Salads

Carrot Apple Walnut Salad

This dish was mostly cooked up by my wife, Clare, who undoubtedly was inspired by some recipe she found online. It is pictured here with lentil bolognese, the combination of which makes a very tasty meal. 		carrot apple walnut salad picture
  • 6-8 peeled carrots
  • 1-2 peeled, medium sized apples, preferably tart, such as Gala, Paula Red, Ida Red, or Granny Smith
  • 1/8 cup olive or canola oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3/4 to 1 cup chopped or halved walnuts
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1-2 Tbsp. honey, depending on the sweetness of the carrots and the apples
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Shred the carrots and apples (a food processor with a shredder attachment works well for this). Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Can be eaten right away, though letting the flavors mingle for an hour or two is nice. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Barbecued Tofu

This is another recipe which is mostly my wifes idea. She used to do something similar with chicken, and wanted to try it with tofu. Although the prep is quick on this one, it does take a while to bake. It makes very good leftovers for lunch though. 		barbecued tofu picture
  • 2 packages of firm (not silken) tofu
  • 6-8 celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 1/8 cup olive or canola oil
  • 1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce (we like Ken's hot wings marinade

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. To make good tofu, it is imperative to press it. To do so, drain the water from the tofu, place the tofu on a plate, and place another plate on top of the tofu. Put some heavy stuff (such as canned beans) on top of the second plate. Let the tofu stand for about half an hour, then drain the remaining water. You may have to do this more than once. After the tofu has been pressed, cut the tofu into cubes, place the cubed tofu into a baking dish, and cover with the oil and barbecue sauce. Bake, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed, and the tofu is beginning to brown slightly, usually about 45 minutes. Let the tofu cool, then add the celery. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Makes 4-5 1 cup servings.

German Potato Salad

When many Americans (especially Midwesterners) hear "German Potato Salad", they frequently think of a warm, vinegary potato salad, sometimes including bacon. In fact, this sort of potato salad can even be found in cans in the supermarket. In my numerous trips to Germany, I can't recall ever eating potato salad of this sort. Most of the potato salad I ate there was more similar to American potato salad, containing mayonnaise, and sometimes boiled eggs. I definitely had quite a few other variants though, and my favorite one was from my friend, Markus Hofbauer. This one is a bit more similar to the Midwestern vision of potato salad, as it contains vinegar, but is usually served cold or at room temperature. I don't think that Markus put any dill in his version, but I think it makes a nice addition. And, because it's vegan, you don't have to worry about anyone getting food poisoning from eating your potato salad that has been sitting out during a hot summer picnic. 		potato salad picture
  • 6-8 washed (not peeled) redskin potatoes, cubed
  • 1 large red onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup olive or canola oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. dried dill weed
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper

Boil the potatoes in salted water until just tender (about 20 minutes). Drain the potatoes, reserving the liquid. Add the chopped onions while the potatoes are still very hot; this will make their flavor a bit milder. Then add the oil, vinegar, and spices, stirring frequently. Now gradually add some (not all) of the reserved liquid until the desired consistency is obtained. The starches from the potatoes that are left in the reserved liquid will help make a creamy sauce, without the use of any traditional creamy additives such as mayonnaise. Let cool for at least 1 hour before serving.