Category:

Vegetarian

Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Salad

by Reed Dunn July 12, 2020

If summer were defined by a salad, this would be it.

My mom always had some variation on the theme of a Cucumber, Tomato & Onion salad marinating in the refrigerator from about May until it was time to put up the Halloween decorations. It often was homemade version with our own garden-grown ingredients – we grew a rather large family garden throughout my childhood and even had a separate piece of land for our not-so-humble garden going into my teenage years.

That massive garden produced an abundance of cucumbers and tomatoes, and there were always some variety of onions around to complete the trio of vegetables highlighted in this classic recipe. This was, no doubt, my mom’s favorite salad. This version, which mimics what she would create and keep in mammoth-sized Tupperware bowls in the refrigerator, features a vinegar-heavy dressing.

In fact, this recipe has an almost quick pickle vibe going with the 2-to-1 ratio of vinegar to oil for the dressing. You can eat this right away or make it a day ahead – I often pair it with some hard-boiled eggs or canned tuna for a quick, healthy lunch.

The best part of this memory-evoking dish is that you can eat it until you find the bottom of the bowl and remain free of guilt. It’s just that delicious and healthy.

Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Salad

Reed Dunn If summer were defined by a salad, this would be it. My mom always had some variation on the theme of a Cucumber, Tomato & Onion salad marinating in the… Print This

Serves: 4 to 6 Prep Time: 10 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

1 English cucumber
1 pint cherry tomatoes
½ medium red onion
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher salt
Cracked black pepper

Instructions

Cut cherry tomatoes in half and add to a bowl. Slice and chop cucumber into pieces similar in size to the halved cherry tomatoes. Add to the bowl.

Slice a red onion and cut into pieces, sprinkling into the bowl. Season veggies liberally with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

Make a dressing by adding ¼ cup red wine vinegar and a teaspoon of dried oregano to a small bowl. Whisk in about 2 tablespoon olive oil.

Pour dressing onto salad. Stir to combine and serve or refrigerate overnight in an air-tight container.

July 12, 2020 0 comment

Vegan Vegetarian

Vegetarian Stuffed Sweet Pointed Peppers

by Reed Dunn July 10, 2020

Sweet pointed peppers are generally a type of red pepper – these came in an amazing color combination that included orange and deep purple, too – featuring a thin skin and a natural sweetness that’s hard to resist. They’re delicious when sliced and eaten raw or roasted like I did for this Vegetarian Stuffed Sweet Pointed Peppers.

Cauliflower rice, black beans and a mix of Italian-inspired seasonings and ingredients make for a hearty filling that lends this dish to being a main course or a summer side dish to serve along whatever you have on the menu. Skip the cheese, which is scant and just used to bind the filling, and these can be made vegan, too.

Vegetarian Stuffed Sweet Pointed Peppers

Reed Dunn Sweet pointed peppers are generally a type of red pepper – these came in an amazing color combination that included orange and deep purple, too – featuring a thin skin… Print This

Serves: 2 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

5 sweet pointed peppers, or equivalent
1 medium onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ¼ cups (10-ounce bag) cauliflower rice
1 15.5-ounce can black beans
1 large tomato, diced
3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Olive oil
Fresh parsley to garnish, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

While oven is preheating, slice the peppers horizontally – leaving about 1 to 2 inches of space near the stem and the pointed end of the pepper. Carefully dig out seeds and ribs of the peppers.

Drizzle the inside of each pepper with a bit of olive oil. Bake peppers in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

To make the filling, heat about 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add in minced garlic and cook for another minute.

Add cauliflower rice to the skillet. If cauliflower rice is frozen, defrost it for about 1 minute in the microwave. Stir in rice and add dried oregano, dried parsley, dried basil, salt and pepper to the skillet.

Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, until cauliflower rice just begins to crisp. Stir in diced tomato and chopped spinach, reducing heat to medium. Cook filling for 7 to 10 minutes, until flavors are combined.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper, as needed. Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese.

Spoon filling into the peppers and return baking sheet to the oven for 20 minutes. Remove, garnish with fresh parsley, as desired, and serve.

Notes

Serves up to 5 people as a side dish.

July 10, 2020 0 comment

Vegetarian

Rainbow Fruit Salad

by Reed Dunn June 27, 2020June 27, 2020

Pride weekend usually finds me scurrying around the house, preparing for a small crowd of friends to gather for brunch or at least to raise a glass before the Seattle festivities really begin.

This weekend, things are looking quite different. Seattle Pride has gone virtual, but my spirit – and this Rainbow Fruit Salad – are as bright as ever. Whether I line up the fruit in a festive, striped platter or mixed it all together and dressed it with Honey Lime Dressing, this is one tradition I’m keeping for 2020.

This fruit salad is a well-known recipe that’s perfect for Pride, a summer barbecue or to mix together as part of your meal prep for the week. It scoops up in individual jars or plastic containers for a quick snack to grab from the refrigerator.

I find a lot of joy in the “hunt” for fruits to make up the rainbow of healthy colors. Here are some fruits, by color, that I’ve used in the past for a rainbow fruit platter and this salad.

Red: Fresh strawberries, raspberries, cherries or watermelon
Orange: Fresh oranges or canned mandarin oranges
Yellow: Fresh pineapple, canned pineapple or mango (sometimes works for orange)
Green: Kiwi, green grapes or honeydew melon
Blue: Blueberries
Purple: Purple “jelly” grapes or blackberries (sometimes work for blue)

Rainbow Fruit Salad

Reed Dunn Pride weekend usually finds me scurrying around the house, preparing for a small crowd of friends to gather for brunch or at least to raise a glass before the Seattle… Print This

Serves: 8 to 10 Prep Time: 30 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

8 to 10 cups of fruit in various colors*
2 limes
¼ cup honey
3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

Instructions

Wash and cut your fruit into similar sized pieces. I generally leave the blueberries whole and cut other fruits to about that size. Add all of the prepared fruits to a large bowl.

*For this salad, I used strawberries, canned mandarin oranges, fresh pineapple, green grapes, blueberries and jelly grapes, which are a deep purple color. I also diced up a kiwi, which was a more yellow variety.

To make the dressing, zest and squeeze juice of two limes into a small bowl. Whisk in ¼ cup honey.

Chop about 3 tablespoons of fresh mint and add to the bowl. Pour on the dressing and stir to coat everything until the fruit is equally covered and glossy.

Serve.

June 27, 2020June 27, 2020 0 comment

Vegan Vegetarian

Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad

by Reed Dunn June 20, 2020June 20, 2020

Growing up in the Midwest, we often had summer gatherings with a picnic table overflowing with salad bowls featuring variations of “salads” that now seem like unusual combinations. Back then, they were standard at barbecues and community events. Salads in the Midwest – at least when I was growing up in the 1980s and early 1990s – often were based in whipped topping, flavored gelatin packets or some random combination of convenience foods with a fresh fruit or vegetable folded into the mix.

This Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad is my take on a cole slaw-like salad I recall being among those bowls of side dish options. The main source of crunch comes from two of those inexpensive noodle packets often associated with college student survival food.

Unlike some of the other salads I recall in those Tupperware containers, this one is based in a lot of shredded veggies. The colorful combination just looks healthy, and it works well to achieve my goal to eat a rainbow of foods.

Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad

Reed Dunn Growing up in the Midwest, we often had summer gatherings with a picnic table overflowing with salad bowls featuring variations of “salads” that now seem like unusual combinations. Back then,… Print This

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 20 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

4 cups shredded green cabbage
2 cups shredded red cabbage
3 cups shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 bunch green onions, diced (green parts only)
1 cup dry roasted almonds, rough chopped
2 packets ramen noodles
¼ cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
½ cup light olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Add the first ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine. Open the ramen noodle packets and break up noodles into the bowl. Save flavor packets for another use, or discard.

For the dressing: Juice two limes into a small bowl. Add in ¼ cup soy sauce. Whisk in light olive oil.

Stir in toasted sesame oil, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed.

Pour dressing over salad ingredients, stir well to combine and ensure everything is coated.

Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours or overnight. Leftovers store well in an air-tight container for 3 to 5 days.

June 20, 2020June 20, 2020 0 comment

Vegetarian

Baked Potatoes with Broccoli Cheddar Sauce

by Reed Dunn June 17, 2020June 19, 2020

Baked potatoes are such a simple way to add a healthy starch to your meal, and they require just three key ingredients – potatoes, of course, olive oil and kosher salt.

While the baked potato itself makes for a great side dish for a nice piece of roasted salmon, I like to serve it as the main course with a hearty topping. In this case, a Broccoli Cheddar Sauce, cooked to a thicker-than-soup consistency, spoons right onto the potato to make a gooey weeknight dinner that’s fun for all ages.

This recipe has enough sauce to serve 4, but I generally make only 2 or 3 potatoes and go heavy on the cheese sauce. It’s a bit indulgent, but it’s also not an everyday meal around my house.

To make the perfect baked potatoes, follow this method:

4 russet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Wash potatoes and let sit to dry for a few minutes. Poke the potatoes with a fork about 6 or 7 times on each side.

Drizzle olive oil on potatoes, and sprinkle with salt. Rub the salt and oil to completely and evenly coat the potato skin.

Broccoli Cheddar Sauce

Reed Dunn Baked potatoes are such a simple way to add a healthy starch to your meal, and they require just three key ingredients – potatoes, of course, olive oil and kosher… Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 3 voted )

Ingredients

2 cups rough-chopped broccoli (frozen will work)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ medium onion, diced
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Bring about 2 quarts of water to a boil in a saucepan on the stove. Once boiling, drop in broccoli and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Return the saucepan to the stove and melt butter over medium heat. Add in diced onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until translucent.

Add in flour and stir constantly until well combined. Continue stirring to cook flour for 5 more minutes, careful not to burn.

Whisk in 1 cup of milk, working to smooth out the mixture. Add the other 2 cups of milk and continue stirring to combine.

Bring the heat up until the mixture just starts to thicken. Reduce heat to low and stir in 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.

Return cooked broccoli to the pan. Bring the heat back up and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Continue stirring until sauce reaches the desired thickness.

Slice open potatoes and use a fork to pull potato bits into the center of the skin. Spoon sauce over potatoes and serve.

June 17, 2020June 19, 2020 0 comment

Vegan Vegetarian Whole 30

Peach Salsa

by Reed Dunn June 8, 2020June 8, 2020

Seasonal fruits and vegetables are always inspiring me to mix up how I add flavor to roasted or grilled seafood. This Peach Salsa is the perfect, naturally sweet bite to spoon in heaps on top of perfectly roasted or grilled salmon.

The freshness from the fruit and acidity from a hefty dose of lime juice round out the salsa, which also pairs well with shrimp, any kind of fajita mix or just scoop it up with tortilla chips. This recipe makes a good amount, so you can count on leftovers to nibble on for a few days.

Peach Salsa

Reed Dunn Seasonal fruits and vegetables are always inspiring me to mix up how I add flavor to roasted or grilled seafood. This Peach Salsa is the perfect, naturally sweet bite to… Print This

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 20 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

3 medium peaches
2 roma tomatoes
½ green bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
½ medium onion (red or yellow)
½ bunch cilantro
2 limes
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Dice peaches and roma tomatoes and transfer to a medium bowl. Finely dice bell pepper and jalapeno – removing seeds and ribs from both – and add to the bowl.

Finely dice onion and add to bowl with sea salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Stir to combine.

Tear off leaves from ½ bunch of cilantro and chop, removing stems. Add chopped cilantro to the bowl with juice from two limes.

Stir well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed. Serve.

Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

June 8, 2020June 8, 2020 0 comment

Vegetarian

Beet & Bean Burger

by Reed Dunn May 28, 2020

Today is National Burger Day, as is celebrated in America every May 28. Each year we eat more than 50 billion burgers as a collective nation. While I haven’t contributed to eating the beef variety in almost two decades, I’m always down for a good vegetarian-friendly burger.

In honor of the day, I’ve been working on a Beet & Bean Burger recipe that’s baked in the oven. This recipe has been a work in progress, as I try to mimic one of the tastiest burgers from the burger joint just up the street in my neighborhood. The beet-infused magic adds a depth, flavor and texture that is unlike other vegetarian options I’ve tried.

These patties can also be prepared in a skillet or outdoors on the grill, though I find they’re best in the oven. As with most veggie burgers, the patties do best when they are not tossed around too much.

Beet & Bean Burger

Reed Dunn Today is National Burger Day, as is celebrated in America every May 28. Each year we eat more than 50 billion burgers as a collective nation. While I haven’t contributed… Print This

Serves: 4 to 6 burgers Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1½ cups raw beet, grated
½ cup old fashioned oats
1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 egg
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground mustard
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with foil coated in cooking spray.

Add beans to a large bowl and mash with the back of a fork, keeping a few beans whole. Add grated beet (I use a box grater).

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet and cook onion for about 3 minutes, until it just begins to soften. Add onion to the bowl with beans and grated beets.

Pulse ½ cup old fashioned oats in the bowl of a small food processor, until they reach an almost flour-like consistency. Add to the burger mixture, along with 1 egg, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and all of the spices.

Stir mixture well. Mix with my hands (disposable gloves are helpful here) to get it combined.

For 4 patties: Measure about ¾ cup of mixture to form a patty. For 6 patties: Measure about ½ cup of mixture to form each patty.

Place patties on the foil-lined pan and bake for 20 minutes on the middle rack of the oven. Flip and return to the oven for 18 to 20 more minutes, until cooked through.

Serve, as desired. Leftover patties can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

May 28, 2020 0 comment

Breakfast Brunch Vegetarian

Zucchini Quiche

by Reed Dunn May 10, 2020

This weekend I unearthed some store-bought pie crusts from the bottom of my freezer. I have no idea how long they have been there, though I’m sure their age would be counted in Thanksgivings. That’s the only time I ever buy this type of crust.

The crisper-drawer gods must have come together, because I also had two perfect zucchini and half a bag of shredded mozzarella in my refrigerator begging to be turned into a Zucchini Quiche that’s perfect for brunch or breakfast meal prep for the week ahead.

While my mom is no longer here to enjoy such delights, I’m certain this is the type of dish I could have served with a little side salad to really impress her on Mother’s Day morning. If you’ve been following me for long, you know my mom played a huge role in my life in the kitchen.

In fact, Mother’s Day can be a difficult time for me every year, as it’s an in-your-face reminder I no longer have my mom here to send a card or buy flowers or bake this lovely quiche. Her love still very much surrounds me in the kitchen, where she inspired me and facilitated my creativity to come out.

If you still have your mom here on earth, this is your reminder (whether you’re reading this on Mother’s Day or any day of the year) to at least send her a text and let her know you’re thinking of her. Include a picture of this quiche, because she’s sure to be impressed.

Zucchini Quiche

Reed Dunn This weekend I unearthed some store-bought pie crusts from the bottom of my freezer. I have no idea how long they have been there, though I’m sure their age would… Print This

Serves: 4 to 6 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

1 frozen pie crust
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Unwrap frozen pie crust and place on the counter to thaw while you prepare the filling.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion and zucchini, cooking for about 5 to 7 minutes, just to soften the vegetables and cook through. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, whisk two eggs until bubbly. Add in dried herbs, salt and pepper. Stir in veggies and shredded cheese.

Spread the filling evenly into the pie crust, place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until set. The top should be just browned.

Note: After 30 minutes, you can tent the entire quiche if center isn’t set to keep crust from burning.

May 10, 2020 1 comment

Vegan Vegetarian Whole 30

Oven Roasted Radishes

by Reed Dunn May 1, 2020

I’ve planted a good crop of spring radishes in my raised garden bed – one of my many COVID-19 pandemic projects that’s sprouting out of control – but I recently snagged a few bunches of radishes from a bounty I was able to get delivered with my groceries.

Maybe you think you don’t like radishes, because you’ve only had them as a crispy vegetable in a salad. The naturally peppery taste that turns off so many people magically goes away when you roast these root vegetables like you would beets or carrots.

The surprising change in flavor is amplified with just 25 minutes in the oven.

Oven Roasted Radishes

Reed Dunn I’ve planted a good crop of spring radishes in my raised garden bed – one of my many COVID-19 pandemic projects that’s sprouting out of control – but I recently… Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

2 bunches radishes, cleaned and halved
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon dried parsley
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Add cleaned, halved radishes to a sheet pan.

Drizzle radishes with oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Place in a preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Add dried parsley and minced garlic to the sheet pan and stir to combine with radishes. Roast for another 5 minutes, and serve sprinkled with fresh, chopped parsley.

May 1, 2020 0 comment

Vegan Vegetarian Whole 30

Carrot Top Pesto with Roasted Carrots

by Reed Dunn April 26, 2020May 22, 2020

My infatuation for pesto comes from a deep love of dipping sauces, gravies and other delicious finishing touches to otherwise one-note dishes.

This Carrot Top Pesto also fits right into my goal of reducing food waste in my own kitchen. While I might have thrown the leafy green parts of carrots into the compost or trash in years past, these days I do my best to use up as much of the veggies I have as possible.

The pesto can freeze well in individual cubes for later use, and it mixes in well with mayonnaise for an oven fry dipping sauce. Use it to top eggs – one of my most favorite applications – or, of course, serve it on some perfectly roasted whole carrots for a rustic side dish.

For the Roasted Carrots: Wash and dry the carrots while an oven is preheating to 400 degrees F. Add carrots to a small sheet pan and drizzle with about 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with a generous amount of sea salt and cracked black pepper. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the carrots. Turn the carrots halfway through the cooking process. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and toasted pine nuts.

Carrot Top Pesto

Reed Dunn My infatuation for pesto comes from a deep love of dipping sauces, gravies and other delicious finishing touches to otherwise one-note dishes. This Carrot Top Pesto also fits right into… Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

2 to 3 cups carrot tops (from 1 bunch carrots)
½ cup fresh parsley
1 garlic clove
¼ cup pine nuts
1 lemon
¼ to ½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Add pine nuts and garlic clove to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8 to 10 times to start breaking down and forming a paste.

Tear up the carrot tops, using mostly the leafy portion, into the bowl of the food processor. Add in fresh parsley. Put lid back on and run on low until the mixture is well combined.

Zest 1 lemon into the food processor, and squeeze the juice from ½ the lemon into the bowl. Reserve the other lemon half for another use. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

With food processor running on low, drizzle olive oil into the top until desired texture is reached. I don’t use exact measurements, so I eyeball it until the pesto reaches a thickness that’s not runny but also not a thick paste.

Substitutions: Use toasted walnuts, cashews or macadamia nuts if you don’t have pine nuts. If you don’t have parsley, use an additional ½ cup carrot tops or mint.

April 26, 2020May 22, 2020 0 comment