bran
1 cup sunflower seeds
3/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup organic soy flour
1 cup brown sugar dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla

Stir everything together in a large bowl.

Pour onto two cookie sheets and cook in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes until golden. Turn the granola a few times with a spatula so it browns but doesn't burn.

Let cool a little, but don't let it get cold or it will stick to the cookie sheets. Store in an airtight container.

3/4 cup of granola and 1/2 cup soymilk provides 15 gm of complete protein.

Grilled Veggie Sandwich

The other night I pulled out my grill pan and whipped up these delicious sandwiches for dinner.

Who says great sandwiches have to have meat?

I used a soft whole wheat bread, because it helps to hold the sandwiches together if you can squeeze it. Save the dense breads for another use.

Wild arugula from our garden added zestiness. Milder greens will be less flavorful, so use more of them, and season with extra pepper or even a little hot sauce.

The basil mayonnaise is great on tomato sandwiches too. It lasts a week or so in the fridge.

Grilled Veggie Sandwich
1/2 cup mayonnaise (or nayonnaise for a vegan sandwich)
1 tbsp minced basil
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices.
4 slices bread
1 cup arugula or baby spinach
6 thin slices tomato
1/2 cup red onion sliced 1/4 inch thick
salt and pepper

Combine mayonnaise, basil and lemon zest. Set aside.

Brush zucchini and onion with oil and grill over high heat until tender, 3-5 minutes per side. Brush with more oil as needed.

To assemble sandwich, spread 1 tbsp mayonnaise on 2 slices bread. Top 1 slice bread with 1/2 cup arugula, 3 tomato slices and 1/4 cup onion. Season with salt and pepper. Top with zucchini and second bread slice. Repeat for second sandwich.

Makes 2 sandwiches.