It's Summertime-Stay Cool

I'm here with a crowd husband pleasing dinner, that will have your family as my husband said..."put into a veggie coma."

Which I know he meant as a compliment seeing as how he had thirds on dinner last night.  This action is meant only as the highest praise, so I knew we had a winner here!  So what was it that we had for dinner?

I think summer meals are best kept light and fresh, and on a warm day there's nothing better than a cool salad.  This recipe was adapted from a book I recently picked up called Ripe From Around Here.  A book all about eating not just vegan but local, keeping things simple, sensible and seasonal.  And flavor is never compromised as you'll see with this recipe.  The hardest part is all of the chopping, but I promise it's worth your efforts!

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini, julienned
2 medium carrots, julienned
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 small bell peppers cut into bite-sized triangles (red and yellow)
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
1 cup bean sprouts

To Garnish:
tomato cut into small wedges
chopped cilantro
toasted cashews (to toast cashews add to a dry skillet set on medium to low heat, and stir consistently to prevent burning or over cooking.  Toast until golden brown.)

The Dressing:
1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
1 TBS. agave
3 TBS. soy sauce
juice of a lime
1 TBS. minced or grated fresh ginger
1 TBS. Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
up to 6 TBS. of water to help thin out dressing

Just add all of the contents of the dressing to a large measuring cup or tall bowl and whisk away.

Pour dressing over veggies just before serving, and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with desired garnishes.  And serve!  NOTE:  I did this step with each individual serving to assure the proper amount of dressing to vegetable, and so if there were leftovers they wouldn't get soggy in dressing.

Such a good way to enjoy your veggies and please even the toughest critics.  And I love all of the colors in this salad.  Who knew dinner could be so pretty.

Eat your veggies!