Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade

This is the perfect pitcher of lemonade to set out on a hot day!

Squeeze 3/4 cups of fresh lemon juice (about 5 lemons) into a bowl or pitcher. You'll get the most juice from your lemons if you let them sit at room temperature first.

Stir in 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegan sugar (such as Wholesome Sweeteners), and stir until the sugar dissolves.

Add 3 cups chilled water (I used filtered water, for the cleanest taste), then serve the lemonade over ice!

1 cup of lemonade is 120 calories.

Cost:
lemons $4.95

'Scallops' with Roasted Pepper 'Butter' Sauce

So, I've gotten adventurous within the past month or so, and pretty much tried every vegan meat product on the market (with the exception of ground pork - still not quite brave enough for that one!). I also hadn't yet used the vegi-scallops, available from Cedar Lake (which you can buy online at veganessentials.com), so I thought it might be time to give it a whirl.

First, cut 2 red bell peppers in half lengthwise and discard the seeds and membranes. Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and flatten with your palm. Broil for 15 minutes, then transfer to zip-top plastic bags and let stand for 10 minutes.

Peel the peppers and discard the skins. Place the peppers in a blender with 1 cup vegetable broth and 1/4 cup vegan dry white wine of your choice (I used a Spanish white tonight - for vegan options, check out theorganicwinecompany.com); process until smooth.

Transfer the sauce to a skillet; bring to a boil, then continue to cook until reduced to 3/4 cups (about 5 to 7 minutes). Stir in 1 tablespoon vegan butter (such as Earth Balance), then remove from heat; cover the pan to keep the sauce warm.

Meanwhile, drain 1 (1 pound) can of vegi-scallops. Thread the 'scallops' onto 6 kebab skewers - it will work out to about 5 pieces per skewer - and sprinkle with 1/8 tsp. salt.

Heat a stovetop grill pan or outdoor grill over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Grill the skewers for 2 and 1/2 minutes on each side. Serve 2 kebabs (10 'scallops') with 3/4 cup sauce, for 3 servings of 210 calories. Add some French bread to round out the meal, and soak up the extra sauce!

What's the verdict on the vegan scallop taste? Hard to say... in full disclosure, I've never eaten a real scallop (I became vegetarian at age 12, and scallops weren't really on the menu prior to that!). There was a slight seafood taste to the product (which is mainly made of wheat gluten), and the texture was fine, but I may wait until the food technology gets a little better before cooking with 'scallops' again.

Cost:
vegan scallops $5.99
red bell peppers $4.37
dry white wine $10.99

'Turkey' Lasagna

A cautionary tale before I begin tonight's recipe: don't forget to take your time, while cooking, even on busy nights! After a day spent in jury duty, all I wanted was a hearty dinner, relatively fast. I reached into the pantry for a 26-ounce jar of Amy's tomato-basil pasta sauce (purchased earlier in the week), and it slipped from my fingers and shattered all over the kitchen floor. Let me tell you: it is not easy to clean up a pile of tomato sauce and glass! Luckily, there's an organic grocer across from my apartment, so a replacement was easy to come by, even at 9 pm. Although not certified vegan like Amy's pasta sauce, most tomato-basil varieties will be vegan by default; just read ingredient labels in the off-chance they contain cheese.

Now on to the recipe - which otherwise would have been quite simple!

Ahead of time, you need to make some vegan cottage cheese - simply combine 1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu with 1 tablespoon lemon juice; mash with a fork until the mixture resembles cottage cheese curds. Cover and chill, ideally for about 5 hours so the flavors can blend, but I find that a couple hours works just fine.

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 and 1/4 cups chopped onion, 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper, 8 ounces pre-sliced mushrooms, and 1 minced garlic clove; saute for 5 minutes.

Chop 10 ounces (about 16 slices) of vegan deli turkey slices - I like either Yves Veggie or Light Life. Add the 'turkey' to the skillet, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add 1 (26-ounce) jar of tomato-basil pasta sauce (without breaking it!) and 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning; reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook 8 lasagna noodles according to package directions (about 10 minutes in boiling water); drain and set aside.

To the 'cottage cheese' that you made earlier, add 1/4 cup shredded vegan cheese in place of Parmesan (such as the vegan mozzarella from Galaxy Foods), 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and the equivalent of 2 eggs using egg replacer (such as Ener-G). I omitted the 1/4 tsp. salt in the original recipe, but add it if you like.

To assemble the lasagna, spread 1 cup of the 'turkey' mixture on the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with 4 lasagna noodles, half of the 'cottage cheese' mixture, and 2 cups of the 'turkey' mixture. Repeat the layers - 4 more noodles, the rest of the 'cottage cheese' mixture, and the rest of the 'turkey' mixture.

Sprinkle the top with an additional cup of shredded vegan mozzarella, then bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting into 9 pieces of 290 calories each.

Cost:
onion $1.04
green bell pepper $0.59
presliced mushrooms $2.49
vegan deli turkey $5.58
tomato-basil pasta sauce $3.97
firm tofu $2.39

'Chicken' Salad with Olive Vinaigrette

Try the Tuscan chicken breasts from Gardein for this recipe - you'll need 2 packages, and you can either discard the sauce that comes packaged separately, or save it for another use.

Chop the 'chicken' to equal 2 cups; cook in a skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat for about 7-8 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the 'chicken' is lightly browned.

Meanwhile, cook 1 cup uncooked Israeli couscous according to package directions. This ingredient might also be labeled 'Middle Eastern' or 'pearl' couscous, and is much larger than smaller (French) couscous grains; look for it near rice in the grocery store.

In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup chopped and pitted kalamata olives, 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1 tablespoon chopped capers, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and 1 minced garlic clove; stir with a whisk. Note: I omitted the 1/4 tsp. salt from the dressing, since Gardein chicken already has a fairly high sodium content.

Stir in the couscous, tossing gently to coat. Just before serving, stir in the 'chicken'. 1 and 1/2 cups makes a serving of 350 calories.

Cost:
Israeli couscous $5.99

Piadini with Cherry Tomatoes and 'Smoked Mozzarella'

Vegans are in luck for 'smoked mozzarella' - a version is available from the U.K. company, Sheese. As far as the dough for the piadini, you can buy premade flatbreads at the store, but I always find baking bread at home to be enjoyable.

If you do decide to make the piadini (an Italian flatbread from the Romagna region), dissolve 1 packet yeast (about 2 and 1/4 teaspoons) in 1/2 cup warm water (check with a thermometer to make sure the temperature is between 100 and 110 degrees). Stir in 1/2 cup bread flour, then let stand for 30 minutes. This process creates a "sponge," which results in a nice, airy bread dough - if you've never watched yeast in action, take a peak at the sponge towards the end of the 30 minutes and watch the bubbles!

Stir in an additional 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water, an additional 1 and 1/2 cups bread flour, and 1/2 tsp. salt, stirring until a dough forms.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, adding up to 1/4 cup more bread flour as needed so the dough doesn't stick to your hands. For some reason, I had a remarkably sticky dough tonight, so not only did I add that extra 1/4 cup of flour right off the bat, I also used a well-floured surface and only kneaded lightly for a couple of minutes.

Transfer the dough to a bowl coated with cooking spray, turning so the top of the dough is coated as well. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes, ideally some place about 85 degrees and free from drafts (an unheated, closed oven works perfectly).

While the dough rises, make the filling: combine 1 and 1/2 cups halved yellow cherry tomatoes, 1 and 1/2 cups halved red cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup thinly sliced basil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and 1 minced garlic clove; toss to combine, then set aside.

Note: you could use all grape tomatoes here instead of cherry tomatoes, or a mixture of the two; the key is simply to make sure you have both yellow and red tomatoes for a nice color combination!

Once risen, punch the dough down, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Divide into 4 equal portions.

Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough into a 7-inch circle on a floured surface. Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat, then add 1 circle of dough; sprinkle with 3 tablespoons shredded vegan smoked mozzarella and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the pan, and repeat with the remaining 3 circles of dough, sprinkling each with 3 tablespoons of the 'cheese'.

Spoon about 3/4 cup of the tomato mixture onto each piece of bread; fold in half and serve. 1 piadini is 360 calories.

Cost:
yellow grape tomatoes $4.50
red grape tomatoes $2.49
basil $2.99

Open-Faced 'Bacon', Lettuce, and Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches

This is a fun variation on the BLT!

Cut 1 green tomato into 6 (1/4-inch) thick slices. Place the slices in a large bowl, and cover with hot water; let stand for 15 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towels. The original recipe didn't specify how hot the water should be, so I brought a tea kettle to a boil, let the water cool a minute or two, then poured it over the tomatoes, which seemed to work.

While the tomatoes stand, combine 1 tablespoon plain soy milk (such as Silk) and the equivalent of two eggs made with egg replacer (such as Ener-G) in a bowl. In a separate shallow dish, combine 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. black pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Dip the tomato slices one at a time first in the soy milk mixture, then in the cornmeal mixture. Return to the soy milk mixture, then return to the cornmeal mixture.

Place all 6 tomato slices in the skillet and cook for 4 minutes on each side.

While the tomatoes cook, slice 5 vegan bacon slices (such as Light Life) in half, and heat in a skillet according to package directions (about 3 to 4 minutes on each side), until crisp.

Finally, combine 2 and 1/2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise (I like the light canola mayo from Spectrum Foods) with 1/2 tsp. lemon juice, and 1/8 tsp. hot sauce (such as Hot Stuff from the Wizard). Divide the spread evenly among 3 (1 and 1/2-ounce) slices of toasted white bread - it works out to a little less than a tablespoon per bread slice. Any white bread will work, but just check ingredient lists for sneaky things like nonfat milk or honey! I actually forgot to toast the bread, but the sandwiches still tasted absolutely great.

On top of each bread slice, place one green lettuce leaf (such as Bibb or Boston lettuce) 3 bacon pieces, and 2 fried green tomatoes. Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon chopped chives. You'll note that you have 1 bacon piece leftover, which I highly recommend nibbling on as you assemble the sandwiches!

Each sandwich is 390 calories.

Cost:
Bibb lettuce $2.49
vegan bacon $3.39

Tomato Garlic Soup with 'Parmesan' Croutons

In the winter, canned peeled tomatoes are a great timesaver - but in the summer, when tomatoes taste their best, it's infinitely worth it to take the time and peel fresh tomatoes at home!

To peel the tomatoes, slit a shallow X in the bottom of each of 4 large tomatoes (in fact, you want them to be quite large, coming to a total of about 2 and 1/2 pounds). Bring 2 quarts (8 cups) of water to a boil; add the tomatoes and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then remove with a slotted spoon and immediately transfer to 2 quarts ice water.

Drain the tomatoes, and slip off the skins. Remove the cores, and cut the tomatoes in half crosswise; push out the seeds either with your fingers or the tip of a knife (I find fingers to be easier); discard the seeds and chop the remaining tomato pulp. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook 1 and 1/4 cups uncooked seashell pasta (such as Whole Foods' 365 brand) according to package directions. To save on water, reuse the water that you just boiled the tomatoes in! Drain, toss the pasta with 1 teaspoon olive oil, then let cool completely.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add 3/4 cup finely chopped red onion and cook for 7 minutes. Add 8 thinly sliced garlic cloves and continue to cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chopped tomatoes, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1 tablespoon chopped chives, 1 teaspoon minced oregano, 1 teaspoon minced thyme, and 28 ounces of vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Make sure you use your largest pot for this recipe, as it makes quite a lot of soup! I originally had my mixture in a medium-sized saucepan, and realized midway that I needed to do a transfer.

After 20 minutes, add the cooked pasta, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper; cook for 1 final minute.

Meanwhile, slice 8 (1/2-inch thick) slices of French bread baguette; arrange on a baking sheet. Top each slice with 1 tablespoon shredded vegan cheese in place of Parmesan (I used the vegan mozzarella from Galaxy Foods). Broil for 1 and 1/2 minutes.

Ladle 1 and 1/2 cups of soup into each of 4 bowls, and serve each bowl with 2 of the croutons; each serving is 340 calories. Add a crisp green salad on the side to round out the meal!

Cost:
tomatoes $7.48
seashell pasta $1.79
flat-leaf parsley $1.69
chives $2.49
fresh thyme $2.49
French bread baguette $1.29
vegan cheese $3.39