Everyone I have ever asked says they love bruschetta! That tangy tinge of flavor from the tomatoes, mixed with fresh garlic and aromatic basil is just the kind of combination that makes life magnificent. But if you are avoiding gluten or bread, you might be wondering what alternatives are out there. This recipe uses grilled sliced potato in place of bread. And although it isn’t grilled bread (quite obviously), the finished product is delicious, satisfying, and quite a bit further up the nutrition scale. Give it a try!
Read MoreGreen Garlic Almond Cheese
Nothing says Spring like fresh green garlic at the farmer’s market. I grabbed a bunch the other day, and before I could put it into my bag this idea to make fresh raw almond cheese with green garlic popped into my head. This is a fresh, quick cheese that slightly resembles the consistency of a ricotta, and offers a nice, nutritious, dairy-free creaminess. The green garlic made it heavenly. You can use it on a sandwich with vine tomatoes, as an hors d’oeuvre filling or topping- as pictured, or try it in layers of lasagna. Enjoy!
Linguine with Cashew Cheese Sauce, Sage, Butternut Squash & Peas
This month my kid got married, and we got our first real feeling of autumn outside. My son’s wedding plays a part in today’s post. I decided to prepare the food for the wedding, and give it a personalized touch for the special occasion. The bride and groom wanted a vegan menu, with vegan macaroni and cheese being their favorite. The cashew cheese sauce for the mac and cheese came out so yummy I have been thinking about it all week.
Then, it dawned on me that this sauce with a couple modifications could make a great autumn pasta with butternut squash, sage and peas. And, that’s how my first post of autumn came about! This sauce is easy to make, packed with plant based protein and healthy fats. The crispy sage garnish makes a nice garnish and crunchy finish to this comforting, cool weather dish.
Green Beans with Lemon, Tarragon & Chia Seeds
This green beans with lemon recipe is another one of those super simple, “too tasty and easy to be true” dishes for an easy lunch or dinner side dish. Sometimes demonstrating that you can grab one vegetable from your garden or the Farmers Market, and easily turn it into a fairly complete meal or tide-over, is the best way I can use my blog space! The chia seeds provide extra complete protein and healthy fats to this, making it a decent light meal. And you can always add more chia seeds to suit your own nutritional preference and taste. So enjoy this one and let me know in the comments all the different ways you did! I used some rattlesnake beans from my garden for this recipe.
Stuffed Ronde de Nice Squash with Tuscan Kale & Cannellini Bean Salad
Each year I like to try a different kind of squash in the food garden. And I am extremely pleased that ronde de nice squash made its way onto my list this year! It has the consistency of a summer squash like zucchini, yet it is hearty, with a soft center and tender seeds that can be eaten, similar to a winter squash. And it’s spherical shape lends itself to awesome stuffing potential! So it’s extremely versatile. This healthy vegan recipe for stuffed ronde de nice squash is a great summertime meal, as a warm-ish dinner entree or cold salad, or even at brunch.
Vegan Cashew Nasturtium Pesto
Are you a pesto-file? Always looking at different ways to make pesto? Here is one you quite possibly have not tried yet, and it is very versatile. A couple weeks ago, I taught a workshop on edible common garden flowers at Fig Earth Supply, the edible nursery in my neighborhood. And, it got me thinking of all the delightful, delicious ways we can get the most nutritional bang from our outdoor spaces. Enter nasturtium pesto!
Miso-Tofu Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Dynamite
I like to work a little tofu into my diet here and there. This tofu stuffed portobello mushroom usually hits the spot. If you stick to natural, more traditional, and unprocessed forms of soy you can alleviate most health concerns around soy. The commercialization of soy has managed to turn soy into a “Frankenfood” monster by using GMO soy and creating so many products from refined soy. Therefore, my personal policy about soy is to use a whole food approach and common sense, backed up by this article from Dr. Mark Hyman, MD. Keep your soy products organic, natural, fermented, sprouted if possible, and in a more traditional form.
This recipe uses two such traditional forms of soy: organic tofu and organic miso paste. I love combining miso, mushrooms, any chance I get. These flavors love being together! This makes a great, simple entree. You can enjoy it right away or as a protein-rich salad topper for a lunch or brunch. The stuffing is somewhat similar to a tofu scramble, with a little more depth from the other ingredients.
Heirloom Tomato and Pumpkinseed Pesto Salad
If you raise basil on a regular basis, you will encounter those times when you get busy and kind of ignore the basil for a few days, and while you are busy doing other stuff, the basil goes nuts and produces an abundance of flower stalks and leaves. This happened to me the other day and in my rush to prune it all back, I ended up with a giant pile of basil. So, since autumn is just around the corner, I decided to do a variation of pesto using raw pepitas (pumpkinseeds). There is something about the pumpkinseeds’ earthiness and association with the impending fall season that just made it all seem right.
I am still getting some glorious heirloom tomatoes, although that season is nearly over, so I put together this sort of “summer-fall” transitional salad that is vegan, yet packed with high quality, raw protein and healthy fats. This vegan pesto is very versatile and I have been using it in a variety of ways beyond this salad. This recipe is definitely a keeper and a healthier alternative to traditional pesto.
Sweet Potato Hummus
If you are looking to break out of the old school of holiday-friendly dips, especially where your health is concerned, but you want to hang on to some characteristics that appeal to the autumn and winter senses, consider giving this dish a try. It works well as a dip, a spread, or a topping for a holiday canapé. I have even just enjoyed it fresh and still warm, folded into a pita or tortilla with fresh crisp greens, cucumber, and tzadziki. Actually, any time of the year, this twist on hummus punches lots of nutrition, and can fill you up fairly easily with the right kinds of calories. Read More
“Raw” Portobello Mushroom Bruschetta
Okay, I know it is always amusing when Los Angeles people start complaining about the weather…but, we DID have a little heat wave the other day, and it was really hot outside! It was one of those dog days when you can’t imagine doing anything besides climbing into a walk-in freezer at a nearby restaurant and locking the door behind you. This didn’t stop a gorgeous vine ripened tomato from calling out to me from the garden. Before I knew it I had some fresh salsa cruda with stunning fragrant basil. To keep it moving in the direction of a minimally cooked, not heat producing dinner, I decided to whip this up. I have featured the “raw” portobello before (softened by dehydration at a low temperature). This is another example of how versatile the “raw” portobello can be. This is super simple and sure to refresh, and nourish you on a hot summer day.