Zucchini Pesto Pasta Salad

MAKES 4 SERVINGS OF SALAD, AND ABOUT 1 CUP OF PESTO

Ingredients

SALAD

• 3 medium zucchini or summer squashes, halved lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 1/2 inch half-moons

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 8 ounces penne or rotini pasta

• 1 1/2 cups cooked navy or Great Northern beans, or 1 can, drained and rinsed

PESTO

• 2 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves

• 1 clove garlic, chopped

• 1/4 cup walnuts

• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

OPTIONAL ACCOMPANIMENTS

• Arugula, baby spinach, or other tender leafy green; lemon wedges; Cheesy Hemp Seed Topping or vegan parmesan

Cooking Instructions

To make the salad, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the zucchini with the oil until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Spread evenly on the lined baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in the pasta, then adjust the heat to maintain a low boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender but still firm. Drain well.

Put the pasta, zucchini, and beans in a large bowl and stir gently to combine.

To make the pesto, combine the basil, garlic, walnuts, nutritional yeast, oil, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the work bowl, season with pepper to taste, then process for 30 seconds, until the pesto has a mostly smooth, even consistency.

Add the pesto to the pasta mixture and stir gently to combine. Serve warm, cool, or at room temperature, scooped over fresh greens, and with your favorite toppings.

Fresh Taco Salad

MAKES 4 LARGE SALADS

Ingredients

Taco Filling

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

• 1.5 teaspoons chili powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1/2 cup quinoa

• 1 cup water

• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

Creamy Avocado-Lime Dressing

• 1/4 cup lime juice (from about 2 limes)

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1/2 medium-large avocado, pitted

• 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro

• 1 small-medium jalapeno, seeded, deribbed, and roughly chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Salad

• 1 small head romaine lettuce, chopped

• 3 cups packed baby arugula

• 1 cup thinly sliced grape or cherry tomatoes

• 1/3 cup thinly sliced and roughly chopped red onion

• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

• 1/2 medium-large avocado

• Optional: extra-firm tofu

*A small handful of crumbled tortilla chips. Sprinkle them over the salads just before serving.

Cooking Instructions

1. To make the taco filling: In a medium saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and saute for another minute, stirring constantly. Add the rinsed quinoa and water, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes (the quinoa might not be fluffy yet, but don’t worry.)

2. Remove the pot from the heat and let it rest, still covered, for 5 minutes. Then, uncover and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Gently stir in the black beans and salt. Season to taste with pepper and additional salt, if necessary. Cover and set aside for a couple of minutes to warm up the beans.

3. To make the dressing: In a small food processor or blender, combine the lime juice, olive oil, and water. Using a spoon, scoop in the half avocado and add the cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, and salt. Process until the dressing is nice and smooth. The dressing should be zippy, but if it’s unpleasantly tart or difficult to blend, dilute it with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and blend again.

4. To assemble the salads: combine the romaine and arugula in a large bowl. Wait to dress the salad until you are ready to serve, as the greens will wilt fairly quickly once dressed. (If you won’t be consuming all 4 servings of this salad right away, portion off the greens you’d like to save for later, and dress only the greens you intend to eat now.)

5. When you’re ready, drizzle the mixture with just enough dressing to lightly coat the greens (you might have extra.) Toss until the dressing is evenly distributed.

6. Arrange the dressed greens in 4 individual salad bowls. Top each salad with taco filling, tomatoes, onion, and crispy tortilla strips. Slice the remaining avocado half into long strips and place a couple of strips on each salad. Serve immediately.

Roasted Zuccini Tacos with Tofu

MAKES 4 SERVINGS OF TACOS AND 1 CUP OF CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

For the ToFu

• 1 (15 oz) block extra-firm tofu

• 3 tablespoons tamari

• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

• 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated

• 1 tablespoon agave nectar or maple syrup

• Pinch of red pepper flakes

• 2 teaspoons neutral vegetable oil

for the Vegetables

• 2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

• 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

• 1 small white or yellow onion, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

• 1/4 cup shelled hemp seeds 

• 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice 

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice 

• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil 

• 1 cup firmly packed fresh parsley 

• 1/2 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro 

• 1 clove garlic, coarsley chopped 

• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. To prepare the tofu, cut it into 16 rectangular pieces and put it in a nonreactive rectangular baking pan, preferably one large enough to fit the tofu in a single layer. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the tamari, lime juice, garlic, agave nectar, and red pepper flakes. Pour the mixture over the tofu.

3. To cook the vegetables, combine the zucchini, corn, onion, oil, lime juice, and cumin in a medium bowl and mix well. Spread the vegetables on the lined baking sheet and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the onion is lightly golden and some of the corn is crispy, stirring once halfway through the baking time.

4. Meanwhile, to make the chimichurri sauce, combine the hemp seeds, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, oil, parsley, cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender (preferably a high speed blender) and process until smooth. If the sauce is thicker than you'd like, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to achieve the desired consistency. (Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the sauce will keep for 5 days.) 

5. About 5 minutes before the end of the baking time for the vegetables, put the taco shells in the oven to warm them.

6. To cook the tofu, put the oil in a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Transfer the tofu to the pan, reserving the marinade. Cook the tofu for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until lightly browned or grilled. Pour the remaining marinade over the tofu and remove the pan from the heat.

7. To serve, fill each taco shell with about 1/4 cup of the vegetables, a few pieces of the tofu, a tablespoonful of cilantro, and a generous drizzle of the sauce.

Simple Green Salad with Quinoa & Lemon Tahini Dressing

1.) Cook 1 cup of quinoa. Either on the stovetop or in a rice cooker.

2.) Meanwhile, prepare the Lemon Tahini Dressing. In a food processor, combine the following ingredients and process until smooth: 

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 1 large clove garlic 

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

• Freshly ground black pepper 

3.) Heat up 1 can of organic black beans. 

4.) Chop up one large tomato.

5.) In a large bowl combine the quinoa, black beans, and tomato together with 5-6 cups of organic baby spring mix. 

7.) Toss gently until well combined.

8.) Serve in 2 separate bowls.

9.) Top with the tahini dressing and enjoy!