Recipe for Royal Waldorf Salad  by Zanada Maleki

Ingredients

·        Juice of 1 whole lemon

·        Salt to taste

·        1+ tablespoon/s Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute or similar spice mix

·        3   apples, cleaned, cored, and chopped

·        2 cups of finely chopped celery (or 3 stalks celery)

·        1 and ½ cups soaked raisins (soaked in ½ cup hot water for 20 minutes to wake them up)

·         2 cups blueberries

·        3 Tbsp Vegan mayonnaise (Mayo label at Trader Joe’s)/ or any brand you like

·        1 and ½  cups chopped trail mix  unsalted nuts (almonds, pistachios, filberts, brazil nuts, walnuts, cashews).    The nuts may be roasted or unroasted. If unroasted, soak the nuts in a hot water only bath for 20 minutes. Tis softens them as well as cleans them of natural residues. Rinse the nuts. They become meatier in that the soak reawakens any semblance of enzymes left in the nuts that ready the nuts to try to  sprout.

·        1 fistful or 2+  cups  of cold water rinsed wild arugula/organic arugula or your favorite green leafy veggie, chopped

Method

·       For all fresh veggies and fruits: prep a cleansing bath as follows. In a large bowl, pour hot water to fill half the bowl. Add ½ tsp common table salt. Add 3 Tbsp hydrogen peroxide. Add 3 Tbsp white distilled vinegar. Mix together. Add in the apples quickly. Swish them around in the water, rub them over with your hands in the water. Quickly remove them and rinse them in a cold water bath. The hot water also increases the ripening, the cold water stops the ripening. You will notice what falls off of what was assumed to be clean apples before that bath!  Treat the celery the same way. Give them both a final rinse. Dip the blueberries into the cleansing bath very briefly using a sieve or strainer. Rinse well. The peroxide addresses the bacterials,  the vinegar treats funguses, salt conditions the water to become a more workable  efficient liquid solution. The heat of the hot water stuns any creature wildlife hanging on in disguise.

·       In a medium bowl add: apples,  lemon juice over the apples, celery, blueberries, chopped nut mix. Stir in the mayo. If you find that to be too much, add in another apple. Add in the spices. Stir together  well such that everything gets coated with the mayo, but not smothered in the mayo.

Do a final shake of spices to taste (but not more salt).

Puy Lentils with Tahini and Cumin

1 cup Puy Lentils (special type of French green lentils)

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp black cumin seeds

4 medium tomatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch dice

1 ½  cilantro chopped

¼ cup tahini paste

2 T lemon juice

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

½ tsp paprika, to garnish (optional)

salt to taste

Bring a saucepan of water to boil.  Add the lentils and cook 30 mins, until completely cooked.  Drain and set aside.

Put the cumin seeds in a dry pan, heat slowly on the stove (stir often) until the taste goes from bitter to bland. Add a small amount of water and the crushed garlic and allow to continue to cook together until soft.  Add the tahini paste,  ground cumin, four-fifths of the chopped cilantro and lemon juice and continue to heat until the mixture is hot and thickened.  Add the cooked, drained lentils and chopped tomatoes .

Spread the lentil mixture on a flat serving plate and sprinkle with the onion and the remaining cilantro.  Optional: Drizzle with good olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.

Cranberry Tea

by Arlene Wannemacher

Ingredients

• 20 tea bags Red Zinger Tea Bags
• 1 small bag of red organic pitted cherries
• 1 cup cracked oats
• 1 package (pound) fresh cranberries
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 can frozen apple juice concentrate

Process

• boil 4 cups of water, remove heat and steep the tea bags
• cook oats in almond or soy mild and add maple syrup
• dehydrate the cranberries
• steep dried cranberries in the apple juice (thawed, of course)
• blend all ingredients together.

Kale Salad

Kale Salad

5 big stalks of kale
salad dressing (see recipe above)
½ red bell pepper, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and sliced into strips with a vegetable peeler
3 tablespoons purple cabbage, chopped
1 tablespoon red onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds
Dressing
1 cup cashews, rinsed
1 cup water
2 lemons, juiced
2 tablespoons honey
1 tsp, onion powder
1 tsp sea salt (omit if you are massaging kale with salt)
1 tsp Herbamare
2 clove garlic
1/4 tsp of dry mustard powder, optional

Instructions:
First you have to make the dressing. Simply blend all dressing ingredients thoroughly in a food processor or blender.  Allow to chill
Pull the kale leaves off from the tough stem, and slice very fine.
(Optional : sprinkle with sea salt and massage the leaves for a couple of minutes, meaning that you should scrunch handfuls of kale in your hands, release, repeat. The kale will become darker in color and more fragrant. This step improves the taste of raw kale.)

Throw the kale into a bowl, drizzle in the salad dressing (don’t skimp), and toss thoroughly.
Add the red peppers, carrots, cabbage and red onion.
Top with more carrot shreds and a big sprinkle of pumpkin or sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Medley of Brussels sprouts, squash and beets with hazlenuts

Medley of Brussels sprouts, Squash and Beets with Hazelnuts

4 medium size beets, tops trimmed (may use 8-10 smaller beets)

1 ½ lbs Brussels sprouts, halved length

1 ¼ lbs winter squash, or yams

1/3 cup minced shallots or onions

1/3 cup hazelnuts, finely chopped

1 T fresh thyme, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 lemon, juiced

1 tsp of honey

salt to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 F. Wrap beets in foil or place in a covered baking dish; bake until tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour.  Cool.  Peel; cut each beet in to 6-8 wedges.

Cut the squash or yams into cubes and bake in the same way as the beets until just tender 

Steam Brussels sprouts in a saucepan until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. 

In a sauce pan place the honey, crushed garlic, shallots and lemon juice and sauté until the shallots are tender add the chopped hazelnuts and continue to lightly sauté for about 3 minutes.

Mix all the vegetables together and in a serving dish or platter and toss with the hazelnuts mixture. Toss in the thyme.  Serve hot or chilled. 

Wild Rice & Quinoa Stuffing

 Wild Rice & Quinoa Stuffing

 Recipe By: Michael LaCharite
 Serving Size: 12

 Ingredients:

 1 6 oz. pkg Wild Rice
 1 cup Quinoa
 8 tablespoons Vegan Butter
 5 Celery Stalks, diced
 1 Onion, large, chopped
 1 pound Mushrooms, sliced
 1 16 oz. pkg Pepperidge Farms Stuffing
 2 Tablespoons Flaxseed, ground
 1 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth

 Directions:

 1. Cook wild rice and quinoa according to package directions. Drain. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

 2. Mix flaxseed with 6 tablespoons of water and set aside.

 3. In a large skillet over medium heat melt butter. Stir in celery and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in mushrooms. Cook for 10 minutes or until mushrooms are soft, stirring occasionally. Add vegetables to rice mixture.

 4. Stir in stuffing, toss lightly until well mixed. Stir in vegetable broth and flaxseed mixture and blend. Turn stuffing into a greased 3 quart casserole or into muffin tins. Bake, uncovered, in a 350℉ oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Decontructed Green Bean Casserole

 Decontructed Green Bean Casserole

 Recipe By: Michael LaCharite
 Serving Size: 8

 Ingredients:

 2 Onion, large, halved, thinly sliced
 16 Mushrooms, halved
 2 cups Mushroom Broth
 1 tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos
 1 Tablespoons Olive oil
 2 Celery Stalks, diced, finely
 1 Garlic cloves, minced
 3 tablespoons Earth Balance Butter
 3 tablespoons Flour
 1-1 1/2 cup Soymilk
 1/2 teaspoon Thyme, fresh
 1 1/2 pound Green Beans
 1 teaspoon Panko Bread Crumbs

 Directions:

 1. Add thinly sliced onions to crockpot with 1/2 T olive oil and 1/2 t salt. Stir. Set on high and leave overnight or for at least 6 hours or until dark brown. Stir occasionally. These may be made ahead.

 2. To a small pot add mushrooms, broth and liquid aminos. Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 4-6 hours or until very tender, adding more broth as necessary to prevent drying out. These may be made ahead of time.

 3. In a small frying pan, sauté celery in olive oil until tender. Add garlic and sauté 2 more minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Stir in flour. Slowly stir in warmed soy milk and blend until smooth. (For more flavor add a teaspoon each of the onion and mushroom cooking liquids.) Stir until thickened. Add back in sautéed celery. Season with thyme and salt to taste.

 4. Steam green beans just until slightly tender but not soft.

 5. To plate, lay down a spoon of sauce, top with neat pile of green beans, arrange 4 mushroom halves on beans, top with caramelized onions, grind on fresh black pepper and sprinkle on panko crumbs.

Mushroom Gravy

 Mushroom Gravy

 Recipe By: Happy Herbivore
 Serving Size: 3
 Yield: 1 Cup

 Ingredients:

 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
 1/4 cup White Whole-Wheat Flour
 1 cup Nondairy Milk
 1 small onion, diced
 8 oz. White Mushroom, thinly sliced
 2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
 1 teaspoon Rubbed Sage (not powdered)

 Directions:

 1. Whisk nutritional yeast and flour together with nondairy milk and set aside.

 2. Line a large frying pan with a thin layer of water and cook onion and mushroom over high heat until the mushrooms start to soften and turn brown and most of the water has evaporated.

 3. Add milk mixture, soy sauce, and sage to the pan, stirring to combine.

 4. Bring to a boil and continue to cook until thick.

 5. Add salt and pepper to taste.