La Dolce Vegan!. Sarah Kramer

tsp ground cumin

      

tsp cayenne pepper

      

tsp thyme

      

tsp nutmeg

       1 tsp salt

      

tsp ground black pepper

      Pre-heat oven to 350°F (175°C).In a medium bowl, toss together all the ingredients. Spread evenly over cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Makes approx. 3 cups.

      CAROB - COVERED MINI - PRETZELS

      You can use chocolate chips instead of carob, but I’m allergic to chocolate (sob), so there you go. If you don’t have a double boiler, just place a small pot in a larger pot containing water.

      

cup carob chips

       1 tbsp “milk”

       2 cups mini-pretzels, salted

      Line 2 cookie sheets with wax paper. In a small double boiler, melt the carob chips and “milk” on medium heat, stirring until smooth and creamy. Dip half or all of the pretzel in carob sauce and lay on cookie sheet. Repeat until done. Place cookie sheets into refrigerator and allow carob to set. Makes approx. 70 mini-pretzels.

Salads & Dresssings

      SALADS

       Salads can stand alone as a meal or complement many main dishes. Unfortunately, when it comes to salads, I’m a creature of habit, and even though I often say, “Today I’m going to make something different,” I usually end up making a simple green salad with an oil and vinegar dressing. It’s terrible. Thank goodness I have my buddy Shirley, a.k.a. Wolffie, from Davie, Florida, who provided me with several of the great recipes in this chapter. Thanks, Wolffie! You’re awesome.

      AUNTIE BONNIE’S CHICKPEA SALAD

      My Auntie Bonnie needs a chickpea intervention; she has them stockpiled in her kitchen cupboards. Does anyone really need 35 cans of chickpeas “just in case”? But incredibly simple yet fresh and delicious salad is purrrrfection. Just like my Auntie Bonnie.

       1 19-oz (540-ml) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

      

small red onion, minced

       1 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

       1 large tomato, diced

      

cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

       3 tbsp oil (e.g. flax, hemp, olive)

       1 tbsp red wine vinegar

       1 tsp lemon juice

      

tsp salt

      

tsp ground black pepper

      In a large bowl, toss all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Makes 2 large or 4 small servings.

      WOLFFIE’S BLACK BEAN & LENTIL SALAD

      I’m not a big fan of “The Bean Salad”; it’s usually the one dish at vegan potlucks that I tend to skip over. If you’re like me and don’t care for the bean salad . . . well, let me blow your mind. I can’t urge you enough to try this fantastic recipe from the amazing Wolffie. Her dishes never fail and are a treat to eat. TRUST ME!

       Dressing:

      

cup olive oil

      

cup oil (e.g. flax, hemp, grapeseed)

      

cup red wine vinegar

      

tbsp Dijon mustard

      

tsp ground cumin

       1 garlic clove, minced

      

tsp salt

      

tsp black pepper

       1 tsp sugar

       Salad:

       1 19-oz (540-ml) can black beans, drained and rinsed

       1 19-oz (540-ml) can lentils, drained and rinsed

      

cups frozen corn niblets, thawed

       1 small red onion, minced

       1 small red bell pepper, chopped

      

cup fresh cilantro, minced

      To prepare dressing: In a jar or dressing bottle, combine all ingredients. Cap and shake well before using. To prepare salad: In a large bowl, combine salad ingredients and dressing and toss together well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Makes 4-6 servings. Dressing makes approx.

cup.

      WOLFFIE’S FIESTA MACARONI BEAN SALAD

      This is one of those recipes that I didn’t want to cut down to make only two servings, to avoid having half a can of beans left over. It’s the perfect recipe to take to a potluck, enjoy for lunch, and serve as leftovers. It’s just wicked!

       3 cups elbow macaroni pasta, uncooked

       Dressing: