Vegan Mofo #12: Bacon Salad with Farmhouse Cheese Dressing...

I don’t know how typical of an Irish Salad this is, but I found a recipe for bacon salad with cheese dressing in an Irish cook book and found my mouth watering at the thought. The original recipe says to use cooleeney cheese and apples from Tipperary, I’ve never had cooleeney cheese in my life and have no idea what it tastes like, but it seems to me that most farmhouse cheeses have a strong or distinct flavor. Unfortunately while the vegan cheese market is growing it has not yet grown so big as to incorporate ‘off beat’ or regional or specialty cheeses. So I chose to use a combination of vegan Provolone and cream cheese as that was all I had available outside of cheddar, jack, mozzarella or Jalapeno Havarti. Still, despite my recreation not being as accurate as possible I do think it turned out damn delicious, and I will definitely be making it again.

The key to this salad I think is to make sure you use quality products, because it’s so simple you want the best flavor you can find. Get the freshest fall apples, get the crispest lettuce, use your favorite vegan cheese and buy the good coconut flakes to make the coconut bacon. You do that, and you’re going to have a shining star of a side salad. A great accompaniment to any meal, or a nice light lunch, if serving as a lunch enjoy with some brown soda bread scones!

Bacon Salad with Farmhouse Cheese Dressing 

2 Heads Romaine lettuce chopped or torn
½ Cup Coconut Bacon (Recipe Follows)
1 Large tart Apple Chopped (I Used Pink Lady)
Dash of Sea Salt
Dash of Cracked Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Minced Fresh Parsley

Cheese Dressing

1/3 Cup Vegan Sour Cream
1- 2 Tbsp Vegan Cream Cheese
2- 4 Slices Vegan Provolone (or favorite sharp vegan cheese)
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
Cracked Black Pepper to taste
A Dash of Agave if a sweeter dressing is desired (Optional)

Coconut Bacon 

½ Cup Dried Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
½ Tbsp Liquid Smoke
Dash of Smoked Paprika
Dash of Garlic Powder
Dash of Smoked Sea Salt

Instructions - Coconut Bacon 

- Combine all liquid ingredients in a bowl, and pre-heat a small pan over medium heat. Once heated add the coconut flakes and pour the sauce over, mix with a spatula to combine. Fry for 3-5 minutes turning occasionally so the flakes don’t burn. Once browned and most of the liquid has been absorbed turn off the heat and remove the coconut to a plate to cool. Let cool 5 minutes. Leave any remaining liquid in the pan.

Instructions - Salad 

- Cook the chopped apple in the liquid remaining in the pan you used to cook the coconut bacon. Saute apple until golden and then remove from the heat.

- Place Romaine, Coconut Bacon, and Apple in a large bowl and garnish with salt, pepper and parsley.

Instructions - Dressing 

- Combine all dressing ingredients in a small pan over medium heat. Whisk together until cheese has melted and everything is smooth and heated through.

- Pour the warm dressing over the salad, toss to combine and serve!

Super Easy Superfood Oatmeal...

Quinoa for breakfast is nothing new. In fact, combining quinoa and oats for a delicious protein rich breakfast isn’t new either, but it is new to me. As quinoa continues to grow in popularity here in the United States I continue to come across new and interesting uses for it. Of course, I never have time to try all the recipes I see, or even half of them, and when it comes to breakfast food I’m usually at a disadvantage anyway since I’m not much of a morning eater anyway. Which is why I normally opt for a fruit or green smoothie.

Of course, there are those rare days when I wake up with breakfast on my mind, and today was one of those days. Normally when I crave breakfast it’s something carby, or decadent. It’s always something that requires work and effort and it’s very seldom wholesome. Today was different, maybe it’s the cool autumnal weather, or the fact that I’ve been feeling less then ideal lately, but I woke up craving oats. Actually, that’s a lie, I’ve been craving oats for days now actually but I’ve just been to lazy to make them. Since I woke up extremely early this morning for no apparent reason, and have the day off I decided that if I wanted oatmeal then there was no time like the present.

The original idea was just to make a basic pot of oatmeal that would be large enough to last me through the weekend, but as I was standing in front of my pantry I thought “why not try that whole quinoa breakfast thing?” So I decided to add some quinoa to my oats. Then I started thinking about what else might be good. I had a single apple sitting in my fruit basket, and that always tastes great in oatmeal, I have bags of random Superfood burning holes in my pantry shelves and so why not add them too for a super nutrient dense, antioxidant rich breakfast? See how it is? Once you get started down a certain path you can’t stop, and I ended up with one of the most enjoyable bowls of oatmeal ever. The goji and mulberries really added a nice element to the oatmeal, a subtly sweet and complex blend of flavors. Even my husband who is no fan of oatmeal, but reluctantly agreed to try it, loved it!

The beauty of this oatmeal is you can literally do whatever you want with it. There are so many things you can add in, so many variations, an endless amount of options to keep you interested. This morning I chose to add the blueberries, cherries, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, maple syrup, pomegranate molasses, and unsweetened almond milk to my bowl and it was divine. My husband meanwhile chose blueberries, cherries, flaxseeds, chia seeds, raisins, maple syrup, pomegranate molasses and vanilla almond milk.

However you choose to eat it, I hope you enjoy it!

Super Easy Superfood Oatmeal 

1 ½ C Steel Cut Oats
½ C Quinoa
5 C Water
1 Granny Smith Apple Peeled and cubed
4 Tbsp Goji Berries
4 Tbsp White Mullberries

Optional Add Ins per Serving 

2 Tbsp Fresh or Frozen Blueberries, Raspberries, or Blackberries
8 Fresh or Frozen Whole Pitted Cherries
2 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed
1 Tbsp Raw Sunflower Seeds
1 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1-2 Tbsp Raisins
1-2 Tbsp Walnuts
Sliced Banana
½ - 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
½ - 1 Tbsp Pomegranate Molasses
Almond, Coconut or other favorite non-dairy milk

- Combine the Oats, Quinoa and Water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat and let simmer on the stove for 40-60 minutes, stirring occasionally until the oats have thickened and are tender.

- Ten minutes before the end of cooking add in the peeled chopped apple and stir to combine.

- Five minutes before the end of cooking add in the Goji and White Mullberries and stir to combine.

- Remove the cooked oatmeal from the heat, and spoon out individual servings. Top each serving with desired add-ins.

*** Note - To ensure this is Gluten-Free use GF oats. *** 

Vegan Mofo #16 - Mark’s Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel)...

Vegan Mofo #16 - Mark’s Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel)

The Region - Germany/Austria
The Book - The 30 Minute Vegan’s Taste of Europe
The Author - Mark Reinfeld
The Recipe - Apple Strudel
Page # 203
Difficulty - Easy
Duration - About 45 minutes

Right out of the oven

We leave the Caribbean this evening to travel back to Europe with one of my favorite desserts, apple strudel. Mark Reinfeld states in his book that Apple Strudel is to Germany what Apple Pie is to America and this is probably true. I don’t think there are many - or any - German kids who grow up not knowing what an apple strudel is. Yet interestingly enough Apple strudel is said to actually originate in Austria, Vienna to be more specific. More interesting still is that the idea apparently came from the Ottoman Empire’s popular Baklava and came to Austria via Turkey. Of course Austrian Cuisine has been shaped, and expanded by all of it’s neighboring regions over the centauries so who knows where the influence really came from. At least it can be said that Apple Strudel became popular in Austria during the 18th century.

Freshly Sliced 

Apple strudel was regularly featured throughout my childhood, and I can recall many evenings sitting around my livingroom with my Oma and Opa, a big plate of strudel out on the table for snacking after dinner with coffee and tea. A warm strudel always reminds me of home, and my family, of childhood and my grandparents - as do Danish pastry but more on that some other time. - A warm strudel is comforting, and connects me with memories, people, and places I haven’t been, or haven’t seen in ages.

It’s interesting then that despite apple strudel holding such an important piece of my heart that up until now I’d never actually made one myself. In fact after I left home and moved the the United States I stopped eating strudel all together. Maybe it’s because once I moved I wasn’t really around German people anymore and so some of that heritage slipped away. Maybe there just wasn’t any good apple strudel to be had near my new home, or maybe I simple got busy eating more “American” type foods. In any case I’d never made one, and despite my aversion to working with dough or pastry I decided this mofo was the perfect time to try my hand at making this delicious traditional pastry.

Of course, Mark’s version isn’t exactly what I’d call traditional. I grew up on white flour strudel, that was all apple. For his strudel Mark uses the healthier spelt flour, as well as raisins, cardamom, and poppy seeds. I don’t know if they use these things to make Strudel over in Germany or Austria but it’s not what I’m used to, so I was skeptical of it. Turns out it was totally delicious, and reminded me so much of home and family - although for pure nostalgia’s sake I think next time I’ll make the strudel sans raisins. Now my strudel may not look perfect, it’s a little uneven and didn’t get as golden as I would have liked but that’s all my fault and not Mark’s. My pastry skills often leave something to be desired, but it certainly didn’t hurt the flavor. I think even if you’re no pro at pastry this is a relatively quick and easy dessert to whip together, or of course you could serve it for breakfast - which is actually what I did. However you make it, however you serve it just give it a try, because it’s really to die for.

The Quiet Easter Post 2013...

Stuffed Shells with Garlic Bread

I realize this post is coming a little more then a week late, but oh well. In truth Easter has never really been a very significant holiday for me. Though I was raised in the Christian faith, I was never particularly religious, even as a kid. For me the holiday has always been about something else. When I was a kid it was presents and candy, when I grew up it was about socializing with family members I didn’t get to see regularly and eating heaping plates of good food.

Breakfast - Sausage in a Blanket with Caramelized Apples &
Chive and Cheddar Omelet

Typically I’ll take any excuse to socialize, throw a party, and cook a lot of food. Perhaps you remember my Easter Post  from last year where I detailed everything I made and ate? It’s the kind of thing I really like to do, because I love to cook, and I especially love to cook delicious vegan food that inspires and impresses omnivores. This year however, I just wasn’t feeling it. I don’t know if it’s just because I’ve been so busy with school and a million other things or because as I get older I just care less and less about these kinds of things. Maybe it’s a bit of both, but probably a lot of the latter, after all when I really think about it there really isn’t anything about Easter that makes me want to celebrate. I’m a Buddhist, my husband’s an Atheist so on that point alone we have no cause to celebrate, but then factor in that we’re the only two vegans attending the celebration - which means having to make all our own food, and transporting it, not to mention make enough food for others - and I just said “To hell with it.”

Caramelized Apples

Since I’ve been super focused on my studies these past few months, really buckling down determined to have everything finished by the end of June I just didn’t feel like taking the time out to cook a bunch of dishes for a bunch of people who aren’t vegan anyway, for a holiday I don’t really give a shit about. That said, that didn’t mean we wanted to miss the socializing aspect of the holiday since we typically don’t get to see most of my husband’s side of the family on a regular basis - even though they all live close by. So rather then opt out of the festivities all together I decided to make a large breakfast for the two of us before we left, then make a nice dinner for us upon our return. The time in-between we could survive easily sans snacks.

Chive and Cheddar Omelet

Even though I love to cook, and love to show off my cooking to others I can’t tell you how happy I was about this decision. I felt really free, and a real sense of relief. Cooking for any large group is always hard, but cooking for a large group of picky omnivores who think vegan food comes from some alternate universe is undeniably frustrating. Trying to come up with a suitable dish - let alone half a dozen - that is creative yet familiar that pleases everyone is no easy task, and it often has me pouring over my 100+ cook book collection for days in a bit of a panic. Then once I decide what to make there’s the cost of the shopping, the time it takes to prepare everything, the logicists of the transport, what to do with leftovers. Ugh! I get a headache just thinking about it. Cooking for my husband and I is much simpler. I know what we like - virtually everything - and I know the kinds of meals we appreciate most. We’re easy, we enjoy food, and we’re not afraid to try new things.

Pancakes

This year I didn’t get up early and start cooking. I didn’t spend my whole day in the kitchen. I didn’t rush, I didn’t stress, I didn’t get frustrated, and there was no insanity. I wasn’t busy. I was completely and totally relaxed and I loved every minute of it. I got to walk my dog, I got to exercise, I got to spend time with my husband, I got to listen to music, I got to read, I got to just kick back and enjoy life for a while without any obligations. I didn’t have to worry about anything, I didn’t have to worry about getting meals on the table at a certain time, I didn’t have to worry about when so and so might arrive. Nothing. In fact I was so relaxed and enjoyed this new freedom so much I couldn’t help but start to wonder why I’d ever go ‘all-out’ for another holiday again. Why go through all that hassle? Especially considering my husband and I eat well every night and never need a special occasion to do so. If I want to make pie or cake, or cookies I do it. If I want to make appetizers, or dips, or other decadent offerings I do it. If I want to make a five course dinner on a regular old Wednesday night I do it. I don’t need Easter for any of that, or any other holiday.

Apple Sage Sausage 

I’m thinking I’d much rather bag the stress and enjoy a quiet meal at home with my husband for all future holidays. Besides despite our cultures emphasis on food that’s not what holiday's are truly about anyway. They’re about family, about togetherness, about socializing, and you don’t need to eat to be social and whether or not there is food at any particular location that is suitable for my husband and I to eat has never been a mark of our happiness or enjoyment in that place.

So then, what exactly did we eat for Easter?

Well, I wanted to make a big hearty breakfast that would keep us full for the entirety of the celebration, until I could get us home and make us dinner. So I decided to make the Sausages in a Blanket with Glazed Apples from Lane Gold’s books "Vegan Junk Food." To accompany the sweetness of the dish I wanted to also serve something savory and so I chose the Chive and Cheddar Skillet Omelet from Jenny Engel & Heather Goldberg’s book "Spork-Fed."

Breakfast 

Both of these dishes were great, but I was particularly fond of the omelet. I can’t make an omelet to make my life, it’s one culinary talent I’ve never been bestowed with. I can’t make an actual egg omelet without if falling apart, and I can’t make a tofu omelet without it falling apart. So I really appreciate the ease of the skillet omelet, and I love the recipes that include baking or broiling an omelet in a cast iron skillet. This particular omelet contained chives, Daiya Cheddar Cheese shreds, tofu, gluten-free flour, black salt, almond milk, baking powder, nutritional yeast, brown rice syrup, turmeric, miso and a few other things. Then you cook it on the stove top for a few minutes and put it in the broiler to finish it off. I decided I wanted to bake it rather then broil it and so I put it into the oven to bake but it took quite a bit longer then I expected and so I ended up finishing it on the stove top where the bottom burned a bit. I was really upset that I’d burnt the bottom but surprisingly the omelet was still crazy-delicious! Seriously, we loved this thing, my husband gobbled up two slices and he doesn’t even like Daiya!

Breakfast 

Though I enjoyed the sausages in a blanket I was less impressed with this recipe if only because it was very sweet, and I find that since I did my juice fast back in January I’ve been gradually moving further and further away from sweets and sugar in general. It just doesn’t ‘do it’ for me anymore you know? And even on those occasions where I want a cake or brownie or cookie, if I actually eat one I never feel satisfied. I just think to myself ‘bleh- why did I eat that?’ Don’t get me wrong, this new attitude towards sugar is a really good thing, it’s exactly what I wanted, there are just so many delicious desserts out there to try, that I probably won’t like all that much anymore haha!  You might not believe it but often times when I feel like desert a half glass of vanilla almond milk, or a tbsp of nut butter with some chocolate chips, or 1 or 2 pitted dates will totally do the trick. I get my taste of sweet, yet I feel totally satisfied afterwards! Anyway, back to the breakfast. My husband loved this and ended up eating 3 pancakes stuffed with sausage and apples. The recipe calls for Tofurky breakfast links but I used the homemade Apple Sage Sausages I made a month ago using Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman’s recipe from "500 Vegan recipes." They were really good, and worked well here. However rather then shape them into links when I’d originally made them I’d just shaped them into loaves and so for this recipe I have sausage rounds rather then links. Doesn’t matter, it all tastes the same right? Anyway you make the apples by boiling them in water and brown sugar until they’re glazed, soft, and saucy. Then you stuff a simple fluffy white flour pancake with sausage, and apple mixture and top if off with a bit of maple syrup. Like I said they were good, and the pancakes were super fluffy and moist but it was just a little too sweet for me.

Caesar Salad with Maple Wheat Croutons

For dinner when we got home I made the Caesar Salad with Maple Wheat Croutons from Chloe Coscarelli’s book Chloe’s Kitchen. I served it as the starter to her recipe for Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce accompanied by her recipe for The best Garlic Bread in the world - which really was one of the best garlic breads I’d ever eaten.

The salad was a pretty simple affair, romaine lettuce and capers in a homemade Caesar dressing that utilized tofu, Dijon mustard, and Miso to make it Caesar like. I think that this is definitely one of the better Vegan Caesar’s I’ve had, though I think Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Caesar from Appetite for Reduction is just a little bit better in my book. The croutons however were the real showstopper. I’m usually not a crouton person, I’ve never, ever liked them but I was intrigued by the maple component and so I decided to try them out and they were really good. They added a new exciting element to the salad.

The Garlic Bread as I said was really phenomenal. It was melted Earth Balance, Nutritional Yeast, garlic and fresh parsley slathered over a baguette and baked till crispy.

Stuffed Shells

Then the shells were also really good. I particularly liked the Arrabbiata sauce which is one of the better spicy tomato sauces that I’ve tried. The ‘ricotta’ stuffing for the shells was also good and quite simple. Tofu, miso, basil, garlic, lemon juice - the usual suspects and even though it was really good and really creamy, and really delicious I think I liked the stuff shell recipe from Myoko Schinner’s "Artisan Vegan Cheese" just a little bit better. That almond ricotta is to DIE for, even my husband thinks so and he doesn’t like almonds!

Anyway, the whole dinner turned out perfectly and it was completely stress-free which was the best part. Originally I was also planning on making a dessert, a mocha fudge pudding cake but after the sweet breakfast I really wasn’t feeling much like a heavy sweet dessert and so I opted out. Instead I made a batch of Rum Raisin Ice Cream from Cathe Olson’s sensational Ice Cream book "Lick It!" Now before you say “hold up, I thought you weren’t into sweet!” Cathe’s recipes generally only call for ½ cup of sugar for an entire batch of ice cream and if you like you can use a little less. That means the ice cream is more rich then sweet, certainly it’s a lot less sweet then store-bought ice creams, and so it’s a perfect dessert. Since I found my ice cream maker and started using it I’ve been obsessed with home-made ice cream. This latest flavor wasn’t my favorite - not enough rum and too many raisins - however it was pretty tasty! My husband was especially pleased.

And that’s how we celebrated Easter this year. I hope you too had a good time which however you chose to celebrate the occasion, and if you don’t celebrate at all I hope you had a good weekend complete with some lovely Spring weather!

PS: Sorry I forgot to take a picture of the ice cream, but I promise on my next ice cream making adventure I’ll take loads of picks and post all about it!

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!

Harvest Pumpkin Apple Galette...

Sometime last week I saw an item listed on a menu that really intrigued me. It was a Squash and Apple Galette. I’ve only eaten a Galette once. I made one a few months ago and it was delicious, delicious enough to make me wonder why I’d never made one before, and delicious enough to make me want to try my hand at making one again. As I looked over the ingredients listed in the menu for this particular galette my salivary glands started dripping. Butternut Squash, Apples, Onions, Spices and Parmesan. Minus the parm that sounded pretty damn good. It sounded warm and comforting and autumnal, and really who doesn’t love anything baked inside a crust? Looking over the menu I thought, ‘I could make that.’ and so a few days later - armed with nothing but a few vague ideas - I did just that.

As it turns out though I didn’t have any butternut squash, I did however have two beautiful sugar pumpkins that I’d bought in a moment of inspiration and then never used. I wanted to - no I needed to - use them, and since I like pumpkin, and sugar pumpkins are naturally a little sweeter like a butternut squash I didn’t see any reason why they wouldn’t be just as delicious in my Galette. Apples and onions of course I had and so the only thing left to decide was the spices. The menu had been vague on that account, but that was okay, I’m good with spices. After a few minutes thought I decided to go with a subtle Middle Eastern flavor, with a French twist. These two seemingly distinct and different flavors actually paired quite well together, who would have thought?

Now I hate to break a bit of bad news but the night I made this I was in a bit of a hurry and I didn’t exactly measure any of the spices. I added what I thought would be good, taste tested it and adjusted as needed. I hadn’t originally intended to post this recipe on the blog as I wasn’t sure if it would even be any good - in fact I was expecting it to be a fail - but it far exceeded my expectations. This was so phenomenal that I knew I would have to post it and so I’ll try to give you an approximate. I would suggest maybe half to one full tsp of smoked paprika, Rosemary, and Coriander. And a quarter to half a tsp of cinnamon and ginger, or something there about. You want all the flavors to blend together you don’t want any one flavor to overpower the others. You want enough cinnamon and ginger to be able to taste them but not enough so that it’s all you taste. Same with the paprika and coriander you want enough to taste them fully, but not enough that your entire galette is ruined by them. Go with your gut and you’ll be alright I think.

This turned out so well in fact that I can’t wait to make another galette! Enjoy!

Galette Dough 

2 ½ Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 C Whole Wheat or Whole Wheat Pastry flour
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 - 1 ½ tsp Sea Salt
1-2 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary minced finely
! C Vegetable Shortening (Earth Balance Shortening is what I used)
3/4 C Ice Water or as needed
Olive Oil for Brushing
Sea Salt, Black Pepper and Basil to taste

Pumpkin Apple Filling

2 Small-Medium Sized Sugar Pumpkins (Pie Pumpkins)
2 Granny Smith Apples
1 Large Yellow Onion Diced
8 Garlic Cloves Minced
Smoked Paprika
Ground Cinnamon
Ground Coriander
Ground Ginger
Fresh Minced Rosemary
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1-2 dashes of Dried Basil
3 Tbsp Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1-2 Tbsp Lemon Flavored Olive Oil (or a mixture of Olive Oil and Pure Lemon Juice)
1-2 Tsp Olive Oil

I served our galette with a side of Terry Waters Fingerling Potatoes with
Red Onion and Sage from "Clean Start" which were very good!

To Make the Dough 

- In a food processor combine the flours, salt, sugar, and rosemary. Pulse to combine.

- Cut the Shortening into the food processor with a knife in small dice. Then pulse until the dough becomes pebbly and crumbly.

- Add in the ice water a little at a time, 1-2 Tbsp at a time, and pulse until the dough just holds together. You may need to add more water or use less. Do not over process.

- Form dough into a disk wrap in plastic and place in the fridge for 20 minutes

- Lightly oil a 12 to 14 inch pizza pan. Remove dough from fridge and roll out onto a floured surface. Roll out into a circle big enough to fit your pan with some dough hanging over the edges. It doesn’t have to be a perfect circle. Thickness should be between 1/4 -1/2 inch.

- Carefully transfer dough to the pizza pan and brush lightly with olive oil.


To Make the Filling 

- Preheat Oven to 400'F

- Cut Pumpkins, Remove seeds, Peel and cut into cubes.

- Toss pumpkin with the lemon olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Roast in the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes until pumpkin is tender.

- Set aside and let cool.

- Heat 1-2 tsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic. Cook until onion is translucent and just beginning to caramelize. About 10-15 minutes.

- Peel, and dice apples.

- Once onions have cooked, add the roasted pumpkin and the diced apples to the pan, stir to combine. Season to taste with fresh Rosemary, smoked paprika, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger. Stir to combine.

- Add in the maple syrup and Dijon Mustard and stir again to combine. Remove from heat and let cool while you make the dough.

Assembly 

Preheat oven to 375"F

- Scrape your pumpkin apple filling onto the dough lined Pizza pan. Spreading the filling out evenly to the edges of the pan with the back of a spoon or spatula.

- Carefully fold over any excess dough hanging off the edges of your pizza pan. Folding them into a rustic looking shape and leaving the middle open.

- Brush the folded dough lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper, and a little dash of dried basil.

- Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the crust is lightly brown.

And of course no dinner is complete without dessert. This is Isa and Terry's
She's my Cherry Pie from "Vegan Pie in the Sky"

PS: I know there are quite a few steps involved here, but this can be super simple to make if you do a little work in advance. You can roast your pumpkin a day ahead and even make the dough a day ahead leaving it wrapped in plastic until ready to use. 

Tropical Omega-Boost Smoothie...

When it comes to getting my Omega-3's some weeks I do really good and make sure I take in a wide variety of flax, chia, walnuts and leafy greens, while other weeks I fall into a rut of nutritional neglect. I’m sure you can relate. Maybe you get busy, or maybe you get a taste for food that’s a little more decadent -and possibly less nutrient dense, - maybe you simply forget, or just don’t ‘feel like it’ some days. Well I know how that goes. So on Saturday I came up with a super easy, and delicious omega-rich smoothie that’ll have you begging for more. The flavor is so sublime that you won’t have to coax yourself into making it because you’ll wake up craving it!

Interestingly this smoothie came about not only out of a desire to make sure I get my daily flaxseed, but also in an attempt to clean out my refrigerator before going away on vacation. All the ingredients in this smoothie I had in abundance, and all of them - except for the flaxseed - needed to be consumed before I leave. I wasn’t sure what I’d end up with after mixing them all together but that’s what experimentation is all about right? The end result was far better then I imagined. The smoothie Is rich and creamy, it’s sweet, sour and tropical, and as an added bonus it’s both sugar and stevia free. Despite being free of sugar or other sweeteners this smoothie tastes exactly like the sort of thing you’d pick up at one of those chain smoothie joints in the mall. Dare I say it almost taste decadent? It’s a tropical paradise in a glass, and I strongly urge you to give it a try.

A quick note about the mango. You can use any kind. I’ve made this smoothie every day since Saturday and I’ve made it both with the big red mangos, and the smaller yellow mangoes. I’ve also made it with overripe, perfectly ripe, and under ripe mango, each time it came out fantastic. Keep in mind however that if you use overripe mango the overall drink will be sweeter. If you use under ripe mango the drink will have a more sour taste, which I actually liked quite a lot. In fact it reminded me of a thick yogurt. I’ve also used both unsweetened Flax milk, and Vanilla Flax Milk. It came out brilliant both times, though of course using the vanilla flax milk will give it a subtle hint of vanilla flavor, as well as make it a bit sweeter. Any way you decide to make it I hope you enjoy it!

Tropical Omega-Boost Smoothie

1 ½ -2 C Your Favorite Flax Milk (Depending on how thick you want it.)
1 Large Mango Peeled, Stone removed, and cut into chunks
1 Large Banana
1 Pink Lady Apple Peeled and cut into chunks
2 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed
4 Tbsp Organic Unsweetened Applesauce

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

The Rejuvenator...

It’s an absolutely gorgeous day in Chicagoland today. Sunny, and warm with a nice breeze. My favorite kind of day and I’ve been taking advantage of it by spending time outside walking and hooping, and by having all the shades and windows open while I’ve been in. It’s amazing just how good a little sunshine and exercise can make you feel!

Now I don’t know about you but I know when the seasons begin to change I begin to change with them. My habits, my food choices, my overall routine - it all shifts. During the cold winter months this usually means I eat hardier heavier fare, exercise less and stay indoors more. Something I always feel good about in the beginning because who doesn’t like to laze about a bit after the long hot sweaty months? Truth is though, I hate being cooped up indoors, I hate the stale re-circulated air, and I hate not being able to go for long walks or ride my bike. Then of course there’s the food, now as much as I love stews, soups, chilies, pasta, baked goods, sweets and creamy gooey comfort food goodness there always comes a point where I feel enough is enough. By the time Spring rolls around all I want to do is run, and eat salad. Even if I haven’t gained any weight over the winter - which I usually don’t - I always feel heavier, bogged down, and just generally sick of spirt I suppose. Which is exactly how I was feeling last Friday after a week long adventure in cooking Latin food. It was so good - mouth watering good, and it was so much fun to begin learning a new cuisine but by the end of the week I just wanted to die. I was so stuffed, so tired, so clogged up; everything about my body and my spirt felt out of whack, they were no longer working in harmony with one another, and I felt awful.

The only way I know how to remedy this is to get myself back to basics. Get off the sugar, get off the starch, get off the corn, soy and wheat. Get myself back into a routine of green smoothies, salads, and a lot more fresh raw produce. Cutting all that out and just eating and living simply is the best way to flush out the body and restore balance to both your physical and spiritual self. After only two days I’m feeling better, healthier, lighter, happier and more positive then I have in months. It’s a wonderful feeling, and so I wanted to share with you the smoothie I made Saturday morning to get myself back on track. It’s so delicious and invigorating that I drank the entire blender full in about twenty minutes, and felt fantastic all day. My sugar cravings diminished and my belly stayed full all afternoon without making me feel like death, not to mention I felt less tired and more energized.

I highly recommend you kick off the new season with a cleanse of your own, and include this refreshing, rejuvenating drink!

Happy Spring!

The Rejuvenator

2 Cara Cara Oranges***
3-4 Large Kale Leaves
1 D’Anjou Pear
1 Banana
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 tsp Spirulina
2 C water
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
1-2 packets stevia
3-4 sprigs Fresh Mint

- Peel oranges, and remove as much pith (the white skin covering the fruit) as possible.

- Place all ingredients except Stevia in a high-speed blender and blend on high for 60 seconds or until well blended and completely smooth. Taste for sweetness and add stevia to taste.

*** Note - You could use Navel Oranges if you don’t have Cara Cara, however the Cara Cara oranges add a really unique and delicious flavor to this smoothie that Navels will not. Cara Cara’s are a favorite of mine, and for good reason, so I highly recommend you try them if you can find them at your local grocer or farmer’s market. ***