Tunisian Carrot Salad

This too is from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special. A quick & easy and surprisingly different way to add some color and flavor to a meal.

2 cups peeled and grated carrots
2 Tbsp currants
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
1.5 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp caraway seeds (recipe calls for ground, but I used whole)
pinch cayenne
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp orange juice

Place the carrots and currants in a serving dish. Warm the oil in a very small saucepan. Add the garlic, coriander, caraway and cayenne and cook on low heat, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes -- just long enough to cook garlic and spices. Remove from heat, add the salt and OJ, pour over the carrot mixture and stir well. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Alternative Caesar Salad

I love Caesar salad, but being lactose-intolerant, typically I can't eat it. But I recently discovered this recipe in Moosewood Restaurant Daily Specials, which was easy to modify to vegan. Amazingly, my non-vegan, cheese-loving, sometimes picky family enjoyed it as well. I also switched the crouton bread from baguette to something a little more substantial, mainly b/c that's what we had in our freezer tonight.

SALAD
4-6 slices Trader Joe's multi-grain sourdough bread
2 hearts of romaine, well-rinsed and dried

CROUTON SEASONING
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 tsp ground rosemary
2 Tbsp olive oil

DRESSING
2 sun-dried tomatoes, softened
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp mayo (or vegan mayo)
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 tsp capers
1 tsp caper bring
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 350. But bread into 1-ich cubes and bake on an unoiled baking sheet for 10 minutes, or until golden.

2. Meanwhile, tear the romaine into bite-sized pieces and place in a large serving bowl.

3. In a small saucepan, sauté the garlic and rosemary in olive oil on medium heat for a few minutes, stirring to prevent scorching. When garlic is golden, pour oil/seasonings over the bread cubes and toss together right on the baking sheet. Set aside.

4. Drain and mince the softened sun-dried tomatoes. Place half of them and the rest of the dressing ingredients in a food processor and combine until smooth.

5. Toss the croutons and Parmesan with the romaine. Drizzle on the dressing and scatter the reserved sun-dried tomatoes on top.

Alabama Hot Slaw

Slightly modified version of recipe in Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special

4 cups shredded green cabbage
2 celery stalks, chopped
1.5 cups peeled, grated carrots
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded & diced
1 heaping Tbsp minced red onion
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp Trader Joe's Sweet & Hot Mustard
a few drops of Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup canola oil

1. Place cabbage in a serving bowl. Sprinkle celery evenly on top of cabbage, then carrots, red peppers, and onion. Do not stir.

2. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, sugar and salt until dissolved. Stir in black pepper, mustard, and Tabasco. Pour evenly over the vegetables.

3. In a small pan on the stove, heat the oil until there are a few ripples in it. Pour the oil over the slaw, aiming especially for the onions and peppers.

4. Let stand at least 5 minutes, then toss and serve.