Dill Pesto Potato Salad

Ingredients

4 yukon gold potatoes, poke with fork

5 eggs

Pesto

2 cups fresh dill

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tsp himalayan salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

1 Tbs garlic aioli mustard

Directions

Cover potatoes with cold water in a large saucepan, cover with lid, and bring to a boil for 15-20 minutes until fork tender.

Meanwhile, cover eggs with cold water, cover with lid, and bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Drain water and cool with cold water. Peel eggs while they are still warm (but not hot) and then cut into cubes.

Meanwhile, make pesto by adding all ingredients into the food processor (except olive oil) and slowly drizzle in olive oil while the motor is running. Process until smooth.

Cut the potatoes into cubes (leave skins on=good nutrition) and mix with pesto and eggs.

Eric and I are both big fans of potato salad with lots of hard boiled eggs in them, so I decided to go a little overboard with the eggs. It's pretty much egg salad with potatoes, but it's very delicious. I had a ton of dill to use up, so I thought the best way to use that amount of herbs is in a pesto. So technically you are getting everything you need in this potato salad to make a complete meal because you get protein from the almonds and eggs and the rest is just good veggies. Eric and I just ate it for lunch one day and we were satisfied and full for a long time.

Horseradish Dill Quick Pickles

Ingredients

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

3/4 cup white vinegar

2 Tbs veganaise

2 Tbs horseradish

2 Tbs fresh dill, chopped

1/2 tsp himalayan salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Directions

In a pint jar, place all ingredients (besides cucumbers) in jar, place lid on tightly, and shake until well-combined. Add cucumbers, place lid on, and allow to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

I always loved when my mom made creamed cucumbers in the summer with fresh cucumbers. Her traditional recipe consisted of vinegar, mayo, and sugar. I cut out the sugar to make it healthier, but feel free to try it with a little agave nectar, which is also great. I decided to experiment with different versions of creamed cucumbers. I made four different pints and the horseradish pickles came out on top according to Eric, my sister, and me. The horseradish mellowed out in the marinade, so add more if you want more of a bite. It's such a simple recipe, but it's very delicious. They are great by themselves or added to a sandwich or salad. The other recipes I made were also great. I experimented with different vinegars: white wine, coconut, and regular white. Some I added garlic and another one had some garlic aioli mustard in it. It was fun to play around with. You really can't go wrong.

Red Curry over Soba Noodles

Ingredients

1 pkg organic firm tofu, pressed & cubed

1 tsp ghee

1 pkg soba noodles

2 cups cabbage, chopped

2 cups broccoli, cut into florets

1 cup snow peas

1 can bamboo shoots

1 cup large flake coconut

1 cup cilantro, chopped

Curry

3 Tbs red curry paste

2 cans light coconut milk

3 kaffir lime leaves

1 Tbs sriracha sauce

2 Tbs brown sugar

1 tsp himalayan salt

Directions

Brown tofu, 10 minutes on medium heat. Mix curry ingredients together, pour over tofu, let simmer 10-15 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add soba noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Add cabbage and broccoli to the water for the last 1 1/2 minutes. Drain, mix in curry sauce, bamboo shoots, coconut flakes, & snow peas. Garnish with cilantro.

I love curry dishes, so I thought I would play around with some ingredients to make my own version. This dish has all my favorite ingredients in it. Eric and I are crazy about bamboo shoots. I just got the large flake coconut and I saw it used on other food blogs, so I was eager to try it out. They just got it in at the co-op I go to, so if you can't find it just use the regular size coconut flakes.

Pesto Lentil Olive Spread Sandwich

Ingredients

Pesto

2 cups basil

1/2 cup slivered almonds

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tsp himalayan salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

1 can lentils, drained & rinsed

1 can black olives, drained & rinsed

1/2 cup fresh spinach

whole grain bread

Directions

Make pesto by processing all ingredients in food processor and drizzle in the olive oil while the motor is running. Process until well combined.

Mix pesto, lentils, and olives together. Assemble sandwich: bread, pesto mix, spinach, more pesto mix, and top with bread.

I created this super quick meal after being inspired to make a sandwich after I purchased some amazing fresh bread from a local cafe. I have been on a pesto kick and I wanted to make a complete meal out of the sandwich, so I added the lentils for protein. Lentils from a can are really great and they have a mild flavor, so you can add them to anything for a good nutrition kick. The olives were also a good flavor punch, which is another ingredient that I have been crazy about lately.

Grilled Caprese Sandwich

Ingredients

2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced

garlic infused olive oil (recipe on earlier post, see grilled green beans recipe)

1/2 tsp himalayan salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 cup fresh basil

1/4 cup veganaise

4 thick slices fresh mozzarella

2 ciabatta rolls

Directions

Infused the olive oil with garlic, brush on the tomatoes, and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Place tomatoes on a foil-lined grill and grill until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Place the ciabatta rolls on the grill to lightly toast. Mix together veganaise, 1/8 cup basil, and the leftover garlic from the infused oil (press). Spread the garlic basil mayo on the rolls, top with mozzarella slices, remaining basil, and the grilled tomatoes.

This was one of the best sandwiches I have ever made! The grilled heirloom tomatoes made this recipe. They tasted like fresh marinara sauce. I am also crazy about a really good fresh mozzarella. At our local co-op they make their mozzarella fresh, so it's always delicious. The ciabatta rolls were also freshly baked, so it added to the perfection of the simple sandwich. The key link here is to have fresh high-quality ingredients.

Grilled Green Beans & Scallions

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, smashed

large bunch green beans and scallions

1 tsp freshly cracked himalayan salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Directions

In a small saucepan on low heat slowly simmer the olive oil and the garlic for a few minutes to infuse the oil with garlic. Make sure to not cook the oil at a high temp because the oil will get a bitter burnt taste.

Skewer the greens beans and scallions on grill ready skewers. I use metal ones so they don't require soaking like the wooden ones. Brush the veggies with the garlic infused oil, place on a charcoal grill for 4 minutes on each side. The scallions take less time, so watch carefully.

Eric and I made these grilled veggies the other day and they were amazing! My favorite were the green beans. It was hard not to eat them all while I was waiting for the rest of the meal to cook. I decided to infuse the oil with garlic rather than placing garlic directly on the veggies to prevent any burnt garlic since the grill was pretty hot. It's such an easy recipe, but it has a ton of flavor. I am a big fan of charcoal grilling over gas grills. Then everything you cook has an amazing smokey taste. We use a metal cylinder to heat up the charcoal, which is great because then you don't have to use lighter fluid or risk your food tasting like lighter fluid. I highly recommend getting one.

Refreshing Summer Mocktini

Adapted from Whole Living

Serves 1

Ingredients

juice of 3/4 lime, 1/4 lime saved for rim of glass=1 lime

1 tsp freshly cracked himalayan salt

3/4 Tbs tomato paste (in tube)

1/2 cup ice

8 oz Kombucha, original flavor

Directions

Take an 8 oz glass, rub the rim with the lime quarter, place the salt in a dish, and circle the lime-rimmed glass into the salt.

Place the lime juice in the glass with the tomato paste and mix well with a fork. Fill the glass with ice, and top off with the Kombucha.

I have been making these mocktinis this week and I am loving them! This month's issue of Whole Living had an article on mocktinis that you can enjoy this summer and this recipe stood out the most for me. I love bloody marys and bloody beers and I feel this drink slightly resembled them due to the citrus tomato taste. The magazine discussed how you get lycopene from the tomato paste and probiotics from the Kombucha, which makes it a healthier summer drink option. They also suggested trading the Kombucha for a lager to make it a real cocktail. I haven't tried it yet, but I am sure it would be delicious! I made a large pitcher of this drink when my parents were visiting and I just covered the pitcher with plastic wrap in order to keep some of the fizz from the Kombucha. My mom added vodka to her drink and it was very tasty and didn't change the flavor of the drink.