Tasty Veggie Stir-fry

Ingredients

1 pkg soba noodles

1 pkg firm sprouted tofu, pressed 30 minutes, cubed

1 Tbs ghee (clarified butter)

1 head napa cabbage, chopped

6 green-topped carrots, sliced

4 green onions, sliced

2 cups snow peas

Sauce

4 Tbs shoyu (soy sauce)

4 Tbs rice vinegar

2 Tbs maple syrup

1 Tbs sesame oil

1 thai chili, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Garnish

1 cup salted/roasted peanuts, chopped

1 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Saute the pressed tofu in a nonstick pan in the ghee on medium heat until golden, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the cabbage, saute until slightly wilted, then add carrots and green onions, and continue sauting until tender.

3. Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the soba noodles according to package directions, about 4-6 minutes.

4. Whisk all sauce ingredients together, pour over veggies, and continue to saute for 2-3 minutes, add the snow peas the last minute (don't overcook-keep bright green).

5. Garnish with peanuts and cilanto

I was very happy with how this stir-fry turned out. It was delicious! All the veggies made the dish look appealing and colorful, which also made you feel healthy. I love the flavor of this sauce combo. I got the basic idea for the sauce from a recipe in Vegetarian Times a while back and I just tweak it every now and then. The peanuts were a nice touch, with the salty crunch.

Corn Salsa Veggie Wrap

Ingredients

2 tortillas

2 cups red leaf lettuce

1 avocado, sliced

3 Tbs feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 red pepper, sliced

1 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed (will have leftovers)

Corn Salsa

Leftover red pepper (3/4), diced

1 can corn, drained & rinsed (frozen or fresh even better)

2 Tbs finely minced onion (soak in water for 5 minutes to soften intensity)

juice of 1/2 lime

zest of lime

1 jalapeno, half seeds removed

1 tsp chili powder

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Directions

1. Mix all corn salsa ingredients together and allow for flavor to combine, the longer the better.

2. Place all the wrap ingredients into the wraps, top with corn salsa, and roll up tightly.

I was in the mood to make a wrap (Eric's favorite), so this was my invention. I liked the idea of having a corn salsa for the flavor punch rather than a heavy mayo or sauce.

Tomato-based Vegetable Soup with Cheese Straws

Ingredients

Soup

1/2 onion, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbs ghee (clarified butter)

8 cups filtered water

4 vegetable boullion cubes

2 cups carrots, sliced

3 cups savoy cabbage, sliced

3 cups snow peas

1 bag frozen corn

2 26oz boxes of chopped tomatoes

24oz jar of strained tomatoes

2 Tbs agave nectar

2 Tbs fresh chives, chopped

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Cheese Straws

(Adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot in Paris)

1 box frozen puff pastry, defrosted 45 minutes at room temperature

1 egg

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp minced fresh thyme

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Directions

1. Start by sauting the onion in a large heavy bottom stock pot in the ghee until softened.

2. Add garlic and saute 1 minute.

3. Add water, bring to a boil, add vegetable boullion cubes, carrots and cabbage, gently boil for 5-10 minutes, reduce heat to medium low, add corn, chopped tomatoes, strained tomatoes, agave nectar,and salt & pepper, simmer 10-20 minutes.

4. Add snow peas and chives 2 minutes before serving to keep the peas bright green and not overcooked.

5. Make the cheese straws about 20 minutes before serving soup: Preheat oven to 375 degrees

6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry until it's 10 X 12 inches.

7. Beat the egg with 1 Tbs filtered water and brush on the surface of the puff pastry.

8. Sprinkle the pastry with the cheese, thyme, salt, and pepper.

9. With a rolling pin, gently pressed the seasonings into the pastry.

10. Cut each sheet of pastry crosswise into 11 or 12 strips.

11.Twist each strip of pastry and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

12. Bake 10-15 minutes until lightly browned and puffed, turn and cook for another 2 minutes.

I made this soup for a co-worker who was moving. The recipe makes a ton of soup, so be prepared to have lots of guests or lots of leftovers. It also freezes well, so the way I look at it when making soup is that you might as well make a lot if you are going through the process. A close friend made some cheese straws for a potluck and I couldn't get enough of them so I wanted to make them myself. I knew I had a recipe in my Ina Garten cookbook, so I thought I would try them out. They were so delicious!! They didn't last very long between Eric and I. They are the perfect accompaniment with soup. I tried making them a little healthier by cutting the cheese amount in half, which you didn't miss because they are so buttery!

Cauliflower Gratin

Adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot in Paris

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

3 Tbs ghee (clarified butter)

3 Tbs all-purpose flour

2 cups warm oat milk

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

2. Steam the cauliflower for 5-6 minutes until tender

3. Meanwhile, melt 2 Tbs of ghee over low heat, whisk in the flour for 2 minutes, pour in the warm milk while whisking, bring to a boil, whisk constantly for 1 minute(or until thickened), turn off heat, and mix in all seasonings and cheese(reserve 2 Tbs of cheese for top).

4. Pour 1/3 of the sauce into a 8X8 baking dish, layer in cauliflower, and cover with remaining sauce.

5. In a saute pan, melt the remaining ghee with the breadcrumbs, then sprinkle over the top of the cauliflower dish, and finish with the remaining cheese on top.

6. Bake 25-30 minutes until the top is slightly golden.

I was looking through Ina's cookbook and I thought this dish looked amazing. I wanted to make a few adjustments to make it healthier. I switched to ghee, lessen the butter, cut the cheese in half, steamed rather than boiled the cauliflower, and used a non-dairy milk=no cholesterol. It was still rich and tasty! Eric was crazy about it! This would be a good dish for a dinner party because you could make it ahead of time and then throw it in the oven before the company comes.

Adobo Black Lentil & Bean Burgers

Ingredients

Burgers

1 can black lentils, drained & rinsed

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 Tbs adobo sauce

2 tsp nutritional yeast

3 garlic cloves, pressed

1/4 cup chives, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup smoked provolone, shredded

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Topping

Avocado, mashed

2 garlic cloves, pressed

juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Sprouted barley bread

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Mash the lentils and beans with a potato masher until smooth with a few chunks, mix in remaining burger ingredients, form into patties, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes turning halfway.

3. Meanwhile, mash the avocado and mix in remaining ingredients

4. Assemble burgers on the bread topped with the avocado spread

I wanted to find a new creative way to make a bean burger so I was looking through my cupboards and I found a can of black lentils. If I would of had 2 cans I would have just made them lentil burgers, but I needed more of a base ingredient. The black beans paired well with the lentils. You can add more adobo sauce if you like your burgers with more kick. The smoked provolone gave the burgers a great flavor and the melted cheese helped to bind the burgers. I was really happy with how these turned out. The cool avocado pairs perfectly with the spicy adobo sauce. Although the dinner may take over 30 minutes to make, it's actually really easy to make and there is very little active cooking that goes on. You can just throw them in the oven and forget about them and before you know it dinner is served.