Warm Winter Salads - Recipe

Vegetarian Journal, Nov, 2000 by Debra Daniels-Zeller

As the days get cooler and night falls earlier, most of us with overbooked schedules are looking for tasty, easy dinner options, such as a quick meal with a salad. But gone are the exotic greens of summer and the juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes. Rather than select the road-weary Romaine and pale, tasteless tomatoes, I opt for warm main course salads.

Composed of cooked and raw ingredients, whole meal salads begin with a base of beans, pasta, whole grains, or potatoes. Lightly steamed or sauteed vegetables are added and perhaps chunks of marinated tofu or steamed tempeh. Raw vegetables, such as finely shredded red cabbage, chopped peppers, grated carrots, or parsnips, add crunch and visual appeal. Combine your ingredients with a lowfat vinaigrette or dressing and you've got a meal in one bowl. What could be easier?

The dressing or vinaigrette makes the salad. Using silken tofu, olive or canola oil, soy-based mayonnaise or nut butter and various vinegars, lemon or lime, and herbs or spices, you can create any dressing you can imagine. The recipes that follow and your favorite cookbooks will give you more flavor ideas to try. Although oil helps the dressing adhere to the ingredients, you can cut the amount of oil in any traditional dressing recipe by increasing the acidic ingredients. Then add a bit of water or stock and use other liquid flavorings such as cooking sherry or mirin (a sweet Chinese cooking wine found in Oriental markets and natural foods stores). Always combine the dressing separately and taste before blending it into the salad. If you find the taste too acidic, try adding 1/2 to 1 teaspoon vegan sugar (cane sugar not blanched with bone char) or fruit sweetener.

Texture and presentation are also important to consider when making salads. The soft beans, potatoes, pasta or whole grains, and steamed vegetables are best balanced with the crunch of blanched or finely chopped raw vegetables. Lightly toasted nuts or seeds, croutons, or baked corn chips can also be sprinkled on top for texture variation. Raw vegetables like red cabbage or carrots add color. Steamed or pickled beets can be placed around a salad, and garnishes such as chopped parsley, cilantro, broccoli sprouts, or roasted nuts give a salad a finished look.

With main course salads, everything can be made together, or you can prepare the beans or whole grains ahead of time and bring them to room temperature while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. They also make excellent leftovers. You can roll the salad into tortillas and heat them in the microwave for a quick dinner, or pack a small container as a lunch and enjoy the salad cold. I've even eaten leftovers for a quick breakfast.

When creating your own recipes from what you have on hand, think of a base ingredient first. Then, keeping in mind the flavor you want, such as a curry or spicy Mexican flair, and the look you want, add your other ingredients. If a dressing sounds good, but you want pasta instead of beans, try it. Or omit vegetables you don't care for and add your favorites. Just keep in mind: flavor, texture, and presentation.

These main course salads need only simple accompaniments such as whole grain rolls, focaccia, or warm corn tortillas. A baked potato, squash, or steamed beets also go nicely. One word of caution, however: these salads disappear fast at family gatherings and potlucks. Always bring enough to help convert the devout meat-eaters at your holiday table.

SPICY BLACK BEAN, CORN, AND COUSCOUS SALAD

(Serves 6)

This versatile salad goes well with a cold cabbage salad or warm cornbread. Leftovers can be served heated on crispy corn tortillas like tostadas, or rolled up in flour tortillas.

To remove seeds from a jalapeno: slice the jalapeno in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon and throw them away. Then immediately wash your hands with soap and water because the seeds contain most of the heat of the pepper and can burn your skin if you aren't careful.

To roast garlic: brush head of garlic liberally with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Wrap in foil and bake at 375 [degrees] F for about 20 minutes or until garlic is very tender. Carefully squeeze garlic from cloves into a small bowl.

1/2 cup black beans, soaked overnight
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 cups water
1 cup frozen, thawed corn
1 head garlic, roasted
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon vegan sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 cup sliced jalapeno peppers
1 cup water
1 cup couscous
Salt to taste
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup crushed baked corn chips
 (optional)

Place beans, minced jalapeno, and garlic in a saucepan. Cover with about 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until beans are done. (Hint: they are done when you can mash them easily with your tongue against the roof of your mouth.) Drain the beans. In the same pot, mix beans with corn and cook gently for a few minutes until corn is heated.