Recipe -- "Banana Nice Cream"

This recipe is stolen (exactly) from the Whole Foods website called "Banana Nice Cream". I actually had the chance to try it while at the raw "cooking" class (from this entry) I attended a couple of weeks ago. I knew that I had to try it. So, for Dad's birthday, I whipped out four frozen bananas, one cup of homemade almond milk and two tablespoons of peanut butter, blended it up in my Vitamix and dished it up to enjoy!

I cannot believe how simple (or delicious) this tasty treat is and I highly recommend it for anyone wishing to lighten up their dessert-- and, added bonus, this injects the normal American, sugary dessert with a high dose of nutrient density that is almost unheard of in a post dinner treat.

Eat well and be healthy, friends!

Recipe -- Wild rice no-meat loaf

I have been meaning to make a no-meat loaf ever since I went vegan on March 1st, 2012. Or, possibly even since I quit meat in November of 2011. Anyway, it's been a long time coming and I have had this recipe bookmarked for ages. Well, I finally got around to making it and boy, oh boy, am I glad I did!

It turned out better than I could have possibly imagined. I made a few revisions, which I'll notate below, but otherwise I took everything straight from Pure Ella. She is definitely right when she says to make sure the rice is cooked ahead of time as wild rice takes nearly an hour to get done. So unless you've got two hours to set aside and make this you had better stick with that advice.

Other than that it made six servings at 257 kcal per serving (and mine is completely oil free). It goes well with some steamed green beans, mashed cauliflower, sauteed spinach or any other side you can think of.

Wild rice no-meat loaf
Serves 6
Takes: ≈ 120 minutes (can make some parts ahead of time to reduce the time)
Adapted from Pure Ella

what you'll need

• 1/2 cup uncooked wild rice, prepared to package instructions
• 1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup golden raisins, chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced fine
• 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
• 1/2 cup dairy-free bread crumbs
• 2 springs of fresh oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper or more to taste
• 1 tsp sea salt or more to taste
• 5 tbsp warm water, divided

what you'll do

1. Chop the onion very fine, and in small non-stick skillet saute until golden– set aside.
2. In a small bowl mix the ground flax seeds and 3 tbsp warm water, mix and set aside.
3. Chop all raisins, dried cranberries, walnuts into the smallest pieces you could.
4. In a food processor, grind all the red kidney beans into a paste.
5. In a large bowl combine the bean paste, sauteed onion, all the dried fruit, nuts, 2/3 of the wild rice (reserve 1/3 for top), and 1/2 of the flax seed mixture, breadcrumbs, spices, salt and pepper plus fresh oregano – mix well.
   
   If the mixture is too dry, add a few tablespoons of warm water, mix and add more until it sticks together and isn’t crumbly, but it’s not runny. Taste it and add more seasoning if needed. Tasting it is a very important step to make sure it doesn’t come out bland at the end.
6. In another small bowl, add 1/3 of the wild rice remaining with 1/2 of the flax seed mixture, season with salt and pepper and mix well to incorporate. This is the wild rice topping.
7. Assemble in the lined loaf pan by adding the rice topping first. Be sure to spread it out evenly. Then add in the other loaf mixture. Press down firmly so it forms well in the pan, smooth out the top.
8. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Click on the photos below to see the entries they were originally featured in-- except the last one, since this is it's first appearance. :)

Recipe -- No Garbage Lasagna

I don't like garbage in food. Let me clarify, I try to avoid a lot of overly processed, refined grains and sugars as best as I am able. I find that eliminating them entirely is quite difficult, but with each new recipe I put in front of me I do my best to eliminate at least one item that is refined or processed. Additionally, I've noticed that a lot of recipes use waaaay too much oil. So that's another item I tend to lessen when possible too.

The dinner I made last night I've dubbed my "No Garbage Lasagna". I cut out all cheese, got rid of the noodles, reduced the oil and added way more veggies. Ringing in at 284 calories per (hearty) serving, boasting a deep flavor and being as simple as it is I'm definitely going to be making this one again!

No Garbage (Vegan) "Lasagna"

Serves 4-6

Takes: ≈ 90 minutes (can make some parts ahead of time to reduce the time)
Adapted from Cheeky Kitchen

what you'll need:

• 1 small eggplant, sliced into 1/4" slices (about 10 pieces)
• 2 can diced tomatoes (either zesty jalapeno or Italian spiced)
• 6 cups raw spinach
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced and divided
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 4 slices firm bread (I suggest Ezekiel flaxseed or sourdough)
• olive oil cooking spray
• 1/4c bread crumbs (I used panko)
• 1 medium tomato, sliced into 1/8" slices (about 10 pieces)
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• salt/pepper to taste throughout

what you'll do:

1. Spray eggplant with olive oil spray, salt, pepper and roast at 400° for 20-25 minutes, flip halfway through. Leave oven on when eggplant is done.
2. Meanwhile, in a small put heat 1 tbsp oil and add half the garlic until fragrant. Add spices and "toast" for about 30 seconds. Pour in tomatoes, stir thoroughly, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes**.
3. In a large saute pan heat to med-high and spray each piece of bread with cooking spray, then toast in the pan.
4. Using the same pan heat 1 tbsp oil, add the remaining garlic and stir until fragant (being sure not to burn). Add spinach slowly until all is wilted. Set aside.
5. In a high speed blender, blend half the tomato sauce until smooth, then add back to remaining sauce, stirring thoroughly.
6. To assemble, in the bottle of a 9" x 9" glass baking dish, layer as follows: 1/2c tomato sauce, 2 pieces of bread, 1/2c sauce, eggplant slices and garlic spinach, 1/4c sauce, 2 slices of bread, the remaining sauce, tomato slices and bread crumbs on top. See below.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 400°.
8. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10-15 minutes. 
9. Before serving pour balsamic vinegar over top and spread the fresh basil evenly. 
10. Eat immediately, store in an air tight container in the fridge or freeze in portioned containers for future use.

**: The longer your sauce cooks down the thicker it will be. 6-12 hours is actually recommended, but we don't all have that kind of time. You can, of course, make the sauce a day (or several days) in advance.