3 Plant-Based Summer Recipes from Chef Richard
Spice up your summer with these whole-food plant-based recipes. Easy to whip up and full of flavor & fresh ingredients, these dishes make great party pleasers or additions to your weekly meals. Chef Richard of Whole Harvest shares 3 of his favorite summer recipes.
Roasted Corn Salsa
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Fresh Corn off the Cob, approx. 4 ears of corn
- 1/4 cup Red Onion, Small Diced
- 1 Tbsp. Garlic, Minced
- 1 cup Black Beans, Rinsed
- 2 Tbsp. Green Onion, Thinly Sliced
- 1 tsp. Lime Zest
- 2 Tbsp. Lime Juice
- Coarse Kosher Salt To Taste
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. You will need approximately 4 ears of corn. Shuck and clean off as much corn silk as possible, Cut kernels off the cob until you get 2 cups of corn kernels. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Peel your onion and dice as small as possible. We will not be cooking very long so the smaller the dice the better.
4. Mix the corn kernels, red onion, and garlic together and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Place it in the oven and cook for approximately 10 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and once cooled, transfer to a mixing bowl.
6. Add the black beans and green onions to the mixing bowl with cooked ingredients from earlier. Mix well.
7. Zest the lime and measure out the desired amount. I like to add a little more to mine to zest it up.
8. Squeeze the same lime you zested to get the desired amount. Add both the lime zest and lime juice to the bowl and Mix well.
9. At this point give it a taste and, if needed, add your salt a little pinch at a time until desired taste is reached.
10. Let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to absorb all of the goodness.
11. Serve with your favorite dipping vessel.
Pro tip: If you want to spice it up a notch, add thinly sliced serranos to the mix.
Tomato-Basil Quinoa Salad
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Quinoa, Cooked
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
- 2 medium Heirloom Tomatoes, Quartered
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (quick drizzle)
- 1 tsp. Lemon Zest
- 2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
- 4-6 Medium Basil Leaves, Torn
- Cracked Black Pepper, to taste
- Coarse Kosher Salt, to taste
Directions:
1. Slice your cherry tomatoes in half and put in a mixing bowl.
2. Remove the stem portion from your heirloom tomatoes and, depending on the size of the tomato, cut into edible portions. Eatability is always something to keep in mind. I like to keep my tomatoes fork-able, or bite-size. Add to the mixing bowl.
3. Use a very small drizzle of the extra virgin olive oil to help coat the tomatoes in the mixing bowl.
4. Add lemon zest and lemon juice and give another quick toss.
5. Add small torn basil leaves, cracked black pepper, and salt to taste.
6. Serve the tomato salad over the cooked quinoa. You can also drizzle the finished salad with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Roasted Garam Masala Cauliflower
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 2 Heads Cauliflower, Florets
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Quick Drizzle
- 1 Tbsp. Fresh Garlic, Minced
- 1 Tbsp. Garam Masala
- Cracked Black Pepper, to taste
- Coarse Kosher Salt, to taste
- Arugula, Large Handful
- 1-2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
- Toasted Sesame Seeds, Pinch
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut your cauliflower heads into florets. The size is up to you but it will affect the cooking time. Do not go too small or else they will shrivel up to tiny bits. I like to keep mine around 1 ½" to 2".
3. Transfer to a mixing bowl and give a quick drizzle of the extra virgin olive oil.
4. Add your minced garlic, garam masala (or your favorite curry powder), cracked black pepper, and salt to taste. (Remember to start with a small pinch of salt and add after cooking if needed.)
5. Place on a sheet tray with all cauliflower evenly spread out and cook for 12-15 minutes. If you pull them out and they aren't as done as you would like, put them back in the oven for a few minutes.
6. Place arugula on a large plate and place cooked cauliflower on top of the arugula. Drizzle with lemon juice.
7. Garnish the cauliflower with toasted sesame seeds.
Pro tip: Would be great to dip into your favorite hummus or tzatziki sauce!
Whole Harvest delivers fresh, chef-prepped meals to your door to make eating healthy convenient and easy. Check out our rotating menu.