Tag: plant-based cooking

Lunchbox Veggie Wraps

lunchbox-veggie-wraps

One day at lunchtime, about a month ago, I was sitting down to dig in when my kids stopped me and said, “Mom!  That wrap is beautiful!  You should take a picture and put it on Facebook!”.  At the time, I hadn’t really given much thought to my quick-lunch-from-whatever-was-in-the-fridge.  But they were right, it was beautiful and they reminded me to not let an opportunity to motivate or inspire others to pass me by.  So I did it!  It got some attention, so I figured why not give you the recipe.  The wrap is perfect for a lunch at home or on the go, since it travels well.  It’s quite versatile.  You can basically whip something like this up with whatever you’ve got available.  Just use your imagination (and your veggies!).

INGREDIENTS:

  • Mixed salad greens
  • 1 small to medium size tomato, seeded and chopped
  • 1/4 avocado, diced
  • 1 small handful shredded carrots
  • 1 green onion (aka scallion) thinly sliced
  • clover sprouts
  • 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • Whole wheat tortilla (Here I used a “Food for Life” Sprouted Grain Tortilla).
  • 1-2 Tablespoons Hummus (I like the spicy version!)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Throw the veggies in a large bowl.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and toss to combine
  2. Heat up your tortilla, either on a preheated skillet or in the microwave (about 30 sec.)
  3. Smear the hummus on one side of the tortilla, cover with your salad.
  4. Roll it up, slice it in half and dig in!

So there you go!  Your very own beautiful, delicious, nourishing bistro lunch. Enjoy!!

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Plant Protein Powered Breakfast Cookies!

Plant Protein Powered Breakfast Cookies

These cookies make a great breakfast or snack on the go.  Pair a couple of these with some fresh fruit and you have a delicious and nutritious start to the day!  Need a compact quick energy source while out on a hike or bike ride?  These will definitely do the trick.  Chock full of goodies like wheat germ, flax, pumpkin seeds, and hemp seeds, these babies pack a protein punch!  Not to mention the vitamin E, zinc, omega 3’s, and iron they bring to the party too!  You won’t miss the oil, eggs, or dairy here.  If you tend to be pressed for time, double the batch and freeze some of the baked cookies for when you need something quick on the go.

INGREDIENTS:

DRY
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2  cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup hemp seeds

5 Medjool (or 10 deglet noor), chopped

1 handful dried cranberries

WET

1 flax egg (1 Tablespoon flaxseed meal mixed with 3 Tablespoons water)

1/2 large ripe banana, mashed

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3-1/2 cup sucanat (or organic brown sugar)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons almond milk

DIRECTIONS: 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, set aside.  Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  Next, add the wet mixture to the dry one in the large bowl.  Mix well with a wooden spoon to combine.
  3. Drop by spoonfuls onto 1 or 2 parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans after 10 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.  Once they cool, if you want to put some  in the freezer for future use, now’s the time.  Otherwise, if you leave them out they’ll be all gobbled up before you know it!  Enjoy!!

 

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Fresh Berry Tart

This berry tart is fantastic!  A tasty, crumbly nut crust, cashew date cream and fresh berries.  That’s it!  Its quick, easy and makes a great dinner party or potluck dessert with plenty of “WOW!” factor.  Want to take it to the next level?  A vegan lemon curd beneath the berries would be out of this world!

Vegan Berry TartNutty Tart Crust

3/4 cup roasted, unsalted nuts (you can use pecans, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, whatever you like)

3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup

1/4 cup light, neutral oil (grape seed oil is like canola, without the GMO risk) see note after directions

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Process the dry ingredients (nuts, oats, flour and cinnamon) in a food processor until it becomes a coarse meal.  Transfer to a bowl and mix in the oil and syrup.
  3. Press the crust mixture firmly into a 9″-10″ tart pan or pie plate.
  4. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack

Note: Melted coconut oil could be used in place of the oil mentioned in the tart crust, but I would advise against it, only because it will harden at room temp and become solid as a rock once refrigerated!  This may make eating (let alone slicing) the crust a bit of a challenge.

Date Sweetened Cashew Cream

1/2 cup raw cashews (if you have time, soak them in water for 1-2 hours prior, then rinse well).

2-3 Tablespoons dates (double check for pits!)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place cashews in a blender pitcher.  Add enough fresh water to just cover the nuts.  Add dates and vanilla, blend until it becomes a smooth cream.  Scrape into a small bowl and set aside.  Can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator.

Once the tart shell is cooled, we can assemble this baby!  

Spread and even layer of your sweetened cashew cream over the bottom of the completely cooled tart shell.  Rinse and pat dry the berries, then arrange on top of the cashew cream any way you fancy.  I started from the center and made concentric circles with some berries I had left over from the night before.  You could use different fruits like kiwi, or mango for more color and variety.  Have fun and get creative!

When you are ready to serve, get ready to hear the “Oooh”s and “Ahhh”s!  Slice, serve and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Another fun and successful cooking party!

Sunday was our Lovable Lunches cooking class and it was such a blast!  We made a falafel plate, honey-ginger mushrooms w/ginger miso kale and quinoa, Thai coconut sweet potato soup, chipotle chop salad, homemade salsa, and no-bake honey bee cookies.  Big thanks to those who joined us.  An especially big thanks to guest, and professional photographer, Caroline Malouf who whipped out her camera during class and took these great shots!

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Be sure to check the “Cooking Classes” tab frequently for info on future classes. Spaces fill quickly.

Need a little help or encouragement implementing it at home?  Private consultations are available to those who are interested in making a change to a plant-based diet.  For more information, please contact me at (805)236-7484.

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New Cooking Class Added!

Due to popular demand, we are having our next cooking class on the afternoon of Sunday, June 26th in Camarillo, California.  It’s going to be a blast with a little bit of a tropical/Asian theme:

  • Collard “Nori” Rolls
  • Green Velvet Soup w/Asian Pears
  • Mel’s Pad Thai
  • Tropical Smoothies and/or Date-Nut Rolls

Cost is $40 per person (cash only, please). If you are interested in attending, please email me soon at meltrinidad@gmail.com.  Space is very limited and it’s bound to fill up quickly.

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