Vegan Caesar Salad Recipe

Whether you are vegan or not, replacing a few meals a week with vegan (animal product free) meals is a great thing to do for your body! This is a yummy recipe from "Veganomicon" and I'm sure you will love it!

Caesar dressing:
1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3/4 cup silken tofu
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 heaping tablespoon capers
4 teaspoons caper brine
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
Salt

Croutons:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves roasted garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 medium size loaf French or Italian bread (little less than 1 pound), stale and torn or sliced into bite-sized pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
1 large head romaing lettuce, chopped
Freshly cracked black pepper
Handful or two of spinach and/or arugula, torn into bite-sized pieces (optional)

Prepare the dressing: Pulse the sliced almonds in a food processor or blender until crumbly.

Empty the ground almonds into an airtight container that you'll be using to store the finished dressing. Blend the garlic, tofu, and oil in the food processor or belnder until creamy. Add the lemon juice, capers, caper brine, sugar, and mustard powder, and pulse until blended. Adjust the salt and lemon juice to taste. Put into the container with the ground almonds and whisk to combine. Cover and allow the dressing to chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes, optimally 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

While the dressing is chilling, prepare the croutons: Preheat the oven to 400F. Combine the olive oil, roasted garlic, and lemon juice in a large bowl. With a fork or immersion blender, mash orblend the mixture until creamy. Add the torn bread and toss to coat each piece with the oil mixture. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, if desired, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes until golden brown. Toss the croutons twice during the baking process. Remove from the oven and cool the croutons on the baking sheet.

To assemble the salad, place in a large bowl 2 to 3 cups of lettuce/greens per individual serving (amount depending on whether it's a side or an entree). Ladle on 1/3 cup of the dressing (or more or less to taste), and use kitchen tongs to toss the greens and coat them with dressing.

Add the warm croutons, toss again, and transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with a little freshly cracked pepper. If not serving right away, warm croutons in 300F oven for 5 to 8 minutes before adding to the salad.

Serves 4 to 6 as a side, 2 to 3 as a main.

from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero (Marlowe & Company, 2007) - reprinted with permission.

Your partner in health and success, 

Juice Of The Day: Spicy Limeade

Been feeling in a bit of a funk the last 3 days and then it occured to me that I haven't been having my daily juice. So, today I decided to do what I should have been doing all week, start my day off with some yummy, fresh juice.

Today's creation is Spicy Limade. Have to say, I really do like it, so I want to share it will all of you!

Juice the following:

1 Lime
1 in. Ginger
2 apples (I used Golden Delicious)
4-5 stalks of celery
3 carrots
3-4 leaves Romaine lettuce
a bunch of spinach

After juicing these ingredients, add a few drops cayenne pepper sauce, for an extra kick and health benefit.

I also added a few ice cubes to make it nice and cold.

Be sure to use Organic fruits and vegetables. Conventional produce it high in pesticides and herbacides and can have an adverse effect on your health.

One of my FAVORITE Vegan Meals: Black Bean Soup and Cornbread!

In case you, my dear readers, weren't aware, I become vegetarian at the beginning of 2010. I actually started out being 100% vegan, taking the "21 Day Vegan Kickstart". Since completing that, I decided to stay vegetarian, but do try to eat most of my meals vegan (not having any animal products). There have been times that I've eaten eggs (organic, free range), once in awhile some dairy (as a condiment; my body doesn't do well with dairy), and a few times have indulged in some seafood. I've also chosen to eat a considerable amount of my meals raw, but that is something for a different post. :)

One of my most favorite VEGAN meals is

Black Bean Soup and Cornbread.

Check these out for a yummy, fall meal!

Black Bean Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 pinch black pepper

4 cups vegetable broth

8 cups dry black beans 

Sea salt to taste

Cayenne pepper sauce (optional)

1. Soak beans per package instructions.
2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, celery and garlic for 5 minutes. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt and black pepper; cook for 1 minute. Stir in vegetable broth and the beans. Bring to a boil.
3. After soup has come to a boil, reduce heat. Remove 1/2 of the beans and veggies and blend with a submersible blender. Add back to the pot.
4. Bring to a boil once more, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Vegan Cornbread

2 tablespoon. ground flax seed
6 tablespoons. water
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup organic cornmeal
1/4 cup organic sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons sea salt
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup canola oil

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray cake or pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the ground flax seed, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the ground flax seed in the water for 3 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well-combined.
4. Add the ground flax seed mixture, almond milk, and canola oil to the flour mixture. Beat just until smooth (do not overbeat.)
5. Turn into prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
6. Top it off with some Earth Balance spread for that buttery taste!

Raw Chocolate Jalapeño Poppers

I've been transitioning towards becoming more of a raw foodie, and have to admit that I can really tell the difference. Now that it is getting cooler outside, it's football season and I love me some snackie kind of foods, I'm on the look out for some recipes that will make eating raw an easier transition as the seasons get colder. 

Check out this recipe for Raw Chocolate Jalapeño Poppers my friend Sheree Clark did to win the title of "Hot Raw Chef" this summer! Coming soon to a football party near you. Let me know what you think :)