Lentil cashew sweet potato (high in protein)

So I've been doing a lot of exercising the past couple of days... summited my first alpine climb, two 45 minute runs followed by 90 minutes of yoga, bike commuting to work 8 miles each way... etc. I think today it caught up on me. I had my normal green smoothie, but with two bananas instead of just one. But I still feel hungry. I've been sipping on that all morning while studying, and so it's time to make something filling for lunch.

I've been trying to eat about 90% raw, but I don't have any grains sprouted, so I am going to cook lentils, sweet potatoes, and cashew sauce for a protein rich, filling meal. If I don't feel that this is enough, I have an avocado to add.

Broth 

The lentils are cooked in my own vegetable broth.... I just took celery, carrot, chard leaf stem, onion, garlic and spices (oregano, bay leaf, rosemary, pepper) and cooked that for about 15 min in simmering water.
Then I cooked the lentils in this water. The vegetables can be used for future broths, or put right on the meal.
The sweet potatoes are cut up really thin, and put in boiling water.
The cashews are soaking.... I'm going to put them in the food processor to make "sour cream." Add lemon juice, nutritional yeast, olive oil and water.
Here is the cashew sauce:

And then I put it all on a collard leaf... but get creative... have it plain, put it in a whole wheat tortilla, cook some brown rice with it.... 

vegan lemon rice greek soup (Avgolemono Soupa)

Ingredients: Yields 2
A) For homemade vegetable broth:
1 medium carrot
2 celery stalks
2 cloves garlic
1/4 onion
2 cups water
spices- whatever you feel like (rosemary, oregano, basil, pepper, thyme)

B) For soup:
1 cup rice or orzo
1 tbsp miso (any color)
1 tbsp tahini
2 lemons (juice)

C) For soup bowl
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
handful of kale

Directions:
Put all broth ingredients in a pot, simmer for 20 min. Drain broth into other pot, keep veggies for either soup or broth for another dish.

Then add rice, bring broth to a boil, then let simmer. You may need to add more water. You want the rice to be cooked, but still have water remaining because it's a soup!

In a small bowl, stir together the miso, tahini and lemons.

Add the small bowl ingredients into soup during the last 5 min of cooking.

Fill your soup bowl with a handful of kale and sprinkle on nutritional yeast.
Pour the soup over.

Enjoy!!!!

Tacos with Super Veggie Lentil Taco "Meat" adapted from www.ordinaryvegetarian.com


I used to make tacos at least once a week. Two ingredients I had cut out of my eating are ground turkey and cheese. So what do I put inside my tacos? Hmmmm. Look online for vegan taco meat and you get many hits. But the one recipe that most people went to was the "Super Veggie Lentil Taco "Meat" by www.ordinaryvegetarian.com. I followed the recipe to a "T". But, I think I left a little too much liquid in the lentil mix. But.... my husband didn't gag, and he actually had a second helping. YAY!!!!!
Along with the lentil meat I added corn, chopped cilantro, homemade salsa, and black olives.
Hope you like it!

Super Veggie Lentil Taco "Meat (makes about 3 cups)


1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 large bell pepper, chopped (any color)
1 cup sliced mushrooms (any kind)
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2 ribs of celery, sliced
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
dash cayenne
1/2-1 cup vegetable broth 
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp lime juice


 1.Cook lentils and set aside. (Bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup lentils to a boil, bring down to simmer for 20 min or until water is gone). 
2. Saute onion for 3 minutes in large saute pan. Add 1/2 cup vegetable broth in skillet. Stir in the garlic, bell pepper, and mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes. Add in the carrots, celery, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, bay leaf, and cayenne stirring constantly. Stir in the lentils. Keep the heat at medium low and cover for 10 minutes.


3. Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf and stir in tomato paste and lime juice. Transfer to food processor or blender and pulse a few times, until a crumbly texture is achieved--do not puree. Serve hot.


Makes six 1/2 cup servings, which could be used to make 12 tacos, 6 burritos, 6 taco salads, or 6 nacho platters.

Spring Rolls

Ingredients: Makes 4
Rice wraps (1 per roll)
rice noodles (1/4 package)
shredded carrots (1 medium)
sliced cucumber (1/4 cucumber)
raw sesame seeds/sunflower seeds
sliced green onion (1 stalk)
cooked mushrooms (I used enokitake mushrooms)

Sauce:
soy sauce/tamari (1 tsp)
honey (1tsp)
tahini (1 tsp)
sesame oil(1 tbsp)
red pepper flakes (optional)

sidenote: Both the ingredients and sauce can be changed to your palate, or whatever you have in the house.

Directions:
1) Cook rice noodles, set aside to cool
2) Meanwhile, prepare your vegetables. Cook mushrooms if needed.
3) Soak Rice wraps one at a time in water for 2 minutes or until soft.
4) Place ingredients in the middle of the rice wrap circle.
5) Fold up and there you are!
6) Mix sauce items together.

If you can't tell, this is on the clear spring roll wrapper

Spiralized Zucchini & Carrots with Cashew/Avocado Sauce, Yum!!! (RAW)

I have been getting in a slump, eating all the same foods day in and day out. So I looked in my cupboard and saw my spiralizer just sitting there waiting to be used. So, instead of exercising this morning (I know..., I was bad), I decided to take the time to figure out a sauce to put on the veggies. I know a lot of raw foodists will concoct sauces made with cashews for a type of alfredo, and this is what I wanted to do. I've tried it in the past and it came out bland, and I wanted to have more zing! So, I had some Umami Japanese plums in my fridge which I usually put these chopped up pieces in my veggie roll ups for salty type taste. Lemon always adds flavor, then I thought of Cayenne for bite! If I say so myself, this came out pretty darn tasty! I only made enough for one, for my lunch today so the following recipe needs to be doubled/tripled for more servings. Hope you enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

1/2 Zucchini, raw, spiralized

1/2 Carrot, raw, spiralized

1/4 Cup Edamame beans

1/4 Cup Snap Peas, cut in 1/2" pieces

1/2 Cup Daikon Radish sprouts (if not available, regular sprouts would work. Daikon sprouts have a definite kick)

Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Cashews, raw, soaked for 2 hours

1/2 Avocado

1/2 Umami Japanese Plum

1/2 Fresh squeezed lemon (or to taste)

Pinch Cayenne Pepper (or to taste)

Here is the Spiralizer I use. It's OK and works fine.

Simply put veggie on prongs and turn the crank. This model comes with 3 different blades for different widths, but I wish it had an angel hair blade for finer "noodles".






So I put the sauce on the veggies and mixed in.
I added some black pepper at the end. As you can see this is definitely a plateful, but after eating the whole meal, I was satisfied, not overly full. Perfect lunch meal.

Arame quinoa (a type of seaweed) 30 min

I went to a nutritionist this week, to discuss foods that are anti-inflammation for my menstrual cramps, my current upper back situation, and Raynaud's. It's all related... can you imagine?!
So a big change will be doubling up on my daily dose of fish oil and tumeric during my period, and then she gave me some food ideas (ginger and cayenne are great). Here is one that I altered to my taste... I have eaten it twice this week and its AMAZING!
Ingredients for 4 servings:
1 cup quinoa
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 ounce arame sea vegetable (1/2 package)
and whatever veggies you want.... they should be hardy (broccoli, jicama, carrots, radishes, red pepper, etc)
I included: red pepper, broccoli, carrots, radish. Make sure the pieces are all chopped small.
3/4 cup green onions (I've been obsessed with these lately!!)
3 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp tamari (I used liquid amino)
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds

 1. Put dry quinoa in pot on low heat for 5 min to toast the quinoa, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
2. Add double water, bring to boil
3. Simmer until water is gone

 4. While quinoa is cooking, prepare vegetables and ginger

 5. Soak Arame in cold water for 10 min

6. Put stove on low heat, toast sunflower seeds until you can smell the nutty yummy smell

7. Drain seaweed, get as much water out as possible

8. Smell the seaweed... pretend you are on the beach!

 

 9. When quinoa is done, turn off fire and add red pepper and ginger, mix up.

10. Add your liquids: sesame oil, liquid aminos, rice vinegar11. mix in veggies and seaweed! 

You eat it cold... but its good warm too! 

Original recipe from: http:www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/food/views/Arame-flecked-Asian-Couscous-353975#ixzzltBbAaz6Z

Vegan Fruit smoothie (made with homemade almond milk)

Now that it's warmer, there's more fruit available at the grocery stores. The strawberries are amazing! And the mangoes, and blueberries....
I've been making these smoothies everyday for the past couple of weeks. I bought frozen strawberries, rasberries and blueberries (whole foods and trader joe's both sell them organic for like $3-4 dollars each!) But today I made it with all fresh ingredients. I am a cold person (all the time) so I didn't add ice, but if you don't have frozen fruits in there, most people prefer the cold temp---- so add ice.
 To make 1 glass: 1 banana, 2 strawberries, half a mango, one cup almond milk (refer to how to make almond milk post), 5-10 raw walnuts, 1 tbsp cinnamon (optional), 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds
Or add any fruits you have: handful of blueberries, rasberries, 1/2 apple, 1 kiwi etc.....
I added 2 bananas b/c I went for a long run and was really hungry. 

Luckily I was able to get all organic ingredients without breaking the bank. Even the nuts were organic.
1) So I made the almond milk first.... set that aside, and rinsed out the blender.

 2) Then put the banana, strawberry and mango in there.

 3) Threw in the walnuts...

 4) I took my cinnamon sticks (more nutritional value by using the whole stick instead of the pre-ground stuff) and ground them up in my coffee grinder.
*Cinnamon is a warming agent that my acupuncturist told me to add to my day for my Raynaud's disease. Watch out, it can make you really warm!

 5) 1 tbsp of flax seeds (I keep them in my fridge)
*Flax seeds cannot be broken by our bodies, so we have to help out by grinding them. It is best to grind them the day you eat them, to get the most nutritional value.

 5) Blend it all up!! And sit down, drink it slowly, and taste all the flavors!

*If you want it with less calories, go ahead and add water instead of almond milk. If you want it sweeter, add a date, honey, or agave.