You can enjoy the party with no damage to your health or your wallet.  In honor of labor day here’s an inexpensive and delicious meat free entree. 

BBQ Style Tofu

1 lb firm tofu

1/3 cup ketchup

1/4 cup apple juice

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

pinch black pepper and/or cayenne pepper

Slice tofu into 6 even pieces and press between two clean dry towels with a weighted cutting board on top.  After 30 minutes pat dry. 

Whisk remaining ingredients together and place in a resealable bag, along with the tofu for 1 – 4 hours. 

Bake in the over at 375 for about 35 minutes or grill on skewers over a preheated and oiled grilling rack  for 2 minutes per side.

“Pollo” is Spanish for chicken, but you can make these with tofu, too.

Serve the kebabs with thin slices of whole-grain artisan bread and a ginormous salad of mixed vegetables.

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Pollo Adobo Kebabs
Adapted from Eating Well magazine
Blue * Serves 2

1-1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes (or equivalent tofu – see above for instructions)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 red onion, peeled, quartered, and separated into layers
Lemon wedges

Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill.

In a medium bowl, blend 1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice, garlic, oregano, paprika, salt, cumin, cinnamon, and pepper. If using chicken and tofu, divide the marinade between two bowls. Add chicken to one bowl and tofu to the other, and toss to coat. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and oil. Set aside.

Thread chicken (or tofu) and onion pieces alternately onto 4 large or 8 small skewers.

Using a long-handled barbecue brush, coat the grill rack lightly with oil. Grill kebabs, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes, basting with reserved lemon-oil mixture on cooked side only. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges.

Bastille Day was a week ago, but the Tour de France is still going on, so we have a French-style recipe today.

To make this salad into a main dish meal, double the salad dressing recipe, and marinate 2-3 ahi tuna steaks in half the salad dressing for about 20 minutes. Discard the dressing used as marinade. Sear the ahi tuna over high heat (or grill over a high flame) on both sides, about 2 minutes a side. Slice the tuna into thin strips. Make larger salad portions and divide the tuna among the salads. Garnish with the chopped tarragon on top of the tuna. Makes 3-4 servings.

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Chopped Salad with Tarragon
Purple * Serves 8 (side dish)

2 organic red onions, diced
4 medium organic tomatoes, diced
1 organic cucumber, halved lengthwise and diced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 small head organic red-leaf lettuce leaves, stacked and sliced into 1/4-inch strips, then halved crosswise
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tablespoons tarragon vinegar
3 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1 Tablespoon organic or fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh organic tarragon

In a large bowl, combine the onions, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and lettuce and toss with your hands until everything is evenly distributed.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, vinegar, mustard, and lemon juice. Whisk in the oil in a s stream until well blended. Season to taste with black pepper.

To serve, gather a handful of salad and gently drop it onto a salad plate, forming a pyramid. Sprinkle with the dressing and top with the fresh tarragon.

We love veggie kabobs from the grill. They take a little bit of advance prep, but make dinner time easy – perfect for entertaining.

Some veggies need a bit of precooking – just 2-3 minutes in the microwave or steamer basket will be enough.

Soak bamboo skewers in water for 15-30 minutes before putting the vegetables on, or use metal skewers.

We like to fill each skewer with the same type of veggie (all peppers, for example) so everything gets cooked properly. We just unload them all into a large pasta bowl and toss them with a little balsamic vinaigrette or dijon vinaigrette to serve.

You can also fill each skewer with a variety of vegetables, and serve them that way – some people like the dramatic presentation, and other people like the ease of the bowl (and it may depend on who’s eating!).

Veggies to try *

• Sweet bell peppers (red, orange, yellow, green), cut into chunky strips
• Red onions, cut into wedges
• Pearl onions, whole
• Asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
• Summer squash (yellow and zucchini), sliced into 1-inch rounds (skewer through the skin)
• Cherry tomatoes
• Sugar snap peas
• Button mushrooms, whole (skewer through the stem)
• Fennel, cut into thin wedges (precook)
• New red potatoes, whole or cut in half (precook)
• Fingerling potatoes, whole or cut in half (precook)
• Baby carrots (precook)
• Broccoli florets (precook)
• Cauliflower florets (precook)

If you’re looking for an old favorite with a new twist, this is it. This Mexican slaw is great with tacos or burritos, and makes a great picnic contribution, too.

Get started a little early with this one – it needs to rest at least 30 minutes before serving, for the flavors to blend.

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Mexican Slaw
Blue * Serves 14-16

1/3 cup lime juice
4 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sucanat®
4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of cayenne
pinch of paprika
1 large jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 12-ounce bag broccoli slaw
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 large cucumber, halved, seeded and diced (peeled if waxy)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, Sucanat® olive oil, cayenne, and paprika. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the jicama, broccoli slaw, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, cucumber, and cilantro. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

We’re getting ready for Memorial Day weekend (in the USA) and the summer grilling and picnic season.

This burger would NOT be good to freeze and reheat – make them the day you want them. When I made them last year, all the meat eaters gobbled them up!

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Veggie Burgers
adapted from Grilling with Chef George Hirsch
Green * Makes 4-6 burgers

1 can (16 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and mashed
2 Tablespoons uncooked oatmeal
One package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely shredded cooked carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup Nayonaise or Veganiase
2 Tablespoons chopped scallions
1 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley or cilantro
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or other hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons olive oil

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil. Shape the mixture into 4 to 6 burgers, pressing firmly. Chill for 2 hours. Before grilling, brush burgers with olive oil. Grill 4 to 5 minutes on each side, turning only once. Serve on multi-grain rolls with mustard and ketchup.

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Garlic Grilled Corn on the Cob
Blue * per serving

One ear of sweet corn for each person – corn needs to have the husk still attached.

Per ear of corn:

1 teaspoon Olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
a few squirts of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
a pinch of dried basil (or your favorite herb)
a light dash of cayenne

Carefully pull the husks down on your cobs, but don’t detach. Clean off all silk and wash corn, then soak in cold water (mainly for the husks – they need to be soaked before the corn goes on the grill).

Whisk the rest of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Pat dry only the cob parts of the corn, and then brush on the seasoning mixture. Put the husks back up around the corn, twisting the tops to keep the husk closed (or tie with string that has also been soaked in cold water). Throw these on the grill and let them grill over the moderately hot part of the grill for about 45 minutes (they will char, but don’t let them burn) or till they feel as tender as you like. You can also roast these in the oven.

This salad is more complex than the title sounds. Give it a try when you want a filling main-dish salad (serve it over salad greens, and add a big handful of leftover (cold) steamed green beans). Or take it along to a potluck or picnic.

Be sure to prepare the salad at least an hour before you want to serve it, so the flavors can blend.

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Tomato Onion Salad
Green * Serves 4

1 (15-ounce) can white beans
5 plum tomatoes, cut into bite-size chunks
1 small Maui onion (or other sweet onion such as Vidalia or Walla Walla), cut in half and sliced thin
1 (2-ounce) tin anchovies packed in olive oil (optional)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt to taste

Drain and rinse beans, and put them in a large bowl with the tomatoes and onions. Cut the anchovies in half and separate them into strips (or mash them with the oil they’re packed in, if you don’t want distinct pieces). Add them, including the oil from the tin, to the beans. Add olive oil and vinegar. Stir together. Add salt to taste (be sure to taste; the anchovies are salty). Let marinate at least an hour at room temperature, stirring occasionally to let flavors come together.

It feels like party time! This meal is excellent for a crowd (and it’s easy to make several pans at once) – a crowd of adults or teens or kids.

Make a big green salad to serve on the side. If you want to be authentic, finely shred the lettuce and top it with finely diced tomatoes. (It doesn’t even need dressing that way.)

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Enchiladas with Sauteed Peppers
Green * Serves 6

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, sliced in strips
1 red bell pepper, sliced in strips
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cans enchilada sauce (read the label to ensure it’s dairy-free)
12 corn tortillas
3 cups grated soy cheese or rice cheese or almond cheese
2 cups chopped cilantro
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup sliced black olives

Preheat oven to 375F. Heat olive oil in skillet. Add red onion and saute on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add bell peppers and reduce heat to medium-low. Gradually add chili powder to taste. Saute until peppers are tender, then set aside.

Make a prep station by putting the cheese, cilantro, green onions, and olives in small bowls.

Pour 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish, so the bottom is covered with a thin layer of sauce. Pour the rest of the sauce in a large bowl.

Take one tortilla and saturate it in the enchilada sauce, then lay it in the casserole dish. In the center of the tortilla, sprinkle about 1/12th of the sauteed onions and peppers, cheese, cilantro, green onions, and olives. Fold the tortilla and place the folded side down in the casserole dish. Repeat until the casserole dish is filled.

Pour 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce over the whole dish. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the tortillas. Dress with onions, cilantro, and olives, and cook for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is thoroughly melted and the enchilada sauce bubbles. Let cool for a few minutes and serve.

That’s “Good health to you” in Irish Gaelic.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! You don’t have to be Irish to GO GREEN today.

• Evaluate your recycling habits. Can you do more? Check with your recycling provider to find out if you’re taking advantage of all the programs (for example, hazardous materials collections, electronics collections, etc.).
• Add a green vegetable (not salad) to every lunch and dinner. Tired of broccoli and green beans? Look at all the produce you’ve been ignoring, and try something new.
• Check your lawn care products – are they horrible chemicals? There are other options – look for environmentally friendly (earth-, air-, and water-friendly, not to mention people- and pet-friendly) lawn care.
• Reduce your junk mail. Seriously. You get enough in your spam folder; you don’t need it in your actual mailbox, too.
• Drink a green smoothie at least once a week. Just add a couple of handfuls of spinach to your favorite smoothie. (If the color bothers you, put it in an opaque or colored glass or mug.)
• Reduce your energy consumption. Energy costs are skyrocketing between the civil unrest in the Middle East and the issues with nuclear power in Japan. How can you cut back? Where can you walk, or carpool, instead of drive? What can you turn off?
• Make your salads from a variety of greens – get more adventurous than romaine and spinach. Try arugula, mesclun, baby herb mix, butter lettuce, red or green leaf lettuce… there are lots of choices.
• Don’t use the dry cycle on your dishwasher. After it’s done washing, open the door and let everything air-dry. If you start it before bed, set it to “air dry” – everything is dry in the morning.
• Plan – or plant – your garden. Depending on your growing zone, it may be planting season already. Even in an apartment, you can grow herbs in pots. If you have a balcony or deck, you can grow tomatoes and strawberries. If you have a yard, you can grow just about anything.

Yes, today’s recipe for St. Patrick’s Day is a day early… so you can prepare!

We like to serve this with spicy chicken or vegan sausages (and some good Irish beer on St. Patrick’s Day).

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Arky’s Colcannon
Blue * Serves 8

3 large Idaho potatoes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green cabbage, cored and cut into 1-1/2 inch chunks
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
salt
pepper
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them in chunks, put them in a pot, and cover with cold water. Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce the heat to maintain a low boil for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion and cabbage, and cook until transparent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the apple cider vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. When the cabbage looks thoroughly wilted, add the potatoes, and mash them into the dish. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the paprika and parsley, stir well.

Mound the potato mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish. Don’t pat it down, you want a mound of potatoes. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until it gets a light brown crust.