Several Recipes & Foods From The Weekend!

I know I am going a little crazy with my posts, today, but I had an awesome weekend and wanted to share with you all!  This is the 3rd and last of my posts for today so be sure to scroll down and see the other two!  This post is specifically about all of the fun foods I made this weekend!

I'm starting off with Jicama Radish Slaw

I have been on a Jicama kick lately and I started off by munching on it stand-alone but then decided to get a bit more creative with it.  Here's what I did with this Raw Vegan Dish!

1/2 Pound of Jicama, Julienned
2 Radishes, Julienned
1/4 C Cilantro
3 T Lemon Juice

Seriously!  That's all!  Totally simple!  Raw!  Awesomely Flavorful!  This is one of my favorite attempts in a while!  I will certainly do this again and soon!

I told Christine I was bound and determined to try a dressing using Jicama so here is what I did and I am pretty pleased with it so far!

1 C Jicama, Cubed
1/2 Lime, Peeled
1 Clementine, Peeled
Pinch of Ginger Powder
1 C of Water
1+ T Balsamic Vinegar

All in my Ninja!  YUM!

Another thing I did this weekend was a dip!  Actually I did a few of them - but this one is an Avocado Tahini Dip...

1 Handful of Spinach
1 Avocado
1/3 C Tahini
1 T Lemon Juice
1/2 tea Cumin
Water to Consistency

This was amazing!  It was Tahini-Rich but I was also able to "Get My Greens On" a little bit!  I could have probably added more Cumin or maybe even some Red Pepper Flakes to spice it up more, too!

For another side dish or even a snack I did these!  I have been wanting to try them for a while and they turned out pretty awesome so I will have to try them again and SOON!  They are Sugar & Spice Pan-Fried Chickpeas!

1 Can of Chickpeas
1 T Wildtree's Butter Flavored Grapeseed Oil (It's Vegan -Flavor comes from a coconut!)
1 tea Wildtree Hearty Oatmeal Mix: Sugar & Spice Add-In
1 tea Agave

Yesterday I found a package of Fantastic Foods Tofu Burger Mix in my Pantry and figured I should probably use it!  It's been there a while!  But I really didn't want to do a Veggie Burger so what I did was Tofu Loaf!  I have been wanting to try one of these and figured I had the time to try one before my husband got home from a weekend in Pittsburgh and Erie with his mom and brother! 

Friday they went to the Pittsburgh Penguins Game and then Saturday they went to visit my mother-in-law's husband who is currently in the hospital out there.

Anyways...Here's what's in this Tofu Loaf:


1 T Wildtree Butter Flavored Grapeseed Oil
1 Onion
2 T Minced Garlic
8-ounces of Mushrooms
2 Carrots
1 Pound of Extra Firm Tofu
1 Package of Fantastic Tofu Murger Mix
1 and a Half C cooked Black Rice
1 Cup Chopped Cashews

(added half way thru baking)
Just enough to top...
Vegan Bread Crumbs
Tomato Soup
Daiya Pepper Jack Vegan Cheese
Vegan Parmesan Cheese

I have to say - this surprised me - I had two pieces yesterday and will have some of the leftovers tonight!  It's jam-packed with protein, fiber, calcium, and much more stuff!  Pretty Good!  I might add some Black Beans next time, too!

AND...finally...

Baba Ghanoush!  Yup!  I FINALLY made it for myself!  I found a nice sized jar of Roasted Pureed Eggplant at Big Lots a while back and wanted to try it in Baba Ghanoush!  I wasn't sure how much to use so I used about half the jar which was about 1 Cup!

Here's that Recipe!

1 C Roasted/Pureed Eggplant
2 T Minced Garlic
3 T Tahini
3 T Lemon Juice

For some reason I thought it was more involved than this!  I started with a recipe online and tweaked a bit based on the Puree.  It was fantastic!

So...what do you think about all of my attempts this weekend?  I'm really pleased at my efforts if I do say so myself! 

Ethiopian Peppers & Portabella

 Good Morning Everyone!  I stuck with my Ethiopian Foods for the week and made this last night!  Ethiopian Peppers and Portabella.  This first picture is the beginning of the prep.  It's just the Red Peppers with the Baby 'Bellas in a glass pan.


Then I added the sauce/marinade.  I will list everything in the dish at the end of this post.  I ended up using one of my Ninja Blenders for the first time with this Marinade and it worked awesomely.




 I covered it with foil and baked it for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees!  The Marinade I used with the spices in addition to the natural juices of the mushrooms and peppers gave it a truly unique flavor.  It was quite Stew-Like and I was very happy with it.  It was aromatic and extremely flavorful.  The spices really were the key to this!  I ended up doing two dishes out of this, really.  I couldn't resist putting some of it over Cous Cous.

And that you can see here!  Of course by doing this the juices were absorbed by the Cous Cous but it does give you another option or an idea for leftovers or larger batches.

6 Red Bell Peppers

1 T Ginger

1 T Wildtree Garlic Galore

1/2 T Skordalia (or you could just use more Garlic)

1/4 t Turmeric

1/2 C Wildtree Balsamic Dipping Oil (I added a little water)

1/2 t Cinnamon

1 T (extra) Grapeseed Oil (I used Wildtree Garlic)

A Dozen or so Babby Portabella Mushrooms

(for the 2nd dish all I did was place it on top of cooked Cous Cous)

Top 20 Ingredients I Can't Live Without!

Alicia Silverstone over at The Kind Life posted about the 20 ingredients she can’t live without. As did Cadry at Cadry's Kitchen.  So I decided to follow suit!  Here are my TOP 20 Ingredients in random order.

TEA - As many of you know I drink A LOT of tea.  All day...all night...I have even started using it in dishes!  All sorts of tea...Black, Green, White, Yellow, fruit and herbal tisane's, Oolongs, Pu-erh, Blends, Purple, Guayusa, Rooibos, Honeybush...the list goes on and on!

CHICK PEAS & BLACK BEANS - I was going to list these separate but came up with too many items I MUST HAVE in my kitchen, apparently!  The older I get the more I LOVE Chickpeas.  They are so versatile!  I would have also put HUMMUS on the list but it's not just ONE Ingredient it's a FOOD, a dish, a delicacy, really.  Okay, okay...you can tell I LOVE hummus!  Well, Chickpeas are one of the ingredients so it works, right?

GRAPESEED OIL - Why GSO?  I think this sums it up nicely!  I LOVE IT!  If you want to order some let me know!!  I can have it shipped directly to you!

LEAFY GREENS - I know this is more than ONE but I couldn't resist!  There are so many Leafy Greens to choose from and they ALL have their benefits!

CASHEWS - And other nuts, really.  I'm very fortunate to NOT have allergies to Nuts!  I don't think I would be able to deal with that intolerance, to be honest!  I'm finding Cashews are very versatile as well and now that I'm NOT doing dairy there are many things I can do with them as a substitute. 

NUTRITIONAL YEAST - I have used it for YEARS - but have been using it on a weekly - sometimes daily basis these days!  Along the same lines would be HEMP HEARTS and CHIA SEEDS, I guess, too!  For Digestion Issues/Benefits as well as a protein option.

VARIETY of RICES - Again, I am a REBEL, here, and noting more than one but I really can't help it!  Just when I think I know which RICE is my favorite I discover new ones...like Medleys from Bob's Red Mills as well as FORBIDDEN RICE, lately, too!

QUINOA - Quinoa is in a category all of it's own for me!  I have been eating it for years but continue to be amazed by it!  I LOVE the nutritional benefits as well as digestion support but also the texture and flavor and the ability to make it MORPH!

TOMATOES - Any kind, really.  I could go on and on about THE TOMATO but I will let it speak for itself!  YUM!

BALSAMIC VINEGAR - Yes!  BALSAMIC VINEGAR...Wildtree Brand, specifically.  And I'm not just saying that because I sell it!  The flavor CANNOT BE BEAT!  Plus it has the Grapeseed Oil Base, too!

TAHINI - I thought it was just for HUMMUS but it's good for SO MUCH MORE!!!  I'm using lately in Cheese and Cream Alternatives, too!

GARLIC - Need I say more?  I just LOVE it!  I can't get enough of it!  I'd put it on cereal if it were allowed.  Okay...that might be a stretch...but...you know what I mean, right!?

ONIONS - They give flavor to EVERYTHING and they make the perfect base for many things!

LEMONS & LEMON JUICE - I almost over looked this one.  It's one of those things I really use a lot of but just USE it and tend to forget about it BUT if I run out...there is HELL TO PAY, Mister!

CORN - It's so sweet, It's so cute, It's SO GOOD!  I have been using it more and more to kick certain recipes up a notch as well as add to leftovers, wraps, salads, etc.  So simple - yet - SO effective!

COLORFUL BELL PEPPERS - LOVE them!  In every way!  I find myself adding them to EVERYTHING and then some!  The sweeter the better!

SPROUTS - When I was a toddler they used to be one of my 3 favorite foods (next to Dried Apricots and Lima Beans - which SHOULD also play a part in this list somewhere...there...they just did!) and I lost touch with Sprouts for a while but have been having FUN Sprouting my own Sprouts at home on and off again for a couple of years!

CARROTS & CELERY - Mostly because I can't have one without the other - and because they are right up the same alley as Onions and Garlic and Corn!

ALMOND MILK - I prefer Almond Milk to any of the other Milk Alternatives.  It's my default, really.

AVOCADOS - I wish I could have one everyday but they are really expensive here but when they are on sale!  I'm ALL OVER THAT!  Nom.Nom.Nom.

Hope you enjoyed my list!  If you do one let me know!

Jennifer's Jubilee Veggie Lima Bean Hummus Casserole

 

First...let me tell you about this RICE!!!!

It's Lundberg Jubilee.

And the Product Description from the company says this about their Jubilee Blend:

Pretty and understated, Jubilee^® balances a subtle aroma, restrained sweetness and mellow flavors. Add a touch of sophistication to your meal with this festive and colorful blend of Wehani^®, Black Japonica™, short and medium grain red rice, short and long grain brown rice and sweet brown rice.

I'm always looking for different rices!  This was right up my alley!  It's Vegan, with 3 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber, too!  It's a 100% Whole Grain, Gluten-Free, Kosher, and Non-GMO certified!

I don't have a photo for this one YET but the main ingredients are below...I did a Lima Bean Hummus for this, too, and that is within the Lima Bean/Almond Butter Section.  A lot went into this but I had a LOT of yummy produce at home to include in it!  I also have to give credit where credit is due...I was inspired by one of my all-time-favorite dishes of Dreena Burton's...from her Viva Le Vegan Cookbook - her Vicki's Quinoa Hummus Casserole.  I used the same "idea" but used Lima Bean Hummus instead of her suggested Hummus, I used this Jubilee Rice instead of Quinoa, and I used a slew of these veggies instead.

Here are the ingredients I used for this casserole:

Lundberg - Jubilee Gourmet Blend of Whole Grain Brown Rice, 1 c. Cooked, Baby Lima Beans, 1 cup Fresh Ground Almond Butter, 2 Tablespoon Broccoli, 2 cup Onions - Raw, 1 medium (2-1/2" dia) Eggplant - Raw, 2 cup, cubes Squash - Zucchini, includes skin, raw, 1 large Mushrooms - Raw, 1 cup, pieces or slices Generic - Cherry Tomatoes, 1 cup Wildtree - European Dippind Oil- Mediterranean Balsamic, 2 Tsp