Cannellini Bean and Asparagus Salad with Mushrooms

After an uncommonly cool spring, it is suddenly blazing hot here in southwestern Ontario. So this means that salads are in order, both to cool and refresh the palate and to avoid hovering over a hot stove for lengthy periods of time. This sudden heat wave also happens to coincide with the beginning of asparagus season here, and that happens to be my husband's favorite vegetable.

Asparagus is delicious on its own with just a little lemon juice and salt, of course, but it also pairs wonderfully with simple flavors as a backdrop — think potatoes, for example. For this salad, tender cannellini beans serve as the backdrop to a serving of lightly steamed crunchy asparagus tossed in a lively and creamy lemon, tarragon and grainy mustard dressing. And mushrooms are my weakness, so I added them into the mix. It all comes together for a simple but elegant and satisfying summer meal, served up with some crusty bread.

Cannellini Bean and Asparagus Salad with Mushrooms

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on May 27, 2016 Refreshing and elegant summer white bean salad with fresh crunchy asparagus and sautéed mushrooms tossed in a lemony mustard and tarragon dressing Print this recipe Salad: 1 1/4 cups dried cannellini (white kidney) beans (3 3/4 cups cooked) handful of dried curry leaves, crumbled (or 1 bay leaf) 1 lb (1 bunch or 450 g) asparagus 2 teaspoons olive oil 8 large white mushrooms, sliced Dressing: 1/4 cup fresh tarragon 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) 1/2 cup olive oil 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon or grain mustard, to taste 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste fresh cracked black pepper to taste Instructions: Rinse the cannellini beans and soak for 8 hours or overnight in several inches of water. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium saucepan and cover with fresh water. Add the curry leaves or bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour or until the beans are tender but not falling apart. Drain and transfer to a large salad bowl. Meanwhile, snap the woody ends off of the asparagus spears and steam the spears for 6 minutes or until just tender but still retaining their crunch. Transfer to the salad bowl. Now cook the mushrooms. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. As soon as the oil is hot, drop in the mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to brown and lose some of their liquid. Transfer to the bowl with the asparagus. To make the dressing, combine the tarragon, lemon zest, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and mustard in a small food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Pour the dressing over the salad, season with salt and pepper, and toss. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Makes 4 to 6 servings

This is my contribution to No Croutons Required. A monthly event showcasing vegetarian soups and salads, alternately hosted by Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes and myself. It is my turn to host this month.

Other salads to enjoy this summer:
Chickpea Salad with Vegan Mayonnaise
Black Bean Salad with Fresh Mango and a Chaat Masala Dressing
Classic Greek Salad Revisited
Thai Coconut Mango Quinoa Salad

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Vegan Cauliflower and Broccoli Mornay

I haven't made broccoli Mornay for ages, but it's a classic baked cheese and vegetable casserole. Oddly enough, though, I dreamed about this dish the other night, giving me an instant craving. But this time around, I wasn't content to make the classic Cheddar version … too much cheese has proved not to be too good for my tummy these days. But I've had terrific success lately "veganizing" old cheese-and-vegetable standards with the help of sauces made with cashews and nutritional yeast. These are a marvelous substitute for cheese, and far better in every way than rubbery vegan cheese-like products made from soy!

I was especially delighted with the result, and so were my dinner companions who thought it might have been even better than the original Cheddar version. This creamy casserole topped with a golden crunchy cornmeal and chopped nut topping ended up tasting cheesy without any actual cheese. It's an ideal side vegetable dish, especially when served with plump goat cheese biscuits. Rice is also a good choice, along with your favorite legume dish.

Vegan Cauliflower and Broccoli Mornay

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on May 16, 2016 A vegan version of the classic cheesy baked broccoli and cauliflower casserole dish topped with a crunchy golden cornmeal and nut topping Print this recipe Vegetables: 2 tablespoons coconut or sesame oil 1 large head broccoli, stems pared and sliced and head cut into florets 1 large head cauliflower, stems pared and sliced and head cut into florets 2 medium carrots, sliced 8 button or cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped Cashew sauce: 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 2 hours then drained 3 1/2 cups almond milk juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) 1/2 cup nutritional yeast 2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste 1/2 cup coconut oil 1/4 cup chickpea flour (besan) or whole wheat flour Topping: 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil or sesame oil 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 1/2 cup pine nuts or sliced almonds 1/4 cup nutritional yeast Instructions: Prepare the vegetables by heating the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, and sauté until just tender. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for another few minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled large casserole dish. To make the sauce, combine the cashews with 1 cup of the almond milk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding a little more almond milk as necessary. In a medium saucepan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Stir in the flour and gradually add the remaining almond milk and whisk until thickened. Stir in the cashew paste and stir to thicken for another few minutes. Remove from heat and stir into the vegetables in the casserole dish. To make the topping, combine the melted coconut oil or sesame oil, cornmeal, pine nuts or sliced almonds and nutritional yeast in a medium bowl. Spread evenly over top the vegetables. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the topping is golden and the casserole has thickened. Let sit for 10 minutes and serve hot. Makes 6 to 8 servings

I'm sharing this with Jac's weekly Meat Free Mondays event.

Other casseroles to enjoy from my kitchen:
Creamy Chickpea, Mushroom and Brown Rice Casserole
Azuki Bean Casserole
Southern-Style Eggplant and Potato Casserole with Chickpeas
Gigantes Bean Tomato Casserole

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Red Kidney Bean Jambalaya

This thick and hearty vegetable stew is a vegetarian version of the classic spicy Cajun jambalaya stew loaded with red kidney beans, brown rice and plenty of vegetables. And once the beans are cooked, it's essentially a simple one-pot meal with everything you need for a complete meal. The Cajun blend of herbs really complements everything in the dish and it makes a fair amount too so you can share with friends and have leftovers besides. Adjust the hot sauce according to taste, and be sure not to skip the liquid smoke as it adds an essential flavor.

Red Kidney Bean Jambalaya

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: American South Published on May 6, 2016 Thick and hearty, spicy and smoky vegetarian version of Cajun jambalaya loaded with kidney beans, brown rice and plenty of vegetables Print this recipe Ingredients: 2/3 cup dried kidney beans (2 cups cooked) 2/3 cup dried brown rice (2 cups cooked) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small white or red onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 2 medium carrots, sliced 2 stalks celery, sliced a few handfuls of green beans, chopped 2 medium tomatoes, diced 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 medium eggplant, chopped 2 teaspoons ground sage 2 teaspoons dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried marjoram 1 teaspoon celery seed 3 cups vegetable stock 1/2 to 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, to taste 1 teaspoon sriracha or other hot sauce 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste fresh ground black pepper Instructions: Rinse the kidney beans and brown rice separately. Cover the kidney beans with water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. In a separate bowl, cover the brown rice with water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse the kidney beans, then transfer to a medium saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour or until just tender but not falling apart. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Now add the garlic, carrots, celery and green beans, and stir for another 5 minutes. Next add the tomatoes, red pepper, eggplant, sage, thyme, marjoram and celery seed, and continue to stir for another few minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock, liquid smoke, rice and the cooked kidney beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until the rice is tender. Add water as necessary if the stew becomes too dry. Season with sriracha, salt and pepper, and taste for seasoning — add more liquid smoke, sriracha, salt, pepper or herbs as desired. Makes 6 servings

I'm sharing this with Jac's weekly Meat Free Mondays event.

Other kidney bean dishes to enjoy from my kitchen:
Kidney Bean Curry ( Rajma )
Spicy Kidney Bean and Chickpea Stew
Thai Coconut Mushroom Soup with Kidney Beans
Vegetarian Jamaican Patties

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No Croutons Required - Calling out for Vegetarian Soups and Salads

It's my turn to host No Croutons Required this month. Alternately hosted by my good friend Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes and Lisa's Kitchen, this event features vegetarian soups and salads.

It seems spring has finally arrived, so I expect we will be seeing more salads than soups, but those bloggers rolling into cooler temperatures will perhaps submit some soups.

It is easy to take part. Simply post a soup or salad on your blog. The few rules are only one submission per blogger and it must be vegetarian. Please link back to this announcement, Lisa's Kitchen and also Jacqueline's blog.

Then, add your recipe using the linky tool at the end of this post. Very much looking forward to all of the inspired creations this time around.

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