harmony kitchen...

I have moved to Harmony Kitchen, so please come check out all of my plant-based, gluten and soy free recipes there!

“When we feel, a kind of lyric is sung in our heart.
When we think, a kind of music is played in our mind.
In harmony, both create a beautiful symphony of life.” 

~ Toba Beta

stuffed sweet potato

When I started preheating the oven this evening, I had a totally different recipe in mind.  But when I spotted the sweet potatoes sitting in a bowl on my counter, I decided to take the easy road, as I had planned a much more complex (and time consuming) Moroccan dish.  The only down side to preparing potatoes is the cooking time, which is very lengthy.  On the up side, though, once they are cooked they take very little time to assemble.  Every time I make a baked potato, I like to play around with the stuffing ingredients - the creative part of this recipe.


ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes

1 avocado sliced

2 portabello mushrooms washed and sliced
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

pesto (optional)

sour cream (optional)

coconut oil or other oil of your choice

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit.  Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes.  I do not peel them, but I usually cut off any bits that look a bit funky.  After washing the potatoes, take a fork and poke several holes on one side. Take a bit of coconut oil in your hands and rub down each potato with the oil.  Place the potatoes hole side up on a cooking tray or dish and roast in the oven for approximately 50 to 60 minutes - poke them with a fork to determine if they are done.

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, preheat a sauté pan to medium heat.  Add a tablespoon of coconut oil and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.  Then add the portobellos and sauté for 10 to 15 minutes and set aside.

Once the potatoes are cooked through, remove them from the oven.  Immediately place them in a bowl and cut a slit down the middle.  Now for the fun part!  To stuff the potato, I first started out with a layer of raw pesto, then I added the sautéed portobello mushrooms, some avocado slices and topped it off with a generous amount of vegan sour cream.  It's a layered masterpiece!


“Look at that moon. Potato weather for sure.” 

~ Thornton Wilder

vegan sour cream

Who doesn't love a nice dollop of sour cream atop a burrito or a baked potato?  Another reason to love cashews!


ingredients

1/2 cup cashews soaked a minimum of 4 hours
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 garlic cloves or 1 small shallot
the juice of 1 small lemon
a dash of sea salt

Place all of the ingredients above in a vitamix and blend until smooth and creamy.  Spoon out into a bowl and serve.  This recipe will yield approximately 1 cup of sour cream, which will last for several weeks in the refrigerator.


“Experts in ancient Greek culture say that people back then didn’t see their thoughts as belonging to them. When ancient Greeks had a thought, it occurred to them as a god or goddess giving an order. Apollo was telling them to be brave. Athena was telling them to fall in love.

Now people hear a commercial for sour cream potato chips and rush out to buy, but now they call this free will.

At least the ancient Greeks were being honest.”

~ Chuck Palahniuk quotes

raw cherry dream pudding

I came across this recipe on facebook a few days ago and knew I had to try it right away.  Of course I had to put my own spin on it, especially because I did not have fresh blackberries in my refrigerator.  I also enjoy the challenge of creating great tasting, healthy food with the fewest ingredients possible.  This one is definitely a keeper!  It's also one you do not need to feel guilty about eating before bed, as cherries have actually been shown to help you get a good night's sleep.  Sweet Dreams...


pudding

1/2 cup chia seeds
1 1/2 cups raw almond milk or raw coconut water
1 teaspoon raw vanilla bean powder

cherry cream

1 packaged of organic frozen cherries (leave a few out for the topping)
2 tablespoons dried tart cherries (optional)
1 cup cashews soaked a minimum of 4 hours
1 teaspoon raw vanilla bean powder
a dash of sea salt (optional)

Place all of the pudding ingredients into a bowl, mix together and set aside.  Then place the cherry cream ingredients into a vitamix and blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Here's where you get to be creative.  You can use jars like Amie Sue at Nouveau Raw, sundae glasses like I used in picture above or another glass of your choice.  Alternate layers of the pudding and the cream until it is all used up.  Don't forget to save a few cherries to top off your dreamy creation!

You can eat these right away or allow them to firm up in the refrigerator - they will last up to 5 days in the fridge.

Cherry-Time

Cherries of the night are riper

Than the cherries pluckt at noon 

Gather to your fairy piper 

When he pipes his magic tune: 

Merry, merry, 

Take a cherry; 

Mine are sounder, 

Mine are rounder, 

Mine are sweeter 

For the eater

Under the moon. 

And you’ll be fairies soon. 

In the cherry pluckt at night, 

With the dew of summer swelling, 

There’s a juice of pure delight, 

Cool, dark, sweet, divinely smelling. 

Merry, merry, 

Take a cherry; 

Mine are sounder, 

Mine are rounder, 

Mine are sweeter 

For the eater 

In the moonlight. 

And you’ll be fairies quite. 

When I sound the fairy call, 

Gather here in silent meeting, 

Chin to knee on the orchard wall, 

Cooled with dew and cherries eating. 

Merry, merry, 

Take a cherry; 

Mine are sounder, 

Mine are rounder, 

Mine are sweeter. 

For the eater 

When the dews fall.

And you’ll be fairies all.

~ Emily Dickinson

the daily smoothie

Most days I drink a smoothie either for breakfast or lunch.  It takes less than 5 minutes to make and is especially perfect for the days when I am on the go.  This smoothie recipe is packed full of superfoods and will keep you going for hours - and it just happens to be a major bonus that it tastes super yummy, too!

ingredients

1 banana

1/2 a bag of frozen cherries or any other fruit of your choice

1 cup of raw coconut water either from a fresh young coconut or Harmless Harvest

1 scoop of Garden of Life's Raw Cacao Protein Powder

1 tablespoon of spirulina

1 tablespoon of chia seeds 

1 tablespoon of mesquite powder

1 teaspoon of maca powder

1 teaspoon of bee pollen

1/4 teaspoon of 4 Eternals

Place all of the ingredients above in a vitamix and blend for 30 seconds.  Pour the smoothie into a glass, add a straw and indulge in this breakfast of champions.

Note - the recipe above is my basic smoothie recipe.  Some days I also add in a handful of goji berries or some fresh dandelion root.  When I'm taking my smoothie on the go, I usually forego the chia seeds, as they can cause the smoothie to become more like a pudding after sitting for hours in my lunch cooler.  

"Smoothies provide a powerful boost of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients without bogging down your digestive system. Since you are eating natural, whole foods in the most optimum form for your digestibility and nutrient absorption, you will have more energy to get things done and enjoy your day."

~ Tracy Russell

vegan omelette

This recipe was inspired by Emily Segal's Chickpea Flour Omelet.  The base of this recipe, the chickpea flour and stock, is the most important element.  Which means all the other ingredients can be varied to suite your personal diet and taste preferences.  Bon appetit!


ingredients

1 cup chickpea flour 

1 1/4 cups shiitake mushroom stock or water (or enough to make a thick-ish pancake batter)
2 scallions finely chopped (save a small amount of the green stalk for garnish)
2 garlic cloves or 1 shallot finely chopped 

1 portobello mushroom chopped (optional)
1 cup of arugula 

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes chopped (I like to use marinated tomoatoes)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

coconut oil or other oil of your choice

In a sauté pan add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and turn the heat to medium-high.  Once the pan is hot, add in the mushrooms and balsamic vinegar.  Sauté for approximately 10 to 15 minutes stirring frequently and then remove from heat.  

While the mushrooms are sautéing, add the rest of the ingredients above to a bowl.  Whisk together until all is combined well.  Then fold in the mushrooms and stir until incorporated.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add in a tablespoon of coconut oil.  When the pan is hot, pour  in half of the batter and spread out gently (it should look like one large pancake).  Cook for approximately 6 to 8 minutes (until the top bubbles and the bottom is lightly brown).  Next, take your spatula and flip it like a pancake and let the other side cook for between 4 to 6 minutes.  Once it is cooked all the way through, slide the omelette onto a plate and repeat the process with the remaining batter.

To serve, fold the omelette in half and garnish with a dollop of raw pesto and scallions.

“As everybody knows, there is only one infallible recipe for the perfect omelette: your own.”
~ Elizabeth David

raw tahini spread

Sesame seeds are a great source of calcium, folic acid, iron, manganese, zinc, magnesium and selenium.  It's amazing to me how much these tiny little seeds can give us in terms of nutritional benefits.  This is why I try to incorporate sesame seeds as much as possible into my diet.  I use them to make sesame milk, tahini, hummus, stir-fry dishes, burgers and the list goes on.  A side note, I think this recipe has the shortest ingredient list I have created thus far. Now it's time for some croquettes!

ingredients

1/2 cup raw tahini

2 tablespoons coconut aminos

1 tablespoon coconut vinegar

Combine all the ingredients above into a small bowl and stir until incorporated.  It's that simple.

“Pick up a sesame seed only to lose a watermelon.”

~ Chinese Proverb