It's been an incredibly busy month. Travel to my husband's family reunion. A visit from my step daughter and her boyfriend. Lots of eating at places other than home. Here are two recipes which have helped get me through the last month without a major dent in my diet.
My husband's family knew I was basically vegetarian but ate a little chicken and fish, but I was hesitant to ask then to also do non-gluten, non-sweetened, no dairy when they had to provide food for 60+ people for three days. They did a great job on providing things that met all those by the way but because I was unsure, I decided to bring a dish to pass each day.
The watermelon gazpacho is a favorite of ours and was a big hit at our wedding last summer. It proved to be a winner at the reunion as well. It's perfect for a hot summer day. This recipe came from our Whole Foods in West Bloomfield, Michigan via my friend Julie who kindly passed it on to me. Amounts of everything can be varied to taste. It's hard to tell just how many cups of fruit are in a watermelon. Since I hate to not use all the watermelon, I adjust the other ingredients accordingly. It's a very forgiving recipe.
Watermelon Gazpacho
1 small seedless watermelon
1 small green pepper finely chopped
1 green apple peeled and finely chopped
1 red onion finely chopped
about 2 or 3 T of cider vinegar
1/2 to 1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried basil or about 1 T finely chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
Puree watermelon in a blender or food processor. (Or if you're somewhere without the gadgets you may have at home, you can mash the watermelon with a potato masher. It turns out somewhat chunkier but still does the trick.If you do this, you may want to chop the other ingredients a little more coarsely.) Pour puree into a large bowl (or the hollowed out shell of the watermelon.) Stir in other ingredients. Add the cider vinegar, chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. This will make about 8 servings depending on the size of your watermelon. Don't worry about extra. It tastes great the next day! You can serve it in the short, wide clear plastic cups at an outdoor event. They're much easier to handle than a bowl. Add a sprig of basil for a decorative touch.
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This next recipe is one I've been getting a lot of requests to share. When I decided to bring it to the family reunion the second day, my husband assured me I'd have it all to myself. (He's not a big leafy green veggie fan.) Not so. It vanished even more quickly than the soup. This comes from Kathy Abascal's The Abascal Way Cookbook. This salad has been a lifesaver for me. Not only does it taste great, it keeps well in the fridge for a day or so and can make it through a day in an insulated bag with a small ice pack. I've taken it on many day trips as well used it for a dish to pass. I try to keep extra dressing in the frig at all times as well as a box or two of chopped kale to mix up for last minute changes in plans where I'm unsure I'll be able to find appropriate food. Or when I'm just feeling lazy at home and want some "fast food."
Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing
1 bunch of kale (or use the cleaned and pre-chopped kale for a quick and easy dish. I use a wonderful rainbow kale salad with grated carrot that I get at my local PCC store in Edmonds. It's a lighter kale than the curly kale but sturdier than baby kale. In Michigan I used a mix of pre-cleaned and chopped baby kale and curly kale plus some grated carrot.)
1 small carrot coarsely grated (Optional)
1/2 cup tahini
Juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 T rice vinegar
enough water to make a thick but pourable dressing (about 3-4 T)
1 T tamari (don't add to dressing, sprinkle on once dressing is mixed with kale)
Clean and dry kale. Remove ribs. Chop the leaves finely. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Toss the kale with enough dressing to coat the leaves. (I usually don't use all the dressing. Store it in the frig for the next batch. Thin with a little more water if necessary.) Toss with tamari.
