grilled chimichurri tofu with lime-scented couscous + "vegan planet" winner

I love the flavor that grilling imparts on vegetables, tofu, tempeh, mushrooms, lemons - you name it, grilling makes it taste decidedly unique. And while grilling outdoors in not to be missed in the coming months (check out Grills Gone Vegan by Tamasin Noyes for some kick-butt grilling recipes), I love to grill year round.

That is not exactly an impossible feat, being nestled here in the moderate temperatures of San Diego, but even then, I'm more often than not too lazy to light the charcoals and wait for them to get ready. In the instances that that occurs, I'm happy as a lark, but mostly I settle for indoor grilling. Not exactly, the same, but delicious none the less.

There are other reasons to utilize grilling besides the flavor grilled food achieves - less oil. Grilling versus sauteing uses much less oil and fat required for the cooking. If you are cooking with little or no oil, you have a few choices: steaming, broiling, boiling, cooking in paper, baking or ... grilling.

I use a well-seasoned cast-iron grill pan, which as it happens, never leaves the stove top. Call that further proof of my laziness at not putting away dishes, but I just call it practical - I use the thing so often that putting it away would mean an extra preventable step come dinner time.

This recipe, Grilled Tofu and Squash with Easy Chimichurri Sauce and Lime-Scented Couscous, might sound like a mouthful, but is actually quite easy to prepare. The sauce is simple to make, as it utilizes the blades of a food processor, the veg and tofu is just skewered and grilled, the couscous is cooked and then tossed with beans, spinach and pepitas.

The best part is that it is a complete meal - grain, protein, dark leafy greens, seeds and herbs. Another great thing: you can skip the tofu and increase the vegetables since there is protein in the couscous. Gluten free? Use quinoa instead of couscous. Oh, the versatility!

We were completely smitten with this dish! The only trip-up could be that the recipe might not make enough chimichurri sauce if you are as liberal with its application as my husband was. On the bright side, this recipe calls for a fraction of the oil than the typical traditional chimichurri sauce does.

I just KNOW you have been waiting for the winner of Robin Robertson's updated and revised edition of Vegan Planet! Before I get to the winner (of which there is, unfortunately, only one), let me entice the rest of you who can also be winners in your own right if you purchase the book. As a reminder, this cookbook has been hailed  the "vegan bible," "vegan joy of cooking" and the "ultimate vegan cookbook."

It has 50 new recipes and all the information is updated for relevance to today. Here are some pictures I took during testing.

AUTUMN ROASTED VEGETABLES

CRISPY KALE STRIPS

CURRIED LENTILS WITH CARROTS AND PEAS

LEMON RISOTTO WITH PEAS AND SCALLIONS

SMOKY MAPLE KALE AND BEANS

I've strummed you along long enough! The winner of "Vegan Planet," out of 58 entries, is comment number 11 by Papa Dragon. [I feel terrible, but I was not contacted and had to choose another winner :{ ] Please email me at zsu [at] zsusveganpantry [dot] com so I can send this to you as soon as possible. Congratulations! You have until April 14 to contact me before I will have to sadly move on to another winner.

Return for another vegan cookbook giveaway on the very next blog post. I love passing out vegan cookbooks! Use the convenient follow-me buttons on the top right-hand side and don't miss a single opportunity.

I am linking to these recipe parties: The blogs hosting Healthy Vegan Fridays are Suzanne at Hello Veggie, Anna at Herbivore Triathlete, and Kimmy at Rock My Vegan Socks.  

I’ve decided to submit this dish to What I Ate Wednesday hosted by Peas and Crayons.

...and Pickled Okra.

tamale-inspired bowl with pinto and black beans

This tamale-inspired dish is made with cooled polenta, which is much easier to prepare than the traditional corn husk encased filled masa dough.

Prepared logs of organic polenta are now readily available eerywhere and make this meal ready for the table in less than 30 minutes. If, however, you want to make your own polenta, simply cook it and cool it on a baking sheet spread to about 1-inch thick. Once cooled, slice as needed.

The polenta roll (or log) is sliced and sauteed lightly. It is then topped with a combination of black beans, pinto beans, fire-roasted tomatoes and vegan cheese. Because vegan cheese melts easier on the stove-top than in the oven, there is no need to bake this dish and thus makes it even speedier. 

The beans are a bit spicy and a bit piquant. Add some vegan sour cream, salsa fresca, cilantro and more fresno pepper, if you wish.

This meal was a hit with the family and the cook. Not much beats a quick, easy meal that also happens to be delicious. 

And if you need a fast and equally fabulous Salsa Fresca recipe, there is one in my upcoming cookbook, Everyday Vegan Eats, which hits bookstores in a matter of weeks!

TAMALE-INSPIRED BOWL WITH BEANS PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

If you haven't entered, yet, to win Robin Robertson's updated Vegan Planet cookbook, your days are few, so get to it!

I am linking to these recipe parties: The blogs hosting Healthy Vegan Fridays are Suzanne at Hello Veggie, Anna at Herbivore Triathlete, and Kimmy at Rock My Vegan Socks.  

The blog hosting Gluten-Free Fridays is Vegetarian Mamma.

I’ve also decided to submit this dish to What I Ate Wednesday hosted by Peas and Crayons.

grilled artichoke and quinoa lettuce wraps

It must be spring because I am getting a ton of artichokes in my produce box.

There are many ways to prepare artichokes including steaming, boiling, braising, roasting and grilling. The simplest is to cook them and peel off the leaves, dipping them in warm vegan Hollandaise sauce, the method preferred over all others by the Dever clan. I don't really argue with them since this requires the least prep work on my part.

For better or worse, my box has been so laden with fresh artichokes that we have finally reached the limit of the simple way to eat them; no longer will dipping the leaves and the artichoke hearts in a sauce suffice. The family needed something different.

Here is a good tutorial on how to clean artichokes. After you clean them of the choke, boil them and grill them, as directed in the recipe. If you don't have an abundance of fresh artichokes, don't have the time or the patience to clean them yourself, but you'd still like to make this otherwise fast recipe, use jarred artichoke hearts. I won't tell.

This wrap is made with quinoa, spring onions (or scallions) and lemons, all within the spring theme. If you want to know how to cook quinoa perfectly (and not have to use a microwave ;), it is all spelled out in my upcoming cookbook, Everyday Vegan Eats.

Happy Spring everyone!

GRILLED ARTICHOKE AND QUINOA LETTUCE WRAPS PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

And if you haven't entered the giveaway for Robin Robertson's revised edition of Vegan Planet, do so right HERE. Unless you already have the book, why not? It's an amazing volume that has stood the test of time, now with revised recipes as well as 50 new ones. Contest ends April 11.

Also, be sure to let your friends and family know that the great Meatout is March 20th (tomorrow!). Eat vegan for one day and help the animals and the planet. Pledge HERE.