Ingredients:

8 oz. silken tofu (1/2 block)

3 tbs. mellow white miso

1/2 cup brown rice vinegar (or to right consistency)

8 oz. green peas at room temperature

Onion powder, to taste*

garlic powder, to taste*

ginger power, to taste*

Instructions:

Toss all the ingredients except the peas in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add peas gradually. Adjust spices to taste. Add more brown rice vinegar for a thinner consistency or more tofu for a thicker consistency. Tastes great with raw veggies. Cucumbers are especially refreshing when paired with this dip.

*Fresh herbs are probably delicious as well!

Makes 6-10 tortillas, depending on how much you stuff them

Ingredients:

• 6-10 La Burrita Corn Tortillas
• 1 pack mild/medium Mexican taco seasoning
• 1 pack tempeh
• 2/3 cup Newman’s Own Black Bean & Corn Salsa
• 6oz of sliced portobellos
• 1/2 cup – 1 cup baby spinach, depending on prefrence
• Non-fat cooking spray
• 2/3 cup corn (canned or frozen)
• 2/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 350, spread about a tablespoon of salsa onto each tortillas and let crisp up for about 15 minutes.

Use non fat cooking spray and lightly spray two large skillets; heat. Place tempeh sliced about 1/4-1/2″ thick into one skillet (highly recommend a few dashes of cayenne) and place portobellas and corn into another. Combine your seasoning packets with water according to directions. Pour 3/4 mixture into tempeh skillet and 1/4 mixture into stir fry skillet. Let both cook, covered for 15-20 minutes, turning once. Cook stirfry on low-medium and tempeh on medium-high.

Remove tortillas from oven, toss on a few spinach leaves, add stir fry and tempeh, wrap, eat, enjoy!

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/62354248@N08/5667762920/

1 cup non-dairy Milk
1 peeled Orange
2 c. Kale or Spinach
1 peeled Banana
1 Pear, cut into quarters
1 c. Grapes, red or green

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Makes 5 cups.

1 1/2 cups non-dairy Milk
1 large Mango, peeled & pitted
2 cups Spinach
1 peeled Banana
1/2 cups Grapes, red or green
Blend all ingredients until smooth.
Makes 4 1/2 cups.

Ingredients:
- Organic pizza sauce (pasta sauce, I used original Whole Foods brand)
- 1 roll of Low fat croissants (Make sure they have no dairy! Some do!)
- I small pack of mushrooms (I used portabellos) (optional)
- About 15 big spinach leaves. (Double them if they are small)
- Onion Powder (Optional)
- 2 small handfuls of Vegan Mozerella cheese.

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to what the croissant package says.
Open the croissants, take 2 of them and press them together on the edges (It will make a rectangle) Flatten out to your desired size. Add 2 tablespoons of the pizza sauce, slice your mushrooms into thin slices like a pizza place would. Add as many as you want. Take half of the spinach about 7 leaves remove the stems and give it a rough chop, then add to the pizza. Add a small handful of Vegan mozerella cheese. Take the same amount of croissants and press the edges together and put on top and push the edges together. Add some onion powder on top. (If you desire, you can add as many toppings as you would like. Of any flavor.)

Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.

This makes 2 big hot pockets. I eat about half of one. So this can serve anywhere from 2 to 4 people.

It is delicious! Low in fat and great on calories. I hope you enjoy.

Fruity Quinoa Yogurt

submitted by Katherine Lawrence of www.plantbasedhealth.com

1/2 block firm, silken Tofu (or 1 small Avocado)

1 c. Strawberries

1/2 c. cooked Quinoa

1 t. Maple Syrup

1/2 t. Vanilla

Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth. The quinoa will give it texture, in addition to lots of protein and fiber.

Eat this straight or with sliced apples.

Super Healthy Bean Dip

submitted by Katherine Lawrence of www.plantbasedhealth.com

This bean dip is packed with fiber, calcium, protein, iron and vitamins A and C.  The flavor of the spinach is masked by the salsa and cumin, so it a great way to add nutrition to a delicious snack.

1 1/2 c. cooked Black Beans

1 c. Spinach

3/4 c. Salsa

1 t. Cumin

Pinch of Salt

Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Serve with vegetable pieces or homemade baked tortilla strips.

This handy chew-a perfect fit in a fanny pack or backpack-is reminiscent of popular commercial dried-fruit snacks. It will keep at room temperature for about a week, or in the freezer for a few months.

3 cups chopped apricots (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 175º or lowest temperature on oven thermostat.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until apricots are tender and sugar dissolves.

Place apricot mixture in a food processor, and process until smooth. Pour apricot purée into a 15 × 10-inch jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly. Place pan in oven, leaving door partially open. Bake at 175º for 8 hours or until dry and leathery (do not completely close door).

Peel leather off pan; let cool completely on a wire rack. Roll up leather; store in a zip-top plastic bag.

Serving Size: 1/8 of roll or 3/4 ounce

Per serving: 76 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (2% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 1mg Sodium

Soft corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 325 F. and place yellow corn tortillas on the wire rack. Bake until they begin to turn a darker color, about ten minutes, but remove immediately, as they will burn if left in the oven any longer.

To make non-fat crispy taco shells, place each tortilla so that it is centered over two of the wires on the rack, placing the edges of the torillas under the other wires. Bake as above – they will curl around in an upside-down ‘U’ shape to make perfect taco shells.

From Dr. Neal Pinckney, Healing Heart Foundation

A low-fat snack alternative to cocktail nuts, these spicy beans also taste great tossed in salads.

Ingredients:

2 cup cooked garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed if canned
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp red pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Spread chickpeas on baking sheet and sprinkle with garlic powder and cayenne; toss to coat. Roast on bottom rack of oven, shaking pan about every 15 minutes, until browned and crunchy, about 45 to 50 minutes. Cool before serving.