Pesto Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Asparagus

Ingredients:

shell or penne pasta, cooked to al dente
asparagus, roasted in oil, salt, and pepper
pesto sauce
sun dried tomatoes, julienne
vegan mozzarella

Toss pasta with asparagus, pesto, sun dried tomatoes, and the vegan mozzarella. Garnish with parmesan if desired.

Moroccan Spiced Lentils

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper
1 cup brown lentils, soaked
3 cloves garlic
2 shallots
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1-1/2 tablespoons honey
salt, to taste
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
a pinch of cinnamon
1-1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Roast the red bell pepper and remove the skin.

Boil the lentils and drain.

Combine garlic, shallot, tomato paste, honey, salt, paprika, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and cinnamon in a blender with the bell pepper and puree until smooth.

Return lentils to saucepan with the sauce and simmer until the lentils are tender and sauce is cooked. Stir in the vinegar, cilantro, and parsley.

Serve with couscous.

Mango Lemonade

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons sugar
1 cup water
2 sprigs mint
1 cup mango
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
few drops rum flavoring (optional)

Boil the sugar in the water with the mint until the sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool.

Puree the mango with the lemon and lime juice. Add the simple syrup and rum flavor. Adjust with water as needed and serve over ice.

Ethiopian Sweet Potato Stew

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
1 sweet potato, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon berbere seasoning
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 cup tomato sauce or 2 tablespoons tomato paste
water
1/4 cup red lentils
salt, to taste
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Cook the onion in the oil and add the garlic and ginger. Stir in the potatoes, then bell pepper and green beans, followed by the seasoning. Stir until aromatic. Add the tomato and cook until soft and add the tomato sauce, water, and lentils. Cover and simmer until lentils and potatoes are cooked through. Stew should be relatively thick. Season with salt. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

Serve with injera.

Bell Pepper and Eggplant Coca

Ingredients:

1-2/3 cup bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup water
1/2 tablespoon oil
1 large eggplant
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
15 spanish black olives, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the water and oil. Knead dough until smooth. Cover and allow to rest for half an hour.

Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and score the flesh. Salt and set aside for half an hour. Cut the bell peppers in half.

Squeeze the liquid out of the eggplant and season with oil, salt, and pepper, along with the bell peppers. Bake face side down at 400 until skins are charred. Remove from oven and cover until cool enough to handle. Peel the skins and cut into bite sized strips. Add the olives and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Flatten the dough as thin as possible onto a well greased pan sprinkled with semolina using greased fingers. Top with the tomato slices and the pepper mixture.

Bake at 425 until bread is browned about 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Honeymoon Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 medium mango, peeled and diced
1 ripe banana
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon honey
4 medjool dates (or 2 tablespoons date molasses)
1-1/2 cup almond milk
slivered pistachios, slivered almonds, chopped cashews, dessicated coconut, etc (optional)


Freeze the mango and banana pieces for a couple of hours and transfer to blender with the tahini, honey, dates, and almond milk. Liquid should be thick. Divide between glasses and top with nuts.

Tangerine Spinach Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon turmeric
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup yellow split peas, soaked
1 bunch spinach, finely chopped
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
3 tangerines
salt and pepper, to taste


Cook the onion in the oil and add the turmeric. When the onions are cooked, add the stock and split peas. When peas are tender, stir in the spinach and simmer until wilted. Add some water to the arrowroot powder and stir into the soup. When it is thickened, add parsley and cilantro. Grate in the zest of one tangerine and stir in the juice of 2 of them. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with a wedge of tangerine and garnished with cilantro.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup light brown sugar
6 tablespoons vegan butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon rum flavoring
1/2 cup sliced almonds
5 rings pineapple
1-1/3 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons applesauce
1 flax egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup vegan cream
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

In a saucepan, melt the sugar and add the butter, salt, and rum flavor. Stir until caramelized.

Lay pineapple rings on the surface of a 10 inch pan and sprinkle with the almonds. Pour the caramel sauce over.

Combine the remaining cake ingredients and pour over the caramel.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Allow to cool 30 minutes before inverting. Serve room temperature.

Tofu Bahn Mi

Ingredients:

1 small carrot, julienne
radish, julienne
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
5 black peppercorns
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 block tofu, pressed
2 tablespoons honey or agave
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
sriracha, as desired
2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon sesame chili oil
2 tablespoons cashew, soaked
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1/2  tablespoon sriracha
juice of 1/2 lime
french baguette
red or white cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, ribboned
1 green onion, chopped
handful of cilantro

Combine carrots, radishes, water, vinegar, peppercorns, salt, brown sugar, and garlic. Marinate overnight.

Marinate the tofu in honey, vinegar, soy sauce, and sriracha. Coat with a layer of arrowroot powder and fry or bake until golden. Sprinke with the sesame oil.

Meanwhile, blend the cashews with nutritional yeast, sriracha, lime juice, and a bit of water. Set aside.

To assemble sandwiches, toast the baguette, and stuff with the cabbage, cucumber, pickled carrots and radishes, and tofu. Then drizzle with the sriracha sauce and sprinkle with green onion and cilantro.

Mango Avocado Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

4 cups baby spinach, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup quinoa, cooked
1 cup black beans
1/2 cup corn
1 mango, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, diced
1/2 teaspoon ancho chili
1/4 teaspoon cumin
salt, to taste
juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon avocado oil

Place the spinach on a shallow bowl and sprinkle with the onion. Layer with the quinoa, beans, and corn and top with the mango, tomatoes, and avocado.

Sprinkle with the chili, cumin, and salt and the lime and oil.

Iced Lemongrass Tea

Ingredients:

3 stalks lemongrass, sliced
1 pandan leaf, chopped (optional)
4 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
1 lime, sliced (optional)

Boil the lemongrass and pandan in half the water for 10 minutes and add the sugar. When sugar is dissolved, pour into a pitcher through a sieve and add the remaining water. Taste for sweetness and adjust.

Serve cold, over ice, with lime slices.

Hibiscus Margarita

Ingredients:

1/2 cup hibiscus
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 sprig mint
1/2 cup grapefruit juice
juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons chia seeds (optional)


Boil the hibiscus in the water and add the sugar. Strain the flowers out and allow to cool in a pitcher.

Crush the mint leaves with a bit of sugar and add to the pitcher along with the grapefruit and lime juice. Adjust sugar as needed and stir in chia seeds if using.

To serve, rub rims of glasses with lime juice and dip in flaked salt. Pour drink over ice.

Mung Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 inch ginger, minced
1/2 tablespoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
3 cups vegetable stock
2 cups mung beans, soaked overnight
salt and black pepper, to taste
1 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped


Cook the onions and add the ginger and garlic. When they are cooked, add the spices and stir until aromatic.

Add the stock and beans. Cover and simmer until beans are tender. Add the coconut milk, salt, and pepper. Return to simmer and garnish with cilantro.

Faux Gras

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 large shallot, chopped
salt, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
18 button mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon sage, chopped
1 tablespoon apple juice
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 cups brown lentils, cooked with a bay leaf
1 cup walnuts, cooked
2 tablespoons beet juice
vegan butter

Cook the shallot in the oil and add the salt and garlic then the mushrooms. When the mushrooms have cooked, add the rosemary, thyme, sage, and apple juice.

Transfer mixture to food processor with the soy sauce, lentils, walnuts, and beet juice. Season with more salt as needed. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a jar and top with butter.

Refrigerate and serve cold with bread or crackers.