Ashley Simone of Zesty Catering joined the library virtually for a cooking class in July. Check out the recipe below along with other books to help explain sustainable cooking.
Reading List:
The Vegan Meat Cookbook by Isabel Minunni
How to Grill Everything by Mark Bittman
Grilling Vegan Style by John Schlimm
Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry
VBQ: The Ultimate Vegan Barbecue Cookbook by Nadine Horn and Jorg Mayer
Great Vegan Meals for the Carnivorous Family by Amanda Logan
Recipes from Chef Ashley Simone of Zesty Catering 2021
Quinoa Chickpea Veggie Burgers (makes 4-5 burgers)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup finely chopped onions
½ cup finely chopped carrots
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¾- 1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Dash cayenne
1 egg (or 1 TB flaxseed meal mixed with 1 ½ TB water)
Directions
Saute in sauté pan over medium heat the olive oil with the onions, carrots and garlic.
Saute for 5-6 minutes to vegetables are soft and translucent. Set aside
Put chickpeas in bowl and mash with a potato masher (or with hands). Add in quinoa,
tarragon, parsley, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Mix with hands (or spoon)
till well incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Mix in egg. Form into 4-5
patties. Set in fridge to chill at least 15 minutes.
Set grill on Medium High flame and let warm up for 10 minutes or so. Oil grill grates
well. You can grill them on an oiled grill pan over the flames as well.
Grill veggie burger for 3 minutes or so each side. Be careful when flipping them, so they
don’t fall apart. Grill so there are nice grill marks on each side.
Enjoy the veggie burger on a bun with toppings of your favorite toppings, including the
Spicy Mayonnaise.
Spicy Mayonnaise
Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise (can sub vegan mayonnaise as well)
3 tablespoons Sriracha Chili Sauce
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Dash lemon juice
Directions
Combine ingredients till incorporated.
Spread on bun for your favorite veggie burger or use a tasty garnish for other delicious
foods.
Grilled Marinated Vegetable Platter
Marinade:
(makes a little over 1 cup marinade)
½ cup Soy sauce
½ cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 cloves Chopped garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon Red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Vegetables (choose all or some of these):
Zucchini
Yellow summer squash
Eggplant
Large portabella mushrooms
Colorful bell peppers
Asparagus
Red Onion
Garnish:
Handful Crumbled goat cheese or vegan crumbling cheese (1/4 cup to ¾ cup depending on how
many vegetables you grill)
1- 2 tablespoons Fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
-Mix all the marinade ingredients and set aside
Slice the vegetables length wise in long strips for grilling.
-Put marinade and vegetables in either plastic container
with lid or Ziploc baggie. Shake so the vegetables are fully coated with
marinade. Let sit at least 20 minutes and up to an hour and a half in the
marinade in the fridge.
-Grill vegetables over a high flame for a few minutes on either side, till lovely
grill marks appear and the vegetables are cooked. Set aside.
-Cut vegetables in shapes with points. Cutting on the diagonal or in triangles is
good.
-Assemble vegetables on platter with pretty points facing up
or however your creativity decides. Can be served warm or
room temp. Top with crumbled goat cheese and chopped
parsley. Enjoy!
Download a PDF of the recipe here
To learn more about Ashley and Zesty Catering, go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/690309335128530
Behind the scene photos (photo credit: Etta Worthington)\
