Thursday, March 22, 2018

CHEESE-Y CHARRED CORN & GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH GRAPE TOMATOES

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It's not so nice out now, but last week we had some sunny, warmish days-- enough to make me think of making a hearty salad for lunch instead of a soup.  It was almost shopping day, so I studied the contents of my refrigerator and freezer for what needed using and/or what was available, colorful and tasty.  I already had some of my staple low-fat balsamic vinaigrette made (see recipe below), so I kept that in mind as well.

So, here's what I came up with on short notice. It was easy to throw together and a hit with my husband (and also fed us for two lunches).  I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did!



BRYANNA'S CHEESE-Y CHARRED CORN & GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH GRAPE TOMATOES 

Serves 4

1 lb. slender fresh young green beans
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 medium onion (whatever kind you like-- I used a white one), chopped
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen sweet corn kernels
1 cup red grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
about 1/2 cup Low-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below) or similar type of vinaigrette
1/4 to 1/2 cup of your favorite vegan Parmesan substitute (I used EarthIsland/FollowYour Heart)

Pick over the green beans, removing stems, and cook until tender, but not limp.  Cook them however you prefer-- they can be steamed, microwaved (in a tiny bit of water in a covered casserole), or brought to a boil just covered in water on the stove, then simmered for a few minutes, u ntil done to your liking.

Drain the beans in a colander and run cold water over them until they cool off a bit.  Leave in the colander to drain further.

Saute the onion in the sesame oil until they are softened and a little browned around the edges. set aside.

Spread the corn kernels on an oiled baking sheet and place about 4" under your oven's broiler.  Broil until they start to char a bit, toss them a bit with a spatula and mound them up a bit in the middle of the pan and broil for a few minutes more.  Set aside.

When everything is ready, toss the green beans, onion and corn together in a medium-sized serving bowl with the sliced grape tomatoes and salad dressing.  Divided between serving bowls and sprinkle each serving with some of the cheese.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 204 calories, 34 calories from fat, 4g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 172mg sodium, 458.7mg potassium, 29.9g carbohydrates, 5.8g fiber, 5.4g sugar, 8.3g protein, 5.2 points.

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BRYANNA'S BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
This is a good basic dressing for many types of salads. 
Yield: 1 1/2 cups  Servings: 12
1 serving= 2 tablespoons

1  cup Fat-Free Oil Substitute for salad Dressings OR aquafaba (unsalted chickpea broth from canned or home-cooked) 
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup good-quality balsamic vinegar (I prefer Costco's Kirkland  Signature brand, which is affordable, yet aged for 3 years and contains no wine vinegar or caramel color, unlike the 60-day-aged supermarket IGP brands. See http://www.costcoconnection.ca/connectioncaeng/20180506/?pg=89#pg89)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar 
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt

Whisk, shake, or blend the ingredients together well, bottle and store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 50 calories, 40 calories from fat, 4.6g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 175.5mg sodium, 12.9mg potassium, 2.6g carbohydrates, less than 1g fiber, 1.1g sugar, less than 1g protein, 1.5 points.


Enjoy!



4 comments:

Change In Seconds said...

Looks delicious!

Cynthia said...

Just made your balsamic dressing. It is wonderful and perfectly balanced! Thank you so much!

Angie said...

Bryanna! I can't find a general comment place so need to post here. The lemon curd is amazing. I want to stand around the parsnip display at the coop and tell people to buy the !24%^ parsnips and go home and make lemon curd. I adopted a non vegan lemon saffron ice cream using your amazing Lemon Curd. THANK YOU!

Bryanna Clark Grogan said...

Angie, Thank you so much for writing! I'm so glad you like it! PS: Here's an ice cream recipe I devised to use the lemon curd: VEGAN LEMON CURD ICE CREAM WITH RHUBARB/GINGER JAM SWIRL https://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.ca/2013/08/creamy-vegan-lemon-curd-ice-cream-with.html
PPS: you can just comment on whatever blog post you're commenting on-- even if it's an old post, I'll see it.