Steamed Collard Greens

2 cups collard greens, diced
2 tbs chopped onion
4 tbs finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
2 cups water
2-3 grinds of pepper

Cook all together in saucepan until well reduced.
Drain and use the liquid as broth.

Sun Dried Tomato and Roasted Eggplant Sauce Recipe

Make a basic marinara  but add 1 tbs of cornstarch. Cook like normal.

Roast an eggplant.
Soak about 5 sun dried tomatoes.*


Once the marinara has reduced by about 1/3 add peeled, roasted and chopped eggplant and finely chopped soaked sun dried tomatoes.

Heat thoroughly and serve hot.

Goes well over pasta, on bruschetta, over steamed veg, baked potato... The possibilities for this deliciously roasty flavored sauce are endless!


*I dry mine in the dehydrator. Slice roma tomatoes in half or fourth, place on rack and dry at 105F until they are dried fruit texture, usually this takes 24 hrs or more.

RAW! Cabbage Kale and Broccoli Coleslaw

So pretty and so tasty.
















Cabbage Kale Broccoli Coleslaw

1 c shredded green cabbage
1/2 c chopped curly kale
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1 tbs olive oil
Juice of one lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp organic cane sugar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Pinch of salt (optional)

Makes two cups, enough for 4 sides or two entrees.

Vegan Dinner Last Night Roasted Eggplant over Pasta with Morel Mushroom Cream Sauce

This is what we ended up eating for dinner last night:













Roasted eggplant with morel mushroom sauce over pasta with a lovely green salad sporting fresh tomato and basil.



Here is the technical stuff if you are so inclined.


Roasted Eggplant
Preheat oven to 400F

Peel and slice an eggplant, lay the slices on a board.
Sprinkle some salt all over the top and put a towel on top of all the slices.
Put a cutting board on top and a heavy bowl full of water on top.
Let it rest for an hour or so then put sliced onion on top of the eggplant, cover with a kitchen towel, weight and let rest for 1 more hour.
This process draws some of the liquid out of the eggplant and begins the cooking process. It is optional, you can just roast fresh eggplant.

Oil a cookie sheet with olive oil and lay your eggplant and onion slices on the pan.
Spread a light layer of oil on the vegetables.
Bake in 400F oven for about 12 minutes until eggplant and onions start to get brown at the tips.
Remove from oven and turn vegetables over.
Drizzle with olive oil or add a tbs of water to the pan if you think they look a little dry.
Bake an additional 20 min or until the veges are tender.


Morel Mushroom in a Cashew Cream Sauce

1 med yellow onion chopped fine
4 cloves garlic chopped fine
1 tbs olive oil

.5 oz dried morel mushrooms soaked in 1 cup water for 20 min.
1/2 cup fresh basil
Salt to taste.

4 tbs dry cashews soaked in clear water.

Coarsely chop mushrooms and save soak water for making cashew cream :)
Saute onion and garlic in oil until they are a caramelized.
Add chopped, soaked morels and chopped basil to onions and let them cook a bit. Add a tbs of water if it seems to dry.

















Once mushrooms and basil are cooked, add cashew cream made from mushroom water and cashews in blender and blend until very smooth. The smoother, the better.
Add cashew cream to veges and stir until thickened. Add more water if you find the sauce gets too thick.

Mild Sweet Corn Salsa Raw Vegan Side Dish

Corn Salsa

1/2 cup frozen corn
1 roma tomato
1/2 med yellow onion
juice of one lime about a 1/4 cup

Pulse tomato and onion separately in processor or chop fine.
Transfer to bowl.
Add corn and lime juice
Mix well and chill for one hour or more
Drain before serving.

Raw Vegan Grilled Vegetables

Raw Vegan "Grilled" vegetables

thinly slice:
seeded yellow bell pepper
1/2 seeded jalapeno
1 seeded tomato
coat with a mix of 1 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs olive oil, sprinkle of cumin and sprinkle of dried cilantro
Put coated veges in dehydrator until they begin to soften.
Remove from dehydrator before they start to get crisp.
May be re-warmed in dehydrator in a shallow bowl before serving.
















Serve as a side dish or in wraps with spicy walnut meat.

Raw Vegan Spicy Walnut Filling

Spicy Walnut Filling:

1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 seeds from 1 jalapeno (a pinch of cayenne will do)
1 tsp soy sauce
3 cloves garlic
Pulse in Food processor until lumpy consistency is achieved. Do not over process, it should be a lumpy texture, not pasty.

Makes and excellent taco filling or salad topping.

White Bean and Avocado Fajitas Vegan Lunch or Dinner Idea

Cooked white beans seasoned with olive oil and salt
Sliced ripe avocado
1 or 2 tortillas
Put one tortilla in a medium hot, dry skillet. Fill with beans and avocado on half of the tortilla. Fold the other half over and heat about 4 minutes on each side.

Shown with sauerkraut, lemon jalapeno pickles and cashew sour cream.

Raw Vegan Pizza

I love raw vegan pizza.

Dinner tonight was Perfect Pizza Crust topped with chopped heirloom tomatoes, mushrooms, green olives onion and topped with raw cashew cheese that I froze and grated.















Here is the crust in the dehydrator. That is enough for 2 personal pizzas or four slices.
















I put some of the cheese on a cracker and put in in the toaster oven to see if it would melt.









It did not.





Layer the ingredients. I like to put a thick layer of tomatoes on first and build up from there.


A little shredded cashew cheese and tomatoes















Mushrooms on top of that.














And keep loading it from there. I put green olives, onions and a bunch more cheese then cut it in half and we each had a slice!
















Here is the cheese before freezing
















Here is some of the cheese after freezing and grating














Just a basic cheese, nuts, nutritional yeast, salt and lemon juice in the food processor until a very smooth paste (this was like play-dough) then roll it up in a piece of wax paper and freeze until hard. Grate and sprinkle quick cuz when it melts it's play-doh again.


Anyway, that is how easy it is to make raw pizza. I hope you try it soon and I hope you take photos and share them!

Celeriac Potato Cake Recipe! Vegan Dinner Idea!

Celeriac Potato Cake

Serves 6-8 people (depending on the size of the slices)

Preheat oven to 350F

1 peeled and grated celeriac
1 unpeeled and grated potato
1 peeled and grated onion
1 peeled and grated carrot
1 peeled and grated turnip
4 tbs olive oil (if this sounds like too much, halve it. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup melted dairy butter, sooo...)
salt &pepper 2 taste

Stir all together well and put in a large oven proof, lightly greased frying pan with an oven proof lid.

Cook on stove top in frying pan, uncovered until it gets nicely browned.

Flip the cake (I loosened the cake with a spatula, then slid the cake out on to a plate and flipped it back into the pan) and brown for a few more minutes then bake for 1 hr covered and 30 minutes uncovered to set.

Remove from oven and let cool 30 minutes.
Cut into 6-8 wedges and serve.

Making RAW Pickles: Spicy Garlic Mixed Vege Pickle Recipe!

I harvested the last of the jalapenos today. Even the little green one. What to do with all those jalapenos?


Why, make Raw Pickles, of course!














The longer it sits, the better the pickles taste, but if you start this recipe at 7am it can be ready for dinner at 6pm.

Spicy Garlic Mixed Vegetable Pickles

Ingredients:

2 med Cukes sliced into 3/4" coins,
1 med carrot sliced into thick matchsticks,
5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in thick slices,
6 red and 1 green jalapeno, chopped,
1 yellow bell pepper, cut in strips,
2 tsp salt,
one fresh lemon, juiced.

Instructions:

Cut up enough veges to fill a wide mouth, lidded Mason jar.
Pour the veges from the jar into a large bowl.
Add salt.
Stir occasionally. Liquid will start to collect at the bottom of the bowl.
Keep stirring occasionally for about an hour or until all the salt is dissolved.
Pour the vegetables and juices back into the jar.
Put a lid on the jar and let it pickles "cook" in their juices for up to 6 hours at room temp.















Add the juice of 1 lemon (about a 1/4 cup) replace the lid and shake.
Let it "cook" for another 6 hours or longer.
Shake now and then to make sure all the veges get equal time in the juice.
Add enough water to cover the veges and store in the fridge.
These will keep indefinitely in a lidded jar in the fridge but they never last long around here!



















These photos were taken before the lemon juice was added. I love to watch the veges "cook" in the salt.

Note: You don't have to use the same exact veges I did. I make this different every time. Sometimes with only jalapenos.

Delicious Vegan Dinner Pic! Baked Eggplant Recipe!

Eggplant baked in fat free onion gravy, beans and rice and green salad with chopped tomato and white mushroom.











The baked eggplant was really easy to make.

Peel and slice 1 or 2 eggplants.
Place the eggplant slices between two towels and cover with a weighted tray to drain the eggplant. Many people salt the eggplant slices when they do this but I tried it once without the salt and it worked just as good.

Drain the eggplant for about 4 hours and then make a big pot of gravy. Layer slices and gravy in a lidded baking pan then bake at 350F for 1 hour. Remove lid and bake one more hour. Let cool for about a half hour and serve.

I said easy, not quick!

How to cook Perfect Rice on an Electric Stove

This works for white rice or quinoa.


Perfect Rice

Put one cup rice or quinoa in a large sauce pan or pot.
Add 2 cups cold water
Bring to a boil
Turn the burner off but leave the pan on the burner and put a tight lid on the pan.
Leave the pan for 20 min or longer, no worry of it burning and you have perfect rice whenever you need it!
Fluff, reheat if necessary and serve with curry, chili, beans, gravy, or use for stuffing, vegan meatloaf or patties, soups, salads, sidedishes, breakfast dinner, lunch, brunch or just a snack!

PS: You must use an electric stove. I don't know how to make perfect rice on a gas stove :)

Sweet Potato Parsnip Curry

Warm, slightly spicy, sweet and comforting.

Cube sweet potato and parsnip.














Place in a sauce pan with enough coconut milk to cover.

I add a little water too, because the coconut milk is very rich. I use about 1/4 cup water for every cup of coconut milk.

Stir in 1 tbs or so of Mae Ploy Yellow curry paste and cook over medium heat.















Stir occasionally to keep from sticking.
Simmer until the vegetables are soft and the coconut milk starts to thicken.
















Shown with quinoa and roasted fennel.

Roasted Eggplant and Garlic Soup

I hear many of you saying "Zucchini Breath, now that I know how to roast an eggplant what do I do with all that delicious roasted eggplant that I have and don't know with which what to do?" (or something like that) to which I have but one reply

"Make SOUP!"
















Roasted Eggplant and Garlic Soup
1 peeled flesh from one roasted eggplant
Peeled cloves of one head roasted garlic

Blend together with

2 tbs tahini
2 tbs lemon juice.
Salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve hot or cold.
Garnish with fresh ground pepper and lemon.

Raw Vegan Lunch Idea! Seaweed Noodles with Pumpkin Seed Curry Sauce

Talk about quick and easy lunch! I decided I wanted this at 11:30 and was sitting down eating it by noon.


Soak your seaweed strips in cold water for 10-20 minutes. These are the raw noodles.












They have a mild, fresh taste and they aren't too chewy. I bought them in an Asian food market in SF.

Drain them and place in a serving bowl.

Make a raw sauce in your blender

I used

Pumpkin Seed Curry Sauce
1 tbs pumpkin seeds
2 dates
2 tbs water
1 clove of garlic (or less. I looo-oove garlic)
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cumin

Blend all this up until its a creamy sauce and pour it over your raw seaweed pasta
I garnished with sliced carrots for some color















Enjoy!

Mock Tuna Salad Vegan Lunch Dinner Snack Brunch Sandwich Ideas!

The original recipe called for pickle. I didn't have any so I subbed vinegar and dill!

Mock Tuna Salad

1 rib celery 1 green onion

Finely chop celery and onion and add:
1 tsp vinegar 2 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp onion powder 2 tsp nutritional yeast 1 tbs soy sauce 2 tbs vegan mayo 2 tbs dried dill 1 tbs dulse flakes 2 tbs ground nori black pepper to taste

Mix spices and mayo with the chopped celery and onion and let it set for a few minutes so the seaweed can rehydrate. Stir well.

Chop
1 15 oz can chickpeas
in the Food Processor or mash them well with a fork.
Mix with veg and spice mixture and chill 1 hour.

Serve on toast with tomatoes and cucumber slices
















or do like I like it, wrapped in collard leaves with tomato and zucchini slices






























It's an appetizer on a cucumber slice garnished with tomato and dill















As a salad with tomato and cuke















I like to call it Chickpea salad, too.

Quick Easy Raw Vegan Lunch :: Watermelon Soup and Banana Watermelon Salad!

yum yum!

The tangy apple and plum juice balance the super sweet watermelon. Pucker up and get ready to enjoy:

Watermelon Soup

Makes 1 serving

1 cup watermelon cut in bite sized pieces. I don't mind the seeds but you may want to remove them for your guests.
1 cup tart fruit juice. I used apple and plum.

Put watermelon chunks in a bowl and pour the juice over the top.

















Banana Watermelon Salad

1 cup sliced banana
1 cup chopped watermelon
Put in a bowl and eat.


















That's it! Raw vegan lunch in a jiffy!

Raw Vegan Dinner Ideas! Raw Vegan Neatballs and Puttanesca Sauce

Raw Neatballs with Puttanesca sauce and Raw Vegan Tabouleh




My inspiration came from Raw Epicurean.









Yay! This is a raw dinner. Well, high raw at least. There is Vegan Parm on top and that is not technically raw.

RAW Dinner or Lunch Idea: Veges Au Gratin and Salsa Salad

Happy kitteh sleeping in the window















Chipmunk eating the seed the birds drop from the feeder











Salsa Salad
2 roma tomatoes
half a ripe avocado
2 or more tbs chopped onion
juice of one lemon
pinch of cane sugar
pinch of salt
big pinch of finely ground black pepper








And finally! Veges Au Gratin



Broccoli, cauliflower and carrot cut up in bite sized pieces and some curly kale, shredded.

Make some seed cheese subbing cashews for the seeds and adding 1/2 of a ripe avocado and enough water to make it sauce-y.





Pour cheese sauce over the veges in a shallow baking pan and dehydrate at 125F for 1 hour or more.

The shorter the time in the D, the crisper the veges will be. ooo, that rhymes :)

Serve with steamed quinoa or wrap in a collard leaf, that's what I did with mine.

What did you have for dinner?