7-Layer Taco Salad May 23, 2012

 

I love salad. I eat salad almost every single day. Different kinds of salads loaded with tons of veggies. Yum. My husband, however, does not care so much for salad. According to him, salad is just too much work to prepare and not filling enough to be a meal. Enter this 7-layer salad. It has hearty black beans, filling tempeh, creamy guacamole, and silky cheese sauce, which makes this 7-layer taco salad absolutely delicious and very filling. Even my husband loves it.

 

I love this salad because it reminds me so much of 7-layer bean dip (which I love!) but much healthier and since you are not eating it with chips, also much lighter in calories!

 

And it really is a cinch to make…

You start with lettuce (I used a mixture of romaine and arugula) and then add a heaping scoop of tempeh “burger” crumbles.

The black beans go on top of the tempeh.

Followed by a layer of creamy guacamole.

 

 

Then a bunch of diced tomatoes and diced olives.

And finally finished off with a swirl of creamy dreamy nacho cheese sauce! Then proceed to mix it all together and devour!!

 

 

7-Layer Taco Salad

by Katie Barlow

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Keywords: entree lunch salad low-carb vegan vegetarian Cinco de Mayo Mexican

 

Ingredients (2 salads)

For the tempeh "burger" crumbles

• 1 package tempeh
• 1 cup veggie broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (I use Trader Joe’s brand)

For the guacamole

• 1 ripe avocado
• Juice from 1/2 lime or lemon
• 1 green onion, minced
• 1/2 tomato, diced (optional)
• garlic powder and salt to taste

For the nacho cheese sauce

• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 teaspoon raw tahini
• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoon high mineral salt
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 clove garlic
• Juice from 1/2 lemon

To assemble

• Lettuce
• tempeh "burger" crumbles
• 1 can black beans
• guacamole
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 small can diced black olives
• nacho cheese sauce

Instructions

For the tempeh "burger" crumbles

crumble the tempeh into a medium sauce pan over medium heat and sauté until just beginning to brown

Add the veggie broth and the rest of the ingredients and continue to cook over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated

Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use

For the guacamole

Mix everything in a bowl until combined and the avocado is well mashed.

Taste and adjust seasoning until desired taste is achieved

For the nacho cheese sauce

Place all ingredients in a high speed blender (or a food processor) and blend until creamy

To assemble

In two large bowls, add the lettuce

Split the tempeh "burger" crumbles into each of the two bowls

Heat the canned beans on the stove until warm and add 1/2 the can of beans to each bowl.

Top the beans with the prepared guacamole (1/2 into each bowl)

Sprinkle the tomatoes and olives on top of the guacamole.

Drizzle the nacho cheese sauce on top (just a little, you will have a lot left to use in other dishes)

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Pineapple Fried Black Rice May 8, 2012

 

I had a version of this dish at a Thai restaurant a few months back. They had “forbidden” rice (or black rice) on their menu and I was intrigued! I had to try it and decided to try the pineapple fried rice made forbidden rice. After the first bite I was hooked! It is very chewy and has a nice nutty flavor but what I really LOVE about black rice is how nutritious it is. Black rice is full of anti-oxidants (which give this rice its black color).

 

Black rice can be used instead of brown (or white) rice almost any dish but my favorite way to use it is in Asian dishes, specifically fried rice. This is my version of pineapple fried rice without the meat, eggs and very light on the oil! You can find black rice online or at your local health foods store (Whole Foods has it in the bulk section). I am not going to lie, this is pricey stuff, but it is a lot of fun to cook with and eat!

 

This recipe is really quick to make. Just make sure you cook the rice ahead of time and you will have dinner on the table in ten minutes or less!

 

Pineapple Fried Black Rice

Makes 2 Servings

Vegan, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Egg Free, Dairy Free, Low Fat

 

Ingredients

1 cup black rice

1/4 cup cashews

1/2 cup frozen or fresh diced pineapple

1/2 cup frozen or fresh peas

1/2 package baked tofu (I use the Trader Joe’s Brand)

3 green onions, diced

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

 

Directions:

1. Cook the black rice by placing it in two cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until all the water has been absorbed.

2. After the rice is cooked, set it aside to cool a bit and heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the cashews and cook until toasted.

3. Add the pineapple and peas and cook until heated through, a minute or so.

4. Add the rice and rest of the ingredients and cooked for a few minutes more.

5. Serve immediately!

Ahhhhhh-mazing enchiladas! May 6, 2012

 

I hope everyone had a great Cinco de Mayo Weekend! We had a friend come into town and spent a lovely sunny Saturday at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market and then went to the beach. The weather was just perfect.

 

All I can say about the above enchiladas is…Oh wow! These are so good! I know this post is a little late for Cinco de Mayo but better late than never right? We had these enchiladas for dinner the other day and I was blown away by how good they were! Moist and filling. The perfect amount of spicy that was pleasantly offset by the creaminess and coolness of the guacamole. Yum…I cannot wait to make these again.

 

For the tortillas, I used sprouted grain tortillas and was pleasantly surprised by the results. Normally I think sprouted grain tortillas taste like cardboard but when smothered in enchilada sauce they become surprisingly soft and tasty!

 

Don not be intimidated by the super long recipe, these enchiladas come together surprisingly fast and effortlessly and they can be assembled ahead of time! I would suggest doubling the recipe because these make killer leftovers!

 

 

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

Makes 3-6 servings (depending on how hungry you are and what else you serve with it)

Vegan, Low Fat, Sugar Free, Can be made gluten free, dairy free, egg free

 

Guacamole

 

Ingredients:

4 ripe avocados

Juice from 1-2 limes

Green part from 3 green onions, diced

1 tomato, diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

 

Directions:

1. Mash everything together in a bowl. Taste, add more salt, garlic powder, or lime juice as needed.

2. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to eat.

 

Enchilada Sauce (Adapted from Veganomicon):

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small red onion, diced

3 large green chiles (I used jalapeno), deseeded and diced

2 teaspoons chile powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes in juice

1 teaspoon agave

2 teaspoons salt

 

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, saute the garlic, onions and chile peppers in coconut oil until soft (about 4-7 minutes).

2. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a simmer and remove from heat.

3. When the sauce mixture has cooled, taste and adjust salt if necessary.

4. Puree in blender until mixture is smooth.

 

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Filling

 

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes

1 can black beans

2 cloves garlic, minced

Vegetable Broth

2 tablespoons Taco seasoning (I used the one from Trader Joes)

Juice from one lemon or lime

1 teaspoon salt

 

Directions:

1. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Bring a pot of water to a boil and boil sweet potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Drain sweet potatoes and place back in pot.

3. Over medium heat, add the black beans and garlic and about 1/4 cup of veggie broth. Cook until veggie broth is absorbed, mashing the sweet potatoes and black beans.

4. Keep adding veggie broth 2 tablespoons at a time and mashing the sweet potato and black bean mixture until you have a fairly smooth mixture. It does not have to be pureed but there should be no more large chunks of sweet potato left. Once the mixture is at the desired consistency and all the veggie broth has been absorbed, turn off the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

 

To Assemble the Enchiladas:

 

Ingredients:

6 medium sized tortillas (I used these sprouted grain ones)

Sweet potato and black bean filling

Enchilada Sauce

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375degF. And get out a large rectangular baking pan.

2. Take each tortilla, spread with sweet potato and black bean filling and roll up. Place in baking pan.

3. Once you are done filling the tortillas, Spread the enchilada sauce over the top. Use all of it!

4. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Then uncover and bake for another 20 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and allow the enchiladas to cool for about 10 minutes.

6. Serve topped with a gracious dollop of guacamole. YUM!

Rainbow “Pasta” with an Almond Tumeric Sauce October 6, 2011

This dish was inspired by a dish I had at the Loving Hut in Palo Alto last weekend. They have this raw fettuccini dish that is killer! Here is the description from the website:

 

A raw celery root fettuccine with collard greens,
carrot, tomato, beet, cucumber, bell pepper, pistachio
and almond, in a rich n’ creamy almond sauce

 

So I really wanted to recreate it and let me tell you, this tastes NOTHING like it! It is still good though. Mostly, I just liked the idea of using a bunch of different veggies in a “pasta” shape with a creamy and nutty dressing. For mine I just used veggies I had on hand: Kale, butternut squash, red bell pepper, and zucchini. Celery Root, Kohlrabi, Collard Greens, beets, would all be great to use as “noodles.”

 

 

As for the sauce, I decided to make an almond turmeric sauce. Turmeric has a compound in it called curcumin which has many health properties including anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. When combined with black pepper the bio-availability of curcumin increases dramatically making it much more potent as a healing agent.

 

I made a very simple sauce with almond butter, soy sauce, black pepper, raw honey, lime, and turmeric. It was yummy but I will be honest, I think I liked the sauce that Loving Hut used better. I added water to my sauce as well to thin it out and felt it was too watery so the recipe below does not include water. If you find the sauce too thick add water a tablespoon at a time to thin it out.

 

 

I added tempeh that I lightly seared in coconut oil to my salad. It was healthy, light yet filling, and tasty! Enjoy the recipe!

 

Raw Rainbow Pasta with Almond Turmeric Sauce

Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Raw

 

Makes 1 Serving

 

two handfuls of chopped kale

1 bell pepper, sliced into very thin strips

1 cup raw butternut squash, spiralized

1 cup raw zucchini, spiralized

 

2 tablespoons almond butter

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon raw honey (or agave)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic

 

1. Layer the veggies in a large bowl.

2. Blend the almond butter, soy sauce, lime juice, honey (or agave), turmeric, pepper, and garlic in a blender until smooth.

3. Pour sauce over veggies. Mix. Enjoy!

Speed Vegan! Two Minute Beans September 26, 2011

 

Do you ever have those days where you want something really healthy but you do not want to cook? Or you do not have time to cook? Or maybe it is just you and who wants to cook for only one person? This is a very filling, healthy meal that comes together in two minutes flat!

 

Beans. Pico de Gallo. Greens. Done!

 

Two Minute Beans

Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free

 

Serves 1 as a meal, 2 as a side

 

1 can or 2 cups black beans

1 container fresh pico de gallo (I use Trader Joe’s)

2 cups fresh chopped greens (kale, collards, chard, spinach, etc)

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)

1 teaspoon high mineral salt

Fresh cilantro (optional)

 

1. Place the black beans, pico de gallo, nutritional yeast (if using), and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until just starting to bubble and boil.

2. For the greens, either use them raw (my preference) or lightly steam or sauté them. Place them in a serving bowl and pour heated bean and pico de gallo mixture over the greens. Garnish with cilantro.

3. Gobble up!

Asian Cabbage Salad with Outrageous miso Dressing! September 21, 2011

 

Yum! The dressing on this salad is so so good, I could drink it! I have used this dressing on many different types of salad but I think my favorite is this simple cabbage salad. For some reason the crunchiness of the cabbage lends itself nicely to this dressing. They just go well together. I like to make a big batch of this salad so that I have leftovers for later because cabbage holds up nicely and this salad lasts well in the fridge for a couple of days!

 

This is a great salad to have as a side to your meal. If you want to make a meal out of this salad, add some baked tofu or tempeh, edamame, and maybe some soba noodles to make it more filling. Cucumber would also taste great in this salad!

 

The recipe for the dressing below makes a huge batch. Enough for the salad with plenty left over to use in other salads and dishes. Trust me, when you try it you will be glad you have extra!

 

Enjoy!

 

Asian Cabbage Salad with Outrageous Miso Dressing

Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Raw

 

Makes about 4 servings

 

For the Dressing:

¼ cup miso

½ cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon agave

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup sesame oil

1/2 cup olive oil

 

1. Place the miso, rice vinegar, agave, ginger, and soy sauce in a blender and blend until smooth.

2. With the blender on low, slowly drizzle in the sesame oil and olive oil to create an emulsion. Transfer dressing to a container and set aside.

 

For the Salad:

1/2 head of purple cabbage, core removed and sliced into thin strips

1 large bell pepper, core and seeds removed and sliced into thin strips

1/4 cup hemp seeds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

 

1. Place everything in a large bowl and toss to mix.

2. Add desired amount of dressing (I probably use about a third of it) and toss to coat. Serve immediately or marinate in the fridge for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

veganize It! seitan Tikka Masala. September 19, 2011

 

You know that seitan I taught you how to make the other day? Well this is a really good way to use it! If you like Indian food you will love this dish. I created this dish because my husband absolutely loved chicken tikka masala before we became vegan and really misses it! I decided to take a recipe for traditional chicken tikka masala and substitute the dairy and meat for vegan alternatives! It came out really really good. It does not quite taste like the original but it is pretty close and still really really yummy! I like to serve it with black rice and lots of veggies stir-fried in a bit of coconut oil!

 

Seitan Tikka Masala

Vegan, Dairy Free, Soy-Free

 

Makes about 2-4 Servings

 

Marinade:

1 6oz plain coconut yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice, from 1 lemon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 package seitan, cut into bite size pieces (Or make your own!!)

 

Sauce:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoons salt, or to taste

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

 

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and salt. Stir in seitan, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

2. Place garlic, jalapeno pepper (deseeded), cumin, paprika, salt, garam masala, diced tomatoes, and coconut milk in a blender and blend until smooth.

3. Grill or pan sear seitan with yogurt sauce until most of the liquid has been evaporated and seitan is beginning to brown.

4. Add sauce and cook until heated through. Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

Creamy Oil Free Pesto! September 17, 2011

 

Mmmm…. Pesto! Definitely one of my favorite sauces to use on pasta, besides this vegan cheese sauce! One thing I do not like about pesto, however, is all the oil you have to use for the sauce. So I decided to just leave out the oil and replace it with extra nuts and water, just to see what it would taste like. Well, it was delicious! The flavors are a little more subtle, and the lemon is more pronounced than traditional pesto sauce, but it is also creamier than traditional basil sauce and so much healthier! I will never use oil in my pesto again!

 

Creamy Oil Free Pesto

Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Raw

 

Makes enough sauce for one pound of pasta

 

1/3 cup raw pine nuts

1/3 cup raw hemp seeds

Juice from two lemons

Large handful or two of basil (I prefer two, but I really like a strong basil taste!)

small handful of mint (optional)

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon balsalmic vinegar

2/3 cup water

 

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

2. Use on your favorite pasta or as a dressing on a salad. If you want to use it as a spread for sandwiches or wraps reduce the amount of water. Start with 1/3 cup of water and add 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.

 

Note: This sauce works best when blended in a high-speed blender such as a vitamix. If you use a regular blender it will probably not be as creamy but it will still taste good!

Another Note: The lemon is really strong in this sauce. I really enjoy it but if want a less lemony tasting sauce just use the juice from one lemon.

Finger Food September 15, 2011

 

This has been a week of sleep deprivation, stress, and tantrums (baby and mommy!). So when it came to making dinner tonight I was craving something simple, easy, and yummy. I also wanted a variety of things on my plate because since I was having a hard time finding pleasure in most things, I was going to find pleasure in my meal! This is what I came up with:

 

 

Peanut Butter Banana Rolls

Yummy Eggplant Pate with raw carrots

Tempeh lightly sautéed in coconut oil

Homemade Raw Sauerkraut

Mango (not pictured)

 

This dinner was filling, healthy, and so fun to eat! Do you ever crave snacky finger food for dinner?

Veganize it! Green Bean Casserole. September 12, 2011

 

Happy Monday! Today I bring you a recipe that I do not cook very often. It is comfort food at its finest! Thick, hearty, filling, and salty goodness. I have never had traditional green bean casserole so I cannot compare this to the original, but this is very very good. And I have served this to people who love the real thing and they have told me this comes very close! This is one of those dishes I make only on special occasions (or when the hubby buys green beans and specifically requests it!) and for people who are afraid of vegetables and “healthy” or vegan food. Even the pickiest of eaters will love this dish.

 

Traditional green bean casserole calls for canned green beans. I cannot get myself to use canned vegetables so I use fresh green beans in this. I also use a ton of mushrooms and a variety of different types. In this particular version I use cremini and shitake but you can use whatever your favorite mushroom is! Portobella would be yummy in this.

 

You can find French fried onions at your local grocery store near the canned vegetables. For a healthier version of this you can just omit the French fried onions, it will still turn out super yummy!

 

Enjoy!

 

Green Bean Casserole

Vegan, Dairy Free

 

Makes 4-6 Servings

 

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh green beans, ends removed

2 tablespoon coconut oil

1/4 cup vegan margarine

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 packages mushrooms (I used 1 package cremini and 1 package shitake)

1 3 ounce can French-fried onions

 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In an oven proof saucepan, melt the coconut oil over high heat. Add the green beans and sauté until softened and beginning to brown.

3. While the green beans are cooking, heat another saucepan over medium heat and melt the margarine. Make a roux by adding the flour and whisk until combined and beginning to thicken. Add the vegetable broth while stirring to make the sauce. Add the soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens. Whisk in the nutritional yeast.

4. Add the mushrooms to the green beans and sauté until softened. Add the sauce and stir until the green beans and mushrooms are well coated. Sprinkle the French fried onions on top of the casserole. Bake for ten minutes.