Other people's summer recipes

These recipes are not my own I have found them on other non-vegan sites. I want to share them with you all because they look delicious and often as vegans we don't peruse nonvegan magazines for food. Here in South Africa I love Pick 'n Pay's food mag Simply Fresh they often have veg dishes or ones which can easily be veganized through substitution. For those of you in the US and Europe these summer dishes may not be appropriate because you are heading into winter now. You can always turn up the heating and pretend that its summer. Even better come to South Africa for a visit, where we have the best summers in the world!

Mixed Berries With Champagne and Tarragon (From Womens Health SA)

Finely chop a teaspoon or two of fresh tarragon. Toss about four cups of rinsed mixed berries (raspberries, mulberries, strawberries, gooseberries) with a few tablespoons of sugar, a cup or so of sparkling wine and the tarragon. Let the mixture sit for about five minutes (longer if you have time) and serve in small bowls with your favourite sugar biscuit.

Red Kidney Bean and Mango Salad (Womens health SA)

Rinse and drain a can of red kidney beans and combine with a diced mango, a chopped red bell or small salad pepper, two or three chopped spring onions and some minced fresh chillies. Drizzle with olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Toss with fresh chopped mint or coriander.

Poached Tofu with Broccoli (Womens Health SA)

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add salt and then lower in a brick of firm tofu; cook until it just begins to float (five to 10 minutes). Meanwhile, whisk together equal parts soy sauce, sake, lemon and orange juice, and water with a little sugar and a few drops of sesame oil. Break a head of broccoli into florets. When you remove the tofu, plunge the broccoli into the pot; count to 20 and drain. Serve thick slices of tofu with the florets, drizzling the dressing over all

Padma Lakshmi's Comforting Lemonade Serves 4–6

Oh, how a gentle breeze runs through my hair and kicks up my petticoat as I sit in the swing on my imaginary wraparound porch. I am at times a frustrated Southern Belle in the most American sense of the word. Mind you, gals from South India are a whole ’nother bag, but I digress. This is a joyous way to enjoy a spiked lemonade on a hot summer evening. Be careful not to fall off your swing, as this tends to be a common side effect of gulping down one too many tall glasses of this tawny potation.
4 tablespoons sugar
1⁄2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
juice of 1 lime
1 cup whole cherries, halved and pitted
3 or 4 mint leaves, torn into bits
1 1⁄2 cups Southern Comfort whiskey
1. Warm 2 cups of water over medium-low heat and mix in the sugar, dissolving it completely.
2. In a pitcher, place—in this order—the lemon and lime juices, the sugar water, 4 cups of water, the cherries, the mint leaves, 1 cup of ice, and finally the whiskey. Stir. Serve immediately.
From Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet by Padma Lakshmi (Weinstein Books). Available now at Amazon.com.


Quinoa Salad with Beets (Oprah Magazine)

1 1/4 cup(s) quinoa
1 1/8 teaspoon(s) salt, plus more for dressing
4 medium beets, trimmed
2 tablespoon(s) balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper, for dressing
3 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large seedless cucumber, chopped
1 pint(s) yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup(s) green beans, blanched and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup(s) chopped flat-leaf parsley

Rinse quinoa thoroughly. Place in a medium saucepan with 2 1/2 cups water. Add 1/8 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until quinoa is tender, 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, place beets in a large saucepan; cover with cold water (by about an inch). Add 1 teaspoon salt; bring to a simmer. Cook until beets are tender when pierced with a paring knife, 35-45 minutes. Drain; cover with cold water. Let sit until cool enough to handle. Peel and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

In a small bowl, mix vinegar, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Slowly whisk in oil. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, beets, cucumber, tomatoes, green beans, and parsley. Toss in dressing to serve.

Chickpea, Carrot, and Olive Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette (From Oprah Magazine)

1 1/2 teaspoon(s) cumin seeds
3 tablespoon(s) sherry vinegar
1/2 cup(s) extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 can(s) (15-ounce) chickpeas, rinsed well and drained
2 cup(s) julienned carrot
1/2 cup(s) finely chopped celery
3/4 cup(s) pitted black olives, halved
1/2 cup(s) raisins
2 tablespoon(s) finely chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup(s) cilantro leaves
To make vinaigrette: In a small pan, toast cumin seeds over medium heat for about 1 minute, shaking pan so seeds do not burn. Transfer to a cutting board and coarsely chop seeds, then place in a small bowl. Add vinegar and then oil in a slow stream, whisking until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To make salad: Combine chickpeas, carrot, celery, olives, raisins, chives, and cilantro in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup vinaigrette and mix well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.