Crispy Fennel & Apple Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette

What is it like? 

- Crunchy, crispy & juicy

- Super refreshing

Recipe

Serves 4-6, prep 10 minutes

1 fennel bulb, sliced thinly, white part only; also slice 2 tbsp of the fronds
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large apple, sliced small
Onion, diced
1/4 cup parsly, sliced
1/4 cup raisins
1 tbsp wine whine vinegar or lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
salt, to taste 

Directions: 

1. Chop all of the vegetables and the apple and place them in a large bowl. 
2. Add the raisins, drizzle the salad with white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt to taste, toss and serve! 
3. This salad makes great leftovers, just add a little more vinegar or lemon before serving it the next day. 

Carrot Cake Pancakes

What are they like? 

- Deliciously chewy

- Full of oats, carrots, raisins & walnuts

- Awesome with maple syrup & whipped coconut cream

Recipe

Dry
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour
1 1/2 tsp psyllium husk powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup walnuts
1/3 cup raisins
1 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut 

wet
1 1/2 cups soy milk OR preferred milk
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 egg OR substitute vegan egg
1 tbsp honey, optional OR agave for vegan
1 tsp vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla 

Directions: 

1. Mix together the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Then pour the wet in to the dry and mix until combined. 
2. Place a heavy skillet over medium high heat, like a cast iron, but any skillet will work. Add 1 tsp of oil and place spoonfuls of batter into the pan. Turn the pancakes over once small bubbles surface and start to pop. Cook pancakes for several more minutes and then test for doneness and repeat with another batch.
3. Keep them warm and serve. If you are feeling like going all out, bellow is an excellent topping! 

My favorite topping for pancakes, waffles, or french toast is as follows:
- a spread of almond butter
- sliced pear  
- frozen blueberries, warmed (the juice makes a great sauce) 
- maple syrup
- walnuts & cinnamon
- whipped coconut cream, optional 

Just place the toppings on the table and everyone can help themselves. 

Sweet Pork Spring Rolls, perfect for dipping

What are they like? 

- Crispy

- A gentle fusion of Asian-American flavors 

- Sweet & salty 

Here is a photo of the filling, which is also great just served with rice.

Recipe

Fried or fresh, your choice! 

1 lb ground pork OR baked tofu
1 tsp preferred oil, plus 2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 onion
4 leaves of green cabbage, chopped very thinly
2 large carrots, grated
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or too taste, plus low sodium soy sauce for dipping 

Optional: 

If you are eating these fresh, add a large piece of crispy romaine lettuce or bean sprout to add a nice crunch! 

Directions:

1. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add 1 tsp preferred oil, such as grape seed or olive oil (the olive oil tastes great in the recipe, even though it is not an asian flavor). 
2. Sauté the ground pork with the onion for about 8 minutes, until the pork is almost cooked. Then add the rest of the ingredients and sauté until the cabbage is tender if you plan to eat the spring rolls fresh*. 
3. Prepare the gluten free spring roll rice wraps according to package instructions. Usually they sit in warm water for about 30 seconds until they become soft and pliable. Spread the rice wrap out on a plate, place 2 heaping spoonfuls of the pork filling in the wrap, roll them up (like a burrito), and serve! 

These rolls have such great flavor that I prefer not to mask it with a strong sauce, simply dip them in low sodium soy sauce. 

*If you plan to shallow fry these spring rolls, make sure the pork is cooked, but the cabbage should still be a little tough to chew. To shallow fry, make the rolls with the slightly undercooked filling, heat 1/2 inch of high smoke point oil (such as grape seed or canola oil) in a clean pan over medium heat and place the rolls in the oil. The oil should be about 375°F and you will probably need to turn down the burner after the first few minutes of cooking. Cook the rolls until they are light brown and then flip them and repeat. Place the rolls on a paper towel-lined sheet to cool. 

Colorful Bell Peppers with Almond-Herb Pilaf

What are they like? 

- Refreshing 

- Full of flavor (lemon, olive oil, herbs & almonds) 

- Bursting with color 

Recipe

Serves 2-4, 15 min prep, 40 min cooking

This recipe can easily be doubled.

Pilaf
1/2 cup long grain rice
scant 1 cup water
1/2 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp slivered almonds

Peppers
2 bell peppers, any color
1/2 cup water
juice from one lemon, plus more for serving    
2 tbsp olive oil 

Topping
1 cup plain yogurt OR  plain tahini* (or both!) 
1 clove raw garlic crushed, optional 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. To prepare the pilaf, heat a 2 quart pan over medium heat until warmed. Add 2 tbsp oil, onion, and carrot and sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Then add the rest of the pilaf ingredients, bring to a boil, and then immediately lower to a simmer for 10 minutes or until water is absorbed. The rice will be al dente and it will finish cooking in the oven.

3. While the rice cooks, slice the peppers lengthwise and remove the stem. Choose a baking dish that is large enough to hold the peppers (an 8x8 pyrex works great). Add 3/4 cup water, 2 tbsp olive oil, and the juice of 1 lemon to the dish. Spoon the pilaf into the peppers, cover tightly with foil, and bake for about 40 minutes or until the peppers are fork tender.

4. Mix together the ingredients for the topping.

5. Before serving the peppers, drizzle with garlic yogurt or tahini and serve. Be sure to pour some of the sauce over the peppers. Drizzle with a squeeze of lemon juice.

*You can use 1/4 cup plain tahini for a subtle flavor, which is excellent, or mix together tahini and lemon (if it curdles and or becomes thick, stir in a teaspoon or two of water to smooth the texture). The garlic is optional. 

*Garlic yogurt is a common topping in Turkish cooking.

Silky Smooth Coconut-Almond Milk

What is it like? 

- Creamy

- Full-bodied 

- Perfectly flavored

Recipe

1/2 can coconut milk (full fat)
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp raw almond butter (or raw soaked almonds) OR your favorite nut butter
1/2 tsp soy lecithin powder*

For sweetened milk:
1 tsp raw honey, plus 2 drop liquid stevia, optional
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Warm water in the microwave. Then add all of the ingredients to the blender and blend. Enjoy! 

Notes: 
Warming the water in the microwave ensures that the coconut fat in the coconut milk will melt and disperse properly, making a smooth beverage.