Curried Cauliflower Salad (Aloo Gobhi style)

This salad is a twist on one of my favorite Indian dishes: Aloo Gobhi. The blend of flavors and textures is just so good. I had some leftover roasted potatoes from breakfast and thought that this would be a creative and delicious way to "repurpose" them! :-)

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, rinsed
1 cup roasted russet potatoes
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup cilantro, rinsed well and chopped
2 Tb. red onion, minced
1 serrano pepper, deseeded and minced

Dressing:
2 Tb. mango juice (nectar)
2 Tb. olive oil
1 Tb. apple cider vinegar
1 Tb. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar or other sweetener

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. After rinsing cauliflower, cut the head into bite size florets. On a cookie sheet, toss florets with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes at 400 until cauliflower is somewhat browned and wilted. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Toss in chopped cilantro and whisk.

In a medium serving bowl, mix together roasted cauliflower,  roasted potatoes, peas, red onion, and serrano pepper. Drizzle dressing over the vegetables and stir to combine. Check seasonings and adjust to taste.

Servings: 2 - 4 (Although if you are like me, I'd eat the whole bowl!)

My New Craze

It may seem like a small thing-everyone has already probably discovered this delicious treat-but I absolutely LOVE it. Like can't keep my hands out of the bowl love. It doesn't stay around very long so I've made it four times this week already. Kettle Corn. Better-for-You Kettle Corn, 'cause I use coconut oil instead of regular oil. 

Ingredients: 

2 Tb. Coconut oil, unrefined

2 Tb. Brown sugar or cane sugar

1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)

1/2 cup popping corn 

In a Whirly-Pop type mechanism, heat oil, sugar, and salt over medium high heat then add popping corn and continuously turn the handle until corn begins to pop and it gets too difficult/full to turn. Pour into a large bowl. I usually double this recipe for our family of six. 

Enjoy this super easy, super tasty snack! 

This recipe was inspired/created by my friend, Stephanie Howard, during an evening of fun fellowship.

Southwestern Quinoa Soup

This soup is pretty versatile. Swap chickpeas for black beans and add curry powder (to taste) for a different twist on flavor. Throw in a few handfuls of chopped kale during the last several minutes of cooking time for an added nutritional boost. If you're not fond of cilantro, you can omit that ingredient. 

2 Tbs. Oil

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/2 yellow or orange pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

6 cups vegetable broth or water

1 Tb. Vegetarian chicken seasoning 

1 tsp (or more) cumin

Salt, to taste

Dash oregano

Handful of cilantro, chopped

1/2 a lime, squeezed (opt)

Sauté all veggies (except beans) in oil until softened. Add quinoa and cook for a few minutes. Add beans, broth, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a medium boil until veggies are cooked through and potatoes and quinoa are tender. Add lime juice and cilantro during the last few minutes of cook time. Adjust seasonings to your taste. 

Serves 4-6

Monster Breakfast Cookies

As a busy wife and mother, I'm always looking for new ways to provide a nutritious and quick breakfast for my family. These breakfast cookies pack a protein punch with a combination of almond butter, chia seeds, and crunchy almond pieces. Plus, you get some hearty omega-3 action from the addition of ground flax seeds. I hope you enjoy these tasty, breakfast-on-the-run style cookies.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine (such as Earth Balance)

1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder (I use aluminum free.)

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

6 Tb. chia gel (made from 2 Tb. chia seeds mixed with 1 cup water and allowed to set)

2 tsp. pure vanilla

1 1/2 cups Gluten Free flour blend (I used King Arthur's, but you can use your favorite.) or 

                regular all-purpose flour

2 1/4 cups regular or rolled oats (I used half quick, half rolled oats.)

1/3 cup ground flax seeds

1 heaping Tb. almond or peanut butter

1 1/2 cups dried fruit, nuts, coconut, etc.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium sized bowl, cream margarine and coconut oil together. A hand mixer works well for this. Add brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and beat to combine. Spoon chia gel and vanilla extract into mixture and once again beat to combine, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Beat in flour, oats, flax and nut butter until well combined. Stir nuts, dried fruits, chocolate chips of whatever combination you desire into the dough. (I used 2/3 cup chopped almonds, 2/3 cup dried cranberries, and a handful of unsweetened coconut flakes.) 

Using a large ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup measure, scoop dough out and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Using the palm of your hand, gently press each cookie into a 4-inch circle. 

Bake for 12 minutes or so, until the tops of the cookies are lightly browned. Cool on the pan for a minute or so. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. After cooled, wrap individual cookies in plastic wrap for optimum freshness. :-)

Yield: 11 cookies

Approx. 298 calories per cookie (This depends on the nut and fruit combos, too.)

Enjoy!

African Peanut Stew

It was the kind of day that merited a warm hearty stew: crisp and cool with the scent of autumn in the air. We spent the better part of the morning apple-picking as a family. I think my three-year old ate more than he picked, but that's to be expected! :-) We loaded bushels of apples into our car, turned on the heater, and headed home for some lentil soup. Later that afternoon, though, my daughter wanted to help me make something for dinner. She's actually been begging to make a really spicy salsa for her daddy, but we've put a delay on that project due to some jalapeño juice in the eye. But, I digress. She did a fantastic job carefully slicing and deseeding two jalapeño peppers for this fantastic stew.

The flavors are quasi African, and oh so delicious together. Especially when served over brown rice. There are many variations to this stew but this is the one I really enjoy. 

Ingredients

1 Tb. olive oil

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

1/2 green or red bell pepper, diced

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped (see below for substitution ideas)

32 oz. vegetable or vegetarian chicken style broth

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes, with juice

1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

1/3 cup smooth peanut butter

1/3 cup coconut milk

Handful fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped (opt.)

Instructions

Saute sweet potato, garlic, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno peppers in olive oil over medium high heat until vegetables begin to soften. Add broth, beans, tomatoes, cumin and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes and quinoa are completely cooked. Add peanut butter and carefully stir to incorporate. It should melt into the stew and begin to thicken slightly. Add coconut milk and cilantro and continue to cook for just a few minutes more. 

Serve and enjoy! This yields about 4 healthy servings. 

Substitution / Add-in Ideas:

My aunt Carol gave me a similar recipe that included diced zucchini. You would just add it at the beginning with the rest of the vegetables. 

She also uses prepared salsa instead of jalapenos and canned tomatoes. I've used a can of Rotel Tomatoes and Green Chilies and eliminated the jalapenos, but it was really very spicy. 

Tortilla Soup

This is our family's favorite new soup. A few months ago, I was asked to present some vegan recipes for a Supper Club in our neighborhood. (I posted the "chicken" enchilada recipe from that presentation previously on the blog.) We absolutely love the tortilla soup at California Pizza Kitchen, and since the supper club theme was American Southwestern, I decided to try to recreate that delicious soup. There are lots of copy-cat recipes online, but this is one of the closest I've been able to find. I've modified a recipe from www.copycat-recipes.net.

As the soup bubbled on the stove, my daughter moaned and groaned, "You're killing me, Mom!" I was alarmed. "Why?" I asked. "That soup smells soooo good! And I'm hungry." Whew...if that was all... :-)

Ingredients:

3 Tb. light olive oil

6 corn tortillas, cut into squares

3 Tb. minced garlic

1/4 cup diced yellow onion

2 cups frozen yellow and white corn, divided

4 roma tomatoes, chopped

2/3 cup tomato paste

2 Tb. ground cumin

3 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vegan chicken seasoning (McKays)

1 tsp. chili powder

6 cups water

2 cans diced mild green chiles

blue tortilla chips (opt. garnish)

fresh cilantro (opt. garnish)

fresh avocado, diced (opt. garnish)

Instructions:

In a large pot, sauté corn tortillas in olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and continue to sauté, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Cook for perhaps a minute. Add 1 cup of corn and all other ingredients (except garnishes, of course) and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes. With a stick blender, blend soup until it's the consistency of a thick puree. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can process in a regular blender, but be careful to just pulse it a few times to break up the corn tortillas.

Return soup to heat and add the rest of the corn, plus the two cans of green chiles. Bring to a brief boil, then serve immediately with garnishes of choice.

This is a large amount of soup, but I promise you, it won't be around for long! :-)

Kale Salad with Toasted Pepitas

Yet another delicious variation on a kale theme. Kale is one of the powerhouses of nutrition; a dark, green, fiber-rich bunch of health. I am somewhat new to the juicing/green smoothie scene, and kale is a staple in most green juices and smoothies for its nutrient dense properties. See my previous post on White Bean Kale Soup {click here} for more detailed information on what kale provides. 

My best friend from high school sent me a recipe for one of her new favorite addictions, Massaged Kale Salad from Aarti Sequeira of the Food Network. The original salad contains diced mango and toasted pepitas with a lemon-honey vinaigrette. I didn't have mango, so substituted the next best thing...sweet bell peppers. I know, I know... no where near mango. 

You really have to massage the kale to work the fibrousness (is that a word?) out. It might seem like a little work, but it's really so much better that way. 

Ingredients:

1/2 large bunch kale, washed and deveined

1/2 fresh lemon

8 black olives, sliced

1/3 cup diced red and yellow sweet peppers

2 handfuls toasted pepitas (try sunflower seeds or toasted pine nuts, too!)

Salt, to taste

Dressing:

1/2 fresh lemon, squeezed

2 tsp. honey

pepper (opt.)

scant 1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions:

Roll kale leaves into small bundles and thinly slice into ribbons (this is called chiffonade). Place into a large bowl. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the greens, drizzle a small amount of olive oil over, and sprinkle with salt. With your hands, massage kale for perhaps one minute, until the fibers have broken down and greens are slightly wilted. 

Add black olives, sweet peppers and pepitas (or other seeds) to green mixture and stir to combine. 

In a small bowl, combine juice from the other half of the lemon, 2 tsp. honey, and black pepper (opt.) and whisk. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream, until a emulsion forms. Pour dressing over kale greens and toss to mix well. 

Taste salad and adjust for seasonings.

Yield: 2 1-cup servings, or 4 1/2-cup servings

100 calories per 1/2 cup (slightly less if you don't use all the dressing.)

Pumpin' Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Every once in a while I get an urge for something pumpkin. Lately it's been pumpkin pie oatmeal and pumpkin bread. While trying to decide what to make for breakfast yesterday, I spied some leftover pumpkin puree in my refrigerator....right next to some leftover coconut milk. Oh, the possibilities! What emerged from my imagination was so smooth and creamy, so delicious, I had to share it with you. 

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana, broken in chunks

1/2 cup canned coconut milk

1/2 cup soy or almond milk

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 heaping Tb. brown sugar or sweetener of choice

1 Tb. chia gel or ground flax seed

1 capful vanilla extract

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until very smooth and creamy. 

Yield: 2 cups

Calories: approximately 194 per 1-cup serving

Try this! A dollop of fat-free non-dairy whipped topping and some artfully crushed graham cracker sprinkled over the top for a guilt-free dessert.

Mmmm. I'm gonna to go whip me up some breakfast now... :-)

Broccoli "Cheddar" Soup

This soup is rich, creamy, and delicious...you wouldn't guess that there isn't a shred of cheese in it! The cheddar-like color comes from some very secret ingredients: cooked potatoes, carrots, and onion. Pretty much guilt-free, right? Just the way I like it. 

I first tasted this soup in academy and searched high and low to find the recipe after I graduated. I honestly can't say who to give credit to for this family favorite. I'm glad they developed it, though! I have made a few modifications to suit my family's taste. 

Ingredients:

2 carrots, washed and cut into medallions

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 cup cashews

1 Tb. Tahini

3 cups water

2 tsp. salt

3 cups fresh or frozen, thawed broccoli florets, cut rather small

Instructions:

Place carrots, potatoes, onion and water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Allow to cook until the carrots and potatoes are softened (not the consistency of mashed potatoes, though) and easy to blend. Pour into a blender base and add cashews and salt. Blend until very smooth and creamy. If you have a conventional blender, this might take a little while. Add liquid if necessary to get the smooth texture and consistency you'd like. 

Meanwhile, steam broccoli florets until crisp-tender in a small amount of water. Drain and set aside. 

Pour "cheese" sauce into a large pot, add broccoli and bring to a light boil. Serve hot with crackers. 

So easy, and perfect for a cold winter day! Enjoy

Oat Burgers {With a twist!}

When I was in high school, I worked in food service. Our cafeteria was strictly vegan and we made everything from scratch...for 55-70 people. I will never forget making huge batches of cookies or burgers, peeling 50 lbs. of potatoes, cutting pounds and pounds of onions. One of the recipes I remember most was a sunflower seed burger, smothered in a special sauce and baked. I think of it sometimes when I'm forming veggie burgers by hand. 

Recently I began experimenting with my own veggie burger. I love Morningstar Farms or Boca products, but when I realized how much money I could save by making my own...I was hooked. Now, if only I could come up with a really good substitution for Morningstar Farms Breakfast Strips! :0)

These burgers combine oats, white beans, and brown rice and are celiac friendly if you make sure that your oats are gluten free. One batch makes 18 patties.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos (or light soy sauce)

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 Tb. oil

2 Tb. dried minced onion

1 Tb. maple syrup

2 Tb. Italian seasoning (I made mine from a mixture of crushed rosemary, thyme, and basil)

1 1/2 tsp. garlic

1/4 tsp. cayenne or pinch of red pepper flakes (opt.)

3 1/2 cups quick oats

2/3 cup white beans, pureed slightly (still small chunks visible)

2/3 cup brown rice, cooked 

1/2 cup ground pecans

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line several baking sheets with foil or bake-able parchment paper.

In a large pot, combine first nine ingredients (water + spices, oil and syrup) and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in oats, bean puree, rice, and pecans and combine well. You may want to grab a pinch of the mix and taste to adjust for salt if needed.Allow mixture to sit for about 5 minutes. It will become very thick.

Using a large ice cream scoop (about 1/3 cup), spoon mixture onto prepared sheets and flatten into patties with your hand. I made mine about 3/4-in thick. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes on one side, then turn patties with a spatula and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool before storing. 

These freeze amazingly well. I wrap mine in foil and place into a gallon size freezer bag. When I'm ready to use them, I take out however many burgers I need, microwave them for 15 seconds on each side, or until they're completely warm. I serve them on a bun layered with red leaf lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, red onions, ketchup, mustard (or) our favorite BBQ sauce. 

Enjoy! :0)

I modified a sausage recipe from Mary Bernt's "Best of Veggies".

Fruit and Nut Bars

I love Lara Bars...at least the Cherry Pie flavor. I rarely buy them, though, because they're so expensive. So yesterday I got out my food processor, flat blade, gathered some of my favorite nuts and dried fruits and surfed the web. I found several recipes, so obviously I'm not the only one who loves the idea of whole food fruit and nut treats! :0)

The first one I made was Cherry Almond. I modified a recipe found on DamyHealth.

Cherry Almond Bars {Our personal favorite}

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Dried Cherries

1/4 cup Seedless/Pitted sliced Dates

1/3 cup almonds 

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Handful of coconut

1/16 tsp almond extract

Instructions {For all recipes}

Place all ingredients in food processor base with blade attachment. Process until very finely ground, maybe two minutes. Remove from base and pour mix onto foil. Flatten "dough" by hand into an even 5x5 square about 1 inch thick. Slice into four equal rectangles or smaller bite size chunks. Wrap in plastic wrap to keep fresh. 

Cashew Chocolate Chip, Cherry Almond, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip

Cashew Chocolate Chip. I wasn't a fan of it at first. The cashew flavor was a bit strong, but it mellowed overnight and was delicious this morning!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup salted cashews

1/3 cup dates, pitted

1/2 tsp. vanilla

pinch of salt

1 Tb. vegan chocolate chips

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dates

1/4 cup peanuts

1/4 cup cashews

handful coconut

capful of vanilla

1 Tb. vegan chocolate chips

pinch of salt

I encourage you to experiment with your favorite seeds, nuts, and dried fruits ~ Save some money and do your body good with a healthy treat.

White Bean Kale Soup

It's Fall, one of my favorite times of year. When the air is crisp and wood-fire smoke scent wafts on the breeze, I turn to comfort food -- especially soups and stews. This White Bean Kale Soup is a family favorite. 

I first experienced kale in academy, when I worked for a garden nursery and greenhouse. We planted hundreds of pots of flowering and decorative kale for people to use in their Fall/Winter landscaping. I never knew you could actually eat it! :0) Now that I am older, I've found that kale is a very versatile and delicious addition to our diet. Add it to smoothies, toast it into "chips", replace spinach or collard greens with it in soups, toss in salads...the possibilities are endless. And the best part? Listen to this: Kale is a nutritional powerhouse! Read Web MD's article here. 

"What makes kale so exceptional? Here is why it's a superstar vegetable -- One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K -- and sulphur-containing phytonutrients. Carotenoids and flavonoids are the specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds. Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw."  

Fantastic! I think I'll serve up another helping of soup... 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup diced yellow onion

4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

32 oz. vegetable broth

4 cups chopped, de-veined kale

2 cups diced tomatoes in juice

1 can (14.5 ounces)  cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp. salt

Pepper, opt.

1 tsp. dry basil or several leaves fresh basil, torn

Directions:

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes longer. Add basil, broth, kale, beans and tomatoes and cover. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the broth has reduced and soup is thickened slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with parmesan or parmesan style sprinkle and toasted crusty bread.

Spiced Carrot Ginger Soup

It started out yesterday with a slight tickle in the back of my throat. Ugh. No! I popped two Ester-C tablets, hoping that they would keep the cold at bay. No luck. By this morning, my nose had become a leaky faucet. I wanted to snuggle deeper down into the covers and stay in my pajamas all day! Something sounded good...something warm and comforting, but spicy enough to kick this bug out of my system. Spiced Carrot and Ginger Soup. 

Carrots and ginger both contain important properties for boosting your immune system. According to an article on the LiveStrong website, dated December 2, 2010, "Carrots contain vitamin A and vitamin B1, which are two important vitamins for keeping your immune system healthy and able to fight off infection. Adding carrots to your diet while you have a cold may motivate your white cells to work more efficiently at ridding your body of the virus causing your symptoms." Read more here.

"One of the benefits of ginger is its effects on congestion and its abilities to help fight colds. The use of ginger for combatting the common cold has been a staple of Ayurvedic medicine for centuries and was popular even before scientific research began revealing how powerful ginger truly is. For those who are suffering from congestion or a cold, consuming ginger may be extremely advantageous." Click on this link for the entire article.

So, with those two amazing ingredients as the base of this recipe, my cold symptoms should be gone in an.....Ha...haAChooO! Sorry. Let's just get to it...

Ingredients:

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

1 Tb. olive oil

1 Tb. fresh ginger, peeled and minced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 1/4 cup sliced carrots

1 Tb. vegetarian chicken seasoning mixed with 2 cups water, or 2 cups vegetable stock

1/8 tsp. turmeric

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. coriander

1/8 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. cumin

pinch red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups pureed acorn squash (You could use butternut, too.)

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup orange juice

1 tsp. salt

Instructions:

In a medium pot and over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil until it begins to clarify. Add minced garlic and ginger and stir to combine. Allow to sauté for a minute, then add sliced carrots. Continue to cook until carrots begin to soften. Add broth and spices, including red pepper flakes, and bring to a boil. Cook until carrots are completely soft.  Add pureed squash, coconut milk, orange juice, and salt during the last few minutes of cooking. Transfer all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour back into pot and bring to a simmer. Check for seasoning and salt if necessary. Serve immediately. This was especially tasty with some hearty croutons!

Enjoy while I nurse my aching joints! :0)

Yield: 3-4 servings

Lebanese Style Lentil Soup

We used to attend a small group designed especially for families when we lived in Salt Lake City. It was one of those delightfully necessary things that every parent with small children knows: a safe place to go to socialize with other adults while your children play with other children and their (exciting/new) toys. :0)

One cold winter evening, we slipped and slid across town to the host's (Lisa and Glenn, you know who you are!) home where we were greeted with this amazing lentil soup, amongst other steaming soup choices. The combination of flavors were delicious and I asked to have the recipe. It's still one of our favorites.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup brown lentils

8 cups vegetable or vegetarian chicken stock

1 large potato

1 bunch fresh or 1 lb. frozen spinach (or you could substitute chard)

1 medium onion, diced

4 T. olive oil

1/2 cup coarsely chopped (washed) cilantro or 1 tsp. ground coriander

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

salt to taste

1/4 tsp. pepper or Pepper Like Seasoning from The Vegetarian Express

1/2 tsp cumin

3 Tb. fresh squeezed lemon juice
Lemon slices (optional)

Instructions:
Rinse lentils well. Combine lentils and stock in a large soup pot. Cover and bring to a simmer. Peel potato and cut into small cubes. Add to lentils. Cover and simmer about 20 more minutes. Wash fresh spinach well and cut into strips. Add to soup, cover and continue cooking until lentils are tender (about 20 more minutes). Meanwhile, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is soft and semi-clarified. To the onion mixture, add 1/2 cup cilantro and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion/cilantro mixture to soup during last 5 minutes of cooking. Stir in salt to taste (maybe about 1 1/2 tsp), pepper, cumin and lemon juice.

(Side note: I prepared this last night and didn't have cilantro. I altered the directions to suit my situation. I had 1 lb. frozen spinach, so I added it to the onion/garlic and sautéed them together with the 1 tsp. dried coriander. It was good, but the fresh cilantro is better.)

Make this a complete meal with crusty artisan bread and a tossed green salad.

Makes 6 servings (1 2/3 cup size)


*This is a family recipe from L. B.

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Summer = salads. No labor intensive cooking to heat up your kitchen -- just easy, satisfying, and cool salads. This salad does involve some cooking, but it's pretty simple to throw together. Plus, with the pairing of quinoa and black beans, it yields a perfect balance of carbohydrate and protein. 

According to Wikipedia, "Quinoa grains contain essential amino acids likelysine and good quantities of calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Nutritional evaluations of quinoa indicate that it is a source of complete protein. Furthermore, it is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is also a source of calcium, and thus is useful for vegans and those who are lactose intolerant. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest." 


Ingredients:

2 tsp. oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, well rinsed
1 1/2 cups vege chicken broth (1 1/2 T. vege chicken seas. to 1 1/2 cups water)
1 tsp. cumin
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 15-oz. cans black beans with jalapeños, drained
2/3 cup cilantro, washed and coarsely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 orange bell pepper, diced
salt


Instructions:
Saute onion and garlic in oil until wilted and fragrant. Mix quinoa into saucepan and cover with broth. Season with cumin and salt. Bring to a boil; cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or until broth is absorbed. Stir in frozen corn, black beans, cilantro, and bell pepper. Check for seasoning and add salt if needed.


Enjoy! 

Wild Rice Pilaf

As young newlyweds, my husband and I began looking for ways to establish our own family traditions, including adding non-traditional foods that we both loved into our holiday meals. The first Thanksgiving we shared after we were married was bittersweet. It was the first time we stayed home for a holiday.We had family coming to our house for the afternoon. We weren't alone, but it was just...different. It signified the fact that we were adults now, with a home of our own. It was a little sad....until the cooking began. 

I made my first pumpkin pies. Mashed potatoes. Gravy. Seitan. Green bean casserole. Stuffing. And my mother-in-law brought this amazing wild rice pilaf. The nuttiness of the rice paired with the sweetness of the dried fruit made it an instant holiday tradition. That, and fresh cranberry salad. Over the years we have enjoyed many additions to our holiday meals, but the wild rice pilaf is always present---except the year we enjoyed a traditional mexican meal for Thanksgiving. 

Ingredients:

3 cups mixture of half short grain brown rice and wild rice, cooked

1/3 cup coarsely chopped roasted almonds (or you could use pecans, but I like almonds better)

2/3 cup dried cranberries

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, sliced (wash and remove leaves, of course)

Olive oil

Salt

Instructions:

Sauté onion and celery in a small amount of olive oil until soft; add garlic. Add cranberries and continue to sauté a moment longer. Add salt to taste. Add rices to pan and stir to combine. Allow to warm completely through, check for seasonings, then add roasted almonds.

Serve and enjoy! This really tastes best made a day ahead and reheated. 

Serves 4-6

Creamy Nacho Cheese Sauce

I love cheese. I'm ashamed to admit how much I like cheese...especially on a vegan blog. When our family decided that we'd like to attempt a vegan lifestyle, my heart sank a little bit at the thought of certain recipes that would be left behind because they just wouldn't be the same without cheese. One biggie? Our family favorite: homemade layered cheese enchiladas (New Mexican Style).  I tried various alternatives, but they just weren't IT. One day, I asked my friend, Marion, if she had any good recipes for a vegan cheese sauce. She sent me two, but this one was amazing. It's originally for mac 'n' cheese, but I've altered it by cutting down the salt, adding a bit more water, and spicing it up. I made a pan of enchiladas to beta test....It totally passed. It was so good. 

So, here is my version of nacho cheese sauce: perfect for dunking chips, dolloping (is that a word?) on haystacks, pouring over enchilada casserole...

In a blender combine:

1 cup canned coconut milk

1/2 cup cashews

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup pimientos

1 T lemon juice

Scant 1/4 cup cornstarch

1 tsp dried or granulated onion

2 1/4 cups water

1 Tb. Chipotle in Adobo

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp red chile powder

Sm. pinch red pepper flakes

1 7-oz. can green chiles (opt.)

Blend cashews and coconut milk with 1 cup water until very smooth and creamy (no cashew grit remains). Add all other ingredients, except green chiles, and continue blending until incorporated. 

Pour into a medium pan and bring to a boil, stirring often to prevent scorching, until it thickens. Remove from heat and stir in green chiles, if using. 

Enjoy!

I have modified an original recipe found in the cookbook "7 Secrets" by Jim and Neva Brackett. 

Southern Inspired Collard Green Soup

This delicious hearty soup has become one of my favorites. Nutrition meets Soul Food. Warm, savory, and satisfying-- perfect for cool autumn evenings.  My 5-year-old proudly proclaims: "I LOVE Collard Greens!" when she finds out I've made this for dinner and my toddler gobbles it up, too.

You could substitute any white bean and use spinach, kale, or chard and it would be just as tasty.

Ingredients:

1 Tb. olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

1 bay leaf

2 stalks celery, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

2 tsp. salt (Salt to taste, really)

6 cups vegetable stock or vegetarian chicken broth

1 15 oz. can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup pearled barley (eliminate for gluten free)

3 Tb. minced garlic

1 large bunch collard greens, stemmed and chopped

Ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add onion, bay leaf, celery, carrots and salt. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, then add stock or broth and barley. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables and barley are tender. 

Add black eyed peas, garlic, and as much of the collard greens as you can fit. Cover and wait a few minutes for the greens to cook down. Keep adding the greens in batches until they are all incorporated. Add black pepper to taste and adjust salt. 

Serve hot, garnished with a little parsley and a spoonful of parmesan or romano cheese (eliminate for vegan version, of course!).

I love to toast some crusty artisan bread, tear off a piece and dip it into my soup...Mmmmm. I'd make this again for dinner if I hadn't already made it twice in two weeks. I think I'll make Lebanese lentil soup instead...

Happy, healthy eating! 

Serves 4-6 (We have to double it in my house)

Ethnic Food of the Day: Lebanese Lubia (لوبيا)

We love ethnic food. Period. Korean. Middle Eastern. Thai. African. Mexican. Indian. You name it, we like it. We are blessed with a wide cultural circle of friends and they each have something new and delicious to bring to the table (pardon the pun) as far as cuisine is concerned. I'm excited when one of them is willing to teach me how to make a traditional dish. 

Our Lebanese friend, Rabih, showed me the basics for Lubia, a saucy Middle Eastern dish served with white rice. Lubia/Lubya simply means "beans" in Arabic. You could use white or red beans and make Fasolia, but traditionally green beans are used in this recipe. Now, I should put a disclaimer on this. This is my interpretation - probably not super authentic, but so good! This is my go-to dish when I'm short on time because it's simple, healthy, delicious, and my family loves it. 

The recipe calls for baharat, or Middle Eastern mixed spices. For sake of time I purchased some from a Middle Eastern market but if you're feeling adventurous, you could make your own! I made some a few  years ago. Find a recipe here.

Ingredients:

Olive oil

4 cups canned green beans 

1 large can diced tomatoes, in juice (or 2 - 15 oz. cans)

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bag Morningstar Griller Crumbles (eliminate if making gluten free)

Salt

Red pepper flakes

Lebanese Baharat or Middle East Mixed Spices 

Sugar

Instructions:

In a large stockpot, saute onion in a small amount of olive oil over medium heat. When semi-clarified, add minced garlic and sauté a moment more. Add green beans and tomatoes. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, then add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes, a pinch or two of sugar (to neutralize the acid), about 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. Seven Spices, and salt to taste. Stir and add 1/2 of the bag of Morningstar Griller Crumbles if using. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes more, or until all ingredients are fully incorporated and stew is bubbling nicely. Taste and adjust seasonings. Enjoy hot over white or brown rice. 

Breakfast Millet

I'm not sure if you are like me, but when the weather gets cold, I crave hot cereal. There's only so much you can eat oatmeal, cream of wheat, grits, etc. I remembered having millet for breakfast once a long time ago and decided to try to recreate it. Millet has an interesting texture when it's cooked, but I like it....and believe it or not, my four-year-old liked it too! "Ummmm, this is so good, Mommy! It smells good AND it tastes good." Those words are like music to my ears.

I made this super easy by using my rice cooker. The proportions are for using a rice cooker, so I'm not sure how it would turn out if made any other way.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup millet

Scant 2 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in rice cooker. Use white rice setting or if you don't have specific settings, just cook as you normally would for white rice. Super easy, huh? You could add chopped nuts, dates, coconut, or any other topping and it would still be delicious.

Serves: 3 generous portions.