Chopped Asian Salad by Roberto Martin...Yum!

This salad is delicious!  Very fresh!  Couple of recommendations.  Cut up the stuff ahead of time so that at dinner you don't have to do all the work.  Also, you can make the dressing ahead of time if you'd like.  It would cut down the prep time by making it ahead.  I got this recipe out of "Vegan Cooking for Carnivores" by Roberto Martin.  I will make this again..it's one the whole family likes.  You can also eliminate any of the ingredients you don't care for...I liked them all so I used everything listed!  

Chopped Asian Salad

Asian Salad Dressing:  Make first and set aside
1 1/2 cups low sodium soy sauce
one 2 in piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp sesame oil
juice 1 lime
1 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 1/2 cup water

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and cook over low heat for 10 min.  Remove from the heat and set the dressing aside to cool. Strain the dressing and refrigerate until cold.  Use immediately, or transfer to a container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Salad:
1 tbsp high heat oil (I use grapeseed)
10 ounces shitake mushrooms, stems removed, chopped (optional) (I sliced mine)
1 head green cabbage, shredded (I bought already shredded at Trader joes to save time)
2 cups baby spinach, julienned
2 large carrots, peeled and grated
4 firm plum tomatoes, centers removed, julienned (I just chopped all the veggies)
1 cucumber, seeded and julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, soak in hot water 5 min and drain (bought at Trader Joe's)
1 bunch cilantro chopped
1 bunch mint chopped
1 bunch scallions, green parts only, cut on the bias (I used the white parts as well)
20 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup raw sliced almonds

After you make the dressing, heat a pan with the oil.  Saute the mushrooms until wilted.  Set aside and allow the mushrooms to cool.

Mix all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, add the cooled mushrooms, and toss with the dressing don't use all the dressing...you will have left over.

Serves: 6

The best Minestrone....EVER!!!

Minestrone with Spring Vegetables

Contributing chef PAM ANDERSON fuels up after runs with a quick-to-prepare, seasonal, and meatless soup. By Pam Anderson Image by Andrew Purcell From the May 2012 issue of Runner's World

Minestrone with Spring Vegetables

Leafy escarole is rich in vitamin K and folate, while beans are an excellent source of fiber. Use whatever bite-size pasta you have on hand, says Anderson.

2 quarts good-quality vegetable broth (I use organic low sodium)
1 14.5-ounce can petite-diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, cut into small dice
1 celery stalk, cut into small dice
1 peeled carrot, cut into small dice
2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste (We like spice so I doubled this)
2 cans (15 to 16 ounces each) small white beans, not drained
8 ounces frozen green peas
8 ounces coarsely chopped escarole (For those of you who don't know..it's a lettuce)
1 cup ditalini (or any bite-size pasta) (could only find this pasta at Frys..love this pasta)
Sprinkle of salt and ground black pepper

Microwave broth and tomatoes together on high until steaming (5 minutes).

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add onions, celery, and carrots; saute till tender (5 minutes). Add Italian seasonings and red pepper; saute until fragrant (one minute).

Add broth mixture and remaining ingredients; cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; continue to simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and pasta is tender (15 minutes). Serves eight.

**This was the most delicious soup I have ever made!!  I didn't miss the meat at all!  If you eat meat, you can add it in to this soup, but honestly it is good on it's own.  My daughter's loved it as well!  I will make this again!  Don't leave out the escarole...it makes it delicious.  I could only find it at Fry's in the lettuce section.  Also, the ditalini pasta is great.  This was a hard pasta to find as well but Fry's had it. 

CALORIES PER SERVING: 220
CARBS: 41 G
FIBER: 10 G
PROTEIN: 10 G
FAT: 4 G

Ten-time marathoner PAM ANDERSON was inspired to write her latest title, Cook Without a Book: Meatless Meals, after deciding in 2009 to eat less meat. "I didn't want to support factory farming," says Anderson, who ran the Seaside School Half-Marathon in Santa Rosa, Florida, in March. "Now that I know how to make great vegetarian meals, I cook this way even more frequently." For more, see threemanycooks.com.

Another recipe bites the dust!

I tried once more to make a meal with "meatless" meat.  I followed the directions exactly for making meatballs...even making my own bread crumbs!  They looked like meatballs but had a weird consistency to them.  I think I will be sticking to eating meals with vegetables and beans for my protein.  It is a bummer because it would be nice to have more variety.  My next adventure will be to try cooking with tofu....stay tuned! :)

HBO Miniseries

Starting tonight, HBO is doing a documentary miniseries called "The weight of the nation".  It will show how obesity from unhealthy eating and lifestyles is ruining our country.  It is something worth watching!  I think the most challenging part of parenting is feeding your children.  Healthy eating requires planning.  I spend time each week planning my menu so that I don't give in to easy processed food.  It is paying off. My kids love all the fresh vegetables and always look forward to the next "interesting" meal I make! :)

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Chickpeas...Yum!

From: Fatfreevegan.com

This makes about 5 large servings, but since it’s so light, count on people eating 1-2 servings if there’s not much else on the menu. The red pepper flakes make this dish slightly spicy, so reduce them if necessary.

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash (spaghetti squash was out of season so I used whole wheat angel hair pasta)
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 15 ounces chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• sliced almonds, optional 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Pierce a spaghetti squash 8-10 times with a skewer or thin knife (pierce deeply through flesh into center). Place on a baking sheet on center rack of oven. Bake for 30 minutes and then turn 1/4 turn. Bake another 30 minutes or until outside has browned in places and shell feels soft. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once it’s cool, cut it in half and remove and discard the seeds and scrape the strands of squash out with a fork. Put the squash into a bowl and set aside.  (I omitted this step and cooked my pasta instead)
2. While the squash is cooking, prepare the Brussels sprouts. Trim and discard the ends and cut the sprouts in half (quarter larger sprouts). Place on a baking sheet and spray quickly (2 seconds) with olive oil. (This prevents burning; if you don’t want to use the oil, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.) When the squash has almost finished cooking, put the sprouts into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove them when they are just beginning to be touched by brown but are not burning (they will finish cooking in the skillet in the next step).
3. In a large, deep, non-stick skillet, cook the onions on medium-high heat until they become golden, about 5-6 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts, garlic, and vegetable broth and cover tightly. Cook for 3-5 minutes, adding more broth or water if skillet becomes dry. (I added another 1/2 cup of broth)  Add the chickpeas, basil, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the spaghetti squash, and toss gently to mix. Cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with lemon juice. Serve topped with crushed or sliced almonds, if desired.  

Preparation time: 10 minute(s) | Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 10 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 5

**I thought this dish was great!  I had it as a main dish...my family ate it as a side dish without the pasta.  It was filling and tasty.  I added some fresh ground sea salt after it was done.  I will definitely make this again! :)

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving): 196 calories, 14 calories from fat, 1.7g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 348.2mg sodium, 742.8mg potassium, 40.7g carbohydrates, 10g fiber, 7g sugar, 8.8g protein, 3.3 points (not equivalent to Weight Watchers’ PointsPlus).

Yummy Tomato Soup...and EASY!

I actually found this recipe in People magazine and thought I'd try it since it was vegan.  I followed it exactly but doubled it due to the size of my family.  They all loved it!  I served it with toasted baguette...it was a hit!!

Tomato Soup

2 tbsp olive oil (I used a little less)
1/2 onion chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1 clove garlic chopped (I used 2)
1 fennel bulb chopped
1 14.5 can diced tomatoes
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth  (found it at Trader Joes)
2 tbsp chopped basil
2 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion, celery, garlic, and fennel for 10 minutes.  Add tomato and broth and simmer for 4 minutes.

Put mixture in blender and add basil, parsley, and salt and pepper.  Blend in blender and serve immediately or reheat in pot when ready to serve.  I topped it with fresh basil from my garden.  Yum!

I have a family of 5 so I doubled the recipe.

Favorite Restaurant!

One challenge I always have is going out to dinner.  It can be so hard when you don't eat dairy or meat.  Most vegetarian dishes are loaded with dairy.  My favorite restaurant in Scottsdale is True Foods.  They have several vegetarian/vegan dishes and those that aren't vegetarian can be made so pretty easily.  I had a spicy noodle dish and subbed out the shrimp for tofu...yum!!  For appetizer we had their hummus which is my favorite!  It is so great to have a restaurant that I can order so easily and get a wonderful meal!