Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

For the Salad Dressing:

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste

 

For the Pasta Salad:

• 1 pound thin spaghetti broken into thirds
• 2 medium zucchini diced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
• 1 large hot house cucumber diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper diced
• 1 red onion diced
• 1 (6.5 ounce) can sliced black olives drained

 

Instructions: 

• In a small bowl with a whisk, or in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, oregano, poppy seeds, garlic, paprika, celery seed, and salt. Mix well and allow flavors to blend while preparing the salad.
• Bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Add spaghetti and cook according to package directions, about 9 minutes. Drain well and rinse in cold water.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine zucchini, tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, onion, and black olives. Add rinsed pasta and drizzle with salad dressing to taste (you don’t have to use it all). Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Source: California Pasta Salad 

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 10 servings

Note: Use a wide pan for this paella. Ideally, 11 1/2-inches wide. If you don’t have a pan this large, or if you don’t want leftovers, use a 9 1/2-inch pan, and cut the recipe in half – 1 cup rice x 2.5 vegetable stock, 1/2 cup sofrito, etc.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 spring carrots, 1/4-inch dice
• 1 bunch of scallions or spring onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups short-grain paella rice
• 1 cup sofrito
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• 3 cups of bite-sized mixed vegetables: asparagus, peas, cherry tomatoes, summer squash, baby artichokes (trimmed and quartered), baby radish
• 5 cups hot vegetable stock
• toppings: lemon slices / olives / toasted sliced almonds / chopped herbs

 

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large (11 1/2-inch skillet) over medium heat- if you don’t have a skillet that large, use a 9 1/2-inch skillet and cut the recipe in half.
• Sauce the carrots, scallions (or spring onions), until translucent.
• Stir in the garlic, and let it cook a little longer.
• Add the rice, stir well, and cook until the grains are also translucent, a few minutes – be mindful to not allow the rice to burn.
• Stir in the sofrito.
• Add the paprika.
• Crush the saffron with your fingers, and add that as well.
• Stir in the vegetables, pour the hot stock over all of it, stir, and bring to a moderate simmer. No more stirring allowed.
• Simmer for exactly 17 minutes. Set a timer.
• Taste the stock and re-season if necessary.
• Move the paella to the oven and bake for another 12 minutes.
• Remove, and if you want to try to get a bit more crust on the base of your paella, and you’re confident your paella won’t burn, return the paella to a burner for another minute or so.
• Remove from heat and allow it to rest for another few minutes.
• Top with anything else you like – olives, nuts, lemons, herbs, etc. Serve family style in the pan.

Source: An Amazing Vegetarian Paella Recipe 

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 large slices sourdough bread (or alternative)
• 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
• 1 small tomato, sliced
• 1 lemon, sliced into wedges + zest for topping
• Tofu: 1/2 package tofu, extra-firm, cubed
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 tsp smoky paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• Almonds: 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• salt to taste

 

Instructions:

• Warm a skillet over high heat.
• Add the almonds and toast for one minute.
• Add in the maple or coconut syrup and sauté for another 30-60 seconds, tossing the almonds with the sticky syrup as everything sizzles.
• Turn off heat, toss the almonds in the sticky syrup one last time, and transfer the coated almonds to a small bowl.
• As they cool, the sweetener will become nice and sticky. Top with a pinch of salt – to taste.
• Rinse out the skillet so the leftover syrup does not burn with the tofu.
• Warm the skillet again and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the tofu. Sauté for three minutes, until the edges start to brown.
• Then add in the maple syrup and smoky paprika.
• Sauté for another two minutes. turn off heat.
• Add the salt and pepper to taste and set tofu aside.
• Toast bread.
• Add the avocado to the slices of bread and smash with a fork.
• Squeeze a bit of lemon juice on top and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
• Add the tomato, tofu and almonds over top the avocado. Add pepper and lemon zest on top to taste. Slice and serve.

Source: California-Style Smoky-Sweet Tofu Avocado Toast