Chef Leander

Prepare almonds and butter

Microwave method

• Lightly toast the almonds in a small stainless skillet until they are slightly browned and fragrant. Put the toasted almonds in a small microwavable storage dish. Add butter, cut in to 4 pieces. Cover and store in the refrigerator until needed.

Cook the broccoli

• Place the broccoli and ¼ cup water in a microwave safe cereal bowl. Cover with a mis-matched lid to allow steam to easily escape. See Notes.
• Cook the broccoli for 60 seconds. Drain the excess water off. The butter should be melted by now.
• To serve family style, pour the melted butter on the broccoli, top with the almonds and serve immediately.

  For individual servings, divide the broccoli onto individual plates. Divide the almonds over the broccoli and drizzle with the butter.
• Serve immediately.

Cook pasta

• Bring water to a rolling boil in a sauce pot. DO NOT add oil to the water. When it begins to boil, add the salt to the water and stir until dissolved.
• Add the orzo pasta and stir well until the water returns to a boil. Stir frequently! Cook the pasta al dente, about 5 minutes
• Using the scoop colander, drain the pasta. Put the cooked pasta in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 TBSP olive oil and mix well to separate the grains of pasta.
• You are welcome to make this a day or two early. Cover well to keep the pasta moist in the refrigerator.

Add to the mixing bowl:

• Fresh thyme leaves from the stem.

  Rough chop the Italian parsley.

  Cut the basil leaves. If you want to be fancy, you can cut them into strips...called chiffonade. Or just a rough chop is fine too. See Notes below.

  Green peas.

Turn the oven on

• Turn the oven or toaster oven to 325℉ (165℃) to warm the sliced bread

Finish adding ingredients

• Add the Kalamata olives.
• Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and add to the bowl.
• Chop the red pepper, red onion and garlic and add to the bowl.
• Add 25 grinds of black pepper and stir the salad well. Add 1/3 cup of the Classic Balsamic Dressing (4 TBSP or 85 g). Stir until well incorporated. Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Put the bread in the oven to warm. Put the broccoli in the microwave and turn it on.

Plate the meal

• On your serving plates make a ring of fresh spinach leaves. Add 1 cup of the orzo salad to the center of the plate. Sprinkle 2 TBSP of Feta Cheese (if using) over the salad. Add three cherry tomatoes and a TBSP of pine nuts.
• Plate the broccoli on small side plates.
• Serve the bread in a basket with a ramekin of Walnut-Almond pesto, if using.

• Place all ingredients in the work bowl of your blender. Start the blender on low speed and immediately increase to high. Blend for 20 seconds until the dressing emulsifies.
• Pour the dressing into a serving vessel, or store in a reusable dressing bottle. Make a double recipe if you would like to have this dressing available in your refrigerator for other uses.
• This recipe makes about 1/2 cup of finished dressing.

Mashed Potatoes

• Wash potatoes well and cut into 1" cubes. Leave the skin on for a more rustic texture.
• Bring 2 cups vegetable broth to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add potatoes and salt. Add extra water if needed to cover the potatoes. Add a loose lid to the pot and cook until the potatoes are fork tender.
• Remove potatoes from the heat. RESERVE THE LIQUID as you drain the potatoes and let them cool for 10 minutes..
• Cut up the butter. Add the butter, salt, and pepper to the potatoes and mash until fluffy. Put in the refrigerator to cool overnight (see NOTE). If the potatoes are not moist enough, add some of the reserved stock.

  OPTIONAL: For an easy presentation, shape the potatoes into 4 equal size balls. Place on a small cookie tray and smash into a "pancake". Cover lightly and let freeze.

Lentil Carrot Stew

• Set your Instant Pot to "Sauté" and bring it up to temperature. Add 2 TBSP of avocado oil. Sauté the minced shallots and the diced carrots. Cook until tender and fragrant.
• Add the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms release their moisture and the moisture evaporates. The mushrooms will start to brown.
• Push the mushrooms and shallots to the side of the pot. Add the tomato paste to the center. Cook the tomato paste until it is fragrant and begins to brown lightly. Use several tablespoons of the broth to help scrape up the bits of caramelized tomato paste off the bottom of the pot.
• Add Chef Leander's Amazing Vegan Vegetable Stock to the Instant Pot. Add the lentils, coconut aminos, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
• Seal the Instant Pot and set on multigrain for 20 minutes. Seal the pot and let cook.
• When the Instant Pot has finished cooking, carefully turn the steam release valve and let the pot depressurize. Carefully open the depressurized pot and stir in the frozen peas. Stir well so the hot stew will heat the frozen peas evenly

Serving Options

• If your potatoes are cold, heat them in a skillet. If your potatoes are in frozen disks, cook like pancakes: let hem heat and brown on one side, then flip and brown the other side.

  For an informal serving, place hot mashed potatoes in the bottom of a "cereal" bowl. Add 1/4 of the cheese and and top with 1/4 of the lentil stew.

  For a more formal presentation, reverse the stacking order. Stew in the bowl, cheese in the middle, toasted mashed potties on the top.

  Garnish with chopped parsley.

Cook the grains

• Bring the water to a boil. Mix the grains in a medium bowl. Salt the boiling water. Add the grains and return to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the grains have absorbed the water. No peeking! Remove from heat and allow to cool. If you're in a hurry, put the cooked grain on a metal sheet and cool in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Prepare the flavor ingredients

• Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans. RESERVE LIQUID. Toss the beans with the olive oil and garam masala. Set aside
• Wash the sweet potato and cut off the ends. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes (15 mm). Bake on a small sheet pan until tender. Use your air fryer or toaster oven, if available, to keep the apartment cooler.
• Zest and juice the lemon into the same bowl.
• Set out all the remaining Buddha Bowl ingredients. No need to be in separate bowls, but it does help to separate them out on a cutting board so you can see what you are working with.

Make the Lemon-Tahini Dressing

• Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Process for 60 seconds. If you prefer a thinner dressing, you can adjust with one TBSP of water or aquafaba until the desired consistency is reached.

Assemble the bowls

• Set out five containers. Divide the grains into the bowls. Layer in the beans and veggies. No need to make each bowl the same.This will make each lunch this week a bit different. Top with the lemon-tahini dressing, or another dressing of your choice.

Make the Lemon-Tahini Dressing

• Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Process for 60 seconds. If you prefer a thinner dressing, you can adjust with one TBSP of water or aquafaba until the desired consistency is reached.

• PREPARE PASTA: Boil 6 cups of water in a large sauce pan. Add the pasta and salt. Return to a roiling boil 2 min. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until almost tender about 7 minutes. Drain in a colander. DO NOT RINSE. set aside.
• MAKE CAESAR DRESSING: Put the vegenaise in a large bowl.
• *PASTE THE GARLIC: Smash the garlic cloves on your cutting board with the side of your knife. Mince the garlic finely. Add the kosher salt and rub it into the garlic with the side of your knife to make a paste. Add this to the dressing in the bowl.
• ZEST ONE LEMON with a microplane. Juice BOTH lemons. Add the zest and the juice to the dressing.
• ADD: Rice vinegar, sun-dried tomato oil, vegan parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and red pepper flakes.
• WHISK THE DRESSING until the ingredients are well incorporated. Chef's Secret: Hand whisk this with a balloon whisk rather than using a blender.
• ADD THE PASTA to the bowl of dressing.
• SUN DRIED TOMATOES: Drain them, mince them, add them to the salad bowl.
• MINCE THE GREENS: Mince the Italian parsley, spinach, and kale (remove the tough center stem). Measure the greens into the bowl.
• STIR until all ingredients and the dressing are well distributed.
• ARRANGE THE SALAD in a serving bowl lined with large leaves of cabbage or lettuce. Garnish as you like.
• TO PLATE INDIVIDUAL SERVINGS, line each plate with radicchio leaves. Top with 1½ cups of the salad. Garnish with vegan parmesan or pine nuts. Add freshly ground pepper to taste. Place 3 grape tomatoes together on the edge of the plate. Finish with a sprinkle of parsley confetti.

• Place the dried cherries and the agave in a 2 quart / 2 liter mason jar.
• Put the hibiscus tea in a tea ball or infuser and add to the mason jar.
• Add the hot water to the jar (be sure to immerse all of the tea leaves) and allow to steep for 1 hour or more.
• When the tea is cool enough to touch, remove the tea ball. Add one fresh peach, thinly sliced. Add the juice of one fresh lime. Cover with a "pour spout" mason jar cover. Chill in the refrigerator. (See NOTES)
• TO SERVE: Fill 16 oz (1/2 liter) glasses with ice. Top with fresh peach slices. Fill the glass with equal parts of tea and cold water. Garnish with a thin slice of fresh lime.