My Legume Love Affair #96 - June Edition 2016

I'm excited to host My Legume Love Affair this month. As many of my readers will know, this is a long running event focusing on the goodness of legumes, started by lovely Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook and now administered by me of Lisa's Kitchen. Each month we have a different host but it's my turn now for the month of June. We are at edition #96 this month. I look forward to more legume recipes as legumes are an important and plentiful source of protein, especially if you are a vegetarian or vegan.

It is easy to participate. All you need to do is prepare a legume-centric dish. Link back to this announcement, my blog and also Susan's blog, as she is the original founder of the event. Share your creation using the linky tool at the end of this post by the end of the month. Use of the lovely logo, designed by Susan, is optional, but appreciated.

Only one entry per blogger please and it must be vegetarian. Recipes from archives will only be accepted if reposted and updated with the links required.

For your dish to be included in the roundup, it must contain more than just a few tablespoons of legumes. The slight exception to this are legumes such as fenugreek or tamarind that typically are used in smaller quantities. Fresh or dried beans, lentils, pulses, and the sometimes edible pods that contain these seeds, and derivative products such as tofu or besan, along with fenugreek, carob, and peanuts are all acceptable. The possibilities are endless. Please just ensure that your shining ingredient is in fact a member of the legume family. All types of cuisines and courses are welcome, meaning appetizers, sides, mains and desserts are all acceptable so long as the mighty legume is the key ingredient.

Thanks in advance for your participation and inspiration. I am looking for guest hosts for 2016. Send me an email at legume.lisa AT gmail DOT com or leave a comment on this post if you would like to host. I still have a few spots left for this year.

After an uncommonly cool spring, it is suddenly blazing hot here in southwestern Ontario. So this means that salads are in order, both to cool and refresh the palate and to avoid hovering over a hot stove for lengthy periods of time. This sudden heat wave also happens to coincide with the beginning of asparagus season here, and that happens to be my husband's favorite vegetable.

Asparagus is delicious on its own with just a little lemon juice and salt, of course, but it also pairs wonderfully with simple flavors as a backdrop — think potatoes, for example. For this salad, tender cannellini beans serve as the backdrop to a serving of lightly steamed crunchy asparagus tossed in a lively and creamy lemon, tarragon and grainy mustard dressing. And mushrooms are my weakness, so I added them into the mix. It all comes together for a simple but elegant and satisfying summer meal, served up with some crusty bread.

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I haven't made broccoli Mornay for ages, but it's a classic baked cheese and vegetable casserole. Oddly enough, though, I dreamed about this dish the other night, giving me an instant craving. But this time around, I wasn't content to make the classic Cheddar version … too much cheese has proved not to be too good for my tummy these days. But I've had terrific success lately "veganizing" old cheese-and-vegetable standards with the help of sauces made with cashews and nutritional yeast. These are a marvelous substitute for cheese, and far better in every way than rubbery vegan cheese-like products made from soy!

I was especially delighted with the result, and so were my dinner companions who thought it might have been even better than the original Cheddar version. This creamy casserole topped with a golden crunchy cornmeal and chopped nut topping ended up tasting cheesy without any actual cheese. It's an ideal side vegetable dish, especially when served with plump goat cheese biscuits. Rice is also a good choice, along with your favorite legume dish.

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This thick and hearty vegetable stew is a vegetarian version of the classic spicy Cajun jambalaya stew loaded with red kidney beans, brown rice and plenty of vegetables. And once the beans are cooked, it's essentially a simple one-pot meal with everything you need for a complete meal. The Cajun blend of herbs really complements everything in the dish and it makes a fair amount too so you can share with friends and have leftovers besides. Adjust the hot sauce according to taste, and be sure not to skip the liquid smoke as it adds an essential flavor.

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