Avocado - Tomato Salad

Avocado - Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados, sliced
red and yellow tomatoes, halved or quartered
red onion, sliced very thin
salt to taste
extra virgin olive oil, if desired
balsamic vinegar, if desired

This was a delicious salad I created with items in our weekly produce from Route One Farms. It was delicious just like this, no dressing needed. My partner filled a spray bottle with extra virgin olive oil and another with balsamic vinegar and sprayed those on his serving.

Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers

Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
10 oz firm tofu, drained
1/4 cup walnuts, roasted and finely ground
1 1/2 cups cooked brown lentils
1 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
3 tablespoons soy sauce or Bragg's Amino Acid
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp mustard
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp sage
4 large bell peppers
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute onions on high heat for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and cook for about 1 or 2 minutes.

Mash tofu in a large bowl. Add cooked onions and garlic and remaining ingredients and combine well.

Cut top off peppers 1 inch from the stem end, and remove seeds. Spoon mixture into the peppers and top with additional ketchup, if desired.

Place peppers upright in glass baking dish and bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes. 

Curried Eggplant with Garbanzos and Spinach

2 large garlic cloves, mashed with salt
2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
I large eggplant (or about one pound), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup of dry beans precooked or 15 oz can*
Freshly ground pepper and salt
1 large bunch of spinach or torn chard leaves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mash the garlic with a pinch of salt.

Mix garlic paste with vegetable oil and curry powder. Add the eggplant, onion, garbanzos and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss well.

Spread the vegetables in an even layer and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice until the eggplant and onion are tender.

Stir in the spinach or chard and roast just until wilted, about 2 minutes.

Serve warm.

*Most canned products contain BPA in the lining of the cans, so I cook dry beans in a pressure cooker.

Making Apple Butter without Peeling Apples

Costco has organic applesauce in 47 oz jars, in cases of 4 jars for about $10.00. The applesauce has no sugar or spices added and is delicious.

We put about 25 oz of applesauce into a 1 quart slow cooker and cooked it for about 4 hours with no lid and voila! We now have a 16 oz jar of apple butter.

Green Ice "Cream"

3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup agave nectar
2/3 cup powdered coconut milk
2 cups spinach, lightly packed
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups ice cubes

Add ingredients to a blender pitcher and secure lid. I use a Blendtec blender so I use the "Ice Cream" button. For other blenders, blend at medium speed for 20 seconds, then on high for 25 seconds or until smooth.

Makes 3 3/4 cups.

Each 1/2 cup serving has 80 calories, 11 grams carbs, 3 grams fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 0 grams fiber, 25 mg sodium, 9 grams sugar, 1 gram protein.

Yummy Steel Cut Oatmeal

4 cups water
1 cup steel cut oats
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
3 tbsp raisins
salt to taste 
1 banana
maple syrup
milk (your choice of nondairy milk such as almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk)

Bring water to a boil. Mix spices with steel cut oats and add to boiling water. Add raisins.

Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

Add sliced bananas and milk.

This makes an excellent, healthy breakfast food or dessert after a meal.

Peanut Butter Tofu Dressing or Dip

1 Tbsp peanut butter
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cups soft tofu
2 Tbsp agave nectar
2 small cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp prepared mustard

Blend on a high setting or in a high-speed blender like Vita-Mix or Blendtec. I used my Blendtec's dressing button.

We're having this as a dip for carrots tonight. It adds a Thai flavor to the meal.

No animals were harmed and we're eating healthy foods.