Summer Kale Salad with Tahini Ginger Dressing

This tahini ginger dressing takes literally 2 minutes to whip up. You just throw the stuff in the food processor and it practically makes itself. It's a great pocket recipe for nights when you don't feel like cooking and just want a simple meal.

Salad:
1 bunch of red kale
1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin rounds
1 small cucumber, cut into thin rounds
Handful of baby bell peppers ( or 1 regular bell pepper), cut into bite sized pieces
2 avocados

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Braggs unfiltered apple cider vinegar
2 heaping tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and smashed with the back of your knife
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1 small clove of garlic

Optional Garnish:
Fresh chives
Sesame seeds

Wash the kale and rip the leaves into bite sized pieces. In a large salad bowl add the kale pieces, pre-cut carrots, cucumber, and bell pepper- toss.

In a food processor add all the dressing ingredients, blend until completely smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add a little water until desired consistency.

While the dressing is in the food processor, slice the avocado.

Assemble: Add the salad into bowls, top the salad with avocado slices, drizzle the dressing overtop and garnish with fresh chives and sesame seeds before serving.

Recipe adapted from Fettle Vegan

Detoxing Celery Soup

I'm not crazy about celery, I mean.. is anyone really? But a few weeks ago Erica gave me a bite of soup without telling me what it was and my first words were 'Oh my god that's good. Wait, is this celery?". Celery is one of those super foods with a ton of health benefits, which you can read about here. I try and do my best to keep a variety of veggies in my diet, but I must admit I don't eat all that much celery. When I get a head of it in my local co-op basket I accept that one or two stalks will be used and the rest will probably go to waste. Not anymore it won't. Eating clean doesn't have to be lackluster. This soup was quick to make and my body truly felt grateful after eating it.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped roughly
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 head of celery, cleaned & chopped roughly
1 large russet potato, chopped into small cubes
4 cups vegetable stock (I prefer Better Than Bouillon vegetable base found at Whole Foods)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional: Baguette, sliced and drizzled with olive oil before toasting to perfection


In a stock pot heat the olive oil and add the onion, cook until translucent. Toss in the garlic and cook another minute, until fragrant. Add in the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes. Allow the soup to cool slightly before transferring to a blender to puree until smooth. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Reheat on the stove top before serving. Serve with the toasted baguette slices if using.

Serves 4

Recipe from Goodness Green

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Honestly, no words will do these bad boys justice. You're just going to have to trust me on this one. Make these. Tomorrow. You need to. Because they're the best thing you'll be putting in your mouth anytime soon. Amazing.

1 small cauliflower head, cut into bite sized florets
4 tablespoons plant-based butter, melted
5 tablespoons Frank's Buffalo Wing Hot Sauce (Frank's is just superior, lets be real)
1 tablespoon Bragg's unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups pita chips (or GF panko)
Follow Your Heart Blue Cheese or Ranch dressing (found at Whole Foods)

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Prepare a baking dish by spraying it with nonstick spray. In a bowl combine the melted butter, hot sauce, vinegar, and garlic powder, set aside.

In a food processor blend the pita chips until they are fine and have a similar consistency as bread crumbs.

Dip the florets into the sauce, then coat in pita crumbs, then place on the baking sheet. Once all florets are coated and on the baking sheet give them a light mist with non stick cooking spray.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until they are golden brown. Serve with some dressing and enjoy!

*I had to double the recipe for the sauce as the head of cauliflower I had was a little on the larger side.

Recipe adapted from The Saucy Southerner

Summer Chowder with Fresh Chives and Tarragon

Fresh, light, and floral- perfect way to kick start summer.

3 garlic cloves, minced
3 shallots, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound summer squash (I used three small yellow squash and 2 medium zucchini), cut into rounds
16 ounces frozen organic corn kernels, if you have fresh that will work too
1 can light coconut milk
1 cup vegetable broth broth
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
3/4 tablespoons tarragon, chopped
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
Lime, cut into wedges

In a stock pot over medium heat saute the garlic and shallots in the olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Add in the summer squash and saute for another 4 minutes. Toss in the corn and continue sauting for another 2 minutes. Add in the coconut milk and broth, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and add in the chives, tarragon, and salt. With a lid over top simmer for 15 minutes, until the squash is soft and the corn cooked through. Carefully transfer to a blended and blend to desired consistency. Squeeze juice from a lime wedge over top of each soup bowl before eating.

Serves 4-6

Boiled Peanuts

My love affair with boiled peanuts started somewhere between Pensacola and Tallahassee during my undergrad. I would walk into a gas station and there would be a crock pot of those things just simmering away waiting to be purchased. And since I'm a when in Rome kind of gal, I made the exception of buying gas station food and tried my first boiled peanut. Now that I'm back down South I can't seem to find them anywhere. So, you know the drill... I made them. And they came out great.

Added all ingredients into the crockpot, ready to start cooking!

1 bag jumbo raw peanuts (not raw green peanuts)
1 3-ounce package of Zatarian's dry crab boil (found in the spice section at the supermarket)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
1/2 scant cup salt
2 jalapenos, roughly chopped
Water

In a crockpot add all the ingredients, pour in enough water to cover the peanuts. Cook on low for 12-15 hours until the peanuts in the shell are soft and full of yummy cajuny juice goodness. Eat warm or cold. Store leftover peanuts in the refrigerator.

Quick Mashed Potatoes with Mushroom Gravy

For some reason mashed potatoes are always hit or miss. For something so easy they can go so wrong so fast. Why is that? This mashed potato recipe is fool-proof, thank god. No one has time for bad food, let's be real. And the mushroom gravy, don't even get me started on this mushroom gravy!

Mushroom Gravy:
4 cups vegetable broth (Better Than Bullion brand is the way to go)
1/2 cup all purpose flour, or chickpea flour if you're GF
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
2 tablespoons olive oil
16 oz white button mushrooms, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoons salt
Fresh black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Mashed Potatoes:
3 pounds yukon gold potatoes
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk at room temp
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt (plus more for the water)
Fresh black pepper, to taste

First make the gravy:

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour with 1 cup of vegetable broth until well dissolved, then add in the remaining broth, mix, and set aside.

In a medium pot sauce an onion in the olive oil until translucent, about five minutes. Add in the chopped mushrooms, minced garlic, thyme, sage, salt and pepper and saute for five more minutes. Add in the wine and turn the heat up to a boil, cook for about 3 minutes before adding in the broth/flour mixture and nutritional yeast. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often so the bottom doesn't burn. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.

While the gravy is on the stove top cooking, make the mashed potatoes:

Leaving the skin on the potatoes cut them into 1 1/2 inch cubes. Place them in a pot of cold water with a teaspoon of salt, stick a lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes. The potatoes should be fork tender at this point, drain them and put them back in the pot. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until they're broken up a bit. Then add in the almond milk and olive oil, salt and pepper. If needed add more milk, continue mashing the potatoes until they are fluffy. Serve warm with a generous amount of mushroom gravy over top.

Recipe from The PPK