My New Favorite Recipe - Double Bean Taco Salad with Creamy Chipotle Ranch Dressing ala Candle Cafe
Me: OMG! This is really really good!
My Husband: This is really really good!
The Healthy Librarian taste-testers at work: This is really really delicious! I want that recipe!!
So here it is!
If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links.
The back-story:
Mary, my not-so-newbie-plant-based cooking-maven librarian buddy at work is always borrowing vegan cookbooks from the library & sharing them with me. This is why you really need your friends to join you on this cooking adventure! Recipes and cooking tips!!
But, "The Candle Cafe Cookbook" sat on my desk for 2 weeks--before I had a chance to look at it. When Mary finally told me it was due back the next day, I leafed through it, copied down 5 recipes--and decided to borrow the book myself.
News Flash! Just found out that the Candle Cafe has a brand-new cookbook coming out on November 1, 2011: Candle 79 Cookbook: Modern Vegan Classics from New York's Premier Sustainable Restaurant. Stay-tuned.
What's the big deal about the Candle Cafe?
It's an award-winning farm-to-table vegan restaurant located in New York City. Amazing creative fare. Last November, I lunched at its uptown location, Candle 79, and was in food heaven. Even omnivore son #2 loved it, too! So that tells you something.
Is it no-oil? Of course not, silly. But, any resourceful plant-based no-oil cook worth her "salt!@#!!" can easily modify recipes to ditch the fat. Well, at least most of the time.
So...my first experiment was with the Candle Cafe's "Creamy Chipotle Ranch Dressing". I am absolutely 100% head-over-heels for chipotle. And I couldn't believe how easy this dressing was to put together.
The Healthy Librarian's Enlightened Version of the Candle Cafe's Creamy Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Note: I followed their directions & used 1 dried chipotle pepper--not the stuff in the can. I cut out the 1/4 cup of safflower oil--& subbed in more tofu. I eliminated the 2 TBS of chopped onion (I'm not a raw onion kinda gal), and only used 3 TBS of chopped shallots, instead of the whole shallot the recipe called for! I've made versions of the dressing with regular & smoked paprika--& smoked is very hot--I liked it--you might not!
I could eat this dressing with a spoon--it's that delicious!
And it's not just for salads. Use it as a sandwich or veggie burger spread, on top of potatoes, or as a vegetable dip.
Creamy Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Click here for the recipe on one page
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients:
10.5 ounces of Mori-Nu Silken firm low-fat tofu (or take out 4 tablespoons from the package & use it to make my Enlightened Lemon Tahini Dressing to top Chickpea & Spinach Burgers!)
1/2 tsp. nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (I wanted this to be easy, so I used Santa Cruz's bottled organic real lemon juice) Note: I bet lime juice would be good, too!
1 1/2 teaspoons agave, or brown rice syrup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 dried chipotle (I found this at my regular grocery store--if you're "heat"-sensitive, start with a half, & then add more.
3 tablespoons of chopped shallots (I've really grown to love this delicate onion-like veg)
1/2 teaspoon of salt (or not)
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
1/4 teaspoon of paprika (I think this is for color---I also made it with smoked paprika, which makes it spicier--but we liked it that way. Consider yourself warned....)
1 fresh garlic clove, minced
Preparation:
Put everything into your blender or Vita-Mix and blend until it's all smooth. Taste it--and adjust the seasoning. If you don't like things too hot, use less chipotle to start, taste, and then add more
This dressing keeps in the refrigerator, covered well, for a week. Serve chilled.
Nutrition Info based on a generous 1/4 (aka 4 TBS) cup serving
Nutrition Facts
Healthy Librarian's/Candle Cafe
Creamy Chipotle "Ranch" Dressing 1/4 cup servings |
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Serving Size: 1 serving
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Amount Per Serving | |||||
Calories | 18 | ||||
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Total Fat | 0.3g | ||||
Saturated Fat | 0.1g | ||||
Trans Fat | 0g | ||||
Cholesterol | 0mg | ||||
Sodium | 32mg | ||||
Carbohydrate | 1.2g | ||||
Dietary Fiber | 0g | ||||
Sugars | 0.2g | ||||
Protein | 2.5g | ||||
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Calling All Creative Cooks! That Means You!
I think this recipe lends itself to one heck of a template for other salad dressings.
Leave out the chipotle pepper, and throw in tarragon & more lemon juice & lemon zest--or add lime juice, garlic, & cilantro--or a pesto with walnuts, basil, & nutritional yeast--or leave out the onions & throw in mango or berries or go Asian with soy, garlic, & ginger. The possibilities are endless.
Any takers on coming up with some other mix-ups using this tofu template?
And Now for the Taco Salad
After I made the chipotle dressing I decided to use it on a super-quick dinner. Now, what would that look like?
I also wanted something high in protein. After a hard exercise day, I figured I could use some serious bean protein---that's where the Double Bean (soy & black/or pinto beans) Taco Salad comes in.
The Back Story:
Lately, I'm a serious fan of MATCH--the faux meat. I won't bore you with the details--you can read all about it here & learn why I'm am not so squeamish about this faux: Meet My Favorite Fauxs - MATCH Grilled Burgers, Italian Meatballs & Field Roast Gourmet Sausages - Plus, Garlicky Roasted Broccoli, Chickpeas, Potatoes with Chorizo .
Fair warning to heart patients: This product is used at the Pritikin Centers--but it wouldn't meet Dr. Esselstyn's criteria.
It's only available in select cities or online. (now at Mustard Seed in Solon, OH, but they only carry the "beef" variety)
No fears! Faux "meat" isn't for you? Not a problem. I've got options for you.
You don't need MATCH to make this taco salad. Substitute lentils (TJ's already cooked, or cook your own), use canned beans, my All-American Chili Recipe (no soy here) or use other fakes, like Happy Herbivore's TVP (textured vegetable protein recipe), soy crumbles, Gimme Lean, Yves, or TJ's newest "Beef-less Ground Beef". You've got options.
Besides--the dressing is the real star of this show!
The Healthy Librarian's Favorite Double Bean Taco Salad with Enlightened Candle Cafe's Creamy Chipotle Ranch Dressing
The Salad
The MATCH Taco Mixture
Left-Overs Packed for Work
The Healthy Librarian's Double Bean Taco Salad with Creamy Chipotle Ranch Dressing ala Candle Cafe
Click here for a copy of the recipe on one page.
Serves 5 very generously
Ingredients:
1 pound package of MATCH Ground Beef without the Meat Plant Protein, thawed
(or substitute an equivalent amount of cooked lentils, beans, or other faux ground beef--or just use my All-American All-Bean Chili recipe--the seasonings are already part of the recipe)
1/4 cup of low-sodium vegetable broth for sauteeing ONLY!!
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. chipotle powder (can substitute cayenne or red pepper flakes)
2 fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pinch of cinnamon
1 tsp. brown sugar (or other sweetener) More if you like a sweeter mix.
salt to taste (or leave out)
1 14.5 ounce of Muir Glen Fire-Roasted Tomatoes crushed (if you want more heat, use their tomatoes with green chilis) (NOTE: If you like your taco "meat" on the dry side, use just one cup + 2 TBS. of the crushed tomatoes--but I now use the whole can & let it cook a bit longer to absorb any liquid. Your choice.)
4 cups of chopped romaine lettuce per salad (Romaine is now my new fave salad green--crunchy & stays fresh longer)
1 can of drained & rinsed black or pinto beans to sprinkle top of the salads
1 cup of frozen corn (I like TJ's roasted corn) to sprinkle on top of the salads
Lots of fresh chopped tomatoes to sprinkle on top of the salads
Black olives or a little bit of avocado are optional. (not included in nutritional count)
1 recipe of the Creamy Chipotle Dressing
Preparation:
1. Heat up about 2 TBS. vegetable broth in a large skillet over medium heat
2. Warm up the MATCH, crumbling with your spatula.
3. When the MATCH is heated through, about 5 minutes, add the garlic, & all the seasonings & mix well.
4. Add the can of crushed tomatoes--or start with just 1 cup, and add more as needed to give you just the kind of taco "meat" dryness or wetness you like.
5. Heat as long as necessary to blend the seasonings, and absorb the liquid of the crushed tomatoes. Taste, and adjust the seasonings. You might want a little more sweetness from the brown sugar, or heat.
6. Arrange the romaine on salad plates. Top each one with a 1/5 of the taco "meat", some black/or pinto beans, tomatoes, & thawed corn.
7. Use as much dressing as you like--it's so low-fat--but I figured about 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) per serving.
8. Refrigerate for delicious leftovers for lunch or dinner.
Nutritional Info Based on 1/5 serving of the salad & 4 tablespoons of dressing
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Interesting Links to Share - But Not Enough Time to Blog About
This just in from Charles K:
What Causes Alzheimer’s?
Me and my shadow: Is your sunshine the "right" sunshine for vitamin D production? A simple way to tell if it's the right time of day to get enough vitamin D from the sun in your part of the country.
This just in from the New York Times:
Five Easy Steps to Stanch the Email Flood. I'm happy to report I've been using this method for a long time--& it works for me. So what if I have an email box that's filled with thousands of emails. I can usually find what I'm looking for!
This just in from my husband aka the Lab Rat:
Check out the expert-packed line-up of speakers at the November 11-13, 2011 Wellness Forum's 15th Anniversary Fall Health Conference in Columbus, Ohio. And I won the door prize last Fall for the free ticket to this year's event. Includes all plant-based no-oil meals--and Chef Del's cooking really rocks!
This just in from me:
Be sure to visit the best new site for research-backed nutrition info: NutritionFacts.org. Apologies for taking so long to tell you about this fantastic new website that was just launched mid-August 2011.
It's produced by Dr. Michael Greger, a physician, author, & internationally known speaker on public health issues. Once you start watching, you won't be able to stop! Check out NutritionFacts. org
And a big thank you to Dr. Greger for correcting his information on chlorella after 2 HHLL readers (Chris G. & Ben S.) provided him with updated info on the safety of chlorella. Here's what I'm talking about. Read Dr. G's comment below the video. Dr. G, CG, & Ben S. rock!
UPCOMING:
The Lab Rat has put together a fantastic post on sprouting.
The Lab Rat & I want to show off our newly-organized pantry & "fruit & nut" drawer (note to my kids--you won't believe the transformation)--all done on the cheap in just one afternoon. LR has an "uncanny" ability to match up just the right-sized container to hold any size bag or box of beans, or rice, or grains, or flour. It's UNCANNY!
Seriously, all you cooking experts--help us all out with some salad dressing experiments of your own based on the Candle Cafe's silken tofu template. I'll be forever in your debt!
Do you know if the MATCH meat substitute is gluten free? Or does it uses the vital wheat gluten used in many fake meats?
Posted by: Carol | September 09, 2011 at 02:34 PM
Greetings!
I've been thoroughly enjoying your blog and find your research on the benefits of eating a plant-based diet quite helpful in warming up the rest of the family to this way of eating/living.
A quick question...I'm surprised at the inclusion of the canned tomatoes in some of your recipes given the tremendously high sodium content. I recently made the Taco Soup, which was delicious, but even with my substitution with one can of no-salt added diced tomatoes, I found the soup to be overly salty. What am I missing here? Maybe you've addressed this elsewhere already and I haven't come across it yet?
Thanks so much for your contributions to healthier eating in our home!
Posted by: Chell | September 09, 2011 at 03:07 PM
Carol, unfortunately MATCH has some gluten in it, like most of the fauxs. Even Isa & some other vegan cookbook authors use it, because it holds everything together. Which is pretty unfair to those who avoid gluten. I bet more companies will start considering a way to remove it.
Chell, yes, I admit it--I'm not salt-free. I buy the salt-free beans--and I think maybe Muir Glen has a no-salt variety but it's plain. For some recipes I'm hooked on the taste of the fire-roasted kind--which do have salt. Did you leave the salt out of the Torilla Soup, and use low-sodium veggie broth, and unsalted tortillas?
Posted by: The Healthy Librarian | September 09, 2011 at 03:26 PM
Definitely going to try it. Question on agave. I've noticed a lot of recipes use agave and I've seen it at the store. I'm building my small arsenal of healthful staples. I assume agave is a sugar substitute in these recipes. I currently have in my cupboard: white sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, can's of pineapple, and applesauce. I seldom use the first two and I'm working on eliminating them. Although sugar makes a good skin scrub, so it has a dual purpose :-)
Is agave syrup and agave nectar the same thing? If you had to select one, would you go for agave or brown rice syrup? Could honey be used instead?
I'm wondering if I can get by with just honey. I do give consideration that honey isn't plant based and the bees are in trouble. Our local farmers' market sells honey that is locally grown and they are trying to save the bees --- and plants need bees.
Do you like your Vita-Mix mixer? I've heard that it can also replace the kitchen food processor. Has that been your experiencing? ThxU
Posted by: dj | September 09, 2011 at 03:39 PM
I've been reading your blog for quite a while. It's nice to actually know some of the places you reference. I was excited to see (and follow) your link to the Wellness Forum. This is new to me, but we get to Columbus often, so I'm especially interested!
Posted by: Veggie V! @Veggie V's Vegan Adventure | September 09, 2011 at 06:55 PM
OK, this is not based on the silken tofu template, but here's my secret.
I take my favorite salad dressing recipes, like: (white miso dressing recipe on the back of the white miso container, honey and mustard, basic vinaigrette [olive oil, garlic, mustard powder, wine vinegar, a little salt, and honey], raspberry or plum vinaigrette, Eating Well's cilantro dressing) and slim them down by using fruits and/or veggies to thicken.
I do use olive oil (here's where you can substitute the silken tofu) but rachet it down from 3/4 cup to 1/3 cup per 1-cup or 1-1/2- cup batch, filling in with lemon juice and thickener.
My favorite thickener is cooked white sweet potato, but I have also used slices of roasted zucchini (great for pesto) or yellow summer squash, raw cuke, raw celery, and apple.
Blueberries, walnuts, balsamic vinegar, and a touch of sweetener make a great salad dressing.
Soaked dates blended with balsamic vinegar, walnuts, and seasonings (tarragon, mustard powder, maybe garlic) are also good.
Fresh herbs such as cilantro, parsley, and basil also thicken as well as providing a flavor base. I often blend as much as 1/4 to 1/3 cup hot water into these vegetable- or fruit-thickened dressings; they are thin at first but thicken up in the fridge.
Posted by: Jo M. | September 10, 2011 at 05:04 AM
OK Healthy Librarian-PLEASE put an asterisk on your prune article-the 10 to 12 prunes must be eaten within a “healthy” space of time--not all at once.
DO NOT DO what I did!!! I ate my 10 prunes within an hour and I paid for it. The last hour of the in-service ( i.e being in a public place) I was participating in was agony. Shades of colonoscopy.
Love the two bean taco salad-going to try it this weekend!
Posted by: Teacher Fan | September 10, 2011 at 05:08 AM
I like this post deb!
Good snappy cookbook material. Maybe some day?
Some of my friends who now follow you remark how prolific you have been!
Posted by: Your BIL | September 10, 2011 at 05:13 AM
DJ: Agave is a sweetener that's purportedly made from the cactus, but that's under dispute--it was (& for some still is) the darling of the sweetener world, because it's mostly fructose & supposedly didn't raise blood sugar & might be safe for diabetics. Not! Read more about that here: http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2009/04/agave.html
But, that said--it's not the whole story. Fructose (without fiber is still not good for us when it's separated from fruit--think high fructose corn syrup) Read this post (one of my favorites to get the low-down on sugar: http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2011/03/sugar.html)
I still use agave in small quantities as part of a recipe--a tsp. here, a tablespoon there, & maybe even a quarter of a cup.
I'm sure your honey would work out just fine in the chipotle recipe.
I've been using the same left-over box of brown sugar, too, for years, adding a tablespoon or so when a recipe calls for it.
I lean towards maple syrup as a recipe sweetener substitute--it's made where I live-and at least has some added nutrients to it. Read why here: http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2011/05/maple-syrup.html
For coffee (just 1 cup in the am) I sweeten with stevia.
I LOVE my Vita-Mix and use it 1-3 times a day now, going on 3 1/2 years.
Read more here: http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2008/12/money-well-spent.html
It's a high-powered blender that blends tough fruits & vegetables in a flash---it can do some things that a food processor can do--like make hummus & sauces--but it's not a substitute for a processor.
I still depend on my food processor for other jobs, because given its wide size and different blades, it's better for just cutting ingredients into small pieces & mixing ingredients without totally pulverizing them--I need them both!
Way more than you needed to do! Sorry
Posted by: The Healthy Librarian | September 10, 2011 at 05:40 AM
Jo M: Brilliant, thanks for your fabulous suggestions.
BIL: Totally value your discriminating critiques! LOL re the cookbook!!! Can't see that happening. Let me know if you try the chipotle dressing. Thanks for sharing the blog with your friends.
Teacher Fan: OY!!! So sorry about the "uncomfortable" (to say the least) afternoon on the loo. Guess the study's participants weren't getting near the fiber that us plant-based people are getting. Let me know if the problem goes away if you space the prunes out. Try eating just 5 a day. I'm putting "the warning" on the press release, ASAP!
Posted by: The Healthy Librarian | September 10, 2011 at 05:58 AM
Greetings from New Zealand:
OK Debby, I rose to your tofu template challenge!
I made a dressing with the following ingredients added to tofu: lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic cloves, tahini, white miso, pepper, low salt seasoning (I used Spike), and vinegars (white balsalmic and cider vinegar.
I tasted after each addition, and it was the apple cider vinegar that had me most excited: it gave the dressing a really old-fashioned traditional flavour.
I used tofu jelly, which is really soft, but I suspect I could have used a firmer tofu in the food processor, as the lemon juice etc waters it down considerably.
It was really good: we had it on a couscous salad that had cilantro, nuts and cucumber in it.
Posted by: Michelle R-B, New Zealand | September 11, 2011 at 05:35 AM
Dear Healthy Librarian: Can you speak to the economics of plant-based eating? It seems like there are plenty of special ingredients in vegan recipies. On the other hand, meat and dairy, especially organics, are expensive. What have you found since you adopted this lifestyle? Thanks!
Posted by: Stacy | September 14, 2011 at 07:09 AM
Your chipotle dressing sounds good and I'll try it the next time I get some silken tofu. (But I'm already thinking of what I can sub for the capers and shallots if I don't have them on hand! I tend to look at recipes for inspiration and then improvise.)
Years ago I used to make a simple sauce for baked potatoes with silken tofu, lemon juice, dillweed, and garlic (powder or fresh).
One of the most useful things I learned at a local cooking demo was how to put together a sauce or dressing. Laura Stec, who wrote the cookbook Cool Cuisine, said a sauce should contain a fat, an acid, a salt, and a sweet ingredient.
This helped me understand why the recipe for peanut sauce that I found on an alumni e-list tasted better than what I'd been using (adding garlic and ginger to peanut butter). The new improved peanut sauce contains peanut butter, rice vinegar, tamari, and agave syrup (lately I've been using feijoa ginger syrup that was intended to be marmalade, originally made with sucanat or organic sugar) as well as fresh ginger, chipotle powder, and toasted sesame oil. It's my favorite way to eat peanut butter and I use it mostly on kale and (for potlucks) pasta.
So in Candle Cafe's recipe, the tofu is the "fat." The only other fat ingredients I tend to use in sauces are tahini, peanut butter, and toasted sesame oil. For salt I use tamari, but I'd like to experiment with miso and bragg's aminos (and capers?). For acid, lemon or lime juice or vinegar -- or tomatoes. And for a sweetener I usually have agave syrup on hand, but would use maple syrup or even molasses where that would complement the other flavors.
Last week I made a red cabbage salad and used the same guidelines to make a simple dressing: 1T toasted sesame oil, 2T each balsamic vinegar, feijoa ginger syrup, and tamari, plus some fresh ginger. I used half a cabbage plus some celery (would have added carrots but ran out), and this amount was enough for the whole salad. Delicious! The dressing helped it keep for several days in the fridge.
Posted by: tanya | November 28, 2011 at 01:36 AM
Tanya,
Thanks for the very helpful deconstruction of a good sauce! Such excellent suggestions-and you're right--tofu & a few nuts serve as the fat of my low-fat sauces. I feel like you've given me better insight into creating a sauce template.
Posted by: The Healthy Librarian | November 28, 2011 at 03:45 AM