16 Nourishing Recipes for the End of Summer

Recipe courtesy of Liz Ross Ingredients Wraps 3 or 4 whole-wheat or gluten-free tortillas, about 6-7 inches in diameter (or use smaller tortillas for tacos) Sweet Plantains 1 11-ounce carton frozen baked sweet plantains, or 2 very ripe plantains (look for yellow skin with about 80% dark patches) BBQ Tofu Crumbles 1 block extra-firm tofu 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce 2 tablespoons water 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 2 to 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce Cashew-Potato Dressing 1/4 cup raw whole cashews, rinsed 1 date, pitted and rinsed 1/4 cup cooked, peeled, and chopped potato 1/4 cup water 1/2 small garlic clove, or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon lime juice 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon ketchup 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste) Additional Toppings 2 cups chopped lettuce 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced lengthwise 1 or 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced About 10 fresh cilantro leaves Your favorite hot sauce or Sriracha, to taste (optional) Instructions Tip Before You Start: To save time, soak the cashews and date in 1 cup of water for 10 minutes or longer before beginning the tofu and plantains. While they soak, peel and cut a small potato into chunks and boil until tender. You’ll need about 1/4 cup of cooked potato for the dressing. BBQ Tofu Crumbles Remove the tofu from its packaging, rinse, and gently squeeze out most of the water—no need to get it completely dry. Break the tofu into rough chunks about the size of large dice and place them in a large bowl. The uneven surfaces help the seasoning stick to the tofu better. Smaller crumbles will fall off, which is fine—they’ll absorb more flavor. In a small bowl, mix the dry ingredients: arrowroot powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. In a separate cup, combine the tamari and water. Pour the liquid mixture over the tofu chunks and toss gently to coat using a spatula. Then sprinkle the dry seasoning over the tofu and coat evenly with the spatula. Let it marinate for at least 5 minutes. While the tofu is marinating, preheat your oven to 400 F. (Feel free to begin preparing the plantains during this time.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out the tofu chunks. Place larger chunks around the edges and smaller ones toward the center. Try to keep larger pieces from touching. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer tofu to a clean bowl, and toss with barbecue sauce. Return tofu to the baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes. Flip the chunks and bake for 5 more minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Sweet Plantains If using packaged plantains: Follow the instructions on the package. If using 2 fresh plantains: Preheat oven to 400 F. Wash the plantains and pat dry. Cut off the ends and make a lengthwise slit through the peel. Remove the peel with your fingers. Cut each plantain in half, and then slice each half lengthwise to get 4 pieces per plantain (8 pieces total). Place on parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Flip and bake another 5-10 minutes. Set aside. You can leave them as is or slice each strip in half lengthwise to create 16 thinner strips. Cashew-Potato Dressing After soaking, discard the soaking water. Add the cashews, date, cooked potato, and remaining dressing ingredients to a personal blender (like a NutriBullet or Tribest). Blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning or consistency to taste if so desired. Assembling the Wrap Warm the tortilla for a few seconds on the stovetop or in the oven. Lay the wrap flat and spread a generous layer of dressing. Add a row of BBQ tofu crumbles in the center. Place one or two plantain strips next to the tofu. Add cucumber slices, tomatoes, lettuce, and cilantro. Drizzle with hot sauce if desired. Fold the tortilla and enjoy! Recipe courtesy of Brandy Cochrane Ingredients Cauliflower 1 head cauliflower 1/2 red onion 1 tablespoon onion powder 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 bunch parsley Lemon Tahini Dressing 1/3 cup tahini 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon onion powder Spiced Chickpeas 1 15-ounce can chickpeas 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 teaspoon onion powder Mix-Ins 1/4 cup currants or golden raisins 1 tablespoon chopped capers Instructions Preheat the oven to 400 F. Chop the cauliflower into small florets and place them on a large baking sheet. Slice the red onion into 1/4-inch strips and place them on the baking sheet. Season with onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Toss the cauliflower and onions until coated in spices. Roast the cauliflower and onions in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, and then stir, return them to the oven, and roast for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and browned on the edges. Let the cauliflower cool slightly. While the cauliflower and onions are roasting, make the lemon tahini dressing. Add the tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, cayenne, and onion to a blender or bowl. Blend or stir until smooth, and then refrigerate until ready to serve. Drain and rinse the can of chickpeas. Add them to a heated pan along with smoked paprika, cayenne, and a pinch of onion powder and pepper. Stir and cook the chickpeas over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until they sizzle and become slightly crispy. Remove the chickpeas from the heat. You can also roast the chickpeas on a separate baking sheet while cauliflower and onions are cooking. Pull the parsley leaves from their stems and roughly chop the leaves into small pieces (once chopped, about 1/2 cup loosely packed). To build the salad, combine the roasted cauliflower and onions in a bowl with the spiced chickpeas and chopped parsley. Drizzle the lemon tahini dressing over top, add in currants and chopped capers, and toss to combine. Serve warm or cold. Recipe courtesy of Terri Edwards This delicious vegetable pasta dish is vegan, oil-free, and so quick and easy to make that it makes the weekly rotation at our house all summer long! It can even be made with gluten-free pasta if desired. Ingredients 1 cup uncooked vegan pasta of choice 1/4 cup vegetable broth 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 medium purple onion, sliced into strips 1 green bell pepper sliced into thin strips (or red, yellow, orange if preferred) 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup reserved starchy pasta water 1/4 cup vegan Parmesan recipe 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper Vegan Parmesan 1 cup raw cashews 1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 3/4 teaspoon sea salt Instructions Begin by making the super-easy Parmesan recipe. Add all of the Parmesan ingredients to your blender and pulse until the texture is fine and powdery. This recipe makes more than you need, so save the rest for sprinkling on spaghetti and other dishes. Set it to the side while preparing the other ingredients. Preheat your oven to 450 F to get it ready to roast the veggies. Wash and slice the veggies you plan to use. For me, green bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and purple onions are always on the list. Other options might include mushrooms, broccoli florets, squash, zucchini, snow peas, and shelled edamame. Toss the prepped vegetables, except for the tomatoes (unless you want to roast the tomatoes too) and basil, into a large bowl. Add the vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic to the bowl. Thoroughly coat the veggies with the seasoning mix and then spread them out thinly on a baking sheet. I use a silicone baking mat to roast the veggies without oil. Be sure to spread them out evenly; we want them in direct contact with the heat of the pan so that they will crisp up a little around the edges. Once the veggies are coated, pop them into the preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes or until tender with slightly caramelized edges. While the veggies are cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package directions. You want it to be al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the water from the pasta before draining. When the pasta is cooked and drained, add it back to the now-empty pasta pot and begin adding in the reserved pasta water, roasted vegetables, cherry tomatoes, and half of the vegan Parmesan cheese. Drizzle in the lemon juice, add basil, and give one more toss. Add the remaining vegan Parmesan cheese to the top before serving. Vegetable primavera is great served hot or cold! Notes Pasta options: You can use any pasta desired, including spaghetti, fettuccine, penne, bow tie, spiral, rotini, and others. For those avoiding gluten, try using brown rice noodles, chickpea pasta, or even zucchini noodles, which are also known as zoodles. There are numerous other wheat-free pasta options available in many grocery stores. Make it fast: Most supermarkets carry fresh chopped fajita veggies like tricolor peppers and sliced onions in the frozen section, which work really well in this recipe and save you from needing to chop vegetables. Veggie spaghetti: Looking to mix things up and turn an ordinary primavera pasta recipe into something fun? Use traditional spaghetti or angel hair pasta, and because the veggies are sliced into long strips, you can eat your veggie spaghetti with chopsticks. Perfect for a summer picnic basket at the park! Recipe courtesy of Sangeeta Wahi Serves 6 Ingredients 16-ounce block extra-firm tofu (not silken tofu) 2 large bags fresh spinach, or 1 16-ounce bag frozen spinach 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped, or 2 tablespoons tomato paste, or a 4-ounce can tomato puree/sauce 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1-inch piece of ginger, finely chopped 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 1 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder 1 teaspoon chili powder Salt, to taste Instructions Cut the tofu into large cubes. Warm a good nonstick pan well on the stovetop. Lay the tofu pieces on the pan and let them crisp up. Add turmeric, pepper powder, and chili powder and mix well so the tofu is coated with the spices. In a separate pot, blanch the fresh spinach leaves and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice-cold water so they keep their green color. Drain the water and put the spinach aside. Save the warm water as broth to saute the onions. (If you are using frozen spinach, you can skip this step and thaw the spinach.) In a pan, water saute the onions for 2-3 minutes until they are translucent. Add the tomatoes, ginger, and garlic one by one and let them cook for a few minutes until done. Set mixture aside to cool down. Put the onions, garlic, ginger-tomato mixture, and spinach in a food processor and process until you have a smooth, puree-like consistency. Pour into a pot or a pan with a lid. Add salt to taste, add the tofu, cover, and let it simmer gently over a low flame for a few minutes. You won't need to cook it too long, or the color will change. (It does splatter all over, so keep the lid on.) When you have done this a few times, you can change things a little. Add some broccoli florets, turnip, or beetroot greens to the mix. Just keep more spinach in the overall mix. Recipe courtesy of Carolyn Strickland Makes 6 servings Ingredients 2 bananas, cut into slices and frozen 4 cups peeled and sliced peaches, frozen (about 4-5 large peaches) 2 tablespoons powdered almond butter (like PB2 almond powder) 2 tablespoons nondairy milk of your choice 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 to 2 teaspoons maple syrup or agave (optional, depending on the sweetness of your peaches) 2 to 3 tablespoons vegan graham cracker crumbs or Grape Nuts cereal Instructions Let bananas and peaches partially defrost to make them easier to blend. Place bananas, peaches, and almond butter powder in food processor and pulse until fruit is broken up into small pieces. Scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl and let machine run until bananas and peaches become creamy. You may have to scrape down the sides several times, but don’t give up! Add nondairy milk (if needed to make creamier), cinnamon, and maple/agave syrup and blend until smooth and incorporated. Serve immediately topped with graham cracker crumbs or Grape Nuts cereal, or transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours. (Cover the surface with plastic wrap to keep ice crystals from forming.) If freezing, set out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving to make it easier to scoop. Notes Stir in some fresh chopped peaches after blending for an added treat! Leftovers make great popsicles! Just pour into reusable silicone popsicle molds and freeze 4-6 hours, or overnight. This recipe can easily be cut in half if needed for fewer servings. Recipe courtesy of Debra Griffin, Ed.M, NBC-HWC This is a fast, fresh, fiber-rich harvest bowl. Makes 4 servings Ingredients 1 cup brown lentils 1 small head of broccoli, chopped in similar-size pieces 1 small red onion, chopped 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 medium russet potato, cubed 1 medium sweet potato, cubed 4 cups mixed salad greens 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 tablespoon dried basil 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional) Salt and pepper, to taste Bold and Creamy Vegan Ranch Dressing (Original Recipe) Ingredients 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked 6 hours or boiled for 10 minutes) 1/4 cup unsweetened low-fat plain vegan yogurt 1 tablespoon water (adjust for thickness) 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 garlic clove (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder) 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped 1 teaspoon chives or green onion tops, finely chopped Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste Pinch horseradish for extra zing (optional) Instructions Preheat oven to 400 F and prepare sheet pan with parchment paper. Add the cubed sweet potatoes, cubed russet potatoes, chopped broccoli, and chickpeas to the sheet pan and cover with garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, salt and pepper, and nutritional yeast. Drizzle the tablespoon of olive oil. Mix everything around the pan to be sure to cover all the vegetables and chickpeas and place in the oven for about 25 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, cook the lentils according to package instructions. Prepare the dressing by placing everything in the blender except fresh dill, fresh parsley, and chives. Fold in the fresh herbs once everything is blended (do not blend the herbs) and add salt and pepper to taste. Place mixed salad greens on a plate or bowl. Add the roasted vegetables and chickpeas, the chopped onions, and the cooked lentils on top. Serve with dressing drizzled on top. Enjoy! Notes The oil makes the vegetables crispier, but it can be omitted. A variety of other vegetables can be added or swapped out. Cauliflower is a great addition. Store-bought low-fat vegan ranch dressing works well if you do not have access to a high-speed blender.