Mini Falafel Sliders with Pickled Ginger, Tzatziki and Dill

1 cup dry chickpeas
1 finely sliced onion
4 cloves of fresh garlic minced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1/3 cup fresh parsley chopped
1/2 tspn baking powder
5 tblspns flour
Generous amount of oil
2 1/2 tspns cumin
1 tspn coriander
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tspn turmeric
Flax crackers (store bought or home made)

Fresh dill
Pickled ginger
Tzatziki

Falafels:

Blend chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro. Add into blender bread crumbs, turmeric, cumin, coriander and blend again.
Once blended add in flour and baking powder.  Place in a bowl and cover letting sit in the fridge for approximately 3 hours.

After 3 hours heat up a large pot with generous amount of oil.  Create small falafel balls with your hands and use two spoons to fry the falafels as to not burn yourself.  Fry a few minutes on each side.

Place on a paper towel or parchment paper to dry.

Serve in between two flax crackers with pickled ginger, tzatziki and fresh dill.

Photography credit:

Photographer: My Yen Trung http://myyentrung.com
Food Stylist:   Heather Shaw   http://foodbyheather.com

Pear, Passionfruit and Goat Cheese Salad

1/2 cup cubed passion fruit

1/2 cup cubed pear
1/2 cup goat cheese shredded
3 cups of pea sprouts
2 tbsp raspberry vinegar
Hemp Seeds
Pine Nuts
Gojo Berries

Sprinkle on top hemp seeds, pine nuts and goji berries.  Raspberry vinegar to dress.

Photographer:  My Yen Trung 

Food Stylist:  Heather Shaw 

Prop Stylist:  Natalie Adamov 

Truffled Mushrooms, Bulgur, Parsnips and Parmigiano

2 cups of cremini and portobello mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
2 coarsely chopped garlic cloves
2 tablespoons white truffle oil 
1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley 
1 small raw parsnip grated 
Splash of white wine 
1/3 cup parmigiano 
Pinch of paprika


Truffled Mushrooms:
In a frying pan over medium heat, add olive oil/white wine to taste, cook garlic until soft and then add sliced mushrooms. Cook approximately 20 minutes. 
Add parsley towards the end of the cooking time and stir in. Remove from heat adding truffle oil and serve while still warm.


Bulgur: 
Mix 1 1/2 cup of water into a saucepan with 1 cup of bulgur.  Bring to a boil and cover reducing heat to low. Cook for approx 15 mins. Separate grains with a fork prior to serving. Serve hot.  


Add truffled mushrooms on top of bulgur and serve with raw grated parsnips on the side.  Add a pinch on paprika to parnsips to taste.
Top mushrooms and bulgur with parmigiano. 

Pineapple and Guava Soup

4 cups of water
2 fresh Guavas
4 slices fresh pineapple
1 cup thick coconut milk
1 tspn cinnamon
3 tspns stevia
Goji berries
Fresh mint

Boil 4 cups of water and 1 cup thick coconut milk. Add sliced guavas and pineapple for about 10 minutes until soft.  Add in cinnamon, stevia and stir.

Serve cold with garnish of goji berries and mint.

Fiddlehead Salad

1 cup fiddlehead ferns trimmed and cleaned extremely well
3/4 cup of soy beans rinsed
1/2 cup feta cheese
1 small red onion diced thinly
Balsamic vinegar


Carefully remove the brown scales that surround the fiddleheads.  Cook fiddleheads, soy beans and red onion in boiling water for ten minutes, or steam for 20 minutes.  Serve immediately adding feta cheese on top and drizzling balsamic vinegar on dish.  


When picking Fiddleheads please exercise caution and do your research as some ferns are not edible. They can be purchased at farmer's markets and grocery stores.

Black Bean Mango Quesadilla

1/4 cup yellow cooked corn
1/2 red onion, diced
1 ripe mango, diced
1 can black beans
2 handfuls baby spinach
2 teaspoons garlic plus
1 whole wheat tortilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat oil in a pan and add onion. Add mango, cook for a couple more minutes. Add black beans and spinach.  Add in a small amount of water and garlic plus. Simmer until water is mostly reduced.

Spoon mixture on half the tortilla and fold in half.  Place in the oven at 350 degrees F until tortilla is warmed and toasted.

Take out of oven and cut into wedges.

Serve with creamy chipotle sauce and fresh jalapeno peppers.  Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Farro Winter Stew

5 cups vegetable stock 
1/2  cup fresh parmesan cheese 
1/3  cup  chopped white onion
1/4  cup  chopped fresh parsley
1/2  cup  dry white wine
5  cups  sliced cremini mushrooms 
2 cups pearled farrow 
1 cup small white potatoes sliced in half 
1 cup celery sliced 
1 cup carrot sliced 


Soak farrow for a few hours prior to making stew. 


Cook potatoes in a big pot with the vegetable stock for approx 10 mins.  Add white wine, onion mushrooms, celery, carrot and farrow and let cook until vegetables and farrow are cooke through.  Farrow will take about 20-30 minutes to cook. 


Serve topped with a generous amount of parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. 

Early Riser Smoothie

3 1/2 cups plain soy milk
2 tblspns stevia to taste
3 large dates
1 cup almonds (soaked the night before and skins removed)
2 bananas
Hemp seeds

Prepare almonds in hot water the night before and remove skins.
Place all ingredients in the blender and blend on high until smooth.
Garnish smoothie with a few hemps seeds on top.

Vegan Zucchini Tacos

1/2 cup shredded zucchini 

1/2 cup shredded lettuce 

1 fresh pitted and peeled avocado thinly sliced

1/3 cup feta cheese 

1/2 cup veggie ground round 

1/3 cup mashed chickpeas

Cilantro 

Sprinkle cilantro and feta on top of taco. 

Veggie Ground Round Sloppy Joes with Avocado and Swiss Cheese

1 package veggie ground round
1 fresh avocado sliced pitted and peeled
Three slices of swiss cheese per sloppy joe
2 Whole wheat buns

Heat veggie ground round on the stovetop on medium heat for 10 minutes.
Toast the whole wheat buns in the oven.

Place veggie ground round in bun and top with sliced swiss cheese and avocado slices.

Breaded Tempeh Rings

1 package of tempeh
1 white onion boiled diced into small pieces
1 cup of original soy milk
1 cup flour
1/2 cup thyme leaves
2 tspns paprika
2 tspns "garlic plus"
2 cups of breadcrumbs
Hot sauce
Plum sauce

Cut tempeh into small pieces and boil on high for approximately 15 minutes until tender.  Strain and rinse with cold water.  Once cooled mold boiled onion and tempeh into circles to resemble onion rings.

Prepare three bowls.  One with soy milk, second with flour, thyme, paprika, "garlic plus", and third with breadcrumbs.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place molded rings into soy milk and then flour mixture coating the rings well. Then place again in soy milk and then into breadcrumbs.  Place on baking sheet that has been lightly oiled.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden.

Serve with plum sauce and hot sauce.

Spicy Avocado & Watercress Spread

2 cups trimmed and thinly chopped watercress 

1/2 cup green onions very finely chopped 

2 avocados pitted and peeled 

1 hearty spoonful of spicy horseradish 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

4 kalamata olives pitted 

All ingredients except avocado in blender.  Blend until chunky or to desired consistency. 

Place in bowl and add fresh avocado and mash until smooth. 

Top with roasted pepitas to garnish.  

Can be used as a spread on toast, burgers or as a dip with pita slices.

Jalapenos, Sunflower Sprouts, and Pineapple Burritos

1 small fresh jalapeno pepper diced
1/2 cup kidney beans
1/3 cup fresh pineapple sliced
1/3 cup sunflower sprouts
2 soft whole wheat tortillas

Layer ingredients above in tortilla as desired, sprinkle small amounts of cilantro on top to dress and wrap.

Citrus Ginger Sauce

5 tablespoons olive oil 

1/3 grapefruit peeled and seeded

1/3 orange peeled and seeded

1 1/2 tablespoons white wine

1 clove fresh garlic

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated raw ginger

2 teaspoons soy sauce

Squeeze of fresh lemon

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor. If there is any leave behinds strain with a cheesecloth.

Peanut Curry Tahini Sauce

Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic
Juice of 1 1/2 large lemons
6 Tbsp tahini
Pinch of ground cumin
1 tsp freshly chopped parsley
1/2 cup of raw peanuts
1 tspn of red curry paste


Instructions:
Crush the garlic and salt together. Mix with a little lemon juice and blend with the tahini. Add the cumin and remaining lemon juice to form a smooth paste, like peanut butter.

In a food processor add the tahini, peanuts and curry paste and process until smooth.

Pineapple, Blueberry and Banana Shake

1 cup pineapple
1 cup blueberries
1 whole banana
1 tspn stevia
1 cup soy milk plain

Blend all ingredients, chill and serve.

Photographer:  My Yen Trung 

Food Stylist:  Heather Shaw 

Prop Stylist:  Natalie Adamov 

Spicy Chick Peas w/ Naan

1/2 can of chick peas marinated in soy sauce, hot sauce and garlic (1/2 clove garlic)
Chick peas should be just covered in marinade with more soy than hot sauce
Let marinade for approx 20 mins and remove from marinade
Bake chick peas in the oven until golden at 350 degrees until golden brown

Bake naan in the oven as well until soft and golden.

Serve chick peas warm on naan bread