Pesto "Chicken" Calzones

2 tsp. Olive Oil (plus extra for brushing)
1/2 Yellow Onion, diced
1/2 c. Asparagus, sliced
1/2 c. Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
8 oz. Chicken Style Seitan

1 Prepared Pizza Dough
1 recipe Herbed Pesto

Preheat oven to 450. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add in onions and saute' 5-7 minutes.  Add in asparagus and mushrooms and saute another 3 minutes.  Add in seitan and cook another 2 minutes until heated through.

Split dough into quarters.  Roll out into small rounds and spread pesto along dough, leaving out an inch around the edges.  Fill with 1/2 cup of vegetable mixture.  Fold one side of the dough over to the other edge and use a fork or your fingers to seal the dough closed.  Transfer to a baking sheet that has been lightly oiled.  Brush the top of the dough with oil.  Puncture the dough a few times just before baking to allow steam to release.  Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.

Herbed Pesto

2 c. Basil
1/4 c. Cilantro
1/4 c. Parsley
2 tbsp. Pine Nuts
4 cloves Garlic
2 tsp. Miso Paste
2 tbsp. Nutritional Yeast
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 tbsp. Water (plus more if needed)
1 tbsp. Lemon Juice

Combine basil, cilantro, parsley, pine nuts and garlic into a food processor and process until chopped.  Add in remaining ingredients and process until smooth.  Add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed to thin out the pesto.  For a lower calorie pesto, you can replace the olive oil with water or vegetable broth, but it won't be as rich.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 c. Brown Sugar
3/4 c. White Sugar
1 c. Margarine (I use Earth Balance)
1/4 c. Coconut Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 1/4 c. All Purpose Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
10 oz. Vegan Chocolate Chips (some semi-sweet are naturally vegan, just check the ingredients)

I know, I know, shoot me.  I don't use the whole 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips.  I actually like to taste a little bit of my cookie and not just bite into a blob of chocolate.  If I wanted that, I'd eat brownies or fudge or whatever... you get the idea.  Plus, I can never get them all fully incorporated. BUT if you want to use the whole bag, feel free :)

Start by preheating your oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, cream margarine (let it reach room temp. first) and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add in vanilla and coconut milk and cream again.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just incorporated, don't over mix.  Fold in the chocolate chips.   Drop tablespoon size balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet,  2" apart, and bake for 9-10 minutes until lightly browned around the edges.  Let cool for 5 minutes before removing to a rack.  Or just dig in immediately and burn your mouth, but the taste will be oh so worth it ;)

Yet Another Kale Salad

Farmers' market kale obsession.... I promise I'll come up with something different.  I just cant resist raw kale with some sweet dried fruit and roasted seeds. 

4 c. chopped Black/Dino Kale, chopped

2 Golden Beets, shredded

2 Green Onions, thinly sliced

1/4 c. dried Cranberries

1/2 c. mixed Sprouts (mung, radish, broccoli, alfalfa, etc.)

2 tbsp. roasted Pumpkin/Sesame/Sunflower seeds (or a mix of)

Citrus Vinaigrette

I LOVE this mixed nut and seed snack for topping this salad. The seasoning and combination of nuts/seeds are perfect for this salad!  I usually get them at Whole Foods, but sometimes you can find them at your local grocery store :)

Roasted Broccoli Medly

This side dish is the perfect accompaniment to any Italian dish, or just something incredibly satisfying for broccoli lovers such as myself.  I seriously crave broccoli instead of grease or sugar....is that weird???  Anyways,  the combination of soft, slightly burnt florets with the al dente stems, acidic tomatoes and flavorful roasted garlic will take you on a ride through flavor town haha.  ENJOY!

2 c. Broccoli Florets

6 oz. Broccoli Rabe, roughly chopped

1 c. Baby Heirloom Tomatoes

3 tbsp. Olive Oil

3 cloves Garlic, minced

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Toss broccoli with remaining ingredients and place on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Roast for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through...easy as that!

Sinful Brownies

"Oh my God... did you write this down?  They're actually soft and moist, not oily and dry and disgusting like every other vegan brownie I've tried.  Remember this recipe.  I hate you."
-Phil

What are you waiting for...

1 c. All-Purpose Flour
1/2 c. White Sugar
1/2 c. Brown Sugar
1/2 c. Cocoa Powder
1 1/2 tbsp. Corn Starch
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Guar Gum
1/2 c. Applesauce
1/2 c. Canola Oil
1/2 c. Coconut Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 325.  Lightly "grease" and line a baking dish with parchment paper.  Sift together dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Whisk together wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  Stir wet ingredients into dry until combined.  Pour into prepared dish and bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool completely before slicing.

For an extra decadent dessert, serve with a scoop of vegan ice cream, whipped cream,  or chocolate sauce.... or just forget all your inhibitions and top it off with all of the above to make a brownie a la mode... (all vegan substitutions apply, of course)

Easy Angel Hair Pasta

2 tsp. Olive Oil

2 Shallots, sliced

3 cloves Garlic, minced

2 tsp. Dried Basil

1/2 c. Marinated Artichoke Hearts

1/4 c. Sun Dried Tomatoes, in oil

6 oz. Angel Hair Pasta (I use whole wheat, as white has absolutely no nutritional value)

Freshly Chopped Parsley

Salt

Cook pasta according to manufacturers' directions and drain.  Do not rinse!!! Rinsing your pasta washes away all of the starch, which is what your sauce will adhere to.  No starch= plain pasta with watery sauce running all over your plate... ick!

In the meantime, heat oil over medium heat in a skillet.  Add shallots and cook 3-4 minutes, until soft.  Add in garlic and basil and cook another 30 seconds.  Toss in marinated artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes and cook until just heated through.  Lower heat and toss in pasta and fresh parsley.  Serve immediately.

*I served this pasta with an italian marinated tofu for an extra bit of protein!

Italian Marinade

1/2 c. Vegetable Broth

2 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 clove Garlic, minced

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. each freshly chopped Basil and Parsley

7 oz. Extra Firm Tofu

Press tofu until dry.  Combine all marinade ingredients and toss with tofu in a freezer bag or bowl.  Let marinate 2-8 hours or do a quick marinade by simmering the tofu in the marinade for 10-15 minutes. Bake, broil, or grill.

"Cheesy Chicken" Casserole

Warning! Be careful making this! You may consume it all in one sitting! I even surprised myself with this magnificent tease of cheese I've created. I'm also a sucker for broccoli, so this dish was doubly delicious. If you love cheese and really want to splurge, make an extra 1/2 recipe of the cheese. But I thought just one recipe was plenty. Make this now!!!

1 large head of Broccoli, broken into florets
2 sm-md yellow squash, 1/4" slice
8 oz. Chicken Style Seitan
Cheese Sauce, 1 recipe (below)

2 tbsp. Breadcrumbs


Preheat oven to 350. Slice squash and place on a rack. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 20-30 mins. to release excess moisture. Rinse. Steam broccoli for 7-10 mins. until just under cooked. Drain and remove to a bowl. Combine broccoli, squash and seitan in a large bowl. Toss with cheese sauce and place in an 8x8 casserole dish. Cover with foil and cook 15 mins. Remove foil and cook for another 10 mins. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and cook another 5 mins. Remove from oven and let cool 5 mins. before serving.

"CHEESE" SAUCE
1 c. Veg. Broth
2 tbsp. Corn Starch
1 tsp. Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic
1/3 c. Nutritional Yeast
1 1/2 tbsp. Vegan Cream Cheese (I use plain Tofutti)
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1 tsp. Onion Powder
3/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper

Heat olive oil in a small saucepan. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 sec-1 min. Add in vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and whisk in corn starch 1 tbsp. at a time, making sure to get rid of any clumps. Stir constantly until mixture begins to thicken (this will happen very fast). Continue to whisk in nutritional yeast and vegan cream cheese over low heat until all of the ingredients have melted and combined. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.

Raw Nori Roll

I served these rolls with FRIED tofu. You gotta have a balance... Raw and fried are like ying and yang ;). Okay, not really, but it was tasty!

Cauliflower "Rice" (recipe below)
Marinated Shiitake Mushrooms (recipe below)
Sprouts
Avocado, sliced
Cucumber, julienned
Red Bell Pepper, julienned
Basil

Nori (Seaweed) Sheets

Bamboo mat

To Assemble Rolls:
Cover your bamboo mat with plastic wrap and lay out one nori sheet (Nori sheets have divet lines on them to show where to cut. Make sure to lay these lines perpindicular to the bamboo, then lay the ingredients parallel the bamboo to ensure proper rolling). Cover nori with "rice" leaving out the first and last inch of the nori (start and finish rolling points). Lay out a line of each of the remaining ingredients at the start of where you will begin to roll. Brush the end of your roll with some water.

Begin to roll and tuck around the filling as you would a burrito. Continue to roll, ensuring even pressure along the length of the roll, and pulling away plastic wrap as needed (it may fall out of place). Continue to roll until all of the nori has been wrapped around itself. Be gentle with the roll, and remove from mat. Wet down a sharp knife and cut into 6-8 pieces. Wet down knife before each cut (this prevents the knife from sticking and ripping the roll into shreds, which you will then serve as salad, which I can't tell you vie done so many times! And it sucks!). Continue with remaining ingredients. I made 3 rolls with the amount of cauliflower "rice" this recipe provides.


CAULIFLOWER RICE
1 head of Cauliflower
1/4 c. Raw Almonds
2 Green Onions
1 1/2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
Juice of 1/2 large Lemon

Break cauliflower into small pieces and remove stems. Place in a food processor with almonds and green onions. Chop until broken into tiny pieces resembling rice. Stir in soy sauce and lemon juice until thoroughly combined. Easier than making real rice! Who'da thunk it?!

MARINATED SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS
2 c. Shiitake Mushrooms, 3/4" slice
3 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 tbsp. Toasted Sesame Oil
1/2 tsp. Mirin
2 cloves Garlic, pressed or minced
1/4 tsp. Ginger, grated

Combine all ingredients in a bowl except for mushrooms. Once combined, toss with mushrooms until thoroughly coated. Let marinate anywhere from 5 mins to an hour. Any longer and they may become too soggy.

Blood Orange Margarita

The blood orange in this cocktail provides a natural sweetness all on its own, so the use of added sugars is minimal.  Plus, I always try to convince myself that making these cocktails "healthy"  from the use of fresh fruit, herbs, natural sugars, etc. outweighs the fact that I'm consuming so much alcohol haha. Boy... am I delusional.

1/2 oz freshly squeezed Blood Orange Juice

3/4 oz. freshly squeezed Lime Juice

2 oz. Tequila Reposado ("gold")

3/4-1 tsp. Agave Nectar (depending on how sweet you like it)

*Agave is a natural sweetener from the agave plant (the same plant tequila comes from) and is 3x sweeter than sugar.

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds.  Strain over a glass filled with ice.

VARIATIONS

Ginger Blood Orange- Add 1 oz of ginger liqueur (ie: Canton) with ingredients and shake. 

*liqueurs contain added sugars, so if you don't like your cocktails tasting like candy, you may want to reduce the amount of agave you decide to use.

Basil Blood Orange- Muddle 2 large basil leaves with juices and agave.  Add in tequila and shake for a fresh, slightly herbal cocktail.  Perfect for a summer day at the spa (haha, I wish).

Spring Barley Risotto

2 tsp. Olive Oil
2 Shallots, sliced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
3 tsp. Dried Dill
1/4 c. White Wine
1 c. Barley
6 c. Vegetable Broth
2 tbsp. Nutritional Yeast
Juice of 1 Lemon

2 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 large Carrot, halved and cut into 1/4" slices
10 oz. Asparagus, sliced 1/2" thick
1/4 c. Peas (I use frozen)

First, you will need to par-cook the vegetables. Cut vegetables as directed. For the asparagus, cut off the tips before slicing and reserve. Heat 2 tsp. of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add in asparagus tips and sauté 2-3 minutes until bright green. Remove from heat. In the same pan, add remaining oil (4 tsp.) and heat. Add in asparagus and carrot. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in peas and cook another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

For the risotto, heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add in shallots and cook stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add in garlic and dill and cook for another minute. Reduce heat and add in white wine. Stir constantly to deglaze pan. Continue to cook until wine has evaporated. Add in barley and toast for a minute.
HERE'S THE HARD PART!!! Be patients my friends. I halved this recipe when I developed it, and it took like 35-40 minutes to cook. So if you plan to make the full recipe, know you'll be cooking the risotto for about an hour...
Add in 1/2 c. of vegetable broth and stir occasionally until all of the broth has evaporated. Continue to add broth in 1/2 c. increments, cooking the same as before. When 1 c. of the broth remains, stir in nutritional yeast and lemon juice until thoroughly combined. Add in prepared vegetables. Continue to add in remaining broth as before to finish risotto. Season with pepper.

When I finished this dish, I was incredibly surprised that I didn't have to add any salt! And I'm a salt fiend. I know, it's bad. So before you go adding any salt, take the time to taste and enjoy the flavors that develop in this creamy, yet fresh risotto.

Serves 3-5