Hot Pepper Paste

The growing season is in full gear and the two hot pepper plants are producing more peppers than I know what to do with.  I don't want to waste a single one, so I thought why not try to make pepper paste and freeze it. 

Here's what I did:

1. Rinse the peppers thoroughly and let air dry (or dry with a cloth)
2. Snap the top of the pepper off (the stem)
3. Place all peppers in the food processor
4. Pulse until peppers are finely minced
5. Add olive oil to get the desired consistency
6. Drop onto a cookie sheet covered in wax paper with a 1/2 teaspoon
7. Freeze for a couple of hours 
8. Remove from the waxed paper and place in a freezer safe container

These peppers have proven to be excellent in tofu tacos, rice and beans, I have even used them to kick up the spice in my taco salad.   The pepper paste will be good in the freezer for 6-8 months in an air tight freezer safe container.  I plan on using the paste in the cooler months to heat up my dishes a bit.  

Taco Salad

Salad is a great dinner option for those of us that don't eat meat, but this healthy meal can easily be turned hearty with a few additions.  Just like any good salad, the base of the dish is leafy greens.

This year we grew three types of lettuce in our garden for variety and flavor.  I planted leafy green seedlings, two butter leaf lettuce plants and two green leaf lettuce plants that were purchased from the local garden shop.  I selected the species of lettuce that are good for harvesting individual leaves instead of the entire head of lettuce.  This option allows for continual harvesting for most of the season.  Chris & I love the garden lettuce so much that when the spinach plants were past harvest, I planted a late crop of mixed lettuce seeds in their place.  In New York, lettuce can be grown well into September and possibly October depending on the weather.

Once you have selected your favorite type of lettuce its time to prepare the rest of the salad fixings.

Servings: 4 
Salad Ingredients
Black Olives (sliced)
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 cup diced tomatoes
14 ounces of black beans, pinto beans, or vegetarian re-fried beans
Whole grain tortilla chips (or your favorite variety)
2 cups of shredded lettuce
1 avocado cubed

Dressing Ingredients
Juice of 1 medium lime
1 tsp chili powder
1 crushed garlic clove
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil


Directions


For Dressing
In a small bowl combine the lime juice, chili powder, garlic, salt and pepper and stir.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil to emulsify the dressing.  This will allow the lime juice and oil to combine in a smooth dressing.  Let the flavors combine for about 10 minutes then whisk again.  While you let the dressing set, start on the rest of the salad.

Chili Lime Vinaigrette 

For Salad
In a medium bowl combine the black olives, onion, and diced tomatoes, mix well.  Add the dressing to the mixture and stir.  Let the salad ingredients marinate for at least 20 minutes stirring occasionally.  You can let the mixture sit for up to 1 hour and refrigerate, this will bring the juices of the tomatoes out and the flavors will combine nicely.




Once your salad mixture is done marinating heat the beans to cook them.  While the beans are cooking, create a border on the plate with tortilla chips.  In the center of the chip border place 1/4 of the shredded lettuce.  Spoon beans around the edge of the lettuce.  Spoon 1/4 of the salad mixture onto the lettuce bed.  Add diced avocado to the top of the salad.

Vegan Pesto

Chris and I planted three sweet basil plants this year in our garden.  Initially, I had started all three out as seedlings, but only one survived.  So to replace the lost two we purchased plants from our local garden store (at about $3 each).  I am proud to say the surviving seedling is doing just as well as the hearty plants we purchased later in the season and all three bushes have produced an over abundance of aromatic leaves.


In June, we harvested small amounts of larger leaves for our nightly recipes.  However, with the hot July sun, we quickly found ourselves overwhelmed with basil bushes nearing 3 feet tall.  What to do with all this basil?  


PESTO!  Cheese free of course, since both Chris & I don't consume dairy products.

1/2 of the harvested basil from our garden. 

I didn't want to harm the remaining plant and hinder new growth, so I cut the basil stalks with precision.  I carefully snipped just above the node of new leaves on the stem.  This will allow the remaining plant to mature to full foliage.  Since we had so much basil to harvest, the bushes were still full enough to survive.  

Chris picked through the leaves pulling out any wilted parts.  After rinsing with cold water and allowing to air dry, the basil was ready for pesto! 

Vegan Pesto Recipe

Serving size: 1/2 pint, recipe makes 4 servings


Tools
Food Processor (or blender)
Sharp knife
measuring cup and spoons


Ingredients
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 cloves of garlic
4-5 cups of fresh basil leaves (stems removed)
1/4 - 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 package of firm tofu (drained & cubed)


Directions
In a food processor, pulse the pine nuts until crumbled.  Be careful not to process too long as the nuts will turn to a paste that is not desirable for this recipe. Once processed, set the nuts aside in a small dish. 


Pulse the garlic until minced.  In handfuls, add the basil to the garlic until the basil is minced.  Slowly incorporate 1/2 of the oil as you work in the basil.  Once all of the basil is processed, slowly add cubes of tofu one handful at a time.  Mix in the remaining olive oil.  If the mixture  is too thick add a small amount of olive oil until desired texture is reached.  


Transfer the processed mixture to a large bowl.  Fold in the pine nuts, salt and pepper.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  


If you are using the pesto right away, cook the pasta according to package directions and then add pesto.

We froze half of the pesto to enjoy later in the year.  To safely freeze the sauce, we used a 1 pint mason jar. After adding the mixture, make sure to tap the container on a solid surface, this will bring any air bubbles to the surface.  Leave some headroom at the top of the jar if you plan on freezing it to allow for expansion.