Main Dish Mango Salad -yummmm

Hi guys!

I have been scouring the Earth in search of yummy, main dish salad recipes. Do you get sick of your standbys? I do. We had this one tonight and lu-huved it! The dressing is particularly good!

*** Note: I like to put recipes in their original form, but I don't mind saying right now that to keep costs down I did brown rice and canola oil instead of quinoa and safflower oil. I also added black beans to make it more substantial. Also: I didn't think all the salt in the recipe was necessary, and probably some of you won't either, but next time I actually do plan to add it all.

Mango Salad - (Whole Food Mommies)

mix together and set aside:

1 tomato, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1 avacado, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 bell pepper (any color), chopped
1 mango, chopped (I used 2 and I can't imagine using less)
1 cup chopped jicama (I shredded- so much easier, and I would call this ingredient optional but yummy)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt to taste
chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

on each serving plate lay:

greens of choice (plain jane romaine worked great for me!)

topped with:

cooked, cooled quinoa
(this is where I added the black beans)

When serving, top greens/quinoa with the mango mixture and dressing (recipe below)

Mango Lime Dressing

1 cup fresh mango
1/2 cup safflower oil
1/4 cup agave
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 clove garlic

blend in blender or food processor until smooth.

We also like whole food mommies "Tiffany's Waldorf Pitas," but instead of serving it on pitas-- we served on greens with some Brianna's Poppyseed Dressing.

Here's to spring and summer and SALADS!!!

Favorite Bean Sides?

Hi All,

So sometimes I want my veggies pure. I don't want them IN something. For instance... tonight I wanted steamed asparagus with lemon squeezed over it, and baked, mashed sweet potatoes. Knowing that I couldn't make a meal with JUST that I made Emily's Golden Artichoke Chickpea Salad, which I am mildly addicted to. Bada Bing, Bada Boom: MEAL. Or at least it worked for me anyhow.

SO... the question I want to ask is this: What are your favorite Bean Sides? Or do you mostly cook your beans IN something. I sometimes do baked beans, and I have a good easy mexican bean type side, but what else? I am getting bored with my recipes!

Thank you in advance! PS- If you are following this blog and not one of the authors feel free to comment with a recipe! I know you are out there...

Joseph Fielding Smith

Was a vegetarian, and excelled at hand ball. Who knew?

I learned these tidbits at church on Sunday and thought I would pass them along in case you too have been told that a vegetarian diet is contradictory to the Word of Wisdom.

I certainly don't think it means that we all MUST be vegetarians as I know other prophets were not, but still. It's nice to know that at the very least it is not against the word of wisdom, or surely he wouldn't have chosen it.

Over and Out!

Oil Pulling

Have any of you ever tried oil pulling before? I've been doing it for the last month and it has been awesome. Some people say it makes their arthritis go away and makes their joints feel better and all sorts of crazy claims...I don't know about that, but here's how it has helped me:

I always get a bit of drainage in my head when I shower in the morning, but the first morning after I did it for the first time I got a TON of drainage and I could breathe through my nose for the first time in who knows how long, because I had no idea I was that congested.  If I have a sore throat, I do it and it goes away too. My teeth are whiter, and I don't have as much plaque.  My gums always bleed when I floss (ALWAYS, even when I am a super duper flosser) and after 3 days of oil pulling, no bleeding.

I use olive oil, but you can use any vegetable oil, and I put it in my mouth and swish it for 20 minutes while I am in the shower and getting ready for the day.  It only grossed me out for the first few minutes the first time I did it, and then I have been good.  Just thought I would share if anyone is interested!

Easy Go-To Soup

This is probably our quickest, easiest, cheapest, go-to yummy soup.

Savory Bean and Spinach Soup

1 (32oz) box of veggie broth
1 cup water
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
4 large carrots, sliced
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (1lb/16oz) bag frozen spinach
garlic powder, onion powder, basil and pepper to taste

Bring to boil. Simmer, covered, until carrots are cooked through.

Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits

You can buy 5 lb bags of sweet potatoes at a store in town for $0.49. Pretty sweet!

Here's a recipe we made with some sweet-potato-goodness last night:

Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits:

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (I substituted honey, it was fine)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup whole wheat or whole grain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice (I used cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves)
1/2 teaspoon salt (I thought it was too much!)
2-3 tablespoons cold water as needed

Preheat 400. Mix wet. Mix dry. Mix together (don't overdo it!). Add water if necessary 1 T at a time and gently knead until it holds together (should be pretty wet). Drop in spoonfuls and bake 12-15 min. (I found it took longer to bake).

We had this with VEG HEAD CHILI. Yumm!

Slow Cooker Mexican Minestrone

2 cans black beans, d and r
2 cans mexican style stewed tomatoes
28 oz. veg broth
1 can corn, drained
1 can chickpeas, drained
2 cups diced red skinned potatoes
2 cups frozen green beans
1 large carrot, sliced
1 cup salsa
cumin, chili powder, and pepper to taste

Yumm!

Falafel

My friend made this for us when Truman was born. It's a new family favorite!

Falafel

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons tahini
1 egg
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour (I use whole wheat, it works fine)
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
olive oil

For Serving: Pita Bread, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion and Yogurt Sauce (recipe follows)

Pulse chickpeas in processor until mostly smooth but still chunky. Stir in remaining ingredients except olive oil. Form into patties, cook in oiled pan over med/high heat 3 minutes each side. Drain on towels if necessary. Serve in halved pitas with l,o,t, and sauce.

Yogurt Sauce: (I find we only need half of this recipe)

2 cups plain yogurt
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 tablespoons cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste

mix together :)

We find this recipe totally crave-able. Love it.

Pineapple, Banana and coconut cream smoothie

I made this last night with agave and it was the bees knees!  Original recipe here

Pineapple Banana & Coconut Cream Smoothie

1 banana (previously frozen is ideal but not essential)

1 c pineapple (I used canned in juice, but fresh would be great)

1/2 c coconut milk (canned, fresh, cream of coconut, or coconut creme concentrate)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 c ice cubes

1/4 c sugar, optional or to taste (or honey, agave, sugar, stevia, vanilla NuNaturals stevia drops to taste)

Pumpkin, Kale and Black Bean Stew

• I made this about 2 weeks ago and am just getting around to posting it.  It had such a unique flavor, it definitely fit the bill for the I'm-tired-of-making-the-same-old-thing blahs.  Jocelyn ate a whole bowl, and Cory, when asked if he liked it replied very neutrally, ate FOUR bowls. You heard me. Four.
• 
  

I made a lot of changes.  Butternut Squash for Pumpkin. No meat.  Veggie broth, not beef.  No Sherry Vinegar or Sorrel. Super good.  And you can save the kale water for a future recipe.  Here is the original recipe. 

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed, chopped
• 1 pound cubed cooked ham
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced sorrel

Directions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Cook onion until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and diced pumpkin and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the beef broth, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
2. While soup is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and simmer until softened, about 3 minutes. Drain into a colander.
3. After soup has cooked for 15 minutes, add the kale, ham, and black beans; simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir in the sherry vinegar and sorrel; remove pot from the heat.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 203 | Total Fat: 11.8g | Cholesterol: 25mg

Crazy?

I'm considering getting rid of our microwave. Please raise your hand if you think that's silly.

-Ashlee

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Jambalaya

Thought you all might like another sweet potato recipe since 'tis the season for cheap ones!

Jambalaya:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet potato peeled and cubed (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz. veggie broth
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
3/4 cup white rice (I know... "Boo! Hiss!" right? But it can't be helped, and it's so yummy!)
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

Toppings:
sliced green onions
chopped grape or cherry tomatoes

Heat oil in skillet. Cook Sweet Potato and Garlic until it starts to brown (2-3 min). Stir in broth, sauce, and pepper. Stir in rice. Boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 min. Stir in beans. Cover and simmer an additional 8-10 min. Top with onions and tomatoes when serving.

A Request

Hi my Veggie Lovin' friends! I need some more good crock pot recipes!

If you have a minute and could post one I would appreciate it!

Loves,

Ashlee

ps- I am sad I didn't end up seeing any of you in UT. I hope your various Nutcrackers were a success, and that you and yours are healthy and well! Shay is your baby doing better?

Two Easy Snacky/Mealy Ideas

Okay, these recipes both have cheese, but I think you could easily take it out if that is your preference.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesedillas

- Shred a peeled sweet potato. Saute it with a bit of olive oil, and some diced onion. Mix it with black beans and a little (seriously, it doesn't take much) shredded cheese. Use as filling between whole wheat tortillas to make some delicious quesedillas! Yummm! And so filling! Corey is particularly a huge fan. And I think black beans and sweet potatoes go together like peanut butter and jelly!

Homemade Hot Pockets

-Steam Broccoli Florets. Place in a bowl and run a knife through them to break them up nicely. Toss with some shredded cheese of choice (I do a sharp or pungently flavored cheese like parmesan to make a little go a long way) and white beans. Wrap up in whole wheat tortillas like a burrito. Place on lightly oiled baking sheet (lightly oiled so the tortilla will seal into a "pocket.") and bake at 400 degrees 10-12 min. I think I will enjoy experimenting with fillings for this!

Enjoy!

An Easy 2 for 1

Hi girls! I know it's been a while since I've posted anything on the blog lately. I found another win last night with my husband and thought I would share. This recipe comes from melomeals.blogspot.com. It's a really cool blog from a woman who lives as a vegan for $3.33 a day, (this budget is for herself only). You can also follow her on facebook at Vegan for $3.33 a Day. I've found some really great recipes on her site so far. This recipe is a quick and easy veggie burger base, (and admittedly I haven't tried it as such) that can be made into meat(less)balls. Click here to see her original post and directions.

Veggie burger base:

3 c hot beans

2 c old fashioned oats

1 envelope onion soup mix

Hot bean liquid if needed to bring the mixture together

Combine, (I gave it a few pulses in the food processor) form into patties and cook in a frying pan.

This is where I need to admit that before I read the recipe a few times I thought that hot meant spicy. I thought she meant to use like chili beans or something. No, she means like a fresh batch of hot (temperature wise) beans right out of the pot. I'm sure you're all smarter than me, but just in case. ;)

For the meat(less)balls:

1/2 recipe of the burger base

1/2 t oregano

1 t garlic powder

pinch ground fennel

1/4 t sage

1 t balsamic vinegar

pepper

Combine. Form into balls and microwave for 10 minutes. They should be hard; they are intended to reconstitute in your sauce. Simmer in your sauce and enjoy! (These will soak up your sauce quite a bit. You may want to make it more saucy than usual?)

I didn't have any fennel, used the whole batch of burger base and doubled everything but the garlic powder. For me a little of that goes a long way.

The whole reason I tried these: first, my husband used to love when I cooked a roast with onion soup mix. I wanted to give him a familiar flavor while trying something new. This really helps him when trying meat alternatives like this. (If you don't want to use a prepackaged and processed mix there are ideas in the original post and comments for substitutes.) Second, I don't have a working oven right now so a veggie burger base that can be cooked in a pan and meatballs that can be cooked in the microwave were a big win for me. In fact she says that these won't taste as good baked. They'll be too dry.

This was the easiest veggie burger recipe I've tried and it was SO good. The flavor was spot on, they were a good chewy texture for my husband and they really added a heartiness to our dinner. She does have several other veggie burger recipes, so if this one doesn't look to be to your fancy, browse around her site. I'm sure you'll find something you like.

Another fun site I found recently is chefchloe.com. Chef Chloe won the Food Network's Cupcake Wars with vegan cupcakes. Pretty cool, huh?! Her site has a blog, recipes, etc. Anyway, I tried her Panang Curry last week and it was also a hit with the husband. (I left out the tofu and added more veggies; peas, carrots and the like.) It was a really good compromise for us because I actually hate curry, but the flavor in this one was a little more subdued and balanced out by everything else. He got curry and I didn't have to choke it down. ;)

Anyway I hope you're all doing well! Happy Holidays!! Can you believe it's November already?!

Baby and Raw

I thought I should tell my veggie lovin' friends that I am three month pregnant. We are super excited. I am feeling a ton better. Like usual I felt sick pretty much all day long but now I am doing great. I am eating all of my super foods and my regular raw diet again. (I was eating pretty good but sometimes when a cinnamon roll is the only thing that you can get down, you eat it. I must say it was good I have not had one in years).

My midwife loves that I am a raw pregnant woman. She completely supports how I eat. In fact my next appointment I am bringing some raw things for her to try. I am so excited to feed my baby a raw diet when I start introducing foods etc.

I am also having a home birth. So So So excited about that. My midwife and her nurse will come to my house with all of their gear etc when I am in labor. At 37 week they will come to my house and learn it. Also, they will bring me the big birthing tub. I hope to have another water birth. I loved my water birth with Ayo.

I will keep you updated with recipes that will obviously be the things that I am craving;)

Creamless Creamy Squash Soup

Creamless Creamy Squash Soup

Ingredients: 1 celery rib, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 lb winter squash such as butternut, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 lb boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups boiling water plus additional for thinning

Preparation:

Cook celery, carrot, and onion in 2 tablespoons oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned (10 to 12 minutes). Add squash, potatoes, and salt. Stir in 3 1/2 cups boiling water and simmer, covered, until vegetables are very tender (about 20 minutes).

Once vegetables are tender, purée soup in batches in a blender, adding more water to thin to desired consistency.

You could make this raw if you put the veggies in warm warm water for several hours to soften.

New Blog

Hi guys,

My Friend Susan gave me a link to a great vegan blog. I am digging the graph that she has on her most recent post. Too true!

Here is the link:

http://veganlinda.blogspot.com/

I have also posted it on our side bar.

Love to all!

Shay, I hope your little Christian is doing better! I don't have much experience in the ear infection category :( Sorry!

Ear Infection help

OK so Christian has had 2 ear infections in 2 and a half months.  What's a momma to do??  Have you guys tried any of the "natural remedies" out there?  Warm olive oil in the ear? (how does that work when there's already a build up of fluid in the ear???)  Colloidal Silver? Help?

Better Shepherd's Pie

I posted a Shepherd's Pie a while back. It was okay, but I found this recipe and absolutely love it! I have been searching and searching for a good one because S. P. was one of my favorites growing up. I'm so glad I have something similar, but much more healthy, now!

Shepherd's Pie

Garlic Mashed Potatoes (6-8 russets, boil, drain, mash with "butter," rice milk, parsley, salt/pepper, & either roasted garlic cloves or garlic powder)
2 Large Carrots, Sliced
1 (16 oz) Package frozen mixed veggies
olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, drained lightly
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
garlic powder, oregano, basil, chili powder, and a bit of agave - to taste
Paprika

Make the mashed potatoes- and meanwhile... Cook the carrots and mixed veggies. Set veggies aside. Cook onion in a bit of olive oil. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices. Add veggies (drained of excess liquid). Cook until flavors can meld- about 3 min. Place in bottom of a prepared 9x13 pan and top with dollops of garlic mashed potatoes. Smooth out and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 375 for 20 min.

Yumm!