Vegan And Gluten-Free Antipasto Salad The Perfect Start To A Holiday Dinner

Everyone loves antipasto salad- A real holiday pleaser!

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Antipasto Salad
You know it's Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter when my cousin's all post pictures of their gorgeous antipastos. But this year, I'm leaning towards an antipasto salad. What's the difference you might ask? Well, an antipasto is usually a large platter with ingredients such as olives, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, etc., all laid out in a beautiful and creative fashion. If you're not vegan, you'll see provolone, bocconcini (small mozzarella balls) or chunks of salami on the platter as well. An antipasto salad has many of the same components but also has more raw salad ingredients such as cucumber, romaine lettuce, raw onions, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, and more, in a Italian dressing. I find the antipasto salad a little easier to serve and you don't have your guests picking out their favorite ingredients :-)
So for those of you coming to my Thanksgiving feast this year, expect to see a huge platter of this delicious vegan and gluten free antipasto salad!

Feel free to substitute your favorite fresh salad or olive bar ingredients for the ones listed in this recipe. Or just add more ingredients. At dinner last night, while consuming (and testing!) an entire platter of this salad, my husband mentioned that I left out radishes, his favorite. So we quickly cut up a bunch of them and threw them on! So if I left out something you love, please don't hesitate to make modifications.

Box Beans - A Healthy Alternative to Most Canned Beans 
My father's favorite antipasto ingredient was garbanzo beans. Even though he is no longer with us, I always include garbanzos in my holiday salad to make me feel like he's at the table.

When shopping for garbanzos this week, I was very excited to discover that Whole Foods now sells them and other beans in little boxes that are BPA free! BPA, or bisphenol-A, is an industrial chemical that is commonly found in the lining of cans. Beans are one of the only things that I still buy in cans so it is worrisome. There are companies, like Eden Foods, that make cans without a BPA lining but these companies are few and far between. BPA is an endocrine disruptor because it mimics the body's hormones and is linked to an increased risk of infertility, obesity, breast and other cancers. So if you can find these cute boxes of BPA-free beans, they are a better choice than canned beans that have BPA linings.

Whole Foods sells beans in boxes.
A great option when trying to avoid
BPA linings in canned goods.

      *                         *                          *

Antipasto Salad
Vegan and Gluten Free
[makes 8 servings]

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive or cold-pressed hemp oil (or a mixture of both)
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 large clove pressed or finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup sliced red onions
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup peeled, halved and sliced English cucumbers
1 cup seeded and sliced red bell pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup mixed, pitted marinated olives
1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 cup marinated button mushrooms
1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (15 oz can or 13 oz box)
1 large head of romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped

Mix the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Stir in the onions and let them marinate while you are preparing the remaining ingredients.

Let the onions marinate in the dressing while
you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Add the remaining ingredients and toss until well combined.

Spoon onto a large, shallow platter and serve.

A large shallow platter makes a nicer presentation
than a tall salad bowl.

Check out other healthy and delicious vegan and gluten-free Thanksgiving and holiday favorites. 

  

Black-Eyed Pea And Vegan Feta Salad On Romaine

Marinated tofu is the "dairy free" feta in this delicious salad.
Black-eyed peas are eaten on New Year's day for good luck!

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Happy New Year!!
I'd like to wish you all a happy and healthy 2013. Thanks for inspiring me every day with your interest in healthy eating! 

My Annual Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Recipe
If you have been following my blog for over a year, you know that I always eat black-eyed peas on New Year's day for good luck- a southern tradition I picked up while living in Texas many years ago. This year I'm making a delicious salad with "vegan feta".

If you marinate firm or extra firm tofu in lemon, oil, salt, pepper and oregano, it has the taste and appearance of feta cheese. So for those of you who need to be dairy free or who are just trying to cut down on cholesterol, this is a wonderful substitution. To get some inflammation-busting omega-3 fatty acid in this recipe, I use some hemp oil in the marinade. Its dark green and nutty flavor compliments the extra virgin olive oil.

Besides being a good source of omega-3, this recipe is high in protein and dietary fiber.

Tofu marinated in lemon, oil, and seasonings tastes like feta!

Black-Eyed Pea and Vegan Feta Salad

"Mostly Raw" Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]

For the dressing/marinade
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons cold pressed hemp oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
For the salad
1/2 block firm or extra firm tofu, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced or sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced or sliced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
12 pitted kalamata olives, cut in half
1 1/2 cups no salt added canned black-eyed peas, rinsed
2 small heads Romaine lettuce, sliced

Prepare the vegan feta. Mix the salad dressing ingredients in a large bowl until the salt is dissolved.
Add the tofu and toss gently until well coated. Set aside for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Make the salad. Add the rest of the salad ingredients, except the Romaine lettuce, to the bowl of marinated tofu. Toss gently until well coated. 

Divide the Romaine into four large bowls and place one quarter of the salad mixture over each bowl of lettuce. If you would rather mix the lettuce in the large bowl with the tofu before serving, you can do that too.
Serve immediately.

Per serving: 289 calories, 18 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.3 g omega-3 and 6 g omega-6 fatty acids, 12 g protein, 23 g carbohydrates, 6 g dietary fiber and 600 mg of sodium.

Fresh Figs With Arugula And Romaine - Raw Vegan And Gluten Free

This delicious raw salad uses very nutritious greens.

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Figs, Finally!
My friend and neighbor has the most wonderful fig tree. By the end of the summer we are usually swimming in big, juicy figs. This summer, for some reason, they never came. But yesterday, after much anticipation, I received a big bowl of this delicious fruit! If you are lucky enough to have access to local, fresh figs, here's a lovely salad to make with them.

You many remember my article on selecting salad greens that showed how arugula and romaine lettuce were among the most nutritious of all salad greens. This salad uses a combination of both.

Fresh Figs with Arugula and Romaine Lettuce
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[4 servings or 2 large entree-size servings]

For the salad dressing
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon raw honey or agave nectar *
1/4 teaspoon salt


For the salad
4 ounces baby arugula (4 handfuls)
Small head, hearts of romaine lettuce (8 ounces)
2 large fresh figs, cut vertically into 8 wedges
1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup raw English walnuts
Freshly ground black pepper


* I think the honey in this recipe tastes better than the agave nectar but for vegans who avoid honey, you can make it with agave.

Make the salad dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisking until they are well combined.

To make the salad, clean the greens and chop the romaine lettuce into bite-size pieces. 

Place the arugula, romaine lettuce and fig wedges in a large bowl. Add the desired amount of salad dressing and toss until well coated.

Divide the salad onto 2 to 4 plates. Top with the avocado slices and walnuts. Top with freshly ground black pepper, if desired, and serve.

Per serving (4 servings): 168 calories, 11 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 819 mg omega-3 and 3511 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 3 g protein, 24 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber and 161 mg sodium.