Raw Taco Mexican Salad

Kimberly Synder's recipe.

Ingredients

For salad: 
1/2 avocado
2 hearts of romaine
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tbs lemon juice

For taco filling:
2 cups walnuts
1 tbs cumin
1/2 tbs coriander
2 tbs tamari
1 tsp chili powder

Instructions
For the taco filling: 
Put walnuts in a food processor with the blade in place, and process until chunky
Scrape ground nuts into bowl, and mix in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, and cayenne
Add the tamari and mix again.

To save time:
Chop walnuts
Mix in spices
Toss in tamari

For salsa:
Mix chopped tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and lemon juice
Arrange the chopped romaine in serving bowl and spoon the taco filling on top
Add salsa and top off with avocado slices

Nutty Raspberry Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup pecans
8 oz. vacuum-packed soft silken tofu
2/3 cups soy milk, unsweetened
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup neutral cooking oil
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 (6 oz.) fresh or frozen raspberries or blueberries


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Whisk dry ingredients
3. Blend wet ingredients except berries
4. Stir wet mixture into dry mixture
5. Fold berries into batter
6. Divide batter equally among muffin cups
7. Sprinkle some pecans over muffins
8. Bake for 20 (mini muffin cups) or 30 min (large muffin cups)

The Green Ginger Smoothie

Smoothie recipe I'm dying to create from Chicago food & nutrition expert, Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD's blog.

Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup (packed) kale
1/4 cup (not packed) fresh parsley
1 banana
1/2 green apple, cored and chopped (Note: Rub lemon juice on other 1/2 and enjoy as snack)
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon raw honey

Directions
Blend that shit.

Tofu Scramble

This recipe is from Ann Gentry video on veria.com.

Ingredients
Tofu, water packed
Gluten flour
Arrowroot
Baking powder
Tumeric
Sea salt
Pepper
Canola oil
Soymilk
Dill
Parsley
Sage
Soy cheese


Directions

1. Dry tofu then crumble. 
2. Stir in gluten flour, arrowroot, baking powder, turmeric, sea salt, pepper, canola oil, soymilk. 
3. Dice and sauté onions, red peppers, portobella mushrooms. 
4. Add tofu mixture, dill, parsley and sage, soy cheese, salt and pepper.

Sticky Sesame Green Beans

I found this Sticky Sesame Green Beans recipe in a newsletter from Dawn Jackson Blatner RD, a nutritionist/dietitian in Chicago.  I'm continuously cooking green beans with slivered almonds and lemon a 'la Bethenny Frankel recipe. Might be a good time to switch things up and try another way!

Ingredients
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs minced garlic
1 tbs grated fresh ginger
 1 tbs hoisin sauce
1 tbs honey
2 green onions, chopped
1 lbs. green beans
2 tbs toasted sesame seeds Bragg’s amino acids, to taste (or light soy sauce)

Directions 

1. Sauté oil, garlic, and ginger for 1 minute
2. Stir in hoisin and honey
3. Add green onion and green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes
4. Cover and continue to cook for 6-8 minutes, until al dente (still slightly crisp)
5. Top with sesame seeds and Bragg’s (or light soy sauce)

Eggplant

Eggplant is in season July through October and since this is the last month for my second (or third attempt) with working with eggplant, I decided to take a stab at it. I ended up roasting the eggplant the last time I prepared it. Yesterday I picked up eggplant along with yellow squash and zucchini – it's Autumn after all which is prime time for squash!

I found this extremely helpful "How To" on cutting and treating eggplant. Eggplants are prone to browning, absorbing oil, and include bitter skins. The eggplant needs to be salt as to avoid the absorption of oil, glazed with lemon to avoid browning and skin peeled off since it's bitter.

1. Rinse eggplant under cold running water. Wipe dry. 
2. Trim stems off.
3. Peel skin with peeler.
4. Brush the peeled flesh with lemon juice.
5. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise.
6. Cut each half into slices.
7. Brush immediately with lemon juice.
8. Sprinkle both sides generously with 1 to 2 tbs of salt.
9. Place slices in a colander in the sink or in a bowl. Stand for 1/2 to 1 hour.
10. Wipe salt from slices with a paper towel.
11. Squeeze slices to omit excess moisture.
12. Pat slices dry with paper towels.  
13. Eggplant prep and ready for recipe.

Next, I'm thinking or roasting the prepared eggplant along with the zucchini and yellow squash sliced following a Ann Gentry recipe I posted earlier, Savory Roasted Winter Vegetables.

Bean Soy Chorizo Spinach Avocado Breakfast

This is a quick high protein vegetarian breakfast I have been cooking in the morning since we've been obsessed with avocados and the delicious soy chorizo from Trader Joe's .

Ingredients

1 16oz. can black beans, unsalted
2 tsp Cholula sauce
high heat oil spray can
2 pinches of fine sea salt
2 cups baby leaf spinach
1/4 Trader Joe's soy chorizo
2 slices Ezekiel raisin bread
2 tsp non-dairy butter
1 avocado, sliced

Directions

1. Open can of black beans and rinse thoroughly. Heat in pan, tossing frequently. Lightly salt and add Cholula sauce.
2. Heat not-stick pan. Spray oil. Heat oil. Add spinach and a pinch of salt. Stir until spinach wilts. Add soy chorizo. Stir until hot.
3. Place black beans, chorizo/spinach mixture, avocado and buttered toast on plate and serve.