Potato Salad

Sweet Potato Salad

4 Servings

2 large sweet potatoes 

2-3 tbsp vegan mayonnaise (follow your heart Vegannise)

1 tbsp dijon Mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp coarsely grounded black pepper

2 large celery stalks, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup thinly sliced rep pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple

1/4 cup pecans, toasted & chopped

1 small green onion, thinly chopped

Chopped chives for garnish 

Using a fork, prick the sweet potato in several places.  Microwave on high for 8-10 minutes. (Turning midway through cooking).  Cool potatoes until easy to handle, then peel the skins off and cut into 3/4 inch chunks.

In a large bowl mix the vegan mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper until well blended.  Add the sweet potato chunks, celery, red pepper, pineapples, pecans and the green onion to the mayonnaise mixture.  Toss until everything is evenly coated.  Sprinkle with chopped chives for garnish.

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes
4-6 servings


2 tbsp coconut oil
2 onions, dices
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)
1 stalk celery, halved and diced
2 cups of white or brown mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp chili pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cup vegetable broth or water
1-15oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup tamari or low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 1/2 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein) 
4-6 whole wheat hamburger buns (toasted optional)


Heat coconut oil over medium high heat.  Saute onions, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeno (optional), and celery.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the mushrooms, chili pepper and black pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes longer.


Reduce heat to medium low and add vegetable broth or water, tomato sauce, tamari or soy sauce and ketchup.  Stir in the TVP and let simmer for 20 minutes.  Stirring occasionally.


Toast whole wheat buns and serve face up with sloppy joe mix on top of each open faced bun. 
Great with dill pickle slices and vegan sweet potato salad. (recipe follows)

V'lishious Carrot Cake

Incredible Vegan Carrot Cake

    2-1/4 cups all purpose flour

    2 teaspoons baking soda

    2 teaspoons cinnamon

    1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or allspice

    1 teaspoon baking powder

    1 teaspoon salt

    3/4 cup light brown cane sugar

    3/4 cup cane sugar

    3/4 cup apple sauce

    1 teaspoon vanilla

    1 cup vegetable oil

    2 cups finely grated carrots

    1 can (about 14 oz) crushed pineapple, drained

    1 cup shredded coconut

    1 cup nuts and raisins

    Faux Cream Cheese Frosting:

    1 8 oz package of vegan cream cheese

    1/3 cup vegan soy margarine (like Earth Balance), softened.  

    1 teaspoon vanilla

    2 cups vegan confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, spice, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, mix sugar and apple sauce until creamy (works best with an electric mixer) - add vanilla, then add vegetable oil. Mix wet and dry ingredients together and add carrots, pineapple, and coconut.

In a 9x9 greased glass pan smooth batter into pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Be sure to let the cake completely cool before frosting.

Faux Cream Cheese Frosting recipe:

With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and margarine. Add vanilla, then add sugar.

Spread evenly on top of the carrot cake.  Store in the fridge for a couple hours before serving allowing the frosting to harden.  

What you need to know about eating fruit

EATING FRUIT

This is informative!


We all think eating fruit means just buying fruit, cutting it up and popping it into our mouths. It's not that easy. It's important to know how and when to eat fruit. 


What's the correct way to eat fruit? 


IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUIT AFTER A MEAL!  FRUIT SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. 


Eating fruit like that plays a major role in detoxifying your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities. 


FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD.

Let's say you eat two slices of bread, then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it's prevented from doing so. 


In the meantime, the whole meal rots and ferments, and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach, and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil. 

Eat your fruit on an empty stomach, or before your meal! You've heard people complain: Every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc. This will not happen if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. Fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas. Hence, you bloat! 



There's no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruit becomes alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruit, you have the Secret of Beauty, Longevity, Health, Energy, Happiness and normal weight.
When you need to drink fruit juice drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT the concentrated juice from the cans. Don't drink juice that has been heated. Don't eat cooked fruit; you don't get the nutrients at all. You get only the taste. Cooking destroys all of the vitamins. 


Eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit-fast to cleanse your body. Eat fruit and drink fruit juice for just 3 days, and you will be surprised when your friends say how radiant you look! 


KIWI: Tiny but mighty, and a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange! 


AN APPLE a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants and flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C, thereby helping to lower the risk of colon cancer, heart attack and stroke. 


STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits and protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals. 


EATING 2 - 4 ORANGES a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent and dissolve kidney stones, and reduce the risk of colon cancer. 


WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of  92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. Also a key source of lycopene, the cancer-fighting oxidant. Also found in watermelon: Vitamin C and Potassium.


GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, good for your eyes. 


Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer!

Can you believe this? For those who like to drink cold water, this applies to you. It's nice to have a cold drink after a meal, however, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you've just consumed, which slows digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal. 

V'lishious Deserts

Banana Bread

1/2 cup unsweetened milk alternative of choice, Almond milk or Soy are my favorites

2 tbsp  flaxseed

2 cups whole grain spelt or whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1- 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup coconut oil

3-4 mashed ripe banana's

1/2 cup chopped nuts or dried fruit

Preheat oven at 350, grease a 9x5 loaf pan.  Set a side

In a large mixing bowl combine the milk and ground flaxseed and set a side.

In a medium size bowl sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.

Returning to the large bowl, blend oil, vanilla and banana's until mixed well.  Stir in the dry ingredients by hand, don't over mix, some lumps are okay.

Gently fold in the nuts or dried fruit, if using.  Spread the batter in your greased loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until top is browned.  Allow bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing it to a wire cool rack.

Quick Baked Pears

4 Servings

2 large pears

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup dried cranberries or any dried fruit

1/4 cup granola

1/4 cup apple juice

Peel pears, cut in half lengthwise.  Hollow out the middle, use a melon baller or grapefruit spoon to remove core and seeds.

Place Pear halves, with sides up, in a glass pie plate.  Combine sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle evenly over pears.

Add cranberries and granola, mound into the center of the hollowed pear halves.

Cover dish loosely with wax paper.

Cook in microwave for 4-6 minutes or until the pears are tender.  Let stand in the dish for 5 minutes.  Before serving drizzle juices from pie plate over the pears.

Enjoy this healthy warm snack with a slice of warm banana bread!!!

7 Layer Supreme Burrito Pie

Simply Beautiful 7-layer Supreme Burrito Pie

4-6 Servings

    2 (15-oz) cans of Vegetarian refried beans

    2 (15-oz) of your favorite salsa (or Homemade)

    1-2 tomatoes, diced

    2 Avocados, piled, pitted and diced

    2 cups slice romaine heart lettuce (or your favorite lettuce)

    2 oz of black olives

    Tofutti Sour cream 

    4 tortillas (flour or wheat)

Place one tortilla on the bottom of a 7 to 9 inch round casserole dish.  This will help keep all the ingredients together when serving.  Use about 3/8 of the refried beans on this bottom layer.

Place another tortilla on top of that. Mix the rest of your refried beans with an equal or larger amount of salsa, depending on the size of your pan and how thick you want it.  Spread just enough to cover the tortilla.  Continue process to the fourth tortilla(which also has the beans/salsa on it).

Now slice the romaine hearts into thin slices by pulling the knife back over them horizontally.  Garnish the top layer with the lettuce first in a circle around the edge. (You may want to wait for this until after you bake, as the lettuce may burn)

Spread Tofutti sour cream on the top follow with dice tomatoes, dice avocado's and finally in the very center, add a large amount of black olives.  Bake in the oven at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Easy Vegan Substitutes

Before your begin your new journey on finding vegan substitutes, it's important to manage your expectations. Just as you would not expect a banana to taste like a lentil, you should not expect vegan foods, like soy milk, for example, to taste like cow's milk. All foods are their own separate entities with their own special tastes. It's important to learn to appreciate them for what they are. Have a open mind as you sample new tastes, textures and flavors. Before you know it your vegan substitutes become your favorite!


To substitute milk, simply replace cow's milk with soy milk, rice milk or almond milk. Try several different brands until you find one you like. Vanilla soy and rice milk tend to taste more like cow's milk than the plain varieties. Soy milk now comes in an variety of flavors including eggnog, chai and chocolate. Many egg substitutes exist. The easiest, when baking, is to substitute 1 heaping tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of water for each egg. Soy flour infuses baked goods with a moist, dense texture. Other substitutes for 1 egg include 1/2 banana; 1/4 cup soy yogurt or soy sour cream; 1/4 cup of silken tofu, blended well; and 1 tablespoon of flax seeds plus 3 tablespoons of water. You can also purchase a ready-made egg replacer called Ener-G is in most health food stores.


Here is a list of  basic " Vegan Substitutes" and a few of my favorite things I can't live without!

• Earth Balance- Non Diary, Vegan margarine 
• Tofutti makes a great cream cheese, sour cream and ice cream in variety of flavors
• So Delicious ice creams and ice cream cookies
• Silk Yogurt in a variety of flavors
• Veganese "follow your heart" mayo and dressing replacement
• Rice Milk- Original and vanilla flavor.  Chocolate Hemp and Almond is amazing too
• Agar Nectar- honey and sweetener replacement
• Meat replacements- Tofu, Seitan, Tempeh, or Textured soy protein (T.V.P)
• Yves meatless beef grounds and burgers
• Boca Burgers- Vegan original , roasted garlic or roasted onion
• Boca Chik'n Patties- original, spicy or nuggets
• Amy's Kitchen- All American burger, Bistro burger, California veggie burger, Quarter-pond veggie burger and Texas burger

Got a sweet tooth, not to worry you can have the following treats:

• Any Dark Chocolate
• Dots, Jujubees, smarties, gummy bears, skittles, Big League Chew Gum and Blow pops just to name a few.