Tortilla Soup

I love fall and soup and things that are spicy, so naturally tortilla soup sounds like a little piece of heaven to me. I had actually been craving this for a few months since I had it at Temezcal on the South Boston Waterfront.  This weekend, I decided to try to make my own and jazz it up a bit. 

Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon of grapeseed oil
1 chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bell peppers, chopped (I did one red and one green)
1 zucchini, chopped
1 ear fresh corn (I had blanched corn late in the summer and frozen it- so I used it here)
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
3 teaspoon ground cumin
1 lbs of roasted tomatoes (I pre-roasted my tomatoes when making another soup)
1 red chili peppers, I kept the ribs and seeds in for spice (to make it more mild, remove both)
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cooked black beans
salt & pepper & crushed red chili pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
Chopped avocado, for garnish
Tortilla sticks (corn tortillas, grapeseed oil, garlic powder, chili powder, to taste)

In a large pot over medium to low heat, add the grapeseed oil, onion, and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Preheat oven on medium broil setting.

Meanwhile, chop the peppers, zucchini, and red onion- set aside. Add the veggies into the pot and sauté for another 5-10 minutes.

Add in the roasted tomatoes, beans, cumin, lime juice and broth. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Simmer on low-medium heat for 25-30 minutes.

In the meantime, make your tortilla strips. Slice corn tortillas into 2 inch strips Place in a small bowl and drizzle with grapeseed oil to coat. Sprinkle on garlic powder and chili powder  and mix well with hands. Place on a lined baking sheet and broil for up to 3 minutes on medium. Watch very carefully. When golden, remove from oven.

After the soup simmers, ladle into bowls, and top with chopped avocado and tortilla strips. Serve immediately.

Vegan White Bean Blondies

I am a terrible baker.  I was before I became vegan too.  However, I have made it a personal goal to try to learn how to bake things.  So when I so this recipe for vegan blondies on No Meat Athlete, I had to give them a try. I am sure glad that I did!  These came out delicious and because they are made with white beans, they are high protein and relatively low fat.  I also used spelt flour rather than pastry flour which means that my version is Gluton Free too! 

Vegan White Bean Blondies
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup of light brown sugar
2 cups cooked white beans (I soaked and cooked my own, but you could used canned.  Just rinse well)
10 chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup dark rum (I used Mount Gay)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup chopped walnuts nuts
1 cup raw cacao chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and brown sugar; set aside. Process your beans in a food processor with the chopped apricots and rum.  Add the water and vinegar and process until a smooth puree forms.

Fold the bean puree into the dry ingredients with as few strokes as possible.  Stir in the walnuts nuts and cacao chips.

Grease a 9×13 baking dish with baking spray and spread the batter evenly into the pan.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes, turning the pan around in the oven halfway through.  A toothpick stuck in the center should come out clean.  Mine took 31 minutes to get nice and  brown along the edges and golden on top.

Let cool, then slice into 24 squares.

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Au Poivre

This is something that I haven't wanted to try veganize for awhile.  Typical Au Poivre sauce is generally served over steak, but given the meatiness of portobellos, I was confident it would have the same taste.  Traditionally, a steak is coated in peppercorns and sauteed in butter and then a sauce is created by deglazing the pan with cognac and heavy cream.  Veganize that?  No problem.  This actually came out better than I thought it would, but be ready because you will need a hammer to execute this well.  Yep, you heard me right.

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Au Poivre
Ingredients:
1/2 of red wine (I used Boujelais)
3/4 cup vegetable broth
2 teaspoon tomato paste
2 teaspoon dark miso
2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp earth balance + 1 tablespoon for cooking your mushroom
3 tablespoons cracked mixed peppercorns
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
salt and pepper to taste

Take a plastic bag and throw in 3 tablespoon of mixed peppercorns.  Using a hammer, pound out the peppercorns so that they are very coarse.  Set aside.

Rub about 1/4 teaspoon grapeseed oil on each side of the portobello and and rub in about 1/2 tablespoon of the coarse peppercorns. Set aside.

Heat the remaining grapeseed oil and 1 tablespoon of Earth Balance over medium high heat. When really hot, sear the portobello mushroom on both sides. Keep warm and make the sauce. Take the frying pan off the heat.

Using the same frying pan, deglaze the pan with the red wine. Add the shallots and remaining peppercorns and put the frying pan back on the burner and reduce by 1/2. Add the broth and reduce by 1/2 again. Take it off the burner, and add the tomato paste, miso and vinegar. Stir in the last of the Earth Balance. Check the seasonings and serve over portobello.

This sauce is super dense and concentrated. It will look like you didn't make enough, but once you taste it, you'll know. Just a little bit of this goes a long way.  I served mine with green beans and a baked sweet potato.  I love the sauce so much that I even some on my potato.

Apple Butter

After going apple picking twice this fall, I had an abundance of apples- even after hosting an apple themed party.  So what is a girl to do with all of these apples?  Apple butter of course.

Let me preface this by saying that this shit is amazing and I love it- particularly on my morning oatmeal or vegan cinnamon raisin toast.  Whoa! Heaven for real.  BUT with that said, this is most definitely labor a love.  I thought this process would take me about 3-4 hours...try 7-8!  Thank goodness Saturday was a miserable cold day and I had no desire to go out.  Thank goodness for my beloved crock pot which worked over time to create this masterpiece which made my apartment smell like apple pie.  It's Wednesday, and my house still smells like apple pie.  Yum!

So if you have the time to do this, I totally recommend it.  I also jarred it and shared it with some friends which is always nice :)  Please if you decide to go this route, follow the jarring procedure below to make sure you do it right.  Done properly, this apple butter should last up to 3 weeks.  Jarring can be a bitch, but totally worth it.

Apple Butter
Ingredients:
3 lbs cooking apples (I used a combination of McIntosh and Granny Smith)
1 cup prunes (I added the prunes instead of sugar)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons brown rice syrup, dark agave syrup or barley malt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt

Peel, core, and cut your apples into small pieces. Place apple slices, dates and apple cider in crockpot and set on high.  Sprinkle all your spices and mix.  Cover and let simmer for a long as time. 

After many hours (I stirred my apples about every 20 minutes) you will notice your apples slowly turn into a a smoother substance, though there will still be lots of chunks.  You will also notice that it your substance will start to get darker.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Process apple/prune mixture with your immersion blender until smooth. Pour and spread the mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Bake in centre of the oven for about an hour, stirring every so often, making sure to scrape down the sides. Once done (you can test for doneness by seeing if the butter is thick enough that it will stick to a plate or something upside down), ladle the butter into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, seal with lids and place in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.Jarring Method (IMPORTANT)
Ball jars specifically designed for home canning are best. Jars come in a variety of sizes from half-pint jars to half-gallon jars. Pint and quart Ball jars are the most commonly used sizes and are available in regular and wide-mouth tops. If properly used, jars may be reused indefinitely as long as they are kept in good condition.

Sanitize your jars first.  I just run them through the dishwaster.  Make sure they are complete dry before you start this process.  Also, you may want boil your lids separately (without the rings) for extra sanitation.  I do.

Fill your jars with the apple butter, making sure there are no air bubbles.  You can check this by simple looking at the outside and if you see a space in the mixture, there is an air bubble.  Use a spoon to remove.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Your pot should be large enough to cover your jars with at least 1 inch of water.  Put your filled jars in the boiling water and keep them covered with at least 1 inch of water. Keep the water boiling. Process the jars in a boiling-water bath for 40 minutes.

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place for several hours until they are cool.  I use tongs to get them out of the water, but you can by a special jarring tool.  Be sure when you are doing this to lift them out evenly. so as not to shift your liquid to much.

Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Otherwise, your apple butter is good to go!  Feel free to give out to friends.  If you follow this method, your apple butter will stay good for 3-4 weeks.

Roasted Tomato Quinoa Soup & Spicy Asian Peanut Slaw

When starting October Unprocessed, I began with the Revitalive 2-day Cleanse.  Part of the cleanse involved amazing soups.  My favorite was the Tomato Soup because it included quinoa which made it hearty and super healthy.  So I decided to try to replicate this.  It came out awesome and I have been eating it all this week for lunch.

Roasted Tomato Quinoa Soup
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
1/2 sweet red bell pepper, finely diced
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Savignon Blanc)
1 quart strong vegetable stock
4 lbs of tomatoes, pealed/chopped and roasted
2 bay leaf
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of time
salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa

Preheat your oven to broil and dice your tomatoes, laying them out on a baking sheet.  I used 4 lbs of roma tomatoes because I needed 1 lbs for my tortilla soup recipe as well so I figured might as well do it all at once.  You only need 3 lbs for this recipe.  Make sure you peel your tomatoes.  Douse with a little grapeseed oil and sprinkle with some salt and pepper and roast.  I roasted mine in two sets.  Roast them on broil for about 10  minutes and then flip them and roast for another 10 minutes.  Set them aside and let them cool.

Sauté all vegetables with oil in a soup pot until they start to collapse and sweat. Add the wine, tomatoes, broth, and bay leaves.  Cover and simmer until veggies are tender.

In the meantime, rinse 1/2 cup of dry quinoa and strain.  Bring 1 cup of water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon of grapeseed oil and a pinch of salt.  Once the water is boiling, add the quinoa and cover.  Reduce heat and cook for about 15 minutes until all of the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender.  Set aside.

Using an immersion blender, puree your soup until it is smooth.  Season with salt and pepper. You may need to add more stock if it's too thick- I added about another 1/4 cup. 

Add the quinoa a little bit at a time stirring constantly so you don't get clumps.  Once all of the quinoa has been added taste and add more pepper if needed.  You are ready to serve it up!  This is a great soup recipe and the quinoa makes it much more hearty then just plain old tomato soup.

I mentioned that I have been eating this soup every day for lunch.  I often enjoy it with some of my asian coleslaw which is light and delicious.

Spicy Asian Peanut Slaw
Ingredients:

5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
2 cups Napa cabbage shredded
1 green pepper , thinly sliced
2 carrots, julienned

1/2 red onion, thinly chopped
4 green onions, chopped

3 tablespoons of smooth unsalted organic natural roasted peanut butter (I use Teddie's)

3 tablespoons of vegan ponzu

3 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons of sesame oil

2 cloves of garlic minced

2 teaspoons of ginger (Fresh is best!)

1 tablespoon of my beloved Sriracha

sesame seeds to garnish

Whisk all of the wet ingredients plus the ginger and garlic together in the bottom of a large bowl.  Mine was a little thick so I added a little bit of water to thin it out. Chill in the fridge while you make your coleslaw.

Cut up all of your coleslaw ingredients and toss together.  Add the peanut sauce and coat well.  Voila!  Delicious and quick salad.

October Unprocessed Conclusions & Vegan Ponzu

I am so glad that I did the October Unprocessed Challenge set up by Eating Rules.  I would not have thought to do this on my own because it is not very different from how I eat already, but I am glad that I did.  The Challenge made me really look at what I am putting into my body on a daily basis as well as being more conscious of the choices that I make when it comes to food.

So without getting too hokie, here are my conclusions. (Brace yourself for some enlightenment...or not so much):

1. Being a vegan (for me) isn't just about not eating animal products.  Because of this Challenge, I am more aware of the processed foods that I eat regularly and their effect on the world around me and my body.
2. I suck regularly blogging.  I should have known it would be too ambitious to commit to write one blog post a day.
3. I love fall veggies!  I have a new found love of kale and man do I love all things squash.
4. Drinking more water is hard and you have to pee a lot.  This is something that I will continually struggle with, but I promise myself to keep trying.
5. I can survive life without coffee!  Holy Shit!  Who knew?  And, by the way, I can do this and still be a human being- even more impressive.
6. I love salt.  It was hard to cut down on salt, but I learned to make substitutions like Braggs and Ponzu sauce (see vegan recipe below!).
7. Eating "clean" is tough, but the benefits are amazing and I have found that I have had a lot more energy.

My take away is to try to keep eating this way as much as possible throughout the year.  In the meantime, I have a ton of recipes I didn't post from this month that are all unprocessed.  Check back in a few minutes for some yummy, clean food.

Vegan Ponzu
Ingredients:
1 cup  tamari
¾ cup lemon juice
¼ cup white rice vinegar
Cayenne pepper to taste

Ponzu sauce generally contains bonito which is fish.  However, it is easy (and cheaper) to make vegan ponzu! This is a great substitution for adding salt to dishes as well.

Combine these in a small bowl and whisk together to integrate the ingredients thoroughly.

October Unprocessed Day 26: Fiery Pasta Pomodoro with Asparagus and Italian Style Grilled Tempeh

Tonight I was craving pasta and had some amazing mini-heirloom multi-color heirloom tomatoes left from Smolak Farms so I decided to make a spicy pomodoro sauce.  It was spicy, flavorful and fresh....exactly what I was looking for.  Only problem: I ate far too much and am currently so full.  Not entirely a bad problem.


To accompany my pasta, I made some grilled asparagus and zucchini and some Italian style tempeh.  Perfect accompaniments.  This meal was exactly what I was craving and perfect for this chilly night.

Fiery Pasta Pomodoro
Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Red pepper flakes to taste

Fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

About 25 assorted multi-color mini-heirloom tomatoes, halved

8 ounces of vermicelli

Ground black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon of thyme

1 teaspoon of oregano

1 teaspoon of nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1/2 cup of dry white wine (I used Savignon Blanc)

In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium-low, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil. Add the garlic slices and toast, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Watch closely so garlic doesn't burn. Increase the heat to medium, add the red pepper flakes and half of the basil leaves. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente according to package directions, usually about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cook the tomatoes for about 5 minutes, or until they start to blister and the skins pop. Mash the tomatoes gently with a wooden spoon to make a pulp, then turn down the heat. Add the thyme, oregano and wine.  Season lightly with salt and black pepper.

Add the drained pasta and reserved pasta water to the tomato mixture. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add nutritional yeast. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce begins to cling to the noodles, using tongs, toss the pasta to coat evenly.

Add the remaining basil and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Plate and add the grilled zucchini and asparagus.

Italian Marinated Grilled Tempeh

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon safflower oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons of tamari
1 minced garlic clove
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon minced onions
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and stir or whisk to combine. Take 1/2 of a tempeh block and cut it into two triangles.  Marinate for at least one hour, flipping at least once.

Grill on both sides and serve with you pasta.

Walnut Banana Bread

My colleague gave me two over ripe bananas today and asked if I could use them.  So I decided to try to make banana bread.  As I have said, I am not much of a baker, but this turned out pretty damn good.  This was super fast and easy to make.  

Vegan Banana Walnut Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup almond milk (soy milk works, too)

6 tablespoons grapeseed oil

4 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon agave nectar
3 prunes

2 over ripe bananas

1 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Oil the loaf pan and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt).  In your food processor or blender, blend together the milk, oil, syrup, agave nectar, and bananas until smooth.

Fold in the banana mixture and almonds into the flour mixture. Pour the batter into the loaf pans.  Smooth the top with a spatula.Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool.

P.S. This makes a yummy breakfast!

October Unprocessed Day 25: Vegan Ramen

I have been craving Wagamama's Moyashi Ramen for weeks.  Sadly they no longer deliver this awesome soup and I haven't had to go there and order it.  So tonight I decided to try to make my own version which came out pretty delicious.

Vegan Ramen
Ingredients:
3 button mushrooms, sliced thin
1 small red onion, sliced into thin strips
1/2 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
3 stalks of asparagus, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup of shelled edamame
a handful of mung bean sprouts
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of Sriracha
1/2 package of soba boodles
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 tablespoon of tamari
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
black pepper to taste
1 quart of vegetable broth
2 bay leafs
sesame seeds

Slice all of your veggies thin.  Toss them with the sesame oil in a pot and stir fry.  When the veggies start to brown and then add your broth, spices and Sriracha.  Cook on low heat covered for about 15 minutes.

Add your soba noodles and bring to a boil again.  Cover and cook for another 7 minutes.  Place ramen into serving bowl and add the mung beans, sesame seeds and tamari (evenly distribute).  And voila yummy dinner in no time.  

October Unprocessed Day 24: Polenta Pizza, Apple themed parties, Plus I suck and can't do daily blog postings

Lesson learned.  I tried to post daily, but man that is a lot of commitment and I just can't do it.  Sorry ladies and gentleman. In the 13 days since I last posted, I have been able to stick to the October Unprocessed Challenge with only a few minor slip ups.  I have significantly decreased my coffee intake, but have not been as strong on the less salt and more water goals.  I will keep trying.


Instead of trying to recap what I have eaten for every meal (these are the times I wish I kept a food journal), I figured I would just highlight a few things and a couple of worthwhile recipes.

Polenta Pizza
Ingredients:
2 cups veggie broth
1 teaspoon  Italian seasonings (I used oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley)
1 1/2 teaspoon EVOO
Pinch kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
3/4 cup cornmeal 
1 small white onion
4 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 portabello mushroom, sliced
2 whole cloves of garlic sliced thin
1 cup of kale, cut into strips
1 tablespoon of pine nuts
2 medium roma tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons of EVOO
1 teaspoon of Nutritional Yeast (optional)
Jazzed up Jar Sauce

Bring the vegetable broth up to a boil. Add in the seasonings and EVOO.

Whisking constantly, pour cornmeal into water in a steady stream. Continue whisking for 5 – 7 minutes or until the polenta is creamy and thick.

Evenly distribute polenta into a 9″ cake pans. Using a spatula, spread out to about an even thickness. Let polenta cool slightly, then stick the pan  in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow the polenta to solidify.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place your cake pan in the oven and cook for about 40-45 minutes and remove. When your polenta starts browning, remove it from the oven and set aside.

In the meantime, toast the pine nuts in a frying pan until fragrant and remove from the heat. Heat up the remaining EVOO in the same frying pan. Saute the the onion until it is translucent and then add the mushrooms and sauté until cooked. Add the kale and sauté until bright green. Then add the tomatoes and thinly sliced garlic.  Continue you to saute on low heat.  Your mixture will become very bright and fragrant.

Jazz up your sauce and spread tomato it onto polenta crusts leaving 1/2″ uncovered around the edges. Add any spices you want to- I used my typical Italian seasonings.

Arrange the vegetables on the crust, distributing evenly.  Sprinkle the pine nuts and nutritional yeast evenly on top.  Cook pizza in oven for and additional 15-20 minutes or until the kale starts toasting.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Kissy Fish....
This fish on the bathroom wall in a restaurant made me really sad. So I tried to kiss him.  I don't think it helped :(

Apple Themed Party
On Saturday, Melissa and I went to Smolak Farms to pick apples.  I heart this place like WHOA!  We picked apples, then tomatoes (of the mini colorful heirloom variety), went in the cutest barn ever, bought the most awesome soy candle at the country store.  A day of total perfection.

To use some of our apples, last night I hosted an apple themed potluck.  Holy yum!  Here is what we served:

Mini-Colorful Heirloom Tomato Salsa with jalapenos, corn and red onions

Singapore Spiced Pumpkin Apple Soup (a la Melissa) 
Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 stick of celery, diced
3 small apples, peeled and diced
1/2 tsp white pepper
pinch of salt
2 tsp Singapore seasoning from Penzey's Spices (has tellicherry black pepper, lemon peel powder, citric acid, garlic, onion, turmeric, coriander, cumin, ginger, nutmeg, fennel, cinnamon, fenugreek, white pepper, cardamom, cloves and cayenne red pepper)
1 can organic pumpkin puree
2-4 cups veggie stock (depends on what consistency you want)

Sautee onion, celery, apples in the olive oil until soft.  add in white pepper, salt, and seasonings.  stir in pumpkin puree and veggie stock.  Simmer for a bit (~10 minutes) and then puree with immersion blender. 

So easy and delicious.  Melissa served this with crunch baked spicy chickpeas. 

Cider Apple Mushroom Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of Earth Balance
1 leek, thinly sliced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (I used Braggs)
6 button mushrooms
2 portobello mushrooms, diced
1 head of cauliflower, boiled and pureed
1 Golden Delicious apple
1 tablespoon of Grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon of nutritional yeast
2 gloves of garlic, chopped fine
A small handful of chopped fresh parsley
Salt & black pepper
1.5 cups of white wine (I used Savignon Blanc)
Pasta- I used vegan tofu, apricot and spinach ravioli from DePasquale's
I also did a gluten free pasta for Melissa that was fro DePasquale's

Slice all your mushrooms and leeks and set aside- keep them separated.

Place 1 tablespoon of the Earth Balance in a skillet and melt it.  Add your mushrooms and saute for 4 minutes, covered. Add a bit of white wine here as well. Check occasionally to make sure the mushrooms do not stick and burn on the side which touches the pot. Set aside including the cooking juices.

Add the remaining Earth Balance and saute the leek until softened and not brown.  Add the mushrooms and cider vinegar, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, boil your breakdown your cauliflower and boil in water until tender. In your food processor, add the cauliflower, about 1/2 cup of the water you boiled it in, garlic and nutritional yeast.  Process it until you have a smooth, creamy like consistency, gradually adding the Grapeseed oil to thin it out.

Add the cauliflower mixture and 1 cup of the white wine to the mushroom, cider and leek mixture and stir well.  Simmer on very low heat for about 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and keep warm by covering the pot with a lid. Core and peal your apples and cut across into thin slices. Fry in a little Earth Balance until golden brown on both sides.

Place the pasta on a serving dish and spoon the sauce and mushrooms and garnish with slices of butter-fried apple and parsley. Voila!

Waldorf Salad
Ingredients:
2 cucumbers unpeeled, seeds removed and diced
3 celery ribs, peeled and diced
1 small red onion, diced
Handful of colorful mini-heirloom tomatoes, diced
2 red delicious apples, peeled and diced
1 cup of walnuts, diced
1/2 lbs of baby arugula, cleaned well
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup tahini paste (in the peanut butter aisle)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 teaspoon gluten-free tamari
2 teaspoon of dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic, minced

Clean and dice your cucumbers and place them in a colander with some salt.  This helps bring out their awesome flavor. 

Dice your celery, onions, and tomatoes and add them to colander. Toss all of the ingredients together with some fresh ground pepper.

Chop up your apple and walnuts and set aside, while you make your dressing.  Combine the water, tahini, apple cider vinegar, tamari, Dijon mustard and garlic in a mason jar and shake it like a Polaroid picture. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

Clean your arugula and place it on your serving plate.  Combine your veggies, apples and walnuts in a bowl and toss with the dressing, coating everything well.  Put the mixture over the arugula and serve.  This was righteous!

Vegan, Gluten Free Apple Crisp
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of gluten free quick oats
1/2 of of light brown sugar (do not pack it!)
1/4 cup of chickpea flour
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 teaspoon of all spice
1/4 cup of Earth Balance, melted
5 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and diced
2 teaspoons of turbinado sugar

Spray your 9" cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all your dry ingredients and mix well.  Add the melted Earth Balance and mix until you have a chunky mixture.  I used my hands to make sure it was all mixed well.  Set aside.

Dice your apples and place them in the cake pan.  Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar and some cinnamon.  Put your crumble mixture on top evenly and bake for 45 minutes until the top starts to brown.

All together it was a yummy night.  I hope you like these recipes.

**Photography by Melissa V.

October Unprocessed Day 11: Kale Salad & Puttanesca

Today was a good day.  I planned well and was able to eat really delicious well-balanced meals.  I never felt hungry.  I drank a lot of water and felt really great all day!

Breakfast:  Peanut butter, oatmeal, banana breakfast cookie

Lunch: Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing
Ingredients:
1 cup of kale, cut into thin pieces and rinsed well
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 small vine ripe tomato, chopped
1/2 avocado, chopped
2 teaspoons of lemon juice

So I used to hate kale salad.  It is bitter and gross.  Then my friend Tommy told me the secret, you've got to massage that shit!  Massage my kale? Yep, you heard that ride.  Holy smokes, it makes a world of difference.

In large serving bowl, add the kale, lemon juice, and a little kosher salt. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Your kale will go from looking luscious and leafy (aka bitter) to more like cooked spinach (aka bliss).  Set aside while you make the dressing.

Tahini Dressing 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup tahini paste
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp tamari
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic, minced
a generous squeeze of Sriracha hot sauce (YUM!)

Combine ingredients in a glass mason jar and shake it like a Polaroid picture.  Chill until it thickens.

Combine your dressing, kale and add the peppers, tomatoes and avocado.  Enjoy!

Snack: Fresh Strawberries

Dinner: Chickpea Puttanesca over Polenta
Ingredients:
2 medium vine ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon EVOO
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons of capers
1 shallot, diced small
1/2 of a yellow onion, diced
4-5 button mushrooms chopped
1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes
About 10 kalamata olives, halved2 tablespoons capers
14 ounces of chickpeas, you can use canned (I made my own)
Salt to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of rosemary
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 jar of your favorite tomato sauce (I used Classico Tomato & Basil)

I fully admit that this one could have been hit or miss.  Boy am I sure pleased that this was AWESOME!  So awesome, in fact, that I can wait for left overs at lunch.

Place the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic while the oil is still at room temperature and swirl it around a bit in the oil. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the shallot, oinion, mushrooms and red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and saute for about 2 minutes, taking care not to let the garlic burn.

Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, and a pinch of salt and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. I added some more red and black pepper here and added the rest of the Italian seasonings.

Add the chickpeas, season with salt (about 1/4 teaspoon if not more), and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
Polenta
Ingredients:
2 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon of Italian seasonings (oregano, thyme, parley, rosemary)
1 teaspoon of EVOO
Dash kosher salt
fresh pepper
3/4 cup cornmeal

Bring the veggie broth up to a boil. Add in the seasonings and olive oil.

Whisking constantly, pour cornmeal into water in a steady stream. Continue whisking for 5 – 7 minutes or until the polenta is creamy and thick.

Plate your polenta and put the puttanesca over it.  Yum, Yumm, Yummy.  This recipe was spicy, delicious and filling.  Perfect end to my night.

October Unprocessed Day 10: Apple Picking and Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Banana Breakfast Cookies

Today I went apple picking with my nieces  and it was a blast.  I ate a few fresh apples while we were out and they were so delicious!  Foodwise, I had a pretty balanced day!

Breakfast: Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Banana Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients:1/3 cup peanut butter (I used the fresh kind that you grind at Whole Foods)
2 ripe bananas (overripe is fine)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp almond milk (I made my own!  It was scary and didn't yield much, but I followed this recipe)
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 ½ cups quick cooking or rolled oatmeal
dash cinnamon (optional)
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup of almonds, chopped
1/4 cup of cranberries


In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork until smooth. Add peanut butter, almond milk, vanilla and maple syrup and mix well. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.


Drop spoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 16-20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until done.

Lunch: Lots of Apples
           Calzone with no cheese and spinach, garlic, peppers and eggplant


Dinner: Veggie Stir-Fry with Brown Rice