recipe – Page 10 – Discover Healthy Food

Recipe: My favorite hummus recipe

This is by far my most favorite hummus recipe – from the Fat Free Vegan website. I love this recipe because it is:

1) Easy to make.

2) Tastes great.

3) Makes the right amount to last for a week.

Of course, I have to Jennifer-ize every recipe, so below is my version, which is even easier than the first one. Keep in mind that I don’t like to use salt, so if you prefer add salt instead of the no-salt seasoning that I use… Several people have enjoyed my recipe and didn’t realize there wasn’t any salt.

INGREDIENTS:

2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans, 1 drained
2 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons tahini
Fresh lemon juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon organic no-salt seasoning

DIRECTIONS:
Dump all ingredients into a high-powered blender and purée and until smooth. On my BlendTec, that is two blendings using button #5. Scoop into a resealable container and store in the refrigerator. Best if used within one week (if it lasts that long!).

SERVING:
Serve with fresh cut-up veggies like celery sticks, sweet small peppers, carrot sticks. Pita chips have a lot of refined carbs, but pita chips are yummy! Instead of pita chips, perhaps use tortilla chips. Everyone loves this recipe, so make extra if serving at a party (left overs are a bonus for the chef!).

Recipe: Garden Vegetable Marinara

Overwhelmed with too many veggies in the garden? Try this recipe for enjoying a marinara today… and freeze to enjoy later in the year.

Ingredients:
2 lb. fresh garden tomatoes rough chop – I used yellow pear, cherry, Roma, early girls and heirloom varieties
2 bell peppers, diced
4 clove garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 zucchini, cubed
2 yellow crook neck squash, cubed (Note: Use any squash variety)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon no-salt seasoning
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (Note: Omit if you don’t like spice)
Alternate ingredient: Add veggie sausage cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1 cup water (Note: You may want to add more water. I prefer a chunkier marinara)

Directions:
On medium high heat, water sauté garlic and onion for 3 minutes. Turn heat down to medium, add veggies, 1 cup water and spices and cook for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves and use high-powered blender to rough chop 1/2 the marinara mixture. Return blended mixture to pot with bay leaves. Continue cooking for 15 minutes. Serve immediately over your favorite pasta – I used a rice quinoa pasta.

For freezing: Allow mixture to cool on stove top. On one-gallon sized bags, use marker to write down the marinara and date. (Note: Allow ink to dry before moving bags.) Fill bags half way and freeze. Defrost in fridge when ready… it’ll be a little bit of summer in winter later on and a great way to use the garden bounty today!

Vegan lifestyle tip: Lunch using left overs

When I’m working from home at lunch, I often have a lot of time to make lunch. That’s why I’m a big fan of left overs. I always make large enough quantities with other recipes so that I have left overs ready to go for quick lunches.

Today’s lunch was a bean burger patty reheated with a slice of pepper jack veggie cheese. Scoop of guacamole to top it off! (Eating vegan rocks, doesn’t it?!) A cup of diced tomatoes and 1/2 cup of diced cucumbers topped with a sprinkle of No-salt Seasoning and I’m good to go!

I really think that life is much easier when I have a bunch of quick go-to foods in the fridge. So, make extra when you’re cooking and you’ll find that putting together a fast and healthy lunch is a snap!

How are you using left overs to make your life easier in the kitchen?

Recipe: Turkish Princess vegan cookies

One of my favorite snacks is dried apricots with raw peanut butter. Whenever I’m eating that treat, I feel like a “Turkish Princess”… So, it dawned on me – why not use that as a base for vegan cookies?! Chewy, sweet, crunchy, a bit of spice from the clove…mmmm! These turned out really yummy!

Yield: 4 dozen

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup raw peanut butter (I used Adam’s)
3 ripe bananas with lots of brown spots
1 cup NOTG
1 cup diced apricots
1 cup dried tart cherries
1/4 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoon chia seeds
2/3 cup chopped cashews
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon clove
4 cups rolled or quick oats
Note: I think that you could easily substitute other dried fruit too.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Using large mixing bowl, mash bananas with fork, add NOTG and peanut butter, mix thoroughly. Add cinnamon, clove, apricots, cherries, seeds, and cashews and mix thoroughly. Using one cup at a time, add oats. Ultimately should be a lumpy mixture that sticks fairly well, but not too sticky – if too sticky, you won’t be able to get off the spoon or roll into balls in palm of your hand. Add more oats if needed – about 1/4 cup at a time. Using the palm of your hands, roll into balls, place on parchment lined pan and bake for 15 minutes. Cool on rack… wait a few minutes to eat so that you don’t burn your mouth.

vegan cookies 2 How do you say bon appétit in Turkish?!

Recipe: Spicy veggie marinara and quinoa pasta

I have craved pasta for weeks, so I found some quinoa pasta at Sunflower Market. The pasta is really yummy… I’ll definitely this pasta again. Below is the spicy marinara sauce recipe I put together. Turned out great! This has some kick, so if you can’t handle the heat, omit the Rotel and red pepper flakes.

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 20 oz can tomato sauce
1 can Rotel original
1 can diced tomatoes
2 zucchini cubed or round slices
1 head broccoli cut into pieces
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 package of 4 veggie sausages, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
Water

DIRECTIONS:
On medium heat, use a 4 quart soup pot to water saute’ the onion and garlic for about 3 minutes, add the remaining ingredients plus 1/2 cup more water. Cover and stir occasionally for 20-30 minutes. This is a great make-ahead recipe that can easily be reheated for when you’re ready. Serve over warm pasta.

Recipe: Almond Milk

Yield 1 quart

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup raw almonds
5 cups water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or to taste)

DIRECTIONS:
Soak almonds uncovered over night in room temperature water. Rinse very well. 3-4 cups water with almonds in high-powered blender. Blend until thoroughly and finely blended. There will be tiny almond pieces at bottom. We leave in, but you can strain out pieces if desired. Store in air tight container in refrigerator for up to 1 week (if it lasts that long!!).

Nectar of the Gods – best vegan sweetener around

Klint stumbled upon this recipe while looking for different vegan recipes on YouTube. We always recommend Nectar of the Gods sweetener because it’s such a helpful ingredient to have on hand for vegan dishes.

Yield about 2.5-3 cups

INGREDIENTS:

20-25 medjool dates, pitted
11 ounces pure coconut water

DIRECTIONS:

In a small-medium size bowl, soak dates uncovered in coconut water for at least 4 hours and up to over night. This will soften the dates to make the best creamy consistency. Coconut water should mostly cover the dates, but don’t worry if some of the water is absorbed and a few of the dates are at the top and uncovered. Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender. refrigerate in air tight container. Because we eat it so quickly, not sure how long this will last in the fridge… probably up to 2 weeks. But if you’re not using it within two weeks, that tells me you aren’t experimenting with other recipes. Try my vegan cookie recipes for a great way to use the NOTG.

SHOPPING TIP:

We buy our medjool dates at Costco in the produce section. We also buy coconut water at Costco – it’s the Vita Coco brand that comes with individual sized servings that are the perfect amount for making one batch of NOTG.

Blueberry banana walnut ice cream

We saw a gal on Dr. Oz’s show who lost a lot of weight (like ~200#… holy cow that’s amazing!) eating the “Eat To Live” way. She had a major sweet tooth, so found that she still craved sweets. She created this adaptation of Dr. Fuhrman’s Banana Walnut Ice Cream, by adding some blueberries. Delish!

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS:

1 frozen banana
2 tablespoons walnut
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup almond milk

DIRECTIONS:

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender, serve immediately. Can be doubled. (Note: I like to put in the freezer and eat when it’s even more firm. Really feels like you’re eating ice cream!)

Recipe: Oatmeal Cherry Macadamia Cookies

My first crack at vegan cookies… and they turned out really yummy. Not just IMHO, but everyone in the family – even the picky 6-year-old nephew liked them. Woot!

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups quick oats
1 cup Nectar of the Gods (aka NOTG)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1 cup raw macadamia nuts, rough chop
3 ripe bananas (not totally brown peels, but lots of brown spots)
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup raw coconut
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
Water

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cookie sheet with parchment paper. Mix together NOTG and bananas until fully mixed well. Add oats, 1 cup at a time, until mixed through. Add all other ingredients and mix until well combined and very sticky. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time to make sure that you have a good sticky consistency. You don’t want the cookies to fall apart in the oven… then you’ll just have really chunky granola. Bake 15-18 minutes (depending on your oven). Cool on cookie rack. Store in container… if they last that long!

Recipe: Mexican Couscous Salad

Family picnic dinner in the canyon, so wanted to take something easy to eat and flavorful yet I needed it quickly. Thank God above for giving us couscous. This quick and easy to make semolina grain is versatile and delicious!

Serves 12-15

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups couscous, prepared to directions on the box. Let cool on the stove top.
4 cups carrot chopped
4 cups celery small dice
1 cup cilantro chopped
1 tablespoon Mexican seasoning
1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
1 can Rotel original
1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoon no-salt seasoning
Juice of 2 limes

DIRECTIONS:
Cook couscous per package instructions. While couscous is cooling, chop and prepare the veggies. Add all the veggies to a large mixing bowl. For the sauce, blend the Rotel and Rice Vinegar in a high-powered blender. Add the cooled couscous to the large bowl and all the remaining ingredients. Add additional seasonings if desired. You really can’t go wrong. Mix thoroughly and put into a sealed container. Refrigerate until ready to serve.