Summer Corn Salad

We make a variation of this salad at work that contains oil and salt. Its pretty darned delicious.  Here I wanted to recreate this keeping it as healthy as possible.  The elimination of oil and salt and the addition of flavored vinegars make this a real fresh tasting sweet treat. I hope you enjoy it!

5ea    Corn, cooked and cut off the cob
1pt    Grape tomatoes, cut in half
3ea    Scallions, thin sliced
1/4C  Kale, chopped fine
3T     Brown rice vinegar
3T     Raspberry vinegar

Toss all ingredients together and chill for at least 1 hour.

Wheatberry Salad with Citrus Beets

This is another recipe for the Health Starts Here (HSH) at work.  This is a great dish that combines the nuttiness of the wheatberries with the tang of the beets and the sweetness of the orange. Great combo's!
This is easy to assemble once all the ingredients are gathered.

2C    Wheatberries, cooked
1/2C  Carrots Shredded
1/2C  Raisins
1C     Beets, cooked and diced
2       Oranges, zested ad juiced
3T     Lemon juice


In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss.  For best results allow to refrigerate for at least 1 hour then stir and serve. 

Cucumber Salad Roll Ups

Made these for dinner tonite and was very satisfied. Very simple, very tasty and made with some stuff laying around in the fridge. Try it you will like it!

Cucumber salad:

1    Cucumber, diced
10  Grape tomatoes, chopped
1    Garlic clove minced
2T  Red onion, minced
5T  Raspberry blush vinegar

Remaining components:

2    Large whole wheat pitas
3T  Hummus
20  Snow peas, whole
1T  Grain mustard, no salt added

     Mix the ingredients of the cucumber salad and refridgerate for at least 30 min.  Smear the hummus on the wraps and top with snow peas and mustard.  Scoop the cucumber salad on top and roll up!
Simple and fast.  ENJOY!!!

Bean and Tofu Pita with Spicy Tomato Sauce

    

     Hi everyone! Sorry for no posts in a few days. I was ill and unable to cook much or be too active.  But back to the program!

     This lunch was exceptionally tasty and nutritious. The addition of the homemade hot tomato sauce really kicked it up a notch. Hope you enjoy it.

1Can Pinto beans, unsalted
1/2 Onion, diced
1C Kale, chopped
6oz Extra firm tofu, cubed
2T Nutritional yeast
3oz Tomato sauce, unsalted
1/4 t Cayenne powder
1/2 t Garlic powder
2 Whole wheat Pita

     In a sauce pot cook the first 3 ingredients with 1/4 C water. Cook until the onion is translucent.  Add the  tofu and yeast and continue cooking for 5 minutes adding water if needed.  Remove from heat and set aside. 
In a small bowl add the tomato sauce, cayenne and garlic. Mix and add water to get a runny consistency.  Toast or microwave the pita to soften them.  Cut in half and stuff the vegetable tofu mix inside.  Drizzle the chili sauce on top and enjoy!

Raw Chocolate Pudding

 It may seem odd to have a banana and avocado in the same recipe, but the banana completely hides any taste of the avocado. The avocado is there simply for texture and nutritional value.  ENJOY!!

    1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks

1 banana, peeled and cut into chunks

1 cup unsweetened soy milk

1/4 cup raw cocoa powder

2 tablespoons date syrup

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)

Place avocado, banana, soy milk, cocoa powder, date syrup, lemon juice, and coconut into a blender. Cover, and puree until smooth. Divide into small containers, and store in the refrigerator 1 hour until set.

thanks Renee for the edit :)

Chick'n Salad

I got the inspiration for this recipe from aigroc on the VegWeb site.  Tweaked it a bit and YUM!

 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked 3 hours and drained
    1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked 3 hours and drained
    1/4 cup raw ground pecans
    2" piece cucumber
    1 tablespoon chopped onion
    1/2 celery stick
    1 teaspoon dill
    1/4 teaspoon curry powder
    1/2 lemon, juiced
    1T Nutritional Yeast
    Ground black pepper, to taste
    1/2 carrot (optional, I use this though)

1) In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse together all of the ingredients. It should be a finer texture than regular tofu chicken salad. That helps it to stick together.

This is delish! Add to your fav raw bread! Keep in fridge for a week.

Vegetable Bean Burrito

WOW is all I can say about this burrito recipe. Looks so good and filling.  This won 'Recipe Of The Month June 2006' on Dr Fuhrman's website.  A true winner with many comments on how good it is.  I hope you enjoy it.

 

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons water

1 head broccoli florets, chopped

1/2 head cauliflower florets, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons Dr. Fuhrman's VegiZest or other no salt seasoning

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup unsweetened soy, hemp or almond milk

1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans or 1 (15 ounce) can no salt added or low sodium pinto beans, drained and rinsed

6 whole wheat tortillas or large romaine lettuce leaves

no or low sodium salsa

 

 

Instructions:
Place 2 tablespoons water, the broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, bell pepper, zucchini, onion, garlic, VegiZest, basil, oregano, and parsley in a large covered pot. Saute for 15 minutes or until tender, adding more water if needed. In the meantime, place cashews and milk in a food processor or high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Add the cashew mixture and beans to the vegetables and mix thoroughly. Spread the mixture on the tortillas and roll up to form burritos. Serve with salsa.

Fruit and Veggie Smoothie

 

I LOVE fruit smoothies. I LOVE Veggie smoothies. This is the best of both worlds. 

 

1 cup pomegranate juice or fresh apple juice

1/4 cup almond milk, unsweetened

1 cup kale or baby spinach

1 banana

1 pear

1/2 cup frozen strawberries

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

2 tablespoons ground flax seeds or chia seeds

Simple Arugula Wraps

     Ok, as the name implies these are SIMPLE and a great fast lunch or snack.  I used the whole grain wraps from Whole Foods and they have flax seeds in them.  They only have 20mg of sodium as compared to 220+ on most other wraps.  You obviously can customize these any which way you like but I really enjoyed this one recipe and hope you do too.

2C Baby arugula

1   Tomato, diced

1   Carrot, diced

3T Raspberry vinegar

1   Lime, squeezed

1t  Nutritional yeast

2T Hummus

2  Whole wheat wraps

Make a dressing with the vinegar, lime and yeast. Toss the vegetables with the dressing. Spread 1T of hummus on each wrap. Put half of the salad on each wrap and wrap tightly.  This goes great with soup.  ENJOY!!!

Banana-Maple Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe won best of 2010 recipes on SusanV's fantastic blog Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.  I  wanted to share this with my blog due to the overwhelming popularity of these wonderful cookies!  I will be replacing the maple syrup with date syrup to add more nutrients.

Because they contain no fat, these cookies are softer the day they are made and chewier the next day. If you prefer them soft, warm your day-old cookies in the microwave for a few seconds.
1 teaspoon ground chia seeds or 2 tsp. egg replacer powder or 2 tsp. ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons water
1 cup regular or quick oats
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup maple syrup ( I personally will use date syrup)
1 banana, mashed
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 375.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the chia seeds (or egg replacer or flaxseed) with the water and set aside until thickened (no waiting is necessary if packaged egg replacer is used.)
Mix the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl. Add the raisins.
Add the maple syrup, vanilla, mashed banana, and lemon juice to the chia/flax/egg replacer mixture and combine well. Pour into the dry mixture and stir well but don’t overmix.
Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Flatten each cookie slightly with a fork. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until bottoms and sides are lightly brown. Cool for a few minutes on a wire rack before serving.

Casinera's Healthy Caeser Salad Dressing

   
 Casinera is a trusted member and contributor on drfuhrman.com forums.  Her legacy on there is this dressing. It is very well received and distributed amongst us members and has been blogged by others.  My family has made this with success and here it is for you!

4 cloves garlic, roasted *

2/3 cup unsweetened soy, almond or hemp milk

1/3 cup raw cashew butter or 2/3 cup raw cashews

1.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

black pepper, to taste

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Break the garlic cloves apart, leaving on the papery skins. Roast for about 25 minutes or until soft.

When cool, remove the skins and blend with the remaining ingredients in a food processor or high powered blender until creamy and smooth.

May be used for a veggie dip or pour over 2 chopped heads (12 cups) of romaine for a Caesar Salad for two.

Thanks Casinera!

Nutty Unfried Rice

   
 This is a HUGE seller at work.  I created this in February and I personally love it. It can be enhanced with more vegetables or cilantro if you like or mixed with wheatberries to reduce the ammount of brown rice.  It is a simple dish to put together.

2C   Brown rice, cooked
2oz  Pecans, toasted
2oz  Cashews, toasted
2oz  Almonds, toasted
1oz  Coconut aminos
2T   Black sesame seeds
1/2C Scallions sliced thin


    
    While the rice is hot, add all ingredients and mix well by hand.  Serve immediatly ENJOY!!!

Baked Beans

Not your usual baked beans!

An easy dish for a BBQ, camping, or a potluck is baked beans.  However, most recipes call for molasses or other sugars and tons of salt.  Here's an easy, very healthy alternative I first heard about in the discussion forums of Dr. Joel Fuhrman's website.  It was created by a member there, Barb (who also writes a great blog about healthy eating ).

This is one of those accidental inventions. I was saving time by preparing my beans the night before and then cooking the next morning. And when they were done, they looked and tasted like baked beans! with no added sugar!

Ingredients:

Juice from 5 lbs of carrots

1-3 cups water

1 lb (16 oz, 453 g) white or yellow beans

1 medium onion

2 parsnips (optional)

The night before: Rinse the beans. Juice the carrots and add to the beans. Add water to cover with an inch or two on top. Chop the onion and add. Peel and chop the parsnips and add. Let them soak overnight in the fridge. Next morning: put on the stove and cook for 2-4 hours, to desired tenderness. You'll probably need to add 1-2 cups water. The carrot juice makes them look orange, just like baked beans

Tortilla Soup With Pinto Beans

     Well its Cinco de Mayo and This recipe is a big hit. I make this at work this time of year and it gets many compliments. I got this recipe from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen blog done by SusanV last year.  Her blog is intense, delicious and has some great photography. Check it out in my favorite blogs section on the right.  Give this a go this holiday and you will not be disappointed.

3 large dried New Mexico chiles (or pasilla or ancho chiles)
1 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano (optional)
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (or to taste)
4 cups vegetable broth or no-chicken broth low salt
4 cups water
3 cups pinto beans, cooked
6 corn tortillas
1 large lime, cut into 6 wedges
1 ripe large avocado, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
4 cups chopped spinach, chard, or kale leaves (packed)
Toast the chiles. If you have a gas stove, you can hold them with tongs over the flame one at a time for a few seconds until fragrant. But if like me you use an electric stove, put them in a dry skillet over medium heat and press them flat for a few seconds on each side.
When the chilies are cool enough to handle, stem and seed them, tear them into pieces, and put them in a blender along with tomatoes and their juice.
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Spray lightly with olive oil (optional) and add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Pour it all into the blender along with the chipotle powder and process until smooth.
Return the pot to medium heat. When hot, add the puree and stir nearly constantly until thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 6 minutes. (Careful–watch for hot, bubbling “eruptions”!) Add broth, water, oregano (if using), and drained pinto beans. Bring to a boil, then adjust heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.
While the soup is cooking, prepare the tortillas. Preheat oven to 375F. Cut each tortilla in half (can be done in a stack if you have a sharp knife). Then cut each half into 1/4-inch wide strips. Place the strips in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt, if desired. Bake for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool uncovered until soup is ready.
Add spinach (or chard or kale) to the soup and season with salt to taste, depending on the saltiness of the broth. Cook, stirring, until the greens are wilted, about 2 minutes for spinach, longer for chard or kale.
Ladle the soup into 6 soup bowls. Divide avocado and tortilla chips among the bowls.

 Serve warm, with lime wedges.

Fragrant Spring Ratatouille

    Made this at work today.  Customer requested a healthy, no oil, no salt alternative to the classic ratatouille.  This showcased the fresh herbs and garlic as a flavoring to make up for the lack of salt.  The  fresh tarragon gives this a true fragrant smell and flavor that makes you think 'spring!'  I really liked this dish and ended up making around 25 pounds of it. I will scale it down a bit for you.


2ea    Zucchini, large dice
2ea    Yellow squash, large dice
1ea    Onion, large dice
1ea    Lg Egglplant, large dice
12ea  Plum tomatoes, large dice
12ea  Cloves garlic, minced
1/2C  Fresh basil, rough chopped
1/2C  Fresh rosemary, rough chopped
3/4C  Fresh tarragon, rough chopped
3C     Water


     First, get all the chopped tomatoes, water and garlic in an extra large soup pot that will eventually fit everything. Bring to a boil,after boiling and stirring for 5 min. reduce heat to a simmer.  In the oven bake all diced vegetables for 25 min on 350 degrees.  Try to use parchment paper or just use a spatula to scrape them off when done cooking.  Add cooked vegetables to the pot with tomato and garlic.  Bring the whole pot to a boil again constantly stirring. Add the rosemary. Cook for 15 more min. and turn off the heat.  Add the remaining herbs and stir in. Let sit for 20 min to allow herbs to wilt and flavor the stew.  Serve or chill. ENJOY!!

Carrot Pineapple Salad

This is a winner I took again from Dr. Fuhrmans member center recipes.  Very nice salad!! Very refreshing.

Carrot Pineapple Salad

Ingredients:

4 cups grated carrots

1 1/2 cups crushed pineapple, in own juice

3/4 cup currants

1/2 cup chopped pecans, reserving 1/4 cup

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, reserving 2 tablespoons

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup Goji berries (optional)

1 teaspoon date sugar (optional)

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients. Sprinkle with reserved pecans and coconut.

Dr. Fuhrman's Famous Anti-Cancer Soup

This is one of the tastiest soups I have ever made. I make this at my work and its a quick seller! I have been following Dr. Fuhrman for 9 months now and this is by far the healthiest and delicious soup in his recipe section.  Hope you enjoy this!!!

Dr. Fuhrman's Famous Anti-Cancer Soup

www.DrFuhrman.com

Serves: 10

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup dried split peas and/or beans

4 cups water

6-10 medium zucchini

5 pounds carrots, juiced (5-6 cups juice; see note)*

2 bunches celery, juiced (2 cups juice; see note)*

2 tablespoons Dr. Fuhrman's VegiZest or Mrs. Dash no-salt seasoning

4 medium onions, chopped

3 leek stalks, coarsely chopped

2 bunches kale, collard greens or other greens, tough stems and center ribs removed and leaves chopped

1 cup raw cashews

2 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms (shiitake, cremini and/or white), chopped

Instructions:
Place the beans and water in a very large pot over low heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. Add the zucchini whole to the pot. Add the carrot juice, celery juice and VegiZest.

Put the onions, leeks and kale in a blender and blend with a little bit of the soup liquid. Pour this mixture into the soup pot.

Remove the softened zucchini with tongs and blend them in the blender with the cashews until creamy. Pour this mixture back into the soup pot. Add the mushrooms and continue to simmer the beans until soft, about 2 hours total cooking time.

* Freshly juiced organic carrots and celery will maximize the flavor of this soup.