Easter Treats

Easter is near, and brightly-colored sugary treats line store shelves, waiting to be taken home. Dandies Tweets by Chicago Soydairy are just one of the newest options for vegans to enjoy. There are also new vegan jellybeans and even a version of a Cadbury Egg! Being an ethical eater doesnt have to mean missing out.
Check out this great post on Laziest Vegans for a few reviews of the latest and greatest Easter options.

Fresh Pasta Salad

This recipe comes from the June 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times.

Summer Pasta Salad with Grilled Vegetables

8 oz. rotini
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 med zucchini cut lengthwise into quarters
1 red bell pepper, quartered
1 cup black olives
2 tbs each of chopped basil and oregano

1. Prepare medium hot charcoal or gas grill
2. Cook pasta, and drain. Toss with 1 tbs olive oil.
3. Whisk together remaining oil and spices. Toss vegetables in the oil mixture to coat.
4. Transfer zucchini and pepper to grill, and cook 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until soft.
5. Chop zucchini and pepper coursely and add to pasta. Add tomatoes and remaining marinade and toss well. Serves 8.

Candle Cafe Cookbook

Candle Cafe is a restaurant in NYC serving critically acclaimed vegan fare to foodies of all diets since 1994. For those of us who live elsewhere, the Candle Cafe has an excellent cookbook with a wide variety of flavor-packed recipes inspired by a variety of cuisines. This is one of my favorites.

Nori Rolls

Ingredients:
5 sheets toasted nori
2.5 cups cooked brown rice
2.5 tbsps wasabi paste
1 avocado, cubed
1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
3 carrots, peeled and julienned
5 scallions, julienned

Instructions:
Place sushi mat on table. Place the nori shiny shide down on mat. Wet hands with water and spread 3/4 cup of rice over the nori, leaving a bare strip at the top. Spread 1/2 tsp wasabi horizontally about 1/3rd of the way up. Place a part of each vegetable on top of the wasabi. Roll. Repeat with each sheet of nori. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until serving.

Raw Strawberry Tart

Raw Strawberry Tart

Topping:
1 cup of shredded raw coconut
1.5 cups of walnuts
1/2 tsp of salt
1/3rd a cup of pitted dates

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Filling:
3 cups of fresh or frozen strawberries, sliced, and thawed and drained if frozen.
1/2 cup of pitted dates
2 tsps lemon juice
1/8 tsp of cinnamon.

Instructions:
1. Mix topping ingredients except dates in a food processor. Slowly add the dates one by one to form the crumbles
2. Combine 1 cup of the strawberries with the remaining dates, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Blend into a chunky paste. Mix in remaining berries to complete the filling
3. Spread mixture in a small glass baking dish and top with crumble mixture. Chill until ready to eat.

I started this year's garden yesterday. So far I've planted early jalapenos, giant noble spinach, and a mesclun salad mix, but I will also be planting a few varieties of tomatoes, swiss chard, sugar baby watermelon, and several herbs soon. Yum!

Are you growing an edible garden this year? If so, what are you planting?