Greek Six Layer Dip

My garden is starting to grow rich greens, and the leaves of my zucchini plants are beginning to bud flowers which means growing season is in full bloom. The little buds made me think of this recipe which is from the kitchen of a co-dietitian and close friend. Everyone I know RAVES over this recipe. Share with your guests at your next garden party, grad party or week night treat. Salivate over the flavor blends in this fresh appetizer!

Ingredients:

• 1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp dill
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 dash salt
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1 small zucchini, shredded
• 2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
• ½ cup tomato, chopped
• 2 oz black or kalamata olives, sliced
• Blue corn chips

Directions:

1. In a blender or food processor, puree the first 9 ingredients (white beans through mustard).
2. Spread pureed mixture on the bottom of a medium – large serving platter.
3. Top pureed mixture with a layer of each: onion, zucchini, feta cheese, tomato, and olives.
4. Serve with blue corn chips.

Curried Pasta and Broccoli Slaw

Curry spice must be affixed to my taste buds lately. A spice I once detested is now popping up in many of my dishes at home. This is another adaptation of a recipe I have made every year around Memorial Day. So this year, as you place your curried pasta and broccoli slaw dish among the other potato, pasta, and side salads on the serving table, you will know that this is truly a salad new to the ‘everyday potluck’ sides. Sure to positively tantalize taste buds and attain the ‘wow’ factor from many, the antioxidants found in curry powder and Vitamin C-packed broccoli slaw also keep nutrition as a key component. 

Curried Pasta & Broccoli Slaw (serves: 8)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz elbow macaroni
• ¼ cup skim milk
• 2 Tbsp curry powder
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup mango chutney, chopped
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 dash pepper
• 1 10 oz bag broccoli slaw mix
• ½ cup scallions, chopped
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain pasta and place in a large bowl. Toss with milk.
2. Meanwhile, toast curry powder in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Whisk in oil and cook until curry and oil are well mixed. Cool.
3. In another large bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, chutney, curry oil, and vinegar until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add broccoli slaw mix, scallions, and cilantro to curry dressing, and toss until combined.
5. Stir in pasta. Toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Spicy Coconut Tofu & Spinach

Despite the teasing warm sunshine last weekend, it has been a cold and windy week in Milwaukee. I adapted an old magazine-torn recipe to add heat and a punch of flavor to your night. With all of the protein, vegetables, and flavor in this dish, you cannot tag this meal weeknight health-conscious or weekend splurge! Savor the sweet and spicy taste combination. Pair with a glass of red, you cannot go wrong!

Spicy Coconut Tofu & Spinach (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp red curry paste
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 14-oz package tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 6 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 6 cups baby spinach
• ¾ cup brown rice, cooked
• Lime, wedged for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine cornstarch and broth in a Dutch oven. Heat over medium heat until cornstarch is dissolved. Add peanut butter, curry paste, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, lightly sauté bell peppers, tofu, and mushrooms (about 4-5 minutes).
3. Add tofu mixture to sauce, and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until flavors are combined.
4. Stir in coconut milk, lime juice, and spinach. Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes.
5. Serve curry mixture over brown rice, and garnish with lime and additional red pepper flakes (for added heat), if desired. 

Crisp Asparagus & Broccoli Salad

The days are getting longer, the sun is starting to shine, and it’s time to bring back our fresh and humble vegetables. This salad is extremely green (and even greener if you can get these food items locally, in season). Regardless, there is nothing like a fresh salad to start your evening meal right. I added grilled salmon to my salad, but you can eat this just as it is. Bring a little more green into your life with fresh asparagus, broccoli, and arugula – maybe it will start our growing season early this year!

Crisp Asparagus & Broccoli Salad (serves: 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch fresh broccoli (about 5-6 cups)
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus
• 1 bunch fresh arugula, chopped
• Olive oil spritz
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with foil. Spritz with a thin layer of olive oil cooking spray.

2) Cut off broccoli florets from stems (about 5-6 cups), and place florets on a single layer on one baking sheet. Spritz broccoli florets with olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

3) Cut asparagus into 2-inch segments, and place in a single layer on the other baking sheet. Spritz asparagus with olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

4) Place broccoli and asparagus in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until vegetable edges begin to brown.

5) Meanwhile, place arugula in a large bowl. Toss with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

6) When broccoli and asparagus are slightly roasted, top arugula with roasted vegetables. Add freshly grated parmesan cheese. Toss salad.

Meatless Mondays: Mediterranean Granola

I love granola, and nothing really compares to making my own. It's great in the morning with fresh fruit and almond milk. I purchased all the ingredients in bulk from Mariano's - not only reducing packaging, but saving tons of money. Also, make sure you are using vegan sugar when you are making your granola.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2-4 cups oats
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1-2 cups almonds
• 1/4 cup flax seed
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup figs

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 
2. Mix dry ingredients (oats, coconut, almonds, flax seed). Add what you feel comfortable. I like a very diverse granola, so I make sure all the ingredients are integrated. Mix with clean hands.
3. In a separate bowl, combine oil, nectar, and sugar. 
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients in bowl. Then, spread onto baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted.
5. Remove granola and mix it up so that un-toasted pieces are evenly distributed with toasted pieces. Place back into oven.
6. As granola continues to cook, cut figs into little cube-like pieces.
7. Once granola is toasted, remove from oven and let cool. 
8. Once cool, add figs and enjoy.

MM: Horchata

When I see or eat something that seems delicious, I want try to make it at home. This weekend was a perfect example - we ordered takeout Mexican, in particular, a 32 oz. of horchata. Between the man and I, it wasn't enough. Could I make it? A few Google searches later, I found a recipe and went out Sunday morning to get the missing ingredients. Horchata is Mexican rice drink with sugar, cinnamon, almonds, and/or vanilla. If you haven't had it before, you need to get. It is heaven. It is also extremely easy to make at home (somewhat long process). I made about two quarts around 11am, they were gone by 6pm (I only had one glass, someone else had the rest).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice
• 5 cups water
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup vegan white sugar
• 2 cups rice milk (I used vanilla rice milk to enhance flavor)

Steps:

1. Mix the rice and water, let it stand for about an hour to two hours.
2. In a blender, mix water and rice for a minute until you get a find pulp.
3. Strain the rice chunks out of the water.
4. Add the vanilla, sugar, rice milk, and cinnamon into the rice water.
5. Chill for 30-45 minutes.
6. Stir and serve. 

MM: Kale Chips

Usually, on the weekend, I try to make something that I can post on the blog, cooking and taking pictures of the steps are a relatively complicated thing. I usually forget to take a picture at a certain stage. And, I am realizing that I need to get a better camera for these pictures. Given the general yucky-ness that I have felt this weekend, today's feature is quite simple - Kale chips. But, I swear, I'm never buying chips again. Kale chips are amazing. One of the things that are worth the preparation. Plus, kale is so cheap.

Ingredients:

• 1 Bunch of Kale
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 Tsp. Seasoned Salt
• Alternatives: Few drops of Hot sauce and/or Few Drops of Lemon Juice

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You can line a non-insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper, or you can just use a non-stick cookie sheet.
2. Wash and dry your kale. Then, remove the stems from the leaves and tear the leaves into bit size pieces. Place on the cookie sheet.
3. Drizzle kale with olive oil and other seasonings. A little olive oil goes a long way.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the edges are brown, not burnt. 

Meatless Mondays: Tasterie

When I decided to commit to a vegan diet, I thought that it would reduce how much I snack in between meals. While it definitely has altered how much I do snack, I still need some tasty treats for in case of emergencies. Carrots, celery sticks, and apples, don't always cut it. Sometimes I need something a little more savory or sweet. So on my hunt for snacks, I went to Jewel, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's, where I can spend about $1.99-$3.99 on a snack bar. Not satisfying. Therefore, I started doing a little Internet research to find something other than Vegan Cuts. Lone behold, Tasterie, a small business started by a pediatrician and mother, that delivers allergy-free foods that are curated to the buyer's needs.

I decided to give it a go and ordered the "Gluten Allergy, Wheat Allergy, and Vegan" Snack Box. About two weeks later it arrived, full of actually delicious snacks such Sesame Chickpeas, Maple-syrup oatmeal, Spicy Jalapeno tomato chips, and two recipes. Everything was delicious. 

Of course, I had some issues with trying to live green and online purchasing, therefore, I didn't subscribe to get the monthly deliveries. For me, I decided that it was best to see the variety snacks that are out there (experiential learner here) so that I could try to replicate them on my own. The great thing about vegan snacks is that if you have a mandoline, dehydrator, and an oven, you can make a lot of delicious treats! Perhaps this will be my alternative to baking! 

Meatless Mondays: Vegan Wines (What?)

First off, yes, not all wines are vegan. But, it's grapes! Yes, I know; I thought the same thing too. Until I started reading r/vegan on reddit, I was exposed to this link. Essentially, the filtering process is where wines could become not vegan given the use of various fining agents made from animal by products. If you are like me, and love a good glass of wine with dinner. What are you suppose to do? Solution - Barnivore, where one can search any brand of beer, wine, and liquor and find out if it is vegan or not-vegan. If only they had an App version of this website, so much easier to use.

When thinking about wines, I started to think about local, an equally important factor when considering the sustainability of my dietary choices. Therefore, I need to start investigating and purchasing locally made alcoholic beverages - Michigan Wines, Chicago Local Breweries, and Bourbon Whiskey (Kentucky). Fortunately, my little bar is near dry, and when I decide to restock, it will be full of locally made, vegan-friendly products. To be perfectly honest, I'm kind of sad about the wine as I am not typically a fan of Michigan wines, but we will see how it goes.

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Meatless Mondays: Coconut-Almond Balls

Three or four hours into my juice cleanse, I realized that my veganism would be putting some serious restrictions on my enduring love for pastries, sweets, and all other sugary goodness. So I looked up various vegan recipes, and found this one - Chocolate-covered Dough Balls. Juice cleanse completed, two vegan weeks down, I finally had some time to bake. In the past, when I've tried to cover or dip anything in melted chocolate, I automatically lose. So unlike this recipe, I didn't dip my nut balls in chocolate, maybe I will in the future. However, these were perfectly sweet sans chocolate.

Coconut-Almond Balls

• INGREDIENTS:
• 8 dates, pitted
• 3/4 c. almonds
• 34 c. pecans
• 1 c. shredded coconut, unsweetened
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tbsp. agave nectar
• 1 tbsp. apple sauce
• INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a food processor, put your almonds and pecans. Process until fine like a flour.
3. Add coconut and dates, pulse until somewhat smooth. (It helps if you chop up the dates, you will get a finer texture.)
4. Add vanilla, maple syrup, agave nectar and apple sauce to the food processor. Process until a large ball of dough forms. (If it doesn't seem to form a ball, add more apple sauce, but you shouldn't have a problem.)
5. Roll into one inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 8 minutes. 

Juice Cleanse.

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Yep! That's right, along with thousands, probably even millions, of other Americans, I have started 2013 with a change in diet. Unlike most Americans, I perceive, I am not changing my diet for weight-loss reasons. 1/1/2013 marked my first days as becoming a vegan. Why vegan? I want to ensure that I live my life in a way that I get the most enjoyment with at little cost/imprint on the environment. My intentions about writing about this experience is document the benefits and struggles that an average, young-American woman endures in trying to eat a plant-based diet. My experience is by no means to be political or am I trying to debate the virtues of one life-style over the other.

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The purpose of this juice cleanse includes the following - taste and experience fruits and vegetales in their raw, unchanged state with an emphasis on their flavors and to purge my body of any toxins and processed junk that I am currently storing. I decided to do my own juice cleanse with fresh fruits and vegetables instead of buying into a system. In my opinion, pre-made juice cleanses don't achieve my overall goal, which is to get a better understanding of the fruit and vegetable. Also, those pre-made juices produce a lot in terms of packaging. Yes, the packaging can be recycled, but making juices at home reducing the overall impact significantly.

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All seriousness aside, this is rough stuff. The morning are not that bad at all, as I am not a big morning eater. However, mid-afternoon and evening, whoa! It also doesn't help living with a meat eater who made what looked like a delicious sandwich yesterday. However, I am determined to take one day at a time. I am only "juicing" for seven days, which I think is manageable. 

As a side note, for NYE, I went out like a bang in terms of what I ate as my last non-vegan meals. 

• Lunch: Foot-long, Chicago-style hot dog with onion rings
• Dinner: (Homemade) Brown-butter risotto with Lobster and white-wine butter sauce with grilled asparagus. For dessert, coffee with caramel cream (which will be my last coffee for the month) and Italian cookies. Writing about this meal makes me want to cave!