A Meal To Remember

With all of the parades, picnics and park trips planned for the Memorial Day weekend, most of us have long since lost sight of the traditional observance or historical context of the day of decoration.  For most of us, this first three day weekend symbolically marks the beginning of the summer.  With our college students back at home and our primary school students cramming for finals, how we celebrate family is how we honor the men and women who died in our nation’s service.

As far back as I can remember, holidays and holy days in my family were centered around food … and lots of it!  What a blessing it was this year to have the opportunity to prepare a feast for kith and kin!!

My brood and I spent time pulling weeds around our chimenea so that we could light a fire without setting the neighborhood ablaze.  We swept and decluttered the patio and made sure the swimspa was at perfect pH.  A bit of duct tape on our old tarp canopy to provide some much needed shade and we were as close to Norman Rockwell as we would ever be.

If it takes a village to raise a child it certainly takes several children to cook for company.  I am deeply grateful to my three amazing sous chefs who enabled me to manifest the banquet I envisage in my brain.

As every good geek would establish, I created an itemized menu with subsections for what we needed to buy, which ingredients were assigned to what dishes and what components could be made ahead of time.  Armed with an action plan and fortunate that the universe provided me with a few moments of mind/body alignment, we created a memorable buffet.

Teriyaki Tofu Kabobs

• 2 tubs extra firm tofu
• 1 can pinapple chunks
• 1 red pepper, cut into wedges
• 1 package brown mushrooms rinsed and patted dry
• 1 large sweet onion, cut into wedges
• ½ cup tamari sauce
• 1 TBL pure maple syrup

Cut the tofu into large cubes appropriate for kabobs.  Prepare the marinade for the tofu by combining the juice from the canned pinapple (reserve pinapple chuncks for kabobs) tamari sauce and maple syrup.  Pour over the tofu cubes and let marinate over night.  To assemble, alternate tofu with pinapple, mushrooms, onion and red pepper wedges.  These can either be grilled over medium heat for 20 minutes (basting occasionally with leftover marinade), or placed in a baking dish along with the marinade and baked in a 400 ° oven for 1 hour.

Vegtable Couscous

• 1 package whole grain couscous prepared as directed
• 1 package frozen broccoli
• 1 package frozen green peas
• 1 can sliced black olives (or whole olives that your darling college girl offers to meticulously slice)
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 red pepper diced
• 1/3 cup Italian Salad Dressing

Place the frozen veggies in a large bowl.  Add the grated carrot, sliced black olives and diced red pepper.  While the couscous is still hot from the pan, stir the pasta bits into the vegetables and mix well.  Pour the Italian dressing over the couscous salad and let marinate in the refrigerator over night so the flavors can blend to perfection.

Potato Salad

• 2-4 pounds of small red and white potatoes
• 4 scallions chopped
• 1 TBL Dried or Fresh Dill
• ½ cup Mayonaise (or to taste, depending on how many spuds you are cooking!)

Slice the potatoes in half or quarters depending on the size.  Boil until just tender, but do not overcook!  Toss the drained potatoes with the chopped scallions, dill and mayo, then place in the refrigerator overnight.

Three Bean Chili

• 2 cans Red Kidney Beans
• 2 cans Pinto Beans
• 2 cans White Kidney Beans
• 1 large can Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1-2 tsp Salt (or to taste)
• ½ cup dried chopped onion bits
• 8 vegetarian burgers grilled and chopped

In your slow cooker or dutch oven, place the drained cans of beans and the crushed tomato with seasonings.  Simmer on low for 2-3 hours.  Add the grilled and chopped veggie burgers to your chili one hour before you are ready to serve.

Whole Grain Spelt Rolls

• 3 ½ Cups Whole Grain Spelt Flour
• 2 ½ tsp Rapid Rise Yeast
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• ¼ Cup Olive Oil
• 1 Cup Warm Soy Milk

Place your dry ingredients in the bowl of your heavy duty food processor* and pulse to combine.  Add all of the olive oil and milk at once and process until the mixture forms a dough ball.  Pinch off dough and roll into ropes.  Twist or tie into a knot and place each on greased oven stone.  in a warm place (I use my oven, with the oven light turned on) so that it can rise and double in size.

When the rolls have risen bake in a pre-heated 375° oven for 25-30 minutes.  Let cool before slicing.  (Serve warm bread with nut butters and veggie sausage for a special homemade treat.)

*Mixing Bowl Method

Don’t have a heavy duty food processor?  You can make this basic bread using a large mixing bowl and a little muscle.  Place the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and make a well in the middle of the flour.  Pour your soy milk and olive oil into the center of your flour well and stir with a wooden spoon until all of the liquid is incorporated.  Knead the dough directly in the bowl for about five minutes, or until most of the “sticky” texture has been replaced by a smooth rubbery quality.  Proceed as directed above.

Carrot Cupcakes with Creamcheese Frosting

• 6 apples cored but not peeled
• 6 carrots
• 8 pitted dates
• 2 cups whole grain flour
• 1 TBL baking powder
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 3 packages cream cheese
• 3 TBL maple syrup
• Zest from 1 lemon

Place your apples, carrots and dates in your food processor (in batches as to not over fill your bowl) and blend until well chopped.  In a large bowl combine your whole grain flour and baking powder and add the wet fruits to the dry mixture.  Place in 2 eggs and olive oil and stir until your batter is combined.  Oil mini-muffin tins and fill with carrot cake batter.  Bake in pre-heated 350° oven for 30 minutes.

To prepare frosting, beat cream cheese with maple syrup and the zest from one lemon.  Frost or pipe icing onto cupcakes when they are completely cooled.

Makes 24 mini-cupcakes

And as if that wasn’t enough food to appease the masses, we topped off the evening with a marshmallow roasting fire and some scrumptious baked bananas.  (Take one banana, split down the middle inside the peel and stuff with chocolate chips.  Wrap in tin foil and toss into the fire pit for 10-15 minutes.)

Looking for more Vegetarian Recipes? Check out The 30-Day Vegetarian.