Golden Summer Soup

This recipe comes from Daniel Orr, the former chef at the Cuisinart Resort and Spa in the Caribbean - and I didn't have to alter a thing to make it vegan! It relies completely on the beautiful summer bounty happening in your garden - or a garden near you - right now. Do all of your chopping and prep work ahead of time!

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and saute for 15 seconds. Add 8 cups chopped yellow tomato, 3 cups chopped Vidalia onion (or other sweet onion of your choice), 2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears), and 1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper.

Bring to a boil. This step sounded counter-intuitive to me, since it's really only vegetables in your pot, not liquid, but it is the liquid from the tomatoes that will begin to bubble and boil - if you need to, stir a little well down to the bottom so you can see the liquid, because you will have a large mass of vegetables sitting on top at the moment!

Once it boils, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer half of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Press the pureed mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl; reserve the liquid and discard the solids. Repeat with the other half of the tomato mixture. You'll wind up with about 5 cups of liquid.

Stir 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. grated lemon rind, 1/2 tsp. black pepper and 1/2 tsp. hot sauce into the resulting soup. Set aside.

In a small dish, mix together 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil and 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley. I was delighted because this is the first time I've used chervil in a recipe - it looks like a delicate, miniature version of parsley (and indeed, the two plants are related).

Ladle 1 and 1/4 cups of soup into each of 4 bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon of the herb mixture and 1/4 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes. Each serving is 210 calories.

p.s. you can see more about Daniel Orr at his website: www.chef-daniel-orr.com/

Cost:
yellow tomato $13.01
Vidalia onion $1.54
fresh corn $1.32
yellow bell pepper $2.07
lemon $0.99
chervil $3.29
chives $2.49
flat-leaf parsley $1.69
grape tomatoes $3.49

White Bean Dip

If you have guests coming over last-minute, whip up this simple dip - it comes together in minutes.

Rinse and drain one (15-ounce) can of cannellini beans. Combine in a food processor with 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime juice, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons chopped canned jalapeno peppers (I bought Whole Foods' 365 brand, which does not include sugar in the ingredient list), 3/4 tsp. soy sauce (preferably a low-sodium variety), 1/2 tsp. olive oil, 1/8 tsp. chili powder, and one minced garlic clove. Puree until smooth.

Spoon into a bowl and sprinkle the top with 2 tablespoons chopped and seeded plum tomato and 2 tablespoons minced green onions. This is delicious with baked tortilla chips!

A 1/4 cup of dip is 100 calories. If you like, you can puree the ingredients together and store in the fridge until ready to serve; sprinkle with the tomato and the green onions just before serving.

Cost:
cilantro $1.69
lime $0.59
canned jalapeno pepper $0.99
cannellini beans $0.89
plum tomato $0.46
green onions $0.99

Zesty Garden Sauce

Take advantage of fresh summer vegetables to make this sauce - bonus points if they're from your own garden! The sauce is delicious tossed over any pasta of your choice, or even to stuff a baked potato.

Peel enough tomatoes to yield 4 cups chopped (about 2 and 1/4 pounds), by marking an X on the bottom of each tomato with a knife, placing the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute, then plunging in ice water - the skins will slip right off! Coarsely chop to equal 4 cups, and place in a colander in the sink. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt and toss well; let drain for half an hour.

Melt a teaspoon and half of vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup chopped onion and saute 4 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp. minced garlic and saute 30 seconds.

Add the drained tomatoes, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil, 1/4 tsp. chili powder, 1/8 tsp. black pepper, and just a dash of ground red pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 cup chopped zucchini, 6 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper, and 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper; continue simmering for 5 minutes.

1 cup of sauce of 80 calories.

Cost:
tomatoes $4.72
basil $2.49
zucchini $0.45
red bell pepper $1.90

Ginger-Lemon Tonic

I could give you a vegan barbecue recipe for the 4th of July, but instead I have to put up this delicious drink recipe - perfect for sipping poolside!

Grate 4 tablespoons of fresh, peeled ginger. Set one tablespoon aside. Place the other 3 tablespoons of ginger on several layers of damp cheesecloth, and squeeze over a bowl to extract the juice. Place two tablespoons of the resulting ginger juice in a blender and discard any remaining juice and the pulp.

Add the reserved grated tablespoon of ginger to the blender, along with 1 cup chilled apple juice (or apple cider, if you prefer) and process until smooth. Add another cup of apple juice/cider, and 1/3 cup frozen lemon sorbet; process until smooth and quite frothy.

This makes enough for 2 servings of 1 and 1/2 cups and 150 calories each. You can garnish with lemon slices, for a pretty presentation.

I had a bit of trouble choosing my lemon sorbet, since although sorbets are dairy free, they do still contain sugar, and I was worried the sugar wouldn't be vegan! The sorbet I brought home was from Ciao Bella. Although I did not hear back from a customer service rep when I wrote in to inquire about the vegan-ness of their product, I did find numerous websites where my fellow vegans recommend Ciao Bella sorbets as one of their favorite frozen desserts. If it's good enough for other vegans, it's good enough for me! So along that line, check out their other flavors of sorbet as well, since they have a broad line - just don't eat their ice cream, because that contains dairy!

Another note: I was a bit short on ginger - it takes a bigger root than I thought to yield 4 grated tablespoons! - so I only had 1 tablespoon of ginger juice to add to my blender, instead of 2. However, I found that the tonic was quite ginger-y enough for my taste with just that little bit, so if you don't like an overly-ginger sensation, I recommend only using that much.

Cost:
apple juice $1.99
ginger $0.39
lemon sorbet $3.99

Chipotle Macaroni and 'Cheese'

Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce add a nice kick to this vegan mac and cheese. I learned a great trick last time I bought a can. Since a recipe very rarely (rd: never) calls for the whole can (typically sold in 7-ounce portions), it can be tough to store the remaining chiles and sauce! However, if you scoop one chipotle chile and about a teaspoon of adobo sauce into each portion of an ice cube tray, you can freeze for months, and simply thaw one batch at a time as needed! The brand that I had "on ice" is Casa Fiesta, which doesn't contain sugar, and thus runs no risk of bone char filtration. So if you currently have frozen chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, make sure to thaw one batch ahead of time for this recipe!

The other thing you'll want to do ahead of time is make the vegan version of cottage cheese, since the recipe calls for one cup of it. In a bowl, combine 8 ounces silken tofu, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt. Mash with a fork until it resembles the consistency of cottage cheese. Cover and refrigerate - ideally for 5 hours, but mine was fine after only 3 hours since I got a late start.

When it's recipe time, the first thing to do is chop your chipotle chile to equal one tablespoon and to set aside 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce.

Melt 1 tablespoon of vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chopped chipotle chile, 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper and one minced garlic clove; cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour over the mixture, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and add one (14-ounce) can of diced tomatoes and green chiles (such as Whole Foods' 365 brand) and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the teaspoon of adobo sauce, 4 cups of hot cooked elbow macaroni (you'll want about 2 cups dry to make those 4 cups cooked), 2 cups shredded vegan cheddar (such as Galaxy Foods), the 'cottage cheese' that you have previously made, 1 cup plain soy milk (such as Silk), 1/4 cup grated vegan cheese in place of Parmesan (try the vegan mozzarella from Galaxy Foods), and the equivalent of one egg using egg replacer (such as Ener-G). Stir to combine.

Spoon the pasta mixture into a 2 quart (11x7-inch) baking dish. Sprinkle the top with 3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs. Why wouldn't breadcrumbs be vegan, but the panko breadcrumbs from Edward & Sons are certifiably so.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes - it will be nice and bubbly!

You'll have 6, one-cup servings of 330 calories each.



Cost:
onion $0.62
green bell pepper $1.12
canned diced tomatoes and green chiles $0.99
vegan cheddar $3.39

Blackberry-Peach Smoothie with Walnuts

My smoothie kick continues! This time, I'm taking advantage of fresh blackberry season. Let me just give you a run-down of the nutritional powerhouse that you're about to drink: antioxidants and fiber in the berries, potassium in the peaches, omega-3 fatty acids in the walnuts, vitamin C in the orange juice, and of course the health benefits of soy from the silken tofu. Drink up!

In a blender, combine 2 cups frozen sliced peaches, 1 cup blackberries, 1 cup orange juice, 3/4 cup chopped soft silken tofu (about 4 ounces), 1/4 cup agave nectar (in place of honey), and 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Process until smooth.

Pour 1 cup of smoothie into each of 3 glasses. Top each serving with 2 teaspoons chopped walnuts. Each drink is 240 calories. This is great for breakfast or as a midday snack - say, after a great workout!

Cost:
frozen sliced peaches $2.99
blackberries $2.99
soft silken tofu $2.39
agave nectar $3.00
lemon

Corn Bread with Fresh Corn

The fresh corn kernels in this skillet-cornbread make all the difference!

Cut the kernels from 2 ears of corn and place in a bowl. Using the dull side of a knife, scrape the remaining pulp from the cobs. The original recipe said that this would release some "milk" from the cob as well. I'm not quite sure what that meant, but using a dull knife against the pulp did result in a tablespoon or two of pulpy mixture from each cob. Add that to the kernels.

Melt a tablespoon of vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn mixture and saute for 2 minutes. Place half of the mixture in a food processor or blender - depending on how large your ears of corn were, this will be about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup. Add 1/2 a cup plain soy milk (such as Silk) and puree until smooth. Transfer both the pureed corn and the sauteed corn to a medium bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil into a 9-inch cast-iron skillet and place it in the oven to preheat for 10 minutes.

Measure out 1 and 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal and 1 cup all-purpose flour, by spooning into measuring cups and leveling with a knife. Combine the two flours in a large bowl with 1/4 cup raw sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1 tsp. salt. Set aside.

To the bowl with the corn mixture, add 1 and 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, 1 and 1/4 cups plain soy milk, and the equivalent of two eggs using egg replacer (such as Ener-G; whisk the 'eggs' until slightly frothy before adding to the bowl). Stir to combine.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined. Pour the batter into the preheated skillet, and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes - a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Slice into 12 wedges, each of which is 190 calories.



Cost:
corn on the cob $0.66
plain soy milk $2.49
all-purpose flour $3.99