Week 19: Arugula with Balsamic Strawberries and Goat Cheese

Vegetable ingredients: strawberries (well, sort of), salad

Busy week! So I tried a salad. The recipe is from this book (which I don't love half as much as the tomb "How to cook everything").

Ingredients:

a pint of strawberries
2 TS balsamic vinegar
black pepper
arugula (I replace it with spring salad)
crumbled goat cheese (creamy)
salt
drizzle of olive oil

Preparation:

Hull and slice strawberries, put in bowl
toss with vinegar and pepper, let sit for 5 mins
add salad and crumbled goat cheese, sprinkle of salt
drizzle with olive oil, toss, serve (I topped it with walnuts and served it with pretzel bread).

Verdict: Surprisingly good! 8/10

Week 17: German potato salad

Vegetable ingredients: Potatoes and pea shoots


More potatoes! This time, a potato salad. Not with mayonnaise-based dressing, but warm and with a vinaigrette, German style.

Ingredients:
2 lbs potatoes
1 cup broth
4 TS vinegar
1 ts mustard
pepper
1 onion
chives (replaced with pea shoots)
3-4 TS canola oil or similar

Preparation:
wash potatoes, add salt, boil for 15-20 mins (I did not peel them)
heat broth, add vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, onion
slice potatoes
pour dressing over potatoes, add oil, onion, chives

 

Since this is really only a side dish, I decided to add store-bought meatballs and "meatless meatballs" from Trader Joe's.

Verdict: 8/10 (for the salad)

Week 8: Fruited Tofu Curry Salad

Vegetable Ingredients: Grapes (does tofu count?)


It was very warm this week, which is why I decided to make a cold dish: Fruited Tofu Curry Salad (no coconut milk, no mayonnaise).

• Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white rice
(I made more to set aside for the next day)

• 2 cups extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
(I used a 1 pound package from Trader Joe's)

• 1 cup yogurt

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• 1 tablespoon curry powder

• 1 cup halved grapes
(I used a bit more because I ditched the dried cranberries. Hate the texture)

• 1 tablespoon dried cranberries
(ditched)

• 1/2 cup diced celery
(ditched. I detest celery.)

• 3 tablespoons diced green onions

• 1/4 cup walnuts

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes; set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook cubed tofu for 3 minutes; drain, and set aside to cool.
3. In a bowl, blend yogurt with lime juice and curry powder; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, toss together halved grapes, cranberries, celery, green onions, walnuts, rice, and tofu. Drizzle with curry dressing, and toss until well coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper, as desired.

Verdict: 7/10


It looked rather unspectacular (a little beige-y), but really grew on us, especially the fruity flavor and the crunch of the walnuts, and the leftovers were eaten the next day. The flavor of the green onions and the lime juice seemed rather pronounced (perhaps use less lime juice and sautee onions next time). The little person tried a tiny piece of tofu and frowned. Overall, an okay dish, good for summer. This would make a good potluck or party dish. (Potluck invitations always make me nervous because I have no repertoire to draw on. Well, perhaps I now have.)