Are you kidding me? More zucchini? Heck yes and there’s plenty more to follow this time of year, so having a stash of recipes will give you some options. Sometimes just plain and simple is the way I prefer—especially when the temps are scorching and no one wants to be in the kitchen one minute longer than required.  So how about this Deborah Madison spinoff with just the right combination of nuts and herbs? This one will surely be a keeper.

Here’s what’s needed:

1 pound zucchini (all varieties of summer squash are equally good or try a combo), sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
3 tablespoons olive or coconut oil, divided
3 small cloves garlic or shallots
10 mint leaves
5 basil leaves
1 heaping tablespoon capers, rinsed
2 tablespoons walnuts or pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 to 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Additional mint and basil, torn, to garnish

Complete cooking directions available here.

It is okra season in Texas, and I am craving this flavorful stew.

My son-in-law Joe shared this treasured recipe years ago while dating my daughter.  While there are countless other reasons to love him, this recipe certainly added to his appeal.  If like me, you have spent your life avoiding okra I think you will discover this Egyptian classic surpasses all expectations and becomes a summer favorite.

Please consider doubling this recipe allowing for some leftovers.

Ingredients

2 lbs of freshly harvested okra, tops carefully trimmed, removing the woody stem yet keeping the pod intact

Two shallots, finely minced

One clove of finely minced garlic (optional)

One tea ground coriander

One tea ground cumin

1/4 tea cayenne pepper ( or more if preferred)

4 TBL of tomato paste

6 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes or canned crushed tomatoes

1/2 bunch of chopped cilantro

Juice from 1 large lemon

Salt

Instructions

In a large, heavy skillet, dry roast okra, turning to add a darkened color to all sides. Set okra aside on a plate.

Add olive oil to the same skillet and saute shallots and garlic if used.

Add coriander and ground cumin, and tomato paste, stirring to thicken and caramelize.

Pour in tomatoes, cilantro, and lemon juice, combining well, then gently add okra.

Salt to taste.

This mixture is now ready to stew in the skillet with a lid on the stovetop, on low heat, or in a preheated (375 degrees oven).

Allow 30- 45 mins for cooking until okra is tender.

Adjust seasonings as desired.

Serve over rice.

Most of August, I just can’t imagine turning on anything that might raise the temperatures one more degree in the house. When you are experiencing one of those days you will thank me for sharing this delectable Cucumber Avocado Soup. This can be whipped up in your Vitamix, traditional blender or with an immersion blender each giving good results. Just take a look at that ingredient list—don’t you feel refreshed already?

Soup Ingredients:
2 large cucumbers, peeled and cut into rough slices
1 large Haas avocado, halved, pitted, and flesh scooped out
2 scallions, green and white parts included, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

Mango Salsa Ingredients
1 cup Ataulfo mango, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup tomato, 1/2 inch dice
1/2 cup shucked corn kernels (raw)
1/2 cup cilantro, loosely packed and finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Complete instructions available here.

So I am a little obsessed with the best lunch hack ever—swiss chard rolls. I am so into this that I’ve been keeping a steady stock of chard in my fridge—crazy right? Well crazy-good is what I have to say. Chard rolls/wraps have been around for some time on the raw scene but it wasn’t until my friend and chef extraordinaire Kelly Ritter made a scrumptious batch for a recent team meeting that I got hooked. It also finally sunk in that I could totally make these on my own and with a huge variety of fillings—including leftover kale salad and avocado which, by the way, happens to be double delicious wrapped up in a chard leaf!

Because a recipe isn’t really required I thought the best way to get you hooked too was to share a list of my favorite fillings, this Pinterest board I created for further inspiration, and some visual guides for turning that wild leaf into a charming finger food.

The chard leaf can be prepped a variety of ways as pictured below. My personal favorite is to split the leaf along the spine, using it later chopped in soup or salad, placing the filling along the wider bottom portion and rolling up toward the narrow tip.

With that method you will end up with smaller but more manageable rolls.

Alternatively you can use the whole leaf as shown here and slice in half once filled.

Once you choose a method that works for you, the fun can begin! I find using a spread as a base is helpful in keeping the chopped fruit and or vegetables you add in place. Here are a few of my go to combinations:

Hummus/Avocado/Red Pepper Slices

Cashew Spread/Left over Kale Salad

Mashed Avocado/Jicama Strips/Mango

Another note in closing….this is happy food, I guarantee making and eating these will make you smile!

This may be called watermelon gazpacho but it tastes exactly like summer. Every bite is absolutely loaded to the brim with summer flavors. Spicy freshly-plucked-from-the-garden Serrano chilies, sweet juicy watermelon that cracks wide open on the first cut, dense fruity tomatoes, and just a hint of fresh mint and basil. The only part of summer missing from this recipe is a swimming pool and its probably best to hold the chlorine.

I’ve just made a big batch to take for an evening vegan potluck with dear friends and while the flavors meld in the fridge I can’t stop dipping in for another taste. I may have eaten my share by the time dinner rolls around. It’s just sooooo delicious and refreshing.

Let this recipe serve as a good base and enjoy playing with the proportions and ingredients to suit your tastes and what you have on hand.

Here’s a list of the basics:

4 cups (640 g) roughly chopped seedless watermelon, plus 6 cups (960 g) diced
2 cups (300g ) diced tomatoes (I prefer Heirloom varieties)
1 cup (145 g) peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber
1/2 cup (70g) diced red pepper
2 Tbsp (30 ml) diced red onion, plus more to taste (scallions also work well)
3 Tbsp (45 ml) finely chopped basil
3 Tbsp (45 ml) finely chopped mint
3 Tbsp (45 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice, plus more to taste
1 tsp (5 ml) finely grated lime zest
2 tsp (10 ml) minced ginger
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) minced green serrano chile, plus more to taste
1/2 Tbsp (7.5 ml) natural salt, plus more to taste
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
(My addition: one bunch of finely chopped cilantro)

Full directions can be found here on Ricki Heller’s blog.

So my husband, Joachim, and I share the grocery shopping as well as meal prep at our house. It is a unique divide however. He manages and maintains the fruit inventory because he makes the family morning smoothies and knows what he needs. You will recognize him as the guy at HEB or Whole Foods with a grocery cart brimming with fruit. My job on the other hand is the evening meal which consists of raw vegetable salads and a plant based main course, so you can only guess what my cart looks like. Anyway, somehow this week we were both tempted by the abundance of local organic corn (which is not a fruit by the way) and ended up with more than we wanted to eat straight off the cob. The bounty left me searching for ideas, which is how I came across this refreshing cucumber corn salad. It was so amazing that I have to go buy more corn!

The recipe calls for this simple list of ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked cut corn (from about 5 medium cobs)
• 2 cups cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 1 large cucumber)
• 1/2 cup basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup chives, snipped
• 2 Tablespoons light mayonnaise (I suggest this vegan mayo and a splash or two of olive oil to thin it)
• Salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste

Be sure to make a double batch as it packs up well for lunch the next day. Full directions available here.

Yes, it is true that in my dream world all of you would be following a plant-based diet to the “T” day in and out and no one would need a reset. Then there is reality…and vacations…and family gatherings…and holiday weekends like the one we just had and suddenly you find you have strayed so far you can’t even remember why you were following this plant-based idea in the first place. Sadly, that happens to be the time when many throw in the towel and give up completely on their ability to eat whole and clean on a regular basis.

I have another idea! How about this—instead of giving up on yourself, you actually believe in your abilities to make change and love your body enough to do a 10 day reset? Will this 10 day reset detox your body from all that you have been feasting on? Honestly? Not completely, but it’s a great start and most importantly will reset your cravings by reducing the acid levels and give you some structure to follow on day 11 and beyond—which is exactly what you need and why you should do it.

So who’s in? 

I’ve had a bit of fun getting this ready for you all and I hope you can let yourself have fun with this process as well. While eating clean is serious business when it comes to your long term health and wellbeing, preparing and eating your meals should be pure pleasure.

Here’s the program I suggest you follow for the purpose of resetting your pH levels, improving digestion, and giving your energy levels a boost. Just know this isn’t a magic detox. It’s ten days of mindful eating to reset your course of food choices moving forward.

You daily meal plan should look like this:

Morning: fresh fruit, fresh squeezed juice or all fruit smoothie on an empty stomach. Please consume as much as you can.

Mid Morning: all fruit smoothie or fresh juice, OR a mixed fruit and veggie smoothie and juice, OR a bowl of cut fruit. (Again, no restrictions on the amount consumed. Have as much as you need to feel full.)

Midday: salad or leftovers from your evening meal. If that’s not an option, consider a vegan soup and salad combination from a local source. (ATX readers, consider the Soup Peddler and use FAVOR to deliver it to your office!)

Late Afternoon: raw veggies and hummus, apples/carrots with almond butter, or a banana, nut butter, date & raw cacao smoothie.

Evening meal: start with a full plate of raw veggies or a raw fruit salad and a meal of your choice off my Ten Day Reset Pinterest board. You”ll find a healthy selection of seasonal soups, raw and cooked salads and hot meals to meet a variety tastes.

I would love to hear your experiences and any tips you might want to share with others. Feel free to post questions or comments on my Facebook page.

Its only late June but there are plenty of local choices for zucchini and summer squash, both of which are equally good in this light, flavorful salad. By August you will be happy to have a collection of recipes on hand for this plentiful crop. This salad from 101 Cookbooks can be given a starring role on a sultry summer evening or placed as a starter for a summer inspired soup or grain dish.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or lemon juice
2 tablespoons runny honey
2 small garlic cloves, minced or shallots
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, finely sliced, soaked in ice water
1 pound zucchini, julienned
1 cup / 4 ounces toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
2/3 cup / 1 ounce toasted coconut flakes
3 dates, pitted and chopped
to serve: micro greens or chopped herbs

Full cooking instructions here.

Disclaimer: This is not a plant-based recipe but it’s earned a spot on my blog for these 3 reasons.

1. It’s a incredibly healthy way to “cheat.”
2. It’s amazingly delicious.
3. It’s my mother-in-law’s recipe.

My husband grew up in the Schwäbisch region of Germany where fruit based meals are not unusual. In a land where eating local and seasonal was and still is how it’s done, it makes perfect sense that the bounty of fruit harvested directly in the back garden was turned into an occasional main course. There certainly wasn’t a more economical way to feed a family. Out of all the traditions and culture I needed to familiarize myself with over the years, this one didn’t take me long to embrace. Fruit dinners are at the top of my Schwäbisch meal list, right after Kartoffel Puree and Sauerkraut….yum!

It probably isn’t a complete coincidence that our summer journey to Europe aligns with cherry season. This year, however, due to the cooler weather, I wasn’t so sure we would be rewarded. Thankfully, the sun broke through the chilly grey skies of our first weeks to ripen the local crop the day before we were to return. Believe me, we didn’t waste any time filling a few buckets and prepping for a final meal of gorgeous cherry pancakes.

I’m sharing my mother-in-law’s recipe that I’ve adapted to be gluten and dairy free.  It’s simple and straight forward and the same basic ingredients can be used for a variety of fruits as they are in season. The work is in prepping the fruit, but once that is done the the rest is quite simple.

Here’s what you need to produce 4 meal-sized pancakes:

4 eggs separated
1/3 to 1/2 (90-125 ml) of a nut-based milk (I suggest almond milk)
1-2 tablespoon of sugar (I suggest coconut sugar)
1 c (250 g) of gluten free flour blend
Pinch of Salt

Beat egg whites and pinch of salt until stiff and dry and set aside. Beat the egg yolks and the sugar until thick. Whisk the flour into the yolks. Add milk gradually as the amount used will vary depending on egg size. Ultimately you want a thick batter that will mound when dropped from a spoon—not runny. Finally, gently fold beaten whites into the yolk based batter.

Heat on medium, similarly sized skillets, add a bit of coconut oil to each one.  When skillet is hot divide batter evenly, top with fruit covering the entire surface as in the photo.

Cook on medium heat 3-5 minutes. When the bottom of pancake is golden brown and the edges of the batter are well set, flip using a dinner plate to assist and cook another few minutes. Patience and a low to medium heat is important so the pancake will cook all the way through without burning.

Enjoy every last bite and then get back to your plant-based eating in the morning!

You know, even humble carrots really CAN be the star of the show and this recipe is proof. Believe me, you will never think of carrots as ordinary again. I would serve these with your favorite kale salad to start and alongside a purple potato mash. Now that would be one colorful plate!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons clarified butter or olive oil or coconut oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes cut into thin wedges (or canned equivalent if tomatoes are out of season)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 green serrano chiles, seeded and shredded
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and black pepper
10 carrots (about 1 1/4 lb.) cut into batons, or thin rounds
1/2 cup dried currants, or other dried fruit
1 tablespoon dried barberries (optional)
1/4 teaspoon saffron stamens
1 1/2 cups water, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons honey, or to taste
1 tablespoon shelled unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Full Instructions Here

Honestly, dinner can’t get much easier than this recipe from Simply Recipies and once you have the basics down you can switch out the veggies based on what you have on hand. I chose this because I happen to love to feature the baby squash that are readily available now. I would start out this meal with a raw gazpacho soup or a jicama and avocado salad.

Here’s what you will need to assemble this dinner in a snap—my personal substitutions/additions are in italics.

Ingredients:

Olive oil or coconut oil
1 cup of roughly chopped zucchini or summer squash (1-2 zucchini or squash, depending on the size)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 large fresh mild green chile (Anaheim or Hatch), seeds and stem discarded, chopped
1/2 fresh jalapeño chile pepper, seeds and stem discarded, minced (or more, if you desire more heat)
Salt
Pinch of ground cumin
Pinch of ground oregano
1 small to medium tomato, chopped
4 organic corn tortillas or Almond Flour Tortillas
Daiya Brand Cheese or better yet, sliced avocado
A few sprigs of fresh cilantro, chopped

I also enjoy this combination with thin slices of portbello mushroom, sweet red pepper and fresh spinach. Cooking instructions provided here.

Some afternoons I just need an extra boost of energy to make it through the last tasks before calling it a day. That boost, believe it or not, doesn’t have to come from Starbucks!

Here’s one of my favorite treats that tastes amazing and doesn’t have a thing in it to feel guilty about. First, however, may I pass along a tip I learned early on when changing my diet: Go ahead and give in to the chocolate and sweet cravings, but…. with good choices. And to keep those cravings to a minimum, don’t allow yourself or your family members to get famished.

So now for that treat. MindBodyGreen recently featured this yummy Cacao and Almond smoothie that is very close to what I make at home, so I have included my personalized tweaks in italics. I do hope you take the time to make it soon.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of cacao powder
2 tablespoons of cacao coconut yoghurt –I use cacao nibs
1 banana peeled, cut in pieces and frozen —If pressed for time I use a banana and a few ice cubes
1 date — I prefer medjool and usually add 2 J
a small handful of almonds—or 2 tabl of almond butter
1 cup of almond milk—I prefer Califia Farms and coconut milk is also a good option
½ a teaspoon of maca powder
½ a teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ a teaspoon of cinnamon —or cayenne

For full instructions.