Pineapple-Cucumber Salad

This recipe is so simple and easy and I would have never thought that this combination would actually taste good together, but it is SO refreshing. I made this for mother's day and my family couldn't stop raving about how good this was. With summer around the corner, this is the perfect quencher and side dish to serve at the table. Thank you wholefoods for another winner!!

Pineapple-Cucumber Salad

3 cups chopped fresh pineapple
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup roughly chopped mint
1/4 cup lime juice

In a large bowl, gently toss all ingredients together and serve.

Nut Butter Parsnip and Sweet Potato Fries

So I have seen this recipe all over the blog world and I'm not really sure who exactly started it, but let me just say that I wish this was my brain child. I mean why haven't I ever thought to combine my favorite foods all into one dish? Almond and peanut butter as a coating for french fries?? Um OMG YES!!! The pictures don't do these justice, these really are to die for and these fries will change your life. Really, they are that good.

Nut Butter Parsnip and Sweet Potato Fries

2 Tbsp Almond Butter

1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

2-3 parsnips, peeled and sliced into fry shapes

1 medium sweet potato, sliced into fry shapes

salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine nut butters in a small bowl.

Place parsnip and sweet potato pieces in a large bowl and pour the nut butter mixture on top of fries. Stir around with a large spoon until the parsnip and sweet potato pieces are evenly coated with mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place fries on a lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until slightly browned.

When timer goes off, take out of the oven and DEVOUR. Welcome to heaven.

Tabbouleh

So I have a serious obsession with ethnic food, it is just so flavorful and it's amazing how something can taste so good with so few natural ingredients. Tabbouleh is a traditional Mediterranean dish that can vary from country to country. It is usually made with bulgur (a type of whole wheat small grain like couscous), but I thought it would be fun to try it with quinoa. Quinoa is a complete protein and packs a ridiculous amount of protein, it's just all around really good for you - and gluten free! This is super easy to make and tastes delicious! You may have a sudden urge to gorge on some hummus or baba ghanouj while eating this ;)

Quinoa Tabbouleh

1 cup quinoa, cooked with vegetable broth for about 20 minutes
1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint

5 green onions, finely chopped
2 cups small grape tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded, thinly sliced
Juice of 2 lemons, more to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients together in a large serving bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Overnight Oatmeal

So oatmeal is my favorite breakfast to make in the morning, but with the summer heat coming the last thing I want is something HOT for breakfast. Enter overnight oats. Perfect for a girl on the go, now there's no excuses that you didn't have time to make breakfast because these are prepared the night before!!

I like to use just 1/3 cup of oats and then mix in some flax meal and chia seeds to bulk it up. If you don't have chia seeds, then double up on the flax. If you don't have flax either, then just use 1/2 cup of oats.

Overnight Oats

1/3 cup mixture of old fashioned oats and oat bran (or just all old fashioned oats)

1 tsp flax meal

1 tsp chia seeds

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup almond milk + 1/2 cup water

1/2 banana, mashed

• In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients - oats, flax, chia, and cinnamon. Make sure you stir the mixture around before adding the wet ingredients to prevent clumping.
  
  
• Next, slowly pour in almond milk and water combination while carefully whisking oat combination to combine.
  
  
• Mash half of the banana with a fork in the same measuring cup you used for the almond milk and water. Add to your bowl of oats and thoroughly combine together. Your mixture should thicken up quite a bit from adding the mashed banana.

• Pop into your fridge and forget about it until the morning!! The oats will plump up and absorb the liquids so these will essentially be "cooking" in the fridge over night.

Goodnight oatmeal! See ya tomorrow.

Next morning, assemble your toppings which could include: nut butter, jam, granola, fresh fruit, frozen fruit, chocolate chips, cereal, yogurt, maple syrup, protein powder, etc.

I chose to slice up the other half of the banana, strawberries, cherries and heat up 1 tbsp of maple almond butter in the microwave so I'd be able to swirl it on top more easily.

Ready to assemble:

Add any liquid or fluid ingredients on top of your oat base. This would be a good time to add nut butter, maple syrup, jam, yogurt, or protein powder.

Next top with fresh or frozen fruit. Then add granola, cereal, or chocolate chips on top of the fruit.

Serve along your favorite morning beverage of choice and enjoy!!!!

Fruit Salsa

So I originally bought some fresh mint for a tabbouleh recipe (coming soon) and had a ton left over. I made up this salsa on a whim and used it on top of veggie burgers and salads all week. All the flavors were so bright and crisp and really went together so well!

Tips:

• Use a pyrex measuring cup to first measure out the salsa, then add in the chopped tomato, mint, and just fill the rest of the measuring cup to the top with equal parts of frozen fruit. This way you only dirty one measuring tool!
• Frozen fruit is picked at it's peak and then frozen to ensure maximum flavor and sweetness. Just nuke the fruit in the microwave for 60 seconds to thaw more quickly.
• Use lime juice from a bottle if you don't have fresh ones available

Peach, Pineapple, Mango, and Mint Salsa

1/4 cup mild or medium salsa of choice from a jar

1/4 cup mint, chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

1.5 cups thawed frozen peaches, pineapple, and mango, chopped

2 T lime juice

Combine all ingredients together and enjoy!!

Baingan Bharta

I've never actually tried this dish at an Indian restaurant, but I've heard that it's really good. So I researched online for a recipe until I found one that sounded pretty good. Well this was MORE than pretty good!! If you like smoky, roasted, spicy food then this is for you!!! Just make sure you let the eggplant roast long enough in the oven so you experience the full effect of this dish.

Baingan Bharta Serves 2

1 large eggplant
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
2 small (or 1 large) onions, chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped
½ cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Preheat the broiler. Spray some non-stick cooking spray on the outside of the eggplant and set on a pan underneath the broiler. Cook until the outside is slightly charred, sunken in, and the inside is very tender, flipping every 4 minutes, about 8 to 10 minutes total. You essentially are roasting the eggplant. Remove and set aside to cool down.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add 1 tablespoon of the cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Toss in the garlic, ginger and jalapeños and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Next, add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Last, add in the tomatoes and cook for 5 to 7 minutes more.

After the eggplant has cooled, remove the skin and roughly chop. Add the eggplant to the skillet along with the cumin, chili powder, garam masala, and turmeric. Cook for 5 minutes so all the flavors can mingle.

Cashew Sour Cream

This doesn't taste like sour cream, obviously, but it does deliver that creamy element for a fajita that is just so delicious. I really couldn't believe how easy this was to make and how it really just MADE my fajita's 100x better. If you don't add the chili garnish, then you could use this as a cream cheese substitute on your morning bagel since cashews are usually used to make raw cheesecake.

Cashew Sour Cream

3/4 cup cashews

2 T lemon juice

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp salt

Chipotle chili powder (optional)

In a food processor, combine all ingredients until smooth.

Add more water if the cream needs to be thinned out.

Garnish with chipotle chili powder if you wish.

Pasta Salad with Veggies, Pine Nuts, and Fresh Herbs

So this recipe involves a lot of prep-work by chopping up a ton of veggies, but once you do that then you are basically finished! You could serve this room temperature or cold. Both ways taste great!

Pasta Salad with Veggies, Pine Nuts, and Fresh Herbs

Serves 6-10

16 ounces pasta (I used quinoa tri-veggie colored pasta)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

3 bell peppers, seeded and chopped

2 cucumbers, seeded and chopped (cut around the center like how you would core an apple)

3 to 4 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 small-sized red onion, chopped

1 jar or frozen bag (about 16 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1.5 cups frozen corn, thawed

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (toast them in the toaster oven)

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

• Cook pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and set aside when done cooking.
• In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and vinegars.
• Chop up all the vegetable ingredients while the pasta is cooking.
• Combine the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, onion, artichokes, corn, pine nuts, basil, and parsley in a bowl with cooked pasta. Add lemon vinegar mixture and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

From The Vegan Table