flowering zucchini with raw pesto

i haven't made a lot of raw dishes lately as i have been working with limited ingredients. however, my garden provided me with a fresh zucchini and tomato, so i decided to whip up something. the pesto doesn't taste exactly like regular pesto, but it's definitely similar in taste. the ingredient list below serve about one as a main dish - i made it for lunch.

• ½ medium size zucchini
• 1 medium size tomato, chopped

for the pesto:

• 1 tablespoon pine nuts, soaked 15 minutes
• 2 tablespoons cold press olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ teaspoon fresh garlic, minced

i used the flat blade on my spiral slicer to make the zucchini into flowering strips. i chopped up the tomatoes and placed on top. for the pesto sauce – i put the rest of the ingredients in my magic bullet and whipped up. i don’t like a lot of olive oil, so i added some water. as you can see, my pesto is a bit thick, so you could add more olive oil if you like. if you aren't worried about eating 'raw', you could just use a store-bought pesto... but i recommend trying your hand at making it fresh. there are any number of recipes on the internet.

enjoy!

tangy lentil salad

still working on the pantry clean-out and more determined than ever to eat all these ingredients that seem to carry over months after months. these lentils were leftover from the sloppy lentil burrito recipe and made a nice, tangy salad.

• 1.5 cups cooked lentils (about 3/4 cups dry lentils)
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced

just mix everything together. allow the mixture to marinate for at least 30 minutes or so. then serve on a bed of lettuce (2 cups romaine lettuce pictured above). it has a zip and is very tasty.

baked zucchini boat

my typically fruitful garden has been successful at producing only one thing this year: zucchinis. good thing i love the hell out of them. here is a recipe for a stuffed baked zucchini boat... they were pretty tasty, and definitely on the low-fat side. the pic didn't turn out that great... sorry. :(

• 1 zucchini (boated)
• 2 cans tomato sauce (the 8oz cans)
  
• (boated) zucchini innards
• 1/4 cup shitake mushrooms
• 2-3 tablespoons old world seasoning (i use penzey's spices)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/4 cup rice (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ev olive oil

after scooping the zucchini insides out, chop it up into cubes and mix all the ingredients (except olive oil) together. spice as much you like, then fill the hollow zucchini boats up with the mixture. brush the outside of the zucchini boats with the evoo. place on a baking sheet, and bake about 40-45 minutes on 365. the outside zucchini should be softer, but not roasted.

the recipe listed was for about one medium-size zucchini, halved.

eat up.

sloppy lentil burrito

we've been slowly cleaning out the pantry, freezer and fridge, so recipes have been quite an experimental hodge podge around here. luckily i found a bag of green lentils, and was able to throw together a vegan sloppy joe, instead wrapped up in a yummy wheat tortilla.

• 2 cups cooked lentils (1 - 1.25 cup dry lentils)
  
• 1/2 can chili beans (in chili sauce)
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce/nama shoyu
  
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
*(or 1/2 jalapeno)

read lentil package for cooking instructions. while lentils are cooking, heat up chili beans. once cooked, drain as much chili sauce as possible (without washing it off) - if you don't discard some of the sauce, your sloppy joe will be extra soupy. throw half of the can of beans, a little of the chili sauce, and the jalapenos (if using) in the magic bullet or food processor. drain the lentils, then add the chili bean paste, about 6 oz. of tomato sauce, and the rest of the ingredients back in the saucepan and simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes.

wrap in a wheat tortilla and serve up with some sea salt & vinegar chips. makes about 4 burritos.

tomato fusion juice

it has been a slow week for 'food' recipes, as i spent the past week consuming only juices and smoothies. i decided it was a good detox to end the summer with. i created several juices that i love, and was surprised at how tasty they were! this one is from mid-week, and tastes like a better version of v8 (i think).

• 7 medium sized tomatoes
• 2 carrots
• 2-3 celery stalks

chop up veggies into sizes that will fit in a juicer (i use a ge juice extractor). less expensive models will run about $40-$60. i have a few listed in my vegan kitchen supplies. they are great for those just starting - the more expensive models can be really expensive.
juice the tomatoes, then carrots and then celery.

cantaloupe green smoothie

i've read that it's the official 'green smoothie day' today, so in honor of that, i decided to post another green smoothie recipe that i've recently been enjoying. i love going down to the city market on the weekends and scoping out all the wonderful produce they have - at such great prices! when i'm driving home with a car full of new and interesting foods (and lots of my old favourites), i often find myself dreaming up new recipes for the following week. however, there is something to be said for sweet and simple - this next recipe is just that.

• 1/3 ripe cantaloupe
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar (or more if desired)
• 1.5 cups romaine lettuce
• 1/3 cup water
• 5 ice cubes

throw everything in the blender and whip it up. add more water as necessary. i use agave nectar to give it just a little sweeter flavour - you could substitute stevia if you don't have any. makes about 20oz. of green smoothie.

zucchini pasta

i come from an italian family, and love just about every italian food out there. i have fond memories of my mother's sauce on the stove, simmering for hours to really give it a nice rich flavour. i recently got a spiral vegetable slicer, so i've been using that to turn my garden zucchinis into noodles. this is a pretty quick and easy dish... tasty and low-fat too.


for the noodles:

• 1-2 green zucchinis (i peeled them)

for the marinara sauce:

• 2 small cans tomato sauce (8oz)
• 1 small can tomato paste (6oz)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1-2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 1 dash of salt

start the sauce first so that i can heat up and allow the ingredients to really meld together. unfortunately, i usually don't have the time to let my sauce simmer for hours, but i like keep it on the stove as long as i can. all the sauce ingredients can be mixed together and put on medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce is hot. be sure to stir occasionally. then turn it down to low heat until you are ready to serve.

i use a world cuisine spiral slicer - listed in my vegan kitchen store, but i'm sure others will work as well. use the spiral slicer to make zucchini noodles. spoon sauce on top, and serve. it's great with some garlic bread on the side.

ginorango smoothie

ah... the green smoothie. i am huge fan of green smoothies, and love spreading the word on how delicious and healthy they are. store bought smoothies or smoothie stands often puts tons of refined sugar in their smoothies, and it is not only unhealthy, but i think it's just gross. i've read that a good green smoothie mix is about 60% fruit and 40% leafy greens. i just eyeball it in my blender. if you are interested for more information on them, you can just google "green smoothie" and there is a ton of websites with info and great recipes.

this was the first smoothie i incorporated ginger in, and i loved it! i will definitely be making some more ginger recipes!

• 1 mango
• 1 orange
• 1 chunk of ginger (about the size of a small ice cube)
• 1.5 cups spinach
• 1/3 cup water
• 4 ice cubes
  

if you just have a regular blender like me, you'll want to peel the mango, orange and ginger. then separate the orange, and cut the mango & ginger into a couple chunks.
put those ingredients, plus water and ice into the blender. add more water if your blender has trouble. blend until smooth, then add the greens and blend again. makes about 20-24oz of deliciousness.

drink up!

asian cabbage salad

this is a really fresh salad that is easy to whip up for just one, or you can multiply the recipe and it makes a great pot luck dish as well.

• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1/4 cup sliced red bell peppers
• 1/4 cup sliced green peppers
• 1/4 cup shitake mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 tablesppons yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or nama shoyu

all the ingredient amounts can be adjusted to whatever amount you prefer. i tend to just make it up as i go... i toss everything in a bowl and it has a great flavour with a little twang from the mustard. sometimes i even throw in a dash of rice vinegar.

you can get nama shoyu at most health food stores, or i have it listed in my vegan kitchen store.

intro

those of you who know me well know that i *love* to cook.

of course, i love to eat too. :)

i was ovo-lacto vegetarian for 12 years, but in 2008 i went vegan. i also try to incorporate a lot of 'raw' foods in my diet, so you'll see quite a few recipes of that nature here.

visit my vegan kitchen store for tools, accessories and ingredients i use.

enjoy.
-miss v