Lunch ~ Zucchini Soup

Lunch: Zucchini soup with orange and yellow diced carrots, scallions, chopped pea sprouts, and chickpea miso, rosemary bread, blueberries, and white peaches.

Dinner ~ Curried Fried Tofu & Broccoli Squash Soup

Dinner: Curried fried tofu, steamed collard greens and broccoli with umoboshi plum crushed pumpkin seed dressing, broccoli and squash soup, steamed green beans, fennel and currant bread roll, and watermelon slice. 

Lunch ~ Chick Pea & Brown Rice Veggie Burger

Time to start cooking on the barbecue again!  You can buy pre-made veggie burgers or easily make your own. I start by looking in my refrigerator to see food combinations can be easily made into homemade burgers. On this particular day, chick peas and brown rice would be the main ingredients. I placed them into a food processor and blended. I then took a look in the veggie drawer and put zucchini, celery root, carrots, corn, onion and spices into a food processor. Truly, the combinations are endless.  I forego the burger bun and served on a bed of arugula, topped with lemon tahini dressing, and garnished with sunflower greens. 

Lunch: Grilled chick pea and brown rice burger made with zucchini, celery root, carrots, corn, onion, mustard seed, oregano, sea salt, and garlic on a bed of arugula with lemon tahini dressing and topped with sunflower greens. Garlic dill pickle, wasabi almonds, strawberries and oranges. 

Lunch ~ Spaghetti Squash, Dandelion Greens & Mashed Turnip

The sun is shining! We're well into spring and those pesky dandelions have been populating our lawn. While I love their yellow blossoms, it's their leafy greens that are particularly tasty. If you don't use pesticides on your lawn, forage away. Otherwise, look for organic dandelion greens in your supermarket. While late spring and summer dandelion greens tend to be more bitter, braised with garlic and sweet red onion tempers the bitterness. For this particular meal I add sweet turnip and corn with a little steamed spaghetti squash and broccoli. Keeping with the "yellow theme", I add Bartlett pear slices for dessert. 

Lunch: Steamed broccoli, spaghetti squash with celery, braised dandelion greens and red onion, mashed turnip, corn, and sliced yellow Bartlett pear. 

Dinner ~ Shoyu Marinated Tempeh with Sauerkraut

Whenever he came to visit, my father-in-law of Polish heritage would always enjoy me making him pork and sauerkraut. Since I was newly married to his son, and my cooking skills at the time were limited, I appreciated that it was an easy meal to prepare. I simply placed a store bought jar of sauerkraut with a few pounds of pork into a crock pot. I would let it stew for a few hours and the meal was complete. My father-in-law left my house thinking his son married a fantastic cook and he was satisfied man.

Since turning towards a vegetarian diet, I have replaced the pork with tempeh. Tempeh is made from soybeans and is high in protein. It also provides a natural source of dietary iron. The meal is still a single-pot, easy to prepare dinner. I think that, had my father-in-law still been alive, he would approve. 

Shoyu Marianated Tempeh with Sauerkraut

2 8 oz packages of organic tempeh

3 tbsp shoyu

1 head green cabbage, shredded

2 carrots, shredded

1 large red onion, diced

1 apple, diced

1 tsp mustard/fennel seeds

1 tsp dill seeds

1/4 c vinegar

1/4 c apple juice

1/4 c water

1/2 tsp sea salt

Cut tempeh into triangles and marinate with shoyu for at least 2 hours. Shred cabbage and carrots in food processor. Place into large bowl and add diced onions and apples. Add mustard and dill seeds and mix well. In large saucepan, put in wet ingredients and sea salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat, then add vegetables. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes then add tempeh for another 15 minutes. Serve in bowl with cut green onions. This can also be prepared in a slow cooker.

Dinner: Shoyu marinated tempeh with sauerkraut, shredded carrots and green onion garnish.

South River Farm ~ Miso Soup

At the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts, is the South River Farm that makes artisan, hand-crafted organic miso. I have been a fan of their  South River Miso for the past 10 years. They have a nice assortment of interesting varieties that I keep stocked in my kitchen. In addition to the varieties below,  two favorite seasonal flavors are a Dandelion Leek and a Garlic Red Pepper Miso. Depending upon the mood that strikes me and the vegetables to be added, I choose a complimentary miso. 

Hearty Brown Rice Miso

Lunch ~ Vegan Chicken Salad with Cranberries

Lunch: Vegan chicken salad with cranberries and dill on bed of arugula, served with blood red oranges.

Making a "mock chicken" salad which is packed with protein and low in cholesterol is a breeze. I like using Nagoya organic extra firm tofu, as it results in the best texture. You can combine the faux chicken with various nuts, fruits, and vegetables to create interesting flavor combinations. I enjoy adding walnuts and apples to make a mock Waldorf Salad. 

Tofu in salad press. 

Vegan Chicken Salad

2 tofu blocks

1/2 c shoyu

1/4 c toasted walnuts/almonds

1/4 c dried cranberries or 1 diced apple

1/3 diced celery

1/8 c fresh dill

1/2 c vegan mayonaise

Start by draining the salad, then placing it in the salad press. Squeeze the tofu and let for 1 hour, until moisture is released from tofu. Drain and pat dry. Place tofu into glass container. Slice widthwise into 1 inch steaks. Cover with shoyu/soy sauce and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour. Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool, then slice tofu into salad pieces. Add celery, cranberries, nuts, dill, and vegan mayonnaise. It's ready to serve in either a sandwich or a salad.  

Lunch: Vegan chicken salad with celery, dried cranberries, slivered almond, on a bed of arugula and sorrel, umeboshi plum marinated baby cucumbers, and clementine. 

Dinner ~ Vegan Chicken & Leeks

There are some prepackaged frozen vegan/vegetarian options out there that I use in pinch when preparing a meal. Non-vegetarian guests in my house, as well as my family, absolutely love Gardein's Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick'n. It takes only minutes to heat in the wok. While it would be very easy to only eat this for dinner, because it is so delicious, taking the time to add fresh vegetables, a grain/noodles and fruit makes it a meal.

Dinner: Vegan orange chicken with leeks and kale micrograms, parsley risotto, sliced carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, yellow beans, oranges and strawberries. 

Lunch ~ Red Lentil & Parsnip Soup

Red lentils may be small but are packed with nutrients. When cooked with parsnip to make a soup, the combination provides a fiber-filled meal that is said to reduce cholesterol.

Lunch: Red lentil soup with parsnip, carrots, and scallions.

Red Lentil & Parsnip Soup
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
 3 c water
1 c red lentils, washed
2 c parsnip, chopped
2 c carrots, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp sea salt
pinch black pepper
2 tbsp scallion, chopped

Add oil to warm pot. Add onion and garlic and cook over light low flame until lightly browned. Add water, lentils, 1 1/2 c parsnip and 1 1/2 c carrots, thyme, turmeric, sea salt and pepper . Cover and cook medium heat for 20 minutes. Put into blender and blend until smooth. Return to pot. Add remaining parsnip and carrots. Cook for additional 10 minutes. Serve with fresh chopped scallions.

Red lentils

Breakfast ~ Banana Lavender Topped Muffins & Barbecued Tempeh

Sometimes you crave something sweet. When that desire calls upon you, a good way to not over-indulge is to make mini-muffins topped with fruit. For this breakfast, I made banana mini-muffins. While they were in the oven cooking, I placed sliced bananas in a skillet with a little maple syrup and cooked until syrup thickened. The green beans were placed in the steamer for several minutes. Barbecued tempeh was heated in the wok. For plating the mini-muffins, I topped them with the maple syrup cooked bananas and then sprinkled with fragrant lavender petals. Filling the plate with steamed greens and barbecued tempeh makes it less likely that you will go back looking for more sweet muffins!

Basic Muffin Recipe

2 ripe bananas (or substitute other fruit)

1/8 c safflower oil

1/2 c sugar

1 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Mix all ingredients. Place in greased mini-muffin pan. Cook 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Breakfast: Mini-muffins with cooked bananas, maple syrup and lavender, steamed green beans, and barbecued tempeh slices. 

Lunch ~ St. Patrick's Day Vegan Boiled Dinner with Cashew Cream

St. Patrick's Day is almost upon us and boiled dinner is on the menu. Single-pot cooking allows the vegetables to blend into a wonderful symphony of flavor. Beans and seitan are nice vegan alternatives for the standard corned beef in this recipe. 

St. Patrick's Day Vegan Boiled Dinner

4 carrots, halved

3 parsnips, halved

1 turnip, quartered

4 potatoes, halved

2 c butternut squash, cubed

2 c pearled onions

2 c yellow beans

15 oz red beans or 2 c cubed seitan

1 head green cabbage, quartered

1 bay leaf

1 tsp peppercorns

1 tbsp horseradish

1/2 tsp sea salt

Fill large pot with vegetables and seasoning. Cover with water. Bring to boil, lower to medium heat, and cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked. Serve with cashew cream. Garnish with spicy radish micro-greens.

Cashew Cream

1 c raw cashew, soaked for 2 hours then strained

1/2 c water

1 clove garlic

1/4 tsp white vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

Place cashews and water in blender and blend until smooth mixture. Add remaining ingredients and blend until creamy. 

Lunch: St. Patrick's Day meal of carrots, parsnip, turnip, potatoes, butternut squash, pearl onions, yellow beans, red beans, and cabbage with cashew cream topped with spicy radish micro greens. Side salad of spinach leaves, red peppers, and olives. Dessert of steamed red bartlett pears, seedless grapes, and cinnamon.

Dinner ~ Vegan Meatloaf & Garlic Mashed Potatoes

My son was coming home from college with a few friends, so I decided to make a little comfort food ~ vegan meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans. It only takes a few minutes to prepare the meatloaf when you use canned beans and a food processor. Cooking time extends the overall prep to meal time to 1 hour. I made meatloaf 2 different ways and both were good. However, the meatloaf was a little moist when eaten warm, straight out of the oven. Infant, it was more like eating Sloppy Joes. They firmed up overnight and sliced like a loaf when cold. 

So, this is what I have learned: What is better than vegan meatloaf? Next day cold,vegan meatloaf. 

Dinner: Vegan red bean and rice meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, greens beans with almonds, salad, and purple seedless grapes. 

Vegan Beans & Rice Meatloaf

1 14 oz can red kidney beans

2 c cooked brown rice

1large red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp salt

ketchup for topping

Mix all ingredients, except ketchup, in food processor. Put into greased 9 inch loaf pan. Top with ketchup. Bake for 45 minutes. 

Vegan chickpea meatloaf

Vegan Chickpea Meatloaf

1 14 oz can chickpeas, drained

1 14 oz can butterbeans, drained

1 red onion, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, diced

2 cup breadcrumbs

2 tbsp tamari

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Topping

3/4 c tomato paste

2 tbsp agave

Please all ingredients in food processor and pulse until blended. Put into greased 9 inch loaf pan.  Mix tomato paste and agave in bowl.  Spoon on top of chickpea meatloaf mixture. Bake for 45 minutes. 

Dinner ~ Tapas-Style: Vegan Grilled Cheese, Tomato Bulgur Salad, & Spaghetti Squash with Pesto

Tapas-style or "light snack" dinners are a nice way of plating leftovers in a eye-pleasing arrangement. Grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato and basil can be made fresh. For the bulgur wheat salad, it can be made up to a week in advance using fresh tomatoes and parsley.  Spaghetti squash only takes minutes to boil on the stove top and is easily reheated. The squash is topped with pesto. Add cucumber, pickle, olives, or fruit to complete the plate. Buen apetito!

Vegan Basil Pesto
1/3 c pine nuts or other nut
3 c basil leaves (can substitute kale, parsley, or other leafy green)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c olive oil
1/3 c brewers yeast (optional)
1 tsp sea salt

Place pine nuts in food processor and blend until fully crushed. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until fully blended.

Grilled cheese, tomato bulgur wheat salad, spaghetti squash with pesto, umeboshi plum marinated cucumbers, and blueberries. 

Dinner ~ Avocado Corn Fritters with Butternut Squash Sauce & Corn Sprouts Garnish

Avocado & Corn Fritters
1 c fresh kernel corn
1 avocado, diced
1/4 c flour
2 tbsp rice milk
pinch of sea salt
safflower oil

Mix ingredients in bowl then drop heaping tbsp of mixture into heated safflower oil. Cook for 1 minute.

Sliced marinated heirloom carrots and celery, pomegranate seeds, corn and avocado fritters with corn sprouts garnish, kale with butternut squash sauce, and wild rice.

I love the senses that are stimulated when preparing and cooking food. The color, aroma, flavor, texture, and nutrition add to my appreciation of the meals. For that reason, I seek out special touches and combinations of vegetables. The sweet corn sprouts added whimsy to the plate. The crispy vinegar marinated carrots add brightness.

Each day I incorporate leafy greens and grains onto my plate. Pomegranate seeds are proposed as having many health benefits; I purely enjoy their taste.

Dinner ~ Seitan with Rosemary Sage Wheat & Julienne Root Vegetables

Seitan is an easy to make wheat gluten which is high in protein. It can be flavored in many way, from salty to savory. I boil the wheat gluten for 1 hour in a shoyu, kombu (a seaweed which adds minerals) and ginger broth.  It will double in size as it absorbs the seasoned broth. After boiling is complete, I remove the seitan and set it aside. It can be stored for a week or even frozen for future meals. I then thicken the broth with kudzu root (alkaline) to make a gravy.

There has been much written about the health effects of acidic versus alkaline foods.  The general thought is that we may want to consider adding more alkaline foods into our diets. 

When meal planning, I look to add multiple vegetable combinations. On this particular day, I lightly steamed julienned heirloom rainbow carrots and zucchini. Completing the plate is wheat grain with rosemary and sage on a bed of lettuce. I love adding fruit for flavor and color. The more satisfying the meal, the less likely you're going to reach for a baked good after your meal. 

Dinner: Seitan, rosemary and sage wheat on bed of lettuce, steamed zucchini, julienne turnip, orange and purple carrots, and pomegranate seeds. 

Farmer's Markets ~ Treats & Sweets

While many farmer's market close for the winter months, indoor markets have blossomed in the last few years.  I am fortunate to have 2 nearby Saturday markets, the Wayland Winter Indoor Farmer's Market held at Russell's Garden Canter and the Natick's Indoor Farmers Market. 

While the availability of fresh vegetables is often limited to root vegetables, they do offer a nice array of artisan foods. In particular, I enjoy delicate Auntie Elsies delicate oatmeal crisps with a fruity herbal fruity tea. 

Another wonderful find is Nussli118.com crackers and sweets. The cracker are a nice addition to warm soups. They are thin but packed with flavor. Don't kid yourself, buy two packages of the brownie bars.  

Looking for dairy-free ice-cream? Try my favorite, Scoop Sights creamy lavender ice-cream. 

If you like marshmallows, you've got to check out Sweet Lydia's creations. I especially enjoyed the spiced chai and mocha, made with Taza chocolate.

Flavors include: Salty Caramel, Lavender, Chocolate Happiness, Mint Choco Chip, and Salty Toasted Coconut.

The crackers are small but mighty with flavor.

Enough said.

Lunch ~ Grilled Veggies & Hummus

Buying prepared foods is costly on a couple of fronts compared to the alternative of preparing the food yourself. The most obvious cost is the elevated price for what you are eating. When you make it at home, the price is only a fraction of the cost. You can then redirect those dollars into something that may have a more meaningful impact in your life. The second less obvious cost, and often more detrimental cost, is the health cost. "Natural Flavors" (which are not-so-natural) and preservatives are often found in the store bought variety, as they enhance the flavor and extend its shelf-life.  There is no amount of convincing me that additives are good for our health or well-being.

If you own a food processor, hummus takes only minutes to make. Hummus is of Middle Eastern origin and primary consists of chick peas and tahini (ground sesame seeds) ~ both high in protein, Omega 3 fatty acids, iron, and vitamin B6. Hummus is delicious when used as a side dip to vegetables or chips. I also use hummus in vegetable wraps and in salad dressings.

So, the take-away today is to make it yourself for financial and physical health!

Hummus
2 c chick peas
4 tbsp tahini
2 cloves garlic
4 tbsp olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
few pinches of sea salt

Put all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. You can play around with the taste by adding herbs (i.e. fresh dill) or vegetables (i.e. steamed red pepper) to the hummus when in the food processor.

Lunch: Grilled broccoli, yellow and zucchini squash, oven-baked sea salted pea pods, hummus with basil garnish, raw cashews, strawberries and blueberries. 

Lunch ~ Simple Salad with Homemade Croutons & Avocados

Homemade croutons from poppy seed bread enhances any salad. The nice thing about using homemade anything is that you are in control of all the ingredients in what you make. No not-so-natural "natural flavors", no colors, no additives, and no preservatives. Keeping it wholesome. Keeping it healthy. 

If you haven't purchased a food spiralizer yet, you've got consider getting this item. Just look how much fun it makes the carrots. It's a great kitchen toy!

I can't say this enough ~ include a variety of bright colors onto your plate, with leafy greens as a base. This is true for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When you start becoming conscious of colors in your meal, you'll start to realize the difficulty of getting this balance when dining out. Many take-out and restaurant foods are sparse in the amount and variety of vegetables. Choose wisely.

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Lunch: Fresh salad with ginger dressing, beans, homemade croutons, curled carrots, avocado slices, and olives. 

Dinner ~ Baby Kale Salad & Acorn Squash

Are you ravenous when you walk in the door at the end of the day? Fantastic. Just make sure you have a pantry full of wonderful food so that you make nutritious choices. Open up the refrigerator, take the pans out of the cabinets, and start creating. For the next 30 minutes, enjoy the process, inhale the aromas, and taste as you go along. Then portion-plate the meal. 

The order by which I prepared this meal:
1- Filled 2 pots each with 3 c water.
2- Added 1 c wild rice to one pot. Cook 25 minutes. 
3- Cut into quarters and deseed acorn squash. Add to second pot. Cook 15 minutes. 
4- Husk and cut the corn. Add to second pot for last 5 minutes of cook time.
5- Slice apples and steam for 5 minutes. 
6- Slice french bread, spread homemade pesto on each, and grill for 2 minutes on stove top.
7- Prepare salad of baby kale, cherry tomatoes, summer squash, chia seeds, and fresh oil and vinegar.

Dinner: Baby kale salad with summer squash, cherry tomatoes, chia seeds with garlic oil vinaigrette, acorn squash, rice with mung beans, corn, french bread with pesto, and steamed apples.

Breakfast ~ Banana Bran Muffins

Whether for breakfast or afternoon tea, banana bran muffins are easy to make and delicious to eat. Special holidays deserve special treats.

Banana bran muffin dusted with and warm cider.

Banana Bran Muffins

2 1/2 c flour
1/4 c wheat bran
1 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c mashed bananas
1 c applesauce
1 c rice milk
1 tbsp confectionary sugar

Mix dry ingredients in bowl. Mix bananas, applesauce, and rice milk in separate bowl. Add wet mixture to dry mixture. Stir until well combined. Pour until greased 12 muffin tins. Cook 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Dust with confectionary sugar.

Breakfast: Banana bran muffins dusted with confectionary sugar. 

Dinner ~ Tempeh & Sauerkraut

When slow cooked over a low flame, tempeh and sauerkraut flavors merge in a wonderful combination.

Tempeh & Sauerkraut

1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 c apple cider
1 green cabbage
1/2 c red onion
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp caraway, mustard, or rye seed
8 oz tempeh
sesame oil

In a large pot, add apple cider vinegar, apple cider, finely chopped cabbage, chopped red onion, sea salt, and caraway seeds. You can also use either mustard or rye seeds as well. Heat over a low flame or in crock pot. Lightly saute tempeh, which can been cut into heart-shapes for Valentine's Day, in sesame oil prior to slow cooking. Add tempeh to chopped cabbage and continue to cook 1-2 hours. When serving, I like to pair a crisp raw vegetable with the long-cooked cabbage. Berries and pomegranate seeds add a touch of sweetness to the meal.

Dinner: Heart-shaped tempeh, sauerkraut with caraway seeds, salted mini-cucumbers, berries and pomegranate seeds. 

Lunch ~ Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing & Rice

What do raspberries, radishes and cranberries have in common?

They help me celebrate Valentine's Day. I love the bright red color and flavor combination of tart cranberries paired with sweet raspberries. Make a fresh poppy seed dressing with mandarin orange vinaigrette for a radish arugula salad. Add a grain and vegetable then serve with a generous dollop of orange cranberry dressing. 

Lunch: Arugula salad with radishes and poppy seeds with sweet mandarin orange vinaigrette, rice pilaf and green onions, steamed corn, cranberry sauce, and raspberries. 

Dinner ~ Baby Kale Salad with Spicy Radish Micro-Greens

The beginning of a new year often brings resolution to lose weight. It is not unusual for many people to incorporate salads into their diets. I just love adding a color theme to my menu and on this particular day it was purple. Gorgeous radish micro-greens compliment the sliced radishes and baby kale. Pour a nice glass of wine and the dinner is low calorie and relaxing. 

Dinner: Baby kale salad with radishes and micro-radish greens. 

Lunch ~ Miso Soup with Tofu

After recently returning home from a trip to South Africa, I craved the most basic of meals - miso soup. While the food on safari was excellent, I felt the need to just settle my stomach with all the benefits of 3 year fermented brown rice miso soup. Adding firm tofu cut into cubes provided additional protein. Homemade flax seed bread added a nice crunch to the meal. 

Lunch: Miso soup with tofu, pea pods, kale, and celery, with flax seed bread.