Healthier Catalina Dressing

That is not really the title of the dressing in its original format, but this is what I am choosing to name it. And for those of us who still remember what processed foods tastes like this will definitely spark your memory. When I make things that are supposed to remind me of a dish from my past, it had very well taste like I remember. This was a happenstance of making this dressing.

For those of you who know me, I am not a lover of salads. Now now, let me explain. I love them, but not as a last ditch alternative. Let me set up a scenario for you:
Random friend: Hey, want to go out to eat?
Me: Where do you want to go?
Random Friend: How about Red Lobster?
Me: Thanks but no thanks, there really isn't much for me to eat there.
Random friend: You can have the salad.

What is screaming in my head is this:  IF THE SALAD IS SO BLINKING GOOD, THEN YOU HAVE IT!!!

But I keep my wits about me and keep quiet. Why do us vegans come off as salad loving idiots. Yes I love a good salad, but not like everyone thinks that I do. There is so much more to us than iceberg lettuce and 1,000 Island Dressing (unless you have made yours from scratch). But I am always looking for new and different dressings, so that when I do make a salad for dinner, it is not them same old thing staring us in the face. With that said, let's see what Dr. John McDougall has in store for us. I found this in a cookbook of his that I got at a flea market for $2. Worth every penny I spent on it. Now, on to the recipe.

1 t Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce (tamari or liquid aminos is my preference, since we technically do not use soy sauce any longer)
A few dashes of hot sauce (optional)
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Place all the ingredients in a jar and shake well. I know this is a complicated dish, so if you have any questions on how to prepare this, please get in touch with me...I am here to help. REALLY!? Get one of your unused pint-sized mason jars and purchase some matching lids and rings (there are some that are quite decorative out there. Now you don't have to purchase a new-fangled bottle for dressing and you can use it over and over. AND, they are made from glass. And that is a sure sight better than using plastic.

Even my husband agreed that it reminded him of Catalina Dressing. So go and make this and as always, make...eat...enjoy!

Sweet & Sour Dressing

I love finding a good bargain. And today I did. I visit flea markets, garage sales and the withdrawn section of the local library. You never now when a little gem will turn up. I was at my local flea market and they have an extensive used book section from the local county library. And they have the place nicely sectioned off. So even within the cookbook section I was able to go right to the vegetarian section. I looked through every one of them and found only one that I wanted to take home. It was only $1, so even if I got it home and hated it, I only spent a dollar and even then it was going to a good cause.

I only skimmed through the booklet and saw a few I could already use. The book was published in 1987, but if I feel the need I will make them a bit healthier, but so far so good. This is a simple recipe and here is where my DUH moment happened. I think of myself to be a decently bright person, not super intelligent, but bright. I have been racking my brain on different containers that I can store my from scratch dressings in. Then it hit me. I have tons of mason jars in my patio. Some are pint sized and others are quart sized. I saw this recipe and used on of the pint sized ones and it is a match made in heaven. So now on to the recipe.

2-3 T sugar (I used granulated)
1 t dry mustard
1/2 t salt
1/2 celery seeds
1&1/2 t minced onion
1/4 cup white vinegar (We used rice vinegar)
1/2 cup oil
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Combine all thee ingredients in a jar. Cover and shake well until everything is combined. Chill and shake again. Serve over your favorite salad. I tested it before I put it on the table. It has such a good little zing. I will definitely makes this one again. And as always, make...eat...enjoy!

1,000 Island Dresisng

I am rediscovering salads. Yes, most non-vegetarians assume that those of us who are, live on rabbit food. Ahhh, not true. But I have been on a salad kick lately and experimenting with some dressings and this one hit the spot I remember oh so well.

I was never a super-duper fan of 1,000 Island Dressing, but every now and then I would get a hankering for some and this brings me back to the days of eating the old fashioned stuff. So give it a try and tell me it does not taste like the real deal. And once it sits overnight...watch out!

1 cup vegan mayonnaise(we use Veganaise)
1T sweet relish (NOT dill)
1/2 cup catsup (yep I spell it that way)
1 t onion powder (do not omit)
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Throw all ingredients into a food processor and have at it. You will love this. And so much better the next day. If it were me, I would double this one right form the get go, that way you do not run out when you really need it! Make...eat...enjoy!

Citrus Dressing

We were making dinner last night and cleaning out the fridge and the produce bin, trying to use up as much fresh produce before we had to put it in the compost bin or in the freezer for future soup stock.

With that in mind I picked through and weeded out all the veggies in the drawer and had a salad, ready to go. Except for one thing. I was not in the mod for bottled dressing. Even if you go with the 'healthier' versions, you are still eating processed food. But I knew I could find something better.

I had quite a few oranges left over from my organic produce co-op and did not want to lose them. So, through the power of the internet, I started searching for a citrus dressing. On about the 3rd hit I found one I liked and had all the ingredients for(very important in this house). I did have to alter one ingredient though, for I do not use honey, but thank the stars above for agave. This was so simple and the lightness and freshness was unbelievable. So here goes. And trust me when I say this will be a staple for my salads.

1/3 cup agave
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (about 1 good orange)
1/4 Dijon style mustard
1-2 T olive oil (optional)
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Add the first three ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until well blended. Then slowly drizzle in the oil and keep on whisking. That is it.

This one is so simple it scares me. And this is what I keep telling folks who are moving over to a healthier diet. Do-it-slowly! You did not get unhealthy over-night, you will not get healthy over night. But think of how good you will feel once you get there. So go make this and remember, make...eat...enjoy!

Vegan Ranch Dressing

To say I was a ranch dressing fan would be a false statement. Does that mean I never used it on my salads? No, I would occasionally use that flavor, but if I had other choices, I would opt for something else. With that said, I would like to introduce to you one of thee best vegan alternatives to traditional ranch dressing. I, of course, found it on VegWeb. But I found it quite by accident. Yes, I was looking for a new dressing, but not a ranch one in particular. But there it was staring at me and I had all of thee ingredients.
I am giving you thee altered recipe, for thee original was a bit too runny for all our tastes. And if I had read the reviews, then I too would have seen that the general consensus was the same as mine. But you do not have to go through that same mistake, I am giving you thee updated version. So try it and see how truly right I am.

1/4-1/2 cup non-dairy milk(use plain unsweetened if you have it)
1 cup vegan mayo(We use Veganaise)
1 t each, garlic and onion powder
2-3 T red wine vinegar
1 T fresh or dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
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Throw all ingredients into a blender/food processor and whirl until smooth.
If you like it thicker, and more like a dip, then stick closer to the 1/4 mark of milk. But if you prefer it more like a dressing, then go closer to the 1/2 mark.
I tell you that is all you have to do. And both my husband and daughter could not believe how close to the real thing it truly was. When all three of us agree on something, we know we have a winner. So, make...eat...enjoy!

Creamy-Not Always Coleslaw-Dressing

That 'Not Always' part, I added myself. I wanted a homemade salad dressing that my husband will eat. He is still buying bottled dressings. And from Kraft of all companies. Ick! Anyhow, I was going through La Dolce Vegan who is the How it All Vegan authoress', and found this oh so simple dressing. Yes yes, it is meant for coleslaw, but where in the world of veganism is there a rule book that says this 'has' to go over shredded cabbage...yeah, just what I thought.

With that said, I loved this recipe. It has a wee bit of a bite to it, but best of all, my hubby loved it!!! So make it and love me for it later...and Sarah Kramer also.

3/4 cup vegan mayo
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 T sugar (your choice, just not brown)
1 T fresh parsley, minced (we were out and it was still great)
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
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 In a jar or dressing bottle, combine all thee ingredients. Shake well, with the cap on of course and pour on your favorite salad. Makes about 1 cup. My hubby liked this one, as did I, this one will definitely be made again, for sure. Make...eat...enjoy!

All American Cole Slaw

I cannot believe I have not posted this recipe. I looked all over my own blog, for I was wanting to make it thee other day. And since we are revamping our recipe book here at our house, our papers were a bit scattered. Since I did not find it here, I had no choice but to ruffle through the papers. Luckily for you folks we found it.

This is as All American as you can get. I have always loved cole slaw. But they are either dripping in regular mayonnaise, or made by companies I no longer support. (Case in point, KFC)

When we found this, oh so long ago, we fell in love. The simplicity and thee ability to veganize it was simple stupid.

1&1/2 pounds green cabbage(purple if you feel adventurous)
3 T malt vinegar (I have substituted with rice wine)
1/4 t salt
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
2/3 cup vegan mayonnaise (We use Veganaise)
1-2 t celery seed (Optional, but I find it is must)
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In a small bowl, mix together the vinegar, salt, mayo and celery seed. Set aside. This way it mixes more smoothly into your slaw.

Chop or process your cabbage to the consistency your family likes. Add to a medium/large bowl. Pour your mayo mixture over the slaw. I recommend at least 30 minutes of sitting time, but you can just as easily put it right on the table. Enjoy this, we love it here.

Jana's Famous Herb Dressing

I am going to openly admit that I have slacked off on my salad eating. It has to do with nothing other than pure laziness. I prefer not to purchase bottled dressing, but alas, it came to a point where I did. I was not happy.

For the last two days, I have been cleaning out the fridge. It has been a two fold operation. I have been throwing out left-overs that did not get eaten, and I have physically cleaned out the fridge. Meaning I have disassembled the door and the drawers and also wiped down the shelves. Man, there is nothing better than a clean refrigerator.

So, since I was on a roll, I decided, that instead of throwing away the wilty vegetables, that I would put them to good use and make a soup. But, as I was cleaning out the fridge, I also threw out all my bottled dressings. So...out came the How it all Vegan Cookbook and I started flipping through the sauces section and stumbled upon this very potent dressing.

This is not for the faint of heart. No, it is not a spicy dressing, it is just a very powerful set of herbs all dancing around the bottle. And just by my first taste test. I would highly recommend that you let this set over night in the fridge so everything has time to marry. I am almost tempted to pour this over my pancakes. Just kidding.

- 1/4 cup flax oil or olive oil
- 4 T nutritional yeast flakes
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 t pepper
- 2 T maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or through a press
- 2 T fresh thyme, or 1 T dry
- 1T fresh rosemary, or 1/2 T dried
- 1 t fresh oregano, or 1/2 t dried
- 1 T of sesame seeds
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Mix everything in a bowl, except for the oil. Slowly whisk in the oil to the mixture whisking the entire time you are pouring. This gives the oil a chance to emulsify. If not then your oil will pretty much stay separated. This is strong dressing, but oh so worth it.

Raw Cranberry Salad

Well, it is getting to be that time of year again...the dreaded holidays. I have to admit, that I still enter them with a bit of trepidation, but only because we have been so ingrained to believe that any meal, and especially Thanksgiving cannot continue without a slab of dead flesh. I am here to prove those folks wrong.

I recently volunteered at a local high school and talked to them about vegetarianism and told them some startling numbers about meat-eaters and cancer. I also told them their parents would say that I was a whack job. But that they did not have to believe me, do the research. And that is my new motto now. If you don't believe me, go see for yourself. For most of these numbers are form our own AMA or ACA, so I don't need to make this stuff up.

So as I was talking to these kids, the one big question was,'What 'DO' you eat?', and my tried and true answer was,'Everything you don't.', which always gets them thinking. For like many people out there, most folks do not have a varied diet, and if they would make a food diary, they would see that. So, I used Thanksgiving as an example. I asked them to think about the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving portrait, but they all looked at me like I was Medusa, meaning that not one student knew who Normal Rockwell was...Google him.

With that said, I told them to envision a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but, we were going to take away the turkey. Now, tell me what is left on the table. Well these little dynamos were able to rattle off names of food in a matter of seconds a minimum of a half a dozen dishes that were meat free and that all of those dishes could not possibly fit on my plate all at once, so, 'I' was going to have to go back for seconds, possibly thirds, and that was only because I stopped them from naming 'side dishes'. I showed them that their side dishes became my main dishes. And then it hit them that anyone, not just me, could easily survive at Thanksgiving and never eat a dead animal. Eureka!!

Now, on to this brilliant dish that one of my bosses gave me. We will be using this at my job for our upcoming Customer Appreciation Day where we will be serving organic turkeys and a plethora of side dishes that yours truly will be making. So any and all side dishes will be vegetarian if nothing else. And this little gem is for the raw foodists out there. This is to die for and it will most definitely be on my Thanksgiving table for sure.

1 container of cranberries (8-16 ounces)(frozen is all right if fresh is not available)
2 navel oranges, peeled and roughly chopped
1-2 red delicious apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
Raw honey or agave to taste (start with 1 tablespoon and work your way up)
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Make sure you have washed all fruits and dump them into your food processor. If your honey is hardened, then you can easily melt it in a double broiler type set up as not to bring above 118 degrees. Once your sweetener is ready, add to processor and hit your pulse button...if you have one. If you do not, then do not turn on your processor and walk away, you want this salad to have some consistency, but small enough that is not quite minced, but pretty darned close.

Play with the size of chunks you are willing to eat and let it be done. This is better if done the day before, for the sugar will draw out some of the water and make it a bit soupier. I may never cook a cranberry ever again.

Raw Taco

I recently had the pleasure of attending a vegetarian festival in Orlando Florida. The Orlando Veg-Fest is a mecca of vegetarians who are there to have a good time and of course eat til your hearts content. I also was able to ride over there with some really good friends and meet another friend there. with that said, me and Hank went about trying to eat every food available. We nearly succeeded. We decided to split all the dishes. So one of us would purchase the first dish and the other one would purchase the second dish until we were full.

However, we ran out of time before we ran out of money or empty stomachs. Hank had a bicycle race to get to, so he had to cut out a bit earlier than he truly wanted. Bummer, for I had more food to taste.

The first dish that graced our palettes was a raw taco. Now I am extremely open to new foods and new ways of preparing them. But I am also a bit skeptical when something claims to be so close to its traditional dish. But I was up for it. The taco was purchased, split with Hank and instantly regretted that action. Oh, not the eating of the taco, the sharing of it with Hank. Next year he is own his own, i ma in never sharing a raw taco with anyone, ever again.

I then knew that I wanted to make these delicious little roll-ups, so I asked one of the girls behind the food counter if I could have the recipe for I taught raw food classes back in Port Saint Lucie. She gladly gave me her email address and said that I could email her and she would be happy to give it to me. I got home and set the card aside running into a busy week. I kept saying I would email her, but I just kept putting it off.

Then I was looking through one of the little magazines that I get at my place of work, Delicious Living and saw raw food on the front cover. Then it hit me, I had seen a raw taco recipe in there. I could not flip to that page fast enough. I had no idea what was in the taco I had tasted at the festival, but I know that this recipe had to be a variation on a theme. I was willing to give it a go.

This is a dish I have not regretted form the get go. I was in pure heaven as I ate these again. I was transported back to the festival and also elated that I could now make these on my own and still feel confident serving these to guests. Now most folks would have a hard time seeing these as a main entree, but we were very happy eating them as such.

So enough with my babbling, let me post this lovely little recipe and see how simple it is to make and even easier to eat.

Cilantro-Cashew Cheeze(makes 1 cup)
1&1/2 t garlic (about 2 cloves)
1/2 t sea salt
1 cup raw cashews
2&1/2 T fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup filtered water
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Ground Walnut Meat (makes 1 cup)
1 cup raw walnuts
1&1/2 t ground cumin
1&1/2 t ground coriander
1/2 t liquid aminos, tamari or soy sauce
Pinch of salt to taste
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to make cheeze: Place garlic and salt in a food processor; process into small pieces. Add cashews and process into a paste. Add lemon juice, cilantro, and water; process to mix well. Set Aside.

To make walnut meat: Place walnuts, cumin, coriander, liquid aminos, and salt in a food processor. Process into small pieces until the mixture looks like ground meat; be careful not to over process into a butter.

Spread 2 tablespoons cheeze down the inside spine of each romaine leaf. Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons walnut meat. Add salsa and avocado slices. Wrap and serve.

I could eat this fro breakfast...oh yeah, being a raw foodist means there are no meal boundaries. Eat what you want...when you want and enjoy always!!!

Quinoa Tabouleh with Chickpeas

I suddenly realized how long it has been since I posted any new recipes and it is pitiful. this was a dish I found when I was asked to make a couple of dishes about gluten free. I know a little bit about gluten free issues, but not so much so that I could teach a class about it. However, I can talk about cooking.

The lady who puts together the calender at the health food store
I work in asked me to find a dish or two to make at a special event, and this one struck a cord, only because Tabbouleh is such a traditional dish in the Mediterranean diet but is made with cracked wheat. Not good if you are adhering to a gluten free diet. In comes quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). Other than changing the wheat to quinoa, this dish is pretty much like the traditional tabbouleh, but this was oh-so-good. So now, on to the recipe.

1 cup white quinoa, drained and rinsed
1&3/4s water, boiling
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1T lemon juice
1T white wine vinegar
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
4-6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 cup canned chick peas (make your own whenever possible)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped mint (or 1/4 cup if mint is dried)(spearmint is preferable)
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Rinse and drain the quinoa. Bring the water and 1/2 t salt to a boil. Add the quinoa, and reduce the heat to low. Cover pan, and simmer until grains are dry, fluffy and tender and the white germ ring shows, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil (olive oil being added last) lemon juice, vinegar, 1/2 t salt and black pepper to taste. Stir into the hot, cooked quinoa(for better absorption flavor). Transfer to a bowl, and let cool. If refrigerating, bring to room temperature before adding thee other ingredients. Combine the tomatoes, green onions, cucumber, chickpeas, parsley, and mint and let stand for 30 minutes to soften slightly. Add to the quinoa and toss gently.

This was a wonderful alternative to the traditional tabbouleh. And can easily be served and for those with gluten issues they can still enjoy the best of both worlds and us traditionalists miss out on nothing.

Raw Kale Salad

Now I know what you must be thinking, all salad are raw. Not entirely. If you add cheese, eggs, croutons, bottled dressing, roasted peppers, then you have just 'killed' your living salad. With that said, you will need to make your own dressing and for the most part form scratch. Not as difficult as you might think. And I found this lovely gem in Alissa Cohen's book Living on Live Food. Which is a wonderful book. I plan on purchasing this myself on my next paycheck.

The book is broken down into three different sections, so to say. there is the informational section, the in's and out's of raw food. then there is the testimonial section, with before and after photos. then there is the recipe section. My boss let me borrow the book to find some new recipes, and find them I did, and just hours before my shift at work. Nothing like being a last minute Larry. But it worked out wonderfully. And what people kept asking me the most was, 'What is this dressing?' Well low and behold, there was no dressing, it was incorporated into the salad already. What a concept.

So...without further adieu, let's get on to this salad recipe.

1 head kale, shredded (I prefer lacinato)
1 cup tomato diced
1 cup avocado (About 2 Haas)(make sure they are ripe, or this will be a bit difficult)
2&1/2 T olive oil
1&1/2 T lemon juice
1 t Celtic sea salt (I used regular sea salt)
1/2 t cayenne pepper (do not omit, you will regret it)
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Rinse and dry the kale. Remove any woody stems. If need be, slice the kale down the middle so you do not have large pieces of greens going into your salad. Place a few leaves on top of each other and shred as thin as possible. Do this until all your kale is shredded.

In another bowl, chop your tomato and set aside.

In a large bowl add all your other ingredients. Squish together all ingredients until the avocado is thoroughly mixed in with all ingredients. There may still be a few tiny lumps in there, but very few. Now takes a handful of kale and add to the dressing, squeezing the kale until the dressing is coating the kale. Now grab another handful of kale and do the same. Keep doing this until all the kale is mixed with the dressing.

Take the tomatoes and add to the kale salad. You can either toss them into the salad itself or leave them on top. I prefer them to be gently tossed in. That way they will have the dressing on them as well.

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I had so many customers loving this, even if they were not raw foodists. They realized that they were able to, with this recipe not have to worry about bottled dressing. Who knew!!!???

Feta Schmeta

Well, I have struck gold once again. And all thanks to Sarah Kramer and her How it all Vegan book. I tell everyone that I meet, that his is my proverbial cooking bible. I would be lost without this book. It is simple and using ingredients that are found, for the most part, in your everyday grocery store. Do not get me wrong, there may be one or two ingredients that you may have to get at your local health food store, but that is not a bad thing.

I went looking for this because I have made the final leap to letting go of cheese. I know for the most part, cheese is made with rennet, which is the lining of an animals stomach. Mostly a cows stomach, but I have recently found out that it can come from a pigs as well as a sheep's. So, I am choosing to not eat the cheese. Letting go of cheese was my final hurdle to veganism. But I shall prevail. With that said, please enjoy the simplicity of this dish and make it often. I know I will.

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 t salt
1 T dried basil
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t dried oregano
1 pkg firm herb tofu, cubed or crumbled(we used plain tofu)
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In a large bowl, mix together the oil, water, vinegar, salt, basil, pepper and oregano. Marinade the tofu in the mixture for at least one hour or more. Makes aprox. 1/2 cups.

I did mine a wee bit differently. I put all thee ingredients into the food processor and whirled them together. I did not massacre them, I just blended them together long enough to get the ingredients mixed thoroughly. Worked fine for me. This dish was incredible. I took some to work today and one of my co-workers said she had made it and it tasted like butt (she used an entirely different word), and I told her that she had to try mine. She did and was then in love with me, telling me how she could actually bathe in that stuff. Suffice it to say, the dish was a smash hit. This will be made often in my home.

Cool 'N Spicy Watermelon Salad

This I found on a Facebook group I belong to. Raw Vegan Recipe Exchange. They have some great recipes and to date I have used two of them. I am not a fan of mixing sweet and savory, but I saw that I had all thee ingredients and went for it. I am now a believer in sweet and savory. Try this over the summer, it is a dish you will not regret trying.

3 cups cubed watermelon
2T jalapeno (diced, I used less)
2T mint (I used dry)
2T lime juice (I used lemon)
pinch of salt
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I put all thee ingredients on our already cut watermelon and this was unbelievable. For those of you who try this, please drop me a line on what you think of it, I am very curious to see what others think.

Zippy Zucchini & Carrots

Well, at my raw food class last night I made two recipes. Both were from Rita Romano's book Dining in the Raw. I found it at a book bin at my local flea market that is funded by Martin County Library Systems. I go there specifically looking for cookbooks. And I have found quite a few different books. Granted, I only look for vegetarian books, but I am finding them all the same.

This recipe I made because the first one also had carrots. This was thee other recipe I made. Now you have to remember that the zucchini salad I had not made of yet so my audience was the guinea pigs. But hey, it is a free class and you can see the ingredients, you decide. And I liked the different taste the dressing gave, but if I had to do it again, I would not julienne the zucchini. I would either shred it or use a potato peeler to get it to the consistency I like. So without further adieu, here comes last nights recipe.

2 zucchini, shredded or julienned
3 carrots, shredded
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/2 t nutmeg
1/8 t cayenne pepper
2T tahini
Braggs to taste (this is soy sauce...basically)
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Julienne zucchini and carrots. (I preferred to shred mine. I think they vegetables absorb the flavors of the dressing better.) Combine remaining ingredients in a blender with 1/2 cup water. (If I did this one again, I would put the dressing ingredients in a small mini chopper and whirl it around) Pour over vegetables, mix well and serve.

I really like how this dressing broke the traditional mold of oil with lemon or oil with vinegar. So many of us, even if we prepare food from scratch, get into a rut with food. This recipe definitely made me think out of my own little food box. I will make this at home and hope everyone likes it as much as I did.

Faux Egg Salad

This was made on a whim and spur of the moment type night. I am so not a wing it person, and my cookbooks are always close at hand. I had 2 tubs of tofu that I needed to get used up. So I skimmed through my How it All Vegan and Viola, up popped this faux egg salad recipe. All I can say is, my-oh-my. This is definitely a keeper. Just one more reason to buy a tub of tofu.

1lb medium tofu, mashed (we used firm)(please remember to squeeze out the excess water first)
1/2 cup soy mayo (we make our own with this recipe)
4T chopped parsley
1/4 cup relish (we used sweet relish)
1&1/2 T prepared mustard *We like Ba-Tampte. It is thee best mustard on the planet*
1-2 stalks green onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (I put mine through a press)
1&1/2 t salt
1/4 t turmeric
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Ina medium bowl, mash the tofu with your hands (I used a potato masher) or fork and add the remaining ingredients. Mix together well and chill before serving. (We had to get dinner on the table and it was still fine served immediately) Makes 2-4 servings.

Wow, this was so good that my husband prefers this one over my fake tuna salad. And I would have to agree with him. And this was so close to the real thing that my daughter would not eat it. Scary, huh??

Kimchi~~Korean Sauerkraut

This is another recipe that I cannot believe that I have not posted. Am I nuts? Do not answer that. So, now that I am moving into a more raw type diet, I will surely be adding these types of dishes. If you do not know, fermented food is one of the best foods to ingest, and for many reasons. It is a natural preservative and it beats the heck out of store bought pickles. Again, they have turned a beautiful type of food and turned it into garbage.

Try this and you will not regret it. They are simple and easy to make. And my son tells me, as long as I can keep up production, he will fore go store bought and eat mine on his subs!! Yeah to me.

1 head green or Napa cabbage, cored and shredded
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup grated daikon radish (optional, but I used it and liked it)
1-2T freshly grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 t dried chile flakes
2 t sea salt
1/2 cup filtered water
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Place vegetables, ginger and red chile flakes in a bowl and mash down with a wooden pounder to release juices. Stuff into a 2 quart-sized wide-mouth mason jars and press down with pounder. The top of the vegetables should be 1 inch below top of jar. Mix water with salt and pour over cabbage mixture. Add additional water if needed to bring liquid to top of cabbage. Cover tightly. Keep in a warm place for 2-3 days before transferring to cold storage.

I did not have a 2 quart mason jar so I put it into two 1 quart-sized jars and it worked out just fine. You may leave the jars out on your counter and they will ferment just fine. Remember, you may hear a bit of hissing as the veggies are doing their thing. So don't think you have a snake in your kitchen, it is just veggies expanding.

I found this recipe from Nourishing Traditions. And even thought she does have many a meat recipes in this book. Her philosophy is all about traditional cooking and no processed foods. I would recommend this book, even with the meat recipes in it. Tons of information in this book.

Raw Potato Salad

I am definitely jumping into this raw food thing with both feet. And I am usually up for just about anything new. So to say I was more than willing to try a raw potato salad recipe was another huge understatement. Heck, I am the woman who when she was a little girl would sneak up behind her mother and snatch one of the raw potatoes, that had been cut up in french fry shape on their way to the fryer....oh wait, that was last week.

Anyhow, I loved how this sounded and the book in which this came form, warned the readers, that it had an unusual taste, but heck, I am a vegetarian, we are ready for unusual. So thee only ingredient I was missing was the cilantro. But no worries, today was shopping day and we love cilantro anyhow, so it would not go to waste.

Well, it's not that I love or hate it, it is just like Rita said, it is an odd flavor, I could even put it in the classification of, it's an acquired taste. But I am unsure if I will make this one again. But hey, I tried. I still love raw potatoes

7 medium potatoes, shredded
1/2 red onion, chopped
1T extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime (we used 1/2 lemon)
Braggs to taste (we used tamari)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped (we used about 1/3 a bunch)
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Peel and shred potatoes. ( I used a box grater, for I broke the grater blade of my food processor) Peel and dice onion. Combine all ingredients. This dish is best eaten the same day otherwise the potatoes will turn color overnight. Let marinate 1/2 hour before serving. This has a most unusual taste.

See the last line I wrote? That is a direct quote from her own cookbook, Rita Romano that is.

Carrot Salad

I am a culinary genius. Please do not thank me now, I have a recipe to post. After teaching my raw food class last night, I knew I had to start expanding my knowledge of raw food AND my repertoire of meals.. Suffice it to say I have dug out my cookbooks, raw and vegetarian and I am on a mission, to see what is out there in the raw food world and how easy I can make these dishes...not just for me, but for my adoring fans. *Was thee adoring fans a bit too much?*

I love carrots, and I have always preferred them raw. And I have made the traditional carrot salad that is laden with mayonnaise, and that is all fine and dandy, but move over mayo, here comes a salad that even Bugs would envy.

4 large carrots, shredded (mine were smaller, so I used 5)
3 scallions, minced (I used red onion)
Juice of 1 lemon
1t orange rind (didn't have, didn't use it)
1T extra virgin olive oil
3T fresh parsley, minced
1/4 t cayenne (I will cut it to 1/8 next time)
1/2 t cumin
Braggs/Soy sauce/ tamari to taste
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Combine all ingredients, toss well and let marinate for at least 1 hour before serving.

I made this and served over basmati rice my daughter had made for veggie sushi she made for her lunch, and oh my stars. This is a keeper and one I will be making for friends and family and definitely at my next raw food class.

I snagged this recipe from a book I got at a used book sale. Do not think you have to spend top money and expensive books. If you have the money and want to, then by all meas do so, but there are so many books out there and many of them have salad recipes. Pick one up for $.50 and see what is inside. This book is Dining in the Raw by Rita Romano

Black Bean Vinaigrette

I cannot believe I have not posted this salad yet. I had one of my husbands buddies come over for dinner tonight and I had not made this salad in eons. So before going to work this morning, I soaked the beans then came home, and was able to cook them in about 30 minutes. Darn I love soaking beans and moreso in baking soda.

Anyhow, I knew it called for two ingredients I did not have at home so I made sure I picked them up before leaving to come home from work. And those were cilantro and tomato juice or vegetable juice. today I used tomato juice. Plus thee extra can be used in Bloody Mary's.

This is best served warm or at room temperature. I have had it cooled and it is not the same. Not bad, just not the same. Make this and know there is something else to do with beans.

1&1/4 cups dry black beans, soaked over night or all day long
4-5 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 t salt
1 T red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic minced (we used our press)
1/4 t cumin
1 t hot sauce
1 T chopped cilantro
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable juice
1/2 green, yellow and red bell pepper diced
1 red onion, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
sprigs of cilantro for garnish
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Drain soaked beans and rinse well. Put in a large saucepan with water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat, cover and simmer until soft, about 1-1&1/2 hours. Drain beans, remove bay leaf and return beans to saucepan.

In a small bowl, combine salt, vinegar, garlic, cumin, hot sauce, cilantro and olive oil. Pour over beans. Toss well. Add remaining ingredients except cilantro sprigs and toss gently. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with cilantro.

This is one of those salads that will do well in any season. Make it and enjoy it like we do.