What's for Dinner: Gluten-Free Tri-Color Summer Pasta Salad with Green Beans, Chickpeas, and Grape Tomatoes

I'm all moved back to my mom's house for the summer before making the move to North Carolina. My mom has a little cottage in the country outside of Walla Walla, Wash. What that means for me is great local produce and great wine. Mmmmmmm.

I hit up the farmer's market this last weekend and found myself some gorgeous green beans. I wanted to incorporate them into a salad that tasted distinctly summer.

Gluten-Free Tri-Color Summer Pasta Salad

Soy-free, gluten-free, vegan

Ingredients

1 lb. gluten-free pasta, cooked according to package instructions and cooled
2 C grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 C cooked garbanzo beans
1 C fresh green beans, cleaned and lightly blanched
3/4 C vegan mayonnaise
1 Tbs creamy dijon mustard (not whole grain)
4 tsp. garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste 

Step-by-Step

Combine gluten-free pasta, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and lightly blanched green beans in a large bowl by tossing them with salad tossers. Be very gentle, as gluten-free pasta can often be less hearty than regular pasta.

Add mayonnaise, dijon mustard, garlic, and salt and pepper to the mixture. Again toss with salad tossers until fully combined.

What's for Dinner: Slow-Cooked Artichokes with Bruschetta-Topped Rocket Salad

I've been quite busy packing myself for a grand move from Washington to North Carolina. Thus, I've had very little time to cook. At the same time, I have a fridge full of food and six days to eat it.

I found a bunch of globe artichokes and some leftover bruschetta topping in my fridge today, so this is what transpired.

Slow-Cooked Artichokes

Soy-free, gluten-free, vegan

Ingredients

4 small globe artichokes
3 Tbs. minced garlic
2 Tbs. red cooking wine
2 sprigs rosemary
2 C water

Step-by-Step

Prep artichokes by cutting the stems and trimming the pokey ends off of the leaves.

Combine garlic, wine, rosemary, and water in your slow cooker. Place artichokes stems down in the liquid.

Cover and allow to cook for 4 hours on low.

Bruschetta Topping

Soy-free, gluten-free, vegan

Ingredients

1 C julienned sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 sprigs rosemary, minced
2 Tbs. minced garlic
1 C chopped fresh basil
2 C heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut in sixths

Step-by-Step

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Allow to sit in fridge for two hours to combine flavors.



I created the salad by topping rocket (arugula) with a couple spoonfuls of bruschetta topping and some garbanzo beans. The vinegar and oil on the bruschetta topping makes a perfect dressing for the salad.

What's for Dinner: Polenta with Vegan Creamy Pesto

I love polenta, and I love eating it all different ways. This particular recipe is the perfect combination of comfort and refreshing flavor.

Polenta with Vegan Creamy Pesto

Soy-free, gluten-free

Ingredients

2 tsp. + 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
4 pre-made polenta cakes (either make ahead or buy)
1 C raw cashews
1 C water
2 C basil leaves
3 Tbs. minced garlic
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
dash cayenne pepper

1/4 C kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 C black olives, sliced
1 C baby spinach
1 15-oz. can chickpeas

Step-by-Step

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once olive oil is heated, place polenta cakes in the skillet to begin frying. Allow to fry for 5 minutes on each side, flipping three times and allowing 5 minutes of cook time after each flip.

In a food processor, process cashews and water until graininess is gone. Add basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Layer polenta cakes, pesto, spinach, olives, and chickpeas. (I sautéed my chickpeas a bit with some cumin, which added a little kick, but this is not necessary.)

Review: Boots Bakery & Lounge (Downtown Spokane)

I've been a vegetarian (now vegan) living in Spokane, Wash. for almost three years now. I've been waiting, not-so-patiently for my city to get a vegetarian restaurant. I just wanted a place where I could go and order ANYTHING.

Boots Bakery & Lounge, which is, as far as I can tell, Spokane's only vegan restaurant (save for Method Juice Cafe), has been hanging out at it's Main Street location for about 9 months. Enough time to get pregnant and have a child. And I hadn't gotten my little hiney down there until Friday. My omni friends beat me to it! They've been raving since July.

Boots ended up being everything I had hoped for. Not only could I devour almost all of their savory choices (darn that no-soy!), but also could nom nom on a selection of sweet treats.

I started my meal with a priced-just-right trio of deli case savories: spinach basil pesto penne, roasted veggies, and a chickpea salad. Yum.

My iphone picture of my salad trio. SO GOOD (not the photo; the food).

The food was quite good. My favorite was the chickpea salad. It had the perfect fresh flavor and combined chickpeas and lentils in an interesting way. The tomatoes and spices added just the right element of richness to the dish. Let's just say that if someone wanted to make me this salad for lunch every day, I wouldn't mind.

The other two savories weren't amazing, but they were still good. The roasted veggies came to me a little oily (perhaps from re-heating), and the pasta could have used just a little salt. That said, I still left mighty satisfied and I will definitely be returning.

With my belly full (but not too full) of savory goodness, I headed to the sweet selections. I chose the most delectable no-bake cookie the size of my palm. I paired the cookie with a tasty caramel latte made with almond milk.

This is what really got me. The latte was one of the best almond milk lattes I've ever had. Let me say, you can definitely tell when the barista has experience in steaming non-dairy milk.

The cookie also tantalized my taste buds. It was chocked full of dried fruit, oats, seeds, and other nummy goodies.

This review is starting to get exceptionally long, so I'll try to hit my next points quickly: Customer service was awesome even before I went down. (I spent a few minutes that afternoon on the phone with the owner, Alison, verifying that there would be soy-free choices.) I will say that the in-store experience felt a little impersonal, but they were pretty busy when I was in.

The atmosphere inspires you to kick back and enjoy an early spring afternoon with homey furniture mixed with fresh decor.

Pros:

Yummy food (especially sweet options)

Fantastic vegan barista skills

Priced just right

Awesome atmosphere

Top-notch pre-visit customer service

Great options for allergy-ridden (soy-free, gluten-free, etc.)

VEGAN!

Cons:

Savory food could use some sprucing

Slightly impersonal in-store experience

What's for Dinner: Sushi & Soy-Free Miso Soup | V, SF, GF

So fresh. So tasty. This meal took a little bit to prepare, but I would say that I needed the break from studying. I also needed the energy that the raw vegetables afforded me.

Both of these super tasty recipes are vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free. Woopee!

Vegetable Sushi

Ingredients

1 C dry sushi rice, rinsed and drained

4 tsp. rice vinegar

2 tsp. sugar

2 carrots, peeled and julienned

1/2 cucumber, peeled and julienned

4 small red radishes, julienned

1/2 avocado, sliced

4 pieces nori (roasted seaweed)

Step-by-Step

1. Cook rice using thumb method (when you rest the tip of your thumb on leveled rice in the pot, the water should come to your first knuckle; it'll be about 1 C). Allow it to boil covered until rice has absorbed the water.
2. Let the rice sit for about an hour to cool, then mix in vinegar and sugar.
3. Assemble, roll and cut your sushi according to these directions.

Soy-Free Miso

Ingredients

3 Tbs. chickpea miso paste

3 C water

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

3 tsp. minced garlic

1 scallion, chopped

1/2 C chopped shiitake mushrooms

2 C chopped baby bok choy

1 C cooked cellophane noodles

1 Tbs. coconut aminos

Mung bean sprouts and sriracha for garnish

Step-by-Step

1. Stir together chickpea miso and a bit of water in a pot, ensuring that no clumps exist. Slowly stir in the remaining water and olive oil.
2. Add garlic and scallion to the mixture. Place over medium heat. Add shiitake mushrooms and baby bok choy. Allow to cook until mushrooms are soft.
3. Add cellophane noodles and coconut aminos.
4. Serve topped with bean sprouts and a little sriracha.

What's for Snacking: Peanut Butter Flax Energy Bites | V, SF, GF

It's midterms/finals week in the Trego household (midterms for my semester school, and finals for the hubs' quarter school). We're going to need all of the tasty and healthy snacks we can get. During a study break today, I threw together these no-bake protein-rich bites. Yum.

Yes, they look like the birdseed treats you make in elementary school. Honestly, I had always kind of thought those birdseed treats looked tasty. I wondered why the teachers never let us chow down. And if this is how those birdseed treats taste, I wish I would have tried them in kindergarten.

These are also great for a fast on-the-go breakfast.

Peanut Butter & Flax Energy Bites | V, SF, GF

Inspired by recipe from Gimme Some Oven.

Ingredients

1 1/4 C oatmeal

3/4 C peanut butter

3/4 C flax seed meal

1/4 C peanuts

1/4 C carob chips

1/5 C agave syrup

1/8 C almond milk

Step-by-Step

1. Mix together all ingredients. If the mixture seems dry, add more peanut butter or almond milk. if it seems a bit wet, add more oatmeal or flax.
2. Chill in refrigerator for about 45 minutes.
3. Roll into bite-size balls and keep refrigerated.

What's for Dinner: Peanut Soup & Vietnamese Summer Rolls | V, GF

Vietnamese food is one of my favorite ethnic genres. I love how fresh and tangy it is, with just enough spice. I had a strong inkling for summer rolls this afternoon, so I decided to make 'em fresh.

To go with the summer rolls, my hubs made my Spicy Thai Peanut Soup from my cookbook. He did a dandy job, let me tell you.

I occupied the other side of the kitchen, julienning carrots and cucumbers, and slicing radishes.

And before you say it: Yes, I did slip up on my soy-free diet today. I wanted to use the last block of tofu and the last little bit of soy sauce in my fridge. Plus, how can you eat Vietnamese without tofu?!

These babies are gluten free and vegan, though. I'm working on it.

Vegan Summer Rolls | V, GF

Ingredients

1 block tofu, sliced into thin strips

2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned

1/2 cucumber, peeled and julienned

6 small radishes, thinly sliced

4 oz. cellophane noodles, prepared according to package instructions

Basil leaves

Cilantro

14 spring roll wrappers, softened according to package instructions

Step-by-Step

1. Place a few slices of tofu, some carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, radish slices, and cellophane noodles in a stack on a spring roll wrapper, just to the side of middle.
2. Place a couple of basil leaves and some cilantro sprigs on top of the stack.
3. Roll the summer rolls by folding each side, the folding the back and tightly rolling to the end of the wrapper. This tutorial has a great photographic step-by-step.

Peanut Sauce | V, GF

Ingredients

2 1/2 Tbs. peanut butter

2 Tbs. rice vinegar

2 1/2 Tbs. soy sauce

1 Tbs. lime juice

Sriracha to taste

Step-by-Step

1. Whisk together peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, and lime juice. Add sriracha to taste.

What's for Dinner: Cashew Fried Rice | V, SF, GF

This is one of those meals that I've had the supplies for forever, but kept putting off because of the work involved. Let me tell you, that was dumb. The meal wasn't nearly as difficult as I'd imagined, and it tasted delicious. Delicious, I tell you.

The "oh so hard" work involved? Make a pot of rice the night before. That's it. That's the reason for my procrastination.

So here is my super tasty vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free (that's right: SOY-FREE) vegetable fried rice.

Cashew Fried Rice | V, SF, GF

Ingredients

1/2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1/4 C sesame seeds

1 Tbs sriracha sauce (or more for a spicier dish)

1 1/2 C raw cashews

2 C frozen chopped broccoli, slightly thawed

4 tsp. minced garlic

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

1 portobello mushroom, chopped

1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp vegetable bouillon (like Better than Bouillon, No Chicken)

3 Tbs Coconut Aminos (otherwise known as soy-free soy sauce; you can also use soy sauce)

3 C cold, cooked rice

salt to taste

Step-by-Step

1. Heat 1/2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil in a wok on high. Stir in sesame seed and 1/2 Tbs. sriracha. Once heated, stir in the raw cashews. Cook for about 3 minutes, until nuts are golden. Set aside.
2. Using the same wok, cook the broccoli on high until the ice has melted and then evaporated. Stir in garlic.
3. Add carrots, mushrooms, and curry powder. Cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in coconut aminos and another 1/2 Tbs. sriracha.
4. Mix in rice bit by bit until combined well, stirring constantly to prevent scalding. Cook until the desired texture is obtained. Stir in salt.

I also topped mine with some chopped green onions and extra sesame seeds for a little crunch.

Easy, right? The hardest part is literally pre-cooking the rice. And the result? A nutty flavored rice with the perfect hint of spiciness and tons of veggies.