Lentil Salad with Dried Lemon

Ingredients:

1 cup brown lentils, soaked
1 dried lime, pierced with a fork
1/2 red onion, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped (optional)
1 bunch parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 small lime
1/2 tablespoon dried lemon powder
salt and black pepper, to taste

Cook the lentils with the dried lime and drain. Remove the dried lemon. Set aside to cool then combine with all remaining ingredients.

Koshari

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cumin
vegetable stock
salt, to taste
3/4 cup puy lentils
1 cup chickpeas, cooked
1/2 cup vermicelli or elbow macaroni
1 teaspoon grapeseed oil
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green chili, seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon aleppo pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
lemon wedges

Cook the rice with the turmeric, cumin, stock, and salt. Set aside.

Boil the lentils until cooked. Set aside.

Boil the pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Cut 3/4 of the onion into thin slices and caramelize or fry.

Meanwhile, finely dice the rest of the onion and cook with the garlic. Add the spices then stir in the tomatoes and puree. Season with salt. When tomatoes are cooked, remove from heat and stir in vinegar.

To assemble, layer rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas, tomato sauce, fried onion, and parsley. Serve with a lemon wedge.

Cherry Tabbouleh

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fine bulgur
2-3 bunches parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup milt, finely chopped
20 cherries, pitted and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons slivered pistachios, toasted
juice of 1/2 large lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and black pepper, to taste

Boil some salted water and remove from heat. Add the bulgur and set aside for a few minutes. When it has cooled, drain the water and squeeze the water out of the bulgur. Transfer it to a bowl along with all the remaining ingredients and toss.

Apple Country Bread

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon yeast
1 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup sparkling cider or apple juice
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon AP flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon bread flour
1/3 cup rye flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup granny smith apple, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Combine warm water, yeast, and sugar and set aside until it foams. Add the juice, flours, and salt and knead until smooth. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bring dough to room temperature for a few hours. Roll out the dough and push some of the apple, cinnamon, and walnut into it. Fold over and repeat until all the apples are incorporated. Cover and allow to rise for 2-3 hours.

Deflate the dough and shape into a ball. Transfer to a cornmeal lined parchment paper. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a baking stone and prepare a water bath in the oven. Cut a few slits into the dough and place into the oven.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn down to 400 and bake for another 20 minutes, spraying the dough with water often until it is dark brown.

Vegan Cheese

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup refined coconut oil
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy or almond milk
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
2 teaspoons kappa carrageenan
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt

Line a one cup container with plastic wrap or wax paper and set aside.

Whisk all the ingredients with a spatula or combine in a blender. Transfer to a saucepan and cook on low heat while stirring constantly until thickened. Pour the mixture into the container and refrigerate.

Harissa Baked Vegetables

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons harissa paste
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
juice of 1 small lemon
1 teaspoon honey
a pinch of salt
3 small red potatoes, diced
broccoli florets
2 carrots, cut into chunks
1/2 red onion, sliced
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

In a small bowl, combine harissa, oil, lemon, honey, and salt. Combine vegetables and toss with the harissa mixture.

Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes and garnish with the cilantro.

Serve in sandwiches or with couscous.

PB&J Brownies

Ingredients:

2-1/3 cup AP flour
2-1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (divided)
1 cup almond milk
1 cup oil
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 ounces dark chocolate, cut into small chunks
3 ounces raspberries
6 tablespoons raspberry jam
2 tablespoons peanuts, chopped

Combine the dry ingredients. Add 2 tablespoons of the peanut butter, almond milk, oil, and vanilla. Fold in the dark chocolate and pour into parchment paper lined baking pan.

Mix the remaining peanut butter with a bit of flour and dollop it into the brownie. Do the same with the jam. Drag swirls through them. Top with raspberries and peanuts.

Bake for 45 minutes at 325. Allow to cool before removing from pan and cutting into squares.

Bananas Foster

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegan butter or coconut oil
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
a pinch of salt
a pinch of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
a few drops of rum flavoring
1 banana, cut in half lengthwise or sliced diagonally
2 tablespoons pecan, toasted and roughly chopped (optional)

Combine butter, sugar, and salt in a frying pan and stir until well incorporated. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side. Top with the pecan and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Orange Spice Muffins

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup AP flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
a pinch of clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg replacer
zest and juice of 1 large orange
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup almond milk
1/3 cup agave
1/2 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup cacao nibs

Combine dry ingredients and fold in the remaining ingredients until uniform. Grease a muffin pan and divide batter between them.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes and cool before removing from pan.

Millet Cakes with Green Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup millet
1/2 cup red lentils
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons berbere
1/2 cup potato, mashed
2 tablespoons flour
2 flax eggs
1-1/2 cup panko
coconut oil
salt, to taste

2 green bell peppers
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 clove garlic
1 green chili, seeded
1 medjool date
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons cilantro
a few drops of bourbon flavoring
salt, to taste

Toast the millet and add water. Cook and transfer to a bowl. Cook the lentils and add to the millet. Saute the onion, garlic, and berbere and add to the bowl, as well as the potato, flour, flax egg, and some salt. Shape into patties using 1/4 cup for each and coat in the panko. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours to firm. Shallow fry in the coconut oil until golden.

Cut the green bell peppers in half and brush in some oil. Roast in the oven, face down, with the ginger, garlic, and green chili until the peppers are charred. Remove the skins from the bell pepper and transfer everything along with date, olive oil, cilantro, bourbon, and salt to a blender and puree until smooth. Drizzle over the millet cakes.

Matcha Custard Tart

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cup almond meal
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons agave
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 teaspoons almond milk
a pinch of salt

3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 teaspoons matcha
1 cup almond milk
1 cup coconut cream
1/4 cup honey or agave
2 teaspoons vanilla
a pinch of salt

matcha powder
raspberries
dark chocolate, melted

In a small bowl, combine crust ingredients. Gradually add the milk until it holds into a ball. Line a tart pan with the dough and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and press down to flatten the surface.

In a saucepan, combine the arrowroot powder with the matcha. Add a little bit of the almond milk at a time to prevent lumps. Turn on the heat and add remaining filling ingredients. Stir until thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before pouring over the crust. Bring to room temperature then refrigerate until cool.

If desired, garnish with more matcha powder, raspberries, and a drizzle of dark chocolate.

Cold Chickpea Soup

Ingredients:

1 roma tomato, chopped
1 cucumber, diced
1/4 red onion, chopped
10 kalamata olives, chopped
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 cups chickpeas
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons tahini
salt and black pepper, to taste
sumac

Combine tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives, and parsley. Set aside.

In a blender, add remaining ingredients and some water. Puree until smooth and add enough water to reach pourable consistency.  Chill the soup before pouring into bowls.

Garnish with the mixed vegetables, a drizzle of olive oil, and sumac.

African Sweet Potato Peanut Soup

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large tomato, diced
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup tomato puree
1/3 cup basmati rice, soaked
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 vegan andouille sausages, sliced
3/4 cup chickpeas
1 zucchini, diced
1/3 cup peanut butter
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
salt, to taste
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

Cook onion and garlic in the oil and add the sweet potato. After a few minutes, add the cumin seeds. When they become aromatic, add the tomato and cook until softened. Then stir in the stock, tomato puree, rice, thyme, marjoram, and chili powder. Cover and allow to simmer until rice and potatoes are cooked through, then add the sausage, chickpeas, and zucchini. When zucchini is crisp tender, whisk in the peanut butter and lime juice. Remove from heat and add the cilantro and salt. Garnish with the peanuts.

Cinnamon Tart

Ingredients:

1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 medjool dates
1 tablespoon agave
1 tablespoon vegan butter (optional)

2 cups cashews, soaked
3/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamom
a few drops of maple extract
2 tablespoons agave or maple syrup

Combine crust ingredients in a food processor and press into a 10-12 inch round tart pan.

Blend filling ingredients until smooth and pour over the crust.

Stir the cinnamon, maple extract, and syrup and dollop or drizzle over the top. Swirl with a toothpick.

Freeze and thaw before serving.

Chickpea and Eggplant Pomegranate Stew

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, diced
1 teaspoon grapeseed oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 tomato chopped
3/4 cup tomato sauce
1-1/2 cups chickpeas
1-1/2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Salt the eggplants and set aside for 30 minutes then press with paper towels. Toss with some oil and bake until golden.

Meanwhile cook the onions and the garlic. Add the allspice and tomato, then the tomato sauce, chickpeas, and pomegranate molasses. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with basmati rice and garnish with parsley.

Burger Buns

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon yeast
2 teaspoons sugar or agave
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup almond or coconut milk
1 flax egg
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cup bread flour
sesame seeds (optional)

Combine yeast, sugar, and water. When it starts to foam, add the milk, flax, coconut oil and salt. Then Add the flour and knead until smooth.

Cover and let rise for an hour. Divide into 4 balls and transfer to baking tray. Brush with a bit of oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Allow to rise for another 30 minutes then bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

Wheat berry Arugula Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups arugula
2/3 cup wheat berries, cooked
red grapes, halved
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and black pepper, to taste

Toss all ingredients together and serve.

Pesto and Pea Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

rotini pasta
1-1/2 cup peas
1 package baby spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons pesto sauce
juice of half a lemon
vegan parmesan

Cook the pasta to al dente, adding the peas during the last two minutes, rinse, and set aside.

Meanwhile, pulse the spinach in a food processor until fine. Squeeze liquid out and transfer to bowl along with olive oil, pesto, and lemon. Stir in the pasta and peas. Garnish with the vegan parmesan. Serve at room temperature.

Apricot Bars

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon almond milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
a pinch of salt
1 cup apricot jam
3/4 cup slivered almonds

Combine flour, almond flour, sugar, coconut oil, almond milk, vanilla, and salt. Press down into a 13x9 or larger pan to a quarter inch thickness. Spread the apricot jam evenly on top and sprinkle with the slivered almonds. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Cool in the refrigerator before cutting into bars.

Honeydew Agua Fresca

Ingredients:

4 cups honeydew melon
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup sweetener
2 sprigs mint
1 cup sparkling water
ice and lemon slices

Puree melon, lemon, sweetener, and mint in a blender and transfer to a pitcher with sparkling water. Add ice and lemon slices.

*Can replace sweetener and sparkling water with club soda.

Quick Injera

Ingredients:

1 cup teff
1-1/2 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Combine teff, water, salt, and yeast. Loosely cover and set in a warm place for 1-2 days.

Remove liquid floating on top of the batter and stir in the baking powder and vinegar. Pour the batter into a pitcher and use it to evenly pour the batter onto a hot frying pan. Cover and let the injera steam. Remove from heat when the edges start to pull away from the pan.

Slaai

Ingredients:

juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
salt, to taste
2 large avocados, diced
3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, finely chopped

Combine lemon juice, ginger, and salt. Pour over the avocado chunks and allow to marinate for 20 minutes in the refrigerator then sprinkle with the peanuts.

Hibiscus Lemongrass Basil Iced Tea

Ingredients:

5 cups water
1-2 lemongrass stalks, thinly sliced
1/3 cup hibiscus
20 basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup honey or agave
juice of 2 limes

Boil the water and add the lemongrass, hibiscus, and basil. Remove from heat and allow to steep for half an hour.

Strain the tea into a pitcher and stir in sweetening agent. When it cools, add the lime juice and adjust sweetness.

Serve over ice and garnish with lime slices and basil leaves.

Jollof

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bonnet pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon curry powder
1-1/2 cup long grain rice, presoaked
1 carrot, sliced
1 cup green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced
vegetable stock
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup peas
vegan chicken pieces
salt, to taste

Cook onion, garlic, and pepper in the oil. Add the cajun seasoning and curry powder and stir until aromatic. Add the rice, carrot, green beans, stock, tomato, paprika, and thyme. Cover and simmer until rice is tender and fluffy, adding the red bell pepper halfway through. Add the peas and chicken pieces and season with salt.

Apricot Mushrooms

Ingredients:

8 portobello mushrooms, insides scraped and thinly sliced
1/3 cup apricot jam
2 tablespoons soy sauce
zest and juice of 1 large orange
sriracha, to taste
salt and white pepper, to taste
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1 green onion, thinly sliced



Cook the mushrooms on a wok until the liquid is released.

Meanwhile combine apricot jam, soy sauce, onion, and sriracha. Add to the mushrooms and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve over short grain rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.