A Plant-Based Thanksgiving

 I get a lot of questions about what we serve for Thanksgiving since we don't have turkey gracing our table.  I thought I would just share the recipes we use to just to give an idea of what it could be.  Our dinner is simple but delicious, and while not "traditional", each dish has the traditional version in mind. 

I didn't know I would be making this post when we ate, so I don't have pictures of each dish.  BUT...I did happen to take a picture of my plate.  The only dish not pictured: the cranberry sauce

While the following recipes are tweaked variations of someone else's, I can't remember whose, and since the tweaks have been many and are years old, it would be hard for me to go back and give credit where credit is truly due, and for that, I apologize.  I'm so thankful for the many food-bloggers out there who have been my inspiration and provided such wonderful recipes!

Thanksgiving Lentil Loaf

• 1 1/2 cups dry lentils
• 3 cups broth
• 2 cups (packed) finely chopped or grated sweet onion (1 large)
• 1 1/2 TBLS minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrot
• 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped fine
• 1 TBLS fresh thyme, plus 1 1/2 tsp dry
• 1 1/2 tsp dried: thyme, oregano, and sage
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup flaxmeal
• 3/4 cup oatflour
• 3/4 cup cornmeal (coarse is best)

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 TBLS unsweet applesauce
• 2 TBLS balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp brown sugar (opt)

--Cook lentils in broth until tender.  Remove 1 cup and mash the remaining.  Add whole lentils back into bowl and recombine.

--Steam/saute onion and garlic until soft.  Add celery, carrot and mushroom.  Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the mushroom start to release their juices and carrots soften. 

-- Add the herbs and cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes.  Add salt.

--Stir the flaxmeal, oatflour and cornmeal into the lentil mixture.  Add the veggie mixture and stir until mixed well.  If it's dry, add a 1-2 TBLS of water.

--Press firmly into a 9x5 oiled loaf pan (trick: put some parchment paper down in order to lift it out easily!).  **You can chill it at this point up to 2 days ahead.

--Make the glaze by mixing the ketchep, applesauce and vinegar.  Spread on top of loaf.

--Bake uncovered @350 for 1 hour.  Let it cool for 20 minutes and then lift it out and continue to let it cool for another 20-30 minutes before slicing.  Serve with gravy (recipe below)

Gravy

Yield: 2 cups (more than enough for the loaf -- I always have tons of extra, but it makes a great salad dressing of sorts!)

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 cups broth
• 2 TBLS nutritional yeast
• 2 TBLS soy sauce
• 1 TBLS Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 tsp dried: rosemary, thyme, and sage
• 3 TBLS cornstarch + 1-2 TBLS water at the end

-- Steam/saute onion and garlic 5-7 minutes until soft

-- Add remaining (minus cornstarch and water)

-- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes

-- Carefully puree

-- Mix the cornstarch and water together and then add to the gravy, stirring constantly

-- Heat 3-5 minutes until thick

**You can prep this up to 2 days ahead

Harvest Grain "Stuffing" 

Yield: 6 cups

(I just have to say that while I love the flavor of stuffing, I never liked the soggy bread texture, so I created this version, easily made GF by using rice)

• 1/2 package Trader Joes Harvest Grain Blend, or 1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous, or other grain
• 3 cups broth
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped carrot
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
• 1 TBLS minced garlic
• 3/4 tsp dried: rosemary, thyme, and sage
• 1/2-3/4 cup extra broth
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 tsp salt, to taste
• 1/4 tsp pepper, to taste

-- Cook grain according to directions

-- Steam/sauté carrot, celery and onion until soft, 5-7 minutes.  Add garlic, 2-3 minutes.  Add herbs and cook til fragrant, 2-3 minutes.

-- Add cooked grain with a little extra broth, stirring to gain a thick creamy texture.  Add more to your liking.

-- Add raisins and s&p to taste. (The raisins add a natural sweetness that I love, but if the stuff you love is raisin-free, feel free to leave it out!)

**You can prep this up to 2 days ahead, just leave out the raisins until you're ready to reheat and serve.

Slightly Spiced Smashed Sweet Potatoes

Yield: 4-5 cups (I usually double this as it's the crowd favorite!)

• 8 cups cubed sweet potatoes (washed well, skins on)
• 1/3 cup sugar-free apple sauce
• 2-3TBLS brown sugar (opt)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

-- Combine all in a crockpot and set to high for 4 hours (Alternatively, you can cook the potatoes however you wish and then add everything to them and mash them)

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower Potatoes

Yield: 4-5 cups

(While I've made this with only cauliflower before, it ends up being too "runny" and I found that using half cauliflower and half potatoes not only added the starch needed to make them creamy, but the little flecks or red and purple add some visual texture)

• 1 large head of cauliflower, stem and core removed
• 1 1/2 lb multi-colored baby potetoes
• 2 heads roasted garlic (or 3 TBLS minced garlic in a pinch)
• s&p to taste

-- Make sure cauliflower florets aren't too large, and half any potatoes that are larger than an inch

-- In an InstantPot with a silicone colander in place and a cup of water in the bottom, put the potatoes in first, topping with the cauliflower

-- Set on High Pressure for 3 minutes, quick release when done

--Carefully transfer to food processor along with the garlic and puree until creamy

--If you don't have access to an instant pot, you can steam the potatoes and cauliflower and you can also just simply mash them my hand for a more rustic look

Maple-Balsamic Roasted Green Beans with Rainbow Carrots

• 1 lb fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
• 1 lb rainbow carrots, skinned, halved and sliced lengthwise
• 1 small red onion, sliced thin (opt)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 TBLS Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary & thyme
• s&p to taste

-- Mix vinegar, maple syrup and mustard in a small bowl with the herbs

-- Combine the bean, carrots and onion in a large bowl, or a ziplock bag.  Add the dressing mixture and stir until well coated

-- Roast @ 400 for 45 minutes, shaking/stirring once mid way through

Cranberry Sauce with Apple and Orange

• 2 12oz bags fresh cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups orange juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup brown sugar 
• 3 cups chopped granny smith apples
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• zest from 1 large orange (use the orange for some of the juice!)

-- Combine cranberries, liquids and sugar in a saucepan and heat over medium until berries begin to pop

-- When most berries are burst, add the apples, cinnamon and zest and cook over medium another 5-10 minutes until thickened

-- Remove from heat and cool, and then chill.

Oher items we always have:

• Corn
• Rolls/Bread
• Baby gherkins
• Dessert 

Black Bean Pasta Sauce

Here's a quick, easy, and oh so hearty, pasta sauce.  If you don't have time to sit and babysit it while it simmers, just use the crockpot! It may stick to the sides a little, but it's worth the soaking time later on.

Black Bean Pasta Sauce
Use with 1 lb pasta

• 3 cans black beans, rinse and drain
• 2 15oz cans tomato sauce/puree
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1/2-1cup water
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 TBLS minced garlic
• 2 tsp oregano and basil
• 1 tsp cumin and paprika

-- Heat and simmer, covered, on the stove for an hour until onions are soft.  Mash slightly and serve over cooked pasta, or mix the pasta right into the sauce

Crockpot on high for 3 hours (or low for 6)

Crockpot Lentil Bolognese Sauce

I love crockpot dinners.  Not only are they incredibly easy, but for meals like this, the slower cooking method actually produces a better dish that is more flavorful.  If you're looking for a hearty pasta sauce, you may want to give this one a look!  We serve this over a pasta or gnocchi -- but we've also eaten it warm with some thick bread for lunch.  Easy to freeze and thaw, I normally double it and save half for later.

Crockpot Lentil Bolognese Sauce
serves 6-8

• 1 small onion, rough chop
• 1 cup rough chop celery
• 1 cup rough chop carrot
• 1 TBLS minced garlic
• 1 cup brown lentils
• 2 cups broth
• 8-12 oz chopped mushrooms, any variety, but baby bellas are my personal favorite
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 28 oz  petite diced tomatoes with juice
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 TBLS Italian seasoning (1 tsp each: basil, oregano, thyme)
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 TBLS red wine vinegar at end

-- Pulse onion, celery, and carrot in food processor until small bits (or fine dice them if you don't have a food processor)

-- Combine everything in the crockpot and cook on high for 4-5 hours
-- Stir in vinegar

-- Season with salt and pepper to taste

-- Serve over 1 lb pasta or 2 lbs gnocchi

Vegetable Ratatouille

I didn't know I even liked Ratatouille until I tried some last summer at a friends house.  Her variation had chunks of chicken which I politely avoided in my sampling, but oh. my. goodness.  I went home and wrote out a plant-based version and made it the next night.  And three more times that same summer.  I restrain myself to only make this during the summer months since it uses so many garden-friendly veggies, but it's one of my all-time favorite meals.  Drizzled with balsamic glaze (reduction). eaten warm over polenta or pasta, or cold with a chunk or bread (my personal favorite), it's delicious.  It makes a ton, so be prepared to have a party or eat it for lunch for the week (fine by me!).  It really is BEST the day after...just sayin'.

Vegetable Ratatouille
serves 8-10

• 8 cups cubed eggplant
• 2 cups cubed yellow squash
• 2 cups cubed zucchini
• 1 orange bell pepper, chunked
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chunked
• 1 large red onion, chunked
• 1 1/2 TBLS minced garlic
• 2 cans white beans, rinse and drain (can use 1 red, 1 white)
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 cup broth
• 2 cansfire roasted tomatoes, with juice
• 2 6oz cans tomato paste
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 TBLS brown sugar (opt)

-- Dump everything into a large crockpot, minus the beans, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  You can cook it on high, but time is the key here, so low and slow is best if you have the time.  Alternately, you can saute the onion and garlic and all the rest to a stock pot and simmer, but that takes a much more watchful eye...

-- Add beans near the end and make sure they're heated through

Creamy Cauliflower Pasta Sauce

This pasta sauce is magic.  Seriously.  I made it with a lot of skepticism -- how could a pureed vegetable be creamy or taste good as a pasta sauce?!  Oh...let me tell you what.  It's amazing.  It's easy.  It's deeeelicious! 

My boys (all three of them) licked their bowls and asked for more!  The trickiest part was spooning the cauliflower out of the broth.  I wanted to make sure I got every last floret, ya know.   It was so worth it, but next time I'm just draining the florets instead.  

We will be making this again and again and again! 

Got the original recipe right here.

Creamy Cauliflower Pasta Saue

serves 1 lb of pasta

• 5-6 cups cauliflower florets
• 6 cups vegetable broth (can sub 2-3 cups water, too)
• 2-4 TBLS nutritional yeast (opt)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4-1/2 cup milk

-- Boil cauliflower in broth until soft.

-- Take out 1 1/2 cups of the broth and then drain the cauliflower using a larger colander.

-- Using a food processor, puree cauliflower with reserved broth, milk, nutritional yeast, and spices until very smooth and creamy (if it's dry, just add in a little more milk)

-- Stir in with cooked/drained pasta 

Red Lentil Quinoa Cutlets with easy Mushroom Soup

What are you all fixing for Valentine's Day?  I think this duo may make it to our table.  I haven't decided yet.

I made this dish back in December and I'm just now getting around to posting it -- sorry, but life is...well...life.  It keeps going at its very busy pace and I'm left trying to catch up.

Anyway.  Both these dishes are easy and simple, and they taste amazing.  They taste spectacular together.  I made the soup (next time I'll double it!) and used it as a stand-in gravy.  It worked really well, but we loved the combination so much, that we took the leftovers and made a "stack" out of it.  Cutlet with a generous portion of the soup on top, with another cutlet and more soup on top of that.  Can I say ahhhh-maaa---zing!  Wow.

You may think this is an adult-only meal, but my boys both asked for seconds.  They especially loved the soup, which, I will admit, is potentially one of my new favorite soups.  It's simple and easy and would be perfect to dress up a dinner, or as a lunch with a piece of toasted hearty bread.  Yum.

Anyway, I think if I make this in two weeks for Valentine's Day, I'll serve it with roasted balsamic green beans or asparagus.

Original cutlet recipe can be found here.  And the original mushroom soup recipe is here.

Since I followed the cutlet recipe to the letter, I'll let you get the recipe over there instead of re-writing it. The soup, on the other hand, I tweaked a little, and so I'll give you my version here.

Mushroom Soup

serves 4 (double it!!)

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 8oz pk of mushrooms, baby bellas work well
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp dry sage
• 2-3 cups vegetable broth 
• 1 15oz can black beans, rinse and drain

-- Saute onion and mushroom 7-9 minutes, until soft and mushrooms have released their liquid

-- Add garlic and sage.  Saute 1 minute

-- Add broth and beans and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.  Puree and add salt and pepper to taste. 

Mac N Cheese

My boys love mac n cheese.  Heck -- I love mac n cheese.  Ask the husband, even though I have no taste for cheese anymore, there are nights all I want is the comfort of the gooey noodles, the sharp white cheddar taste, and bits of artichoke and spinach in every bite.

Are you drooling yet?

Thankfully, when the boys request mac n cheese, they're thinking of the orangey-yellow variety they sometimes get at Grammy's house.

I had this recipe, and this one, too, and we liked them both ok. They're perfectly fine substitutes when you're making it from scratch.  The Healthy Mac recipe didn't look right -- it was very tasty, but didn't taste at all like what the boys craved.  The Sweet Potato Mac was also just ok -- but in reality, if I want mashed sweet potatoes I don't want noodles in there messing it up.

So one day the boys wanted mac n cheese for lunch.  I started to whip up the cheese sauce and saw that I had a good sized sweet potato on the counter...hmmm...I don't need the whole sauce to be sweet potato, but just a little color and sweetness would be nice.  So here's what I came up with and I threw the other recipes out.  This is the only way the boys want to eat mac n cheese from now on -- and it even looks "cheesy" with all it's orange-yellow-ness!

Mac N Cheese
serves 4-6

• 12-14 oz whole wheat macaroni
• 1 cup almond milk -- unsweetened
• 6 TBLS nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 TBLS flour
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 cups peeled and chopped sweet potato
• salt and pepper to taste

--  Start by cooking your pasta according to the directions

-- Meanwhile, cook the sweet potato in the microwave for 5-8 minutes until soft

-- Meanwhile (again), whisk all other ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat over medium 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally and watching it thicken (although not too much, and don't let it boil!)

-- Once the sweet potato is done, carefully put the sweet potato chunks in with the milk and mash a little.  With a hand blender, puree until smooth. (If you don't have a hand blender, you can puree the sweet potatoes in a food processor with a little of the milk liquid and then transfer everything back to the pot).

-- When pasta is done, drain and mix with the creamy sauce until it coats each and every noodle.  Season with salt and pepper as desired!

Korean Jajangmyun -- Black Bean Sauce over Rice

Before we left Ohio, a dear friend had us over for a traditional Korean dinner.  She's Korean, so she knows what she's doing, and let me tell you what, she put out a fabulous spread for us.  An amazing dipping sauce, this Black Bean Sauce main dish complete with Kimchi and seaweed and other Korean condiments, and a salad with a wonderful Miso-Mirin salad dressing (recipe below).  We loved it all, and I found the recipes for each of the dishes in my inbox the next morning.  Thank you, Julie!

I've been wanting to make this dish for a while now, but I didn't have the needed ingredients.

I did venture out to the Asian Market and bought some Black Bean Paste (fermented) and some light-yellow Miso (recipes using that coming soon!).  The black bean paste, of course, is what you need for this meal.  Otherwise, it's just a pile of sauted veggies on a heap of rice.

Doesn't sound very appetizing to me, either.

But with this magic black bean paste, oh boy, it's so good.  It's not very overpoweringly flavorful, so don't get any ideas about it blowing the socks off your taste buds, but it's Korean comfort food, and, well, it's comforting.

Also, if you like the chewy noodles, go with that -- it lends more textural difference to the meal.  I don't like the chewy-factor and I love rice, so that's what we went that route

I combined the recipe she used, with one I found on line, and made it all vegetarian to suit our taste, and it was fabulous.  Scot even said it was as good as Julie's, and from what I remember, it did taste the same. The only different is I served ours over brown rice due to preference instead of the noodles, and I used more zucchini/squash and less potato.

Korean Jajangmyun -- Black Bean Sauce over Rice
serves 8

• 5 cups squash and or zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 3 cups chopped onion -- red or yellow or a combination
• 2 1/2 cups sweet potatoes, washed and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 1 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup daikon (Korean radish), cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 8 oz chopped muchrooms
• 2/3 cup black bean paste
• 1/4 cup cornstarch + 1/2 cup cold water + 2 tsp sugar (set aside)
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 cup juilenned cucumber for garnish
• 4 cups cooked brown jasmine rice

--  In a dutch over or large wok, saute vegetable until almost soft

-- Clear a space in the middle of the vegetables and add in the paste, heating through for a couple minutes before stirring into the vegetables.  Cook for 2 minutes.

-- Add 3 cups of water, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

-- Slowly add the cornstarch mixture while stirring, and stir til thick

-- Cook, uncovered, about 10 more minutes, or until desired consistency is reached (you want the mixture to be nice and thick)

-- Add sesame oil and take off heat

-- Serve over rice or noodles and garnish with cucumber

We're about to start MISO WEEK on the blog, but here's a simple and delicious dressing to get us started!

Miso Mirin Dressing --

• 3 TBLS rice vinegar
• 1 TBLS light colored miso
• 1 TBLS Mirin
• 1 TBLS soy sauce or tamari
• 2 TBLS brown sugar

-- Mix all together and drizzle over garden salad or chopped raw vegetable

.

Cowboy Caviar [Trader Joe's Copy]

Don't you love it when people do all the work for you?  Sometimes, it's just so nice to not have to figure out how much of what ingredient, matched with how much of another ingredient, will yield the same, or very similar flavor of a known favorite.

Well, over at Milo&Me, the secrets to Trader Joe's addictive Cowboy Caviar are revealed in the form of a recipe.

A recipe, I unashamedly made and took to a party not to long ago and got rave reviews for.  Well done, Milo&Me for such a fabulous copy-cat recipe. (I did make my version oil-free, and very low spice, but we all still loved it!)

Cowboy Caviar

• 3 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 1 large avocado, diced
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup finely sliced scallions
• 3 TBLS lime juice
• 1 TBLS cumin
• 1 TBLS sugar
• s & p to taste

-- Combine everything in a serving bowl and gently stir well to combine

-- Add red pepper flakes, or hot sauce, if you want there to be a kick.

Dressings Galore

[source]

I know summer feels like it's almost over with school just around the corner, but the truth of the matter is that it's only half over and there's still a lot of heat left.  Which means, a lot of salad is still left to consume.

If you're like me, salad is just salad until you add some dressing.  Also, if you're like me and you eat a lot of salad, buying salad dressings from the store can begin to wear a hole in the budget.

Simple solution: make your own.

If you don't know where to start, here are some very simple, easy to play around with, easy to double or half if need be.  I usually pick one, make a good sized batch, and use it until it's done and then make a different one and repeat.  Buying a nice dressing "mixer" from Pampered Chef or even Target is a good suggestion. Although, a mason jar with a tight lid works just as well.

Enjoy!

Scot's Sunset [Oil-free] Dressing

My dear husband likes to stay away from extra oil when possible.  Seeing how we eat so much salad, I decided to make an oil-free salad dressing.  This is so simple to throw together and the balance of the citrus and the vinegar is just right for us.  If you, too, are looking for an oil-free salad dressing, now you have one!

Scot's Sunset [Oil-free] Dressing

Serves 4 (½ cup)

Active time: 5 minutes

What you'll need:

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 TBLS honey OR other sweetener

What you'll do:

• Mix all together until honey (or sweetener) is dissolved.

Will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for over a week.

Simple Balsamic Dressing

I went to a wedding once that served salad with only olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a blend of spices on the table.  It was amazing and I started dressing my salads that way at home.  I finally took the time to measure things out so others could enjoy the simple combination, too.

Please note that you can very easily half or even quarter this recipe to suit your immediate needs.  It keeps for up to a week.

Simple Balsamic Dressing

Serves 8 1/2 cup total

Active time: 3 Minutes

What you'll need:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp Herbs de Province

What you'll do:

Whisk together (or put in a jar with a lid and shake) and drizzle on your salad.

Spicy Apple Cider Dressing

Not spicy in the true sense, but it does give a little bit of kick, especially if you use a good grainy mustard with some horseradish in it!  Easy to half or double.

Spicy Apple Cider Dressing

Serves 6 (1/3 cup total)

Active time: 5 minutes

What you'll need:

• 2 TBLS olive oil
• 2 TBLS apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar OR honey
• 2 tsp grainy mustard

What you'll do:

Combine all ingredients and whisk (or shake) together

Sweet Balsamic Dressing

This is my personal favorite and the one that is usually in the "shake it up" bottle I have for my dressings. It's simply wonderful.

Sweet Balsamic Dressing

Serves 6 (2/3 cup)

Active time: 5 minutes

What you'll need:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 TBLS honey
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard (preferably one made with white wine)

What you'll do:

• Combine all ingredients and drizzle over salad

Red Berry Vinaigrette

If eating salad is so good for us, then I'd like to have delicious and healthy dressings on them to change things up a bit.  This incredibly simple dressing is so tasty and you'll be shocked it only has 3 ingredients!  All the combinations are great, but the raspberry jam with the red wine vinegar is our favorite.

Red Berry Vinaigrette

Serves 2 (2.5 TBLS) **

Active time: 5 minutes

What you'll need:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 TBLS red wine vinegar OR apple cider vinegar
• 1 TBLS + 1 tsp raspberry jam OR strawberry jam*

*the dressing is best, and healthiest, if you can find a jam with minimal "fillers" - so 100% fruit, or fruit-only jams work best.  Also, some people prefer seedless jams for dressings, but we leave that to your discretion

** this serving suggestion is very small, if you would like to make this for a group, or to have some in your fridge, then the following proportions will yield 1 1/4 cups:  2 TBLS olive oil, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup + 2 TBLS jam.  

What you'll do:

• Whisk all ingredients together.

Italian Vinaigrette

My mother is famous for her salads--a salad is her standard potluck contribution, and folks frequently ask what her secret is.  She nearly always uses Good Seasons Italian Dressing packets as her base, but plays with the oil/vinegar combination.  Because buying the packets can get pricey, it has been my goal to come up with a simple seasoning blend that can hold its own against Good Seasons.

Italian Vinaigrette

Serves 8

Active time: 10 min

What you'll need:

• 1½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp table salt
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp dried basil
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• ⅛ tsp dried parsley
• ⅛ tsp black pepper
• a pinch to ⅛ tsp paprika, for added color (optional)
• ¼ cup vinegar (white, or your favorite vinegar/combination of vinegars*)
• ⅓ cup water
• ⅓ cup oil (canola, olive, or a combination of the two*)

*Note: My favorite way to prepare this dressing is with a combination of half apple cider vinegar, half balsamic vinegar AND half canola oil, half extra virgin olive oil--this mixture seems to prevent any one flavor from overpowering the others.

What you'll do:

• In a glass jar with a lid, combine sugar, salt, herbs, and spices.
• Add vinegar and water.  Close lid, shake, and let it rest 5 minutes to allow spice blend to dissolve and re-hydrate.
• Add oil, replace lid, shake well.
• Refrigerate until you are ready to serve (chilling for several hours or overnight allows the flavors to combine nicely, but is not essential).  
• Shake well just prior to each use.  

Sweet Potato, Black Bean & Kale Quesadillas with Easy Salsa

This is one of our family favorite fun summer dinners!  I know the title says quesadillas, and while there is actually no cheese needed to make these babies taste amazing, you don't even have to eat them as quesadillas!  We eat them as wraps more times than not, just so I don't have to turn the stove on.

This recipe was born out of desperation.  A warm day, a desire to not cook what was on the menu for the night, and sweet potatoes that needed to be used.  I had no idea if the dish would turn out, but it did and it has since been a staple in our house come summertime.

The sweetness from the apples really balances out the kale, and if you have regular jarred salsa on hand, fine. BUT, if by chance you don't, DO NOT -- I repeat: DO NOT -- go to the store to buy some. Instead, check your pantry and make some instead and know exactly what's in it!

We usually enjoy this meal with one of the many gazpachos I make, or with just a side of green veggies, like broccoli or grilled asparagus.

Sweet Potato, Kale & Black Bean Quesadillas

Serves 4 big portions  (1 1/4 cup/serving)

Active time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

What you'll need:

• 1 TBLS olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
• 4-6 cups ½ inch cubes of sweet potatoes - washed well and skins on
• 2 cups cored and chopped apples
• 2 packed cups finely chopped kale OR collard greens OR fresh spinach
• 1-2 14oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 8  6-in whole wheat tortillas (on the thinner side, like you would use for burritos)
• Shredded cheese (optional)
• Salsa (optional, and recipe below)

What you'll do:

• Put cut sweet potatoes and apples in a glass microwave safe dish with lid and cook for 6-8 minutes until soft.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet and saute onion 5 minutes until soft and transparent.
• Once sweet potatoes and apples are done, mash in glass bowl until smooth.  Try to mix in the greens as best you can and then microwave again for about 3 minutes to let the greens wilt all the way.
• Once done, stir until greens are nicely mixed in.  Transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Add the onions and black beans to mixing bowl and stir until combined.
• Take 1 1/4 cup of the sweet potato mixture and spread it on a tortilla, place another tortilla on top.  
• Cook on a griddle or pan on medium heat, flipping after 3-4 minutes once the tortilla has started to get crispy.
• Serve with shredded cheese on top or salsa if desired.

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And now, for the salsa recipe!  It's so easy, flexible, and versatile, you may never buy the jarred variety again!

Easy Salsa

Serves : 4 cups

Active time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: n/a

Total time: 10 minutes

What you'll need:

• 2, 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1, 4oz can diced green chiles (more for more spice)
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 TBLS dry cilantro
• 1 TBLS lime juice
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp sugar OR other sweetener (honey, agave)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• Salt, to taste (if your tomatoes come with salt, you may not need to add any extra.  Always taste-test before adding!)
• cayenne pepper OR hot sauce of choice, to taste

What you'll do:

• Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until almost pureed.  
• If you like a chunkier salsa, puree all ingredients except tomatoes and then add tomatoes in and pulse until desired texture.