Tag Archives: vegetables

Grilled Vegetable and Tofu Dagwood

These can be made fresh for dinner as a variation on the Grilled Vegetables and Tofu meal, or you can make the sandwich the next day using leftover grilled vegetables and tofu. Be prepared for a huge sandwich that will barely fit in your mouth! Makes 1 sandwich.

1 hearty sandwich sized ciabatta roll sliced in half (or any other thick, hearty bread)
1 slice grilled tofu (about the size of the roll or 2 small slices)
1 slice grilled eggplant
2 slices grilled zucchini
1 slice grilled bell pepper
3 – 4 sun-dried tomato slices (reconstituted)
4 – 5 whole basil leaves
olive oil for brushing the bread
salt and pepper to taste

Brush the cut side of the bread with olive oil and briefly grill or place it under the broiler for a couple of minutes to lightly toast the bread.

If you aren’t making this with freshly grilled vegetables, heat the grilled tofu, eggplant, bell pepper and sun-dried tomato in the microwave or oven until warm.

Pile all of the ingredients in layers in between the roll for a huge Dagwood sandwich.

Buy the What Dawn Eats: Vegan food that isn’t weird cookbook for more recipes like this one.

Variations

  • For a regular sandwich that can be consumed by mere mortals without unhinging your jaw to bite into it, limit the sandwich to tofu, 1 grilled vegetable, sun-dried tomato and basil.
  • Experiment with any variety of grilled vegetables or tempeh instead of tofu.
  • If your grilled vegetables seem a little dry, you might want to brush the bread with a little extra olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
  • Make a low-sodium or gluten-free version by choosing an appropriate type of bread.

More information for Grilled Vegetable and Tofu Dagwood recipe (reduce total time to 5 minutes if using leftover grilled vegetables):

  • Prep time: 30 min
  • Cook time: 15 min
  • Total time: 45 min

Roasted Root Vegetables

This is a great fall and winter meal when you can find a wide variety of fresh and interesting root vegetables at the local market. This recipe is really flexible and forgiving on both ingredients and cooking times, which makes it a great side dish since you don’t have to worry about having it done at exactly the same time as everything else. Makes 4 servings.

2 lbs root vegetables, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch pieces (potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, celeriac, beets*, etc.)
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon rosemary
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (more or less to taste)
salt & pepper to taste
1 head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the olive oil, balsamic, rosemary, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.

Toss the vegetables and onion (but not the garlic) with the oil and spices in the large mixing bowl. Remove from the bowl and place the root vegetables and onion in a roasting pan or cookie sheet, but do not crowd or stack the vegetables. Try to get everything in a single layer if possible, which might require an extra sheet or pan.

Roast the mixture for a total of 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, scatter the garlic cloves in with the vegetables. Continue stirring every 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender and evenly browned.

Pictured with carrots, red potato, garnet yam, parsnip, rutabaga, golden beet and turnip.

Buy the What Dawn Eats: Vegan food that isn’t weird cookbook for more recipes like this one.

Variations

  • Dinner: To make this into a main meal, serve over a bed of grains or with a side of cooked tofu or tempeh.
  • Try different combinations of vegetables and spices.
  • Add some crushed red pepper to make it a little spicy.
  • Can be easily made gluten-free and low-sodium.

* Note: if you are using red beets, you might want to put them on a separate tray for cooking unless you like having all of the vegetables turn pink.

More information for Roasted Root Vegetables recipe:

  • Prep time: 15 min
  • Cook time: 45 min
  • Total time: 60 min

Grilled Vegetables and Tofu

Grilling is a great way to spend a warm summer evening, since you move the cooking outside and get to enjoy some great summer weather. If you have a big enough grill, make a few extra veggies and keep them around for lunches or to add to other meals. Makes 4 servings.

1 14-ounce package of firm or extra firm tofu
2 batches of Italian Marinade
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sliced medium eggplant
1 sliced red bell pepper
2 small sliced zucchini
1 onion cut into wedges
8 white button or crimini mushrooms

To make the tofu, follow the instructions for the Soy Marinated Tofu to press the tofu. Instead of the Soy Marinade, you will be marinating it in one of the 2 batches of Italian Marinade. Also eliminate the baking step, since you will be grilling the tofu in a later step instead of baking it.

Turn the grill on over medium high heat.

Put the mushrooms and onion onto skewers to keep pieces of them from falling through the grate. Place all of the vegetables on a tray and brush with olive oil and some Italian Marinade.

If your grill doesn’t have a warming grate above the main grate, you might want to place a plate in the oven and turn it on to 125 degrees to keep any veggies warm that cook more quickly than the others.

Place all of the veggies on the grill or cook in batches. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes turning the vegetables over after 5 to 7 minutes. Keep a close eye on the vegetables, since they can burn quickly and different grills vary widely in temperatures and cooking times.

Buy the What Dawn Eats: Vegan food that isn’t weird cookbook for more recipes like this one.

Variations

  • Experiment with all kinds of different vegetables.
  • Simple Dipping Sauce: Instead of using the marinade, brush the vegetables with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Vietnamese Peanut Sauce, Thai Peanut Sauce, Tahini Sauce or Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce.
  • Balsamic: Instead of using the marinade, brush the vegetables with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
  • Citrus: Instead of using the marinade, brush the vegetables with olive oil. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Squeeze some fresh lemon or lime juice on the veggies.
  • Replace the Italian Marinade with Asian Soy Marinade.
  • Can be easily made low-sodium and gluten-free.

More information for Grilled Vegetables and Tofu recipe:

  • Prep time: 30 min
  • Cook time: 15 min
  • Total time: 45 min

Pasta with Fresh Veggies

This is a great summer meal when the fresh veggies are plentiful and the tomatoes are ripe and delicious. The only caveat is that this really isn’t a traditional “sauce”, but more of a vegetable topping for pasta, so you might want to encourage people add a little olive oil to taste at the table. Makes 2 to 4 servings.

1/2 pound cooked pasta (any variety)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
8 sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon wine
1 small sliced zucchini
1 sliced summer squash
1 chopped roma tomato
1 cup fresh spinach
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
salt, freshly ground black pepper or other spices to taste

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms and wine. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until mushrooms start to soften.

Add zucchini and summer squash. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until vegetables have softened.

Add tomato, spinach, basil, salt and pepper. Add water, vegetable broth or a little more oil if it seems too dry. Cook for at least 3 to 4 minutes, but you can cook a little longer if needed.

Variations

  • Add sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, pine nuts and / or artichoke hearts.
  • Experiment with other vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower and bell pepper.
  • Make a smoky version with grilled zucchini and summer squash, but reduce the sautéing step to 1 minute, since they are already cooked
  • Add 1 8 ounce can tomato paste for more tomato flavor.
  • Can be easily made low-sodium.
  • Make a gluten-free version by serving over another grain.

More information for Pasta with Fresh Veggies recipe:

  • Prep time: 15 min
  • Cook time: 15 min
  • Total time: 30 min