summer – The Vegan Love Project

Iced Mocha Dandy

*dandy drink My sister Jill brings her Dandy Blend with her to Starbucks to make her hot and cold versions of this delicious coffee substitute…Me being me was like “I’m going to make it!” So I did…and it’s delicious!!!! Whether you drink coffee or not, this is just tasty AF. Serve warmed, hot, over ice or blended with ice to create a frozen Frosty style treat.

Iced Dandy Mocha

1T Dandy Blend or other coffee substitute

1T Raw Cacao Powder

1T Coconut Manna

1T Coconut Sugar or Date Sugar

3-4 Raw Cashews

1c water

2t Maca powder *optional (makes it malty yummy)

Pinch pink salt

Pinch vanilla

Place all ingredients in a blender and process till smooth and creamy. Serve over ice or blended with.

Summer Tofu Scramble

Another crazy hard crossfit workout this morning!!! Thrusters and GHD sit-ups – SO GOOD. Came home on a mission to eat and had two lovely heirloom tomatoes on the counter that were screaming to be used. I chopped them up and remembered I had both basil and arugala pesto in the fridge. Seeing as I used all of my miso paste up making the pesto, I used what I had left of the miso and supplemented with the arugala pesto AND OH MY GODDESS…..YUMNESSSSS!!!!

Summer Tofu Scramble

1 package (15oz) firm tofu, crumbled

2T coconut oil

1c fresh summer tomatoes- heirlooms are best- medium dice

½ medium onion, small dice

1/4c nutritional yeast- more if desired!

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2t ground turmeric

1/2t salt

1/4t black pepper

—

2t miso

1T prepared arugala or basil pesto

2T water- more if needed

Mix the miso paste with the water and set aside.

In a heated skillet or fry pan over medium high heat, heat up the oil and add the onion, garlic, turmeric, salt, black pepper and sauté until aromatic and golden.

Add the diced tomatoes and the crumbled tofu and sauté over medium heat, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes, coating the tofu with the onion mixture.

Mix the miso paste into the scramble, then add the pesto. Sprinkle in the nutritional yeast and mix until well incorporated.

Serve immediately with toast or in a breakfast tofu burrito, sprinkled with additional nutritional yeast.

Pine Nut Basil Pesto

Pesto is a sure sign summer is here, with it’s fresh beautiful taste. Basil also has a whole host of healing properties including anti-bactieral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging as it is filled with antioxidants…..Good news for all of us, and as easy as Pesto! I picked this beautiful bag of basil up yesterday at the local farmer’s market and whipped up this fabulous easy pesto. I ate it over brown rice penne, and I honestly don’t know how it could have been improved upon. #nocheese #noneed

Pine Nut Basil Pesto

1-1/2-2c fresh basil, lightly packed

1/3c raw pine nuts, sprouted if possible

2T sweet mellow white miso

2T nutritional Yeast

1/2c extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

½ lemon, juiced

2t brown rice vinegar

Salt and pepper

—

In a blender, add the basil, oil, garlic, vinegar, lemon and miso. Blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust the seasoning adding more salt, pepper or lemon juice if needed. Pour out into an airtight container- keep in the fridge. Can easily be frozen.

Strawberry Maca Cacao Power Smoothie

Still obsessed with strawberries..This one add a little bit more umpf to the morning, natural energy from raw cacao and chia seeds make for a sustainable energy high. D E LI C I O U S.

Strawberry Maca Cacao Power Smoothie

1c nut milk

1T hemp seed

2-3 t raw agave or raw local honey

1c strawberries

1T gold flax seeds

1T chia seeds

2T raw cacao powder

2t maca powder

1T coconut oil

1t vanilla

1scoop protein powder

1c ice

Blend all ingredients together except the ice and process until smooth- taste and adjust if needed

Add the ice and blend just until smooth.

Basic Everyday Sautéed Greens

The perfect side every day. I mostly stick to kale, I can’t ever get enough. Pictured was fresh baby spinach- divine. All of the greens come out super tasty, kale’s just my fave. You can vary the flavors by adding spices, like ginger and for depth shoyu or gluten free tamari. In Italy they add pine nuts and raisins or currants to the spinach- HOLY CRAP is that delicious. Greens are always the perfect accompaniment to any vegan meal. So good for you….

EAT THEM….EAT YOUR GREENS.

Basic Everyday Sautéed Greens

1 bunch greens, (kale, chard, spinach, collards, beet greens, cabbage) washed, trimmed, and torn or cut into bite size pieces

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4t cayenne pepper flakes or fresh hot pepper

2T extra virgin olive oil

1/4t salt or to taste

In a large skillet heat up the olive oil over medium high heat and sauté the garlic just until golden brown. Add the salt, red pepper, and then add the greens. With a fork or a pair of tongs, move the greens around the pan cooking them just until wilted and tender. I like to place mine in a bowl with a plate over top so that it continues to steam slightly. Serve immediately. Also delicious cold!

SAUTÉED SESAME KALE WITH GARLIC

Fricken delicious. In 6 minutes you have fricken awesomeness. Serve with beans, tofu, tempeh, brown rice or quinoa etc. I ate mine with my fermented hot sauce.

Kale with Toasted Sesame and Garlic

1 bunch kale, washed, trimmed, and cut into bite size pieces

1 large clove garlic, smashed, minced

1T un-hulled sesame seeds (optional)

2T extra virgin olive oil

1t Toasted sesame oil

1/4t pink salt

crushed red pepper to taste

In a large skillet heat up the olive oil over medium high heat and sauté the garlic just until golden brown. Add the sesame seeds and pan toast for a minute or two. Add the salt, and red pepper, and then add the kale. With a fork or a pair of tongs, move the kale around the pan cooking the kale until wilted and tender. Add the toasted sesame oil in at the end of cooking and mix in. Serve immediately. Also good cold.

Fermented Hot Sauce!

This stuff is BOMB. I started making it last year and could not wait for this summer to roll around to plant all of the peppers I could to make it again. SO SIMPLE. You can use any variety of hot peppers, I use a mix of Hot Cherry Bombs, Cayenne, Jalapeño, and Chili’s. Depending on the kind of heat you prefer, you could totes add Scotch Bonnets and Habañeros to the mix for a hotter hot or add some sweet peppers to make it more like a homemade Sriracha Sauce. I also add in some fresh ginger, garlic in addition to the salt in the brine. I eat it on sandwiches, with tofu, just about anywhere I want a little kick in the pants. SO. GOOD.

You Will Need:

A glass jar with a gasket lock-tite lid
2-3″ piece of fresh ginger
3-4 cloves of fresh garlic
*Salt
3-4c prepared hot/sweet pepper mix, de-stemmed and at least split so that the brine can penetrate the pepper
*Brine: Mix 1 heaped tablespoon of a mineral rich good sea salt, like pink or celtic sea salt, per quart water.
a small dish to weigh the peppers down once the lid is sealed to keep them under the brine

Hot Sauce

In the clean glass jar, start layering the peppers, ginger and garlic in, tightly packing them and also pounding them in to crush them somewhat.
Layer them tightly! You can salt as you go or you can pre-mix your saltwater brine and pour over the pepper mix.
Leave about 2 inches of space from the top. I use a little porcelain ramekin and close it down with lid onto the peppers (do this over the sink so as not to let what spills out spill all over!)

All of the goodness should be completely submersed under the brine.

THATS’ IT! I put this in my dehydrator, not on, so it can do it’s thing in a safe, warm, undisturbed place for at least two weeks.

After several days you will see bubbles start to happen- Don’t open the jar! TWO WEEKS.

After two weeks, in the sink, because the contents are now under pressure, carefully open the jar- You will most definitely get a POP.

Pour this directly into your food processor or vita-mix and puree completely with ALL of the brine included. If you need more liquid, you can add a little bit of raw apple cider vinegar to the blender. Bottle and store refrigerated. AMAAAAAAZINGNESS.

TLT Sandwich

So I know this isn’t huge on the creativity scale of vegan food preparation but with beautiful tomatoes abundant now- why complicate? I have been boycotting Lightlife Foods, as they are owned by ConAgra; a pro GMO (genetically modified organisms) Corporation, but my friend just bought a package of Fakin Bakin and brought it to the house -with a GORGEOUS heirloom tomato on the counter waiting to be dressed- I couldn’t resist 🙂 ….I use Ezekiel Whole Grain Bread, Follow Your Heart Organic Veganaise and the rest is either from my garden or someone else’s.

Tomato Lettuce Tempeh Bakin Sandwich

2 slices whole grain bread, slightly toasted

2t vegan mayo

1 small tomato, thinly sliced

baby greens

salt & peper

Smoked Tofu Vegetable Salad

This is my favorite served in romaine lettuce leaves but it also makes a great sandwich filling. It is so easy to make and I love having it in the house as a quick snack option- it light, crunchy and fresh tasting. You can try using different varieties of the baked tofu, they will all produce a slightly different taste. I ate this for lunch today on whole grain Ezekiel bread, one of my heirloom tomatoes and baby lettuce from the garden.

8 oz Smoked Tofu Lin, broken in chunks

4 stalks celery, roughly chopped

1 large carrot, roughly chopped

1/3 to 1/2c vegan mayonnaise

pink salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor or vita-mix, pulse the celery or turn on low to mince. Remove into a large bowl. Do the same with the carrot and then the tofu. Process the tofu until desired consistency, it should at least be a fine, even. meal. Add into the bowl of veggies. Add the vegan mayo, salt and pepper and with a spoon, mix all of the ingredients together until well incorporated.

Heirloom Tomatos, Garlic, Basil, & Olive Oil with Grilled Artisan Bread

I had purchased this beautiful heirloom tomato at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday and it took me until today to actually think of something to make using it- I didn’t want to cook it; although a fresh Tomato Basil Soup or Gazpacho would have been amazing. A fresh pasta sauce crossed my mind but this thing was 5″ across and GORGEOUS. I have been reading Michael Pollan’s latest book “Cooked” and last night was on the chapter about bread and it lit me up about the local artisan loaf I purchased the same day at the market…10% Rye Sourdough with Sesame. I had eaten a lot of it on Saturday so I sliced it and put it in the freezer. So I knew today was the day. Today was the tomato day. Variations on a theme, there is nothing like the basil, garlic, tomato trilogy; everything local and in season. I ate it as a series of open faced sandwiches, I say a series, because I grilled 4 slices and ate all 4 slices…..

For the tomatoes

Local, fresh, summer tomatoes, preferably heirloom, sliced

plenty of fresh basil

1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

fresh hot chili pepper

extra virgin olive oil

pink salt

black pepper

—

for the bread

artisan loaf of bread

Extra virgin olive oil

garlic, smashed and minced

Heat up the grill or grill pan.

Prepare the bread:

Slice the bread into ¼-1/2” slices, how ever many slices you and friends will eat (2-3 per person or 4 if I am coming over)

In a small plate, add the garlic, olive oil. Lightly brush the bread slices with the oil and set aside.

Over high heat, place the bread on the grill or pan and close the grill or cover the pan. Let grill for about 3-4 minutes. The bread should easily flip and have gorgeous markings. Once flipped, continue to grill for another 3-4 minutes.

Serve immediately with the fresh tomato slices on top drizzled with more garlic olive oil, salt pepper and basil.