BLACK BEAN, BROCCOLI & AVOCADO SALAD + CUMIN LIME TAHINI DRESSING

Hello September! The weather here is still in the upper 90's so I have another salad to share with you. Not much cooking going on here. I've been opting for throw together salads that meet my needs and keep me coming back for more. The inspiration for this salad came about by a recent visit to El Pollo Loco, a local fast food chain. I'm the only vegan in the house and can usually find suitable meals for myself when dining out. Fast food is a little more difficult than sit down dining but I can rework a menu item most of the time. In this case, I ordered their Avocado Salad, omitting the cheese and replacing the chicken with extra black beans (it already came with some). Instead of using their dairy based creamy cilantro dressing, I ordered a couple extra sides of pico de gallo and had myself a great meal. I enjoyed it enough that I wanted to recreate it at home using a creamy cumin lime tahini dressing and it's really quite wonderful! I love the tender steamed broccoli and the creaminess the avocado adds along with the cool crisp romaine lettuce. Black beans complete the salad adding a nice dose of protein. I used my beans at room temperature but you can heat them if you prefer. The salad is easy to throw together and is full of great flavor and texture. A great lunch or dinner salad that's nutrient dense and will fill you up perfectly!

Need a salad inspiration, this is it!

BLACK BEAN, BROCCOLI & AVOCADO SALAD + CUMIN LIME TAHINI DRESSING

Ingredients

• 2 romaine hearts, chopped
• 1 can (15oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/4 cup broccoli florets, steamed
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/3 cup pico de gallo
• cilantro sprigs
• 1 jalapeno or serrano chili, sliced and most seeds removed

Dressing

• 3 heaping tablespoons tahini
• 1/3 cup water
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin 
• pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro

In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients, except for the cilantro. Use a tad more water as needed to thin. If dressing is too thin, add more tahini. Once blended to your liking, taste for flavor, stir in cilantro and set aside.

Steam your broccoli just until al dente and bright green using a bamboo steamer, double broiler or preferred method.

Add romaine to your serving dishes, top with black beans, broccoli, avocado, pico de gallo, a few sprigs cilantro and slices of chili peppers. Top with dressing and enjoy!

Serves 2.

Notes:

This is a great place to add a sprinkle of seeds. Try using pepito's (pumpkin seeds), sunflower seeds or hemp hearts.

If you don't have tahini on hand, try using extra pico de gallo and a squeeze of lime. I find it works great! You may even opt to use a dollop of hummus.

Use spinach or any leafy green of choice.

LENTIL & SUN-DRIED TOMATO HUMMUS WRAP

I'm all about quick and easy when it comes to eating. Sometimes I don't mind more intensive recipes in the kitchen but for the most part, I like to keep it simple. Today's recipe is just that. About as simple as it gets while satisfying my hunger and leaving my taste buds happy. I simply used pre-cooked steamed lentils like the ones Trader Joe's carries (Melissa's also carries steamed lentils if you can find them in your grocery store). They have tons of flavor and don't need much of anything. I'll even top them on a big bed of leafy greens, drizzle on something spicy and be happy as can be. Done and done! Here the lentils worked well with this sun-dried tomato hummus. I imagine plain, garlic or red pepper hummus would be delicious! Hummus is a great spread that lends creaminess to the wrap. You won't miss that there isn't any cheese.  Adding some leafy greens to the wrap gives some freshness, and of course a little spice from the red pepper flakes completes my wrap. I'm a sucker for red pepper flakes and most things spicy. Plenty of protein and flavor in this wrap. I hope it inspires you to gather your ingredients and roll up your own. They also make for great brown bag lunches!

If you're interested in a few quick sweet treat ideas, I just updated my Raw Hemp Bites and Raw Ginger Snaps. They are both no bake, no added sugars and amazingly delicious!



Start by making your hummus...



Layer everything as you see here and roll, gently but tightly, starting from the fullest side (in this case I rolled from left to right).



LENTIL & SUN-DRIED TOMATO HUMMUS WRAP

Ingredients

• lavash bread (whole grain pref.) or flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup cooked lentils, per wrap
• leafy greens (I used romaine)
• red pepper flakes
• mineral salt

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

• 1 1/2 cups fresh cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas) or 1 can (15oz) garbanzo beans
• 2 - 3 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked)
• 1/2  teaspoon mineral salt, or to taste
• juice of 1 lemon or 1 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup water, as needed

For the hummus:

If using packaged sun-dried tomatoes, soak your tomatoes in water for about 15 minutes to soften, reserve water. Use the remaining water as needed when adding it to the hummus. If using bottled in oil sun-dried tomatoes, use as is.

Place all ingredients into food processor/blender, except for the water. Blend until creamy, about 3 minutes or so, adding water as needed to thin. I used about 1/3 cup water as I like my hummus on the moist, thin side.

Assemble your wrap:

Lay your lavash bread on a flat surface. Spread a nice layer of hummus over 3/4, top with about 1/2 cup lentils over top, sprinkle with red pepper flakes and mineral salt, add leafy greens over top, roll gently but tightly as you can. Slice in half and enjoy!

Notes: 

Feel free to play around with the tahini and olive oil adjusting to suit your taste. You may like more tahini, or you may not have any on hand and can use olive oil in its place.

If you're looking to make this virtually fat free, use water in place of the tahini and olive oil.

Store hummus tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to six days. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Try this hummus with warmed corn tortillas or fresh sliced cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, bell peppers, etc. Thin a little more and use as a crema for tacos, enchiladas, and burritos. You can even use it in your salads! Hummus is so versatile and my new nut based cream replacements whenever possible!

Asian Rainbow Salad + Spicy Mango Dressing

You may remember a few posts back that I mentioned buying loads of strawberries each week, I shared with you all a Strawberry Chocolate Milkshake.  Not only have I been buying strawberries each week, and freezing most of them, I've also been buying mangoes. We have a local farmer who comes around selling them and I scoop them up as much as I can. Some have been chopped and stored in the freezer along with the strawberries for smoothies, others eaten with a sprinkle of cayenne or as is. I love mangoes with their sweet yellow/orange flesh  and have been wanting to put them to different uses. I've always wanted to try a mango dressing but just never felt like using the food processor, one more thing to have to wash...I'm all about keeping things easy. But sometimes you just have to give and the little extra cleaning was all worth it. This spicy mango dressing with it's beautiful color is the perfect accompaniment to this colorful salad. And, it's a nice mix up to all the peanut dressings that I usually tend to use. Light, bright and refreshing, this colorful salad is another welcome addition to the recipe collection!

Start with your spicy mango dressing. Add ingredients to food processor/blender, process until smooth. Set aside so flavors can develop.

Chop and shred your lettuce and cabbages, add to large bowl.

Add bell peppers, scallions and cilantro, toss and serve! 

Asian Rainbow Salad + Spicy Mango Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 head romaine, sliced
• 1 small head cabbage, or 1/2 head large, sliced
• 1/4 head red cabbage, sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 avocado, sliced, to serve
• black sesame seeds, to serve
• slivered almonds, to serve

Spicy Mango Dressing

• 1 ripe mango, peeled and seed removed
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons water, or more vinegar if you like
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• pinch of pink salt

Start with the mango dressing by adding all ingredients to food processor/blender and blend until smooth. Set aside to let the flavors develop.

Add salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss. Serve in individual dishes, top with diced avocado and spicy mango dressing. Add a sprinkle of black sesame seeds & slivered almonds over top. If eating this as a monster salad, simply enjoy straight from the large bowl! 

Makes one very large salad or four smaller salads.

Notes:

Feel free to add cucumbers, carrots, broccoli....whatever you like.

Add some cubed plain, baked or crispy fried tofu for added protein if you like. 

Enjoy! 

Chinese Chop Salad + Peanut Sesame Dressing

Light, fresh foods are my inspiration these days. Fresh is back in my kitchen as I crave the lighter fare with the changing season. Today I share with you this Chinese chop salad which is meant to be enjoyed in abundance! It will make quite a bit so you can either graze on it throughout the day or simply have some, saving the rest for later if not making for a group, or simply half the recipe. It's meant to be versatile as well, using whatever ingredients you prefer or have on hand. I have used red and green cabbage along with romaine lettuce here. Feel free to use any combination if you don't want to use all three. The vegetables are in abundance too, I didn't add any carrots so that my be something you might like to add to yours. I have also included lightly grilled tofu on top of my salad but this is an option. The dressing will add a little extra protein to the salad. It's another peanut dressing. What can I say?! I love the creaminess as well as the little extra protein and nutrition it gives...and this one is a little different from the others. I used quite a bit of vinegar in this one giving it a nice bright zestiness. If your not a fan of vinegar, like I once was, you'll see a substitution for you in the notes. As Tim Gunn from Project Runway liked to say, 'Make it work!'...that's exactly how we'll approach this salad with the various tastes we all have. Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did. Cheers to the changing seasons and new adventures in vegan fare!

Light, fresh and delicious! 

Chinese Chop Salad + Peanut Sesame Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 small head green, savoy or napa cabbage, sliced
• 1 head romaine lettuce, sliced
• 1/3 head red cabbage, sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, julienned
• 2 Persian cucumbers or 1 small cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced 
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, loosely packed
• 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds, garnish
• small handful slivered almonds, garnish
• 8 oz. plain or grilled firm or extra firm tofu, cubed (optional)

Peanut Sesame Dressing

• 1/2 cup apple cider or rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons natural peanut or almond butter
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (2 if using raw almond butter)
• 2 teaspoons sesame or toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 inch knob ginger, grated or minced
• 1 teaspoon sriracha, optional
• pinch of pink salt or splash of tamari

In a small bowl, mix your dressing and set aside letting the flavors develop. Taste before serving adding anything you feel it needs.

Prepare your vegetables, place in a large bowl. Here you can either add the dressing and toss to coat then serve in individual dishes. OR, you can toss and serve adding a drizzle of dressing over top once plated. Top with tofu, sesame seeds and slivered almonds.

Serves 4.

Notes:

Use whatever ingredients you like here. There is plenty so if you don't have access to a few of the items you can sub in something else or omit it all together. Make this a rainbow salad by adding in some julienned or grated carrots. You may like to add in some small broccoli florets, sliced scallions or zucchini too.

If you don't care for vinegar, I would suggest replacing the 1/3 cup of  vinegar with water or unsweetened almond milk and maybe a splash of vinegar for the extra zest it gives. This dressing is meant to be somewhat on the thin side. If you prefer it thicker add a bit more nut butter, to thin add a tad more of the liquids.

For the tofu, you can use uncooked or grilled. I lightly cooked mine using sesame seed oil and a cast iron griddle, about 6 minutes on each side. But it is perfectly fine with tofu from the package, just press if needed and cube it. If you're looking to use cooked tofu here is tutorial from Olives for Dinner that you can reference: 15-Minute Quick and Easy Tofu

Enjoy the lighter side!

REFRIED BEAN & AVOCADO LAVASH WRAP

What to do when you have left over refried beans? Just the case today. Made my daughter a quesadilla for lunch and didn't care for one myself, so I used the lavash bread I bought this morning from Trader Joe's and made myself a nice little sandwich. These were simple ingredients I had on hand and threw together. So here I share with you an idea that might inspire you to recreate your own. 

 

Nothing fancy, just the simples....

REFRIED BEAN & AVOCADO LAVASH WRAP

My ingredients:

• lavash bread (whole grain pref)
• vegetarian refried beans
• red onion, sliced
• red bell pepper, sliced
•  romaine lettuce or other leafy greens of choice 
• avocado, sliced
• himalayan salt & pepper
• salsa on the side

I'll leave the measurements up to you depending on your circumstances. This was just for one and didn't take much of each ingredient, use your best discretion.

Heat up your refried beans and cut up your veggies. Layer with refried beans, onion, red pepper, avocado and leafy greens. Sprinkle a little mineral salt over top, fold over and roll, slice in half and enjoy! A little salsa on the side is perfect to add a little extra juiciness. You could also use tomato slices in place of, or in addition to, the red bell pepper for added juiciness.

Cheers to the simples!

Raw Taco Salad + Nut Meat + Cilantro Lime 'Sour Cream'

I'm in love with this raw nut meat and have been wanting to try it for awhile. I ran across a recipe from Rawified for 'Raw Nut Meat' and immediately agreed with the use of mushrooms in the nut meat and knew this would be a winner. Since becoming a vegan, mushrooms were the replacement for meats in most meals because of their wonderful meatiness, and they are so earthy...I just love them. But if your not into mushrooms, don't fear because this will still work great for you as you can't taste them at all. One of the reasons I love the addition of mushrooms in the nut meat is to help make a good serving size without too much fat. Although it's good fat, too much is too much. It made perfect sense to me that they should be a key ingredient in raw nut meat. Mushrooms are full of goodness, same as the walnuts used in this recipe. This mixture is full of omega's, protein, healthy fats and trace minerals from the mushrooms such as selenium. This was just delicious, clean and simple just the way I like my foods. The nut meat is definitely a keeper for my life as a vegan as well as this colorful salad. Goodness everywhere on my plate.

Let's begin with the nut meat as it is the true feature here...

Raw Nut Meat

Ingredients

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon nama shoyu or tamari
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder or cayenne

Place ingredients in food processor and pulse until coarse and chunky, don't over blend or it will become a spread, pate like consistency.

Serves two.

That's it...so easy and so good! 

I know you will love it as much as I do. Now for some added extras to top things off. It's based off a basic cashew sour cream with wonderful added flavors of lime and cilantro...a great accompaniment to this salad. 

Lime Cilantro 'Sour Cream'

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked for 2 - 3 hours 
• 1/4 cup water, give or take
• 1 small lime, squeezed
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic
• few sprigs cilantro
• pinch of mineral salt

Soak your cashews in at least 1 cup water for 2 - 3 hours. Drain well. 

Add ingredients to blender or food processor, blend/process, scraping down the sides every now and then until smooth. Add extra water 1 tablespoon at a time if needed. For thicker cream use less water, for thinner use more. I found that I needed to add more water to get to my consistency. Add a dollop or thin enough to add a good drizzle over the whole salad.

Now on to build our taco salad... 

Raw Taco Salad

Ingredients

• romaine lettuce, chopped
• handful grape tomatoes, halved
• bell peppers (any color), diced
• scallions, thinly sliced
• cilantro, chopped
• pepitas, to garnish
• lime wedges, to serve
• sliced avocado, to serve
• Nut meat (recipe above)
• Lime Cilantro Sour Cream (recipe above) or Basic Cashew Sour Cream (shown)

Use as much as you like of anything or feel free to add other ingredients like fresh corn, sliced jalapenos, etc. Serve with a few juicy limes as your dressing.

Add a dollop of cream or a drizzle depending on how thick/thin your cream is.

It was a fairly simple salad that will leave you feeling fresh and satisfied!

Enjoy!

Black Bean, Roasted Corn & Tomato Salad

Simple, everyday food that is healthy and delicious! Sweet roasted corn, juicy tomatoes bursting with flavor and black beans all together making this a great summery salad. I also added some avocado as an after thought, so be sure to add some of that if you like...it was so good. This would also be great topped with a cashew cream like this one, Cilantro Cashew Cream or this Sriracha Cashew Cream. Enjoy this often and be well!

Black Bean, Roasted Corn & Tomato Salad

Ingredients (serves two)

• 2 heads romaine lettuce
• 1 can (14 oz) organic black beans
• 1 corn on the cob
• 1 dry pint grape or cherry tomatoes (or about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 jalapeno, diced and seeds removed
• 1 small shallot, diced or 1/4 cup onion of choice
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional)
• cilantro, as much as you like
• lime wedges, to serve
• avocado, diced (optional)
• Cashew Sour Cream or Lime-Cilantro Cashew Cream, optional
• mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roast your corn either by wrapping in tin foil or if using corn in the husk, soak for 5 min and cook in the husk. Add tomatoes and corn on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 25 min. 

In the meantime, heat black beans on low together with the jalapenos, shallot, garlic and optional cumin. Clean your romaine lettuce and chop.

When corn is done, cut off the cob, add corn to the black bean mixture. Serve bean mixture on top of your chopped romaine adding some of the juice for extra moisture and flavor if you like. Top with tomatoes, cilantro, salt and pepper and a big squeeze of lime. Would be fantastic with a dollop of the cashew sour cream or lime-cilantro cashew cream!

Enjoy!