“Mozzarella”Artichoke Paninis

Serves 4

Ingredients

“Mozzarella”

½ C raw cashew, soaked 2 hours

2 C water

3 ½ Tbsp tapioca

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

a few dashes of black pepper

Trimmings

Marinated artichoke hearts 

Sundried tomatoes, sliced

Fresh basil, sliced

Alfalfa sprouts

Bread

Whole Wheat loaf, you can also use ciabatta bread

The weather is cooling down here in So-Cal and I just enjoyed a delicious bowl of this amazingly tasty, savory lentil soup. Packed full of protein, iron, vitamins and essential minerals, this dish is as good for your body as it is for your soul. Made this with love and hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Directions: sauté onions for a few minutes with thevegetable oil, then add ginger and garlic, stir for a minute or two, then addthe carrots, and stir. Shortly after adding the celery. Once well incorporatedand cooked down a bit, add the lentils, stir again for a few minutes. Then addcarton of vegetable stock, and leave to boil. Once boiling, add 4-5 C of water,add the yams (or regular potato) and fire roasted tomato chunks, and let simmerfor 20-25 minutes. Add the spices, and let simmer again for 10-15 minutes.Check lentils, if soft, turn off heat, if a little hard, continue to simmer foranother 10 minutes. Overall cooking time should be between 30-40 minutes.Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, enjoy! 

So I'll admit it, I love anything with a cheesy consistency, so when I can have something this rich, creamy and satisfying, knowing it's basically potatoes, carrots and cashews, I get extremely excited! This dish is the ultimate of vegan/plant based comfort foods that I've made! I was not expecting it to turn out this tasty, but here's to experimentation and the powers of a Vitamix! Try it and let me know what you think! Happy Weekend!

Directions: Place macaroni in boiling water for 7-10 minutes until cooked, with a pinch of salt and tsp of oil. Strain with cold water once cooked, add a little oil and mix to prevent sticking, set aside. Throw chunks of potato, carrots, and onion in boiling water for 10-15 minutes until cooked through. Strain veggies (keep water it was boiled in) place in vitamix with raw cashew (soaked for 1 hour), vegetable stock, lemon, oil, nutritional yeast, garlic, ginger, salt and cayenne. Add 1 C of the water you cooked the veggies with, if too thick, add a bit more, blend thoroughly until creamy consistency is created (will resemble the movement of melted chocolate). Pour over pasta, mix, serve with a dash of cayenne and some chopped fresh parsley, enjoy! 

Let's face it, it’s hard toget off the Thanks Giving table without feeling a little guilty with how muchcalories you inhaled before even getting to dessert! Which is why theseRadicchio Salad Boats with Avocado Dressing are such a delightful calorie saverfor you to still have place for that one slice of pumpkin pie! These colorfuland tasty boats will look fabulous on your dinner table. Radicchio is thehighlight of this dish, it is such a beautiful and sophisticated vegetable. Itis sometimes mistaken as purple cabbage, but it is a different vegetable alltogether. The health benefits of radicchio are endless! It is loaded withvitamins such as B-vitamins (which help to metabolize your macronutrients),Vitamin-C (immunity booster), and Vitamin K (improves bone health and limitsneuronal damage to the brain). It also contains a good amount of minerals likecopper, iron and zinc. It’s high fiber content also helps to cleanse the colon,induce satiety, and improve metabolism. Not to mention, it’s loaded withantioxidants that can protect the body from age related degeneration. But Ithink one of my favorite things about Radicchio is its ability to cup just theperfect serving of fresh kale salad with bits of sweet grilled yams, crunchypecans, and a drizzle of zesty avocado dressing, yum, yum!

Directions

Salad: massage kale, remove stem, chop loosely. Rinse offradicchio, peel off layers to make boats. Mix in other ingredients. Yams: peelyams, chop into cubes, add oil and seasonings, bake in the oven for about 35minutes at 350 degrees. Set aside to cool. Avocado Dressing: place allingredients in a food processor until smooth. Toss yams with salad, scoop intoradicchio boats, drizzle with avocado dressing, serve and enjoy! 

I’m so grateful for these“Gratefully-Vegan Meat Balls”, and I’m sure a Turkey somewhere is too! Thisdish is a delicious addition to your Thanks Giving spread that’s low incalories, packed with mouthwatering flavors, all while maintaining its nutrientdense status. These are basically made out of nearly equal parts of brown rice,mushrooms, walnuts, onions and crushed pretzels. The highlight of this dish (asidefrom the veggies) is definitely the brown rice, which gave it the textures andholding capacity. Usually you would need to add eggs for this kind ofconsistency. Brown rice is an amazing grain that’s loaded with fiber and hasbeen found to be a good source of minerals, such as magnesium, phosphorous,thiamin, niacin and B-vitamins like B6. It’s particularly high in manganese, infact, you could get 88 percent of your daily manganese from just one cup ofcooked rice! Recent studies have also reported on brown rice’s ability todecrease diabetes. This is impressive given white rice actually increases therisk of diabetes. This is partly due to brown rice’s high fiber content. Thisdish is a wonderful and easy way for you to transform your brown rice intosomething unique. Lay them on a bed of your favorite fall vegetables and yourset to be thankful for the rest of the evening! Enjoy!

Directions: 

Meat balls: after finely dicing fresh mushroom, set aside.Follow instructions on your rice packet and once cooked set aside to cool. Diceup red onion finely, set aside. Pulse your pretzels in a food processor untilgrainy and powdered. Finally, once your rice is cooled work through the foodprocessor until starchy consistency develops. Begin to incorporate theseingredients together, adding oil and spices as you go along. Recommend usingyour hands or a potato masher to fully incorporate mixture. Once completed geta cooking tray, place a baking sheet, and form gulf-ball sized servings usingyour hands to round and compress. Place on sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes at350 degrees. Set aside to cool. Vegetables: cut up vegetables as you desire,throw in spices and seasoning, toss, then place on a tray with a baking sheet.Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then broil for about 10 minutes. Once bakedthrough, style as desired, recommend as pictured. Enjoy! 

Growing up in Lebanon I had theopportunity to explore a wide variety of culinary masterpieces that are typicaleveryday foods for most Lebanese. It was never a surprise to find a beautifuldish of Fattoush right next to the Tabule on a lavish table full of traditionaldishes. I’d describe it as a zesty, earthy combination of vegetables toppedwith crispy pita chips and a mouthwatering, perfectly tart dressing. So, what’sso great about Fattoush? Aside from its obvious fresh array of vitamin packedproduce including radishes, tomato, purple onion, cucumber, lettuce, andparsley, one of the most unique things about Fattoush is the spice we put inthe dressing that gives it the delicious tangy, lemony flavor. This spice issumac. Sumac is a widely used and native spice in Middle East. It comes in theform of berries that grow on a sumac bush, these berries are dried and groundinto powder and used to flavor popular Lebanese dishes. A recent study was doneto determine the effect of antioxidants found in sumac extracts. The studyshowed that these extracts in sumac, specifically rhus coriaria, could beeffective in decreasing diabetic complications and controlling free radicals. Sumacis also known to act as an anti-inflammatory and has cancer fightingproperties. Whether you’re having sumac for its health benefits or for itstangy flavors, it’s a spice you want to take advantage of, and Fattoush is oneof the best avenues for its use that I’ve come across! 

Directions: After chopping veggies, toss in a large bowl andset aside. Mix all ingredients for the dressing and set aside as well. Take thepita bread, cut into ½ inch squares and separate the parts. Place in the ovenfor 5-7 minutes until bread is hardened. Place salad in bowl, drizzle dressingand toss lightly, top with crispy bread chips. Enjoy! 

Kushari makes me happy...

I’m part Lebanese and part Egyptian, and Kushari happens to be one of my favorite middle eastern comfort foods! Kushari is a popular Egyptian peasant dish that is now celebrated all over the middle east. At the end of the month families would gather leftovers in their pantries and create a combo plate with their dried goods, and voila, Koshari was born! It is high in protein, full of satiety, and packed with flavor. The main part of the dish is lentils, and some of the benefits are the following: super high in soluble fiber, which helps to reduce blood cholesterol, it is great for digestive health, loaded with minerals like iron, can help to stabilize blood sugar, and increases energy! The combination of rice, pasta, and lentils also creates complete proteins, even though they are plant based. The amino acids in the lentils compliment the amino acids in the carbohydrate grains producing complete chains. The amazing thing about this tasty dish is that it happens to be 100% vegan! And yes, you can get macaroni options that do not contain egg, just check the ingredients at your stores. The best part is that you can have Kushari for days! It is a fantastic for meal prepping option and holds well in the fridge; you can separate the layers into different Tupperwares and store in your fridge for up to a week! I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do! 

Directions: Lentils: finely chop onion and sauté until golden with oil. Add lentils and stir for 2 minutes. Add water (about 8 cups), then heat until boiling. Once brought to a boil, add the rice, stir lightly, add salt, pepper and about another tablespoon of oil, set heat to low, and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Do not mix when it is partially cooked, you don’t want the release of starch to make it sticky and pasty. After 30 minutes, taste to see if it is ready, if not continue to cook for another 10 minutes, then turn off heat and let it cool with lid on for another 10-15 minutes. Macaroni, follow the instructions on the back of your package, add salt and oil to water. Tomato sauce: finely chop onion, sauté with 1 Tbsp. of oil. When golden brown, add finely minced garlic. Make sure to keep stirring otherwise garlic will burn! Stir for 1 minute. Then add roasted tomato, mix, then add tomato paste, then add about 2-3 cups of water. Before it comes to a boil, remove from pan and place in a food processor, process until no chunks remain. Add back to the pan, once it boils, simmer for about 5-7 minutes. Add salt, pepper and cayenne with another Tbsp. of oil. Let cool. Sundried onion: slice onions finely, one direction, for thin moons, spread on to backing sheet and put out in the sun for 3-4 hours (from noon till about 4 pm), once dehydrated, lightly fry until golden brown, set aside to cool, use as tasty garnish!

This salad is.... everything

Had so much fun putting this together Icouldn’t wait to share it with everyone I love! There’s so many amazing thingshappening in this dish from the fresh and peppery baby arugula, fun bits ofquinoa, bursts of sweetness from the goji berries, crumbs of tart and saltyfeta goat cheese, the crispy and caramelized edges of the acorn squashenveloping the softly textured meatiness of the centers, topped with toastedpecans and all pulled together with an insatiably savory balsamic vinaigrettereduction. Is your mouth watering? Because mine is! Besides the mind-blowingflavor and presentation of this dish, it contains a dynamo of nutritional benefits,one that I could never fit in a paragraph! For the sake of brevity let’s justhave a look at acorn squash. One of three the most commonly consumed squashes,acorn squash is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B6, Folateand magnesium. It is also a fabulous source of vitamin C, thiamin, potassiumand manganese. I especially like manganese! If you didn’t know it helps thebody process fats, carbohydrates and glucose and enhances the absorption ofvitamin B and E. Cannot say enough good about this salad, hope you will enjoyit!

Directions: Grilled acorn Squash: slice acorn squash intoless than half an inch circles, take out seeded center. Mix oil, honey,seasonings, garlic, and starch and pour on a plate. Place rings on place andsmother with seasoning, front and back and insides. Set oven to 350 degrees,place on non-stick pan and bake for 20 minutes, then broil at 400 degrees for10 minutes, until caramelization appears. Quinoa: Cook quinoa in water untilboiling, set to low and cook for 10 minutes until all water is absorbed, setaside to cool. Dress salad with lime and olive oil, then mix with cooledquinoa. Balsamic reduction: put ingredients in a tiny pot and cook tillboiling, then set at low for 3 minutes while mixing, do this twice, then setaside to cool. Once cooled add fresh garlic. Should have a syrupy consistency.Top beautifully grilled acorn squash on salad, and top that with crushedpecans, feta goat cheese, and goji berries, followed by a drizzle of thebalsamic reduction, enjoy!!

Let's get spicy...

When I presented my first attempt at these lettuce wraps to my fiancé, inspired by a fusion of Asian flavors, I was pleasantly surprised when he mumbled with a half full mouth and side smile: “This is my favorite dish you’ve ever made”. And, well, what’s not to love?! The punch of ginger, some heat from cayenne, saltiness of the soy sauce, nuttiness of peanut butter, and sweetness of raw honey coming together beautifully with a crunch of roasted crushed almonds and textured tofu enveloped in a crisp cool bite of the butter lettuce, need I say more? I’ve spoken a lot about tofu and almonds in previous posts, so the star of this show is the beautiful butter lettuce. By the way, when you get it from Clarks you can find it encased with an adorable bulb of root and soil still attached for maximum freshness! One cup serving of butter lettuce can contain up to 91 micrograms of vitamin A, which is pretty high for a lettuce! Vitamin A is a fabulous antioxidant that helps your body protect against free radicals. It’s also important for healthy skin, soft tissues, and for your teeth and bones. Butter lettuce also contains high amounts of vitamin K and phosphorous. 

Directions:

Stuffing: chop tofu into small cubes, toss on to heated pan with vegetable oil and soy sauce. Add chopped carrots and onion after 5 minutes. Cook mix for 10-15 min on medium heat, turning frequently, wait till onion is partly golden, add pepper, cayenne and salt as desired. Set aside and add crushed almonds and sesame seeds. Peanut sauce: mix contents thoroughly. Spoon stuffing mix on to butter lettuce leaves, drizzle peanut sauce, enjoy! 

Where do I begin on how amazingly satisfying this dish is?Baked to perfection, who would have thought eggs could look and taste thisgood! I love working with eggs since they are a great source of high qualityprotein. It’s also high in vitamins B12, D, B6, and minerals like iron andcopper. I love spinach because it’s subtle to the taste, but combined with theright ingredients produces an earthy flavor and texture. Spinach is low in fatand high in niacin, zinc, protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, E, and K, thiamin,vitamin B6, folate, calcium iron, magnesium, phosphorus and more! There’s nowonder Popeye the Sailor Man had the strength of an army! Dark green leafyveggies are a great component to add to your breakfast and hiding them in eggs(and smoothies) is one of the best ways I like to use it! Pairing this dishwith grilled mushrooms and tomatoes along with fresh avocado is the perfect wayto start your day! I love food that’s high in vitamins and nutrients, low incalories, and tastes amazing! 

Nutrition Bits ~

This pie is loaded with nutrient dense and rich ingredients.Pecans, cashews, peanuts, dates, and coconut milk are full of vitamins andminerals as well as just happen to taste amazing together. In past recipes, I’vespoken about the health benefits of these nuts as well as dates, but we haven’tyet talked about raspberries and blackberries! Research is coming up with somefascinating studies to support the associated benefits of regularly consumingraspberries and raspberry supplements. To date berries have been classified asthe best fruits for cancer prevention. They’re not only loaded withantioxidants that can help prevent cell damage (which comes right before cancerdevelopment), but it appears they can also affect genes that are associatedwith inflammation and growth of cancer. Whether frozen or fresh, or even insupplement form, berries not only taste good, they can heal your body and justhappen to look amazing on a pie. So, what’s not to love? Enjoy!

Directions: Crust: place crust contents into food processorand process until crumbly and well incorporated. Press into 8-inch pie mold ona tray with parchment paper. Chill in freezer for 10 min. Pie filling: strainmedjool dates, add to cream of coconut milk, place in food processor until wellincorporated. Add raw cashew, then peanut butter. Use milk to loosen mix. Addclear jell and incorporate well. Finish with sea salt. Pour on to pie crust,then chill again in freezer for 10-15 min. Raspberry top: Throw raspberries and1 C of pie filling into food processor, process well. Pour on to pie and chillin freezer for 3-4 hours. Add pie décor. 

Ingredients 

Zucchini Noodles

-         4 Zucchinis

-         ½ C raw cashew (soaked in water for 1 hour)

-         3 medium sized ripe avocados

-         ¼ C of olive oil

-         Juice of one lemon

-         2 cloves of garlic

-         1-2 tsp of sea salt (as desired)

-         ½ tsp of black pepper

-         dash of cayenne pepper

Grilled cherry tomatoes

-         Bowl of cherry tomatoes

-         2 tsp cooking oil

-         a few dashes of sea salt and black pepper

Brussel sprouts

-       2-3 lbs Brusselsprouts

-       1 ½ Tbsp oliveoil

-       2-3 cloves ofgarlic, crushed

-       ½ tsp seasalt 

-       1/4thtsp black pepper

-       1 stem freshrosemary

Pomegranate BalsamicReduction

-       ½ C balsamicvinegar

-       2 Tbsp.pomegranate preserve

-       salt & pepperto taste 

Top with

-       Goat cheese

-       Toasted pecans

-       Pomegranate seeds 

Ingredients

Salad

-       4 – 5 oz Babyarugula

-       3 – 4 oz Babykale

-       1 C of fresh blueberries

-       3-4 oz goatcheese

-       1 Tbsp roastedsesame seeds

Grilled Mango

-       2 medium mildlyripe mangos

-       ½ Tbsp vegetableoil

-       ¼ tsp Himalayan salt

-       dash of blackpepper

-       dash of cayennepepper

Sesame Balsamic Vinaigrette

-       2 Tbsp unroastedsesame oil

-       2 Tbsp balsamicvinegar

-       1-2 cloves offresh garlic

-       1-2 tsp of lemonjuice

-       ¼ tsp lemon zest

-       ¼ tsp Himalayanpink salt

-       dash of crackedblack pepper

Ingredients 

-      6 eggs

-      1 medium green bell pepper

-      7-8 cherry tomatoes

-      ½ purple onion

-      4-6 baby portabella mushrooms

-      1/4th C chopped parsley

-      ½ C milk

-      1 Tbsp. all purpose flour

-      1 tsp. vegetable oil

-      ½ tsp . Himalayan Sea Salt

-      ½ tsp. sriracha sauce

-      few dashes of black pepper

Ingredients

Base

-      1 C of raw almond meal

-      ½ C soaked (for 1 hour) cashews

-      4 Tbsp coconut cream

-      2 Tbsp maple syrup

-      1 Tbsp coconut butter

-      Pinch of sea salt

-      ¼ C of water 

Caramel layer

-      10-12 oz of medjool or deglet dates

-      ½ C of water

-      1/3rd C salted whole peanuts

-      1 tsp vanilla extract

-       Set aside another 1/3rd C of whole peanuts (see directions)

Vegan Chocolate

-      1 ½ C carob chocolate chips

-      3 Tbsp coconut butter