Not so Italian, but oh so healthy lunch

I needed a five minute lunch that would give me some energy and keep me cool too.

I opted for a pre-made Trader Joe's beans and rice burrito. (only 260 calories)

I also put together a sprout salad using organic zesty sprouts, organic pea shoots, and some fresh spicy organic watercress.



Now for the flavor...a quick organic salsa made from:
Hass Avocados, last night's left over steamed corn on the cob (cut it off the cob right before using), fresh cilantro, green onions, grape tomatoes halved, a few cubes of mango diced, juice of half of one lime, and a very small pinch of pink Himalayan salt.

I can't believe it's vegan... Veggie Lasagna

Grandmom's recipe for homemade sauce...
followed by layers of sautéed cremini mushrooms, zucchini, farmer's market spinach, a thin layer of vegan Italian sausage, my recipe for tofu ricotta, sandwiched between whole wheat noodles and some vegan mozzarella for added richness. Served with fresh baked garlic bread and an Italian salad with loads of basil from my garden. I am sure the whole neighborhood could smell this Italian feast.







Strawberry Basil Spinach Salad

Neighbors Rhubarb put to good use...

It starts out with generous neighbors and extra Rhubarb. Then I added the berries, agave, arrowroot, Grandmom's crisp topping and love... then magic happens. It bakes and bubbles and gets thick and sweet inside and crisp on top. Serve warm with a little vegan whipped cream or some very vanilla "rice cream".









Strawberry Cherry Berry Rhubarb Crisp

Simple Summer Dinner

On a hot and humid day, nothing beats a classic veggie burger with the works, baked red potatoes topped with a tiny bit of earth balance, Himalayan sea salt and cracked black pepper beside a super sweet fresh ear of corn lightly steamed and served naked in it's very own sweetness.

Italian Meatless Meatball Sub

I cheated a little on this one. I used Nate's instead of homemade meatless meatballs. This was especially good with the fresh chopped basil and oregano from my garden.

Happy Memorial Day

Our Vegan Memorial Day Picnic was a success. Everyone enjoyed the homemade food. Our menu included:

Italian Salad


Pasta Salad


Potato Salad


Tomato, Basil(from my garden) and Vegan Mozzarella Salad with hard Italian Bread.



Italian Philly Style Hoagies




Hummus with Blue Corn Chips


Fresh Avocado, Corn and Bean Salsa with Spicy Red Bean and Rice Chips



Cold Italian Philadelphia Tomato Pie
Italian Broccoli and Black Olive Pie


and dessert was...





Thick, creamy, dreamy Coconut Tofu Cheesecake and...

My grandmothers modified recipe for Cheery Berry Crisp

What's for dinner?

Normally, I love to plan my meals ahead, but I was cleaning out the fridge last night, and decided to create a meal on items that were not going to make it much longer if we didn't eat them. So here's what we have:

1lb of Organic Kale
3 Organic Portabella Mushrooms
1 Organic Red Onion
1 Head of Organic Cauliflower
1 Bag of Organic Broccoli
Follow Your Heart Monterey Jack
1 Box of Whole Wheat Orecchiette Pasta
Organic Garlic
3 Pieces of Gardein Chick'n Scallopini

After a minute of debating, I boiled the pasta, steamed the cauliflower, sautéed the mushrooms, onion, broccoli and garlic while heating the Chick'n and lastly tossing the kale in with the other veggies and a little vegetable broth. When the cauliflower was soft enough, I put it in the food processor with some nutritional yeast, a little earth balance and I sprinkled in a little Himalayan sea salt and pepper then whipped it into a mash. When the pasta and vegetables were done I mixed them all together and shredded a little bit of Monterey Jack over it. I served the cauliflower mas and chick'n on the side. It was quite a combination of flavors that all balanced each other. Everyone loved it.