2 dressings and a dip walk into a salad bar...

Cashews, raw- soaked for about an hour in cold, filtered water

Put 1 cup cold filtered water in Vitamix.

Squeeze 1/2 lemon, 1/2 lime into water.

Add 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast, onion powder, crushed garlic

Start blender, add rinsed cashews slowly.

Blend until creamy and chunk free. Add thyme & chives for last 15 seconds.

1. "Ranch" Dressing: Pour one third of the mixture into a bowl, add a pinch of dill and squirt of mustard, and fresh cracked black pepper.

2. Creamy "Italian": Pour another third of the mixture int another bowl and add a handfull chopped basil and 2-3 Tablespoons diced sundried tomatoes (I like the smoked flavor).

3. Avocado Curry Dip: To the 1/3 left in the Vitamix add 1/2 and avocado and 3 Tablespoons gluten free curry powder.

Enjoy with your favorite vegetables, salads, rice crackers, fork, spoon or finger!

Keep It Simply Steamy

Fresh, organic, preferably from your own garden.
Served my family of 5, including 2 toddlers.
2 zucchini
1/2 green cabbage
2 large carrots
1/2 white onion


1 c TVP
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1 can stewed tomatoes


1. Cut veggies down to bite size, for your eaters.
2. Put them in a steamer for 10-12 minutes, I added thyme from the garden.
3. While that steams re-hydrate TVP with 1 cup veggie broth. Let sit 8 minutes or so.
4. Stir in spices and a can of stewed tomatoes- I used one with green peppers, onions and garlic.
5. Spoon veggies in bowl, top with TVP mixture and a dash of favorite spices- Tabasco & parsley for me, Spike & spoon of bbq sauce for the kids, curry & chives for hubby.
6. Enjoy with your favorite fruit on the side.

Citrus Curry Basil Dip

Fresh, organic, preferably-from-your-garden ingredients:
Served my family of 5, includes 2 toddlers.
1 c cashews- raw
1/2 c orange juice
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c lime juice
2 t nutritional yeast
2 t garlic powder
1 t curry powder (more or less to taste)
handful of fresh basil
COLD filtered water


One of the many variations on Cashew Cream, which I first tasted when going raw several years ago- yum!!

1. Put all ingredients except water in the Vitamix or a good food processor.
2. Pulverize.
3. Add a little COLD water.
4. Keep pulverizing (and scraping down the sides).
5. Repeat steps 2-4 until you have reached desired consistency.
6. Enjoy with your favorite veggie stick.

You can also make "cheese" (great stuffed in those small sweet peppers at Trader Joe's) by blending a little less and using less liquid.

Or you can make salad dressing by adding a little more water during blending.

S is for Summer, Steak & Salad

My husband is quite the trooper. He eats lots of veggies, many failed efforts and actually supports me in my endeavors. But he likes steak. He makes a wonderful steak. So good it makes this Vegan girl drool and have a bite- or sometimes 10.


What's left of the bounty above shows on the plate below!

Sugar Daddy also grills up a mean piece of Mahi Mahi and some tender crisp summer squash. All of the aforementioned good food went quite nicely with today's salad creation. Especially the grilled fish.


Fresh, organic, preferably-from-your-garden ingredients:
Served my family of 5, includes 2 toddlers.

• 1 1/2 c Spring Mix, chopped
• 1/2 c green cabbage, shredded
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1/4 Persian cucumber, sliced & quartered
• large carrot, "ribboned"
• 2 T Dill Healthy Creamy (Majestic) Garlic
• 2 T Cashew Cream Sauce (add link)
• 2 t Sweet Curry Sprouted Sunflower Seeds

1. Prep all veggies.
2. Toss together.
3. Use scissors to chop.
4. Eat with your favorite fork.

Fruity Oats

Fresh, organic, preferably-from-your-garden ingredients:
Served my family of 5, includes 2 toddlers.

1 cup whole oats
1 cup orange juice
1 banana
1 apple, Gala
1 date, Medjool

1. Soak oats in OJ
2. Peel, core & slice apple- then chop into bite size pieces. Cover oats & OJ.
3. Slice banana. Arrange around apples.
4. Chop date, add as a garnish.

We sprinkled cinnamon on at the last minute.

Light Veggie Soup with Couscous

Fresh, organic, preferably-from-your-garden ingredients:
Served my family of 5, includes 2 toddlers.


medium yellow squash
1/4 large white onion
large heirloom tomato
large carrot
2 stalks celery
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 1/2 cups veggie broth
2 tsp nutritional yeast
couscous
1/2 can black olives

1. Chop veggies down to fit in chute of the Vitamix.
2. Pour in broth, start the Vitamix on low (I let the kids help feed the machine.)
3. Blend 5 minutes or so while you cook the couscous. Actually my 9 year old does this part.
4. When soup is smooth, add 1/2 can whole black olives, pulse a few times to incorporate.
5. Mix in couscous- we like wild mushroom & herb.
6. Garnish with fresh herbs (I used thyme, chives, parsley)
7. Eat with your favorite soup spoon.

Perfect Potato Salad

Fresh, organic, preferably-from-your-garden ingredients:
Served my family of 5, which includes 2 toddlers.


2 large potatoes, boiled & cubed
2 tsp olive oil
sprinkle of Spike
1/2 zucchini, thinly sliced and quartered
1/2 medium red onion, diced
Dill Healthy Creamy Garlic
Roma tomato, sliced & quartered
fresh chives & parsley
cracked pepper

1. While potato is still warm, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle on Spike, and add the sliced zucchini (it softens just enough to give a great, varied consistency). I let it sit out while I did the morning dishes after making Fruity Oats while the potatoes boiled.
2. Dice red onion. Mix in and chill for 2 hours.
3. Just before serving, add the final four ingredients- folding in the Majestic Garlic and Roma tomatoes carefully and garnishing with chives and parsley.
4. Eat with your favorite fork.