Savory Dressing
I finally realized that Miso, Tamari, Soy Sauce and all those types of fermented sauces are migraine triggers, as well as anything with 'Natural' (umami/savory) type flavors in them. So I had to find another salad dressing that didn't give me pain. While this one isn't as 'pure' as a totally home made one it is yummy enough for me on a daily basis.
Portions are adjustable to your taste.
2 Tablespoons Tomato juice
2 Tablespoons Grapefruit, Orange, or other juice (Beetroot works too!)
1 Teaspoon Soy milk (only use this not a nut milk, as it is the only one that will slightly congeal the mix)
1 Tablespoon Tomato Ketchup
1 Tablespoon Mustard (any)
1-2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Mix well.
Fruit Sorbet Creme
This one is a mixture of ice cream texture and a fruit sorbet. Totally healthy!
2 ripe bananas, peeled and frozen
1/2 cup frozen cherries, or any other fruit you like.
You can also add some unsweetened cocoa powder if you like, as well as some coconut flakes, chopped nuts, or anything else you like.
Take the frozen fruit out of the freezer and allow to warm up a bit. Not too much, just enough that your food processor can cope with it. Blend. Done!
2 ripe bananas, peeled and frozen
1/2 cup frozen cherries, or any other fruit you like.
You can also add some unsweetened cocoa powder if you like, as well as some coconut flakes, chopped nuts, or anything else you like.
Take the frozen fruit out of the freezer and allow to warm up a bit. Not too much, just enough that your food processor can cope with it. Blend. Done!
Creamy Dressing
This dressing was inspired by a recipe from Forks Over Knives The Cookbook. It uses beans as a base rather than tofu, which is usually used for creamy dressings. I didn't measure so you can experiment with additional ingredients.
Blend well.
It might keep well, but I'll never know because I put it on my latest version of coleslaw and used it all up. It was really tasty!
- 1 15-oz tin Cannellini beans
- 1-2 Tbls Balsamic vinegar
- 1-2 Tbls Ketchup
- 1-2 Tbls American style mustard
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- You can also add herbs of your choice to change the flavor.
Blend well.
It might keep well, but I'll never know because I put it on my latest version of coleslaw and used it all up. It was really tasty!
Quinoa Spinach Stir Fry
I made this last night as a throw together from what I had handy, as tomorrow is shopping day.
Fry onion in a little water with Mushroom Ketchup for about 1 minute.
Add mushrooms, cover and let cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add quinoa and beans, and stir into onions and mushrooms.
Add spinach and cover for a few minutes until spinach cooks down.
Add ketchup and stir in.
Eat!
- 1/4 cup Quinoa, cooked
- 1/2 cup Black beans (any type of bean will do)
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 cup green beans
- 4 white mushrooms (medium size)
- 2 cups spinach, chopped
- 1-2 Tablespoons Mushroom Ketchup (or Soy if you can tolerate it)
- 2 Tablespoons Ketchup
Fry onion in a little water with Mushroom Ketchup for about 1 minute.
Add mushrooms, cover and let cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add quinoa and beans, and stir into onions and mushrooms.
Add spinach and cover for a few minutes until spinach cooks down.
Add ketchup and stir in.
Eat!
Mushroom Dip
This is my version of a Mushroom Dip originally from Mary McDougall
Serves 1
4 oz mushrooms (about 4 medium sized white or brown mushrooms), chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 bell pepper, chopped
Good pinch dried basil
Good pinch dried marjoram or oregano or Italian Seasoning
Saute onion and pepper in water or stock for about 5 minutes.
Add mushrooms continue to saute until softened. After about 5 minutes add herbs and continue to saute until well cooked, about 10 minutes. Take off heat.
Use a stick blender to blend all ingredients. Let cool, or eat with rice cakes or crudites.
Serves 1
4 oz mushrooms (about 4 medium sized white or brown mushrooms), chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 bell pepper, chopped
Good pinch dried basil
Good pinch dried marjoram or oregano or Italian Seasoning
Saute onion and pepper in water or stock for about 5 minutes.
Add mushrooms continue to saute until softened. After about 5 minutes add herbs and continue to saute until well cooked, about 10 minutes. Take off heat.
Use a stick blender to blend all ingredients. Let cool, or eat with rice cakes or crudites.
Simple Bean Dip
I fancied some beans to go with my mid-morning snack as I had only had a green smoothie today. So I whipped this up quickly as I was watching an interesting talk by Dr Brian Weiss on reincarnation this morning.
about 1 cup Black beans already cooked
Balsamic vinegar
Ketchup
Mustard
Mix well.
Very yummy on Ryvitas.
about 1 cup Black beans already cooked
Balsamic vinegar
Ketchup
Mustard
Mix well.
Very yummy on Ryvitas.
Harvest Festival Delight
This recipe was given to me by my friend Maggi Rowan. She's a very dynamic therapist and business woman who just happens to be a wonderful cook too!
Serves 4
1½ lb of potatoes and sweet potatoes
8 oz of baby onions
garlic
8 oz carrots
8oz parsnips
8oz swede/celeriac
2 sticks Celery
14 - 15 oz can of tomatoes
approx 2 pints of stock or water
lovage
black pepper
bay leaf
bouquet garni
Parboil spuds and sweet pots and put on one side.
Fry baby onions and celery in a big pan. Dice all the veg except cauliflower and gently stir fry add boullion and bring to the boil and let simmer for a nice long time till veg are soft. Add cauliflower last in small pieces. Don't forget to add bay leaves, bouquet garni and lovage
When soft chuck in a very large casserole and cook for about an hour and a half at 180 C.
Put the pots and sweet pots in strips on top of the dish. and put a little olive oil on top of them cook with lid on, remove last half hour.
This is really a delicious dish but it takes time and trouble but smell delicious when cooking in the oven
Serves 4
1½ lb of potatoes and sweet potatoes
8 oz of baby onions
garlic
8 oz carrots
8oz parsnips
8oz swede/celeriac
2 sticks Celery
14 - 15 oz can of tomatoes
approx 2 pints of stock or water
lovage
black pepper
bay leaf
bouquet garni
Parboil spuds and sweet pots and put on one side.
Fry baby onions and celery in a big pan. Dice all the veg except cauliflower and gently stir fry add boullion and bring to the boil and let simmer for a nice long time till veg are soft. Add cauliflower last in small pieces. Don't forget to add bay leaves, bouquet garni and lovage
When soft chuck in a very large casserole and cook for about an hour and a half at 180 C.
Put the pots and sweet pots in strips on top of the dish. and put a little olive oil on top of them cook with lid on, remove last half hour.
This is really a delicious dish but it takes time and trouble but smell delicious when cooking in the oven
Breakfast!
Okay, I hear you asking, what's for breakfast? Normally I have a green smoothie but I forgot to order spinach this week and quite frankly spring greens don't appeal for breakfast.
Oatmeal Breakfast
1/2 cup dry oatmeal (porridge oats)
1 banana
frozen strawberries and blueberries (why frozen? they're out of season right now)
Pour boiling water over the oatmeal. Sweeten with a bit of Stevia and cinnamon. Cut up banana, and add other fruit (you can use whatever is in season, if you like). Eat!
Oatmeal Breakfast
1/2 cup dry oatmeal (porridge oats)
1 banana
frozen strawberries and blueberries (why frozen? they're out of season right now)
Pour boiling water over the oatmeal. Sweeten with a bit of Stevia and cinnamon. Cut up banana, and add other fruit (you can use whatever is in season, if you like). Eat!
Lentil and Greens Soup
Chop up 4 carrots, 3 onions, 2 stalks of celery and throw into about 3 inches of water or broth in the slow cooker.
Add 1 x 15oz can of tomatoes (any)
Add 1 tsp of Italian Seasoning
After 2 hours add
1 cup of cooked black beans (or any other bean you like)
1 chopped up green cabbage (any)
Let cook another hour.
Add any seasonings you like, but not too much salt (try and cut the salt down until you can tolerate not adding it at all). Or you can add Mushroom Ketchup or Tamari
Red Pepper Hummus
Hummus is a great replacement for Mayo. Go easy on the Tahini as it is a fat or leave it out altogether, though it is a traditional ingredient in Hummus.
1 or 2 cans of chickpeas, drained but retaining some of the water
2 generous Tablespoons of Tahini
1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
Blend and taste. This is a basic recipe so feel free to add anything else that you like in your hummus.
Add 1 x 15oz can of tomatoes (any)
Add 1 tsp of Italian Seasoning
After 2 hours add
1 cup of cooked black beans (or any other bean you like)
1 chopped up green cabbage (any)
Let cook another hour.
Add any seasonings you like, but not too much salt (try and cut the salt down until you can tolerate not adding it at all). Or you can add Mushroom Ketchup or Tamari
Red Pepper Hummus
Hummus is a great replacement for Mayo. Go easy on the Tahini as it is a fat or leave it out altogether, though it is a traditional ingredient in Hummus.
1 or 2 cans of chickpeas, drained but retaining some of the water
2 generous Tablespoons of Tahini
1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
Blend and taste. This is a basic recipe so feel free to add anything else that you like in your hummus.
Vegetable Tofu Scramble
This is one I made up from an idea I got in one of my new cookbooks :).
1 medium potato chopped and boiled for 10 minutes
Meanwhile ...
1 medium onion chopped anyhow
1 rib celery, sliced
1/2 small red pepper, chopped
1/4 packet tofu
Line a skillet or deep sided frying pan with a little water and a splash of Mushroom Ketchup.
Add chopped vegetables and cook for 7 minutes or until onion is softened.
Add
about 1/2 cup frozen peas and
3 broccoli florettes
Add 1 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
Cook until warmed and broccoli bright green and softened.
Eat and enjoy!
1 medium potato chopped and boiled for 10 minutes
Meanwhile ...
1 medium onion chopped anyhow
1 rib celery, sliced
1/2 small red pepper, chopped
1/4 packet tofu
Line a skillet or deep sided frying pan with a little water and a splash of Mushroom Ketchup.
Add chopped vegetables and cook for 7 minutes or until onion is softened.
Add
about 1/2 cup frozen peas and
3 broccoli florettes
Add 1 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
Cook until warmed and broccoli bright green and softened.
Eat and enjoy!
Vegetable Crumble
Last night I made a recipe from Leah Leneman's book Vegan Cooking for One, with modifications (a lot actually, as I didn't have all the ingredients). Here's my version.
1 small carrot, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 stick of celery, chopped
Put these three ingredients in a small saucepan with a little water and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add:
1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
a pinch of salt - optional
Mix well. Set aside in small casserole dish.
Meanwhile cook 3 potatoes (small to medium sized). This is quicker if you cube them. It only takes 10 minutes to boil them to a soft mashing quality. Add a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of non-dairy milk of your choice (I like almond milk). Mash well and spread on top of the vegetables in a small casserole dish. Bake at 200 degrees C until the top is browned.
Serving for One.
1 small carrot, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 stick of celery, chopped
Put these three ingredients in a small saucepan with a little water and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add:
1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
a pinch of salt - optional
Mix well. Set aside in small casserole dish.
Meanwhile cook 3 potatoes (small to medium sized). This is quicker if you cube them. It only takes 10 minutes to boil them to a soft mashing quality. Add a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of non-dairy milk of your choice (I like almond milk). Mash well and spread on top of the vegetables in a small casserole dish. Bake at 200 degrees C until the top is browned.
Serving for One.