Mushroom Salsa

This recipe is my copy-cat version of the mushroom salsa served at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. It is SO GOOD that I have been known not to share nicely with others. Mmmm, that simple, chopped, fresh, raw, healthy goodness!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. mushrooms (button or bella work best), wiped clean with a damp cloth & stems removed
• 3 carrots
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and veins removed
• 1/2 red onion
• 2 generous handfuls of cilantro, finely chopped
• juice from 2 limes
• sea salt & pepper to taste 

 Directions:

1. Working with each ingredient separately, first roughly chop with a knife, then use a hand chopper (like a "slap-chop") to finely dice mushrooms, carrots, jalapeno and onion.
2. Add them all together in a large bowl, along with remaining ingredients, and stir.
3. Enjoy with tortilla chips, I like Xochitl best.

Vegan Dinner Club: Sushi

I dislike using the "v-word".  It always feels like there is some unwarranted negative stigma attached and most people visibly recoil as soon as the word has left my lips.  Maybe those big companies that make and market "food-like products" (you know the ones- all those processed boxes, bags and cans lining the shelves of the grocery store that have their own television commercials) have been successful in leading people to believe that "health food" tastes bad and foods called vegan have some weird secret ingredient that only new-agey types and hippies understand. On the contrary, folks! Vegan food is painfully simple and wholesome- real food, from the earth.


Vegan Dinner Club was born last month when in a very short span of time, several friends began asking me questions about the transition to plant-based eating. Some were timid, overwhelmed by the idea of change maybe a little bit hesitant of that aforementioned stigma attached to the "v-word". I want to change that, like yesterday. So why not say it loud and proud? Especially to the friends who want to know more about it and need to shake the unjustified stigma. VEGAN Dinner Club!  I couldn't think of a better way to inspire others to embrace healthy eating than over a great meal. We welcome anyone with a shared love of healthy eating, potluck style, and hope to continue to meet with and inspire others with food once a month. No weird secret ingredients, just real food that is unbelievably easy to prepare.  My husband and I had never made sushi before, and we found it so pleasantly simple that our 3 year old and 5 year old made their own sushi rolls along with us!

First, we cooked a huge pot of sushi rice, as in the entire 2 lb. bag, using this recipe which includes yummy extras like rice vinegar and sesame seeds.  Then we got rolling.

On the menu:

 Clockwise, from the top:

• Raw Zucchini roll
• Free-style Veggie roll
• Shitake Nigiri
• Golden Avocado roll (find the recipe here)
• Smokey Roasted Portobello roll (find the recipe here)
• this blog also shares a sushi rolling tutorial video that we found somewhat helpful.
• Mango Avocado roll

Raw Zucchini rolls:

 

You can find the original raw zucchini sushi roll recipe here, 

though I adapted it a bit and used wasabi hummus.

 Shitake Nigiri:

Find the shitake nigiri recipe here.

Thai Iced Tea:

• Steep one Thai iced tea bag for 4 minutes in hot water.
• Remove tea bag and stir in 2 tablespoons of agave nectar.
• Pour over ice.
• Top with a generous splash of coconut milk.

Vegan Nachos

I know what you're thinking.  You're wondering about the paradox of cheeseless nachos. And you know what? I thought the very same thing.  However, once I got over it and fixed myself a heaping pile of this fresh plant-y goodness, I have honestly never missed the cheese- not for one second.  It just tastes better, and I FEEL better after devouring nachos made this way.  Here's a thought: remember all of the times you've washed a plate after eating cheese nachos? Remember how that once melted now hardened cheese clung to the plate? Yeah, that same scenario is happening inside your gut. It really is just as difficult for your body to process as it is to scrape off the dirty plate. So skip the cheese already!

Ingredients:

• Tortilla chips (my favorite are Xochitl)
• Beans (the very BEST are Amy's Organic Vegetarian Refried Black Beans. Seriously, I could eat them with a spoon straight out of the can.)
• Corn
• 1/2 avocado, sliced and diced
• a generous dusting of nutritional yeast (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 fresh jalapeno, sliced with seeds/veins removed
• a handful of torn cilantro leaves

Layer on a plate in the order above and thoroughly enjoy!