Clean Eating #134: Sweet Onion Balsamic Salad Dressing

Sweet Onion Balsamic Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 medium Vidalia Onion, diced

1/2 tsp Parsley, finely chopped

1/2 tsp Coarsely ground black pepper

a few drops of liquid Stevia to taste

Put all ingredients in a blender (I used my mini IsaBlender with great results) and blend until all ingredients are blended.

Pour over salad.

Keep tightly sealed in the refrigerator.

We eat a LOT of salads during this time of year, so this goes pretty fast.  I've kept it up to a week, but by then its gone.  You may need to leave it at room temperature long enough for the oil to settles a bit and then shake well and serve.

Verdict:  We were out of "store bought" dressing and some of the kids were hesitant to try my dressing (I dont' know why, they always gobble up my hubby's dressing!  They probably thought I put black beans in it:) but once they did, they loved it as much as I did... even the kids who don't care much for onions loved it.  In my opinion, it could use even more onions... I think I may be becoming addicted to onions...

Clean Eating #109: Super Easy "Sundried" Tomatoes & Pesto

"Sundried" Tomatoes & Pesto

Ingredients:

Fresh Tomatoes, thickly sliced

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Italian Seasonings

Red Chili Powder to taste

Directions:

Lightly sprinkle tomato slices with EVOO

Season to taste

Place slices on the trays of a dehydrator or on a pan in the oven on 250.

When they look like this, 

And feel like some dried out old bones... they're done.

TOMATO PESTO:

Take your sundried tomato, add just enough Extra Virgin Olive Oil so that you can blend them in your blender... and viola!  Tomato Pesto!

This stuff tastes FANTASTIC on our tomato grilled cheese sandwiches.  Especially with homemade Ciabatta bread (I'll be posting that recipe soon too)

Clean Eating #103: Vegetarian Couscous w/Tofu & Zucchini Noodles

Vegetarian Couscous with Tofu & Zucchini Noodles

Ingredients:

1 large zucchini, shredded lengthwise for the "noodles"

1 box of Whole Wheat Coucous

1 green or red bell pepper

1 12.3 oz package of tofu, drained.

10-12 grape tomatoes

1 medium onion

Seasonings to taste:

Chili Powder, Basil, Garlic Pepper & Sea Salt

Shred Zucchini Lengthwise

Sautee tofu, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, onions in coconut or olive oil until tender.  Add extra oil for the 'topping'

Cook Couscous according to directions.

Place the hot couscous in a bowl and top with sauteed veggies and zucchini noodles.  Serve hot.

VERDICT:  My son, Jaedin, who has been vegetarian for about two years ate this entire bowl without even sitting down.  He reminded me of his father.  I guess it was good:)  I got a bite or two before he came downstairs, and yep, it was pretty yummy.  I'll definitely experiment with some different seasonings.

Clean Eating #102: Vegetarian Tofu Stuffed Zucchini

Vegetarian Tofu Stuffed Zucchini

*You can make this dish Vegan by leaving off the parmesan cheese.

Ingredients:

2 large Zucchini

1 medium onion, diced

3-4 cloves of garlic, diced

1 12.3 oz block of tofu

Seasonings to taste:  Chili Powder, Garlic Pepper & Sea Salt

1/2 qt of Marinara Sauce (I used our loaded veggie sauce)

Parmesan Cheese

Squish the extra liquid out of the tofu by layering napkins under and on top of the tofu and setting something heavy on top.  

Carve the middle out of your zucchini.  I left probably about 1/4 an inch of 'crust' for the boat.

Sautee diced onions, garlic, remaining cucumber insides & tofu with seasonings until onions are tender.

Fill the Zucchini with filling.

Top with marinara & Parmesan cheese if you like.

Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes, until the Zucchini 'boat' is softened.

This was delicious!  Even my non vegetarian husband and son ate this with no complaints.  I eve warned my hubby that it had tofu, and he ate an entire zucchini boat... even with the option of pasta with meat in it sitting beside him!  I will definitely make this again!

Clean Eating #99: Baked Carmelized Tofu

Baked Carmelized Tofu

I follow Tosca Reno's facebook page "The Eat Clean Diet" and the day after I bought a big bulk package of tofu, she posted a link to THIS recipe by Jessess.  Sounded delicious....

My 10 year old daughter made the marinade for me, it was super simple.  I just replaced half of the Sesame oil with coconut oil because we really don't care for super strong sesame oil taste and replaced the Cayenne pepper because we didn't have any.  We also ended up doubling the marinade recipe because I couldn't figure out anyway to get enough marinade to cover the tofu, since I sliced it really thin.  I then used the extra to make a stir fry sauce for veggies.

Ingredients

• 1 pckg Lite Firm Tofu
• 1/2 tsp Red Chili Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 2 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 2 tbsp melted Coconut Oil
• 4 tbsp Dark Agave Nectar
• 4 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 3 tbsp Ginger; grated
• 3 tbsp Sesame Seeds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F.

Remove tofu from packaging, press between a clean hand towel for a minute or two to remove the excess moisture.  I left mine sitting between clean hand towels for a few minutes while I did other things.  Slice into thin slices (we're new to tofu, so I knew it would go over better with my kids if it was sliced thin enough to get around the texture).

In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the tofu.  

Pour a little marinade into a shallow pan, top with single layer of tofu, then pour enough marinade to cover the tofu.

Let tofu soak for 5-10 minutes.

Place tofu slices on baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Spoon additional mixture onto each tofu slice. Add additional grated ginger onto each tofu slice (one side).

Bake for 10 minutes.

Turn tofu slices over onto other side, spoon additional mixture onto each tofu slice. Sprinkle that side with sesame seeds.  Bake until that side starts to brown and the marinade is carmelized.

Remove from oven and serve with stir fry veggies or broccoli.  YUM!!

The Verdict:  OMG, this was SO good.  I burned some of the edge pieces, so I need to watch my cooking time next time (I edited the cooking time above) because I cut them thin, but I'm really glad I did, because the texture that squicks the kids out was MUCH less noticeable.  The carmelized marinade made this dish SO awesome.  I'm experimenting with making a stir fry sauce similar to this marinade... I'll let you know how it turns out.

Quantum Wellness Cleanse? What Do You Think?

Has anyone read this book?  I heard about it on the Ellen Show and it sounds fascinating to me.  I have always believed that eating at least vegetarian is the healthiest way to go, but my family really loves meat, as do I.  I find it really hard to make varying meals that never include meat, much less not including dairy??  I don't know how that would work.  I've read "The Skinny Bitch" book and found it to be VERY eye opening.  I've watched the vegan-gal DVD and thought at the time that it made a lot of sense to me, but I couldn't get tofu to be palatable.  My son went vegetarian after watching it, though, so maybe I need to go rewatch it for some new ideas. 

As it is, I have many issues with skin issues that I know are in part related to a yeast imbalance and my current diet exacerbates it.  I did a Candida Cleanse last year that helped when I did it, but as soon as I stopped, all of my issues and symptoms came back with a vengeance.

I'm wondering how doable the ideas in this book are.  Are the recipes somewhat easy to follow?  Are they GOOD?  Are they family friendly, or would I pretty much be on my own with this?  Is it fairly strict? 

I know I have some vegan friends and am wondering what your advice would be on working towards becoming vegan?  I am trying to add more plant based proteins to my meals, but I quickly feel like I'm stuck in a rut that I can't get out of. 

What are you favorite recipes to suggest to someone wanting to at least add some Vegan meals to their diet?  What books/dvds/documentaries would you recommend for not only learning more about it myself, but for showing to my kids and students about the health benefits of veganism?

I'm in a thinking mood today.