Can't Stop Eating Salad

This is THE best salad ever! So yummy, my husband and I will eat the whole thing in one sitting. It's a great addition to any meal. Now first you will need to make the Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette that I posted already but with 1 tsp dry basil instead of fresh basil and blend it, setting it aside for later. Now, wash and cut a head of lettuce of your choice. Peel and slice 2 carrots and 1 cucumber. Wash and slice 2 ribs of celery. Slice half a can of organic olives. In a small pan over medium heat lightly toast a cup of pecans then set aside for 5 minutes to let them cool. Now in a nice bowl toss all the ingredients, then add 1/2 c of dressing and toss. Now add a can (strained) of mandarin oranges, 4-5 dates cut into pieces, and a handful of raisins, cranberries or dried cherries. Toss salad gently so you don't mash the oranges. add a little more dressing if you want. Then cut an avocado in half, remove the seed, and with a butter knife - slice the avocado and scoop out and fan them onto the side of the bowl (OR) you can just cut up avocado and gently incorporate into the salad. I added some sunflower shoots for added loveliness.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

As we inch closer to Thanksgiving I thought I'd post some simple dishes to go with your mashed potatoes and gravy. Roasted Brussels Sprouts are simple and tasty. I personally never had them as a kid (my mother hated them so it was never on the menu) but, as an adult I've figured out how to enjoy them and maybe my mom might even like them? You never know. So, take a pound of sprouts, slice off the end if needed, then cut them into halves. Place into a glass baking dish. Melt 1/4 c earth balance and drizzle over them. Add 1 T bragg aminos, a hearty pinch of celtic sea salt and some fresh ground black pepper. Toss them and get them coated well. Roast in the oven at 400* for about 35 minutes or until they are crispy on top, stir once during the baking time. This is a perfect side dish. Enjoy.

Baked Pear

Soooooo yummy, Soooooo easy... Perfect for those fall pears. A hit for all ages. What else can I say?
OH! right - the recipe... OK take some pears that are close to being ripe, cut in half, using a melon baller - scoop out the seeded part. place on glass baking dish cut side facing up. Now here is the easy part, say if you have 6-8 pears which then will give you 12-14 halves, Drizzle about 1/2 - 3/4 cup maple syrup all over them, coat the cut opened part with it. Then pour about 1 c of apple cider (or juice) into the bottom of pan. AND THEN....sprinkle cinnamon all over them. WHEW!!! Bake at 400* for about 20-30 minutes or until they are soft. Take out, let cool slightly (since they are sooo yummy warm) and use the syrup on the bottom of pan too. Optional (can be dangerous) Can serve with a scoop of vanilla coconut milk ice cream to really make everyone nuts.....

Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette

I'm sure that right now you probably are getting an abundance of salad makings in your CSA share along with a lot of fragrant fresh basil, yes? If not then get your butt down to your local farmers market and get some because it's prime time for it! My all time favorite thing to do with basil (that's quick and easy) is to make a great dressing. It's a dressing that can be versatile...drizzle it on salads, roasted portabello's, pizza, bruschetta or even if your a little wild...vegan ice cream! It can last a long time in the fridge. To make, take your basil, remove any tough stems or seeds, rinse with cold water, stuff your blender s it's about 1/2 filled. Add 2 cloves of fresh garlic, fresh ground black pepper, a 1/2 tsp celtic salt, and 1c of Balsamic vinegar, 3/4 c Maple Syrup, and 1 - 1 1/2 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Blend until super creamy. ENJOY! yummy.

Tofu, Zucchini & Carrots in Cashew Sauce

Oh so yummy and kids LOVE it. Wonderfully savory dish and a great way to use tofu. To start, slice 2 carrots 1/4 - 1/2 in. thick. Slice 2 zucchini lengthwise once and then slice half moons 1/2 in. thick. Then cube 1 block of tofu 1/2 - 1 in. thick. Set aside. Now take 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil into a good sized sauce pan, add 2 cloves of garlic  chopped, and 1 thumb of ginger - peel & chop. Over med heat - sautee' garlic and ginger slightly then add carrots and 1/2 c water. Stir well while you cook for 5 minutes. Now add 1/4 tsp grey salt and a dash of fresh black pepper. Toss in zucchini & tofu, continue to stir around until zucchini begins to be tender. Now add 1/4 c Bragg liquid amino's. Now move ingredients to one side of the pan so you have some juice available to melt cashew butter (if no juices then add water & more Bragg). Now take 2 heaping spoonfuls of cashew butter and stir them into liquid until it dissolves and makes a saucy consistency. Then mix into everything else. Goes really nice with quinoa, and if you've never cooked it, 1 c quinoa to 1 1/2 c water - bring to a boil then lower to lowest setting, cook for 20 minutes or less.

Vegan Taco's

Super easy and super fun. Great meal for kids. I used organic corn taco shells, either yellow or blue. Just heat in oven at 350* for 5 min. Organic refried beans (vegetarian) - heat in iron skillet with some ground cumin & coriander, shredded vegan cheddar cheese, sliced black olives, shredded lettuce, diced onions, vegan sour cream, guacamole (mashed avocado with lemon & salt), your favorite salsa and sprouts...I used cilantro microgreens. Another fun sauce is the cilantro/tamarind sauce on the recipe for crepes done on Feb 25th. Let everyone construct their taco's and see how different you all are when it comes to tastes. Enjoy!

Raw Spinach Soup

A highly coveted recipe THIS soup was introduced to me by Cherron P. during a raw food retreat we had here at Thunder Mountain a few years ago. It's super easy to make, and doesn't need a whole lot to be eaten with it, since it is so filling and nutritious. Just a side salad is good. Also you can add things like cucumber or other greens if you want to get creative, or even use water in place of carrot juice...find what works for you. Recipe: 2c fresh Carrot Juice, 1 T Lime Juice, 1/2c Extra Virg Olive Oil, 1/4c Tamari, 1 Avocado, 1/3c Basil packed, 2c fresh Spinach, 2 T Scallions, 2 T Garlic, 1 tsp Jalapeno, 1/3c Parsley, 1/2 med Tomato or 6-8 Cherry Tomatoes. If you have a vitamix just put all the ingredients in and blend until creamy. If you have a basic blender blend the carrot, lime, olive oil, tamari, basil, spinach and avocado first and blend, then add the remaining ingredients chopped well and blend until smooth. And if you like it spicy then add more of the jalapeno. This soup won't last long so eat it up...