Happy Meatless Monday! Here is a delicious vegan recipe from PETA. Not only will the sandwich satisfy your taste buds, but you’ll feel better because you’re protecting animals while you eat. Who says you can’t have a sandwich without meat? This avocado and tomato sandwich is yummy, easy to make and great for lunch. Enjoy!

Avocado and Tomato Sandwich

INGREDIENTS:
Hummus
2 slices thick-crusted sourdough bread
4-6 avocado slices
1-2 leaves lettuce
2 thick tomato slices

METHOD:
• Spread desired amount of hummus on both slices of bread.
• Place avocado slices, lettuce and tomato in between.

Makes 1 sandwich

Photo Credit: Flickr/Will Merydith

Are you amped up to celebrate Cinco de Mayo? The Mexican holiday, which falls on May 5, is an exciting day where Mexican culture and heritage is recognized. Celebrations include parades, parties, family events, which all include the delicacies of delicious food and drinks. This year, take a different route and indulge in healthy Mexican dishes versus the norm. Here are just a few to get you started.

Salsa Guacamole All-In-One

Salsa and guacamole are absolutely divine. The dips are fresh, mouthwatering and healthy; can’t get better than that. Try this salsa guacamole dip from AllRecipes.com, where the two are combined into one delicious dip. Now you don’t have to strain over whether you want one or the other; now have both at once! One more tip. If you want to steer clear from chips, try dipping veggies instead.

Tasty Vegan Fajitas

If you’re craving fajitas this holiday, change it up and substitute meat with vegetables. This Vegan Veggie Fajita recipe from SweetOnVeg.com truly transforms the original meal into a healthy one. It combines onions, tomatoes, zucchini and other veggies drizzled with agave and wrapped in a spinach tortilla shell.

Fruit Tacos

Say goodbye to meat tacos and hello to fruity tacos! Taste of Home offers a great recipe that spices up the average taco into a fun, healthy one. The Fruity Dessert Taco includes pineapple, strawberries, jalapenos, cinnamon and a variety of other ingredients. Sounds refreshing, yes?

Margarita Extraordinaire

A Cinco de Mayo party isn’t the same without a traditional margarita. Why not try a healthier version this year? Here are nine helpful, low-calorie margaritas from Health.com for you to choose from. All are less than 300 calories and vary from strawberry to lime sorbet to key lime flavoring.

Vegan Sopaipillas

We can’t forget dessert. Try a traditional Mexican dessert called sopaipillas, but here is the vegan version thanks to This Dish is Veg. Sopaipillas are Spanish pastries usually deep-fried with brown sugar and honey, but this recipe creates the dessert using a Fondue set and covered with agave nectar. How creative!

You can always enjoy a holiday by eating healthy, so don’t think you can’t celebrate May 5 with tasty treats. Hopefully you try these healthy recipes out and have a happy, safe and filling Cinco de Mayo!

-Allyson Koerner

Photo Credit: Flickr/ADoseofShipBoy, Flickr/stu_spivack, Flickr/SweetOnVeg, Flickr/plumandjello, Flickr/Bonita Suraputra, Wikimedia Commons/Miia Hebert

May 1, 2012

In honor of this year’s Earth Day we held an outstanding eco-giveaway. Anyone could enter by submitting their favorite healthy, organic or vegan recipe and tell us the meaning behind their yummy dish. This year’s lucky winner was none other than Tish Taylor and her tofu ‘alfredo’ sauce. Not only does the recipe sound delicious, but transforms your pasta dish into a healthier version of your guilty pleasure meal. Congrats to Tish and be sure to check out her fabulous recipe!

Tish Taylor’s Tofu “Alfredo” Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lbs lite silken extra firm tofu
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 teaspoons basil or 2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (can substitute soy parmesan)
4 tablespoons Butter Buds or 4 tablespoons vegan margarine
16 ounces fettuccine pasta

METHOD:
Cook pasta per package directions.
Whiz the rest of the ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Pour over hot pasta and mix well.

Meaning Behind the Recipe:
Here’s what Tish had to say about her special recipe.

“I used to be a vegetarian, but for some reason I could never convince my friends to believe they could enjoy a great vegetarian/vegan meal. One day, in my early 20s I ‘tricked’ some friends into coming over and having pasta with me and served this sauce over a homemade pasta. They didn’t realize, until I told them that this satisfying sauce was made with tofu . . . most of my friends said they ‘hated’ tofu until they tried it! It makes me happy to think I may have opened up some ideas on vegetarian dishes.”

Congratulations again Tish and thank you to all of our Earth Day participants!

Photo Credit: Flickr/Katie Carman

*Photo is not a direct image of sauce.

With temperatures rising, the sun shining, the trees budding and flowers blooming we all are appreciating the transition from winter to spring more and more. What’s a better way to embrace the season than with your taste buds? To help you get in the spring spirit, we will be posting fresh, vegan recipes. Not only will these recipes brighten your palate, but will also help you eat healthy, remain cruelty-free and show respect to the environment.

If you’re in the mood for something cool, why not try a Popsicle? Not only do they taste delicious, but also bring you back to your childhood. Here is a fun recipe thanks to Family Fresh Cooking. They’re so beautiful you might not even want to eat them. Check it out below to see what we mean!

Spring Bouquet Popsicles
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 3 hours, 5 minutes
Yield: 6 popsicles
Serving Size: 1/3 cup

INGREDIENTS:
16 ounces Cold Water
1 ounce Orange Blossom Water
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
Plain Stevia Drops or your favorite natural sweetener to taste (Honey would be great too) I used one full dropper of stevia.
A handful of Organic Edible Flowers, rinsed and remove petals

METHOD:
Have pop molds handy and make sure you have room in your freezer. Combine water, orange blossom water and lemon juice. Sweeten to taste. Pour mixture into molds. Freeze without sticks and petals for about 1 hour. Remove from freezer and add flower petals. You can push them into the molds with the help of a long, skinny spoon or pop stick. Make sure the flowers are scattered throughout the pops. Add sticks and freeze for 2-3 hours more until solid.

NOTES:
You can use dixie cups or purchase pop molds at our Amazon.com store.

Marla Meridith is the creator, photographer, stylist and go to gal behind the blog Family Fresh Cooking. She believes in real, whole foods for a happy, healthy, high energy life. She is obsessed with her family, food, travel, and coffee. Look for her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and StumbleUpon too.

Photo Credit: Marla Meridith Photography

With temperatures rising, the sun shining, the trees budding and flowers blooming we all are appreciating the transition from winter to spring more and more. What’s a better way to embrace the season than with your taste buds? To help you get in the spring spirit, we will be posting fresh, vegan recipes. Not only will these recipes brighten your palate, but will also help you eat healthy, remain cruelty-free and show respect to the environment.

Spring always makes you feel like cooking out, because you’re that much closer to summer. This season, steer clear of meat like hot dogs and hamburgers and cook a healthy sandwich like this one from The Healthy Voyager.

Shroom and Bean Burger

INGREDIENTS:
• 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small red onion, shredded and squeezed dry (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• 1 cup plain breadcrumbs (gluten free if desired)
• 2 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire or soy sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoonsolive oil
• 3 cups assorted mushrooms, sliced
• 4 vegan hamburger buns, split and toasted
• Veganaise, vegan garlic aioli and/or ketchup and mustard, for garnish
• Baby spinach or arugula, for garnish
• Sliced tomatoes
• Sliced avocado

METHOD:
Smash the beans in a bowl with a potato masher or fork until slightly chunky. Add the onion, walnuts, carrot, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, scallions, parsley and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce . Season with salt and pepper and mix with your hands until combined.

Spread the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs on a plate. Form the bean mixture into 4 patties; lightly coat with the breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook until golden and slightly crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the burgers to a plate.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and the remaining 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are slightly wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve the burgers on the buns with veganaise, aioli and/or ketchup and mustard, baby greens and mushrooms. Feel free to add tomatoes and/or avocado too!

Photo Credit: The Healthy Voyager

With temperatures rising, the sun shining, the trees budding and flowers blooming the transition from winter to spring is more and more appealing. What’s a better way to embrace the season than with your taste buds? To help you get in the spring spirit, we will be posting fresh, vegan recipes. Not only will these recipes brighten your palate, but will also help you eat healthy, remain cruelty-free and show respect to the environment.

A fresh salad with the best toppings is a truly great dish for spring. Try this vegan version of the original chicken salad by Julie Morris. With a Chinese twist, the salad offers great flavor and protein, all while being plant-based.

Chinese Chop Salad
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
Dressing:
1½ Tbsp yacon syrup, or agave nectar
2½ Tbsp Nama Shoyu, or soy sauce
1½ Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 whole red jalapeño pepper, minced (with or without seeds)
¼ cup hemp oil or olive oil
¼ cup sesame seeds
2 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice

Salad:
4 cups Chinese cabbage, shredded
6 cups romaine lettuce shredded
¼ cup scallions, white and green parts
1 cup snow peas
2 cups mung bean sprouts
¾ cup sliced or chopped almonds
1/2 cup goldenberries (substitute mandarin oranges if goldenberries are unavailable)

DIRECTIONS:
To make the dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender, blending until as creamy as possible. Set aside.

In a large bowl, chop and combine all salad ingredients. Toss with dressing just before serving.

Photo Credit: Julie Morris

April 20, 2012

With Earth Day upon us, we should really be thinking about what ingredients go into our bodies, during our daily meals. What’s the best? What’s the healthiest? What’s the most beneficial? One particular meal that’s always healthy and satisfying is a fresh salad. Here are several tips to help you turn an ordinary salad into a beneficial meal, not only for you, but also for the Earth.

It’s springtime and if you’re a season-conscious shopper, you may have noticed the new additions to the produce aisle. If you’re looking to stir up salads that reflect the season (and are loaded with flavor) check out which foods you should add to your salad this spring.

While you change your wardrobe, linens, (and possibly attitude) and embrace the spring season, why not change the ingredients in your salad? Stock up on the fruits and vegetables that taste best this time of year and make your salads as refreshing as the new season. Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients you’ll need for the most seasoned salads this spring.

1. The Base
Ditch the tough, bitter lettuces, such as Valdor and Romaine, for lettuces that taste best during the springtime. Grown year-round but thriving in the cooler temperatures of the spring and fall seasons, lettuces such as arugula, Bibb, Boston, mache and mesclun (a mix of lettuces usually including chervil, arugula, and endive) harvest best in the spring. Their light, leafy and crispy features make them perfect for mixing. Spinach serves as another great salad base that is most tender in spring.

Look for these lettuces in your local farmers’ markets, to not only taste the fruits of spring, but to minimize your impact on the environment by cutting yourself off from the energy used to transport mass-produced lettuces. Watch out for blemishes and opt for leaves that look bright and fresh.

2. The Toppings
Whether you’re looking to add one, two or a dozen ingredients to the mix, check out which ingredients are tastiest during the spring season in order to optimize your salad experience. Artichokes, peas, watercress, chives, papayas and turnips are each harvested in spring, and with a little taste-testing and pairing can create a one-of-a-kind salad.

Orange slices are another great ingredient for spring salads, adding the juice an otherwise dry salad may lack. Before you add this citrus punch, however, know which type of orange you’re using and whether you’re looking for a sweet or sour taste. Mix navel oranges with moro (blood) oranges, as seen in this Sicilian Blood Orange salad, for rich and unique dish. Blood oranges are usually available in stores between January and April, so get them while you can!

3. The Dressings
Sprinkle your salads with homemade dressings that blend the best flavors and complement your salad’s spring taste. Lemon juice, garlic, oil, salt and pepper combined create an easy and zesty dressing for any salad. The Meyor lemon, a cross between a lemon and orange that is native to China, can be used in a variety of dressings, including this creamy lemon and shallot dressing and this lighter lemon, orange and ginger one. You can combine spring’s finest ingredients in Urban Poser’s arugula, blood orange and poppy seed salad.

Whether you’ve spotted the fruits of spring in your grocery store or local farmer’s market or not, the ingredients for an all-new, fresh salad are out there. Research which spring harvests might hold the key to your next spring salad and get tasting!

To make your salad tasty and eco-friendly, try to buy locally produced goods. Tools like the Sustainable Table’s local food finder can help you find which products are available in your neighborhood this spring.

-Alivia Ashenfarb

Photo Credit: Flickr/Laurel Fan, Flickr/SweetOnVeg, Flickr/minwoo, Flickr/ccharmon, Flickr/Nick Harris 1

Looking to turn your Easter into a healthy one? It can be hard, especially when the Easter Bunny is delivering all that candy! To help you transform your holiday into a day where you don’t have to stress – too much – over calories and unhealthy ingredients, here are five recipes that won’t have you bellyaching over seconds.

Four Bean Easter Salad

Every meal should have a salad full of delicious vegetables, like this Four Bean Easter Salad from SheKnows.com. The salad contains four different kinds of beans including green, kidney, chickpeas or garbanzo and black. Mix together, add some spices, other various ingredients and presto you have your dish. Not only is the dish colorful and vegan, but is the perfect Easter side dish!

Petso Raw-sta Primavera

Deviate from the normal Easter ham and try a healthy version to pasta primavera. From The Healthy Voyager, this Pesto Raw-sta Primavera makes the perfect main dish for your meal. Don’t worry if you’re trying to cut out carbs, because this dish calls for zucchini pasta. Sounds good right? The main course brings color to your table and will surely fill your guests!

Vegan Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns are an Easter staple, but not the healthiest. This Easter, why not try a vegan version offered at Food.com? Say goodbye to dairy in this version and substitute with soya milk and egg substitute. You probably won’t be able to even taste the difference between these and the regular recipe. Indulge and enjoy.

Fruit Salad with Strawberry Tofu Dip

Breakfast, lunch, dinner and of course holiday meals should always include fruit. After all, it is an essential for healthy eating habits. Throw together a fruit salad by slicing and dicing apples, grapes, strawberries, pineapple, oranges, bananas and whatever fruit you enjoy into one bowl. Add a little Strawberry Tofu Fruit Dip and cross the dish off your list. Not only is it easy, but you’ll have leftovers for later!

Gluten Free Carrot Cupcakes

Dessert; the one part of every holiday most people look forward to. Sweets are the best no matter if you’re munching on a cookie, a piece of pie or slice of cake. Get into the Easter spirit with Gluten Free Peter Rabbit Carrot Cupcakes from Family Fresh Cooking that the whole family will love.

Easter can be a tasty holiday, even with healthy recipes. Be sure to try these dishes out and make your holiday a memorable one.

-Allyson Koerner

Photo Credit: Flickr/Clay Irving, Flickr/Alexandria Perone, The Healthy Voyager, Flickr/Susan Fitzgerald, Flickr/Dinner Series, Marla Meridith Photography

Marla Meridith is the creator, photographer, stylist and go to gal behind the blog Family Fresh Cooking. She believes in real, whole foods for a happy, healthy, high energy life. She is obsessed with her family, food, travel, and coffee. Look for her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and StumbleUpon too.

With the warmer weather comes more sunshine, more greenery, and consequently more crops of the foods you’ve been missing all winter. Being more conscious of your food choices this season may make your eating and grocery shopping experience more meaningful and ultimately more rewarding.

Eat Organic
“Organic” is probably the most common food label associated with environmentally-friendly foods, but may also be one of the most vague. In general, this ensures that no pesticides or harmful chemicals are involved in the growing or processing of food. Of course, one of the biggest barriers to purchasing an organic diet is the price. Because of the natural limits on producing volume food with no chemical additives, organic food is more expensive to grow. If you need to balance your budget with your health, look out for foods whose organic quality will return more benefits. Strawberries, for example, absorb many more chemicals than do fruits with a thick peel, such as a banana, so it’s worth it to buy an organic pack of berries while sticking with conventionally grown bananas. The Environmental Working Group has compiled a fairly comprehensive list detailing which produce items often contain the most pesticides. If you eat meat often, alternate purchasing a pack of organically grown meat with conventionally grown – it’s not as big of a blow to your wallet, but you’re still eating 50 percent more healthy meat than before!

Whet your App-etite
For the mobile savvy, many apps have now made it easy to quickly find what’s in season, what certain labels mean, and where to find healthy food depending on your location. Mashable lists seven of the most helpful apps including one really innovative app that detects foods with GMOs.

Grow Your Own Food!
If you have a backyard, a patch of grass, or even just a sunny windowsill, try growing something simple that you can eat right off the plant, even if it’s just some herbs. You’ll save tons of money (cilantro can go quickly if you eat it as much as I do!) and have the rare peace of mind of knowing exactly where your food has been and how it’s been grown. Plus, everything tastes undeniably more delicious when the farthest it has to travel is a few feet from its place in the soil to your kitchen.

-Kelisha Menon

Photo Credit: Kelisha Menon

St. Patrick’s Day is full of parades, drinking, fun and of course good food. To help you stick with your healthy eating habits Family Fresh Cooking and Marla Meridith has gathered healthy, green recipes that will surely transform your holiday into an all-natural, yet delicious one. Here is just one of the many goodies created and may the luck of the Irish be with you tomorrow!

Matcha Green Tea Pistachio Muffins – Gluten Free

Makes 24 mini muffins – 8-12 servings

NOTES:
• You can purchase Gluten Free Oat Flour or make your own by taking 1 1/2 cups of GF Old Fashioned Rolled Oats and grinding it to a powder in a food processor.
• Pistachio meal: Toast unsalted pistachios in the oven in a single layer on a sheet pan for about 10 minutes at 350˚F. Let nuts cool and then grind them to a meal in a food processor. Be sure to not grind them too much into a nut butter.
• You can use any other nuts in these muffins if you do not have pistachios.
• Corn flour would be good too if oats are not an option.
• Mini muffin pans take a bit longer to bake than the tea cake pans. Adjust baking time accordingly.

INGREDIENTS:
• 1 1/2 cups Oat Flour
• 1/2 cup unsalted Pistachio Meal (ground pistachios)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 tablespoon Matcha Green Tea Powder
• 3/4 – 1 teaspoon Stevia Powder – adjust according to taste
• or 5 tablespoons Organic Raw Honey
• 1/4 teaspoon fine Sea Salt
• 1 large Egg, whisked
• 1 teaspoon pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted Butter or unrefined Coconut Oil, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 1 cup fat free Milk
• 1/4 cup fat free Ricotta Cheese or fat free Greek Yogurt
• Cooking Spray – or mini cupcake liners

{optional Green Tea Cream}
• 6 ounces Heavy Cream or Light Whipped Cream Cheese
• Vanilla Stevia Drops or Honey to taste
• Matcha Green Tea Powder to sprinkle on top or mix into the cream

METHOD:
Muffins: Preheat oven to 350˚F with the rack in the middle. Prepare a non stick mini muffin or tea cake pan with liners or cooking spray. In a medium bowl mix together dry ingredients. In a separate medium bowl mix together wet ingredients. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix together until well incorporated. Fill muffin pans leaving a little room at the top for expansion. Bake for about 10-13 minutes until a toothpick comes out crumb free. Let cool in pan and then transfer to rack.

Cream: Combine freshly whipped cream or whipped cream cheese with a few pinches of matcha powder and your favorite natural sweetener to taste. Pipe some designs on cooled muffins or spread cream with a spatula.

Store unfrosted muffins in a sealed container at room temperature for a few days. Transfer to the fridge up to a week or wrap tightly for longer term freezer storage. Add cream when served.

Marla Meridith is the creator, photographer, stylist and go to gal behind the blog Family Fresh Cooking. She believes in real, whole foods for a happy, healthy, high energy life. She is obsessed with her family, food, travel, and coffee. Look for her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and StumbleUpon too.

Photo Credit: Marla Meridith Photography