Hazel's Cafe, Coffee and Chocolates in Oregon, Illinois

Did you know there’s an Oregon, Illinois? We went there recently for a school camping trip at White Pines Ranch (which was such a great experience!). After dropping the kids off, I thought I might want a little pick-me-up before getting back on the road.

And I found Hazel’s… really nice atmosphere and design (and friendly staff) where I had a nice conversation and selected a white chocolate coconut truffle and a Chai tea to-go. The Chai tea was delicate and delicious with oat milk and the truffle was a delight!

I’ve heard there are some really good hiking trails around Oregon, Illinois, so we plan to make Hazel’s our ‘destination cafe’ when we’re in the area :)

New adventures lead to great finds…

madgood

Owl & Lark in La Grange, Illinois

This month, I’d like to share with you this fantastic cafe in the Chicagoland area. Being gluten and dairy free, sometimes finding food can be a challenge. After a long day of wandering through Brookfield Zoo, we needed a little sustenance before continuing with our day’s events. Using Happy Cow, we found Owl and Lark!

After a fantastic avocado toast on a gluten-free bagel, we enjoyed a delicious smoothie, banana bread, and an apple cinnamon muffin from their all-gluten-free bakery case. A great place to stop for nutritious snacks and treats when you’re in the Southwest Suburbs!

Owl and Lark is a cozy coffee shop in La Grange that focuses on specialty coffee drinks and wholesome, nutritious food. The cafe offers a variety of fresh juices, superfood smoothies, and avocado toasts, all made with simple, wholesome ingredients. Their menu includes a popular specialty coffee drink infused with natural lavender essence and a favorite lunch choice featuring a delicious everything bagel with avocados and fresh vegetables. The cafe prides itself on using whole ingredients, avoiding artificial additives, and creating a positive, artistic atmosphere for its customers.

Two Tomato Soups

Typically, I would make the Martha Stewart version of tomato soup (below), but my sister sent me one that’s a little easier (for the days when you need things to be easy…)

Melissa’s Easy Tomato Soup

1 - 28 oz can San Marzano peeled tomatoes

1 - 14 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes

1/2 onion roughly chopped

4 tbsp butter (or olive oil)

1/2 - 2 cup vegetable broth, cream or vegan half and half

Salt to taste

Put into a cast iron pot on medium for an hour. Use an immersion blender (or a regular blender in batches) until smooth. Add salt to taste. Finish with the vegetable broth or cream - add just enough to bring it to the consistency you like (if you like a less acidic soup, add cream).

So easy and delicious!

Another great tomato soup adapted from Martha Stewart’s Tomato Soup

Martha got it right with this soup recipe. Once you make this simple soup yourself, you’ll agree that buying tomato soup in a can is a shame. Plus you get the added benefit of adding as much (or little!) salt as you like, but if you’re making it for nostalgic reasons, you might as well add all two teaspoons. Let’s face it – some of us were raised on the canned stuff (and we love it!)

If you want to feel good about your salt, try Celtic Sea Salt or this amazing Norwegian Sea Salt from Salty Provisions - Double the magnesium, nearly triple the potassium over other brands. Hand harvested from the crisp, clean Norwegian Sea. 

Try this soup with a delightfully simple gluten-free grilled “cheese”! Seen here with bread from Wheat’s End and vegan “cheese” from The Dill Pickle Food Co-Op.

New Development!

If you chill on the reheating of this soup, it makes a fantastic gazpacho. Top with some fresh basil and you're ready to go on a hot summer day!

Makes 6 cups

• 5 - 6 T coconut oil

• 1 medium yellow onion (chopped)

• 2 cloves garlic (chopped)

• 24 ounces jarred or canned plum tomatoes

• 3 cups veggie broth

• 1 - 2 t sea salt to taste

• 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

• 1 t nutritional yeast (optional)

• dash turmeric (optional)

Melt oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic and turmeric, and cook (stirring) until onions have softened (about 15 minutes). Add tomatoes, veggie broth, salt, pepper and yeast, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until tomatoes, onions, and garlic are soft (10 to 20 minutes).

Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until soup is heated through. If soup seems too thick, stir in some extra broth to thin. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Texas Caviar

My Mom gave me this fantastic cookbook called “Lakeside Creative Cooks” made by the residents of her building (including her :).

What surprised me about the recipes in this book are how the directions are a few lines or less! Perfect for a person trying to simplify their cooking to keep up with this fast-paced world.

These seem like tried and true recipes that I bet have delighted many. This month the recipe I made was from Clara McGough -Texas Caviar.

When I first looked at the title, I laughed, because I thought it was a recipe for chili! So I put everything in a pot and cooked it. Which came out really delicious actually.

And then I read the three sentences at the bottom of the recipe. This is a dip served cold. Probably great for watching the game or visiting with friends and family.

Well, either way it turned out nicely :) Thank you Clara! And Mom!

• 1 (15 oz) can of black beans, drained

• 1 (15 oz) can black-eyed peas, drained

• 8 green onions, chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped

• 1 (28 oz) can of tomatoes

• 1 medium green pepper, diced

• 3 Jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

• 3/4 cup parsley

• 1/4 cup onion, chopped

• 1/2 cup zesty Italian dressing

Mix all the ingredients together. Add a few drops of hot sauce. Serve with tortilla chips.

For my chili, I used a spicy jalapeno salsa instead of the green peppers and jalapeno. I also used 2 teaspoons of Green Goddess seasoning and a little chili powder in lieu of the parsley and Italian dressing..

Enjoy!

Lovely Lasagna

This recipe is based on Roasted Vegetable Lasagne in All about Vegetarian Cooking from The Joy of Cooking.

Did you know that Irma von Starkloff Rombauer, originally from Saint Louis, took her life savings and self-published a book called The Joy of Cooking? Her daughter, Marion, tested recipes and made the illustrations, and they sold their mother-daughter project from Irma's apartment.

This recipe can be made vegan and gluten-free and tastes amazing! I never thought I would eat lasagna again after going gluten-free, but here I am making it myself :)

This photo is of a delectable lasagna from Adobe stock, but yours will look different with all the veggies. The original recipe calls for eggplant, but we like it better with mushrooms and broccoli. You can really use any vegetable you have on hand.

I was worried about the Hearts of Palm not having the right texture, but you will be surprised at how much they taste like pasta… a good lower-carb option.

Makes 8-10 servings

• 2 cups mushrooms (sliced

• 1 small head of broccoli (chopped)

• 3 medium zucchini (sliced)

• 1/2 cup EV olive oil

• 1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)

• 24 oz marinara or pasta sauce (or roasted tomatoes)

• 16 oz ricotta cheese (we like Kite Hill for a vegan version)

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (we use Follow your Heart’s vegan version)

• 2 eggs (can be omitted or subbed with egg substitute)

• 1 cup Mozzarella cheese (shredded - try Violife brand or you can omit this - I’ve made it without and it turns out great!)

• 1 pound fresh or dried lasagna (gluten-free options are available - we tried Palmini Hearts of Palm Lasagna sheets with wild success!)

• 1 cup fresh gf breadcrumbs (optional for topping)

• a pinch ground nutmeg (to taste)

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and another in the upper third. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly oil a 13x9x3-inch baking or lasagna pan. Place vegetables in a large bowl and pour over olive oil mixed with salt and pepper.

Toss the vegetables to coat them. You can place them in the oven in a roasting pan for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Or you can sauté them on the stove until soft (about 10 minutes).

Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bring to a boil 8 quarts water. Check instructions if using Hearts of Palm. Cook lasagna sheets until tender.

Drain and separate the noodles. Keep in a bowl of ice water. Arrange a layer of noodles in your pre-greased pan.

Mix together ricotta cheese, eggs, parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, ground black pepper and ground nutmeg to taste.

Layer 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on the noodles. layer with tomato sauce, roasted vegetables, and mozzarella overed by another noodle.

On top, dust with parmesan, mozzarella, black pepper and gf breadcrumbs. Cover pan and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes more, until golden and bubbly.

Let stand for 10 -15 minutes before serving. Cut out slices from the pan, making sure to catch all the sauce and cheese. Enjoy!

To make roasted tomatoes (in lieu of tomato sauce)

3 pounds ripe tomatoes (halved crosswise)

2 tablespoons EV olive oil

sea salt (a generous amount)

ground black pepper (to taste)

Place tomatoes into a large baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes at 450 degrees F until slightly golden. Remove the tomatoes and their juice and oil and stir well in a bowl. Layer with the roasted vegetables in the lasagna.

Deviled Eggs

For our Thanksgiving dinner, my Mom always makes Deviled Eggs. They’re not vegan… and I would not suggest trying to make them vegan, but don’t worry - I’ll have a fantastic vegan lasagna recipe coming up next month :) (It may include Hearts of Palm…)

In the meantime, you might also check out some of our Vegan Thanksgiving dishes!

Deviled eggs are a family tradition and we enjoy every one. We’ll switch out the yellow mustard for Dijon sometimes, or used smoked paprika, but the basic recipe is the same. My Mom usually doesn’t use relish (keep it simple) and probably doesn’t use these measurements - She makes it by feel :)

This is the classic deviled egg recipe from the Southern Living article “Handsome Devils” which has a lot of amazing different variations of the recipe.

Where did the deviled name come from? According to Daily Meal:

“Deviled eggs were anointed with this mischievous name long after the term "deviled" had already been deemed a descriptor for many other foods. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, in 1786 to "devil" a food meant to cook it with a spicy seasoning or over very high heat. It was thought that this association grew from the similarly high heat presumed from the depths of hell.”

Classic Deviled Eggs

Active 15 min/ Total 40 min - Makes 12

• 6 large eggs

• Ice

• 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

• 1 1/2 Tablespoon sweet or dill pickle relish

• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard (or Dijon)

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

• paprika (to taste)

1. Fill a large pot with water; bring to a boil over high heat. Carefully lower eggs into the boiling water; cook undisturbed for 11 minutes and 30 seconds.

2. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice, and add water to cover. Set ice bath aside.

3. Using a slotted spoon, immediately transfer the cooked eggs from boiling water to ice bath. Let stand until completely cooled, at least 5 minutes.

4. Working with 1 egg at a time, firmly tap on a flat surface until cracks from all over the shell. Peel under cold running water.

5. Cut eggs in half lengthwise; remove yolks. Set egg white halves aside. Using a fork, mash together yolks and mayonnaise in a medium bowl. Add relish (if using), mustard, salt and pepper: stir well to combine.

6. Spoon or pipe about 1 tablespoon yolk filling into each egg white half. Garnish with paprika, if desired. Serve immediately or store, covered, in refrigerator up to 2 days.

2024 Thanksgiving

We made our favorites this year… and ended up with quite a lot of food. We’re thankful for this and hope you will enjoy these dishes as much as we do.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

One of my favorite parts of our Thanksgiving meal is Pumpkin Pie. My Mom would make this pie with “three times as much spice”, so sometimes I find the store-bought pies are just missing something…

The good thing about these spices is that they are really great for your health! So the more, the merrier :)

Not to be outdone, pumpkin provides a wealth of health benefits, including reducing the risk of chronic diseases, facilitating wound healing and providing cardiovascular protection.

GreenMedInfo has a recipe for pumpkin spice you can use year-round and a fantastic article on the health benefits. If you’d like a pre-blended mix of spices, I’ll always recommend Pinch Spice Market (who we will be using for our pumpkin pie this year). Swap out the pre-made mix for the four spices listed in the recipe below. (Spices make great gifts for the holidays too :)

Healthy Pumpkin Spice

• 3 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

• 2 tsp. ground ginger

• 2 tsp. nutmeg

• 2 tsp. ground cloves

• 1.5 tsp. ground allspice

Pumpkin Pie (Adapted from Joy of Cooking)

For a gluten-free and dairy-free pie crust, check out Gluten-Free on a Shoestring’s recipe.

• 2 Large Eggs (vegan egg substitutes can also be used)

• 2 Cups freshly cooked or canned pumpkin puree

• 1 1/2 Cups vegan cream or evaporated milk

• 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar

• 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar or Evaporated Cane Juice

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

  Spices (if using pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice, 2 3/4 teaspoons - feel free to increase that to your liking)

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice

Position a rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Using a pre-rolled pie crust, place crust in a glass pie pan, making sure to make a rim around the edges. Glaze the bottom with egg yolk (if desired) to prevent the filling from soaking into the crust.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl; and then slowly whisk in the remaining ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Warm the pie crust in the oven until it is hot to the touch, letting the filling stand at room temperature. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the crust and bake for 35 - 45 minutes, until the center is set, but quivery like gelatin.

Pro-tip: Place a baking pan on a shelf below the pie, in case any filling drips out after heating. Let your pie cool fully on a cooling rack.

Serve cold or slightly warm with some coconut whipped cream. Enjoy!

This is a part of Thanksgiving that can be made a day early, which saves time the day-of. If you’d like more Thanksgiving dinner ideas, check out one of our Thanksgiving Menus on madgood.

Vegan Cashew Cheese

Cashews are rich in essential minerals and have a nice texture for cheese. This recipe can be made with most nuts, but those that are harder (like almonds) will need a soak in warm water for a few hours first.

This recipe is adapted from The Plantpower Way by Rich Roll and Julie Piatt.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/4 cup chickpea or yellow soy miso

1 teaspoon lemon juice (squeezed)

Celtic sea salt to taste

In a Vitamix or high-powered blender, add all ingredients and blend until smooth. Add water to desired consistency. Transfer to a small saucepan and heat on low until warm. It will thicken quickly. Add water if you would like a thinner consistency.

For a green version, add 1-1/2 cloves garlic and herbs like cilantro. Include 1 extra tablespoon of lemon juice and blend until smooth. Add water as needed.

If you process for a full 3 minutes you’ll have a warm creamy cheese sauce. Enjoy!

Squash Spaghetti

It’s squash season! This delightfully easy recipe satisfies the taste for Italian cuisine with a vibrant texture but not the heaviness that can come from eating pasta.

Serves 4-6 

Spaghetti Squash  

Preheat oven to 375°. Rinse squash and place in a baking pan with half an inch of water. Cut off stem, and bake for 60-90 minutes (depending on size of the squash). When done, the skin will give slightly when touched. Slice longwise and scoop out seeds (for toasting later or planting in next year’s garden!). With a fork, separate spaghetti strings and place in a bowl until sauce is complete.

Tomato Sauce

• 1/2 yellow onion {diced}

• 1/2 red onion {sliced}

• 1 clove garlic {peeled + diced}

• 1/2 C mushrooms or cherry, pear or grape tomatoes (optional)

• 1/8 C sun-dried tomatoes {chopped} or 1 T tomato paste

• 4 C jarred or fresh diced tomatoes

• 2 T olive oil

• sea salt to taste

• fresh black pepper to taste

• Italian seasoning (basil, fennel, garlic, onion, oregano, parsley, sage, thyme, black + red pepper) to taste (2-4 T)

• 1-2 T red pepper paste, sun-dried tomato paste, pesto paste or a combination

• garnish: toasted pine nuts, a chiffonade (cut into long, thin strips) of fresh basil or chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Heat a deep sauté pan and add oil. Sauté onions, garlic and mushrooms (if using) until soft. Add diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes or tomato paste, spices and salt and simmer until tasty (20 min or longer). Add cherry, pear or grape tomatoes (if using) 10 minutes before removing heat so they retain their shape. Season with red pepper paste, sun-dried tomato paste, pesto paste or a combination of them to taste. Dust with black pepper to taste and let rest while you warm the squash pasta. Garnish with toasted pine nuts, fresh basil or fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Sauce

If you like a creamy tomato sauce, try mixing in this cream sauce inspired by Juliano's Mac Cream.

• 2 C macadamia nuts or raw cashews (or a mixture of both)

• 1/2 C lemon juice (from a lemon)

• 1/4 C coconut aminos or 1 + 1/2 t sea salt

• 1 clove garlic

• pepper to taste

• 1/4 - 1/2 C water

Blend all ingredients until creamy; add water to desired consistency. Mix with tomato sauce or enjoy on its own with veggies!

Romaine Apple Ginger Juice

Our dear friends gave me some delicious Romaine lettuce grown in their garden. It was so flavorful, I had to try it in a juice. I like to juice in the summer because it’s such a great source of nutrients and electrolytes. It helps our skin and liver recover from hours in the sun and heat.

As always, I suggest using organic fruits and vegetables to decrease the risk of getting a concentrated dose of pesticides. If they are grown in an organic garden, even better!

This can be made with any green from the garden or grocery. I paired the lettuce with apple and ginger to give it a little sweetness with a kick!

GreenMedInfo reports that ginger can help with a number of ailments, from nausea and arthritis to knee pain, migraines and allergies. Read more about the wondrous benefits of ginger here:

https://greenmedinfo.com/blog/eight-unexpected-health-benefits-ginger

Ingredients

• a bunch of Romaine lettuce or other green leafy vegetable

• 2-3 apples to taste

• 1-2 inch thumb of ginger

Run the ingredients through your juicer, following the lettuce with an apple or ginger so it doesn’t get stuck. I leave my ginger and apples unpeeled, but if you like a more delicate taste, they can be peeled.If you’re new tousing ginger in your juice, start small.

Enjoy in the backyard or on a deck, soaking up some sun!

Pineapple Digestive Elixir

For a refreshing blend of electrolytes and nutrients that aid in digestion, try this combination of citrus, apple and carrots. The pineapple has the added benefits of bromelain, an enzyme that digests protein (from all those summer barbecues). Bromelain reduces inflammation, aids in digestion, reduces blood clotting and plaque build-up in the arteries, and helps with sinusitis.

Makes 16 oz

• 3-4 spears fresh pineapple (skin and stem removed)

• 2 apples (cored)

• 4 carrots

• juice from 1 lime

Juice all ingredients except the lime in your juicer. Add the lime juice at the end and stir. Enjoy!

Curried Potatoes and Peas

Adapted from TeaNY by Moby and Kelly Tisdale

This curry is a go-to for an easy yet satisfying meal. Just the right amount of spice, carbs and protein, which can all be altered to fit what you have on-hand.

We actually visited the TeaNY cafe in the Lower East Side when we were in New York - An amazing tea shop and vegetarian eatery. It did live up to all the hype :)

• 3/4 pound peeled potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small yellow onion, chopped small

• 2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped or mashed

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 1/2 cup coconut milk

Boil potatoes until completely soft. In a separate bowl, combine salt, curry, cumin and coriander, and set aside. Heat the oil in a skillet at medium-high heat. Then add the onions, and cook until they are translucent. Add the onions, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and peas. Stir gently for 5 minutes. Add coconut milk, and stir until mixture is evenly coated. Enjoy!

Classic Potato Salad

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

It’s potato salad season again! Anytime we have the opportunity for a barbecue or picnic, we try to make this potato salad. It can be altered a lot depending on what flavors you like, and the mayo can be replaced with a nice vinegar for a lighter vegan version.

Servings:8

Ingredients:

• 8-10 Medium Potatoes

• 1-1/2 cup Mayonnaise (We like Sir Kensington’s for Vegan Mayo)

• 4 Tablespoons Prepared Mustard (regular, Dijon or a mixture of both)

• 5 whole Green Onions (sliced) or 1/4 cup Red Onion (diced)

• 1/4 cup celery (minced)

• 8 whole Small Sweet or Dill Pickles (We like to use sweet relish)

• 1 teaspoon Sea Salt (to taste)

• 1/2 teaspoon Paprika (smoked if you prefer)

• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper (to taste)

• 4 -8 Hard-Boiled Eggs, chopped (can be omitted for vegan version, or replaced with avocado)

• Fresh Dill (for garnish)

  Instructions

  Cut potatoes in halves or thirds, then boil until fork tender. Drain. Mash potatoes or leave chunky. Fold potatoes together with mayonnaise, mustard, onions, celery, salt, pepper, and other seasonings you like. Fold in pickles (relish) and eggs, then taste for seasonings, adding more salt, mustard, or mayo as needed. You may also splash in juice from the pickle jar if salad needs a little moisture. Top with more paprika and some chopped dill. Goes great with any picnic or barbecue food. Enjoy!

Savory Crepes

This recipe starts out as an excerpt from Alton Brown’s book, “I’m Just Here for More Food”.

Alton would probably peel out on his hog if he knew I was making this gluten-free, but it works pretty well with alternate flours, and this version is actually grain-free. It can easily be made dairy-free (as this one is).

CREPES

• 3/4 C (170 g/6 oz) milk (I used Hemp Milk)

• 1/2 C (113g/4 oz) water

• 2 Eggs

• 1/2 tsp (3g/<1/8 oz) Kosher or sea salt

• 3 TBSP Butter (I used Miyoko’s cultured vegan butter) + Butter or oil for the pan

• 1/2 C (38 g/1 -1/3 oz) Cassava Flour

• 1/2 C (38 g/1 -1/3 oz) Chick Pea Flour

• Fresh or Dry Herbs to taste (optional)

• A dash of your favorite spices

• Cheese to Taste (I used cultured almond cheese from Kite Hill)

• Filling (any combination of potatoes, veggies, lentils or beans)

Using Alton’s Blender Method, combine liquids first (butter included), then the dry ingredients. Blend only a short amount of time (although I doubt this matters when using gf flours) and thin with water if needed to create a thin pancake on the pan. I use a large cast iron skillet.

Chop and cook the filling - this photo has a crepe with a red lentil chickpea filling, but any vegetables you have on hand should work.

I coat the pan with a brush to ensure a thin layer of oil. You’ll want to turn on the kitchen fan for this since burning oil can smoke. While cooking, make sure the sides have browned; the crepe should have bubbles indicating that it’s cooked through. You can layer the cheese inside or outside the crepe, and garnish with herbs or spices.

This dish goes well with salads, vegetables or solo. Heat the crepes in a toaster oven or convection oven at 200 F degrees to keep warm while the others finish cooking,

Enjoy :)

A Simple Salad

One of the deterrents for me in making a salad at home is that it takes too long! All the chopping and rinsing… leave that to the restaurants.

But having a salad with meals (or as a meal) helps aid our digestion, giving us the enzymes to break down other foods. Plus the nutrients and polyphenols in fresh fruits and vegetables help to lower inflammation in the body, even if they are accompanied by meats, breads, and processed foods.

So my solution has been to keep it simple. The salads I make at home usually only have three to five ingredients, and the dressing included in this recipe can usually be made with things we have on hand.

Ingredients

• 2 handfuls baby spinach or lettuces of choice

• 1 carrot (sliced)

• 1/8 Cup sliced tomatoes or dried fruit

• 3 green olives or avocado (sliced)

• 2 Tablespoons toasted pumpkin or sesame seeds

Hummus Dressing

• 2 Tablespoon prepared hummus

• Squeeze of half a lemon

• 1 tsp olive brine

• 1 tsp olive oil

• 1 tsp flax or hemp oil

Wisk hummus, lemon juice, olive brine, and oils in a small mixing bowl and set aside to rest. Assemble spinach/lettuce, sliced carrot, tomatoes or dried fruit, olives or avocado and toasted seeds in salad bowl. Toss with 1-2 Tablespoons hummus dressing or dressing of your choice. Enjoy!

Simple Udon Soup

This light soup with umami broth is a nice break for the stomach from heavier winter meals. Proteins can be added easily, and it can replace the classic Chicken Noodle Soup in your wellness routine.

You can adjust the salt to your liking if you use homemade broth. Homemade broth is an incredibly alkalizing food. It offers easily digestible nutrients and electrolytes.

Dulse {red seaweed} is a great source of complete protein amino acids and iodine, plus helps to remove heavy metals and toxins from the body.

If you don’t do wheat, you can replace the udon noodles with a variety of gluten-free noodles: buckwheat, kelp or NoOodles {made with yams}.

Serves 4

• 6 ounces udon, kelp or yam noodles

• 6 cups homemade veggie broth or broth of your choice

• 6 Crimini or Shiitake mushrooms, sliced

• 2 handfuls baby spinach leaves

• 2 handfuls cooking greens: kale, dandelion, chard, collard greens, bok choy

• Sea Salt to taste

• 2 teaspoon coconut aminos (or tamari)

• 1 Tablespoon dulse granules

• Coconut nectar (or sweetener of your choice) to taste {optional}

• 1 Tablespoon onion flakes or diced onion

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

•  Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, black seeds or Gomasio (seaweed, sesame seeds and sea salt)

Cook udon noodles in salted boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes (if using yam or kelp, wait until the end to add). Drain and rinse under cold water until cool.

Place broth in a pot and bring to a boil. Add mushrooms, greens and onions or flakes and bring back to a boil.

Stir in spinach and oil and season with salt, aminos, sweetener and dulse granules to taste. Add noodles and cook just until heated through.

Let rest for 5-8 minutes for full flavor. Top with sesame oil and seeds. Enjoy!

Moroccan Stew

Adapted from http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/maindishes/r/couscous_veg.htm

This is such and excellent winter dish. Warm, soft vegetables and a little bit of spice (or a lot!) can heat you from the inside out. This can be served without a grain or it can be served with couscous instead of rice. Vary the vegetables to your family's preferences or add what you have on-hand.

See How to Steam Couscous if you've never used a couscoussier.

Prep Time: 20-30 minutes

Cook Time: 35-40 minutes

Yield: Generously serves 6 adults (or several “seconds”)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried rice (rinsed thoroughly)

• 1 ¾ cup water

• 2 Tablespoons vegan shortening or coconut/olive oil

• 2 Tablespoons butter for topping

• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste

  ------------------------------------------------------------------

• 1/4 cup vegan butter or coconut/olive oil

• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or sliced

• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

• 1 handful of parsley and cilantro sprigs, tied into a bouquet

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• A dash of Ras el Hanout (See the story of this spice)

• A dash of Sumac Cajun Spice *optional

• 1 cup of vegetable broth

• 3 tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped, or jarred diced tomatoes

• 1/2 of a small cabbage, cut into 2 or 3 sections (or fennel, chopped or sliced)

• 2 or 3 small sweet potatoes (or 1 large), peeled and chopped

• 10 carrots, peeled and chopped

• ½ cup chopped cauliflower or broccoli

• 1 or 2 small zucchini, ends removed and chopped

• 1/4 cup dry chickpeas, soaked overnight or canned

• 1/2 cup fresh fava beans or kidney beans

• 1 or 2 chili peppers or red chili flakes (optional)*

• 1 tablespoons salt

• A dash of black pepper

------------------------------------------------------------------

Preparation:

Prepare the rice by adding 1 cup to a rice cooker or pressure cooker (also works with a saucepan the stove). Add 1 and ¾ cup water, the vegetable shortening or oil and salt. Cook for 10-15 minutes depending on if you are using white (10 min) or brown rice (15 min).

Cook beans (if using dried and soaked beans) until soft.

Mix the, onion, garlic, ginger and spices in a large saute pan or casserole with two tablespoons of vegan butter (or oil). Add the tomatoes after the onions and garlic soften. One by one, add the rest of the veggies, adding salt and vegetable broth as needed to keep the veggies submerged.

Add the bouquet of herbs and cover and cook over medium to medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, adding the zucchini, broccoli/cauliflower and beans last.

Reduce the heat to medium, and simmer rapidly for 10 to 15 minutes. Add broth as needed and reduce to a thick stew.

Empty the couscous (break it apart) and rice into the large bowl, and. Mix in the 2 tablespoons of butter and salt to taste.

Discard the herb bouquet and distribute the stew evenly over the couscous or rice and vegetables, topping with fresh herbs or vegan ricotta cheese.

Pinch Spice Market

It’s so important to support your local and small businesses to help them survive and thrive.

Our first focus will be on spices. Once you get away from all the salt in fast food, you start to realize the importance of having spices in your meals. Once you start using them regularly, you’ll start to notice information about what powerhouses many spices and herbs are in maintaining your health and immune system. Once your armed with that information, you become powerful too.

I’ve been following Pinch Spice Market since they had a shop in Bucktown (Chicago). From talking with the owners (and my own tastebuds), I know they use discernment when selecting the spices and herbs that they sell. The quality of their spices is top tier. Dedicated to sustainability and organics, Pinch knows how growing and processing spices can be pesticide and chemical heavy. But not only do I trust the “purity” of their spice, their blends are really what it’s about.

Now they’ve moved physically but still have a strong online market. Supplying many of Chicago’s finest restaurants with spice blends for seasoning, marinating and dusting, they are experts on the complex favors involved in making good blends. One of my favorites is Ras El Hanout, a Moroccan spice that goes well with vegan and vegetarian foods. I remember reading the blog posts about developing this spice blend and the nuances needed to really make it taste authentic.

And a must-mention my son’s favorite - Magic Toast Dust…evaporated cane juice, Vietnamese cinnamon, orange zest. Cinnamon Toast was such a comfort food growing up. We now make a gluten-free version with vegan butter.

Next time you need a spice, give this small business a try: https://pinchspicemarket.com/

You’ll be directly supporting the fair-trade and organic marketplaces :) And for that I’m grateful.

APPLE TART

PECAN-WALNUT CRUST

From Thrive Market’s Paleo Thanksgiving

1 cup ground raw walnuts

1 cup ground raw pecans

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 T coconut oil 6 – 8 dates

1 tsp cinnamon

Blend crust ingredients in the food processor until the dough sticks together when pressed. Transfer to a pie pan and press to flatten. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 7 minutes.

ALTERNATE RAW CRUST

From Sweetly Raw’s Deep Dish Apple Pear Tart

1-1/3 cups cashews

1-1/3 cups shredded coconut

2-1/2 - 3 tablespoons maple syrup

2 pinches salt

2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil

Grind the cashews and coconut into flour in a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients. Process to combine. Press the mixture evenly into a deep 8" tart pan with removable bottom. Make sure to chill it in the freezer to set properly while making the filling. You can even let it sit overnight in the fridge to set before putting the filling in for best results.

FILLING

1/8       cup coconut, tapioca, cassava or arrowroot flour

1/2       teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2       teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8       teaspoon salt

8          cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (8 medium)

2          tablespoons coconut oil

1          dash of coconut sugar (to taste)

*Optional

a dash of apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice

the juice of half a lemon

Vanilla to taste

Ginger syrup

In a saucepan, combine apple filling ingredients and optional spices, and simmer until apples are soft and the sauce has thickened. After you remove the filling from heat, add the optional lemon juice, vanilla or ginger syrup and stir.

Layer into to pie crust and let set for 10 minutes to 24 hours. Enjoy with some coconut whipped cream.