Lots of pesto and olive oil!

I sliced french bread and brushed it with olive oil and broiled for a few minutes to get crunchy, crusty goodness!

I also toasted some pine nuts and served them on the side to garnish everything!

Arugula dressed with fresh squeezed lemon and olive oil is simple, clean and delicious!

A great bottle of red wine and Brownies a la mode definitely make this a Meatless Monday to remember!

No one feels deprived. Not even the most serious of meat eaters.

Meatless Monday! has become an event around here.

Often, I’ll have guests and serve cocktails.

The children are always looking forward to what the day will bring.

Today, I gave careful consideration to Meatless Monday! and decided that trading meat for copious amounts of cheese, eggs and cream wasn’t truly in the spirit of what I was trying to achieve.

The carbon footprint of Meatless Monday! could be improved.

Today’s meal is vegan.

It is a healthy and complete one pot dish.

You can look at it as a kind of cleanse from a weekend of dining out and a fresh start to the week.

The kids rolled in on a rainy cold afternoon and asked if there was something hot to eat.

This rice pilaf got rave reviews from my girls.

Ingredients

1 cup brown basmati rice
2 cups water
1 large carrot
1/2 white onion
3 scallions
4-5 cloves garlic
1/4 cup cilantro
1 can garbanzo beans
1 cup corn
1 cup peas
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a large saute pan add olive oil, garlic, onion, carrots, rice and pine nuts.

Allow to simmer for a few minutes.

Then add corn, peas and scallions.

Allow to simmer a few more minutes then add water and cilantro and allow too cook until the rice is tender.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with more cilantro

Meatless Monday! Was Pizza Night for us this week.

The girls were in charge.

I picked up dough at my favorite pizza spot; $3.50 for one large dough which makes a 17 inch pizza. That is a great value and a tremendous time saver. Plus, you know that it will be perfect every time.

We made tomato and basil, shiitake and spinach, pesto and pine nut, and a red sauce and cheese.

For the shiitake and spinach I sautéed the mushrooms and spinach in olive oil before adding them to the pizza. For the base I spread parmesan, garlic and olive oil cream sauce spread which I made beforehand then topped it off with shredded mozzarella cheese. Delish!

The tomato, basil and mozzarella pizza was fantastic! After preparing the dough we coated the top with a drizzle of olive oil then laid on the veggies…..this one was best; Belle’s creation! Gorgeous!

Homemade pesto, a few pine nuts and mozzarella made a great light pizza which was great with the Blue Moon Belgian wheat beer.

This is not only Meatless Monday! But family night and Pizzalicious!

Lemony, garlicky, creamy, tahini dressing made this salad fantastic.

Baby arugula and lightly steamed asparagus was the perfect meal for a sunny day with promises of Spring!

I used the juice of 1 lemon to 2 tablespoons of sesame tahini plus 3 cloves of fresh garlic! To that I added 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

It was potent! and sooo delicious.

Another good thing about being a vegan is that the dog is never really interested in what I’m cooking.

Sammy was all about sunbathing today.

THE END!

I love kale and have become obsessed with it since discovering Dr. Alejandro Junger’s book, CLEAN.

Dr. Junger refers to green foods as the royal family of nutrition and kale is the king.

This dish includes all of my favorites; kale , asparagus, broccoli, garlic, spinach, basil, and a tablespoon of toasted pine nuts and half an avocado for garnish.

I steamed everything and topped it with a spinach, basil, and oilve oil pesto.

What I like about the pesto is that it incorporates spinach and garlic which are raw, thereby adding important enzymes to this meal.

These foods are great for the cleansing program, to be sure, however, I like to include these super foods into my everyday meals.

Making healthy highly nutritious foods a part of your daily diet ensures that you are are getting high quality, nutrient rich food and that you are functioning at optimal levels.

I am attemping to make these dishes easy for everyone to enjoy with recipes that don’t compromise quality and which satisfy the palate and the senses.

I like to eat my veggies. I look forward to eating my veggies and usually crave them first thing in the morning.

And I don’t apologize for it anymore. If I want broccoli for breakfast then, that is what I eat.

But sometimes crunchy, cruciferous, crudités don’t sit well on an empty belly.

And besides, I am all about deconstructing these days. I am experimenting with texture and flavor.

I am trying new tricks with old favorites and trying to look at food in a new way, new presentations and combinations.

I am a vegan after years of examination. I like organic, basic, unprocessed food. But I am having fun “processing” the favorites in my diet.

I try to make every bite count; that means getting the most nutrition out of every bite.

This dish combines some of my favorite flavors; toasted pine nuts, roasted garlic, basil, broccoli, and olive oil.

As I am cooking more I am starting to realize that the method is just as important as the ingredients.

Toasting and roasting bring ingredients to peak flavor. Pureeing creates creaminess without adding fat and layering flavors and textures ensures well rounded nutrient rich, complete meals which are satisfying and nutritionally balanced.

I am calling this Broccoli Mousseline. It could substitute for mashed potatoes. Not that there is anything wrong with mashed potatoes but the nutritional bang is in the broccoli.

Olive oil and pine nuts add fat and protein. I also snuck in about a ½ of an avocado. Once again, adding fat and creaminess as well as depth of flavor. The flavors can range from buttery to almost bacon tasting.

Try this recipe to add tasty nutritious elements in place of carbohydrate filled empty calorie foods.

Ingredients:

10 oz broccoli
5-6 cloves roasted garlic
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1/8 toasted pine nuts
½ ripe avocado
2 Tbsp Basil pesto
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Cook the broccoli until bright green and just tender.

Add all the ingredients into the food processor and puree until well blended and serve.

Garnish with pine nuts. I think that artichoke hearts would be a great garnish with this, also.

Serve it as a side or as a main dish with spinach pasta. This would also work well as a filling for ravioli, manicotti, or perhaps lasagna.

Enjoy!

Healthy and full of protein, this bean spread is hearty and tasty.

Not only does it make a great snack on flax crackers or garlic toasted baguette, it works well as a sandwich spread or on a veggie pizza.

I like to keep this in the fridge for a quick, go-to protein pick me up which is high in nutrients but low in calories.

This even works well on celery for a savory nosh.

I recently had this served with toast and wine sautéed onions! It was fantastic!

The sweetness of caramelized onion soaked in red wine with this savory spread was a meal in itself.

I would also garnish with roasted red pepper for a bruschetta style presentation.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cans cannellini
¾ cup toasted pignoli
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
1 bulb roasted garlic

Method:

Combine toasted pignoli, roasted garlic, and 2 cans of cannellini in the food processor.

Add the olive oil and continue to puree.

Serve and garnish with olive oil and pignoli

Roasted garlic is the secret to creamy rich sauces and soups. Roasting adds depth and texture as well as a caramel like sweetness without adding calories.

This dish is packed with nutrition and flavor.

Presenting spinach as a sauce is an innovative way to add nutrition and fiber and creamy sauciness without adding extra fat and calories.

Toasting the pine nuts also adds heft as well as flavor. I feel that the nuts really round out the meal.

This has become a favorite in my home.

Ingredients:

1 bulb of garlic
1/3 to 2/3 cup of olive oil
5-6 cups uncooked baby spinach
¼ tsp nutmeg
Salt to taste
10 spears asparagus
½ cup pine nuts
1 box whole wheat spinach spiral pasta or your choice of pasta

Method:

Roast the Garlic:

1 bulb garlic, thin skin removed as much as possible

Use a clay roasting dish or wrap in foil

Turn oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 30-45 minutes

Remove garlic from oven

While the garlic is roasting cook your pasta

While you are pureeing the pesto, chop and cook 10 spears of asparagus.

While the asparagus is cooking roast ½ cup of pine nuts at 350 degrees fahrenheit for about 5-10 minutes

Puree the Mixture

Allow to cool for a few minutes then simply remove the soft clove from the peel and place in the food processer.
Place about 5-6 cups of uncooked baby spinach along with the roasted garlic
Add about 1/3 to 2/3 cup of olive oil
Blend until smooth and creamy
Add ½ tsp of nutmeg and salt to taste

Serve:

Drain the pasta and mix in about 2/3 of the roasted garlic spinach pesto and the pine nuts and check to see if you need salt.

Mix everything together well

Add cooked asparagus on top

Garnish with the remaining pesto

Enjoy!