Vegan lunch bowls for the next three days contain spinach with salt and red pepper flakes, roasted millet, kidney beans, and cauliflower white sauce. Rolling in at 16-17 grams protein per lunch…I think I’ll manage. The millet and bean combo provide a complete protein, and the fiber content is about equal to the protein, which is an added bonus. Oh yeah…my lunch is ready for the rest of the week, and that is the BEST! Happy vegan adventures, my friends!

  
Or…inspiration for vegan butter chicken. But back to the original for now! This gem from The Plantpower Way shines with the addition of cacao nibs…an admitted first for me. Prep starts with blackened cherry tomatoes. 

  
And continues with a high speed blender, basil, pine nuts, Brazil nuts, and sun-dried tomatoes…and a few other essentials…see book p. 212. 

  
Couldn’t be much easier…sauce is piping hot from the blackened tomatoes, and it can be poured over pasta and tossed to combine. 

  
This dish garnered thumbs up from me and “okay” from my son. It may appeal more to the adult palate. The interesting thing…and maybe more interesting than the original, is that this sauce reminds me of butter chicken tomato cream sauce. I’m not crazy about pasta in general (sad but true), and I can see this with some browned tofu or even mushrooms over rice. A bit of naan bread on the side….yum! If you go that route, fill me in. 

  
If you have your own copy of The Plant Power Way, you know that the photos are gorgeous. Mine don’t do them justice, but that doesn’t stop me from posting them. This is a blog of the journey, and it’s real. This afternoon I looked at the photo of the “Grilled Veggie Salad” on page 173, and felt inspired to make it. But the “Roasted Corn and Tomato Salad” on the next page looked appetizing as well, and since I’m not too concerned with following rules in the kitchen, I decided to marry the two, although I used the “Grilled Veggie Salad” prep as the base. 

The recipe calls for using a wok or cast iron skillet to blacken the veggies, and my photos show the process for zucchini, yellow squash, and corn. Note that the corn was microwaved in the husk before I put it in the wok (yeah, yeah, forty lashes with a wet noodle for microwaving a vegetable again). Whether you agree with the method or not, I have to say it’s fast and effective! Could you just blacken the vegetables on a grill? Of course! You’re the chef…make a decision and go with it. Another confession…if I were perfect, you’d see a red bell pepper in the finished product instead yellow. Did I let imperfection stop me? No, and neither should you. Life is too short to get hung up on minor details.

   
   
While the vegetables are blackening (corn first, because you’ll need to let it cool to handle it), work on the “Classic Dijon Honey Dressing,” p. 112. This one is a winner for any salad or vegetable in my opinion…no oil and a blast of flavor. Spend a few extra pennies and get Grey Poupon or another quality Dijon…you won’t be sorry.

  
Here’s the interesting part — pour the dressing in the bottom of a large bowl and cut the corn into the bowl. Add the rest of the grilled veggies…cut into chunks. Mix lightly with your hands. If you disregard rules like I do, add in tomato and basil and toss lightly again with your hands. The entire mixture can now be mixed with torn or chopped romaine. Top off with avocado and cracked pepper, and your tastebuds will rejoice. I chose to store the veggies separately from the lettuce and only mix one portion, as I have leftovers.

   
   
Verdict — a true summer winner! Have I mentioned that I love leftovers? This will keep me happy for another day or two. If you try it, please share your photos and opinions!