Mediterranean Dinner

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It's officially summer. It's hot outside and cooking feels like such a chore. This is the time of year when I prefer no-fuss cooking that showcases the freshest summer produce available. So here, we have some simply roasted eggplants and golden zucchini with some diced ripe tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, green olives and tangy feta cheese on a basil mint lemon sauce. It's so simple but stunningly fresh and bright -- just the perfect summer meal. I served it with some homemade hummus, toasted pita, dolmades and roasted beets.

For the basil mint sauce, you will need:

• 2 cups packed basil
• 10-12 mint leaves
• small handful Italian parsley (about 1/2 cup packed)
• juice from 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt to taste

Blend all ingredients together into smooth sauce. That's it! You can also serve this sauce with some roasted artichokes and beets.

Birthday Dinner + Yonanas

Pin It For VB's birthday, I made him dinner comprised of dishes that he had mentioned that he'd like to try. So the mix is a bit... eclectic.

First up, we have a vegan mac n' cheese from Yeah, That "Vegan" Shit. I have to say, I'm not sure that there will ever be a vegan mac n' cheese that's going to come remotely close to the real deal, because real mac n' cheese is incomparably awesome. That said, this vegan mac n' cheese was good for what it is -- good for vegans, lousy for meat eaters.

We also had some ful muddamas from midEATS. You can sort of see it next to the dolmades (more on that later). By the way, did you know it's next to impossible to find some dried or canned fava beans around here? Seriously, I had to go to 4 stores and finally found them at Rose International Market, our local Middle Eastern market. I ended up adapting the recipes using dried fava beans -- turned out alright, a bit al dente but flavorful and pretty good.

Finally, I made some dolmades after we bought a jar of grape leaves at the farmer's market. I need a bit of practice wrapping the grape leaves tighter, but this turned out totally delicious -- by far the best item of the night. The recipe came from Tyler Florance (I know...) and it is a winner, if not a bit time consuming.

For dessert, we tried "frozen yogurt" made by Yonanas 902 Ice Cream Treat Maker. It's a bit of a misnomer, because technically, Yonanas makes mushed up frozen yogurt out of bananas. It's a pretty cool idea -- it grinds frozen bananas and other fruit into a mixture that has the texture and consistency of frozen yogurt. VB and I were both stunned that the product looks just like frozen yogurt. However, the product can turn a bit slimy (like mushed up bananas) after the mixture melts a little.

As for the taste, we added some frozen peaches and raspberries to the mixture. But this product is definitely for the banana lover in you, because even though it looks just like frozen yogurt, it still tastes like bananas. Also, I think there were some human errors involved -- the product required ripe bananas and mine were not quite as ripe. I wonder if I had riper bananas, the end result would be sweeter and of a better mouth feel and consistency. That means, we have to try this one again sometime soon! With ripe bananas, next time. I do think that this can potentially be a great product for vegans and others who want to enjoy a frozen treat without dairy or artificial products.

Vegan Moussaka

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My first vegan moussaka attempt ended in failure. The problem was making a good vegan bechamel sauce without it tasting so soy-y. I think this time I managed to make a decent vegan bechamel sauce with arrowroot powder, which gave it the thick, saucy consistency that I was looking for. Also I cut back on the use of soy products so that it wouldn't taste like... well, soy products.

For this (not so photogenic) vegan moussaka, you will need:

• 3 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 medium yellow onion, medium diced
• 1 spring fresh oregano, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pint brown button mushrooms, quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing
• salt to taste
• 1 portion vegan bechamel sauce, recipe below

For vegan bechamel sauce, you will need:

• 5 tablespoons butter substitute (I used Earth Balance)
• 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder (if arrowroot powder is hard to find, use 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour)
• 1 1/2 cups non-dairy, non-soy milk (I used almond milk, but there is a variety of options on the market, like coconut milk, rice milk, and hemp milk)
• 4 tablespoons non-dairy cream cheese (I used Tofutti)
• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• salt to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Rub sliced eggplants on both sides with olive oil and place on baking sheet. Alternatively, you can also spray both sides of sliced eggplant with non-stick spray. Roast for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a medium pot, heat up 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Sautee diced onion until translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and minced oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and stir until softened, about 3 minutes. Add ground allspice, ground cloves and ground cinnamon. Stir a few times. Add vegetable stock, cannellini beans and dice tomatoes. Season with salt. Turn heat up high until mixture boils. Turn heat back down to medium and allow it to boil, uncovered, until mixture reduces and thickens, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

In a saucepan, melt 5 tablespoons butter substitute over medium heat. Sprinkle in arrowroot powder or all purpose flour and whisk vigorously until all the dry ingredient is incorporated and the mixture thickens. While whisking, slowly pour in non-dairy, non-soy milk. Bring sauce to boil. Turn down the heat and allow mixture to simmer. Whisk in non-dairy cream cheese and freshly grated nutmeg. Allow mixture to simmer for 5 minutes while whisking.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray baking dish with non-stick spray. Line the bottom of the dish with eggplant slices. Pour about half of the bean mixture on top. Spread out evenly. Top with another layer of eggplant slices. Pour and spread the remainder of the bean mixture. Top with another layer of eggplant slices. Pour vegan bechamel sauce over the top and spread it out evenly. Bake for 35 minutes. Broil on high for an additional 3 to 5 minutes to brown the top. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Greek Spiced Tomato Stewed Beans

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This is my take on gigantes plakes, Greek tomato-y baked beans of sorts. We've had the real deal at Evvia and Kokkari several times and it's always delicious. So much so that sometimes I dream about it. My take is delicious and curbs my cravings a bit, although not quite restaurant quality (obviously). I used dried cannellini beans instead of gigantes beans because gigantes beans are a bit hard to find. I'm sure if I went to a Greek specialty store, they would have it. But I couldn't find it at my local Whole Foods. I like gigantes beans better for the recipe because, well, it's giant (as the name implies). And who doesn't like giant beans? But cannellini is fine in a pinch. Cannellini beans have thicker skin, which takes away from the creaminess of the dish. Like I said, it's okay in a pinch. I may try lima beans next time.

You'll need:

• 1 pound gigantes beans, lima beans or cannellini beans
• 1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 big pinch of red pepper flakes
• 3 sprigs dill, stem removed and rough chopped
• 1 26-ounce can skinless whole tomatoes, pureed into sauce
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt to taste
• crumbled feta (optional)

Soak beans in water overnight. Drain and add beans and Bay leaf to a large pot, add enough water to cover beans completely. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring water to boil. Cover, reduce to simmer. Cook until beans are tender but not falling part, about 45 minutes. Drain, set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Saute diced onion and red pepper flakes in olive oil in an oven-proof pot over medium low heat until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, dried oregano, cinnamon stick and dill and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to boil. Gently stir beans back into the pot. You want to keep the beans as whole as possible. Cover pot and bake for 30 minutes. Serve over some crusty toasted bread with crumbled feta on top, if desired.