Lentil Mushroom Stroganoff
From my cookbook Whole Food American Favorites
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup green lentils
2 1/4 cups water
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds creminin mushrooms, sliced
8 oz. (or more) fresh spinach, chopped
1 t dried tarragon
1 t paprika
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
4 T nutritional yeast
4 T lemon juice
Sea salt
Boil 2 1/4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Add lentils, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes, or until tender. Sauté onion, garlic, and mushrooms in 2 tablespoons water until mushrooms are tender and juicy. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Drain liquid from mushrooms into a blender jar. Add sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Pour over mushrooms. Add lentils, paprika, and tarragon. Heat through. Salt to taste. Serve over brown rice.
Chic Pea Vegetable Soup
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped red potato
1/2 pound kale or collard greens chopped
4 cups water or broth
1/2 cup quinoa
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 t dried thyme
1 cup finely chopped mushrooms
2 1/2 cups cooked chic peas
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Sea salt
Saute’ onion in a dry soup pot over medium high heat until it starts to brown. Add garlic and saute’ an additional minute. Add 1/2 cup water to loosen the onion and brown that has stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add celery, carrots, potato, greens, quinoa, 2 – 3 cups of water just to cover the veggies. Stir in bay leaf and thyme. Cover and cook until quinoa and vegetables are tender. Add chic peas, mushrooms and parsley and cook an additional 5 minutes. Salt to taste.
Cranberry Spice Cookies
20 small pitted dates soaked in 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1 1/2 cup rolled oats, divided
1 t. baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/8 t cloves
1/2 cup fruit juice sweetened dried cranberries
Soak dates for at least 4 hours. Grind seeds and 1/2 cup oats to powder in 2 batches in a coffee grinder or use a strong blender. Add soaked dates, along with soak water, ground seeds and oats, baking soda and spices to food processor fitted with the S blade. Process till smooth. Manually stir in oats and dried cranberries. Process briefly if need to make sure all is mixed well. Scoop out dough with a spoon or cookie scoop and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Mash just a bit with a fork. Bake at 350 for 12 – 13 minutes.
Gingerbread Man Cookies
From my cookbook Whole Food American Favorites
A strong blender such as a Vitamix or BlendTec., or a strong food processor such as a Kitchen Aid or Cuisinart, is necessary for this recipe.
25 small pitted dates
2 1/4 cups white wheat flour, sifted
2 t baking powder
1/4 t sea salt
1 1/2 t powdered ginger
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t cloves
1/3 cup molasses
1 cup raw cashews
1 t vanilla
Soak dates in 1/2 cup water for at least 4 hours. Mix sifted flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Blend dates and water with remaining ingredients in a strong blender or food processor until smooth. Add to dry ingredients. Mix well and knead until you have a smooth ball of dough. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for several hours until chilled. (This step makes rolling out much easier.) Divide dough in half and roll one half between two pieces of parchment paper or wax paper. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with a gingerbread man cookie cutter and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Use raisins or dried cranberries to decorage. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
20 small pitted dates soaked in 1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cup rolled oats, divided
1/4 cup hemp seeds*
1/4 cup sunflower seeds*
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 t baking soda
1/4 cup mini non-dairy chocolate chips
In a food processor with an S blade, grind dates, including soak water, 1/2 cup oats, seeds, and vinegar until creamy. Manually stir in baking soda and remaining oats, until well incorporated. Process briefly if needed. Manually stir in chocolate chips. Process briefly if needed. It’s best not to process the oats too much. Scoop out dough and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten using your hand and a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to keep from sticking to your hand. Bake until slightly brown, about 12 – 13 minutes.
*If needed, grind seeds in a coffee grinder first to make sure they get finely ground.
* 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts can be used in place of the seeds
Autumn Stew
1 butternut squash or other winter squash of choice (about 4 cups)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cups chopped mushrooms
2 or more cups chopped kale
3 cups water or veggie broth
1 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes
1/2 of a 6 oz can tomato paste (or more)
1 T chili powder
2 t cumin powder
1 t onion powder
1/4 t black pepper
3 cups cooked kidney beans
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
Salt to taste
Place squash on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour. (There is no need to poke it with a knife or cut it. It’s much to dangerous to cut winter squash before they are cooked:-)Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into cubes.
Sauté onion in a dry skillet on medium high heat until it starts to brown. Add garlic and sauté for a minute or two. Add 1 cup water, bell pepper, mushrooms, and kale. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and cook until kale is tender. Add tomatoes, seasoning, beans, corn, and squash and cook 5 – 10 minutes. Add more liquid if needed, salt to taste, adjust seasonings and serve.
Almond Sugar Cookies
From my cookbook Whole Food American Favorites
1 cup raw almonds (raw cashews work too)
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 t almond extract
1 t baking soda
1 T apple cider vinegar
Chop all ingredients in a food processor until a dough starts to form. Add a tablespoon of water to help it become sticky. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop out dough, roll in a ball and mash to a cookie shape. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes.
Roasted Zucchini Mexican Salad
3 medium zucchini
2 ears corn
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained well
1 cup cooked brown rice (optional)
2 cups fresh diced tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (or use canned green chilies)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado, diced
Zest of one lime
Juice of 2 limes
Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Cut each half lengthwise again. Then cut in 1/2 – 3/4 inch chunks. Place in a large bowl and sprinkle with Mrs. Dash Chipotle seasoning or other no-salt seasoning of choice. Mix thoroughly with your hands until each piece is lightly coated. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper making sure no pieces are over-lapping. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes until they start to brown. Let cool before adding to salad.
Cut corn off ears and place in the bowl you used for the zucchini. Add remaining ingredients. When zucchini has cooled, add to salad. Mix well. Add more lime or lemon juice and salt to taste if desired.
This salad is also delicious using raw zucchini. I only use 2 zucchini and I use the dice blade of the Vidalia Chop Wizard. Cut the whole zucchini in 3 sections then lay each section on the chopper screen and chop. This makes a fun perfect shape for the salad. Mix in all remaining ingredients as above.
Kale Tacos
1 bunch of kale
2 button mushrooms, finely chopped (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and minced
1 – 2 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
2 cups cooked black beans
1 avocado, mashed
Organic corn tortillas
Add kale, mushrooms, garlic, and chili to a medium sauce pan, along with 3/4 cup water. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium, and cook 3 – 5 minutes. Add spices and cook until kale is tender. Keep an eye on the water so it doesn’t burn. Add a little more water if needed. Add the black beans and heat through.
Take off the burner and stir in mashed avocado. Salt to taste.
Stuff them in a warmed corn tortilla. Makes 8 – 10 tacos.
April’s note: I love this mixture rolled up in a corn tortilla just the way it is, with no toppings, but they are also wonderful with shredded cabbage or lettuce and fresh vine-ripe tomatoes.
Sesame Kale Salad
This kale salad is not necessarily good by itself but is a delicious addition to a hummus wrap, stuffed pita, sandwich, or quinoa, pasta or other grain based salad.
Mediterranean Kale Salad
Humus Wrap
1 large bunch of fresh kale
1 – 2 T tahini (sesame seed paste)
Chic Pea Patty Stack
Juice of one lemon
1/2 T brown sesame seeds
Sea Salt
Finely chop kale and place in a large salad bowl. (Strip kale off stalks if preferred. If the stalks are young and tender, I like to keep them.)
Starting with 1 tablespoon of tahini, add to the kale along with lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Message kale with your hand until bright green and tender. Add more tahini if more oil is needed.
Sprinkle on sesame seeds and mix through out. Salt more to taste if needed.
Alternatively you can message 1/4 of an avocado into the kale if you are going to use it in a Mexican type salad or chop 1/2 can of olives and message them into the kale like I do in the Mediterranean Kale Salad pictured above.
April’s note: This salad travels well! I made this ahead for my 4 day trip to California to visit my brother. Not only did I use it in my humus wraps but one day for lunch we went to an Indian café where I bought a side of tabouli salad, a side of humus, and I mixed both into my kale salad. It was delicious!
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