July 11, 2013/ Morgan 
You might have heard before in my previous Ranch Dressing recipe that I’m not much of a salad person. I’m working on that! I actually went out to a place with some AMAZING vegan salads. Something about someone else making a salad for you makes it very tempting. Also the fact that it was covered in some tasty vegan ranch made it hard to resist. I kept thinking about that salad. It was addictive. Honestly, part of that is how much fat is in the dressing and… ahem.. cough… croutons. That kind of just makes eating a salad null and void!
So I quickly realized that if I was going to eat a salad I needed to eat it at home. That’s fine. And while I’m at it I was going to jazz up the ranch. Here is where I decided to make a fabulous jalapeno ranch. And my friends, it is fabulous. When I got the recipe just right I could NOT STOP EATING IT. On everything. Potatoes, salad, raw veggies, a spoon, my fingers… yeah I ate my way through the first batch in just 24 hours. Yum!
Oh ranch… what savory food can’t you be poured on?
I even ate a salad for breakfast with this on it. And I felt good about it! This dressing is low calorie but super full of flavor. It’s okay to pour a lot on your food. Go ahead and try NOT to.
Get your summer produce out and get ready to eat it up with this dressing! You can make it into a thicker dip but using less soy milk. Start with a couple of tablespoons and increase until it is to your desired thickness.
- 1 cup mashed silken tofu
- 1/2 cup soy milk (or your favorite non dairy milk)
- 2 green onions, green parts only
- 2 Tablespoons pickled jalapenos
- 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dry dill
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Blend everything together until smooth. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (If it lasts that long!)
Nutritional information per serving : Serving size: 1/4 cup
24 calories, 1g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 2g carbohydrates, 0.5g fiber, 1.2g sugar, 2g protein
July 11, 2013/ Morgan/
When I first heard about people putting hummus on potatoes I thought “yall are weirdos!” and went on my merry way. Then I kept hearing about it. Then I had some hummus in my fridge and some cold baked potatoes. Snack attack took over and I smeared some hummus on with a bit of that crazy hungry face (ya know the one when you haven’t eaten for way too many hours?) I ate it. It was amazing. The rest is history. Or is it the future? Maybe it’s the future because there are a lot of hummus recipes to create to fuel my potato snack craziness.
I am growing some artichokes in my garden right now. Well, more like I am growing some tiny little plants that are promising one day to turn into some artichokes. The problem is that I live in an apartment that we may be moving out of before the artichokes grow up. That’s sad. At least you can still get some great artichoke hearts in a can or frozen if you’re lucky!
I’m also growing some basil in my garden and in my kitchen and those are doing very well thank you very much. Well sure some have holes from the bugs but I can pick enough for a pesto or hummus when I need to. Gardening is amazing, isn’t it? I’ve only recently become a plant person. I think it has something to do with me having a child. I’m confident enough to keep a little human safe and growing so now I can move on to harder things like plants. (ha!) And being vegan makes me feel so much more interested in things going on around me like the safety of my foods. I’m happy growing them for my family when I can.
The canned artichoke hearts that I used just blended right into the hummus making a very creamy spread. I was surprised really!
Oh yeah and so it’s oil and tahini free! I know, there was a time where I too believed that it wasn’t hummus without tahini. If you feel more comfortable you can call this Artichoke Basil Chickpea Spread. But I’m not doin it! Hummus doesn’t need or tahini to be delicious. Plus now I can eat as much as I want and I want a lot. Consider that, kids!
(oil and tahini free!)
- 1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained
- 1 can artichoke hearts, drained
- 1 cup packed basil
- 2 cloves garlic
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- juice 1 lemon
- 1/4-1/3 cup water
- salt and pepper to taste
Add everything but the salt to your food processor or blender. Blend away until it is nice and smooth. Add your salt to taste now. Enjoy as a sandwich spread, dip, or just eat it on cold potatoes when you’re starving like I do!
Nutritional information per serving : Serving size: 1/4 cup
47 calories, 0.4g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 8.9g carbohydrates, 2.5g fiber, 0.4g sugar, 1.6g protein
July 05, 2013/ Morgan/
Now I know what you’re thinking – I think – anyway I’m betting that you’re thinking at least this: you’re eating cucumbers on a baked potato!? It’s in the salsa? Are you mad woman? Does Morgan (that’s ME) eat on the sidewalk or something? (Maybe!)
The answers are: yes, yes, yes, yes (oh wait I said maybe… maybe!)
Anyway so hey it’s summer! Cucumbers are cool and refreshing. They belong in things that are cool and refreshing – like a good salsa. I’m a bit salsa obsessed. Especially because it goes so well with my other obsession: potatoes.
I’ll tell ya about the potato thing later but just trust me when I say that potatoes are the best food ever. French fries, hash browns, baked potatoes, chips, potato salad, mashed potatoes… see what I mean? I love potatoes. And Dr. McDougall does too so I’m feeling great and looking thinner than ever on my super high potato diet. Take that and chew it!
I went through this big quart jar in about 2 days. That’s how obsessed I was feeling. It’s SO LOW in calories that you can eat a ton. A ton I tell ya. Pour it over everything. And it couldn’t be any easier – blend and eat. I love simple vegan food.
Hey so go make some quick! If you hate cilantro just.. well.. erm. I guess you can leave it out. Add some other good fresh herbs in if you dare! What about be crazy and go for some mint? Now I’ve got to try that!
- 1 cup sliced cucumber
- 1 pound tomatillos, chopped
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1-2 jalapenos (depending on how brave ya are!)
- 4 green onions
- 3 cloves garlic
- juice 1/2 lime
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt
Blend everything together until nice and smooth. Eat on everything – chips, baked potatoes, burritos, scrambles, pitas, etc.
Nutritional information per serving : Serving size: 1/2 cup (that’s a huge serving!)
21 calories, 0.3g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 4.5g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 0.1g sugar, 0.8g protein
July 03, 2013/ Morgan/