Mediterranean Zucchini Gratin with Onions, Tomatoes and Peppers
2 tsp. olive oil
2 medium zucchini, diced
½ tsp salt
1 med onion, diced
2 bell peppers (any colors) diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 large tomato, diced
1 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped
Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add zucchini
and salt. Cook uncovered, until almost tender, 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Place zucchini
in a 6c serving dish.
In the same skillet, heat remaining 1 tsp. oil. Add onions, peppers, and garlic. Cook
uncovered, over low heat, until mixture is very soft, but not brown ~10-12 minutes. Stir
frequently.
Add onion mixture to the pan with the zucchini and stir in the lemon juice, tomato and
basil. Serve warm.
Makes about 4 servings
Kale and Peppers
1 tsp. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bunch kale, stems removed and
chopped
½ c. vegetable broth or water
½ tsp. salt
lemon or lime wedges
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add peppers and garlic and sauté
several minutes or until tender. Add kale, broth (or water) and salt. Cover and simmer
about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with lemon or lime wedges.
Makes about 4 servings
Summer Bean Salad
2 c. green beans, cut diagonally
2 c. yellow wax beans, cut diagonally
1 c. frozen shelled edamame (green
soybeans)
1 c. grape tomatoes, halved
½ c. bell pepper, chopped
½ c. red onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbs. fresh lemon or lime juice
½ tsp. honey
2 tsp. olive oil
¼ c. fresh parsley, chopped
¼ tsp. salt
Bring a small amount of water to a boil and cook all the beans, covered for about 5-10
minutes (until green beans are just tender). Drain, place beans in ice water to stop further
cooking, drain again and place in a large bowl with the tomatoes, pepper and onion. To
make dressing, whisk together lemon or lime juice, honey and olive oil. Stir in parsley
and salt, then pour over bean mixture and toss gently to coat.
Makes about 6 cups
Pumpkin Mousse with Pecan Topping
6 oz (½ of a 12 oz box) firm silken tofu
3 Tbs. real maple syrup
1 Tbs. lemon juice
¼ tsp. cinnamon
⅛ tsp. ground cardamom
⅛ tsp. ground ginger
⅛ tsp. salt
1 15 oz can pumpkin
Drain tofu on paper towels for about 10 minutes.
Place everything in a blender and puree until very smooth.
Cover and chill for several hours or overnight to blend the flavors.
To serve, spoon the mousse into individual serving bowls and sprinkle with pecan
topping (recipe below).
Makes six - ½ c. servings
Pecan Topping
⅓ chopped pecans
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. margarine, softened
Preheat oven to 350° F
Mix together all topping ingredients in a small bowl. Spread in a thin layer on a small
piece of foil and bake for 5 minutes. Stir and bake another 3-5 minutes, until golden
brown. Let cool.
Makes about 6 Tbs.
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Vegetables in Cashew Gravy
Vegetables: Sauté 1 chopped onion and several stalks of celery, sliced; then add whatever
vegetables are in season or readily available in the store.
Good veggies to try: green beans, potatoes, peas, peppers (any color), broccoli,
cauliflower… use about 6-8 c. of cut vegetables.
Some vegetables will need to be partially cooked before being added to the sauté mixture
(potatoes), others that cook quickly can just be sautéed.
Makes cashew gravy – see recipe below – and add directly from the blender to the pan
with the vegetables and stir until thickened. Allow to simmer to blend flavors.
Cashew Gravy
½ c. raw cashews
2 c. hot water
2 Tbs. cornstarch (mixed with a small
amount of cold water)
1 Tbs. soy sauce (low sodium)
1 Tbs. nutritional yeast flakes
2 tsp. Chicken-Style seasoning
2 tsp. onion powder
Place cashews and 1 c water in a blender and blend until very smooth (several minutes).
Add remaining ingredients and continue blending until well mixed.
Pour into a small saucepan and heat until boiling, then simmer gently for 1-2 minutes
until thickened and flavors are well blended.
Makes about 2 ½ cups: Nutrients per ¼ c.: 38 calories, 2.6 g fat, and 0.2 g fiber
Note: Nutrients per ¼ c: Regular cream sauce made with margarine, flour, and
low fat (2%) milk:
95 calories, 6.8 g fat, and 0 g fiber
whole milk:
100 calories, 7.6 g fat, and 0 g fiber
half & half:
142 calories, 12.3 g fat, and 0 g fiber
whipping cream:
270 calories, 27.5 g fat, and 0 g fiber
Note: Different nuts can be used in this recipe. I like a combination of cashews and
peanuts. Some nuts like pecans or almonds also taste great, but don’t make such a nice
looking gravy because of the brown color of the skins.
Cashew Gravy – use this gravy to make a “cream” sauce for breakfast dishes like
creamed eggs (or tofu) on toast, creamed “veggie” meat on English muffins or biscuits.
The gravy can also be used for creamed vegetable dishes for lunch or supper or for a
vegetable or “chicken” (try veggie chicken) pot pie… It is much lower in fat (even
though it uses nuts) than typical creamed dishes plus it is a good source of
monounsaturated fats rather than trans or saturated fats.
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