Raw Pistachio Salad Dressing from Swayze Foster

This is a GREAT salad dressing from Swayze Foster!

Raw pistachios - soak for a few hours
Lemon Juice of 2 small lemons
Celery Powder - a few pinches
1/4 cup water

Put into a blender and blend up.  YUM! 

Variations:
Use other nuts instead of the pistachios
Add 1/2 avocado
Use lime juice instead of lemon juice
Use fresh herbs (your favorite) or dried herbs
Add sun-dried tomatoes

Vice Cream!

My friend, Jeff Rogers, has written a book on Vegan Ice Cream.  It includes raw and almost raw recipes for ice cream with no milk or dairy.  I have tasted his recipes and they are delicious!  Go to his Facebook page to order it.  Below is one of his almost raw recipes.

Chocolate

1 3/4 cups raw organic cashews or cashew pieces
1 cup maple syrup
1 3/4 cups purified water (Ellouise: I would always used distilled for purity of water)
2 teaspoons natural vanilla flavor
1/4 teaspoon almond flavor
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Combine the cashews, water, syrup, vanilla flavor, and almond flavor in a blender. Blend on high until silky smooth, at least 1 minute. With the motor running, add the cocoa powder and blend until evenly distributed.
Place the blender in the freezer for 40 minutes to 1 hour or in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight, until well chilled. Pour the mix into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Serve immediately or transfer to airtight containers and store it in the freezer until ready to serve.

Easy Peasy Salad

I made this salad up tonight, just had a craving for peas!  It's very easy and raw except for the Nayonaise.  I'm sure there's a raw recipe for vegan mayonaisse out there somewhere but I was hungry and didn't look. :)

One package organic frozen peas
One onion (Walla Walla sweets are best but only in season once a year)
4 ribs of celery
Nayonaise - enough to moisten the mixture
Pinch of salt
Pepper (optional)
Lemon juice (optional)

Fresh peas are wonderful but it was 8:30 at night when I got this craving so I got frozen peas.  Put the peas in a bowl. Add finely chopped onion and celery.  Add Nayonaise to taste. Add lemon juice if desired.

Raw Zucchini and Tomato Salad

Zucchini is coming on and so are the tomatoes!  Why not combine them into a delicious salad?

Baby zucchini, diced
Tomatoes (I like grape tomatoes best)
Extra virgin olive oil
Apple Cider vinegar (or any other vinegar you prefer)
Parsley
Basil
Sea Salt

Combine the zucchini and the tomatoes.  Pour the olive oil and vinegar over them.  Add parsley and basil.  Salt to taste (unless you are a salt fiend, which isn't healthy--in which case, use just a pinch of salt!).

Variation: 8-15-12: I put Newman's Shitake Sesame dressing over it instead of the oil and vinegar.  It was delicious.  I know that's cooked so those of you who are "raw" might not want to do it. 

Fresh Raw Summer Red Grape Salad

The idea for this salad came to me because someone gave me a big bunch of seedless red grapes that were absolutely delicious! 

Bananas
Seedless Red Grapes
Gala or Fuji apples

Wash fruit in distilled water with fruit and vegetable rinse in the water.
Dry fruit thoroughly.
Quarter bananas lengthwise, then slice.
Grapes can be halved or left whole (your choice)
Core apples and then dice into small pieces.

Sprinkle lime juice over the top.
Enjoy!

Almost Raw Corn Salad

I found this recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens magazine for July 2012.  Sounds great!

Timing is everything.  Wait until the very last minute to cut the corn from the cobs for thsi salad.  That way, the corn stays as sweet and crisp as possible.

1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground pepper
4 ears fresh corn (cut from cobs)
1/2 cup finely diced red onion (cut to same size as corn kernels), soaked in ice water for 20 minutes and patted dry
1/2 cup cucumber, seeded but not peeled. Dice to same size as onions
1/2 cup red or orange sweet pepper diced to same size as onions
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
3 Tbs fresh parsley, finely torn
1 Tbs fresh basil leaves pulled apart
1 Tbs fresh jalapeno, seeds and veins removed, very finely diced
1/2 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
1 to 2 cups small arugula leaves

1. For dressing, in glass bowl whisk together vinegar, sugar, the 1 tsp salt adn black pepper until sugar dissolves.  Allow dressing to stand while preparing salad.
2. For salad, cut corn kernels from cobs (trim base of corn flat and stand it upright on a stable surface.  With a sharp knife use a swing motion to slice kernels from ears)
3. In a large bowl, toss corn and remaining ingredients except sea salt and arugula leaves.
4. At serving time, transfer corn mixture to serving bowl.  Season with the 1/2 tsp salt.  Add the dressing; gently thread in arugula leaves.  Serve immediately.  The Cucumers and tomatoes will begin to break down.  Makes 8 servings.

17 g carb, 2 g fiber, 2 g Protein ra

Are Your Zucchini and Tomatoes Coming In? Here's What to do With Them!

Raw Zucchini and Tomato Scramble

Zucchini (however much you can eat in a day)
Tomatoes (to make a pretty look)
Extra virgin olive oil
Apple cider vinegar
Parsley
Basil
Sea Salt

Peel zucchini and dice very small.  Dice tomatoes a bit larger.  In a bowl, mix the olive oil, vinegar, parsley, basil.  Pour over the zucchini and tomato mixture.  Add salt to taste.  YUM! 

Yummy Raw Avocado Salad!

Avocado salad, mix together 1/2 pound romaine lettuce, 1 ripe chopped avocado, 1 cup grape tomatoes halved, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 3 packets stevia, 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic, 2 tablespoons diced sweet onion, sea salt and pepper to taste.

Easy and Yummy Salad!

This salad was created because I was given the ingredients for it and just combined them into a salad!

1 small container organic spinach
1 red bell pepper
1/4 cabbage, shredded very fine
1 tomato, diced
6 baby carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 fresh pineapple, diced

Put it all together and top with your favorite dressing.  The one I put on today was Newman's Light Cranberry Walnut.  Great summer salad!

Amazing Salad!

Tired of your same old spinach salad?  Here's a salad with a juxtiposiiton of many flavors that will perk up your taste buds!

2 cups organic spinach
2 cups organic cabbage, shredded fine
3 radishes
4 baby carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced and chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 red bell pepper
1 small tomato chopped
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
top with Newman's Own - Lite Balsamic

I put the first ingredients into my container and the ingredients that would moosh up the spinach into separate little containers.  When I'm ready to eat, I add the little containers to the big container (see the raisins?) and then add the sliced strawberries and the Lite Balsamic.

This salad is very different but the sweet of the raisins and strawberries and the spicy of the radishes and cabbage along with the balsamic make for a very yummy taste sensation.

Magaly's Salad

One of my best friends, Magaly, gave me this recipe and when another friend  gave me some avocados I decided to make this for myself.

Magaly’s Salad

2 can black beans

2 red bell peppers, diced

2 cups frozen corn

2 avocados, diced

1 large Walla Walla sweet onion, diced

Juice from 2 limes

Rinse black beans. Add rest of ingredients.  Squeeze lime juice over the salad.  If you want to use this as a dip, you can use the lime tortilla chips.  I have also used it as the filling for a soft tortilla.  

Wild Rice and BBQ Tofu

The last time I went to the food bank, I got a package of wild rice and a package of Tofu.  I cooked the wild rice according to package directions. It took an hour.

I carefully cut the tofu into 1" cubes.  I put some Walla Walla Sweet Onion BBQ sauce in the bottom of a baking dish and put the tofu on top of it.  Then I poured the rest of the BBQ sauce over the tofu.  I baked it at 300 for about 15 minutes. 

I put some wild rice in a bowl and topped it with the tofu mixture.  It was very good but I was wishing that I had more BBQ sauce!

Kinda Sorta Minestrone

Over the last few weeks, I've received all of the ingredients in this soup.  Tonight, I put them all together and it was very tasty.

2 cans tomato soup
2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
5 potatoes (washed in fruit and vegetable rinse and diced small)
1 onion diced small
1 can corn
1 can green beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can mixed vegetables
1 can white beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans

Reconstitute the tomato soup and add potatoes, onion and seasoning.  Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to medium.  Cook until potatoes are soft.  Add rest of ingredients and simmer for about 30 minutes. 

I like my soup to be very much like stew but, if you like yours thinner, just add another can or two of the reconstituted soup.

Vegan Chipotle Potato Soup

I looked into my fridge and the only things there were potatoes, onions and a bunch of condiments.  What to do?  I decided that I would make potato soup.  I also found some chipotle and decided to try adding it for a new recipe. So, I did and it was yummy! Here's the recipe:

10-15 medium potatoes, rinsed with Fruit and Vegetable Rinse and then diced
2-3 onions, diced
1 can chipotle, blended to a smooth paste

Rinse and dice the potatoes and onions.  Steam until soft.  Put them into a large crockpot.  Put about 2 cups of the potatoes, onions and chipotle into your blender (VitaMix works best) and blend to a smooth consistency.  Pour the liquid over the potatoes and onions in the crockpot and gently stir.  Add water if the consistency is too "gluey".  Turn crockpot on high for about an hour and then turn to low.  Cook for a total of about 3 hours. 

Yum!

Spinach Salad with Coleslaw

We got an abundance of spinach yesterday, along with a coleslaw mix.  I put the two together for a salad.  I used a non-fat Italian dressing over it.  It was very good.

Enchiladas

Two weeks ago, I received some enchilada sauce, yesterday I received corn tortillas and a can of beans.  So, I warmed the corn tortillas and heated the beans.  I poured a little enchilada sauce into the bottom of a glass baking pan.  I put about 2 tablespoons of heated beans into the center of the warmed corn tortillas and rolled them so the edges were down.  I laid them into the enchilada sauce and poured the reaminder of the enchilada sauce over them.  I baked them for about 30 minutes at 350.  It was delicious!

Easy and Nutritious Stir Fry

Although not every item in this recipe was received yesterday at the Food Bank, it is a really good tasting stir fry.

Create an easy nutritious vegetable stir fry, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a wok, add 1 chopped onion and 1 clove crushed garlic, cook for 2 minutes and then add 2 cups shredded cabbage, 2 cups sliced mushrooms and 2 cups chopped bok choy, cook for 4 minutes and serve immediately.

Yummy Green Tropical Smoothie!

To make a blended tropical green smoothie, blend one mango, one frozen banana, 2 cups fresh spinach and 1/4 cup coconut water.

Quick and Easy Tomato Soup with Pizazz!

2 cans Tomato soup
1 can black beans (rinsed)
1 can corn (or 2 cups frozen corn)
3 potatoes (small diced)
Chili (to taste)

This soup is healthy but does use canned foods so some may choose to do something different.  However, if there were a disaster, and you had the ingredients, it would work.  I put in lots of chili because I like it HOT!

Spring Mix Salad with Kale

Two weeks ago, I was given a bag of kale salad (with carrots, purple cabbage, and white cabbage), a container of organic spring mix and some very small tomatoes.

 I put them all together and had a wonderful salad.