Red and Blue Potato Salad with Citrus Herb Vinaigrette

This was so fresh and flavorful, not to mention nutritious and so easy to make! The vinaigrette, when poured over the warm potatoes, gets all soaked up into the potatoes and the herbs really stand out. We served this as a side to my favorite Creamy Tomato Basil Soup, and I think this would also be a perfect addition to your upcoming 4th of July Menu, because it would be just as good served at room temperature! You can really use any small variety of potatoes here, I just really loved the colors of these. And definitely use fresh herbs, it is a must for this!!

Red and Blue Potato Salad with Citrus Herb Vinaigrette

What You Need:

1 lb. baby blue potatoes

1 lb. baby red potatoes

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tsp. fresh rosemary chopped very small

1 tsp. sea salt

pinch black pepper

Citrus Herb Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Citrus Herb Vinaigrette:
zest and juice of 1arge lemon
1 clove garlic, minces
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt , pinch of pepper

To make:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash Potatoes and half or quarterthe, depending on the size. Try to make them all similar in size. using a clean dish towel, dry off the potatoes to remove any excess moisture that is on them. Place in a bowl and drizzle 2 Tbsp. oilve oil over them. Add fresh rosemary, 1 tsp sea salt, and cracked black pepper and toss with hands to coat well. Cook for 45-50 minutes until golden and crispy on the outside.
While the potatoes cook, make your vinaigrette. In a small bowl add all of your ingredients and whisk well. This vinaigrette is thick from all the herbs, and kind of chunky. Set aside and let the flavors blend while the potatoes cook.
When potatoes are finished cooking, remove from oven, and place ino a nice serving platrer. Pour the dressing over them. Toss to coat well.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Mochi Croutons

I love this soup. It's one of my favorites. I came up with the recipe years ago and have been making it regularly since. If you are a "foodie" and love to cook and create new things, it is saying a lot when a recipe earns a spot as a "regular" in the meal rotation. This is one of those recipes for me.

Oh, and the mochi croutons! They just make it that much more delicious! I love mochii! If you are not familiar with mochi, it is made from whole grain brown rice and water, and its so good for you! They steam the rice, then pound the brown rice into a paste and form them into rectangular cakes that harden. You can cut then and use them how you want, but one of my favorite ways is as croutons. They are puffy and crispy on the outside, chewy in the center, and so delicious!

Mochi is highly nutritious, nourishes the spleen, pancreas and intestines, and is great for pregnant and nursing women. It is also great for those of you with gluten intolerance's because it is wheat and gluten free as well! So if you can get some Mochi, definitely give it a try!

The cashew cream lends such a wonderful silky, velvety texture to the soup. Just remember to start soaking your cashews in the morning the day that you are going to make this soup so that they are ready to go when you need them.

Creamy Tomato Basil soup with Mochi croutons

What You Need:

1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. Earth Balance vegan butter

1 medium yellow onion, diced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

2 28-ounce cans of diced tomatoes in tomato juice (Trader Joes has a good organic one)

2 cups of vegetable broth

2 tsp salt

black pepper

2 handfuls of fresh basil

1 recipe for cashew cream (recipe below)

1 recipe for Mochi croutons (recipe below)

Cashew Cream: 1/4 cup cashews, 1/2 cup water

Soak cashews for at least 2 hours. Drain and rinse the cashew well, and place in a blender with about 1/2 cup of water. Blend until smooth and creamy. Place in the fridge until ready to use for soup.

To Make the Soup:

Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and butter, onions, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper and saute until the onions become tender, about 5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, 2 tsp. salt, and a few cracks of black pepper. Bring up to a low boil, then cover and simmer soup on low for about 20 minutes. Add a few large handfuls of fresh basil to the soup, and stir in the cashew cream. Blend the soup in batches in a blender or use an immersion blender to make the soup smooth. Top soup with Mochi croutons.

Mochi Croutons: 1 Pckg. Grainaissance plain Mochi, 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil, sea salt

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet. Dice the mochi into 1/2 cubes, and then pan fry until lightly browned and crispy on both sides. Place on a towel or baking sheet to cool, and sprinkle with sea salt.

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Chocolate Fudge Muffins on The Kind Life

I just wanted to post and say thank you again to Alicia Silverstone over at

The Kind Life

for another feature of my blog and recipe! It's so cool and exciting to wake up to a surprise like that. I'm so glad she chose to post the Chocolate Fudge Muffins. Those are so amazing, and worth making, and have been a reader's favorite. Anyways, once again, I am extremely flattered!
Thank You Alicia!

Sweet Orange "Chickenless" and Tofu with Brown Rice

This is my own healthy version of Chinese take out. I think Americans have an obsession with that orange chicken type dish. I was set out to create something even more delicious, healthy and nutritious to help with that Chinese food craving. The sauce is sweet, slightly sour, orange deliciousness. And my sexy taste testing hubby gave this the thumbs up. He loved it, as did my kids! And while I preferred the tofu over the "chicken", he liked the "chicken" over the tofu. Feel free to throw in any vegetables you like. I just put carrots in mine, because that was what I had on hand. Also, the Nira (garlic chives) can be found at your Asian food markets, and they are so good and add something special to the dish. But, if you can't find any nira, you can use chives, just use way less. Only garnish with chives, instead of adding tons to the dish.

Sweet Orange "Chikenless" and Tofu over brown rice

What You Need:

1 Package extra firm tofu

1 package of Trader Joes Chickenless strips (if you can't find this product, sub in another package of tofu, or use the Gardein brand "chicken" breasts and cut into strips, or you could use seitan strips)

2 cups of Mixed veggies of your choice, carrots, broccoli, celery, snow peas, etc.

1/2 cup Nira (garlic chives) or regular chives, found at Asian Markets

a few Tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil

Sea salt and pepper

3/4 cup of good quality not from concentrate orange juice, such as Naked Brand

3/4 cup of Sucanat (natural sugar cane)

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp Annies organic ketchup (this might seem weird, but it is the secret ingredient here!)

1 cup white vinegar

Japanese chili oil (optional, found at Asian Markets. You could also add a few (maybe 1/4 tsp) of crushed red pepper flakes to add a little heat.)

4 Tbsp. Arrowroot powder (this is an all natural thickening agent, and a better choice than cornstarch, although you could sub in cornstarch with the same results, just use 1/2 the amount, so 2 Tbsp. cornstarch)

Precooked brown rice

To Make Tofu:

Drain tofu, and cut into small cubes. Lay the tofu out on a cutting board along with the Chickenless and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. If you want to help eliminate some of the tofu moisture, you can toss the tofu in a little flour to coat a little.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat, and add a few Tbsp of Olive Oil. Brown the tofu and "chicken". Remove from the pan, and then add your veggies into the pan to warm through and cook a little, but not overcook.

To Make the Sauce:

In a saucepan, add all of your ingredients. Heat over low to warm through. Put 4 Tbsp. of arrowroot into a small dish, and add 1/2 cup of the warm sauce. Mix well to make sure there are no lumps. Add the arrowroot mixture into the sauce a little at a time and cook for 1 or 2 minutes to thicken sauce. You may not need to use all of the arrowroot/sauce mixture. Remove from heat.

In a large serving platter add your tofu, "chicken", veggies, and nira. Pour the sauce over and toss to coat everything.

This dish is great served family style at the table, so everyone can dish up for themselves.

Summer Portabello Sandwich

This was all that I wanted tonight! And boy did it satisfy! Sometimes a veggie girl just needs her a little portabello love, you know? This recipe is so simple and healthy, without any fussy ingredients. You can serve this with a fresh side salad, or some oven sweet potato fries, or how about some fresh corn from your farmers market? I served ours with a delicious gunsmoke coleslaw that I got over at the Allotment 2 kitchen blog...

Get ready to get your face messy, this is a good one!

Summer Portabello Sandwich

What You Need:

4 whole wheat hamburger buns, or your favorite whole grain artisan bread

4 large portabello mushrooms, stems removed

2 large vine ripened beefsteak tomatoes

Clausen sandwich sliced dill pickles (found in the cold section at most stores)

1 purple onion

Vegan pepperjack cheese (optional, we like Tofu Rella brand)

microgreens, or if you can't find these, sprouts will work fine

Vegan mayo (I like Veganaise by Follow Your Heart)

Annies organic ketchup

Annies organic smooth Dijon mustard

2-3 Tbsp. Olive oil

salt and pepper

To Make:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly clean the tops of the mushrooms with a damp cloth. Do not submerge mushrooms in water. Slice the red onions to 1/4 inch thick slices. Place the onions and mushrooms (gill side up) on a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes.

While the mushrooms and onions cook, prep the rest of your ingredients.

Slice the tomatoes and sprinkle them with just a tiny pinch of salt and pepper.

In a bowl, mix about 1/4 cup vegan mayo with about a Tbsp. of ketchup and 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard. Mix well. set aside.

When the mushrooms and onions are done cooking, slice the mushrooms into about 4 or 5 slices per mushroom.

Slice and toast bread. If using the Vegan pepperjack cheese, place a slice on the bread and lighty melt under a broiler. Spread the top slice with a little mayo mixture. Add a few tomato slices, a few pickle slices, portabello slices, red onion slices, and a big bunch of microgreens or sprouts.

Little House of Veggies on The Kind Life

I was beyond flattered to wake up today to the complete surprise that Alicia Silverstone herself has featured my blog and a recipe of mine on the front page of her vegan forum The Kind Life! Very cool! A big thank you to Alicia for the shout out! What a compliment!

You can check out the post here...
The Kind Life is a fabulous site full of really great vegan information! Go check it out! I love it!

Authentic Japanese Gyoza (Potstickers)

Alright, these were just plain delicious!
You can thank my cute brother and his beautiful girlfriend. She is from Japan (born and raised) and she and my brother are both amazing cooks! I have learned so many really cool authentic Japanese recipes from them. My brother is there (in Japan) visiting her right now, and they just made a video teaching my family and I how to make Gyoza, or what we call potstickers. They are traditionally made with pork, but she knows that I am a vegetarian, and she kindly created a veggie version for me to try. I made the Gyoza wrappers from scratch, and will give directions on how to do that, but you can definitely use the kind that are already ready to use that you can buy at your Asian Markets. They would work just fine. I have to say though, when something is made from scratch and made with a little love, it tastes so much better! This recipe is as authentic as it gets! Oh, and don't be intimidated by the odd ingredients, they can all be found at your Assn markets as well. Get on an apron, get brave, and make something new and challenging! Cooking is so fun!

Authentic Japanese Gyoza (potstickers)

Step by step instructions

Step One: Making the Gyoza wrapper dough

Start by dumping about 2 cups of All purpose flour in a large bowl. You don't have to measure this, just eyeball it. Next, stirring with chopsticks, add hot water a little at a time until a doughy ball forms. It should be a little sticky. Using your hands and a little additional flour, knead the dough a little until it is smooth and elastic. Wrap in saran wrap and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2: Making the vegetable filling
You will need:
2 cups cabbage
2 cup nira (garlic chives found at Asian Market)
1 cup Gobo (burdock root, also found at Asian Market), peeled
1 cup shitake mushrooms
1 cup oyster mushrooms
2 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
Tbsp Potato starch
1/2 tsp salt
pinch pepper
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sake wine
1 Tbsp sesame oil

Finely chop the cabbage, nira, gobo, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger. Chop these as fine as you can, the smaller the pieces the better (My mom did hers in a food prcessor and it worked great!). Next add the rest of the ingredients and stir well to incorporate everything. Set aside while you prepare the wrappers.
Step 3: Making the Gyoza Wrappers
(Use a large biscuit cutter to cut out perfect rounds)

Working on a very well floured surface, roll out a little dough a little at a time until it is pretty thin (1/4 inch or so). Using a large biscuit cutter, cut out rounds. Continue the process until rounds are all cut out. Generously cover the tops with flour so that they do not stick.

Step 4: Assembling and cooking the Gyoza:
Holding a wrapper in your hand, dip your fingers in some cold water and wet the edges of the wrapper a little. This is going to act as an adhesive when you close it. Place a small amount of the filling onto the center of the wrapper.
Fold the wrapper in half and gently seal the edges leaving no holes or openings.
You can stop here and cook them just like this, or you can give them a fancy pleated edge like this one...
While you are working on making the gyoza, place them on a parchment lined and floured baking sheet. Make sure that there is a good amount of flour on the parchment paper for extra assurance that the gyoza will not stick to it.
Step 5: Cooking the Gyoza
Now you are ready to cook these. You will need a heavy skillet, 2 Tbsp. Olive oil or Sesame oil, a few Tbsp. of water, and a lid for your pan. Over medium high heat, heat the oil. Place your Gyoza in the pan with the pleated edge toward the ceiling. Cook for several minutes until they start to get crispy on the bottom. Now you are going to finish cooking them by steaming them. Put a few Tbsp. of water in the pan, cover with a lid, and finish cooking for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from pan, and serve with Chili dipping sauce (recipe below).

Step 6: Chili Dipping Sauce:

In a small dish, mix 6 Tbsp. soy sauce or Tamari, 3 Tbsp. Rice vinegar, and Japanese Chili Oil to taste to add as much spice as you like. I love a lot of spice, but if you do not you could even leave this out entirely.
Enjoy these amazing Potstickers with a side of brown rice, or miso soup .

Rainbow Salad with Crispy Tofu and Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

I love to throw together what I call "rainbow salads". I call them that for my kids, and try to throw in lots of different colors. Eating a variety of colors on your plate is a really good way to get lots of nutrition out of the meal. Colorful food is good food! This crispy marinated tofu is so amazing! Tofu can sometimes get a bad rap on flavor and texture, but its not tofu's fault. It just needs to be made and prepared with a little love. It is pretty much an empty canvas, and you can infuse it with all kinds of flavors. This vinaigrette turned out so vibrant and fresh and really complimented the salad well.

Rainbow Salad with Crispy Tofu and Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

For the Tofu:

2 pkg. extra firm tofu, cut into small bite size triangle pieces

1/2 cup Tamari soy sauce

1/2 cup water

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

Drain tofu, and gently press in a clean towel to remove some water. Cut your tofu into smaller bite size triangular pieces.

Mix the soy sauce, water, garlic, and ginger in a dish, and place tofu in to marinade for a few hours.

In a large saute pan, heat a few Tbsp. of oil over medium high heat, and saute the tofu until golden and crispy on the outside.

For the Salad:

Use whatever vegetable you have and love, try to include lots of colors, I used

purple cabbage

bean sprouts

cucumbers
Bell Peppers

carrots

Romaine lettuce

Crispy Marinated Tofu

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 small clove garlic

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup fresh cilantro (about 1 small bundle)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 Tbsp agave nectar

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Fill your salad plate with all of your veggies. Top with crispy tofu, and some vinaigrette. Serve with a side of brown rice.

Lemon and Blueberry Muffins

I came up with this recipe the other day using some amazing fresh blueberries from our local farmers here. They were delicious, and the muffins are now a favorite of my husband! They turned out very light and fluffy and perfect!

And really, who doesn't love warm blueberry muffins!

Lemon and Blueberry Muffins

Makes about 8 muffins

What You Need:

1/4 cup Earth Balance vegan butter

1/2 cup evaporated cane juice sugar (you can purchase at Trader Joe's)

1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 tsp lemon extract

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 regular container (about 1 cup) of fresh blueberries

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk mixed with the juice of 1 lemon (this will create homemade vegan buttermilk)

zest of 1 lemon

sugar for dusting the tops

To Make:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 8 regular sized muffin cups. In a bowl or stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar and cream until pale in color. Add the applesauce, extracts and milk.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Mix well, and slowly add to the wet ingredients. Fold in the blueberries gently so they don't break open.

Fill the muffin cups, and sprinkle the top of each muffin with a little extra sugar. Bake muffins for about 20-25 minutes, until the tops are barely golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Tempeh Salad Ezekiel Wraps

This is so delicious and a really healthy meal. Look for sprouted grain Ezekiel wraps at your health food stores. They are made entirely from sprouted grains, using no flour, they are a complete protein, and have tons of fiber! If you can't find these, any good quality whole grain wrap will work great. I would double this recipe, it makes the best leftovers! You can put any toppings you want in the wrap, carrots and sprouts are great, and I used tomatoes and lettuce this time because that's what I had around. The recipe for the tempeh is adapted from a Native Foods recipe that they used to serve at their restaurant, and that was introduced to me by my good friend. I have made tons of variations of it since! This is my own little spin off of their "Palm Springs Wrap".

Tempeh Salad Ezekiel Wraps

What You Need:

1 batch of "tempeh salad" recipe follows

Ezekiel wraps

lettuce

cooked brown rice, that is seasoned with a little salt and pepper

chopped tomatoes

balsamic dressing to drizzle if you want

For the Tempeh Salad
2 packages tempeh (16 ounces total)

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, or 3 Tbsp. or reuglar soy sauce or Tamari

2/3 cup water

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 tsp minced ginger

4 stalks celery, finely diced

4 Tbsp. fresh dill (to taste)

1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise

squeeze of fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)

Pinch of salt and pepper (only if needed, taste first, then add)

Start by cutting your block of tempeh into 3 pieces (squares). Then cut each of those squares into two triangles by cutting at a diagonal.

In a small bowl, combine the water, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger and whisk well. Heat a large saute pan to medium high heat. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with a few Tbsp of olive oil. Saute the tempeh triangles until they have a nice golden color. Then add the marinade to the pan, and reduce the heat to low. Let the marinade reduce and be soaked up by the tempeh completely. The tempeh should have a nice golden color to it. Place the tempeh on a plate to cool.

Once cooled, chop or crumble the tempeh into small pieces in a large bowl. Add the celery, dill, mayo, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and stir. Taste to adjust salt and pepper.

To assemble the wraps:
Gently warm an ezekiel wrap. Add some lettuce, a little brown rice, tempeh salad, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with a touch of salt and pepper. You can also drizzle the top with a little balsamic vinnaaigrette if you want.


ENJOY!!

"Cheesy" Chipotle Corn Chowder

When I was creating this recipe today, I was trying to mimic the old cheesy soups I used to love like broccoli cheese, and cheesy Potato, etc. It turned out so delicious, and surprisingly quite "cheesy" tasting. The chipotle peppers are definitely the special ingredient here, and add such a great flavor to the soup. A very small amount of chipotle in adobo goes a very long way! So only add one in. And, if you like your soup spicy, keep the seeds, if you don't like a lot of spice, remove the seeds from the pepper. This was a perfect way to use a bunch of the fresh corn we had around!



"Cheesy" Chipotle Corn Chowder

What You Need:

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 carrots, peeled and diced

3 celery diced

1 yellow onion diced

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

5 ears of corn, cut fresh from the cob, or about 4-5 cups frozen thawed corn

2 32-ounce boxed of vegetable stock (you will only use 1 1/2 boxes)

3/4 lb. of small baby yellow potatoes, or a few larger potatoes, cubed

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeds removed and chopped (these come in a can, and are found near other Mexican food Ingredients in the specialty food isles.)

3 vegetable bouillon (I like Rapunzel brand found at health food stores)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. chili pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

salt and pepper to taste

1 batch of cashew "cheese" sauce (recipe follows)

fresh dill, chopped tomatoes, and a few corn chips for garnish

Cashew "cheese" sauce

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours or more

about 1 cup water

3/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 tsp Dijon or regular mustard

4-5 sun dried tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp. Earth Balance Vegan Butter

pinch salt and pepper

In a blender add the soaked cashews and about 1 cup of water. Blend cashews until smooth. You can add a little extra water if you need to to help the cashews blend well. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend to mix very well. You cheese should should be fairly thick Set aside.

To Make Soup:

Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the olive oil, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and corn and saute for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables become slightly tender.

Add 1 32-ounce box of stock, plus 1/2 of the second 32-ounce box of vegetable stock. You don't have to measure this exactly, just estimate. Add diced potatoes, bay leaf, and all other seasonings except for the "cheese" sauce. Bring to a boil, the cover and simmer for about 34 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Remove the bay leaves from the soup, and stir in your cashew "cheese". Cook an additional 5 minutes to let the sauce thicken a little. Taste, and add any additional salt and pepper if needed.

To Serve, Ladle soup into bowls, and top with chopped tomatoes and a sprinkle of fresh dill. You can also crush a couple corn ships on top to add to the "corn" flavor too.