I love the simplicity of washing and chopping a selection of seasonal vegetables, tossing them with coconut or olive oil, a dash of Himalayan sea salt and letting them roast away or cook on the grill. It’s Plant Based Eating at its best in my opinion.

Our favorites for roasting include cauliflower, sweet potatoes, green beans, fingerling potatoes, asparagus, and carrots. For grilling, I suggest green beans, asparagus, eggplant, portobello mushrooms, and zucchini.

Any of these veggies are taken to a new height when topped with a dollop of this amazing Romesco sauce featured on Choosing Raw. I’m certain this recipe will soon join your collection of favorites! Add a simple green salad or slaw to start and dinner is served.

Ingredients
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 1/2 cups roasted red peppers (from the jar)
1 teaspoon oregano (dried)
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Black pepper to taste
1/3-1/2 cup water

Full Instructions Here

Oh yeah…. if this doesn’t say “refresh,” I don’t know what does. Just look at all those crisp, crunchy, hydrating ingredients! I think this recipe just earned a weekly appearance on the Hubele dinner table. The star ingredient, jicama, is certainly one you will want to be including in your raw salads this summer. Despite it’s bland appearance it packs a high dose of Vitamin C and fiber. Jicama is a great addition to wraps and spring rolls and is delicious cut into sticks and dipped in guacamole or hummus for an afternoon snack.

Chef Kelly’s simple yet satisfying slaw is a perfect antidote for these humid days and a great bring-along to any of your Memorial Weekend celebrations.

Here’s what you’ll need:

JICAMA SLAW
Yields: Approx 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 medium Jicama, peeled and julienned
2 medium carrots, julienned (peeled if not organic)
1/2 English Cucumber, julienned
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 lime, juiced
1/4 tsp salt, to taste
Garnish with chopped cilantro

Method:  1. Chop all of the vegetables, combine in a large bowl and toss. 2. Chill before serving.

If you are struggling with the shift to plant based eating, whether it is stocking your kitchen or sourcing recipes, Chef Kelly may be just your solution. Reach out and tell her what you need and I am certain she can help find the answer.

Summer is probably the easiest time to ditch dairy as the appeal for “creamy and rich” certainly lessens when the temps and humidity creep up. Having said that, I fully believe this is not an either or proposition. You can have creamy and rich AND be dairy free, it will just come from plant based sources.

While switching what you put in your coffee or tea and what you give the kids to drink can be fairly straight forward, maneuvering in this new territory when preparing meals can, at first, pose a challenge. Stocking your kitchen with some basics and having a few handy substitutions in your repertoire will allow you a good deal of flexibility in your cooking as well as permit you to continue using your tried and true recipes.

Here are some of the Hubele Family favorites from a variety of sources you may want to check out. I hope they inspire you to make the leap!

Coconut yogurt replaces crème fraich
Katy Salter, blogger for The Debrief, sings the praises of coconut yogurt in place of crème fraiche which is a staple in most European kitchens. She found that it can be served with deserts as well as to make savory dips and dressings by adding lemon, seas salt and herbs. It can be bought at most grocery stores or you can certainly DIY it.

Whipped coconut milk replaces whipped cream
Coconut milk saves the day here. By placing a can in the fridge for several hours and then spooning out the thick top to whip, you can create delectable cream for desserts. The remainder can be used in smoothies, soups or curries. I suggest keeping a can or two in the fridge this way you will always be prepared. Want to give this a test run? May I suggest making this incredible parfait by Delish Knowledge.

Cashew cream replaces whole cream
An easy recipe for cashew cream is one of the most powerful tools that any vegan home cook can have in his or her arsenal. This simple cashew cream can be modified according to the application; add a bit of sugar for desserts, or lemon and sea salt for savory dishes.

Makes 2 1/2 – 3 cups (can easily be halved)
2 cups raw cashews
1 cup cold water, plus more as needed
1/2 – 3/4 teaspoons sea salt (optional)
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice, demerara sugar, or maple syrup (optional)
Here are the full instructions.

“Cheezy” sauce replaces cheese sauce
While there are countless recipes out there, this is a family favorite because it is simple and has only 5 ingredients. It can be made ahead or in batches if you a cheese sauce kind of family.

3/4 cup unsweetened, organic unflavored almond milk (I prefer Califia Farms)
6 tbsp nutritional yeast (Bob’s Red Mill makes one you can find most grocery stores or bulk food stores)
1 tbsp Earth Balance or other non-dairy buttery spread
1 tbsp all purpose flour (replace with brown or sweet rice flour for GF)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder, we replace with a scallion or a tablespoon of a small chopped shallot
1/2 tsp kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Here are the full instructions.

Hemp seeds replaces cream in dressings
While there are several plant based ingredients that will make your salad dressing creamy, my go-to these days happens to be hemp seeds. I love the powerhouse of nutritional benefits they provide and since we sub cashews and coconut for many other uses, it gives me an opportunity to mix it up a bit.

Here are the ingredients to make a standard hemb-based dressing in a blender, but you will certainly want to read further for several variations offered by Veggie Voyager.

2 T hemp seeds
1/3 cup citrus juice, lemon, lime, orange, or combination
1/2 cup olive oil
1 scallion
Salt & Pepper to taste

In my May newsletter I introduced the talented Chef Kelly Ritter who is an expert in plant based eating and nutrition. I’m so happy to have the opportunity to share one of Chef Kelly’s original recipes with you all here. This delightful cold soup is the perfect lunch or raw first course for an evening meal when following my alkalizing eating plan. The timing of this recipe is perfect as we drift into the sultry spring/summer days ahead and turning on an oven is the last thing any of us want to do. You can find out more about Chef Kelly and her kitchen make-over and meal planning services at EatHealShine.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients:
2 avocados, ripe
3/4 of an English Cucumber
1 stalk celery
Juice of 1 lime
3/4 cup cilantro, loosely packed
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp coconut aminos or namu shoyu (both are raw items similar in flavor to soy sauce)
1 cup water (if wanting warm soup use warmer water)

Garnish:
Cashew sour cream (see recipe below)
Fresh Herbs – chopped chives or cilantro

Method:  1. Blend all of the soup ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. 2. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the cashew sour cream and fresh herbs.

CASHEW SOUR CREAM
1 c. cashews, soaked overnight if possible but not necessary
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water + more as needed
1/4 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Continue to add water one tablespoon at a time until you get the cashews at the desired consistency. Serve. To store: place in a container or squeeze bottle and keep refrigerated. As it cools, the cream will thicken up. Before serving, add water and stir until it’s back to the desired consistency.

I seem to be drawn to cooked veggie salads lately and why not? I believe these hearty salads are perfect during our wonderful warm days and cool evenings. The native Californian in me absolutely could not resist Heidi Swanson’s gorgeous Cocagne Bean and Artichoke Salad. Growing up we didn’t do a lot of gourmet eating, to say the least, but when artichoke season arrived my mom always splurged. And, like many California gardeners, we also grew them ourselves. I still smile when preparing them as I recall my father’s line he would repeat each year when the first ones appeared on our dinner table,  “Someone had to be mighty hungry to figure out this plant was edible.” Not being a veggie man he certainly appreciated artichokes.

While prepping artichokes is certainly more labor than say, asparagus, those of us passionate about them will make the effort. I suggest using Bon Appetite’s great guide to make quick work out of your purchase of baby artichokes.

Here’s what you’ll need to assemble your own version:

1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup / 60ml water
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced

20 baby artichokes, trimmed, quartered, and placed in a bowl of water acidulated with the juice of one lemon

1 medium clove of garlic, chopped

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
30 kalamata olives, pitted, rinsed, chopped
1 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
pinch of salt, plus more to taste
4-5 cups cooked white beans

You will find the complete instructions here.

What I love about this dish are the many variations. You may want to consider subbing out chickpeas for the white beans,  replacing the olives with golden raisins and the walnuts with pine nuts for an entirely new dish. You will note I didn’t change out those coveted artichokes, but you certainly could do so yourself.

Don’t forget to start this meal off with some slices of cantaloupe or watermelon that have begun making their appearance. Having that bit of raw food at the start of this meal will have an alkalizing affect on your lymphatic system and aid digestion.

Enjoy!

Ok I admit I have a salad thing going but seriously with these sultry spring days I don’t think anything sounds better in the evening than a bowlful of spring veggies tossed in the perfect vinaigrette. Enter Green Valley Kitchen’s Potato Salad with Grean Beans and Asparagus – a heavenly match. So heavenly that I’ve made it twice in the past week!

So here’s what goes into this delightful dish:

• 1 pound of new potatoes – I used about 15 small new potatoes.
• 1 pound of green beans
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 2 Tbs minced red onion
• 2 Tbs minced parsley
• 1 large handful of walnuts
• 4 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 large clove of garlic – put through a garlic press
• 8 twists of black pepper

Further instructions for preparing can be found here on the Green Valley Kitchen Blog.

As you know I encourage my clients to eat a raw salad before dinner to help alkalize the body and improve digestion so what to do when the salad is the main dish and it is cooked? This calls for a perfect plate of seasonal fruit. Dinner done.

The name alone of this gorgeous recipe would win it a feature spot on my blog but now that I’ve made this for dinner it also wins for taste! Filled with all the yummy flavors of spring and given some plant based protein heft with the inclusion of millet and lentils, these gratitude bowls are as delicious as they are satisfying. Note that the lentils and millet are soaked ahead of time which increases their nutritional value. Here’s a good explanation of why that is true. Because I wasn’t inspired to cook this until the morning of, I began soaking mine after breakfast. No doubt you will replay this recipe a few times this season.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 heads romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
1/2 cup green lentils, soaked overnight
1/2 cup millet, soaked overnight
1 bunch asparagus, with the ends trimmed
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
2-3 radishes – optional but delicious
rapeseed oil/ghee
sea salt and pepper, to taste

MUSHROOMS
5 chestnut mushrooms, cut into sixths
3 sprigs of thyme
rapeseed oil
sea salt and pepper, to taste

CROUTONS (skip if gluten-free or sub with gluten-free bread)
2 slices sourdough bread, cut into squares (around 1 1/2 cups of the squares in total)
2 sprigs of thyme
rapeseed oil
sea salt and pepper, to taste

HONEY/MAPLE MUSTARD DRESSING–Yields 1/3 cup.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon raw honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
sea salt, to taste

Here are complete preparation directions.

We are BIG salad eaters at our house. It’s a rare occasion when our first course is not a heaping dinner plate full of local greens and veggies tossed with a home blended dressing. When we have guests it is always the salad dressing that they want to know more about. I have to admit I make mine purely from inspiration based on what combination of ingredients I have on hand and you can do this too once you have some basic formulas. That’s why I love these three straightforward nut-based recipes offered on Helyn’s Healthy Kitchen. Use these recipes to get you started and keep these fresh extras on hand so you will have a variety of options to experiment with: scallions, cilantro, parsley, basil, dill, lemons, limes and oranges.

In addition to adding to your intake of greens, beginning your evening meal with a raw salad is a delicious way to aid lymphatic cleansing into the evening to improve your digestion.

You may have other plans for your St. Patrick’s Day evening consumption but make some room for this green smoothie in your mid morning and morning after for sure. While I recommend starting each day with a purely fruit smoothie or juice on an empty stomach the addition of a green smoothie mid-morning or mid-afternoon is the next step to boost your brain power and continue the lymphatic cleaning process. Let St. Paddy’s Day serve as the perfect entry point for adding another dose of green into your daily nourishment.

With the hope that this gets you hooked, here’s an infographic that lays out all of the key components for making personalized green smoothies to suit what you have on hand or what strikes your fancy.

Prepping ahead always helps up keep our healthy eating commitments. Here’s a great tip to gain momentum—prepping pre-proportioned smoothie bags for the week ahead.

It is definitely coming. We’ve moved our clocks forward, there is sunshine in the forecast and we are 11 days from the official start of SPRING! Let’s celebrate and bring on the salads, chock full of the season’s beautiful produce. This gorgeous Avocado Miso salad is just the right place to start. Bursting with broccoli, seasonal greens, and buttery ripe avocados it can be a meal all on its own or a delightful start to a cooked dish that follows.

This recipe comes from Ana Jones’book, A Modern Way to Eat that was recently recommended by a client. It would be a great resource for those building up their plant-based cookbook library. The amounts listed below will make 2 meal sized servings, so adjust according to your needs. I have noted substitutions I made when preparing for my own family.

Eating a vegetable salad on its own or prior to your cooked meal is an easy way to increase your intake of raw, high-alkaline foods and improve digestion. Raw vegetables digest more quickly than a cooked meal and should always be eaten first so they don’t sit with slower to digest foods where you lose their alkaline benefit.

For the dressing:
1 tablespoon brown rice miso paste (white miso is milder and will give a more family friendly flavor)
1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar (can be replaced with lemon juice or organic seasoned vinegar)
1 tablespoon soy sauce (tamari and coconut aminos are the gluten free options)
juice of 1/2 a lime
4 tablespoons milk (dairy-free coconut milk/creamer or cashew milk are easy substitutions to produce a creamy texture)
sea salt

For salad:

5 ounces (150 g) broccoli, stems chopped, florets broken into little heads
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 handfuls of seasonal salad leaves, washed and dried
1 ripe avocado, pitted and halved
1 (15-ounce/400 g) can white beans (or equivalent), drained ( I had chick peas on hand which were delicious)

The complete instructions are here on Heidi Swanson’s 101 Cookbooks Blog.

My plan today was to be posting a series of my favorite salad dressings that I make in batches but look at this weather! While I hope you are eating plenty of salad it’s still clearly soup season and thankfully Jessica Nadel, author of Greens 24/7, offers up this great way to get your daily greens. Fitting them into you or your family’s daily diet can require some imagination and wonderful recipes help.

I gave this one a test drive over the weekend and it’s a winner. Here are the ingredients I subbed in: coconut oil, leeks over the shallots, basil, parsley and oregano, romanesco rather than broccoli florets and dino kale instead of collards and red pepper flakes. And with a growing 13 year old in my home I tripled this recipe and still there were no leftovers!

The dish is pack with alkalizing veggies to balance your pH and encourage lymphatic drainage and white beans offer a healthy serving of plant based protein.

White Bean and Three Green Soup, Greens 24/7

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
• 2 shallots, diced
• 19-oz (540-mL) can white beans (such as kidney or cannellini), drained, rinsed
• 3 cups (750 mL) vegetable broth or water
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp (5 mL) chopped fresh herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, oregano)
• 2 large collard green leaves, chopped
• 1 cup (250 mL) chopped or baby spinach
• 1 cup (250 mL) chopped broccoli florets
• Sea salt + freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot over medium-high, heat oil. Add shallots. Cook, stirring, 3 minutes to soften. Add beans, broth or water, nutritional yeast and herbs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 7 minutes.

Remove pot from heat. Using immersion blender (or in a blender in batches), purée until smooth (or mostly smooth). Enjoy!

We are in that changeable weather season that calls out for having some fresh comfort food recipes on hand. One minute it’s glorious spring-like and then arrives a day or two of dreary cold (Austin-cold, mind you). Nothing beats the gray wet weather in my house like a steaming bowl of soup. Having a bag full of fresh baby spinach from my Friday Boggy Creek shopping trip and red lentils always in my pantry this was an easy decision. Red lentil Soup with Spinach = No regrets. Try it out for yourself.