Cowboy Caviar

This is one of my kids all times favorites. It is really a dip or side dish but my kids ask for it for dinner all the time. I got this recipe from my friend, Risa.

Cowboy Caviar

1 (15 oz ) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
2 large tomatoes, chopped (or 4 roma tomatoes)
1 large avocado, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 red onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped


Dressing:
1 TBSP red wine vinegar
3-4 Tbsp lime juice
3/4 - 1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:
1. Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Mix dressing in separate small bowl and then mix into other ingredients.
2. Cover and chill

Date Sweetened Apple Muffins

These are vegan, sugar free, and no fat.

1 1/4 Cups Whole Wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 -2 tsp cinnamon ( we like on the lower end)
few dashes of ground nutmeg
few dashes of ground ginger (optional)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup pitted medjool dates
1 cup chopped apples

Directions:
1. Preheat oven 350F. Grease muffin tin or use liners.
2. In a large bowl whisk flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices until well combined.
3. Process dates and applesauce in food processor until smooth.
4. Add applesauce mixture to dry ingredients until almost combined.
5. Stir in apple pieces until just combined.
6. Spoon into muffin cups about 3/4 full.
7. Bake for 18-25 minutes.

**This is my husband's favorite muffin recipe. I adapted this from a recipe in the book "The Happy Herbivore."

Short on time?? - 5 minute dinner

Are you short on time? Apparently I am because I cannot seem to blog for 2 weeks. Oh well. I cannot tell you how many times I have eaten this dish in the last few weeks. I mean it is such a ridiculously easy recipe that I feel silly putting it on here but maybe it will help someone.

Cous Cous with Beans

1 cup whole wheat cous cous
1- 2 cans beans ( I like black beans and/or pinto)
Favorite salsa

Boil 1 cup of water with a dash of salt. When the water boils take it off the heat and stir in the couscous. Let couscous sit for 5 minutes. While cous cous is sitting open up the can of beans and drain  and rinse them. You can heat up the beans in the microwave if you want.

In individual bowls mix together couscous, beans and some of your favorite salsa. You can top with shredded cheese if you want.

* I have been eating this as a quick lunch and I have even made it for dinner a few times with little complaining. It seriously takes 5 minutes.

** My favorite salsa is this one from Costco.

Kale Chips

I got this recipe from Averie at Loves Veggies and Yoga. They are really good. I made them the other night for my mom and my friend, Carly. They bothe loved them. I have made them both in the oven and the dehydrator. I like the taste of the dehydrator ones better and they are better for you.

Averie’s Raw Vegan Kale Chips Recipe for 2 Bunches of Kale
1 c cashews (soaked for a few hours)
1 Medium Red Pepper
Juice of half a lemon (2 Tbsp)
1/4 c Nutritional Yeast
1 Tsp Salt (or to taste)

Wash the kale & remove tough stalks, de-seed the red pepper, drain off your soaked cashews
Put all the Ingredients into a blenderor Food Processor & Blend everything together Apply the coating to the kale
Put on Dehydrator Screens and Dehydrate until done, flipping once after a couple hours. 
Or, Bake In a 300F Oven for 20 Minutes, Flipping, and Then Baking Another 10 Minutes or so.  

** It didn't take that long in the dehydrator, just about 3 hours.

** Last time I made this I had a lot of the sauce leftover. I ate it later with raw veggies as a dip and it was great.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

This is my altered version of the recipe I found on this blog.

1/4 cup plus 2 T poppy seeds
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 t grated lemon zest
1/2 cup nondairy butter ( I used 1/4 c regular butter and 1/4c unsweetened applesauce)
1/2 cup dates, pitted
1 T arrowroot powder ( I used cornstarch)
1 cup nondairy sour cream (I used plain yogurt)

2 cups spelt or whole-wheat flour ( I used white wheat flour)
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/4 t Celtic salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.

In a blender, combine the poppy seeds maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest, butter, dates, arrowroot, and Vegenaise.

In a large-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry, being careful not to overmix. Divide the batter equally among the muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

** Everyone in the family loved these. They were just the right amount of sweetness for us. If you are used to eating a lot of sugar these won't taste very sweet to you. I think next time I make these I will add a bit more lemon juice and use coconut oil instead of butter.