Coconut Tempeh

Ahhh....the most requested recipe of mine. It's a nice sweet / savory way to prepare tempeh. Take a glass rectangle baking dish, and mix the following ingredients in it. 1 can of coconut milk, 2 tsp ginger, 2 tsp garlic powder, juice of 2 limes, 3 T agave nectar, 3 T Bragg aminos, mix well with a whisk. Slice a couple cakes of tempeh about 1 in. thick and layer into sauce, flip each piece so it's all fully saturated. Then cover with 1 bag of sweetened shredded coconut. Bake in oven at 400 for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with rice. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup w/ Cilantro Sauce

Fall is here....and that means moving into hard squash season. I bet everyone who has a CSA share or visits their local farm market has witnessed this transition. One of my favorite fall soups is Butternut Squash. It's so easy, really. I take a good peeler and peel toward myself pressing down as firmly as i can. Once you have the skin off - cut the ends off then cut the squash in half with a sharp knife. Scoop out the seeds, and cut into 1 in pieces. Put into pot and add some vegetable broth and water so you cover the squash. Add 1 tsp. celtic salt, some fresh black pepper and 2 T bragg amino's. I like to add a little curry powder, gahram masala or fresh grated ginger. Do what you like for seasoning or leave it simple without it. Bring to boil and turn down heat to simmer. Once the squash is mushy and soft turn off and blend until creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings. If the squash isn't as sweet as you'd like add a tsp. of agave. I like to serve this soup with garnishes like a balsamic glaze, toasted sunflower seeds or the cilantro sauce which is made from blending a 1/2 c of sunflower seeds, 1/2 c vegan sour cream, 1 bunch cilantro chopped, juice of a lime, 1 T bragg amino's and 1 c water.

Roasted Beet Spread

Since I have a slight addiction going I thought it best to share it with all of you....When I make this i cannot stop eating it (thanks to Kathy S.) and so as I elbow everyone out of the way it's not personal. Roasted Beet Spread...take 1 bunch of beets (cut off greens wash & steam them and eat them for dinner) take the beets and wash them then cut up into cubes, place in glass baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of Celtic sea salt, toss & bake in oven until tender...about 35-40 min. Then put into a Cuisinart with 1/2 c walnuts, 1 clove of garlic, a piece of stale bread broken up (I use gf bread) then add 1/4 c olive oil, 2 T balsamic vinegar and 1 T maple syrup. Blend until smooth. Enjoy with crackers or toast (I used Red Thai Rice crackers). Can last in fridge for well over a week unless I'm visiting.... :)

Fresh Veggie Juice

Celery, Spinach, Lettuce, Apple & Ginger - all organic. Makes such a great juice that during our last Cleanse Retreat I was astounded by how good it was. All you need is a juicer and a glass. Celery is good for your bones, Spinach is high in iron, Lettuce is very calming, Apple sweetens just enough and ginger opens the lungs. Add this to your repertoire of juices for a day of fasting and you won't regret it.

Raw Key Lime Pie

MMMMmmmmm.......there's nothing like a dessert that's good for you and there's no guilt afterwords. This pie is so simple and can last for a week in the fridge or stick it in the freezer for longer. To make crust just use a Cuisinart to grind up a cup of pecans, a cup of almonds, and then 1 1/2 cups of soaked dates with some vanilla extract. Mix them all together by hand in a bowl and press into a pie pan or tart shell. Then in a Vitamix blender mix until creamy - 4 c soaked cashews, 1/2 c agave, 1/2 c coconut oil, and 1 c key lime juice. (yes there is bottled key lime juice available for those who have actually juiced 30 of those tiny freaking things and cramped up your hand for days, but that's a story for another time) or you can use regular limes.....anyhew, pour onto pie crust and chill over night. Best served with raspberries or blueberries. And make your slices are thin since it can be quite filling. Enjoy :)

Waffles w/ Banana

Sunday mornings growing up for me was my dad making waffles, didn't matter if it was Christmas morning or the morning after a concert. Even now when I go home to visit - he still makes waffles. So of course in my house I've continued the tradition (not as often as my son would like). But I make mine vegan and usually wheat free. There are so many great mixes out there these days that you can find your favorite at the local store. I  use egg replacer in place of egg, I also try to use less oil and add some flax meal in place of it. Soy milk is my favorite to use because it's creamy in place of milk. Earth Balance, fresh fruit and Local Maple syrup are the toppings of choice around here. Yay for traditions that are yummy!

Portebello Mushroom Burger

One of our most asked for foods here at Thunder Mountain. Perfect summer food for a backyard barbecue. I serve it with arugula, tomato, and vegan garlic mayo on a bun. Just marinate your mushrooms for 10 min. in a marinade of 1c Tamari, 1/2 c Olive Oil, 1/4 c Balsamic Vinegar, 6 cloves of Garlic chopped, and fresh Black Pepper. Dip each mushroom in it and set into a bowl. Then fire up your grill, I cook them upside down until the juices bubble then turn them over for a minute or so. Bring a LOT of napkins cause this will be very juicy in a good way.......