• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 376 0

bursting with flavor, and a simple joy to create. You can use an outdoor grill or a handy indoor version that fits on the stove with a grill on one side and a griddle on the other. You can also roast the veggies in the oven (see page 20) instead of grilling. Depending on how long it takes for your grill to get up to speed, the preheating may push the recipe beyond the thirty-minute time frame. To avoid this, preheat the grill before you gather the ingredients.

SERVES 4

1 recipe Balsamic Marinade

(recipe follows)

1 large Portobello mushroom

1 large zucchini, cut into ¼-inch slices

1 yellow onion, cut into large slices

1 large red bell pepper, halved and seeded

2 baby bok choy, halved

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

or Italian parsley

Sea salt and black pepper

Balsamic Marinade

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon or

stone-ground mustard

2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon water

½ teaspoon minced fresh garlic

1. Preheat a grill. Prepare the marinade by placing all of the ingredients in a shallow dish and whisking well. Place the vegetables in the marinade, coating them well.

2. Grill the vegetables, flipping occasionally with tongs, and cooking until grill marks appear. Remove, chop into 1-inch pieces, and place in a large bowl with the remainder of the marinade and fresh herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Variations

• Try adding pineapple, eggplant, corn on the cob, coconut meat, or baby carrots and grilling with the other vegetables.

• Try serving the grilled vegetable medley over a plate of organic mixed greens. Another pretty presentation would be to lay down two or three romaine leaves, top with the grilled veggies, and drizzle with Vegan Ranch Dressing (page 133).

MACADAMIA NUT-CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

No picnic would be complete without an old-fashioned chocolate chip cookie! Well, maybe it’s new-fashioned. One thing we know for sure, if you don’t tell anyone they’re vegan, people certainly aren’t going to guess. Since there are no eggs, this recipe calls for tapioca flour as a binding agent. Tapioca flour is more accessible than you think, if you ask around at the store, but cornstarch can replace it in a pinch (see Tips and Tricks). For the record, these don’t bake up as crisp on stoneware.

MAKES TWENTY-FOUR 3-INCH COOKIES

1¾ cups whole spelt flour

¼ cup tapioca flour or other suggested binder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon sea salt

⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ cup rolled oats

1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips (preferably grain-sweetened)

⅔ cup pure maple syrup

⅔ cup safflower oil

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift the spelt flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon through a fine-mesh strainer or sifter. Whisk well and add the oats, macadamia nuts, and chocolate chips, stirring again.

2. In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine the maple syrup, safflower oil, water, and vanilla, and whisk together. Add to the flour mixture and stir well.

3. If you aren’t using a nonstick cookie sheet or baking tray, you will have to lightly oil the tray or lay down aluminum foil. Use a spoon to scoop out your preferred size of cookie, leaving enough space in between them to allow the hot air to circulate and the cookie to spread out (at least 2 inches). It will take at least two trays. Bake them for 10 minutes, until the bottom edges start to brown; do not overbake. Allow them to cool for a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack.

Tips and Tricks

Tapioca flour can often be found in the Asian food section of grocery stores and possibly in the baking section as well. You can also find it in health food stores, which are likely to carry it in small bags. Substitutions for tapioca flour are arrowroot powder, cornstarch, or Ener-G Egg Replacer. Arrowroot can be substituted in equal measure. Cornstarch is about twice as strong so, for this recipe, only use 2 tablespoons