Simple, Sweet & Tangy Broccoli Salad – #TastyThursday

This delicious broccoli salad takes under 10 minutes to make and goes great as a lunch salad or served with a grilled vegan dinner.

Sometimes deciding what to make for dinner after a long day at work can be as task in itself…not to forget the side dishes which will accompany that meal!   Perhaps you have an invitation to a dinner party or a potluck and need a quick and simple dish to whip up at the last-minute.

Nothing says “yummy” like a fresh and unique salad, especially during the summertime!   As wonderful as a salad made with fresh greens is, I sometimes like to use a fresh vegetable as a salad base.   Not only does it offer a more crisp texture, but it’s more filling as well.   My fiancé and I had an abundance of broccoli that we bought from the farmer’s market that we needed to use up.   So he came up with this simple and delicious salad which we ate as a side dish with grilled veggie burgers.

• 12 ounces fresh broccoli crowns
• 3/4 cup Vegenaise®
• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/8 cup red wine
• 2 Tablespoons organic coconut palm sugar
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• salt and pepper to taste

Break apart 8 ounces of the broccoli crowns.   Finely chop 4 ounces of the broccoli crowns using a food processor.

In a bowl, whisk together Vegenaise®, red wine vinegar, red wine, and organic coconut palm sugar.   Combine the finely chopped broccoli crowns to the dressing mixture.   Fold mixture into the remaining broccoli with the slivered almonds and dried cranberries.   Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately or chill for more flavor.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Ginger Crumble – #TastyThursday

A few weeks ago I had a hardcore craving for something sweet with rhubarb.   A recipe from Vegan Pie In The Sky fixed that for me with this very delicious, vegan pie!   Be sure to have a Tasty Thursday with this awesome recipe!

For the Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening
• 4 Tablespoons ice water
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

For the Filling:

• 2 1/2 cups rhubarb, cute into 1/2 inch chunks
• 3 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, cut into 1/2 in chunks
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Crumb Topping:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 1/3 cup Earth Balance (or other vegan butter)

The perfect pie for a sweet, summer evening.

For the crust:  Combine the sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl. Using a pastry cutter (or your clean hands) cut in the shortening to the mixture until  coarse crumbly dough as formed.

In another small bowl, combine the ice water with the vinegar. Drizzle 1/3 over the water over the flour mixture and stir. Drizzle another 1/3 over the mixture and stir again. Drizzle the rest of the water over the dough and form a soft dough ball. If the mixture hasn’t come together, add another tablespoon of ice water. If it’s too wet, add a tablespoon of flour. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Let sit in the fridge for an hour.

For the filling / crumb: Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside. For the crumb, combine the flour, sugar, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Drizzle in the butter with one hand and swish around the mixture with a spatula with your other hand. Mix until large crumbles form.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll the dough out on floured parchment paper (this will help you transfer it to your pie to the pan). You’ll want to make a 12″ circle with the dough. Quickly flip the dough into your pie pan and remove parchment paper. Add filling over dough and then spread the crumble evenly over the top.

Cover with aluminum foil and poke a few holes to let steam escape. Bake for 20 minutes and then lower heat down to 350 degrees. Remove foil and let cook for another 30 minutes or until the topping has browned.

Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.  Serve with your favorite vegan whipped topping or ice cream!