vegetarian

Spicy Cabbage with Rice

Another “elimination diet” favorite that I’m so grateful for! I love the texture of the shredded cabbage but feel free to do a rough chop. This is so tasty and satisfying on it’s own but it would be very tasty rolled up in a corn tortilla if you can eat corn.  Cooked green lentils mixed in would be great too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cooked short grain brown rice

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 t turmeric

1 1/2 t chili powder

1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced

1 small bunch cilantro, chopped

1/4 t black pepper

Salt to taste

Saute onion in dry pan over medium high heat until it starts to brown. Add garlic and cook 1 minutes stirring constantly. Add tomatoes and cook until juicy. Add spices and cabbage and 1/2 cup water. Cover, lower heat to medium and cook until cabbage is tender. Add rice, cilantro and pepper. Heat through if needed. Salt to taste.

When I was able to add them, I love mixing in chopped sprouted almonds or pumpkin seeds.

Millet Premavera

I’ve been making this recipe since my early days of plant-based eating. It’s so good that it’s remained a favorite through the years. It has the flavors of an Italian pasta dish without the pasta.

Recipes is from Whole Food American Favorites

 

 

 

 

 

1 cup millet, uncooked

1 onion, chopped

1 – 2 cups chopped mushrooms, cremini or white button

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced

3 cups small cauliflower florets

3 cups small broccoli florets

2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes

2 cups frozen peas

1 T dried basil

1/4 t black pepper

1/3 cup pine nuts, coarsely chopped (or raw pumpkin seeds)

2 T lemon juice

Sea salt

 

Boil 2 cups water in a small saucepan. Add millet, reduce heat to low,  cover, and simmer 20 minutes until tender. In a large pan over medium- high heat, sauté onion and mushrooms in 1/4 cup water for 2 minutes. Add garlic and remaining raw vegetables, and cook until vegetables are tender. Add more water if needed to keep from sticking. Add tomatoes, peas, basil, and pepper. Cook 5 more minutes. Mix in cooked millet, pine nuts, lemon juice, and salt to taste.

Creamy Cauliflower Kale

This has been one of my favorite dishes while on an elimination diet. It will continue to be one of my go-to meals after I’ve incorporated more foods. I love this dish and it’s so easy! I often add steamed green beans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 medium head cauliflower

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bunch kale, finely chopped

1 t turmeric

1/4 t black pepper

Cooked short-grain brown rice

Salt to taste

 

Break off florets from cauliflower and wash good. Place in a steamer basket or sauce pan with 1 cup water and steam until tender.

While cauliflower is cooking, saute’ onion in a dry sauce pan until it starts to brown. Add garlic and stir 1 minute.

Add 3/4 cup water and chopped kale and cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 5 – 10 minutes until kale is tender.

Stir in turmeric and pepper and cook additional minute or two. Stir in desired amount of cooked rice. (Since on an elimination diet I always have cooked rice on hand.) 

When cauliflower is tender, blend until smooth. This makes a wonderful gravy to put over any veggies, grains, or potatoes. It’s a great soup base as well or substitute for mashed potatoes. 

Pour desired amount of Cauliflower Cream over kale and rice and mix well. Salt to taste.  

Add other seasonings as you wish. There are only certain seasonings I can tolerate and because turmeric and pepper are so anti-inflammatory, I’ve made them a daily part of my diet. 

 

 

 

 

“Better Than Tuna Salad” Lettuce Bundles

A quick, easy and cool dish perfect for lunch or dinner on a hot summer day. From my cookbook Whole Food American Favorites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans

1 medium carrot, finely grated

2 cups finely chopped celery

4 green onions, thinly sliced (include some green)

1/2 – 1 cup Sun Seed Spread

2 T prepared mustard

2 spears dill pickle chopped

Sea salt and pepper

Romaine lettuce leaves

Sliced tomato for garnish (optional)

Drain beans well. Transfer to salad bowl. Using a pastry cutter or fork, mash beans coarsely. Mix in remaining ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon salad on a lettuce leaf, garnish with tomato, roll up, and enjoy!

Raw Strawberry Pie

Ounce for ounce, strawberries have more vitamin C than citrus fruit. They are one of the “dirty dozen” so if you want to limit your pesticide exposure, only buy organic strawberries. This recipe is from my cookbook Whole Food Goodness.

25 pitted deglet dates

1/2 cup water

6 cups sliced strawberries

Soak dates in water to soften for blending. Blend 1 cup of straw-berries, dates and water until smooth. Pour this sauce over remaining strawberries. Pour over Raw Nut Crust. Let set for 1/2 hour.

Raw Nut Crust (for one pie)

1 cup almonds or other nuts and seeds

15 soft pitted dates

1 tsp vanilla

Chop finely in food processor until it starts to stick together. Press into a pie plate or 8×8 cake pan.

Mediterranean Lentil Salad

Vine-ripe tomatoes and fresh basil are key to making this salad amazing. It’s one of my husbands favorite summer meals. This recipe has been revised from my original recipe for “Lentil Salad” in my cookbook Whole Food Goodness.

1 cup lentils rinsed

2 1/4 cups water

2 cloves garlic minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 cucumber cut in small pieces

2-3 medium tomatoes coarsely chopped

4 oz. chopped spinach

1/2 cup black olives, drained, rinsed and chopped

1/2 cup thinly slice red onion

1 cup fresh chopped basil

3 T balsamic vinegar

Fresh ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Bring water to boil. Add lentils, lower heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, until tender. Add more water if needed. Transfer to salad bowl to cool.  When cool, add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Vegan Carrot Cake

Got a chance to try the carrot cake recipe.  We are hooked! I have already made it twice. “

“This is the best Carrot Cake I’ve ever had” was one dinner class participants comment. This cake is moist and very decadent with no oils, processed sugar and it’s gluten free if using gluten free oats.

1 cup pitted dates soaked in 1/2 cup water for at least 4 hours

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 t vanilla

1 1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 ½ t baking soda

1/4 cup grated apple (about 1/2 apple, any variety)

1 packed cup finely shredded carrots

1/2 cup raisins

Add nuts, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda to a food processor work bowl. Chop until coarsely ground and mixed well. Add dates and soak water, vanilla and vinegar. Process to a thick dough. You may need to help it along with a fork. Then add in shredded apple, carrots, and raisins and mix to incorporate evenly. Alternatively, transfer dough to a large mixing bowl before adding carrots and fruit and mix them in with a fork. Spread dough in an 8×8 cake pan and baked at 350 for 20 minutes. Spread with Sour Cream Frosting or add dollop when served.  .

Cauliflower Soup w/ Rice

This is creamy, comforting, and so satisfying! This recipe has saved me on my year-long elimination diet.

1 yellow sweet potato yielding 1 cup cooked

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 medium carrots, chopped

Florets from one medium head cauliflower

1 1/2 t marjoram

Salt to taste

Fresh ground pepper

Cooked brown rice or other grain*

 

Bake sweet potato in 350-degree oven until soft, about 2 hours. Higher temp is shorter time is needed.

Sauté onion in dry soup pot over medium-high heat until it starts to brown. Add garlic and sauté one more minute.

Add about 4 cups water and loosen browning off bottom of pan. Add celery, carrots, then lay cauliflower florets over the top so they can easily be scooped out. Bring to a boil then lower heat to medium, cover, and cook until cauliflower is tender.

Scoop out cooked cauliflower and place in a blender jar and blend until smooth. Add cooked sweet potato and blend. Stir in blender contents into soup pot along with marjoram and mix well. Heat for 5 minutes. Mix in cooked brown rice or other grain.  Salt and pepper to taste.

*I love a combination of cooked quinoa and cook buckwheat. Boil 2 cups water, add 1 cup quinoa and ½ cup buckwheat. Lower heat to low, cover, and cook until tender, about 10 – 15 minutes.

Eggplant Roll-Ups

Even meat-eaters will devour these comforting Eggplant Roll-Ups. Using thinly sliced eggplant instead of noodles is a great way to get this nutrient-dense vegetable into your diet.

2 large eggplant, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 medium red bell pepper chopped

2 cups chopped mushrooms

4 cloves garlic minced

2 tsp Italian style seasoning

3 Tbsp Sesame Parmesan seasoning

2 Tbsp nutrition yeast flakes

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

14 oz firm tofu pressed and crumbled

10 ounces baby spinach

1/2 cup chopped olives

1 large jar of oil free pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange eggplant in a single layer on cooking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a second baking sheet or aluminum foil. Bake about 20 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 5 – 10 minutes to brown and become flexible enough to easily roll.*

While eggplant is cooking, sauté bell pepper, onion, garlic and mushrooms until tender. Add seasonings, tofu and spinach. Mix well and cover until spinach is wilted. Add 1/2 cup pasta sauce and salt to taste. Mix well. Lightly cover bottom of pan with pasta sauce. Place 1/4 cup of the vegetable filling on each eggplant slice, roll and place in a baking dish. Top with pasta sauce and olives. Bake 20 minutes.

*Baked eggplant slices are delicious with hummus spread on them and rolled up. See my Whole Food Hummus recipe found here.

Vegan French Onion Dip

French Onion Dip w/ Veggies

This vegan French onion dip goes perfectly with crackers or vegetables! Made with cashews, sunflower seeds and white beans as your base, this dip is a healthy, high-fiber super-star that is simple and delicious! This recipe is in my cookbook Whole Food American Favorites.

1/2 cup each: raw sunflower seeds and

       cashews soaked in 1 cup water for 1 hour

1 cup cooked navy beans (or great northern)

1 t garlic granules

2 T onion granules

3 T lemon juice

3 T apple cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

2 green onions, sliced (use some of the green)

3 small pitted dates

Fresh dill or other fresh herb of choice

Chives for garnish

Sea salt

Puree all ingredients in a strong blender until smooth.  Add in fresh dill or other fresh herbs, green onions, or chives. Salt to taste. Great with fresh-cut vegetables.

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