Summertime Kale and Seaweed Salad...

All that talk about sea vegetables yesterday really inspired me!  After writing the last post there was nothing more I wanted then a big ‘ole salad full of goodness and sea veggies. I know I’ve been kind of slacking this year, school, work, the new job, and then finally being done with school and just needed to relax and veg out - I’ve neglected this blog. Sure I’ve posted, but most of my posts these days tend to be restaurant, or product reviews. Otherwise they’re posts about what I made for the holidays but no original recipes. I feel bad about that, but the truth is that my eating’s been erratic. I’ve either eaten really healthy - but boring, thus not worthy of being blogged about. Or I’ve gone really over the top, but using the recipes of others. I’m really going to try to change that. I want to post recipes again, I want to be more active here again, and so here’s a start.

Unfortunately when I was making my lunch yesterday I wasn’t doing so with the intention of posting the recipe. I just whipped some stuff together and didn’t really measure anything. So take the measurements as suggestions and approximations and adjust as you see fit. Even if you add a little more of ‘this’ or a little less of ‘that’ I know you’ll enjoy this salad. It’s rich in high-quality nutrients, and packed full of flavor. It really hits the spot mid-afternoon afer a long bike ride, or a good yoga session. Enjoy while sitting out in the summer sun, with a nice cool glass of water or your favorite kombucha!

Summertime Kale and Seaweed Salad 

3 Big Leaves Kale torn into bite sized pieces
1 Medium Carrot peeled and julienne
½ Cucumber peeled and julienne
Red Onion sliced thin (about 1/4 C or to taste)
½ C Corn (Fresh or Frozen)
½ C Frozen Edamame
2 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
Small handful Arame ( 1/4 C or less) Soaked in warm water for five minutes. Then drained and rinsed, then patted dry.
1-2 Sheets Nori (to taste) torn into bite sized pieces
2 Garlic Cloves minced

1 tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Rice Vinegar

Dressing 

2 Tbsp Tahini
1 Tbsp Tamari
1 Tbsp Mirin (or Agave)
½ Tbsp Lemon Juice
Sriracha to taste
Water as needed to thin
Salt and Pepper to taste -  optional

- Place your torn kale into a large bowl, drizzle the sesame oil and rice vinegar over top and massage thoroughly with your hands utnil the kale breaks down a bit. Set the bowl aside and continue making the rest of the salad.
- Heat a small pot of water on the stove, when boiling add the Edamame - and if using frozen corn add that too - boil for 2-3 minutes until Edamame and Corn are cooked through. Drain and let cool.

- Mis all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

- Assemble the salad. To the kale add in the julienne carrot, cucumber, sliced red onion, minced garlic cloves. Corn, edamame, Hemp seeds, torn nori sheets, and arame. Drizzle the dressing over top and toss a few times to make sure all of the vegetables get evenly coated.

*** Note - Gluten Free if using GF Tamari.***

Cleansing For The New Year...

Woodstock Peace Salad with Tahini Dressing 

Happy New Year - and here’s to making 2014 count! I recall being very excited, and hopeful that 2013 would be a red-letter year, it turned out to be kind of a rough one, with several ups and downs. I never make resolutions - I’ve talked about this before, but I basically believe resolutions are nonsense. - however I do enjoy goal setting. The first day of the new year is always like a clean slate, you don’t know anything yet, and anything can happen. There are a lot of things I’m looking forward to this year, I’ve got vacation plans already in the works - amongst other things, school is almost at it’s end, and I have numerous ideas for the future. Right now the world feels like my oyster, and I want to take full advantage of it, and make 2014 the amazing year that 2013 was suppose to be.

I plan to start this year off right, and my biggest goal for this year is getting back into a routine. An exercise routine, a meditation routine and a healthful eating routine that focuses on whole fruits and veggies. I normally don’t do January cleanses, I think it’s silly - everyone does it, but this year a cleanse is something I really need.  May was really the beginning of my ‘falling off point’ I fell out of my usual routines, stopped hooping, stopped yoga, started eating more processed foods. Over summer I got back on the wagon for the most part, but school took up a significant portion of my time which left little time for me to exercise. Come September and vacation - an amazing, yet gluttonous touring feast through Eastern Canada, I fell back off. For months I’ve been trying to get back on track, and I do great with it for days and then fall prey to the sugar monsters, and the chocolate demons once more. The sadness I’ve felt over my Oma’s passing in October, coupled with the stresses of school and work, the bad weather and a few other things have just left me feeling blah. Staying on track has been a struggle these past few months and so I feel a cleanse is in order. I need to kick myself in the ass, and kick-start my health you know?

So come Monday I’m going to embark on at least a 21 day cleanse. Using Kris Carr’s amazing “Crazy Sexy Diet” as kind of a jumping off point. I may extend the cleanse, for several weeks depending on how I feel, and I haven’t decided yet how exactly I’m going to structure the whole thing but I’m feeling good about it. Getting back to whole fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes. Getting back to juicing, junking processed foods, sugar, chocolate, easing up on oil, and salt. I’m excited. This is the way I prefer to eat, but sometimes we get side-tracked.

Chiptole Black Eyed Peas and Steamed Kale 

Anyway, I plan to document my experience on the cleanse for you guys to follow, with pictures of what I’m eating, and descriptions of what I’m doing and how I’m feeling. The next few days leading up to Monday is going to be sort of a ‘cleanse primer’ a slow giving up of the bad stuff so that Monday isn’t a total shock to the system.

I started today with a glass of water with lemon, and cayenne. Then downed a bottle of fresh grapefruit, orange and lime juice. For lunch I had an enormous salad - the inspiration for which came from Kris Carr’s Woodstock Peace Salad with Tahini Dressing. I loaded my bowl with a mixture of baby spinach, red cabbage, chopped broccoli, sunflower seeds, avocado, radishes, and green onions. It was so delicious and tasted great with the tahini dressing.

For dinner we had a simple meal of Chipotle Black Eyed Peas from Jae Steele’s book “Get it Ripe” made with carrots rather then zucchini, and served alongside a bed of steamed kale. This was the perfect dinner, and I felt great eating it. Eating black eyed peas and greens on New Year’s Day is tradition in some parts, and it’s believed that doing so will bring good luck and prosperity in the year to come. Lets hope so! Stay tuned for more cleanse details, tips, ideas, and recipes.

Vegan Mofo #32 - Mark’s Dutch Stamppot...

Vegan Mofo #32 - Mark’s Dutch Stamppot 

The Region - The Netherlands
The Book - The 30 Minute Vegan’s Taste of Europe
The Author - Mark Rienfeld
The Recipe - Dutch Stamppot
Page #222
Difficulty - Easy
Duration - Roughly 30 minutes

This was not a dish I originally intended to make for Mofo but last week I needed something quick and easy to throw together before work and this dish caught my curious eye. I had never heard of Stamppot before but apparently it’s a traditional Dutch dish that is similar to Ireland’s Colcannon or Champ. Typically it’s a dish of mashed potatoes mixed with other vegetables - onions and kale are typical - mashed together and then served alongside smoked sausage of some kind. It isn’t pretty, I’ll give you that, but much to my surprise it’s damn delicious!

Mark’s version keeps the trio of potato, onion and kale and flavors the mash with soy sauce, soy milk, vegan mayo, Dijon mustard, vegan butter, salt and pepper. He also uses sliced up browned sausage right in the Stamppot recipe rather then serving it on the side. I quite like this as it makes a quick easy one pot meal. Since he doesn’t specify in his recipe what type of sausage to use I used some Italian Seitan Sausages I had in my freezer and it worked out beautifully.

This dish is true comfort food, and you can really have fun with it by using other ingredients to change it up. Since it’s so easy to throw together I know this’ll probably be a go-to meal on cold winter nights when I have little time and less patience for cooking.

Vegan Mofo #9 - Terry’s Braised Brazilian Shredded Kale...

Vegan Mofo #9 - Terry’s Braised Brazilian Shredded Kale 

The Region - Brasil
The Book - Viva Vegan!
The Author - Terry Hope Romero
The Recipe - Braised Brazilian Shredded Kale
Page # 121
Difficulty - Easy
Duration - Roughly 15 minutes

Today we move on from Europe and head into Latin America with this nifty little side dish. According to Terry Kale is a popular leafy green vegetable in South America and is typically used in soups or served as a side dish.  It’s funny you know, over the past couple of years kale consumption has exploded in America and I often hear people talk about it as though it’s some ‘new food’ or something, when in reality other cultures around the globe have been enjoying it for centuries.

I hadn’t originally intended to cook this dish at all, but as it turns out in addition to Mofoing I needed to clean out my fridge before I leave for Montreal tomorrow. That left me with a huge bunch of kale and no plan. Well, I thought I’d ‘cut two carrots with one knife’ - to borrow an expression from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau - and see how I could turn my mass of kale into a Mofo post that fit my theme. Enter Viva Vegan! To the rescue! Terry says Brazilian style kale is typically cut very fine and served in a big juicy mound as opposed to how we typically serve it in America which is as salad or whole steamed leaves, or ribbons. I kind of like the idea of this. I like cutting the kale very finely because it offers a unique texture. Over all this dish is very simple and takes no time at all. You saute onions and garlic in coconut oil, add your kale with a bit of vegetable broth and salt, then sprinkle in some liquid smoke. Liquid smoke is the secret ingredients here you see, because Brazilian kale is typically made with bacon or ham to give it flavor.

Personally I’ve always thought greens flavored with bacon or ham have always been too heavy, and too greasy, not to mention disgusting. With the liquid smoke you get that same flavor without all the heavy, drippy grease or animal cruelty. I also think the coconut oil goes along way in lending a unique flavor to the kale. As simple as this dish is, I think it’s become one of my new favorite ways to eat this glorious vegetable.

Viva la Brazil!

Garlic Scape Socca with Hummus and Steamed Greens in Balsamic Dijon Vinaigrette...

Where does the time go? I’ve been sitting on numerous recipes that I’ve been dying to share and yet it seems this week I didn’t have a spare moment to post. It was a busy week though, and Monday was my birthday so I’ve spent my free time over the past few days celebrating. Monday was also Canada day so to all my fellow Canadian friends and readers I hope you had a good holiday and enjoyed yourself!

So anyway, back to those recipes. Well, the whole reason I posted my Classic Hummus  recipe last week, was because I was planning to post this socca recipe the day after! But time got away from me and now I’m posting it a week late, though better late then never right?

Now, the last time I posted about Socca was last December, and I had fully intended to post more Socca recipes because it really is a new favorite food of mine and I make it quite often. Though it seems to always work out that I tend to make socca when I have limited time - which means my camera is never at the ready and so I wolf the food down without snapping any pics. This time however I was preparing a socca recipe with the full intention of posting about it because one of my absolute favorite things is back in season GARLIC SCAPES! As soon as I saw them at the market I knew I would have to use them to make Socca, it seemed to me to be the perfect marriage of two amazing things. I’m sure you recall my love of Garlic Scapes, and if you haven’t tried them yet I strongly encourage you to go out and buy some. If you don’t know what to do with them you can always try these recipes Mighty Green Pasta with Garlic Scapes and Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce , Garlic Scape Soup,  Garlic Scape and Collard Green Pizza or make this socca!

So since Socca are French, I decided that for this particular recipe I wanted to use some French flavor pairings like Herbs de Provence, and Dijon Mustard, with a lot of greens and a nice bean spread. After some careful consideration I thought a simple classic hummus would taste fantastic spread over socca, and so that’s how this recipe was born. It’s an interesting amalgamation of flavors and somehow they all work beautifully together. Try it and See, I think you’ll be just as happy as we were with the finished result.

Garlic Scape Socca with Hummus and Steamed Greens in Balsamic Dijon Vinaigrette

Socca 

8 Garlic Scapes sliced
1/4 red onion diced
3 Tbsp Capers
1 ½ C chickpea flour
1 ½ C water
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Herbs de Provence
½ tsp Smoked Paprika
½ tsp White Pepper
Sea Salt to taste

Greens 

1 Bunch Kale
1 Bunch Arugula
2 ½ Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 ½ Tbsp Maple Syrup

1 Recipe Classic Hummus  or Hummus of your choice

For the Socca -

- Preheat the Oven to 425'F

- Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Make a well in the center and add the water and stir to combine into a smooth batter. Add the sliced garlic scapes, red onion, and capers. Stir to combine.

- Lightly oil a cast iron skillet, then heat it over medium high heat. When the skillet is hot, pour in the batter and let it cook for 1 minute.

- Remove the skillet from the heat, and place it into the preheated oven. Cook for 20 minutes or until the socca is dry and pulling away slightly from the edges. Let the Socca cool for ten minutes then slice into quarters or eighths.

For the Greens - 

- Fill a medium sized pot with an inch or two of water. Fit with a steamer basket and place the greens inside. Steam lightly for 3-5 minutes until the greens are wilted but the kale still has a bit of texture. Transfer mixture to a bowl.

- Combine the Balsamic Vinegar, Dijon Mustard, and Maple Syrup in a bowl. Whisk until smooth then pour over the steamed greens.

Assembly - 

- Spread a generous amount of humus on each slice of Socca, and top with a generous amount of the steamed greens/ Then enjoy.

- Alternately, you can spread the humus over the socca, and eat the steamed greens on the side as a salad. It’s up to you, but it all tastes great mixed together!

PS: Apologies for the pictures, I know it's kind of hard to see the socca because I really loaded up my plate with the steamed greens. That's the way it's suppose to be though right? 

Black Sesame Rice with Steamed Kale, Cabbage and Edamame...

Tonight’s dinner was less of a recipe and more of a ‘lets throw some stuff together and see what happens’ kind of affair, but it turned out so good that I just had to share it. Originally I didn’t know what I wanted to make, but as the day grew later and I became more and more involved with homework I realized whatever I did choose to make wasn’t going to be anything elaborate. Midway through the day I started feeling like rice, and once I got thinking about rice I got thinking about bowls - again!

Well, I was all out of brown rice, but had a jar of black rice that I’ve been neglecting. Black rice pairs particularly well with sesame seeds which I have plenty of and so that got me thinking of Asian flavors. Asian flavors brought me to Edamame which is a good protein source, and then all I needed was a vegetable. Today I had to write an essay on the health benefits of Cruciferous vegetables, and writing that essay inspired me to utilize the kale and red cabbage that were sitting in my fridge. Steam it, and toss it into a bowl with a few well picked condiments and a lovely nutritious dinner was served.

This is a light but filling dinner packed with dense nutrition. Black rice provides you with 18 amino acids, zinc, copper, iron, carotene and several vitamins as well as protein and fiber, which makes it more nutritious then plain ‘ole brown rice. Not to mention - if you believe in such things anyway - in China black rice is claimed to be good for the kidney’s, stomach, and liver. Sesame seeds are a great source of manganese, copper, calcium, iron, phosphorus, Vitamin B1, zinc, magnesium, selenium and fiber. They’re also great at relieving the liver of oxidative stress.  Edamame provides you with complete protein - meaning it contains all of the essential amino acids - as well as fiber, calcium, iron, Vitamin A, C & E and various other minerals. Kale is the best known cancer fighting vegetables on the planet, and the richest of all leafy greens in carotenoids. Ounce for ounce it has more calcium then milk, and it’s calcium is more bioavailable then milk - meaning our bodies can utilize more of it, better. It’s also packed full of essential vitamins and minerals. Cabbage is another great cancer fighter and an immune stimulant packed full of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients and by now we should all be well aware of the amazing health benefits of both Ginger and Garlic.

This is exactly the kind of delicious meal you can eat every day and not feel guilty about it. Every ingredients is packed full of beneficial nutrients to help you! This is definitely going to be a ‘go-to’ meal for me from now on.

Black Sesame Rice with Steamed Kale, Cabbage and Edamame

For the Rice  

1 1/4 C Black Rice
2 ½ C Water
1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
3 Garlic Cloves minced
½-1 tsp Japanese 7 Spice blend (To taste)
1/4 C Sesame Seeds

For the Kale - Cabbage - Edamame 

! Bunch Kale torn into bite sized pieces
1 ½ C Red Cabbage sliced
1 ½ C Edamame
Sliced Green Onions to taste
2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
2 Tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Amino’s (Tamari or Soy Sauce can be used instead)
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
Ume Vinegar to taste
½-3/4 tsp White Truffle Oil (Optional but strongly recommended!)
½ tsp ground ginger

- Cook rice in a rice cooker, or according to package directions. Once rice is done cooking add in the sesame oil, garlic cloves, and 7 Spice blend. Stir to combine and cover the pot or cooker with a lid for 5 minutes to let the steam infuse the garlic into the rice.

- Add Sesame seeds to the rice just before serving and stir to combine.

- Meanwhile in a large pot steam the Kale, Cabbage and Edamame, for roughly 5-7 minutes until the kale is wilted and the cabbage is wilted but still a little crisp. If you need to you can steam in two batches, kale first, then cabbage and edamame together.

- Combine all the steamed vegetables in a large bowl. Add the Bragg’s Liquid Amino’s, Rice Vinegar, Ground Ginger, Maple Syrup, Ume Vinegar, White Truffle Oil, and Green Onions. Stir to combine and taste for flavor.

- Serve by scooping the rice into a large bowl, then layering in the steamed vegetables. Enjoy!

*** Note - If you taste the mix and feel it’s too salty but don’t want to add any more maple syrup to even it out you can add 5-6 drops of liquid stevia. This works really well. ***

Tropical Avocado Smoothie...

Looking for another Green-Tastic smoothie to start your day off right? Well I have just the thing. Lately I’ve been really into the whole Avocado for Breakfast thing. Whether it’s in a smoothie or spread onto toast, I’m addicted! It’s delicious, filling, creamy, satisfying and some might even say that avocado on toast is even ‘buttery.’In a smoothie half an avocado adds depth of flavor, and creaminess which I love. Plus it makes your morning smoothie taste rich and decadent when it’s really not. Some people shy away from Avocados but not me. Healthful fats like those found in Avocado or other whole plant foods are an important part of a healthy balanced diet. Your body needs fat, your brain needs fat - unfortunately we as a species are getting far too much of the wrong kind of fat and we’re getting it far too often. However if you’re eating a healthy, balanced, nutritionally dense diet half an avocado - or a whole one - every once in a while isn’t going to do you any harm. And, while we’re on the subject of fat, I kind of like the idea that if you’re going to eat fat you may as well eat it in the morning that way you have the day to work it off and use it for energy. If you eat a lot of fat at night and then just lay around or sit on the couch your body’s just going to store the fat instead of utilize it. So indulge in a little tropical-avocado goodness and power your morning the right way, through fruit, veg and healthy fat!

Tropical Avocado Smoothie 

1 C Coconut Water
½ Large Avocado
1 C Frozen Pineapple Chunks
1 Large Satsuma Orange
1 Sliver of Ginger - or to taste
Pinch of Fresh Parsley
3 Large Leaves kale
1 tsp Spirulina - Optional

- Place everything in a high-speed blender and blend on high for 90 seconds until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

PS: If you’re looking for something to do with that other half of Avocado you can freeze it and use it in a smoothie another day. Or you can do what I did and toast 1 slice of whole grain or gluten-free bread. Then mash the avo in a bowl with some lime juice, sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes then spread it over the toasted bread. It may sound strange to you at first - trust me it took some convincing before I was even willing to try it - but it’s so freaking delicious. Your mind will literally be blown! 

Pear and Parsley Spiked Green Smoothie...

I know, two smoothie recipes in as many days? How original, but really this smoothie is freaking fantastic and I thought that since it’s January and everyone’s cleansing it might be appreciated. As I said the other day, part of my goal for this year is to make sure I start every day off right, that means getting my exercise in first thing, and then enjoying a refreshing nutrient packed smoothie for breakfast. I have no rules as far as what kind of smoothie to have for breakfast, it doesn’t have to be a green smoothie or a veggie cocktail, just as long as it’s healthful, and loaded with nutrition. Since I get bored with drinking the same smoothie each day I’ve been treating myself to three different concoctions. My Strawberry Sunshine Beet Blast, a Tropical Avocado Smoothie, and this delicious Pear and Parsley Spiked Green Smoothie. It was extremely refreshing and revitalizing after my hard workout yesterday morning.

The Pear, Parsley, Cucumber and Coconut Water are what make this smoothie particularly refreshing. Both Pears and Cucumbers are loaded with beneficial antioxidants, and both are anti-inflammatory as well. The added bonus of throwing them into your smoothie is that their calorie content is relatively low for the nutrient boost they provide. Parsley also is a wonderfully healing herb, with vibrant color and great flavor it also boasts an amazing amount of Vitamin K, as well as being a rich source of antioxidant nutrients. It also provides you with a good dose of Vitamin A and C, and only has 1 Calorie per Tablespoon how awesome is that? Then you have the coconut water. There is a lot of buzz and hype about coconut water, particularly over the past couple of years as more and more companies began producing and selling it commercially to capitalize on it's popularity. Some people claim it's a miracle food, while skeptics say it's a scam. I personally don't drink coconut water because it's popular, I drink it because it's damn delicious, and while i'm not a food scientist, or doctor I can personally attest to the fact that after I drink it I do feel more energized and definitely more refreshed. It's certainly true that Coconut water is full of electrolytes - which are great to consume if you've just had an intense work out - it's also a great source of potassium - far better then say a banana, - but whether any of the other health claims are true only time will tell. In the meantime i'm going to keep drinking because it's delicious, and also very low in calories. Roughly 45 calories per 8oz provided you're buying pure, natural, no sugar added coconut water.

From the very first sip you take from this smoothie you just know you're drinking something that tastes great, and is great for you, and once you know that, it makes it so damn easy to keep going. Enjoy!

Pear and Parsley Spiked Green Smoothie 

1 Pink Lady Apple
1 Large Banana
1 Large Anjou Pear
! C Kale
½ Large Cucumber
A pinch of Fresh Parsley (or more to taste)
1 tsp Spirulina
½ C Coconut Water
1/4 C Orange Juice (or as much as ½ C if you want the smoothie a bit thinner)
4-5 Ice Cubes (Optional)

- Place all ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend on high for 60-90 seconds until completely smooth. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy after a good workout!

Sauteed White Kale with Hot Chili Oil, and Pickled Ginger...

Happy New Year Everyone!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable New Year’s Eve, and New Years Day. After an extremely busy December I’m thankful to have some peace, quiet and relaxation today. I’m looking forward to 2013, because I know it’s going to be a good year. I’m not the type to make New Years Resolutions. I think they’re a waste of time, because as I always say if you want to change something about your life just do it. I do have a couple of goals for this year though. The first one is just to live simpler. The second one is that I’d like to develop a good daily routine, so I can better manage my time and fit in everything I need to fit in. 3) More disciplined spiritual practice, and by this I mostly mean daily meditation. 4) I would like to work on developing greater muscle definition, particularly in my abdomen and upper arms.  Finally I’d like to significantly decrease my sugar consumption. Now I say these are goals rather then New Years Resolutions because in truth I’ve already been working at them for the past couple of months, but now that a new year is here I want to really get serious about them.

So today I kicked off the New Year right, but cooking up a big bowl of delicious veggies for lunch, and dinner tonight is going to be the New Years Soup from “Clean Start” which is basically a Black Eyed Pea and Collard Green Soup. Simple, delicious and satisfying, but back to lunch. A few days ago when I was shopping for my groceries I came across a type of Kale I’d never seen or heard of before. It was called Ornamental Flowering Kale, and it came in white and purple. They were so pretty both in color and in design that I couldn’t help but buy some. They look like big flowers you might find in someone’s garden, but they’re edible. I really don’t know that much about this variety except that it’s supposedly not as tender or tasty as the regular varieties of kale, and that it comes in many other colors besides purple and white.

Since I was looking to make something quick and simple for lunch today I decided just to saute the kale in a big ‘ole pan with some leeks, garlic, and hot chili oil. The flavor of the overall dish was really fantastic, and as for the kale itself. I didn’t think it was any less delicious or any less tender then other kales I’ve eaten. It was perfect. Though unfortunately there isn’t a lot of color contrast in the finished dish for you to ooo and awe over, and I forgot to take a picture of the head of kale before chopping it up. Sorry, next time I promise. So here’s to starting the New Year off right! Do you have any resolutions or goals for 2013?

Sauteed White Kale with Hot Chili Oil, and Pickled Ginger 

1 Head White Ornamental Flowering Kale Torn into bite sized pieces
1 Large Leek Sliced
4 Garlic Cloves Minced
2 tsp Hot Chili Oil ***
2 tsp Vegetable Broth
2 tsp Tamari
A few Drops Ume Vinegar to taste
Minced Picked Ginger to taste

- Add the leek, garlic and chili oil to a large frying pan and saute over medium-high heat until leeks are just becoming tender. Roughly 5-6 minutes.

- Add in the Tamari, Vegetable Broth and Kale. Saute for 5-6 more minutes covered, until Kale is tender.

- Add in the ume vinegar and give the mixture a good stir.

- Serve with minced pickled ginger on top.

*** Note - Depending on how hot your Hot Chili Oil is you may want to use more or less. 2 tsp made my dish quite spicy, so you may want to start with 1 tsp and go from there. Or if you would like to make this oil free, saute in water and add 1 tsp of Red pepper Flakes instead.

Vegan Mofo #11 - Robin’s Fast Broccoli-Kale Sandwiches with Tahini Sauce...

Vegan Mofo #11 - Robin’s Fast Broccoli-Kale Sandwiches with Tahini Sauce 

The Book - Big Vegan
The Author - Robin Asbell
The Recipe - Fast Broccoli-Kale Sandwiches with Tahini Sauce
Page # 313
Difficulty - Easy
Duration - 30 minutes or less.

Now if you think eating whole broccoli florets on a sandwich is weird join the club. If you think eating steamed kale on a sandwich is weird I’m right there with you. If it weren’t for mofo I probably never would have made this, but after eating a lot of really delicious and decadent sandwiches this one had everything I was craving. Simplicity, and greens! I mentioned before how few fresh fruits and veggies I’ve been eating this month due to mofo, and this was exactly what the ‘doctor’ ordered. A big ‘ole mess of greens slopped onto a sandwich in a simple yet mouth-watering sauce.

The best part about this sandwich other then the greens is that it’s quick. You simply cut up the broccoli and kale and steam it till tender. Then you toss it into a bowl with tahini, lemon juice, salt, pepper - and if you’re me a bit of garlic - along with halved cherry tomatoes then serve on a bun of your choice. I chose to make the White Panini Rolls from page 196 of Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites because I didn’t have any other bread handy and I didn’t fancy going out just to buy bread. These rolls are super soft and delicious, and very plain which makes them the perfect choice for a boldly flavored sandwich.

Since I had no fresh broccoli on hand either I chose to use frozen, I think it would have worked better with fresh but you do what you can right? Anyway, this sandwich has opened up new worlds to me, and I’ll never again scoff at the idea of broccoli on a sandwich. Pure heaven!

Mesquite and Lime Marinated White Bean and Kale Salad...

This salad was born of a need to start re-introducing large quandaries of leafy greens back into my diet. While I never give up on leafy greens altogether sometimes over the course of the winter I get so bogged down with warming soups, and stews that I neglect my salads. By spring I’m really starting to feel the need for green and sometimes it’s a hard cycle to break. I’ve also been trying to find ways to work more beans into my diet, and different kinds of beans. I absolutely love black beans and chickpeas but that’s about it. The other beans for the most part I can take or leave, which makes me a very inconsistent bean eater. Some weeks I eat lots of beans and lentils and some weeks I eat none. In trying to make different kinds of beans a more regular part of my diet I needed to come up with some new and interesting ways of eating them. After my Cannellini Beans and Ramps feast I realized that Cannellini beans were actually quite good if prepared in the right way, and so my desire to use them creatively has been piqued.

On the day that I decided to make this for lunch, I had a couple of beautiful limes sitting around and a lovely avocado just begging to be used. I also happened to be in the mood for something spicy, smokey and vaguely Latin inspired. This is what I came up with and it knocked my socks off. A really great, tasty, hearty lunch that fills you up, and is relatively healthy yet feels like a decadent treat! What more could you ask for, really?

Mesquite and Lime Marinated White Bean and Kale Salad 

15oz can Cannellini Beans
Zest and Juice of 1 Lime
1 ½-2 tsp Mesquite Seasoning
4 cloves Garlic Minced
1/4 C Olive Oil
2 Tomatoes diced
1 Avocado diced
Minced Cilantro to taste
1/3 C Sliced Green Onions
2 tbsp Capers
Smoked Paprika
Black Pepper and Sea Salt to taste
1 tsp Agave
3 C Kale chopped in bite-size pieces

- Combine beans, minced garlic, 2 tbsp of lime juice, 1 tbsp of olive oil, half the lime zest and the mesquite seasoning in a small bowl.  Marinate in the fridge for 45 minutes to an hour.

- Heat remaining oil in large pan over medium heat. Add the white bean mixture, the diced tomatoes, half the green onions and capers. Season to taste with black pepper, salt and smoked paprika. Saute for 5 minutes.

- Add remaining lime juice, and lime zest, along with agave stir and saute another 2 minutes.

- Divide Kale amongst individual bowls and evenly distribute the white bean mixture over each bowl. Top with remaining green onion, avocado, and cilantro.

Kickin’ Kale Coleslaw...

This salad recipe is partly inspired by the one my friend J brought to Easter this year, and partly inspired by the delicious kale salads I ate at Choice Health Bar in Lahaina, when I was in Maui in October. It’s the perfect blend of sweet, tangy and spice. The sweet coming from the dried fruit, the tang coming from the mayo, and the two vinegars, and the spice coming from smoked paprika, pepper, allspice, clove and curry powder. It may sound like a strange combination but trust me when I say they work in perfect harmony together. Paired with earthy hemp and sesame seeds this salad is a powerhouse of awesome flavor, and it got gobbled up faster then anything else when I made it for Earth Day.

One important thing to note about this salad is that, par usual I didn’t really measure the spices as well as I should have. You see I started off with a certain measurement, either 1/4 or ½ tsp and then kept adjusting from there. Unfortunately I neglected to write down what the final mastermind became for some of the spices. With the ingredients I’ve noted as (to taste) I suggest erring on the side of caution and going with the conservative measurement first, then tasting and adjusting to suit your preference. With the garlic and curry powder it’s also important to keep in mind that you want enough of each of those flavors to taste them, but not so much that either one of them is overpowering. You want to shoot for a mild garlic flavor and a mild curry flavor. In fact as you prepare the salad keep in mind that the flavors should be working together not fighting one another, meaning no one flavor should really overshadow the others. Instead they should be layered together to enhance the dish as a whole. With that in mind, you can’t go wrong. I know I at least will be making this salad - or some variation of it - for years and years to come!

Kickin’ Kale Coleslaw

4 ½ C Shredded Kale
3 Carrots Grated
1/4 C Raisins
1/4 C Dried Cranberries
3 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
½ C Chopped Green Onions

½ C Non-dairy Mayo
1-2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar (to taste)
1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tsp Umeboshi Plum vinegar
 2-3 Packets Stevia (to taste)
½ tsp Ground Allspice
3/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
3/4 tsp Dried Oregano
½-3/4 tsp Ground Thyme (to taste)
½ tsp Garlic Powder (to taste)
½-3/4 tsp Curry Powder (to taste)
Dash of Cinnamon and Cloves (slightly less then 1/8 tsp each)
Black Pepper to taste

- The easiest way to shred kale is in a food processor. Just pop it in and pulse a few times until you have fine shreds. Don’t puree it! If you don’t have a food processor just slice it thin with a knife.

- Once the kale has been shredded place it in a bowl with the grated carrot, cranberries, raisins, seeds, and onions.

- Combine all dressing ingredient in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Taste for flavor and adjust seasoning as needed. For an additional kick you can always add a pinch or two of Cayenne pepper! Enjoy!