Lentil Coconut Curry

red lentils
tomatoes
coconut milk
onion
olive oil
garam masala
ginger
garlic
brown basmati rice
salt and pepper

Dice and saute the onion in olive oil until soft over medium heat.  Add one cup of rinsed lentils and cook for about a minute. Add a can of stewed tomatoes (or tomato sauce) and a can of coconut milk.  Add garam masala, garlic and ginger to taste. Turn heat to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until lentils are soft. Meanwhile, cook one cup of rice. When the lentils are cooked and the sauce thickens, add salt and pepper and serve over rice. This is how I make it for my little daughter but if you prefer it spicy, add cayenne at the end of cooking.

Raspberry Smoothie

frozen raspberries
ripe banana
chia seeds
water

Add the banana, about a cup and a half of raspberries and a Tbsp of chia seeds to the blender.  Add cold water as needed for desired consistency and blend.

Chipotle Lime Pineapple Tofu

pineapple, sliced
mushrooms
red and orange bell peppers
yellow onion
extra firm tofu
brown rice
pineapple juice
smoked Tabasco
honey
lime
ginger
garlic
vegan mayonnaise

Combine 1/3 cup of the pineapple juice, juice of half the lime, 1 tsp grated ginger, 2 tsp honey and several dashes of smoked Tabasco in a shallow dish. Cut the tofu into cubes and soak in the pineapple juice mixture while you do the rest of the prep. Start cooking the rice. Slice the mushrooms and cut the onion and peppers into large pieces. Combine 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise with juice from the other half of the lime, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 Tbsp honey,  1 clove minced garlic  and several dashes of smoked Tabasco, to taste. Assemble all items on a foil-lined broiler pan and brush with the chipotle lime mayonnaise. Broil for five minutes and then turn the pieces over with tongs, brush with more sauce and broil for another few minutes until all items are nicely browned. Serve over brown rice and top with juice from tofu marinade.

German Style Pasta Salad and Sauerkraut

whole wheat or brown rice pasta
tempeh or firm tofu
apple
onion
spinach
apple cider vinegar
brown mustard
sage
sauerkraut (naturally fermented)

Begin boiling water for the pasta and cook it while continuing with the next steps. Slice the onion and apple into chunks and saute in olive oil over medium heat for a few minutes. Cube the tempeh and add to the pan. Add about a Tbsp of vinegar and a Tbsp of mustard. Add in about 2 cups of spinach and sage, to taste. Add a few spoonfuls of the pasta water to the pan and adjust any seasonings, as necessary. Let it cook for a few minutes. Mix in the pasta and serve with sauerkraut and applesauce on the side.

Southwestern Style Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans

sweet potatoes
black beans
brown rice
guacamole
smoked paprika
cumin
oregano
garlic

Wash two sweet potatoes and cut them into cubes. Put them into a glass baking dish and toss with a little olive oil and smoked paprika, to coat. Bake them at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes until they are a little browned and soft. Meanwhile, heat a can of black beans and add a Tbsp oregano, 2 tsp cumin, one clove of minced garlic or garlic powder and a little more paprika. Cook brown rice and then layer rice, sweet potatoes, beans and top with mashed avocado or store-bought guacamole.

Apple Sage Stuffed Mushrooms

white mushrooms
granny smith apple
shallot
rubbed sage

Wash about 20 mushrooms and remove the stems. Dice the stems, the shallot and the apple and saute in olive oil until soft. Add a Tbsp sage, mix well and spoon into the mushroom caps. Bake in a glass dish for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Hearts of Palm and Cous Cous Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

whole wheat cous cous
hearts of palm
spinach or other greens
almonds
juice of 2 oranges
rice vinegar
garlic

Cook 1/2 cup of cous cous according to package directions (the Trader Joe's brand cooks in 3.5 minutes in the microwave). Slice 1 jar of hearts of palm into small coins. Squeeze 2 oranges into a bowl and mix with about a Tbsp of vinegar and 1 clove of minced garlic. Toss all ingredients in a salad bowl.

Oatmeal with Applesauce

oatmeal
applesauce

This isn't exactly a recipe - more of a serving suggestion. I normally put berries or other fruit in my oatmeal but if I don't have any whole fruit, I sweeten up plain oatmeal and add lots of flavor with applesauce or other fruit sauce (in this picture, I used apple/apricot sauce, which is very delicious).

Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes

1/2 can pumpkin
1 ripe banana
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
cinnamon
nutmeg
allspice
cloves

Put all ingredients in the blender and mix until smooth. Add the spices to taste or use store-bought pumpkin pie spice to taste.

Asparagus and Wild Rice Salad

brown rice
wild rice
bunch of asparagus
1/2 a red onion
6-8 mushrooms
juice of one lemon
rosemary

There are a number of brown/wild rice mixes available if you don't want to cook them separately. I like this frozen option from Trader Joe's which microwaves in a few minutes and doesn't have anything else added. Chop and saute all of the vegetables and rosemary in a little olive oil over medium heat. Remove when asparagus is tender, about 7 minutes. Cook the rice and toss with the vegetables. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice in. Add salt and pepper if desired.

Green Bean Casserole

2 cups green beans
6 good sized brown or white mushrooms
1/2 package extra firm tofu
1/2 a yellow onion
juice of 1 lemon
sage

Chop the onion and saute on medium heat in olive oil for a few minutes. Cube the tofu and add to the pan. Snap the ends off the beans and cut in half or in thirds. Add beans and mushrooms and cook on medium until beans are softened a little. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze into the pan. Add desired seasoning (I like sage but I've also used a seasoning mix such as Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute or Herbamare).

No Chicken Noodle Soup

2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1/2 yellow onion
1 cup whole wheat or brown rice pasta
4 cups vegetable stock

Dice the vegetables and saute in a little olive oil in a soup pot. Add stock and let it simmer while you cook the pasta in a separate pot. Drain the pasta and add to the soup.

Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup

5 carrots
1 onion
ginger
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup cashews

Chop up the onion and carrots and saute them in olive oil in a large pot. Add grated ginger to taste and then add in the stock. Cook over medium/low heat until the vegetables are soft. Meanwhile, add cashews and a little water to the blender and mix until smooth and creamy. Remove cashew cream from the blender and put in a bowl. Add the soup to the blender in batches and blend until it is all smooth. Mix in most of the cashew cream to the soup and save a little to put on top of your soup. Garnish with dried thyme.

Chocolate Coconut Date Cookies

1 cup pitted dates
1 cup raisins
1 cup unsalted almonds
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp cocoa powder

Put dates, raisins, almonds and vanilla in the food processor and mix until they form a ball that sticks together. Roll out on a sheet of waxed paper. Use cookie cutters to cut into fun shapes, roll into small balls or cut into bars with a knife. Place on a plate or cookie sheet covered in waxed paper. Melt about 2 Tbsp coconut oil and stir in about 1 Tbsp cocoa powder. Let it cool slightly and then drizzle over the cookies. Chill and store in the refrigerator. These taste very similar to Girl Scout Samoas.

4 Layer Bean Dip

refried beans

pico de gallo

guacamole

cashews

lime

In a glass dish, spread one can of refried beans (look for ones which are labeled "vegetarian" or "fat free" and make sure they contain only beans). Spread a layer of store bought guacamole or just mashed up avocado on top of the beans, then a layer of pico de gallo (if not using store bought, mix together diced tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice and jalapeno if you like it spicy). The top layer is cashew cream. To make it, put 1 cup of cashews (you can presoak and drain to make them softer), about 1/2 cup water, and juice from 1 lime in the blender.  Blend until it is smooth and creamy. Spread the cashew cream on top and serve with corn chips and sliced veggies.

Macaroni and No Cheese

whole wheat or brown rice macaroni
1 cup cashews
water
white vinegar
turmeric
nutritional yeast
garlic powder
spicy brown mustard or powdered mustard
olive oil

Cook macaroni for about 8 minutes, until al dente. While pasta is cooking, put cashews (presoaked and drained if you have time) and about 1/3 cup of water into the blender. Blend until cashews are all ground up and become creamy. While blender is running, add enough olive oil to thicken and more water if necessary. Add a dash of garlic powder, about 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast, a big spoonful of mustard, 1 tsp turmeric (for color), and 1 Tbsp vinegar. Mix again and taste. Add more of any seasonings to taste and add salt and pepper if desired. Mix sauce into cooked macaroni.

Hummus and Brown Rice Burritos

whole wheat tortillas
red bell pepper
hummus
brown rice
baby spinach

Spread 1 Tbsp hummus on each tortilla. Add a spoonful of rice, 4 or 5 strips of pepper and top with spinach. roll up into a burrito. I love this microwaveable brown rice from Trader Joe's. It's ready in four minutes - the epitome of convenience food!