1

Cherry Tomato, Avocado, and Hearts of Palm Salad

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 2 cans hearts of palm, drained, rinsed and sliced
  • 1 cup parsley, chopped
  • 2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and cubed

 Dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
  • juice from 1-2 lemons
  • sea salt
  • pepper

 Directions:

  1. Combine the tomatoes, hearts of palm, onion and parsley in a salad bowl.
  2. Mix together the dressing ingredients and toss 2/3 of the dressing with the salad.
  3. Add the chopped avocados just before serving and toss with the remaining dressing.



Spinach and Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:

  • 6 medium tomatoes
  • 2 cups quinoa (cooked)
  • 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese
  • 3 cups sautéed organic baby spinach (about 2-3 5oz boxes raw spinach)
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or cilantro
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a rimmed baking dish large enough to hold all of the tomatoes.
  2. Cut the top off the tomatoes and gently scoop out and discard the pulp and seeds. Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, in the baking dish.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine the quinoa, goat cheese, sautéed spinach, basil, parsley/cilantro, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Gently spoon the quinoa mixture evenly into the tomatoes.
  4. Bake until the tomatoes begin to soften and the quinoa filling turns golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
  5. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese evenly over the tomatoes and bake until the cheese melts, an additional 4-5 minutes.



Baked Red Lentil Patties

Ingredients

  • 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon tamari
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup chopped scallions
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley
  • cooking spray oil or extra olive oil

Directions

  1. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add lentils and quinoa, bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
  2. Saute shallot in olive oil for 2 minutes, until starting to soften. Add mushrooms and cook until soft and juices are released, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute until juices are absorbed. Add spices, salt and pepper, and let cool completely.
  3. Combine lentils, quinoa and mushroom mixture. Add tamari, tomato paste, flax, egg, scallions, and herbs.
  4. Scoop patties using 1/4 cup measure and place on parchment lined baking sheet with cooking spray. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  5. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray the patties with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Bake lentil patties for 25-30 minutes.

Recipe adapted from www.greennapkinnutrition.com




Wild Rice and Edamame Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 cups wild rice, rinsed
  • 2 cups shelled edamame
  • 3 scallions, sliced diagonally
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon minced ginger
  • 4 Tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 Tablespoons brown rice vinegar
  • 3 Tablespoons tamari
  • 1 teaspoon raw honey
  • 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Directions

  1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add rice. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until rice grain are tender and most water has been absorbed, about 45-60 minutes. Drain if water remains. Place on a sheet pan, spread out to cool.
  2. Blanch edamame in a pot of boiling salted water, about 1 minute. Drain and cool in ice bowl.
  3. In a large bowl, combine rice, scallion, carrot, pepper, edamame, and fresh herbs. Toss.
  4. In a small bowl, combine garlic, ginger, lime juice, vinegar, tamari and honey; mix. Drizzle in sesame oils and whisk to blend.
  5. Add dressing to rice mixture and combine. Stir in walnuts, and raisins, reserving a few to garnish. Top with sesame seeds.

* Recipe adapted from www.greennapkinnutrition.com




Vegetable Soup with Cannellini Beans

This heartwarming, healthy soup will comfort you during the coldest wintery days. It is a bowl of nutrition that can stand as a full meal. Add your favorite herbs to this flavorful veggie soup.

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup diced yellow onions
  • ½ cup diced fennel
  • ½ cup diced celery
  • ½ cup diced carrots
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • ½ cup diced zucchini
  • ½ cup diced yellow squash
  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • ½ teaspoon minced fresh oregano
  • ½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups chiffonade spinach or kale
  • 1 cup canned cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Heat oil in large saucepan. Saute onions, fennel, celery and carrots until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Add zucchini and yellow squash and cook 5 more minutes.
  2. Add stock and herbs and simmer for 1 hour.
  3. Add spinach or kale, beans, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix well. Remove and discard bay leaf.



Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Black Lentils

Ingredients:

  • 4 small acorn squash
  • 2 cups cooked black lentils (can replace with black beans)
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa (can replace with millet)
  • 4 cups mushrooms (button, cremini or shitake), very finely chopped
  • 2 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup finely chopped parsley or cilantro
  • ½ jalapeno, seeded and finely diced (use less for milder taste)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • Ground pepper, to taste
  • 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Remove stems from squash, cut in half and remove seeds.
  3. Cut a thin slice of the skin from the outer edge of squash, perpendicular to cutting board, so it sits without wobbling. Place squash flesh side down on baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until tender. Let cool.
  4. To make filling, sauté mushrooms and garlic in ¼ cup vegetable broth over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until fully cooked. If needed, add additional broth while cooking.
  5. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Stir in mushrooms and garlic
  6. Spoon filling into squash, pressing down mixture slightly.
  7. Bake squash for 20 minutes or until heated through and Enjoy!



Ronit’s Green Smoothie

I love to make a big batch all at once to save time. It keeps in the refrigerator for two to three days or you can freeze in a glass container and thaw the night before drinking.

    • 2 cups water or coconut water
    • Organic spinach
    • 1 head organic romaine
    • Juice of ½ organic lemon or one lime
    • 3 to 4 sticks organic celery
    • 1 organic apple
    • 1 organic pear
    • Parsley, optional
    • Pinch cayenne pepper, optional
    • 1 shot wheatgrass, optional

Blend water, spinach and romaine. Add celery, apple, pear, lemon juice and herbs.

Enjoy the energy! 




Ronit’s Asian Salmon

This is a family favorite – even my kids’ friends request it!

    • 1 1/2 pounds salmon filet with skin
    • Sesame oil to brush on fish
    • ½ cup nama shoyu or tamari
    • ½ cup water
    • ¼ cup ponzu
    • 1 tablespoon agave nectar
    • 1 teaspoon crushed pepper

Place fish in pan and brush with sesame oil. Turn over to marinate with skin down.

Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the salmon. Marinate for at least one hour or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover salmon and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and broil for an additional 5 minutes.




Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Taste testers didn’t miss the flour in these simple, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies! Only 5 ingredients needed to make them. This recipe makes 1 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup raw almond butter
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
  2. In a medium bowl, beat the egg. Add the almond butter, baking soda, and coconut sugar. Mix everything together very well. Fold in the chocolate chips until combined.
  3. Scoop the dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons each, onto prepared baking sheet. Gently press down on the dough mounds with the back of a spoon. If you find the cookie dough balls are oily-looking from your almond butter, blot each with a paper towel.
  4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and underbaked, but that’s ok. For crispy cookies, bake for up to 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies stay fresh stored covered at room temperature for up to 7 days. Cookies freeze well, up to 3 months.




Banana Oat Muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plain unsweetened organic Greek yogurt (I like Wallaby)
  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups rolled gluten free oats
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar
  • ½ tsp. black molasses
  • 1½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ cup organic semi-sweet dark chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F and prepare a muffin pan by spraying cavities with cooking spray or lining them with paper liners**. Set aside.
  2. Add all ingredients except for chocolate chips to a blender or food processor and process on high until oats are broken down and batter is smooth and creamy. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
  3. Pour batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each cavity until it is about ¾ full. Optional: sprinkle a few chocolate chips over the top of each muffin.
  4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops of your muffins are set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in pan for ~ 10 minutes before removing. Store in an air-tight container for up to a week.

Notes

** If using paper liners, you’ll want to spray them with cooking spray as well, since the lack of oil in these muffins could make them stick to the liners after baking.