Readers' Recipes  

(thanks for all of the suggestions!)

These are some of my favorite easy-peasy vegan dishes. Hope you enjoy!!

Bex

White Bean and Rosemary Dip:

1 15-oz can of gannelli, white soy or navy beans
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 c fresh parsley (chopped, but can get away with tossing whole into
blender)
1/4 c fresh rosemary
3 tbs olive oil
3 tbs lemon juice (or squeeze two small lemons)

Toss all this into a blender, season with salt and pepper.
Serve on toasted whole wheat pita, with raw mushrooms, sliced cucumbers
and bell peppers.

YUM!  The garlic packs a punch, but the rosemary finishes beautifully
earthy.

Southwestern 1-pot dish (high protein and fiber!)

1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tbs olive oil
1- 15 oz can frijoles negros (black beans, or black soy beans) drained and rinsed
1 c. brown rice
1 frozen pack of corn (organic if you can!)
2 cups (16 oz package) Quinoa (Keen-WA - the most perfect grain, full of
protein, no fat. Similar in shape and texture as cous cous, but with a nutty flavor... any whole foods/ organics store will carry:
Sometimes packaged, sometimes found in bulk section. Can be white or red.)
1 -12-14 oz jar of salsa, split in two
1/2- 1c chopped fresh cilantro
3-4 cups vegetable stock (or can use chicken broth, or water)

Seasonings:
Hot sauce
Chili powder
Fresh ground black pepper
Nutritional Yeast (optional - it's a natural B-vitamin supplement that adds a creamy/cheesy layer similar to parmesean. Again, whole foods/ organic store will carry, either packaged or in bulk section.)

1. Sautee onion in olive oil until onion is clear (releasing onion sugars into oil)
2. Add garlic. Sautee until garlic soft.
3. Add brown rice, stirring and coating with oil for about 5-7 minutes, or until toasted golden.
4. Add 3 cups vegetable broth, bring to a boil.
5. Add 1/2 jar salsa, and quinoa, bring to boil, cover and simmer approx. 10 min.
6. Add black beans, corn and remaining veg stock, let boil and cover and simmer approx 10 more min,
or until rice is tender, and Quinoa has sprouted (a little sprout ring will emerge from the kernal) and liquid is mostly gone
7. let stand and cool for 5- 10 min, add chopped cilantro and remaining salsa, season with salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, chile powder and hot sauce to taste.

Garnish with fresh lime slice and avocado if desired.

 --

Another recipe from Katrina:

Here's my recipe, which I made up with my dear friend Morgan in L.A.  Of course fresh produce is always best and really you can put anything you want in it. 

Morgan's Cold Ginger Shrimp Soba Salad

Shrimp -1/2 pound
Cucumbers - 1/2 a one?
Cherry Tomatoes-a little box
Ginger around 1 T
Garlic around 1 T
Soba noodles 1 package
Sake -1/4 cup
Canola oil-2 t
Soy sauce -1/4 cup
Japanese rice wine vinegar -1/3 cup
Brown Sugar -1 t
Sugar-1 T
Sesame Oil -1/4 t sesame oil

Cook the soba noodles according to the directions, drain, rinse in cold water. 
The best thing is to grill the shrimp, but grills are hard to come by.
So, mince the garlic and ginger, throw them in a pan with a bit of canola oil ("hot wok cold oil" my dad always says which means heat up your pan and then add the oil)

Add the shrimp, peeled (if they're frozen the best is to defrost in the fridge overnight, otherwise you can run them under cold water, if you're really in a hurry you can run them under warm water but it's not a good idea.  i've been known to do it ;)  )  Cook 'em on high heat --just cook them 'till they're pink, shrimp is easy to overcook.  Pull the shrimp out of the oil.  Add the soy sauce and the sake, bring to a boil, add the brown sugar, throw the shrimp back in, take it off the heat.  Add the vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar (to taste, sweeter if you like, less if you like it tart)

I like long translucent cucumbers strips that soak up the dressing, you can use a peeler to do that.  I pile the soba noodles into a big bowl, cherry tomatoes in the center, cucumbers strips with shrimp arranged in a circle fanning out from the center

And then pour the dressing over the top. 
Toss and Serve it after people have admired how pretty it is.

-- 

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From Emily Melia Grigg-Saito:

MELTED RED PEPPER CONDIMENT

(this is one i got from under the tuscan sun that i only make for a treat here because red peppers are very expensive in japan.  but it's basically something that tastes amazing on sandwiches/paninis, bruschetta, pizzas, etc.etc.)

4 big red peppers
1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup of olive oil
salt/pepper to taste

slice the red peppers supersuper thin.  use a peeler if you must

on very low heat, cook the peppers and vinegar and oil, stirring, for about an hour.  the peppers should wilt and melt together.  keep the mixture moist, adding more vinegar or oil as you go.  (it usually gets dry for me)

so easy!  under the tuscan sun says you can do the same thing w/onions, but i've never tried.