tangy arugula salad

10 minutes

salad

6 cups arugula, washed and stems removed

1/3 cup red onion, sliced thin

1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin

1/2 cucumber, sliced thin and salt and peppered 

1/2 cup shaved or grated parmesan (optional)

dressing

lemon zest of one lemon

juice of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey mustard

salt and pepper to taste

combine all ingredients for dressing in small mason jar or tupperware. seal and shake. add half to arugula and toss to coat. continue to add dressing until salad is dressed to your preference. there is nothing worse than a soggy salad imo. top with remaining veggies and serve.

if you want to make a meal out of this and you are a carnivore you can top it with sliced steak. super yummy.

easy spicy cranberries

5 minutes plus time to chill

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

1 two inch cinnamon stick

1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries

combine water, sugar and cinnamon in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. add cranberries and boil rapidly until berries just pop, about two minutes. remove from heat. chill. remove cinnamon stick. serve.

cinnamon pecan butterscotch yams

3 lbs yams/sweet potatoess
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup rum, scotch or bourbon
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Parboil unpeeled sweet pots in large skillet or dutch oven in 1 inch of water. (I used the pressure cooker for 8 minutes) Simmer 10-15 minutes, until tender but firm. Let cool. While cooling, combine sugar, butter, and spices in small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove skin of sweet potatoes. Cut lengthwise and place in baking dish. Remove sauce from heat and add rum. Pour sauce over sweet pots. Sprinkle with pecans. Bake covered for an hour, basting every 15 minutes.

jicama slaw

15 minutes to prep, plus an hour to chill

2 cups jicama, peeled and julienned
1 1/2 cup red/orange bell pepper, julienned
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup cilantro, chiffonaded
1/4 cup peanut oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

in a tupperware container large enough to hold all ingredients, combine peanut oil, vinegar, garlic, jalapeno and sugar. whisk or put the lid on and shake vigorously. add jicama, pepper, cilantro and onion. toss to coat. chill 1-6 hours and serve.

baked augergine (eggplant)

45 minutes

this recipe can serve 2 purposes:that of a vegan eggplant parm or a lowfat version

1/2 cup vegannaise or fat free mayo
2 tablespoons finely minced onion
2/3 cup fine bread crumbs
2/3 cups finely grated parmesan (leave this out if vegan or sub a vegan cheese)
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
olive oil spray

preheat oven to 425. if you would like to make the bread crumbs yourself, place about 6 pieces of bread in the toaster oven at 250 for 30 minutes. remove and place in food processor until fine (a couple of minutes). pour on to a plate or shallow bowl. spray a cookie sheet with olive oil mist. add vegannaise or mayo to a shallow bowl and mix in onion. dip the eggplant in mayo and spread evenly and somewhat lightly on to the surface of eggplant slices. dip in bread crumb mixture and repeat until all are covered and placed on cookie sheet. cook for 12 minutes. remove. flip. cook for an additional 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

i serve this with spaghetti and a salad.

fresh cucumber tomato salad

1 hour, 10 minutes

1 large tomato, sliced thin and cut in to quarters
1 large cucumber, sliced thin
1/2 large walla walla onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced very thin
1 large haas avocado (optional)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
garlic salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
coarse sea salt, to taste (optional)

combine all veggies (and fruit) in a tupperware container and mix well with hands or by shaking. add balsamic, basil, garlic, sea salt and pepper. close container and shake. if the flavor isn't enough for you, try adding a tiny bit more salt to bring out the natural flavors.

grilled asparagus

10 minutes

1 lb fresh asparagus
2 tablespoons olive oil
coarse sea salt
fresh ground black pepper

wash asparagus, pat dry. snap ends off. place in tupperware container (with lid) adding olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. gently shake to coat asparagus. toss in grill basket and place on hot grill for about 3-5 minutes. If you would rather cook indoors, place in a pyrex dish or on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 450 for about 15 minutes. can be served hot, cold or at room temperature.

garlic mashed potatoes with kale

45 minutes

3 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 stalks kale, chopped
3/4 cups soy milk
3 tablespoons butter/flax oil
1 teaspoon sea salt/ 2 tablespoons Braggs
fresh ground pepper to taste

in a large pot of water, boil potatoes until tender. in a medium saucepan, saute garlic and onion until onion is translucent. add the kale and cover with lid. let simmer for about 10 minutes or until kale becomes soft. set aside. when potatoes are ready, drain and mash with butter/oil and milk. add potato mixture to kale. add seasoning. mix well.

i adapted this recipe from "how it all vegan".........i love that cook book!