Meals and Dipping Sauces with Jessica

 My awesome friend- Jessica Henshaw said shes's eating more aligned to vegan or Ayruveda- when not eating with much meat- its helpful to feel  more satiated by having many different flavors/textures on your plate which helps your  taste buds experience alot and fills all your senses. 

6 tasting senses- sweet, salty, sour,bitter, astringent, pungent

I went and stayed with Jessica in St george for a weekend. We had a such a wonderful time- eating, talking, hiking, talking and eating more delicious food she made.

When I arrived she made a veggie, chicken, quinoa dish-
1*Roast veggies in oven 400 degrees with oil and salt and pepper-
squash
zucchini
onion
chickpeas
broccoli or brussel sprouts/cauliflower/carrots (definitely could saute mushrooms)

2*Cook and season Chicken seperately.

3* Cook rice or quinoa

4* Serve with a dipping sauce- choose from options below

5* I liked sprinkling green pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries on top

She cooks enough to have for delcious and yummy lunches during the week

Breakfast and Dessert

1* scrambled eggs, with sausage, a side of sauteed kale and side of quartered roasted brussel sprouts or any other cruciferous veggie

2* dessert-oat chocolate ice cream, I added almond butter, banana, choco chips, cranberries!!! SO DELICIOUS!!!

Dipping Sauces-

1- Pesto without Cheese (Vegan)

Clean Eating Kitchen
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons, juiced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups loosely-packed fresh basil leaves
1–2 tablespoons of water (optional, for thinning out the sauce to the desired texture)

In the base of a blender or food processor, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic clove, pine nuts, salt, and fresh basil leaves.
Process on high for 30-45 seconds or until the ingredients have blended together. The pesto should have a smooth and creamy consistency. Feel free to add up to several tablespoons of water if you want the sauce to be thinner.
Serve immediately, or store in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

2- Adobo Sauce                         

 Must Love Home Makes 2 cups

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• 1/2 cup chili powder

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• 1 cup boiling water

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• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices

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• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

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• 2 tbsp brown sugar

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• 2 tsp garlic powder

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• 1 tsp ground cumin

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• 1 tsp dried oregano

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• 1/2 tsp salt

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• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

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• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

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• pinch ground cloves

Add chili powder to the bowl of a blender or food processor. Bring water to a boil and pour over the chili powder. Stir and replace cover. Let steep while you gather the other ingredients.To the chili powder mixture, add tomatoes with juices, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, salt, cinnamon, black and cloves. Blend or pulse until smooth and the consistency of ketchup. Add water by the teaspoon and pulse if mixture is too thick.Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.. Carefully add adobo mixture. Bring to a low boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 – 20 minutes until thickened. Allow to cool then transfer to an airtight container. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

3- Best Cilantro Lime DressingUrban Farmie

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper, adjust to taste
Instructions

Use a food processor or, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the chopped cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and minced garlic until well combined. Don't overblend if using a food processor or blender.
Season the dressing with salt and black pepper and adjust to taste.

4- Basil and Parsley

Sprouting Zen

a handful of fresh parsley including stems (28g)
5 to 6 fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves (11g)
2 tablespoons tahini (37g)
the juice of half a lemon (2 tablespoons = 25g)
1/2 cup of coconut milk from a can = 100g (I use Trader Joe’s brand which is guar-gum free)
1/4 teaspoon of himalayan salt
Add all ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth and creamy.
Serve on top of your favorite summer bowls or entrees.

Vegan Alfredo

 Detoxinista and The Vegan 8

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion , chopped
• 4 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 cup whole cashews (not roasted or salted)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt (I use Real Salt brand)
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Add 2 T nurtitional yeast (from Vegan 8)
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• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and saute the onion until it's soft and translucent. This should take 5 to 8 minutes. Add in the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Remove from the heat.
• In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, water, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed onions and garlic, then blend until very smooth. The sauce should look creamy, without any visible chunks of cashews.
• Serve this alfredo sauce over your favorite cooked pasta, then adjust any seasoning to taste. The noodles will dilute the flavor of the sauce, so you may need to add more salt and pepper, as needed. (This recipe makes enough to coat one pound of pasta.) Leftover sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Vegan Cream Cheese frosting

Detoxinista

• 1 large Hannah sweet potato (white flesh)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (at room temperature)
• 6 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
• 2-4 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. To prepare the sweet potato, peel and cut it into 1-inch chunks. In a pot fitted with a steamer basket, bring 1-inch of water to a boil and steam the potato chunks until fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes. 
2. Transfer the steamed potato chunks into a 1-cup measuring cup and mash them with a fork to tightly pack the cup all the way to the top. (Reserve any remaining sweet potato for a future smoothie or salad topper.)
3. Transfer the mashed sweet potato to a blender, and add in the maple syrup, coconut oil, 2 tablespoons of water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Blend until silky smooth.
4. If the mixture isn't blending well, add more water 1-2 tablespoons at a time until very smooth. Be careful not to add too much water or the frosting will be too runny. Once smooth, transfer the frosting to an airtight container to store in the fridge. 
5. This frosting will thicken overnight and can be spread over your favorite cakes, bars, or cookies. Be sure to keep the frosting refrigerated for best texture, though it can sit out at room temperature for several hours for serving. It should last up to a week when stored in the fridge.

VEGAN CHEESECAKE

Minimalist Baker

CRUST

• 1 cup packed pitted dates*
• 1 cup raw walnuts ( I used almonds)
• 1/2t salt
• 2 T coconut oil (maybe omit next time, see how it turns out)

FILLING

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (quick-soaked*)
• 1 large lemon (juiced or 1/4 cup or 50 ml) plus 1/2t
• 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 2/3 scant cup full-fat coconut milk (see instructions for note)
• 1/2 cup agave nectar or maple syrup (or honey if not vegan) ( I did 1/4c sugar and 1/4c honey)
• 1/4t salt
• 1 t vanilla

FLAVOR ADD-INS optional

• 2 Tbsp salted natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup wild blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 3 Tbsp bourbon caramel sauce

Instructions

1. Add dates to a food processor and blend until small bits remain and it forms into a ball. Remove and set aside.
2. Next add nuts and process into a meal. Then add dates back in and blend until a loose dough forms - it should stick together when you squeeze a bit between your fingers. If it's too dry, add a few more dates through the spout while processing. If too wet, add more almond or walnut meal. Optional: add a pinch of salt to taste. I must've added too much dates b/c mine was a wet, goopy delicious mess. I still used it
3. Lightly grease a standard, 12 slot muffin tin (or put in paper cupcake holders). To make removing the cheesecakes easier, cut strips of parchment paper and lay them in the slots. This creates little tabs that makes removing them easier to pop out once frozen.
4. Next scoop in heaping 1 Tbsp amounts of crust and press with fingers. To pack it down, use a small glass or the back of a spoon to compact it and really press it down. I found the bottom of a glass works well. If it sticks, separate the crust and the glass with a small piece of parchment. Set in freezer to firm up.
5. Add all filling ingredients to a blender and mix until very smooth. For the coconut milk, I like to scoop the "cream" off the top because it provides a richer texture. But if yours is already all mixed together, just add it in as is.
6. You don't need a Vitamix for this recipe, just a quality blender. I mixed mine for 1 minute, then "liquified" or "pureed" it until silky smooth. If it won't come together, add a touch more lemon juice or agave or a splash more coconut milk liquid as the liquid should help it blend better.
7. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If adding peanut butter, add to the blender and mix until thoroughly combined. If flavoring with blueberry or caramel, wait and swirl on top of plain cheesecakes (optional).
8. Divide filling evenly among the muffin tins. Tap a few times to release any air bubbles, then cover with plastic wrap and freeze until hard - about 4-6 hours.
9. Once set, remove by tugging on the tabs or loosening them with a butter knife. They should pop right out. Our favorite way to devour these was with a little more caramel and a touch of coconut whipped cream. But they're perfect as is! Keep in the freezer for up to 1-2 weeks.
10. Optional: You can set them out for 10 minutes before serving to soften, but I liked them frozen as well.

Notes

*If your dates are not sticky and moist, you can soak them in warm water for 10 minutes then drain. But be sure to drain thoroughly and pat dry to prevent the crust from getting soggy.
*To quick-soak cashews, pour boiling hot water over the cashews, soak for 1 hour uncovered, then drain and use as instructed. ( I did This)
*Adapted from Sidesaddle Kitchen (Absolutely smitten with her.)
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without toppings or added flavors.
*Prep time does not include freezing (4-6 hours)

11/24/18 I absolutely loved the final product. Next time leave out the coconut oil in the crust. I think that made it become like nut butter, still delicious but definitely not crust like.