Ginger-Mint-Lemon Strawberry Salad Avocado

Fresh Ginger. I have been grating fresh raw ginger on my salads, in my miso soup and over top just about everything lately. (Ginger + lemon + roasted beets = YUM!) Raw ginger is warming and soothing. Stimulating yet settling. I love it. And fresh ginger pairs so nicely with sweet strawberries. This fruit salad and sunny day lunch/breakfast or brunch tartine is one to crave. Easy to make!..

wheat sourdough. luckily, I am someone who CAN handle a little gluten (gf folks, use gf bread)..

More hemp seeds please..

Ginger-Mint-Lemon Strawberry Salad Avocado
vegan, makes 4 1/4 cups

3 cups fresh organic strawberries, sliced
1 small avocado, diced
1 large or 2 small lemons, squeezed + pinch of fresh lemon zest
1/8 tsp fresh raw ginger, grated with a microplane
splash of grade B maple syrup (optional)
1 Tbsp fresh peppermint, finely chopped + a few leaves as garnish
2-3 Tbsp raw organic hemp seeds (optional)

for tartines: add your favorite toast to serve (optional: drizzle of your favorite oil like macadamia nut, pumpkinseed or EVOO)

(You could also do "deviled avocados" and stuff avocado halves with this fruit salad - hemp seeds on top!)

Directions:

1. Wash and slice berries, removing tops. Place in large mixing bowl.
2. Add diced avocado, lemon juice, ginger, mint and maple syrup.
3. Fold well. Let marinate at least a half hour for best flavor. I place in fridge to marinate and chill.
4. Serve!

Ideas:
* Add hummus to your toast before adding the berries and avocado salad on top.
* Try sprouted grain toast for extra nutty flavor.
* Add raw walnuts for an nuttier salad.

baby tomato...

baked yam & tofu with purple rice, kale pesto & sprouts

This recipe is super simple and super delicious! This a prime example of how to eat a whole foods, plant based diet with an emphasis on raw food. After working out, I enjoyed my regular green smoothie. An hour or so after that I was needing something heavier, with a fair amount of protein to rebuild my muscles. The perfect meal for this is some thing that has a vegetable, a grain, and a protein - top it all off with something green and your body will be praising you! 

baked yam & tofu with purple rice, kale pesto & sprouts: serves two

Kale pesto:
5 cups kale
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon walnut oil 
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Salt, to taste
Water, as needed

The other stuff:
1 yam, peeled
1 package of tofu
1 1/2 cups cooked purple rice
Handful sprouts 

To make the yam and tofu: cut them into bite size chunks and toss in a tiny bit of olive oil, tamari, maple syrup, liquid smoke, and salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes or until the yam is soft. 

To make the pesto: pulse all in the ingredients in your food processor until it becomes pesto. SO GOOD. Serve with the yam, tofu, rice and sprouts - enjoy!

green tea soba noodles with roasted vegetables & herbs

My boyfriend and I have been eating so many veggie-noodle dishes lately. Our routine right now (and probably through the winter break) is to get up "early", work out together, make post-exercise green smoothies or juice, then do homework/something productive and go for a walk. Then we make lunch and watch whatever TV show we are currently addicted to - at the moment it is The Wire. Thug life.

Anyhoo, the past week we've been making different kinds of soba noodles with a ton of raw and roasted veggies like sweet potatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, cilantro, beets, onions, garlic, bell peppers, etc. I like to add raisins and peanuts on top. So today I prepared some green tea noodles and served them with delicious, fresh vegetables.

green tea soba noodles with roasted vegetables & herbs: serves two hungry people

Roasted veggies:
1 sweet potato
2 large beets
4 large mushrooms
4 garlic cloves
1 onion
1 tablespoon fave veg oil 
1/2 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, fennel seeds, dill, paprika, turmeric, garlic powder and rosemary if you have it
1 teaspoon maple syrup 

Noodles:
1/2 package green tea noodles
1 teaspoon veg oil (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional) 

Toppings:
1/2 cucumber
1 cup cilantro 
1/4 cup peanuts
1/4 cup raisins 

Prepare your plants: pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel and slice all the veggies so they are all roughly the same size. Mix in the oil, herbs/spices and maple syrup until everybody is evenly coated. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the beets and sweet potatoes are soft and delicious. 

While they are baking, make the noodles: follow the instructions on the package, ya goof! Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking anymore. Then add a teaspoon of veg oil and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, if you like. 

Cut up the cuke and cilantro for the toppings. When the vegetables are ready: put your noodles in two bowls, place the roasted veggies on top, followed by the cucumber, cilantro, raisins, peanuts and whatever else you think to add. Eat with your significant other while watching cops chase drug gangs in 90's Baltimore. 

Namaste, yo.