Vegan Hazelnut Pesto with Mango & Avocado Slices

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Basil, basil, and more basil!
When a basil plant decides to take hold it really pumps it out. So, I
schedule a few minutes each day to go out and cut the flowering basil tops,
to keep the plant going all summer long. Which winds me up with a lot of
extra basil hanging around the kitchen. Here is a great
sweet-meets-savory idea for a lazy afternoon salad, with vegan hazelnut pesto
as the star of the show. You can also do a non vegan version of this by using
parmesan or another hard aged cheese in place of the nutritional yeast.
Enjoy! Read More

Lime & Sea Salted Watermelon & Avocado Salad

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I love it when something is so
ridiculously simple it almost doesn’t make sense. I have been extremely busy
developing some new flex foods to compliment a new cleanse product that
I have been offering on my Whole, Clean
& Green Challenge. The cleanse protocol specifies a very
short list of flex foods, so I was limited to basically just citrus juice and
sea salt for any kind of dressing. I was delighted to discover how flawless
and wonderful just watermelon, avocado, lime, and sea salt taste when
combined together. And therefore I had to share it on the blog! You can
make this in about three minutes. Drizzle some avocado oil on top if you
must, but it really isn’t necessary. Read More

Oil Free Red Lentil Pasta Salad T.B.G.A.

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I am enjoying the new red lentil
pasta varieties that have been popping up at the store. If you are going to
have pasta, these are a good way to go, with just lentils, quinoa and water
as ingredients, and packed with protein and other nutrients.

This recipe is a cold salad twist on linguine with tomato,
basil & garlic. And it takes the nutrition density even a step
further by eliminating the refined oil and instead getting it from whole
foods like avocado. You can add other veggies to the asparagus or eliminate
the asparagus for a more traditional version of a tomato, basil, garlic
“TBG” pasta salad.

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Riced Cauliflower Salad with Tomato, Basil & Garlic

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I’m having a
“mini-series” of riced cauliflower in my kitchen! Riced cauliflower
is great as a raw salad, because cauliflower florets are already slightly
tender and porous to start with, so, when mixed with other salad ingredients
it makes a great base! So, a while, back, I tried using it as you would pasta
in a classic “TBG” (tomato, basil, garlic) salad, and the results
were delicious.

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Seared Chinese 5-Spice Figs with Cashew Cheese

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Okay, I warned you that there
would be more than one post for figs this week. Here is a very simple and
quick way to enjoy figs on a lazy summer Sunday. Even the cashew cheese is a
“quick” version that does not require fermenting or any other drawn
out process. The figs used in this recipe were Turkish figs, which have
gorgeous striped outer skin, but you can use any tree ripened fig. I hope you
get an opportunity to enjoy this soon. Read More

Black Bean Rotini Salad

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I thought I would squeeze in a
4th of July recipe this morning! Here is a gluten free pasta salad that
is packed with summertime garden goodness, contains all the comfort and zesty
flavors of the holiday, but won’t leave your body starving for awesome
nutrition. I named it “L.A. Summer” because it contains all the
stuff that you might find growing in one of L.A.’s back yards or urban farms,
like nopales, cucumber, tomatoes, and peppers, and it has some hints of
Mexico and the Southwest in it’s flavor profile, two prominent cuisines in
the area. Enjoy, and happy Independence Day!
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Spaghetti Squash, Beet & Apple Salad

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Shana Tovah! In the midst of all the Rosh Hashanah greetings this
weekend, I decided to whip up something that touches on the Jewish New Year
tradition of consuming sweet foods, like apples, honey and dates. Here is a
nutrient rich, yet sweet and delicious salad that you can definitely
celebrate if you are celebrating the Jewish New Year, or even throughout your
year-end holidays. This is a delicious stand-alone salad, or an accompaniment
for your Thanksgiving turkey or other holiday feast. And, the Omega-3 punch
you get from the walnuts and walnut oil helps you keep your body in balance
during the indulgent holidays. Enjoy! 

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Beet, Avocado & Tomato Salad with Blood Orange & Fennel Pollen

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I recently stumbled across a jar
of wild crafted fennel pollen at Cookbook, a funky
little grocery market near my house. They carry stuff like locally grown
produce, kombu, and to my delight, fennel pollen! Fennel pollen is kind of
magical because it can be sprinkled on a variety of things- salad, popcorn,
grilled fish, vine ripened tomato slices, fresh fruit– and it gives whatever
it’s sprinkled on a really awesome, unique taste. And Fennel pollen has
therapeutic qualities too! For this recipe I tied it into a salad with a
citrus dressing, just pulling from some seasonal stuff I had picked up at the
Farmers Market. Read More

Beet & Fresh Cheese Stacks with Avocado-Lemon Dressing

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I found a recipe for a quick vegan
cheese that I really like. The recipe says it’s a “Pepper
Jack” but it reminds me a lot more of a fresh cheese like queso fresco
or buffalo mozzarella. In any case, I am finding it to be quite versatile and
useful on many dishes, from tacos to this beet salad. You can venture into
making the vegan cheese, which will require some uncommon ingredients if you
aren’t used to vegan baking or cheese making. Or use a favorite cashew
cheese; some spreadable cashew cheeses would work great in between the layers
of beets. Or, if you eat dairy, just use a good, organic dairy cheese
like burrata or buffalo mozzarella.

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