Favorites from the 2014 Virtual Vegan Potluck

As always, this past weekend’s Virtual Vegan Potluck was a ton of fun, with so many tantalizing dishes and beautiful photos to peruse!

It’s an honor to participate but selfishly I also LOVE the VVP because I always discover so many new blogs and come away with dozens of new, amazing recipes to try!  In case you didn’t have a chance to browse the 85+ dishes that were presented this weekend, I’ve collected some of my personal favorites for your viewing pleasure.  It was tough but I narrowed it down to two from each course (except in courses with less than seven submissions, in which case I chose only one favorite).

Please note that all photos are the property of the bloggers whose dishes they show.  I am reposting them ONLY so that you can appreciate the talent and hard work of the bloggers, and in the hope that you will give them a visit to check out the recipes for yourself!

Appetizers
Lemon-Thyme Polenta Bites with Arugula Pesto and Mushrooms from Seasonal Veg Head
Vegan Dilled Ceviche from Veggie Inspired

Beverages
Festive Spiced Tahini Hot Chocolate from Bunny Kitchen
Cranberry-Grapefruit White Wine Spritzer from Glue and Glitter

Salads
Tropical Fruit Salad with Raspberry Dressing from Parsley in my Teeth
Rosemary Infused Grapefruit and Kale Salad from The Glowing Fridge

Breads 
Rosemary and Meyer Lemon Focaccia from Yup, It’s Vegan

Soups/Stews
Creamy Lemon Asparagus Soup from Helyn’s Healthy Kitchen

Sides
Lentil Sweet Potato Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette and Crispy Shallots from Veganizzm
Cranberry Pomegranate Pear Sauce from A Journey with Tiffany

Mains
Mushroom Duxelle Ravioli in Cashew Cream Sauce from Astig Vegan
Seitan Marbella from Fried Dandelions

Desserts (aside from my own Spiced Maple Butternut Crisp of course!)
Chocolate Orange Hazelnut Truffle Tart from My Darling Vegan
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Pretzel Frosting from Veggies Don’t Bite
Lemon Curd Tiramisu from Marfigs’ Munchies

Okay…I couldn’t pick just two desserts…

Another VVP in the books.  Now, off I go to get started on recreating some of these delights!

Summer Strawberry Arugula Salad with Maple Lime Vinaigrette

Hey there!  Hope everyone is having a great week–it’s already more than halfway over!

For the second installment of the Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck, I’m sharing yet another fabulous and simple way to enjoy summer produce.  Feel free to substitute whatever greens and fruit are abundant and tasty right now where you live–the sweet, tangy dressing goes with pretty much everything!

Ingredients
For the dressing
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. maple syrup
3/4 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint
dash of salt and pepper

For the salad
6-10 strawberries depending on size, sliced (about 3/4 cup) (or blueberries or other delicious seasonal fruit)
3 cups arugula (or spinach or other green)
5-6 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (use more if you love fresh basil like I do!)
1/2 medium shallot, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts (walnuts or almonds would also be great)

Directions
Whisk together all dressing ingredients until well combined.  Combine salad ingredients, tossing until well combined, then add dressing and chow down!

 

Unfortunately I am still having issues with WordPress, so my posting has continued to be limited.  I’ve learned that it may have something to do with computer system updates (??), which unfortunately are out of my control, but I’m hopeful for a resolution at some point in the near future.

In the meantime I’ve been *trying* to be more active on Twitter, Instagram, etc., just so that you all know I’m still alive!

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Light Days

I am currently smack in the middle of a brief lull between what was a very indulgent weekend and what promises to be a very indulgent few days, as H and I head off for a mini-vacation in Richmond, Virginia.  So eating lightly for the time being seems like the way to go.

Meaning grapefruit:

And salad:

I cheapskated this one with salad bar greens again!  

Besides, I hate going away (even if it’s only for a day or two) with lots of food in the fridge, so the fact that these meals allow me to “use up” is a double win.

But about that vacation…

Perhaps you already know that Richmond has, like, TONS of vegan food (but if you don’t, seriously, HappyCow that shiz).  Much of it is in the form of omnivore restaurants (like this one, for example) with plentiful and well-marked veg options.  Love that!!  It is a particular treat for an inter-dietary couple like us.

I cannot even tell you how much I’m looking forward to stuffing my face with abandon.  But during those brief moments when I take a break from doing that, I also plan to enjoy walking around the city and historical sites, playing golf, and just spending some one-on-one time with my husband.  And taking lots of pictures, of course!

I plan to blog a full recap of the trip next week, but in the meantime I will be updating Twitter and Instagram with plenty of food porn.  So follow me if you don’t already!

Au revoir!

Lunch Break: Cheapskate Salad Bar

Ever since my juice cleanse a few weeks back, I’ve been on a huge salad kick at lunch.  This has coincided nicely with my recent discovery of Market Basket, a supermarket (with a location near my work) that sells produce at ridiculous rock-bottom prices.

The cost of living in the greater Boston area is generally astronomical, so I truly appreciate any breaks I can get, especially on items I buy often.   So, because the lowest price I can find for tofu in any other store in a 15-20 mile radius is $1.99/package, I now refuse to buy it anywhere other than Market Basket, who sells it for $.99.  Where other stores will proudly boast when their broccoli crowns are “on sale” for $1.99/lb., Market Basket’s normal price is $.99/lb.  They even have a large organic section, where items like red bell peppers go for $4.99/lb., which is really low when you consider that the only other store where I can even find organic peppers for sale (Whole Foods) has them at $6.99/lb., sometimes more.

The point is that I now find myself with a glut of produce in the refrigerator at any given time.  Salad-making can’t be far behind!

This morning, however, I initially found myself at a loss when I realized that, despite having a fridge full of yummy salad ingredients, I was in fact out of salad greens!  But then I came up with a brilliant idea (if I do say so myself):  I will pack my own salad add-ins and dressing, and then at lunch I’ll just buy greens (which weigh next to nothing) from the salad bar!

Add-ins:

Strawberries (a gift from my mother-in-law!), avocado, baby beets, cucumber, and red bell pepper

As planned, at lunch time I hopped over to the supermarket that shares an office park with my work (not a Market Basket, sadly) and grabbed up a giant container of greens for a grand total of $.80.

Put it all together and whaddya got? *ding-dong*clap-clap*stomp-stomp*hooootttt dog*
SALAD!  And a satisfying one at that.  I haven’t even finished eating yet but man am I full.

I hope everyone has a wonderful, happy, healthy weekend!

Sweet Eats

Howdy!  I’m back from my long Valentine’s Day/President’s Day weekend and I have lots of wonderful eats and treats to share…

Last time I wrote, I told you that I’d be heading to a vegan “Pre-Valentine’s Day” dinner hosted by the Boston Vegetarian Society on Wednesday night.  Well, I went, and had a wonderful time!

But…my pictures of the meal are not so bueno.  The lighting was super-dim and some of the food just didn’t present nicely.  So I’ll only share the half-decent ones.

Beets stuffed with agave-sweetened vegan yogurt, apple & walnut melange…I loved the yogurt stuffing but wished there was more of it!

Peanut butter cheesecake with a white chocolate drizzle.  I ate every bite.

Unfortunately that’s it for the photos that are the bare minimum of post-worthy.  But I can tell you that the seitan curry entree was a standout!  However, while trying to be calorie-conscious, I took about half of it to go…and then left my takeout box on top of the parking machine in Alewife station.  I nearly cried when I got home 20 minutes later and realized this.  My only comfort is imagining that someone hungry found it and appreciated it.

Anyway as we all know, Friday was the big V Day!  H and I are not the type of couple that needs to make big Valentine’s Day plans and give extravagant gifts each year, but we do like to do a little something to acknowledge the day.  This year, I decided to make a nice dinner for us to enjoy at home, rather than deal with trying to get a reservation somewhere for a Friday night Valentine’s Day.  No thanks.The setup

Our meal started with a salad of organic mixed greens, strawberries, cucumbers, and toasted almonds, with a chocolate balsamic vinaigrette.

To make the vinaigrette, warm some balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan, then add some dark chocolate and stir until it’s melted.  Season with oregano.  I didn’t take exact measurements but I’d guess it was about 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup chocolate (I used vegan chocolate chips), and 1/4 tsp. oregano.  It was so delicious, especially paired with the strawberries!

The vegan entree (mine) was grilled marinated tofu (using this marinade):
Check out those Chopped-worthy grill marks!

With mashed red bliss potatoes and Miso Roasted Brussels Sprouts (using this incredible, lick-your-spoon recipe from Fo Reals Life) on the side:

H had the same side dishes next to a non-vegan offering.  Obviously no one cares about that so here is a picture of my beautiful plate:

The tofu became way more brown because I actually grilled it the day before and then reheated it in the convection oven while I got the rest of the meal components ready.  

To drink, we had wine and cranberry-lime seltzer with these babies tossed in:

I first noticed a link for some adorable ice cube hearts on Celeste’s blog last week, so then when I saw this ice cube tray on sale for $1.99, I figured what the hell.  I used fresh cranberries instead of pomegranate seeds.  Pomegranate probably would have been cuter but why spend extra dough when I already had cranberries?  H loved it regardless.

Finally, dessert!  I went with Dreena Burton’s Raw Orange Chocolate Pudding (click for recipe) with Candied Orange Peel on top (I used this recipe from Epicurious).The pudding was delicious, but it was also SO RICH that I could only eat half of it!  Note that I did add a generous drizzle of agave nectar while making it because I found that the recipe as written was a little too bitter/tart for my taste (even using honey bell oranges!).

The candied orange peel was an awesome touch (if I do say so myself!).  H called it “nature’s Sour Patch Kids” and while this is high praise, the 2 lbs. of sugar and intensive preparation that go into producing these is probably something best reserved for very special occasions.

Everyone was posting suggestions for V-Day eats last week, but I’m dying to know what you actually had!  Or, if you didn’t celebrate, what other fun stuff did you get up to over the long weekend?  Leave it in the comments  🙂

Coconut Whipped Cream and Elation!

I am very blessed in life and in general I am a pretty happy person, but every once in a while I just feel elated and today is one of those days!!!

I don’t really know why but I don’t really care either!

I did just eat a really incredible salad:

Romaine, cucumber, carrot, baby beets (hence the pink hue to everything!), radishes, and the rest of the baked marinated tofu from the other day.

I’m not sure if scientifically you can get a high like this from food, but I’m going with it 🙂

More likely though I think it’s because I just had one of the best weekends of my life!

On Friday, H and the cats and I had a very chill night watching the original Batman.  Then on Saturday morning I got into the kitchen to do some baking for an upcoming blog post on Chic Vegan…

…and had my first experience making Coconut Whipped Cream!

To make it, I used this tutorial from Oh She Glows.  I ended up adding about 3 tsp. of confectioner’s sugar and a full 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract.

Holy crap it was rich and delicious!  Really easy to make too…I kind of can’t believe I had never done it before.

H and I enjoyed some with our breakfast:

And if you’re wondering what the hell that is, fear not!  All will be revealed in due time 🙂

That afternoon, we dug up all of the waterproof gear we’ve ever owned and headed down to Foxborough for Patriots vs. Colts in the AFC divisional playoffs!!!

Oh my God I had the frickin BEST time at both the tailgate and the game, totally in spite of the stupid rain!

Our seats were incredible!

And the atmosphere was so charged up!  This one took the cake for my favorite game ever, even surpassing the divisional playoff game from 2 years ago (against the Broncos and Tim Tebow).

Oh, yeah, and they won 🙂

Sunday by contrast was just ultra-relaxing, watching the other two divisional playoff games, eating junk food, spending time with my hubby, and cuddling with the cats.

You can’t really get more relaxed than that.

How was your weekend?  Does anyone else ever get weirdly elated for no apparent reason??

Black Bean Taco Salad with Cheesy Poblano Pepper Dressing

I love black beans.  A lot.  One of my favorite ways to cook them is what I call “taco style.”  And here’s a recipe!  (Bonus: for my “other” colors week, this recipe includes black beans, brown rice, and lovely purple-hued red onions!)

Crunchy fresh veggies, creamy avocado, spicy beans, and a warm cheesy topping–so delicious and pretty healthy too!  I had trouble deciding if the yellow stuff should be called a sauce or a dressing.  I wanted to say “dressing” because it was going on a salad, but in my head I was going for something kind of like nacho cheese sauce.  Whatever it is, it works!

Black Bean Taco Salad with Cheesy Poblano Pepper Dressing
Vegan and gluten-free as written (just check the prepared ingredients carefully)
(This recipe has a hearty omnivore seal of approval from H.)

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes

For the beans:
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
scant 1/4 tsp. ground coriander
(optional) 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
(or skip the seasonings and add 1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix)
(OR add whatever seasonings you like!)

For the Dressing/Sauce (makes 1 cup):
1 small poblano pepper, cut in half, seeds and membranes removed
1 cup unsweetened plain soy milk
1 tbsp. tahini
1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. yellow mustard, like Heinz (use less if you don’t love mustard because the flavor comes through kinda strong)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. turmeric (mainly for color, but I like the flavor too)
1/2 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1 tsp. sriracha (or more!)
(optional) 1 1/2 tbsp. nutritional yeast (if you don’t like nooch then leave it out)

For Serving:
Head of romaine, washed and chopped
(optional) Red onion slices
(optional) Avocado slices
(optional) Cooked brown rice
(optional) Tortilla chips

To Make:
The Pepper: Preheat the oven to 425.  Brush both sides of each poblano half lightly with olive oil and place on a baking sheet.  Roast for 10 minutes, until skin looks blistery (P.S. – it smells SO GOOD when it’s roasting!).  Remove from oven, allow to cool, then peel off the skin and chop the peppers very finely.

The Beans: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm olive oil then saute garlic for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant and softened.  Add black beans, stir a few times, then add tomatoes.  Bring mixture to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat, stir in the spices, cover, and let it marinate for about 15 minutes.  Taste for seasoning, then turn off heat, remove cover, and let it sit some more to cool down a bit.

The Dressing/Sauce: Combine all ingredients except sriracha in another medium sauce pan over medium-low heat.  Heat gently until it starts to thicken and a few bubbles appear, stirring fairly frequently and watching it carefully so that it doesn’t burn.  Once the mixture begins to bubble, remove from heat and cover.  Let it sit for 5 minutes, then uncover and stir in the sriracha.  Allow it to cool slightly.

To Assemble:
Not that you need instructions on this, but here’s how I did mine:

1) Lettuce, topped with red onion slices and avocado (this avocado was in the top 5 best I’ve ever eaten, btw):

2) Brown rice, topped with beans:

NOTE: my rice was pre-cooked and cold from sitting in the fridge, so here I used it sort of as a buffer to keep the warm beans from ruining my raw veggies

3) Finally, drizzled with the dressing/sauce:

I was thrilled with how this salad turned out.  As I mentioned in the ingredients list, the sauce on its own has a strong mustard flavor, and the flavor of the roasted poblanos is fairly subtle by contrast.  But once you mix it all up into your salad it just tastes GOOD.

H was also super-happy with his dinner and I’m so glad that his little omnivore taste buds have embraced vegan cheesy sauces to such a degree, because it’s opening up a lot more options for me in terms of making dinners we can both enjoy without me having to make omni adjustments.   His palate has definitely adapted to the taste of nooch too, because not only did he gobble this meal, but he loved the carrot and squash risotto I made on Saturday and has been reheating it for lunch every day at work since.

By the way, I’m planning on pouring the leftover sauce over a tofu scramble.  Yup.

What do you think–is it a dressing or a sauce?

Also, if you have a great vegan cheese sauce recipe, please share it in the comments!

Crowd-Pleasers

Most people who read this blog probably already know this, but H and I first met while playing softball (on opposing teams) in our law school intramural league. For the past several years, we have continued to play together in the summer in an adult recreational league of greater Boston.  Dorn’s has become a staple of our summer schedule and a centerpiece of our social life as a couple.

Dorn’s 2012

H and me decked out in red

Since H is the captain and I am the captain’s wife, we hosted our team’s post-season barbecue at our home way out in the burbs this year.

I should first say that I really love hosting parties.  H and I have lived in our house for just under 2 years and we have now had 5 great get-togethers in it (2 holiday parties, 2 barbecues, and a Superbowl party).  But holy hell is it a lot of work.

This isn’t really anyone’s fault but my own.  You see, it really wouldn’t be that big of a faux pas to just buy a bunch of pre-made platters and stuff to serve to a crowd (and frankly I’d probably end up spending about the same amount of money).  But no, I have this compulsion to make everything myself.

So as soon as H and I set a date for this year’s Dorn’s barbecue, I started planning a menu.  Our team consists solely of wings-loving omnivores and me, plus one vegetarian (who unfortunately wasn’t going to make it).  I decided to do my traditional taco bar, with meat, yes, but also with the option of Ancho Lentils from Post Punk Kitchen (click for recipe).  This way I can have a taco (never mind that these lentils are a total crowd-pleaser, delicious to everyone, regardless of dietary preference).  Plus hamburgers and hot dogs (which I wouldn’t have to look at…grilling is H’s job).  Everything else I served, I decided, would be vegan.

I don’t have a picture of the Ancho Lentils from my taco bar, but here’s an old one of the same recipe that I ate on a sandwich with dijon mustard.  Yes, they are versatile!

I was all freaked out because I realized we were going to have between 20 and 25 people and I’ve never made food for that many before.  So I pulled a bunch of recipes and then doubled or tripled them to make enough.  Let’s just say I overestimated.

But no matter.  For appetizers, I decided to make Olive-Rosemary Tapenade from this PureWow recipe (minus the anchovy) that had caught my eye a few months ago.  The recipe requires some intensive chopping (especially when using non-pitted olives…ugh).  I did most of it on Wednesday night and waited until Friday night (the night before the barbecue) to mix in the chopped parsley and orange zest.

Here are the prepped ingredients, packed up and ready to go on Wednesday night.

Kalamata and castelvetrano olives, red bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic

Oh, and when I was chopping the red pepper, I found this devilish little piece inside…

H: “That picture just proves that vegetables are evil.”

Here is the finished product, served with crostini that I made according to this method by Chloe Coscarelli:
I also made the Summer Orchard Bruschetta from Happy. Healthy. Life. (click for recipe):
Also served with crostini:

I love, love, LOVE this bruschetta and am going to make it again and again!

Appetizers not pictured: hummus platter (Cedar’s original with carrots and celery); Utz honey barbecue chips; tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole (thankfully I didn’t make these by hand…I used Whole Foods medium chunky salsa and Trader Joe’s spicy guacamole autentico [which is incredible btw]).  Oh, and loaded tater tots (which weren’t vegan, so I guess ALMOST everything else I made was vegan).

So that there would be stuff to drink besides beer, I made Stoli Dolis (2 pineapples, cored and cut into rings, with vodka poured over them, which sat for 5-6 days and was WAY too strong…in the future I would soak the pineapple at least 2 weeks before serving) and Strawberry-Mint Water:

I got the idea back in May, when H and I went to a wedding on Nantucket.  In the hotel lobby, they had a water cooler with strawberries floating in it and it was so incredibly delicious.  My own version did not disappoint either.

For dishes to serve on the side of the entrees, I did my favorite Vegan Caesar Salad with Avocado and Chickpeas from Post Punk Kitchen (click for recipe).  I didn’t take a picture of the trough of salad that I served at this barbecue, but here is a pic from when I made the recipe once before:

I also made Creamy Avocado Potato Salad from Post Punk Kitchen (click for recipe).  I like that blog, a little.

First of all, look at these stunning avocados:

Next, here is a picture of the “dressing” all creamy and beautiful in the food processor:

Finally, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product.  But it looked like fingerling potatoes with green stuff on them.

Also on the side, and not pictured (I suck) was a pesto pasta salad, which was just cooked elbow macaroni tossed with Classic Pesto from Vegan With a Vengeance and chopped cherry tomatoes.  And the corn and black bean salad that I talked about in my last post.  Oh, and corn on the cob.  I was going to also serve collard greens but there was too much food and so I didn’t.

Finally, dessert!  I served a fruit salad in a watermelon bowl, which I didn’t photograph because the watermelon shell looked kinda wonky, plus it was dark by the time we got to dessert.  The fruit salad contained watermelon (obviously), pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, and kiwi.  I was able to prep the fruit salad ingredients well in advance of the party.  Here are the latter three ingredients packed up in a very large container:

Because our team’s color is red, I wanted to make an appropriately colored dessert.  I chose Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting from Made Just Right by Earth Balance (click for recipe).  These came out great! I mean, they’re pink, but strawberries are red, so it works, right?  [One note: I noticed while making this that the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of baking powder and I was like…no.  That is most definitely a typo.  So I used 2 tsp. and the cupcakes turned out great, so if you make this recipe do NOT use 2 tbsp.!]

They looked so pretty on my cupcake platter!

Bonus: M (an honorary Dorn) came up to visit and hang out at the barbecue.

Obligatory sisters shot

And late Sunday afternoon, after two softball games and lots of house cleanup, I used leftover watermelon (which I had frozen) and leftover Summer Orchard Bruschetta (which was already getting soggy) to make this incredible concoction for the three of us to enjoy.

Watermelon Frosties for all!

All in all, the party was a ton of fun, everyone was completely stuffed and happy, and no one seemed to even notice or care that the usual cheese platter/mayo-heavy potato and pasta salad/creamy veggie dip were missing.  I think the key to this lies in choosing recipes that utilize “normal” things that everyone loves (like avocado and chickpeas).  I call these “crowd-pleasers.”

The other thing is not to broadcast that everything is vegan.  I know some would disagree with me, but I really do believe that it’s important to let the food speak for itself.  Most people think that it must be very difficult to be vegan.  Frankly, I used to be one of them.  That was before I learned how to be creative and think outside the box and really understand and appreciate all of the things that can be done with plant foods.

Obviously, if people ask me questions, I am happy to answer.  But actually, at this barbecue, the only dish I got questions about was the Caesar Salad, (i.e., “How is the dressing vegan?” Answer: “It’s made with tahini.”  I didn’t mention the nooch though.)  Usually it’d be the cupcakes (“How did you make the frosting?” “How can you bake cake without eggs?”), but not this time.

Well. Hopefully this post was long enough.

Salad and Smoothie Spree

Today I am going to do a big old vegan food blog cliche by writing a post featuring salads and smoothies.  I embrace it.   I can’t help myself; I’ve been having so much fun with spring and summer produce!

I have the incredible fortune of living within 10 miles of 9 farmers’ markets and 36 farmstands (5 of them organic).  The bounty of gorgeous, fresh fruits and vegetables coincides perfectly with my body’s craving for lighter, more refreshing meals.  The result has been a total spree of salads and smoothies, with no room for boredom!

For example, two weeks ago, I bought the biggest head of lettuce I have ever seen in my life.  It cost $2.50 and lasted me up until this morning. And it was organic!

On day one, I chopped several of the leaves and tossed in some apple, carrot, and toasted pecans.

I made a lemon-shallot vinaigrette to go with it.

It kinda looks like a raw egg yolk, but it tasted amazing!  This was: 1/2 finely chopped medium shallot, juice of half a lemon, 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp. dijon mustard, 6 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, scant 1/2 tsp. agave nectar, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Last weekend, I bought a beautiful bunch of beets (how’s that for alliteration). On Sunday I roasted the bulbs, and used the roasted beets all week in salads.

Chopped farmstand lettuce, baby arugula, sectioned grapefruit, avocado, and roasted beets.  And yes, the beets stain everything pink!

Chopped farmstand lettuce, baby arugula, cherry tomatoes, roasted beets, apple, carrot, radish, and avocado.  Also, the radish was the cutest thing ever:

A very simple salad of organic baby arugula with organic raspberries and pine nuts, and a dressing of garlic-infused olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

I love that salad-making lets me incorporate whatever fruits and vegetables I happen to have on hand.  This has helped tremendously with my goal of avoiding wasting food.

Today’s lunch: the end of the farmstand lettuce, organic baby arugula, cherry tomatoes, avocado, organic farmstand sugar snap peas, carrot, craisins, and hemp seeds.

Salads are obviously extremely portable, making them a great weekday bring-to-work lunch.  I love that I can do most of the prep ahead of time, either on the weekend or the night before.  It seriously saves me so much time and money.

The same is true of smoothies.  They are the perfect vehicle for incorporating a rainbow of ingredients and ensuring that I make use of the insane amount of produce I buy each week this time of year.

Like native strawberries galore:

In the past I have not been a fan of smoothies for breakfast because, although they taste great, I find that they don’t keep me full for more than an hour or two.  Since at my current job I don’t go to lunch until 1:00, I need something longer-lasting than that.

During my 3-Day Detox in May, I learned that using “chia gel” (1 tbsp. chia seeds soaked overnight in 1 cup of water) as a smoothie base is a way to stretch a smoothie’s ability to count as an actual meal, likely thanks to the absurd amount of fiber contained in a small portion of seeds.

So now I’ve been having smoothies for breakfast between 3 and 5 mornings a week.  Each one is different from the next!

This smoothie contained 1 cup of chia gel, one fresh kiwi, one frozen banana, 4-5 fresh strawberries, and a big handful of spinach:

I love this picture of it blending all together, with the little whirlpool in the middle!

Another day, I tried a yogurt-based smoothie, using So Delicious plain coconut milk yogurt.
It contained 1 cup of chia gel, one frozen banana, 1-1.5 cups fresh pineapple, 3 fresh strawberries, a big handful of chopped romaine lettuce, 1/2 a stalk of celery, and about 1/2 cup of coconut yogurt.The color was kind of ugly but this may have been the best-tasting smoothie I’ve made yet!  The yogurt definitely enhances the flavor and texture.

I have a lot more great seasonal dishes to share in an upcoming post, using farmstand treasures and more!