Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

6-8 corn torillas
Filling
4 small-med sweet potatoes
1/2 c black beans
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1/3 zucchini, diced
1/2 c broccoli florets
drizzle maple syrup
chipotle powder to taste


Enchilada Sauce
1T GF flour
1T oil
1/2 T cumin
1/4 onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 T chili powder, or to taste
1.5-2 c water or broth
3 T Tomato Paste

Coat the tortillas lightly in oil, place in the oven at 350 for 6-8 minutes, remove, cover with a towel and set aside.

Bake the sweet potatoes, with holes poked in them, until soft. Scoop the flesh, mix in the black beans, maple syrup, chipotle powder and set aside.

In a small pan, heat 1 t oil and add the onion, bell pepper & zucchini. Cook for a few minutes, then add the broccoli, garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add this to the sweet potatoes and beans.

For the sauce, in a small pot heat up the oil, and add the flour, cumin, onion, garlic and chili powder. Stir continouisly for 2 minutes then slowly whisk in the liquid and tomato paste, adding a little liquid at a time to thicken the sauce.

Fill the corn tortillas with the sweet potato filling, top with sauce and enjoy.

Shepards Pie

1/2 yellow onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1 sweet potato
5 radishes cut into quarters
1 zuchinni, chopped into large rounds
1/2 c green beans, chopped
1/2 c frozen sweet peas
2-3 cloves garlic
1 c mushrooms, chopped
2 T tomato paste
1 c cooked lentils
3 russet potatos
coconut oil
salt
scallion

Start by peeling the russet potatoes, chopping them into uniform size & dropping them into a pot of salted cool water, then bring to a boil until tender. While the water is coming to a boil prepare the stew. I chopped these veggies into much larger pieces than I would normally use for a soup or a sauce, because I wanted it to be super hearty, like the stews I ate growing up.

Heat about 1 T oil in a pot and add the onion, carrot, sweet potato, radishes and celery. Keep a lid on it, and stir frequently, for about 10 min. If the pot is super dry, add a little water or broth just for moisture. Now add the rest of the vegetables & garlic, 1/2 a cup of water and the tomato paste. Stir well until everything is coated with the tomato paste and put the lid back on. Stir frequently for the next 8-10 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking you can mash the russets with coconut oil, a bit of water or milk and salt.

Then transfer the vegetables and lentils to an oven safe dish and top them with mashed potatoes. Place in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Then broil for 5-10 minutes to brown the tops of the mashed potatoes. Top with scallions and enjoy!

Neat Loaf w mushroom gravy

 Okay. Let me start by saying... I've made a lot of Neatloafs and I'm trying to master a gluten free version. Here are some ingredients I've tried as a base: (..you know, rather than ground beef.)
oat flour, oats, GF breadcrumbs, quinoa flakes, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, lentils, organic TVP.

I've learned a few things. Most of these ingredients tend to really soak up flavor.. so you have to keep adding more seasoning until the batter tastes right. Also, it is best to use several of the above ingredients rather than just 2 or 3 because it add texture.. so rather than eating a bean loaf, oat loaf or lentil loaf.. you're eating a lentil-bean-oat-nut-seed loaf. Got it? When these all bake together the moisture tends to soften everything, so it shouldn't be crunchy or overly soft, but be able to hold its shape and provide a small variety of texture components. I used to add ground flax seeds, because they make a good egg replacer, but I dont think its necessary. Everything will bind regardless, and the flax makes it kind of mushy.

1 c garbanzos
1 c pinto
1 c lentils
3/4 c oats
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, shredded
1 c mushrooms, chopped
1/2 bell pepper diced
3 cloves garlic
1/3 c sunflower kernels
1/3 c walnuts
1/2 T cumin
1/2 t coriander
2 T Tamari
1 lemon, juice
salt & pepper
fresh parsley

other additions you may want to try adding: sage, thyme, rosemary, mustard, apple, raisin, vegan Worcestershire.

Sauce to Top
1 part ketchup
1 part apple butter
dash of balsamic vinegar

You can pulse all of this in a food processor until it is coarsely mixed, but not mushy. Don't make a paste!  Taste it. If it doesnt have good flavor now, it may be bland when it is done baking. Chances are it may be a little starchy and bland now, and a lot of the flavors will develop more in the oven.. but still.. dont be afraid to add more tamari, cumin, mustard or herbs. Then stir together the Sauceand set aside.

Line a loaf pan, or whatever your using, with parchment and spray it. Pack in the neatloaf batter & generously top with the sauce. Bake in the oven at 425deg for 40minutes. Sometimes I will pull it out, cut the loaf into 4 or more pieces, then stick the peices back in the oven on a tray (try to stand them up) to crisp up more of the edges.

Greek Quinoa Salad

I love making salads like this in the winter and fall. You could really use any grain. I use quinoa because it is gluten free, it soaks up flavor so well, and its a fluffy little nutritional powerhouse. Anything that you would put into a regular green-leaf salad, you can chop up & stir into quinoa. Remember to season with salt, pepper, a little citrus or dressing and then let it sit in the fridge overnight.

2 cups cooked quinoa
olives
cherry tomato
red onion
bell pepper
cucumber
1 T balsamic
3 T hemp oil (or olive)
1/2 t mustard
1/2 t honey
salt & pepper

combine the cooked quinoa with the olives and veggies. Then whisk together the remaining ingredients and stir into the salad. Its best to let this sit overnight to let the flavors soak in. Enjoy!

Italian Tempeh Stuffed Peppers

1/4 onion, diced
1/2 c mushrooms chopped
8 oz package tempeh
1 T fennel seed
1 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/2 t dried sage
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T tamari
1 T oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 green bell peppers
1 c marinara sauce

Crumble tempeh in a pan with 3/4 c water. Simmer until the water cooks into the tempeh. Add the diced onion and oil and cook for several minutes until the onion is tender. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for another minute or two.  Stir in the marinara sauce and fill halved peppers. Place the peppers in a covered dish with 1/4in water at the bottom. Bake at 350 for 35-40minutes.

Pistachio Citrus Pad Thai

6 T PB2 (or 4T Peanut Butter)
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1/3 c fresh orange juice
2 T tamari (I always use reduced sodium)
red pepper flakes - to taste
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t fresh ginger, minced
2 T sesame oil
1 t chili powder

Rice Noodles
scallions
broccoli
bell pepper
1/4 c pistachios, chopped
orange zest
fresh basil, chiffonade

Have you heard of PB2? Its pretty much way cool. PB2 is peanuts that have been smashed into a powder, and most of the oil & fat has been extracted. So you buy it in powder form, rehydrate with water, aaand you have peanut butter. No, its not the same thick & sticky texture you're used to.. but the flavor is there and it spreads. And it contains 85% less fat. So, I'm down with PB2.

Start by re-hydrating the PB2 with a little water, not too much because next you are going to add citrus and tamari. Stir to combine, then set aside.
In a pan or wok, heat the sesame oil and add the onion. Cook for a few minutes, until the onion is soft & transparent, then add ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for an additional minute, then stir in the peanut-citrus-tamari mixture. Add the chili powder. It should thicken pretty quickly. If it is too thick, then ass a touch more water, a little at a time until your desired sauce consistency is achieved.

You can cook Rice Noodles like regular pasta, they just dont need as much time. 6 minutes should do it. Make sure you stir them often, or else they'll stick together.

I like to blanch or steam my broccoli and lightly saute the bell pepper. Toss the noodles in the peanut sauce, top with the veggies, scallions, orange zest, basil, pistachio and serve.

Falafel Bites

2.5 c cooked chickpeas
1 small red onion, chopped
1/4 c fresh parsley
2 T fresh cilantro, chopped
2 T oregano, dry (or 1/4 c fresh)
1 lemon, juiced
1 t cumin, ground
1/2 t coriander, ground
1 t salt
fresh black pepper
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/4 c + 2 T chickpea flour

Preheat oven to 400

Combine everything except the baking soda and chickpea flour into a food processor. Pulse until combined, but do NOT make a paste. You definitely want to leave some texture. Trust me. After many falafel trials... please, don't make a paste. Cool? Okay. Carry on.

So, transfer to a large bowl, and mix in the flour and baking soda. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper, then lightly spray it or rub it down with oil. Now, you can start pattying the batter into small rounds, and lining them on the try. I also lightly rub the patties with a little oil.

Bake for 10 minutes, flip, then bake for another 10minutes. Awesome!

raw Italian Neatballs

Italian Neatballs
3/4 c sun dried toms
1 c orange juice
1/4 c nutritional yeast
2T Italian seasoning
1/4 red onion
3 garlic cloves
1/4 red bell pepper
1 T Irish Moss
1 C hazelnut meal
1 c sunflower seeds, soaked
1 c walnuts, soaked

Marinara Sauce
2 med tomatoes
handful sundried toms
1/8 c red onion
2-3 garlic cloves
5 basil leaves
1 t oregano, dry
sea salt

Blend the ingredients for the Neatballs in a food processor until well combined. It should be pretty smooth, but still chunky. find a happy medium. Shape em into little balls & dehydrate at 109 for about a day, dehydration time depends on the humidity in your area.

Throw all the ingredients for the sauce into a blender, add a little water if you need to thin it out.

Halfway through the dehydration roll the Neatballs in the marinara sauce, then continue to dehydrate.

To serve these cute little guys I got out my Spiralizer & made some zucchini noodles. I tossed them in the rest of the sauce, and garnished with some diced kalamata olives. These pasta bowls were a hit with my omnivorous friends!

Breaded & Baked Morels!!

MOREL Mushrooms.. they come & go so quickly every spring. And they're everybody's favorite! There guys are super rare, very seasonal and deliciously savory.
I manage to get my hands on some every year.. usually they get breaded & fried right away. These year I decided to take a healthier, vegan and gluten free route.

1 lb Morels, soaked in water
1 bag Whole Grain Corn Chips, crushed in food processor
3 T ground flax seeds
3/4 c water
1/2 c buckwheat flour

Soak the morels to remove debris.
Whisk together the group flax & water. This with replace the egg in a typical breading.
Set up a station with 1 plate flour, 1 bowl flax/water, 1 plate crushed breadcrumbs
Gently shake the water off of the morels. Then roll them in flour, dip in flaxwater, then roll in chips.
Set them on a greased sheet tray and bake for 25min at 400deg. Flip halfway through.

I enjoyed these with a good friend, creamy nutbased ranch & some BBQ sauce. YUM!

Kelsey's Best Risotto: Marinara with Breaded Baby Zucchini

2-3 T olive oil
small yellow onion, small dice
small red onion, small dice
6 cloves garlic, minced
dry Italian herb blend
red pepper flakes, to taste
bay leaf
roasted red bell pepper, skinned, seeded & diced
pint mushrooms, diced
sun dried tomatoes, handful, diced
large can San Marzano Tomatoes
1/2 small can tomato paste
1 c water
1 c arborio rice
1 c red wine
fresh basil, chiffonade
fresh parsley, minced
salt, to taste

the Sauce
Dice the onions, combine the red with yellow, and set aside in a pile.
In a medium sized pot heat 1-2 T olive oil and add half the onions. Saute for several minutes then add the garlic, italian herbs, bay leaf, red pepper flakes and mushrooms. Cook for 2minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the red bell pepper and sun dried tomatoes. Cook for an additional minute, stirring, then add the can of tomatoes, tomato paste and water. Simmer for 20minutes. 

the Risotto
Once the sauce is cooked, in a separate large wide pan, heat 2-3 T olive oil, then add the rest of the onion. Saute until translucent, then add the garlic and the arborio rice. Cook for another 2 minutes. Then turn up the heat and add the wine. Once all of the wine has cooked down.. turn the heat to med-low and add 1/3 of the tomato sauce.. Stir frequently. Once the rice starts to soak up the sauce, and you can drag the spoon across the bottom of the pan without seeing any liquid.. add another 1/3 of the sauce to the rice. Keep stirring. If you want to walk away, put a lid on it. Once the rice soaks up most of the liquid, add the rest of the sauce and let it cook with a lid on, stirring frequently. Taste it.. see how "done" the rice is. If the sauce is super thick and the rice isn't cooked thoroughly yet, add a little more water.. add 1/2 c at a time until your rice is cooked and your have a creamy thick marinara sauce. Yum. Stir in the parsley and basil at the end, then serve. Enjoy this meal with a fruity red wine and a good friend :D

the Zucchini
6 small baby zucchini
1 1/2 c seasoned Italian bread crumbs
3 T ground flax seed
1/2 c water
1/2 c flour
balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper

Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise. Mix the ground flax seed and water. let sit for a few minutes. This can be used as a replacement for egg in any batter.
Set up a "dredging station" with 1 plate of flour, 1 large bowl of flax/water mixture, and 1 plate of breadcrumb. Rinse the squash, then dredge in flour, then flax, then breadcrumb. Set on a foil lined, sprayed/rubbed with oil baking sheet and bake at 380 for 25minutes. Flip halfway through. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper before serving.

raw Sunflower Nuggets w Asian Sticky Sauce

Well, this is one of the best meals I've eaten in a looongg time.  To the left is a photo of the nuggets with Kelp noodles and marinated veggies. YUM. I cant wait to have it again for lunch tomorrow!!
Seriously, Ive fed these nuggets to several omnivores over the last few days.. and their responses were unanimous. They all wanted more. Even my most adamantly carnivorous foodie friend raved. I'll be working on this recipe and some similar ideas in the future. ugh, I love to eat good food.
Okay, but real quick let me tell you about the Kelp noodles. Drove all over town lookin for em.Our local vegan & raw cafe, Beets, sells them for a whopping $6.99 per package. Granted, there are several servings per package and they last for a while in the fridge.. but I wasn't excited about spending $7 per package. Natural Grocer was out of em. So I found em at Wheatsville this afternoon (went there this morning but forgot my wallet! yep.) for $3.75. Excellent. I picked up three packages. They are only 6 calories per serving, they're raw, and they're made entirely out of seaweed. Right up my alley. They better have kelp noodles in Columbia, MO because I wont be able to live without em.

 








Sunflower Nuggets
1 1/2 c sunflower seeds, sprouted
1 1/2 c walnuts, sprouted
3/4 c sun dried tomatoes, soaked in 1 c orange juice
1 large shallot
3 cloves garlic
1 T Irish Moss powder
1 c almond flour
1 T tamari
1 T red miso
1 T sage
1 t mustard powder
1/3 t tumeric
1/2 T cumin

Soak sunflower seeds and walnuts for 2-4 hours. Soak sun dried tomatoes in orange juice for 2 hours.
Pulse the tomatoes and their soaking liquid in the food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend. Its okay if theres some chunks of seeds/nuts, but you want to blend it up pretty well. Form into patties and dehydrate for 8 hours. Dip em in the Sticky Sauce, then dehydrate another 8 hours. Heck yeah.

Sticky Sauce
3/4 coconut aminos, aged coconut sap (like soy sauce only BETTER)
1/2 c agave nectar
1/4 c coconut milk
2 cloves garlic
1 in ginger
1 T sesame oil
2 T coconut oil
2 t red pepper flakes
2T sesame seeds

Blend well. Next time Im going to add a little less agave and a little more red pepper flakes. Other than that its totally solid. I got a lot of compliments on this sauce. Ill probably be making it pretty often as it tastes soooo good on veggies.

To marinate the vegetables; I dredged them in the sticky sauce. Broccoli, red bell pepper, scallion and mushrooms. Then I dehydrated them for 2 hours to soften. Delish and nutrish. 

Sunflower nugget batter going into the dehydrator

raw Portabello Patties

 Portabello Patty, served on Italian Flatbread with Cashew Cheez

There are endless ways to produce a veggie burger at home, raw or not, and they are sooo much healthier than the ones you buy at the store.
Looking in the freezer at the grocery store.. you've usually got 2 options. Wheat gluten and soy protein isolate. Okay, so they're not the woorrrst ingredients in the world, but they certainly arent the best either. They are definitely overused, not very easy for our bodies to digest, and besides protein & fiber they dont have many nutritional benefits. Not to mention the vast majority of soy is genetically modified.
So stay away from it and explore the world home homemade veggie burgers! Make a big batch, freeze a few, and you'll always have some on hand. YES!

after 14hours in the dehydrator

This recipe is from one of my very favorite raw & living foods "uncook" books. Its called Living Cuisine The Art and Spirit of Raw Foods by Renee Loux Underkoffler. I halved this recipe and it made 5.5 large burgers.

Portobello Patties
makes 10-12 patties
2 c walnuts
4c chopped portobello mushrooms
3T evoo
3T nama shoyu (raw soy sauce)
1T apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1 c chopped red onion
1/2 c chopped basil
1/2 c chopped parsley
1 T dried oregano
2c chopped zuchinni
1/2 c chopped celery
2 T nutritional yeast (optional)
1-2 t sea salt

Soak walnuts in fresh water for 2-4 hours. Drain and rinse.
Chop portabello mushrooms. Toss with olive oil, nama shoyu, and apple cider vinegar. Allow to marinate at least 30minutes. The mushrooms can be marinated a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
In a food processor, finely chop garlic, onion, basil, parsley and oregano. Add soaked walnuts, chopped zucchini, and celery, and chop finely. It may be necessary to scrape the sides of the food processor with a spatula and continue to chop to a smooth consistency. Drain off the marinade from the mushrooms. Add marinated mushrooms and chop in a few pulses to mix, but do not blend smooth. There should be a savory texture to the mixture. Add nutritional yeast, if desired, and season with salt.
Form patties out of 1/2 c of 1c of the mixture. Place patties on nonstick sheets or wax paper. Dehydrate at 108 for 12-20 hours or until a crust has formed. Flip over patties and return to the dehydrator, so that the underside dries.
The patties are best with a crust on the outside and moist inside for a savory texture. The patties can also be dried thoroughly for longer storage and spritzed with fresh water to moisten before serving. Store in a resealable bag, or storage container in the fridge.    

raw dough before dehydrating

Risotto Mexicana

1 c Arborio Rice
4 c very flavorful vegetable broth
1/3 of a beer
1 white onion
3-4 cloves garlic
1  bay leaf
oregano
cumin
paprika
cayenne
6 T roasted salsa
2 tomatillos, diced
1 roasted pepper, diced
cilantro
salt
garnish- fresh tomato, lime & more cilantro
*serve with guacamole and refried beans

Heat 1 T oil in a pan, add the onion and cook for several minutes, until aromatic and golden. Add the garlic and arborio rice and cook for a few additional minutes. Add the beer and let it simmer til it evaporates. Season the rice with the bay leaf, oregano, cumin, paprika and cayenne, then begin adding broth one ladle at a time.
Stir the risotto frequently, allowing the broth to cook down into the rice before adding more. You keep adding the broth until you reach the desired texture of your rice. It should take at least 30minutes. In the last few minutes of cooking add the salsa, peppers, tomatillos and juice of 1 lime
Taste for salt and stir in cilantro at the very end.

Lentil Walnut Burger

 yum yum served on a poppyseed bun with onion, local greenhouse tomato and homegrown sprouts

 Onion, garlic and carrot prior to adding all the dry ingredients

 Mixing up the dry ingredients, everything is in the pan besides the lentils

 Lentil Walnut Burgers
1 c red lentils
1 3/4 c water
1 small onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, shredded
3/4 c walnuts, chopped
1.5 t coriander
2 t cumin
1 t tumeric
2 t mustard powder
1.5 t oregano
salt and pepper
2 T ground flax
water/milk product if needed
1/2 c almond flour/meal
1/2 c bread crumb

This recipe makes about 4 or 5 med- large burgers

Wash the lentils thoroughly. Bring water to a boil, then add the lentils. Cook until all the water disappears.. about 20-25 min.

Meanwhile, heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan. Add the onion, cook until soft, then add the garlic and carrot.. cook an additional minute then add all the ingredients except the lentils. Turn off the heat, this mixture should be quite dry. Once the lentils are cooked, combine them with the spice mixture. If it is too wet, add a bit of flour, a little at a time until you reach the consistency you desire. Don't add too much... because then they'll taste like flour. If your burgers are too dry and they wont form.. add water/broth/milk until you can form patties.
Once you form a patty, you and heat a little oil in a pan and brown each side, or you could bake it in the over. I usually crisp mine in a pan with a little sesame oil.

I like to keep this mixture in a tupperware container and shape the patties to order. Or you could pre-form the patties and freeze them.

You won't need condiments with this burger (except maybe some creamy mayo) bc it is so flavorful on its own! The burgers don't last long.. I usually eat mine with fresh sprouts, tomato and onion. Enjoy!

Happy Vegan Thanksgiving

Green Bean Casserole

Cashew Bechamel:
2 c water
2 oz dry porcini mushrooms
1 bay leaf
few sprigs parsley & thyme
several black peppercorns
1 head roasted garlic
salt
2/3 c raw cashews
2T oil (olive)
2T flour (buckweat)

Cook everything in the water for an hour (with a lid or else it will reduce too much) besides the cashews, oil & flour. Strain the liquid from the solids and reserve the broth. Blend the broth with the cashews and set aside. Heat the oil in a pan and stir in the flour to make a roux. Stir the roux, for a couple minutes, until a dark paste forms then whisk in the broth. Continue to whisk until a thick sauce forms. Season to taste.

Casserole:
Greenbeans
Mushrooms
Butternut Squash
Cashew Bechamel

You want the bulk of the casserole to be greenbeans and mushrooms. I added the butternut for an seasonal twist on the classic, plus I wanted to have some extra to make a butternut gravy.

Roast the greenbeans and squash, lightly covered in oil with salt and pepper until soft. Toss with quartered mushrooms and bechamel and place in casserole dish and bake at 350 until mushrooms are soft. Top with homemade onion rings.

GLUTEN FREE STUFFING
onion
celery
mushrooms
tempeh
GF whole wheat bread
GF raisin pecan bread
veg broth
salt & pepper

Jerk Shrimp Tacos w Canteloupe Salsa & Slaw

Our Appetizer.. Stoneground Crackers, Caramelized Onions, Roquefort, Sliced Apples & Smoked Salmon

Slawred cabbage sliced super thin
onion sliced super thin

Slaw Dressing
1/2c carrot juice
1.5T ginger juice
2T rice wine vingear
1.5 T white miso paste
1T sesame oil
1t maple syrup

Shrimp1 lb shrimp
2 1/2 t dry thyme
2 t paprika
3/4 t allspice
1 1/2 t sugar
1/2 t garlic
1/2 t cayenne
2 T olive oil

Salsa
1/2 cantaloupe diced small
1 small tomato
red onion
cliantro
salt
lime juice
jalapeno
salt

Kitcheri

4 Courses

Fresh Figs, Arugula, Roquefort, toasted Pecans & a Balsamic glaze


Homemade Focaccia topped with Caramelized Onions, Roasted Garlic & fresh herbs

Zuchinni Noodles with a black olive medley, roasted tomatoes, roasted peppers, fresh basil, toasted pinenuts & parmesan
Berries, Cherries, baked Banana & Cashew Cream


Salad
Arugula
Tiger Stripe Figs (best Ive ever tasted, as if they were filled w strawberry jam)
Roquefort cheese
Toasted Pecans
Balsamic Reduction

Focaccia
adapted from Tal Ronnen's Conscious Cook

Dough:
1 T sugar
3c warm water
1 packet active dry yeast6 c all purpose unbleached flour
sea salt
1/3 c extra virg olive oil

Following the recipe from this book really stressed me out. I had to change his 1 1/2 c warm water to 3c.. because the dough was incredibly dry and never would have worked. Thankfully we just completed our breads courses at school & I am familiar with how the dough should feel. Also, he set the oven temp for 400 degrees, which I thought was way too low for the bread to cook thoroughly w a golden top. ugh. So basically, I am using a different recipe next time & you should too. But don't let this discourage you from baking your own focaccia! Its so good. Even though I wasn't thrilled with it I ate the whole thing, and my dinner guest loved it!

Onions:
2 onions
vegan Butter (Earth Balance)
1 head roasted garlic
salt
thyme rosemary sage

Thinly slice 2 onions, and throw them in a pot with the butter & cover. Stir them often. Once they are golden brown and super soft add 1T Balsamic Vinegar and sea salt. Allow to cool, then stir in roasted garlic, fresh sage rosemary & thyme.

Zucchini Pasta
1 large zucchini
1/4 red onion diced
1-2 cloves garlic minced
olive medley
roasted tomatoes (or sundried)
roasted bell pepper
fresh tomato
fresh basil
salt
pepper
Parmesan
toasted pine nuts

First of all, for this dish you need a Spiralizer to cut your squash into noodle strands. I love this tool. I works on most hard fruits and vegetables like potatoes, apples, pears, winter squash, radishes...

Start by heating oil in the pan, then adding onion. After several minutes, they're soft & delicious add olives & garlic. Let cook another minutes, then add the roasted tomatoes, roasted bell pepper. Let them heat up, then toss in fresh tomato, fresh basil, toasted pine nuts & turn off heat. The olives will make this dish quite salty, so you may not need to salt it. Garnish w fresh parm & cracked pepper.

Cashew Cream
Cashew cream is so easy and its one of my classmates favorite things to make.

1 c cashews
1 T maple syrup
1/4 fresh vanilla bean pod seeded
water

Soak Cashews for up to 3 hours. They'll fatten and even take on a purplish hue. If you don't have the time to soak this long, boil water and use this hot water to blend them.
Place the cashews in a blender and cover with 1in water. Add fresh vanilla and maple syrup and puree until smooth. Enjoy

I served with blueberries, cherries, strawberries & a baked banana.

to bake a banana, place a banana in its peel on a tray in an oven at 350. Bake until the peel is black and juice is starting to ooze out. Amazing.

Cleanse: Stuffed Peppers w Shrooms & Squash

Cleanse: Guacamole Quinoa Salad