Tangelo Oil-Free Vinaigrette Salad

I do a lot of requests off the Vegan Miss Facebook and Twitter. You should follow both of them! If you have anything you'd like to see created, please message me on either of those or email me. My friend, Pam, requested an oil-free dressing and this is what I conjured up. She also requested an eggless egg salad way back when.


Originally, I was going to use tangerines in this recipe, but I couldn't find any when I went to the store. I settled with tangelos, but feel free to switch to tangerines or oranges.


Tangelo Oil-Free Vinaigrette Salad

 * Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 5 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 2 tangelos
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp agave nectar*
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• spring mix greens
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup fennel, shaved
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped, toasted

* Recipe:

1. Over low to medium heat, toast the chopped walnuts.
2. While the walnuts are toasting, make the rest of the salad. In a bowl, squeeze the juice of one tangelo. Add the apple cider vinegar, agave, and dijon, Mix well.
3. Peel the other tangelo and separate into pieces.
4. In a salad bowl, combine the greens, fennel, walnuts, tangelo pieces, and salt and pepper. Top with the oil-free vinaigrette.

* Note: Agave nectar is a honey replacer. You can find it with sweeteners in most grocery stores.
 
Every year, I make an organic balcony garden. I usually get quite a lot of good stuff. Here is some progress pictures.

So far, I have planted: potatoes, radishes, carrots, bunching onions, chives, parsley, thyme, oregano, cilantro, leeks, chili peppers, roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, arugula, radicchio, basil, broccoli, beans, and sprouts. I'm excited to see the results over the next few months! And people said you can't get a little dirty in an urban high rise. ;]

Radishes

Fennel, Artichoke, and Eggplant Caponata

This was a very nice dish! Someone had request on the Vegan Miss Facebook that I do a dish with fennel and artichoke, so I thought a caponata would be nice. I did not use olives as I dislike them. Feel free to add if you wish. I chose fresh herbs for flavor, but to save time you could use dried versions.


Fennel, Artichoke, and Eggplant Caponata

* Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks green onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium fennel bulb, finely chopped
• 1/2-3/4 medium eggplant, peeled, diced small
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced small
• 1/2 can (15 oz.) artichoke hearts, finely chopped*
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce*
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp capers
• 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tsp sugar*
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp celery tops, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• sliced baguette, toasted

 * Recipe:

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and allow to sweat.
2. Next, add the garlic, green onion, celery, fennel, eggplant, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, tomato sauce, vinegar, capers, pine nuts, sugar, and salt and pepper. Cook for about 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are all tender.
3. Once vegetables are tender, add the remaining ingredients except the bread. Cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Serve at room temperature or warm with toasted baguette slices.

* Note: Feel free to use fresh prepared artichoke hearts. For the sake of time, I used canned ones. Add more tomato sauce if you feel it is necessary. Lastly, make sure your sugar is vegan!