Vegan pesto

Well our basil is plentiful and I needed to use some up, so I decided to make pesto. Always a good summer dish.

It's very easy and quick and that's what we're all about, so here you go.


2 packed cups of basil
3 to 4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tsp salt
3 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp agave syrup
freshly ground pepper to taste

You can use a blender or food processor. I used a blender.

Blend basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and yeast together. Add lemon juice and seasoning and agave, pulse a few times and let sit in refrigerator until needed.
You can keep for several days.

Use with pasta for a hot or cold dish, on pizza instead of a tomato sauce, or serve on baked potato, just to name a few ideas.

blended pesto

Pour pesto onto hot cooked pasta

Mix pesto sauce and pasta

I like it served chilled on a bed of lettuce greens

Enjoy!

Let me know how it works for you.

Healthy and Quick - Beet soup and Bruschetta

My sister and niece and nephews have been staying for the summer. My sister has made this quick, delicious lunch several times. Thought you might like to try it.

The beet soup takes about 5 minutes and the bruschetta takes about 10 minutes max.
Serves 4 people

Beet soup

1 vacuum packet of precooked beets ( usually about 4 beets in each packet)
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
vegan vegetable bouillon
olive oil


Chop onion and garlic, saute in olive oil until soft, add some water ( start with approx 1 cup)
Then add bouillon to taste (start with 1 or 2 tsp). Use either an electric hand whisk or blender and puree all ingredients together. Adjust and add more water and bouillon to taste and for the texture you prefer.
Warm and serve with bruschetta.


We have a huge crop of delicious tomatoes this year and this is a great way to use them.

Bruschetta

French or sourdough baguette sliced and toasted (slightly stale is good for this recipe)
3 or 4 large tomatoes
handful of fresh basil
salt
Fresh garlic cloves (at least 3)
olive oil

Boil a kettle of hot water. Cut a cross through the skin of each tomato. Submerge tomatoes in hot water for a few minutes. Take them out and the skin should peel off easily. Chop tomatoes roughly, add salt to taste and drain excess liquid off. (Salt will bring out more liquid from tomatoes) Chop basil and add.

Toast bread slices, rub peeled cloves over bread ( bread will act like a grater ) and drizzle with olive oil over the top.

Check to see if you want more salt, then spoon tomato mixture on top, making sure to drain away any more liquid.
Serve.

It reaaly is a great lunch, healthy and really tasty. Yum!

2nd try of Cauliflower Steak

OK, as you know I'm now on a quest to make a good cauliflower steak. I've been completely underwhelmed by the few I've  had in the past. I made it again for a BBQ we had this past weekend and was quite happy with the results.

Marinade
1 cup olive oil
1 tsp powdered onion
1 tsp powdered garlic
5 drops liquid smoke
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tblsp powdered vegetable bouillon
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tblsp agave syrup

Slice cauliflower into 1/2 inch thick steak slices. Marinade for several hours in marinade. Then BBQ on high for 10 mins then flip over and cook another 5 to 10 minutes.

Really yummy!

Also cooked asparagus on the BBQ

My sister baked eggplant, onions, garlic and tomatoes in olive oil in the oven. 

Next time I'm thinking of making a sauce to go with it. I'll let you know how that goes.

High Cholesterol and Eating Vegan

My lovely husband has just had surgery because his left carotid artery was 80% blocked. He has very high cholesterol even though he eats mostly vegan these days, but not in the past.
His continuous high cholesterol is genetic and runs in his family.

Now that he has had surgery, I think it's important for him to do everything he can to help keep his cholesterol as low as possible. We don't like the idea of maintenance pharmaceutical drugs, but in his case it's necessary to take a statin.

After seeing what he had to go through I feel that anyone who can help their cholesterol with diet should definitely do so. Using diet, is by far the best option and a no brainer, since the risk of stroke is so high and the risks and the discomfort from surgery are not something you want to deal with, unless totally necessary.

Feel better soon, babe

Ouch!

Refreshing Iced Tea

Home made iced tea is super easy and quick, so perfect for our "Quick and Easy" vegan.

I like to make my own blend and thought you might enjoy it too.

4 green tea bags ( I use decaffeinated)
1 earl grey tea bag

Steep in a couple of cups of hot water for about 30 minutes.

Add agave syrup to taste. I use about 1 tablespoon, but you may like it sweeter.

Juice of 1/2 a lemon, try to use fresh lemon it makes such a difference.

Sprig of fresh mint

I make my tea in a 2 quart mason jar. Take the tea bags out after allowing tea to steep for thirty minutes.

Add rest of ingredients and place in mason jar, add water to fill and put in fridge to cool. Serve with lots of ice.

It looks so pretty and tastes good too!

Will last for several days to a week in the refrigerator

Easy Sloppy Joe Dinner

We a have our family staying with us from England and it can be a challenge to make a dinner that good for the vegan and non vegans at the table.
This is easy to make and can be made several days in advance, so it's great when you've been out sight seeing all day. Come home, heat it up and serve with a fresh green salad. Perfecto!

It has a lot of ingredients, but is so simple.

Sloppy Joe recipe
1 tablsp olive oil
1 small onion
a little vegetable broth, approx 1/4 cup ( more for thinning joes if needed)
2 medium stalks of celery
1/4 cabbage
3 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
4 generous tblsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp white pepper
Salt to taste
1 tblsp oregano
1 tsp powdered onion
1 tsp powdered garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup ketchup ( I use organic from whole foods)
1 tblsp grey poupon
2 tsp ume plum vinegar ( rice vinegar if you don't have ume)
5 drops liquid smoke
2 cans organic pinto beans drained and rinsed
6 oz vegan ground beef
3 oz vegan chorizo
1 tsp agave syrup
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tblsp drained capers


Finely chop onion, celery, garlic and cabbage, saute in olive oil for a few minutes, add a little vegetable broth and bay leaves, cook on low with lid on, until veggies are soft. Add tomato paste, white pepper,  oregano, powdered onion and garlic. liquid smoke and grey poupon. Cook for approx 5 minutes to meld flavors. Add ground beef and chorizo and pinto beans. Mix well and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add vinegar, soy sauce and salt to taste. Cool and refrigerate for several hours (great to cook one or two days in advance) Add capers, take out bay leaves and adjust seasoning if needed, Serve warm on toasted, buttered(vegan butter of course) buns. It's great with a green salad or coleslaw.

Easy one dish recipe

Good for all ages and vegan and meat eaters alike  

Healthy, savory and filling. 

Summer Fruits

Summer is in full swing and our fruit trees have had a great crop this season. The fruit is ripe and ready to eat.
We've eaten so many plums and apricots we have mouth sores, still doesn't stop us eating more. What is it about homegrown fruit that makes you masochistic.

We had to make preserves this year because we had such a bounty. This is onetime I use white sugar, granted it's organic, but still.....

Does anyone out there have a great preserve recipe that doesn't have sugar. Something with agave or even better, just the fruit?
I haven't found anything that works yet, so please let me know if you have.

Our grapes are coming along nicely and if the wasps don't suck them all dry, that will be are next treat.

I tried making grape jelly a couple of years ago, but it just wouldn't set. Once again if anyone has a great grape jelly recipe, I'd love to hear from you.

The recipe I use for my preserves is yummy, but obviously not the healthiest with all that sugar, but if you want to try it.

51/2 LBS of apricots or plums pit and slice into halves (I like the preserves to have big pieces of fruit in it) To the apricot jam I add one peeled apple, chopped into little pieces. The pectin from the apple helps the preserves to set better. I've never needed to to do that with the plums.
31/4 LBS organic sugar
2 cups of water

Bring the fruit, apple included if using it, sugar, water, to a boil with lid on, then take off lid, turn flame down to low and cook until thickened ( I usually cook until the fruit, sugar and water has reduced to about half) Keep stirring so it doesn't stick. You can test to see if it's thick enough by taking a little on a spoon, let it cool and see how thick the preserves are.
Prepare jars by sterilizing them with boiling water. I then turn them upside down on a cooling rack to dry them off.
When ready, pour into jars, put lids on while still warm, lids will pop to seal as it cools.
I got about 12 4 oz jars of jam from one recipe

The taste of fresh homegrown fruit preserves is always better.

I usually make a couple of batches of each kind of preserve. It's enough for us and to give some away to friends and family.

Fresh bread and jam, simply delicious, can't wait.

I also use the jam in desserts throughout the year. 

We have about 7 grape vines, some red, some green, all delicious

These grapes will turn red and are usually sweet and crispy, just the way we like them.

The Avocados will be ready around October, November

We have the sweetest cherry tomatoes this year. 

We have to cover the tomatoes, or they would cook on the vine in the summer heat

Yum!

Our grapes are planted on the road to Gary's woodworking shop and my soap and lotion Kitchen