Heart of Palm Ceviche WFPB Oil Free

I made this WFPB and oil free ceviche today and it’ll definitely be a regular chez Hickman! I added some diced jicama and thinly sliced radish. Delicious! 

Original recipe here:

The Yummy Vegan Blog

Jicama and Radish Salad

This is so, so yummy! So light and refreshing.
I think I found this recipe in Food Network magazine.

Jicama and Radish Salad

1 jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks

about an equal amount of radishes, cut into matchsticks or shredded

3 or so scallions, sliced into tiny rounds

cilantro and mint, both chopped fine - about 1/4 cup each

Dressing:

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons agave nectar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

Method:
Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over jicama, radish, scallion, mint, cilantro mixture in a big bowl. Mix well. 

Sweet Mustard Broccoli Salad & French Carrot Salad

Both of these are really simple to make, healthy, and delicious. 

I expected the carrot salad to be good, but I didn't expect the broccoli salad to be that good! Yum!

Sweet Mustard Broccoli Salad

1/2 cup black Beluga lentils

1 head broccoli, cut into florets (about 4 cups)

1 small red onion or shallot, sliced in thin strips

1/4 cup chopped almonds

Dressing:

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons agave nectar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 

Method:
Rinse lentils and place in a medium pot with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, simmer for about 20 mins. Add broccoli during the last 4 minutes or so and cover until broccoli is slightly cooked (bright green). Meanwhile, make dressing: Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. (I whirled mine in a mini food processor.) Drain off any liquid remaining in lentils and broccoli and put into a big bowl. Pour dressing over, add onion and almonds. Voila!

French Carrot Salad

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 pound carrots (peeled and shredded)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Optional: Add minced parsley or shredded apple

Method:

Make dressing: Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. (I whirled mine in a mini food processor.) Pour over carrots and stir. Delicious! 

Vegan Brunch with Muffins! yay! (and a quick dinner)

Mmm. Made a vegan brunch today thanks to my favorite vegan cookbook, Vegan Brunch.
I made the "swiss chard frittata" (which ended up being a baby kale and caramelized onion frittata because Whole Foods was out of chard). I also made my polenta topped with roasted tomatoes. Mmm.

I made the Blueberry Ginger Spelt Muffins on page 155 of Vegan Brunch for the first time.
These were pretty good; I was craving some blueberry muffins and these hit the spot. I think I prefer a more dense bran-type muffin, so maybe I'll make blueberry bran muffins when I run out of spelt flour.

Dry Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups spelt flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup vanilla soy yogurt (a 6oz container) (as I'm typing this I realized that I actually screwed up and used 1 cup plain soy yogurt but it was totally fine!)
1 cup mylk (any kind of nut mylk will do)
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups blueberries
(original recipe also calls for 1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger, which I omitted.)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375F. Line muffin tin with paper liners.
Mix all dry ingredients in a big bowl. Mix all wet ingredients in a separate bowl with the exception of the blueberries. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Fold in the blueberries (and ginger if using). Scoop batter into muffin tin and bake 28 - 32 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes in the tin before transferring muffins to a cooling rack to cool completely.

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Later, for dinner, I made a salad and a quick steamed spaghetti squash with vegan meatless balls. Mmm

This salad was also satisfying and it was just kalamata olives, mesclun lettuce, cucumbers, fresh heirloom tomatoes, roasted chestnuts, and the balsamic dressing that I made yesterday.
I paired it with some steamed spaghetti squash "pasta" and a veggie-loaded tomato sauce and Whole Foods' brand vegan meatless balls.
This is my lower carb alternative to pasta. meh.
To steam spaghetti squash (the lazy way): Cut ends off squash and then cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and put in a microwaveable dish with about 1 centimeter of cold water. Microwave for about 13 minutes. Hold squash with a potholder (it's HOT!) while you scrape out the strings into a bowl.
To make the sauce (the lazy way): I sauté a sliced onion in a little olive oil in a saucepan until translucent. Then add a 28oz can of organic diced or crushed tomatoes and some Italian herbs and spices such as oregano, garlic powder, red pepper flake, salt, and pepper. I also added some frozen artichoke hearts to this sauce which I had reheated in the microwave. (This was my first try of frozen artichokes. Blech. I will stick to canned or jarred.) Heat through until flavors blend - about 5 - 10 mins.
Prepare your favorite vegan meatless balls as directed, put on top of spaghetti squash, top with sauce and enjoy! yum. (Add a basil chiffonade for extra yum yums.)

Vegan "No Huevos" Rancheros and a Simple Salad

Vegan "No Huevos" Rancheros

This is one of my favorite quick as can be dinners.

Ingredients:
Polenta, prepared (I buy one of the pre-cooked polenta rolls when I'm feeling lazy.)
GOYA Rancheros beans
Olives (I usually use black olives)
Fresh chopped tomatoes
Avocado chunks
Vegan sour cream (if you like) - I like Tofutti brand.
Salsa

Preparation:
Layer polenta slices at bottom of microwaveable bowl, then a layer of the beans. Cover and heat until warm (about 1 min 30 seconds).
Layer some salsa, fresh tomatoes, olives, avocado, and sour cream on top.
Enjoy!

 

Simple Beet Salad

 

Including here because I am trying to overcome my need to sprinkle cheese in every salad. This one was satisfying without the cheese.

 

Ingredients:

Roasted Beets

Avocado

Mesclun Lettuce

Cucumber slices

Shallot

Hemp Seeds

 

Wolffie's Balsamic Vinegar Dressing (from La Dolce Vegan p.95): (my fave!)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup oil (such as flax, hemp, or grapeseed)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

 

Preparation:

Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl. Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well. Sprinkle some dressing on salad. Yum.

 

I think I'll have some soy whip and chocolate pudding for dessert. ;) Yum!

Quick White Bean Salad

Quick White Bean Salad

Ingredients:
2 (14.5oz) cans large white beans (such as butter beans)
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and diced
a couple handfuls of parsley, chopped fine
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Stir together the EVOO, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour over remaining ingredients in a bowl and toss. Yum.

I also made some muhammara today and raw spaghetti with veggie meatless balls for dinner. yum!

Chewie made his second trip on the subway yesterday. He held up better than last time. He's a shy pooch and the subway is a big scary loud thing.

 

Vegan Soy Free Caesar Salad

Vegan Soy Free Caesar Salad

Ingredients:
1 cup cashews, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon capers
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon (*optional: I don't like mustard in my dressings, so I left it out.)
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire (or make your own: Cookin' Crunk has a good recipe, but it's not soy free)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.
Pour over your favorite greens.

I served mine with some roasted sweet potatoes and a Field Roast vegan sausage. Mmmmm

*recipe based on that found here:
http://myvega.com/vega-life/recipe-center/superfood-kale-caesar-salad/

Fancy Raw Chia Pudding with Cashew Cream and a Summer Salad

Fancy Chia Pudding with Cashew Cream

Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in filtered water overnight (or at least for 10 hours), drained, and rinsed
2 cups almond mylk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
seeds from one vanilla bean (I just throw the whole bean in my Vitamix)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup chia seeds

Method:
Place all ingredients except the chia seeds in your blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and stir in the chia seeds. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 4 - 10 hours. Serve chilled with fresh organic fruit. Makes 6 servings.

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Mango and Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

(I think this is my favorite salad - ever!)

Dressing:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salad:
6 cups fresh spinach
2 cups arugula
2 large mangos, peeled and cubed
2 cucumbers, peeled, deseeded, and sliced
1/2 cup raw pistachios, chopped
Method:
Whisk together the balsamic, agave, thyme, salt, and pepper and add olive oil while whisking. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve topped with pistachios.

**Both of these recipes are from RAW FOOD COOKBOOK & DIET: 75 Easy, Delicious, and Flexible Recipes for a Raw Food Diet (by Rockridge Press) [Available on Amazon to download to your Kindle!]

Baigan Bharta and Steamed Kale and Prepping for the week ...

Today I made smoothies for breakfast and then hit up the gym and went grocery shopping for the next couple of days.

I made a tabouleh salad and a spiced beet salad for lunch and snacks tomorrow and Tuesday.

Click for the Spiced Beet Salad Recipe.

The Tabouleh Salad is just a box of Near East Tabouleh with fresh lemon juice, grape tomatoes, fresh parsley, black olives, cucumbers, and roasted red pepper added. Mmmmm.

Then, for dinner, I made Baigan Bharta - an Indian roasted eggplant dish with some steamed kale. More Mmm ...

After my nice long break, needless to say, I'm not exactly looking forward to the beginning of the work week tomorrow. meh.

Lemon-Herb Orzo

Lemon-Herb Orzo
Ingredients:
1 box orzo pasta
3 tablespoons vegan butter (such as earth balance)
1/3 cup each chopped fresh chives, dill, and parsley
zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
Method: Cook orzo according to package directions, drain, and toss in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients.

This was so yummy! I served it with some roasted carrots. Mmmmmmm ...

(Recipe adapted from one found in Food Network Magazine, July 2013.)

Going green ... and a Quick Roasted Red Pepper and Chickpea Salad ... yum!

 
 


So, I've been really sick this year and I credit that, in large part, to my eating a lot of dairy and some processed food again. After my latest bout with illness, I'm trying to be done with dairy again and eat much more clean. Since I was feeling miserable anyway, I managed to quit coffee while I was sick two weeks ago. I start the day with water or a fresh raw juice which makes a lot more sense! I'm sure my immune system is thanking me already.


I also quit dairy. My biggest weakness is a toasted bagel with cream cheese. Hey ... I'm raised in Jersey and I live in Brooklyn. This is, like, essential to life as, say, sunshine. So, I'm trying some alternatives. I don't like the Tofutti cream cheese style spread and so I tried the Daiya version. Sorry to say that the Daiya is not a tasty substitute in my opinion either. :(

So, I smeared some avocado on my bagel and that was better than any vegan cream cheese-like spread I've ever had. Hummus won't do the trick; it's got to be creamy. So, I think I'm going to try the tofu ricotta from Veganomicon next.


I also love provolone subs (a la the Jersey Shore style). This would be my last meal. Seriously. So, I tried the Daiya Provolone slices. I ordered a sub with no meat or cheese and then added the Daiya to it. No deal. Good try my friends at Daiya, but it can't really replace provolone for me. I put a few slices of avocado on the other half of my sub and that tasted pretty good. *sigh* ... but not as good as provolone. *sigh*

While I was at the Jersey shore for the weekend, I cooked up some yummy things ... Here are a few:

Roasted Red Pepper and Chickpea Salad with Parsley and Olives
Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas
1 jar roasted red peppers
1 bunch curly leaf Italian parsley
1 small can sliced black olives
1 shallot, diced
red wine vinegar and olive oil (I do half vinegar and half oil)
salt and pepper to taste
Method: combine all veggies in a bowl and drizzle with vinegar and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
I served this with some couscous with toasted pine nuts and steamed kale as well as some roasted fennel, roasted eggplant, and a green salad.

Summer Tomato Salad (thanks to my local CSA)

Summer Tomato Salad

My CSA delivered some delish local organic tomatoes this week, so I made this simple salad that was out of this world. It's just fresh sliced tomatoes, roasted red pepper, pitted kalamata olives (capers would also be nice here), and some homemade pesto dotted on top. Yum!

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Quick Black-Eyed Pea Slaw and Polenta Fries (vegan)

Quick Black-Eyed Pea Slaw

Ingredients:

1 (15oz) can black-eyed peas
1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
3/4 of a 10oz bag thinly sliced red cabbage
1/3 cup prepared salsa verde (I like La Costena brand.)
2 tablespoons vegan sour cream
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon gomasio or 1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste

Method:

Whisk together the sour cream, salsa verde, vinegar, and olive oil in a large bowl. Throw in the black-eyed peas, cabbage, parsley, and grated carrot and mix well. Season with gomasio (or salt) and pepper. Yum! (My husband really liked this slaw! It's going to become a regular.)

Easy and Inexpensive Grilled Polenta Fries



Ingredients:

About 3 cups prepared polenta, cooled so that it's firm. (I used some leftover polenta from the other night's dinner.)
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Old Bay seasoning

Cut cooled polenta into rectangular sticks. Sprinkle with garlic powder and Old Bay Seasoning. Heat some olive oil on a grill pan. Grill polenta on two sides until warmed. Delish!

My recipe how to make polenta is here: http://sundaegirl108.blogspot.com/2010/05/polenta-with-roasted-tomatoes-vegan.html

Israeli Couscous Salad with roasted tomatoes, peas, and olives ...

Israeli Couscous Salad

2 cups Israeli couscous
2 1/2 cups water
3-4 cloves garlic - sliced very, very thin
1 package grape tomatoes
1 lemon (juice of and zest)
1 small package frozen peas, defrosted
3/4 of a can small or medium black olives, all olives cut in half
1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped fine
olive oil
ground black pepper, to taste
oregano (fresh or dried), to taste

Method:
Preheat oven at 400F. Cut grape tomatoes in half. Spray cookie sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Place grape tomatoes, cut side up, onto cookie sheet and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Sprinkle some black pepper and dried oregano on grape tomatoes and then put in the oven to roast for about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in a saucepan and saute the garlic in the oil for about 30 seconds over low-medium heat. Toss in the dry couscous, turn heat up to medium, and stir continuously for about 3 minutes just to toast the couscous a bit. Pour in the water, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to lowest setting and cover the saucepan. In about 10 minutes, most of the water should be absorbed by the couscous. If it still needs to absorb more water after ten minutes, let it go for another 5 minutes. Once the couscous is done, toss in a bowl with the peas and olives. Cover and refrigerate for a few minutes to chill it slightly before adding the rest of the ingredients. Let the grape tomatoes cool before adding them as well. When both things are cool, combine and add the chopped parsley, zest of one lemon, and juice of one lemon. Add black pepper and oregano (fresh or dried) to taste and maybe a little more olive oil drizzled over top if you're feeling decadent. Enjoy!

Celery Root Slaw (vegan)

Celery Root Slaw (quick and easy)

1 pound celery root, peeled
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons warm water
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup tofu sour cream (I use Tofutti brand Sour Supreme® - it's an excellent substitute for dairy sour cream)
1/4 cup olive oil
pepper to taste
1/4 - 1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Coarsely grate 1 pound peeled celery root. Toss with 1 tablespoon salt and 2 tablespoons warm water in a colander; let sit 20 minutes. Rinse and drain. Whisk the juice of one lemon and 1/4 cup each dijon mustard and tofu sour cream in a bowl, then whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the celery root, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Chill. Add chopped parsley before serving.

Note: This is very mustardy, so if you don't like mustard, I don't recommend it! Also, I'm not the biggest fan of raisins, but I think raisins and shredded carrots would be delicious in this!
I'm now a big fan of celery root!

Info on celery root:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celeriac

Moroccan Beet and Avocado Salad

This ... is super yum!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or dark honey if not vegan)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt to taste
4 medium-sized beets
1 avocado

Directions:
Roast the beets until they're tender and then peel when they've cooled. Cut beets and avocado into 1 inch chunks. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl and pour over the avocados and beets. Enjoy!

To Roast Beets:
Seal each beet, separately, in aluminum foil (stems removed). Roast in 400F oven for about 45 minutes to one hour or until a knife slides through easily. Remove beets from oven and open foil. Let them cool until you can handle them. Remove skin by rubbing beets with a paper towel. Skin should come off easily if beets are roasted well. (You might want to wear gloves to do this or else your hands will be stained red.)

Spicy Roasted Beet Salad (vegan)

Ingredients:
4 beets, roasted and diced
3 large carrots, sliced
1 large seedless cucumber, sliced
1 (15oz) can chickpeas
1 inch ginger, peeled and minced
1-2 anaheim chilis, minced
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons vegan granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:
1. Roast Beets (cut greens off beets, wrap each beet in tin foil individually, put on a cookie sheet in a 425 degree fahrenheit oven for about 45 mins or until a knife goes smoothly into the beet)
2. Once beets have cooled enough to handle, peel skin off by rubbing each beet with a paper towel (wear some disposable latex gloves or else you'll look like you murdered someone) :)
3. Dice beets
4. Throw all ingredients into a large bowl and toss. Voila!

Rustic Quinoa and Yam Salad

Recipe Source: The Garden of Vegan p.95 (Buy this book! It's great!)

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 yams, chopped
2 tblspns olive oil
1 medium bell pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tblspns lemon juice
1 tblspn maple syrup
1 tblspn Braggs

♥ Put water and quinoa in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for about 15 mins.
♥ Meanwhile, steam (or boil) the chopped yams until just soft enough for your liking. Set aside.
♥ Put onion, olive oil, garlic, cumin, and pepper in a large frying pan and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the yams and sauté until they pick up the flavors of the onion mixture.
♥ After quinoa is done, drain any excess water and combine quinoa, onion mixture, yams, lemon juice, cilantro, maple syrup, and Braggs in a large bowl. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Salad with Chevre and Fettuccine Margherita

Yes, I've been in the mood for pasta. Mmm.

Fettuccine Margherita

1 lb fettuccine
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
28 oz can plum tomatoes chopped (I used one 28oz can crushed tomatoes)
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

cook fettuccine until al dente
heat olive oil in pan ... add garlic and red pepper flakes ... cook 2 mins
add tomatoes and wine and boil 2 mins
add cream and salt and boil 1 min
drain fettuccine and pour sauce over it ... sprinkle on the parmesan cheese
toss quickly and serve

Mmm mmm good.

Source for fettuccine recipe: Quick Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin.

The Chevre Salad is simple ... I just thought I'd include it 'cause it was yummy.
Spring mix of greens tossed with a little fresh baby spinach
Red Onion
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Some sliced beets