Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 cup organic brown rice, washed
• 5 cups water
• small pinch of sea salt or piece of kombu, soaked and diced
• 3 to 4 shiitake mushrooms, soaked, stems removed, and diced, add the water
• 1 cup daikon, quartered and sliced thin (white Oriental radish)
• 1/4 cup celery, sliced on a thin diagonal
• 1/2 cup squash, cubed
• 1/2 cup carrot, diced
• 1/4 cup cabbage, diced
• 2 level teaspoon barley miso, pureéd
• chopped scallion, chives, or parsley, for garnish

Directions:

This porridge is very energizing. Make it and eat it every
morning for a week along with the rest of your breakfast
for a kick start on the day.

Place the rice, water, sea salt or kombu and shiitake in a
pressure cooker. Cover and bring up to pressure. Reduce
flame to medium-low and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from
flame and allow pressure to come down. Remove cover. Add
the daikon, squash, carrots, and cabbage. Cover with a
regular lid, not a pressure cooker lid, and bring to a
boil. Reduce the flame to medium-low and simmer several
minutes until the vegetables are tender. Reduce the
flame to low, add the miso, and mix well. Simmer, without
boiling, for 2 to 3 minutes. Place in serving bowls and
garnish.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 0:45

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vegan red wine vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• grated lemon peel
• water

Directions:

Wash the head of lettuce and break into bite size pieces. Press the garlic and place in a bowl. Add balsamic and vegan red wine vinegar and mix well. Add three Tbsp of water and the lemon juice. Grate some lemon peel and add to dressing. Mix in with lettuce and serve.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 8 mins

Nutrition Information: The recipe is very low fat, if any. Make sure that you have your breath mint though if you have a date after dinner!

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 apple
• 1 cup total raspberries, strawberries and/or blackberries (fresh, not frozen)
• 1 kiwi
• 2 Tbl. vegan brown sugar
• 2 Tbl. fruit preserves

Directions:

Peel, core and dice up the apple. Slice the strawberries, or cut
the raspberries or blackberries in pieces. Peel the kiwi, and chop
into small pieces. Mix all together, with vegan sugar and preserves. Serve
with baked pita strips or tortilla chips for a no-fat appetizer/snack!

Serves: 2 cups or so of salsa

Preparation time: 15 minutes?

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 large onion
• 1 large zucchini
• 1/2 cup of rice
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 can of kidney beans
• 1 small carrot
• garlic hummus
• salt
• pepper
• tortilla chips
• 2 cloves of garlic
• olive oil

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, cook 1/2 cup of
rice according to directions on
package. Cut up onion in large
chunks. In a large pot, sauté in olive
oil until translucent. Add minced
garlic cloves. Some salt and pepper.
Cut up zucchini into crescents and add
to sauté mixture. Continue to cook
until the zucchini is soft. Then add
the can of beans, can of tomatoes and
tomato paste. Let all cook and simmer
for a few minutes. Add more salt and
pepper (don’t hold back on the salt, it
adds a lot of flavor to this dish.)
Once the rice is cooked. Add into the
large pot, stir through and let sit to
absorb flavor. Now grate large pieces
of carrot to use as garnish on top of
nachos. Place tortilla chips on plate,
add heaps of nacho mixture on top. Add
grated carrots, then place a large
dollop of hummus.

The key to this dish
is time…don’t rush the cooking, the
more the food sits and simmers the
better the taste…makes great
leftovers! Hope you enjoy. This
recipe came from our friend Jeff and
has been a favorite of ours and other
non-veg or vegan friends as well.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 20 min

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 medium to large tomatoes – chopped coarsely
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley
• 1/2 cup minced fresh basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ( or more!!) finely chopped fresh garlic
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 cups chopped fresh green beans
• 6 asparagus stalks, peeled and sliced into bite sized bits
• 6 tablespoons non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
• 1 cup frozen baby peas
• 1/4 cup veggie broth
• 2/3 cup *vegan heavy cream (see recipe below)
• 1 lb linguini

Directions:

*To make vegan heavy cream substitute
you will need: 1/2 block of silken tofu (extra firm) and 1/2 cup of plain soy milk.
Blend in blender (do not use mixer)
until thick and creamy and there are no
more lumps. Set it aside.

1. Preheat oven t0 300. Roast pine nuts
in on a cookie sheet in oven until they
are golden. Remove from oven and set
aside.

2. In small skillet, heat 2-3
tablespoons (or more if you want) of
the olive oil. Add tomatoes, parsley,
basil and garlic and cook until
tomatoes are soft. Set aside.

3. Bring large pot of water to boil and
add broccoli, asparagus and green
beans, bring back to boil and blanch
for 30 seconds. (It is important NOT to
let them overcook..or else). Remove
veggies and immediately run them under
cool water then dry, to prevent them
from continuing to cook.

4. Return water to boil and add salt.
Cook pasta according to directions, or
ask grandma.

5. Meanwhile, (this is so you don’t die
of boredom..j/k) heat up large skillet
with a bit more olive oil and combine
the blanched veggies, and peas and toss
over high heat for a very short time.

6. Reheat tomato sauce, drain linguini
and return it to pot, pour in 1/2 cup
vegan heavy cream, 6 tablespoons vegan
margarine and stir until melted and
mixed. Add veggies, tomato/basil mixture
and pine nuts..toss it around, plop it
on a plate and then chow down.

Try it with some of my not so famous
garlic vegan bread:

1 loaf vegan french bread sliced down middle
1 1/2 stick vegan margarine
2-3 large cloves of garlic (super finely chopped)
4 or 5 shakes of Italian seasoning mix

In small saucepan, melt margarine and
add garlic and seasoning. Mix around
then pour mixture into a glass cup,
cover with plastic wrap and put into
the fridge. After the margarine mixture
becomes solid, mix it around with a
spoon (garlic settles to bottom) then
slice vegan french bread down middle (length
wise) and spread thickly and evenly on
both sides. Bake in oven and then
inhale it with pasta.. its really
great.. even when slightly burnt.

And don’t forget that anything eaten
along side a glass of vegan wine tastes a
whole heck of a lot better!!

Serves: 6