Diane K. Smith's health improved a great deal when she started eating a plant-based diet a few years ago. She and I both lost weight when we changed to a plant-based diet, but our main goal was to enjoy better health.
Diane has created a very informative website where she shares her easy to prepare delicious dishes. Today she has graciously allowed me to share a couple of her fabulous vegetarian recipes with you.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Salad
2 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and well-drained
1 cup chopped tomato or cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped peeled jicama
1 cup fresh corn kernels, uncooked (or frozen or canned)
3/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
A whole ripe avocado diced.
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4-5 corn tortillas
Dressing:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbl. honey
2 Tbl. finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 tsp chopped jalapeño pepper (optional
Stack 2-3 corn tortillas on a cutting board and cut in half. Then cut into about 1/3" strips. Place the strips on a microwavable plate. Sprinkle or spray with water or apple cider vinegar and lightly salt—microwave for about 2 minutes. Check for crispness, keeping in mind that the tortilla strips will get crunchier as they cool. Add more time if they aren't crispy enough. **
2. Toss all the salad ingredients except the avocado and tortilla strips in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients.
4. Pour dressing over salad. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss.
5. Top individual servings with avocado and crispy tortilla strips.
*NOTE: You can also try microwaving them. It works really well! Just put your cut tortillas on a microwavable dish and let them cook for 3 minutes or so. The more tortillas are on the plate, the longer the cooking. Keep testing them for doneness.
@plantbasedcooking.com
Link: http://www.plantbasedcooking.com/complete-recipes/mexican-chopped-salad-with-lime-cilantro-dressing
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 package whole grain or gluten-free penne pasta
1 package fresh green beans stem removed and cut into thirds
1 carton cherry tomatoes halved
2 cups packed baby spinach leaves
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 handful fresh mint
2 tsp white or red miso
2 cloves garlic, rough chopped
1 shallot, rough chopped
1/4-1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/3 cup toasted almonds
Cashew Topping: (optional)
3/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp salt
Ingredients:
1 package whole grain or gluten-free penne pasta
1 package fresh green beans stem removed and cut into thirds
1 carton cherry tomatoes halved
2 cups packed baby spinach leaves
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 handful fresh mint
2 tsp white or red miso
2 cloves garlic, rough chopped
1 shallot, rough chopped
1/4-1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/3 cup toasted almonds
Cashew Topping: (optional)
3/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling and add pasta. Cook according to directions on the package, drain, and reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
2. Steam the green beans until crisp-tender. Add them to a large bowl along with the halved tomatoes.
3. In the meantime, make the pesto by adding the vegetable stock to the bowl of a food processor along with the spinach, mint, miso, garlic, shallot, and toasted almonds—salt and pepper to taste. Process until combined, scraping the sides as needed. Add more vegetable stock if it’s too thick.
4. Add pasta and the pesto to the bowl with the green beans and tomatoes along with enough pasta water to loosen the sauce to the consistency you like.
5. If topping with cashew crumble, put cashews, nutritional yeast, and salt into a small food processor and pulse until finely chopped and crumbly. Don't over-process, or you'll have cashew butter.
@plantbasedcooking.com
Link: http://www.plantbasedcooking.com/complete-recipes/pasta-with-spinach-pesto-green-beans-tomatoes
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Serves 4
Ingredients:
· 1 package corn tortillas
· 1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained
· 1/2 cup diced red onion
· 1/2 cup diced cilantro
· 1 avocado, peeled and chopped
· 1 mango, peeled and chopped
· Juice of 1 lime or lemon
· 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (if you like it hotter, leave in some of the seeds)
· Salt & Pepper to taste
Method:
1. To make the tortilla chips:
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Stack about 4 tortillas when on your cutting board and cut in half and then each half into thirds. Place the chips on a baking sheet. If you'd like to add salt, first mist them with a spray bottle filled with water and then add the salt. Sometimes the chips are a little moist, and you can salt them without misting. *(For an easy microwavable option, see below.)
3. Place in the oven for about 7-10 minutes or until they are pretty crispy and starting to turn golden.
4. For the salsa:
5. Place black beans, red onion, cilantro, mango, avocado, jalapeño, and juice into a large bowl
6. Salt & pepper to taste.
7. If it needs more zing, add more lime (or lemon) juice.
*NOTE: You can also try microwaving them. It works really well! Just put your cut tortillas on a microwavable dish and let them cook for 3 minutes or so. The more tortillas are on the plate, the longer the cooking. Keep testing them for doneness.
@plantbasedcooking.com
Link: http://www.plantbasedcooking.com/complete-recipes/black-bean-mango-salsa
Diane K. Smith is the editor of PlantBasedCooking.com.
