A Simple Salad at Neerob/Packsun

This time our planned No-oil vegan supper did not work out, but we made use of the occasion to plan for the future.

Many people said they would come, few of them came.

The party was father David from St. Helena's Parish and myself Father David sampled some of the typical Packsun fare, including a somosa, while Khokon fixed us a simple salad that would pass muster as a no-oil vegan dish, and we planned the next proper No Oil Vegan Supper for July 25th, again the 4th Tuesday of the month - that day in June being the end of Ramadan. The rules are going to be different. The RSVP will be closed the previous day, and Walk-ins will be $12, while it will stay at $10 by RSVP.

As per our commitment to publish the recipes after each supper, here is the salad:

A Simple Salad with Cucumber and Tomato

• Cucumber, grated/shredded
• Tomato, diced
• fresh lemon
• Salt, Pepper
• Cilantro
• Ginger, grated fine.

And that's all. Obviously it was not a full meal, but the combination of Cilantro, Ginger with salt and peper in lemon juice was a perfect improvisation for a quick dressing.

Eating at home you could combine something like this with rice and beans and a vegetable of your choice, spinach, chard, broccoli or anything.

The more you start getting it, no-oil vegan cooking can be done on a budget, just don't be stingy with the vegetables, that's where your nutrients including protein come from. Meat is expensive! Essentially all vegetables have some protein, and the beans are a rich source of protein. The variations with beans are endless, it bears to experiment. The key is to realize that varied intake is the secret, and two or three vegetables at a meal is perfectly OK.