Green 'n' Creamy Pasta

1 ripe avocado
1/2 lemon, juiced
lemon zest
3 cloves garlic
½ tsp salt
fresh basil
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 oz of spinach or gluten-free pasta
fresh cracked black pepper

Fill medium pot with water 3/4 full, bring to boil. Add pasta, and cook to package specifications, or al dente
Pit avocado and scoop out the soft flesh from the skin. Add avocado, lemon juice, garlic, salt and a hand full of basil leaves to food processor and pulse until smooth
Place cooked pasta in a large bowl, add the avocado mixture and toss until pasta is evenly coated
Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper

Vegan Cool Cucumber Soup

1 small cucumber
1 litre plain coconut milk or soy yogurt (for non-vegans, I find plain Kefir the best to use)
¼ c. dates (finely chopped)
¼ c. golden raisins
¼ c. walnuts (chopped)
fresh mint
ice cubes

Slice cucumber in half short and long ways - take each quarter and with a spoon, gently remove watery middle where seeds are
Over medium mixing bowl, grate cucumber with small-gauge grater down to the skin
Mix in yogurt, chopped dates, and raisins
Stir and then chill to let flavors combine for ~ 1 hour
When serving, drop in 1-2 icecubes, and garnish with mint leaves, whole or chopped, and chopped walnuts

Stuffed Figs Dessert

8 fresh mission figs
¼ c. black currant juice (cherry juice as a substitute)
½ tsp coriander
¼ c. walnuts or almonds (raw, unsalted)
1 Tbsp raw sugar

Preheat oven to 300°F
Remove stems and cut X's across tops of figs - to make a tulip-like cup
Gently use a spoon to scrape out seeds and pulp and place in small mixing bowl, keeping cups intact
Combine pulp with currant juice and corriander
In separate bowl, toss raw nuts with sugar - add a drop of safflower or sunflower oil if necessary to get sugar to stick
Place fig cups in ramekins (1-3 depending on size), place 1-2 nuts in each fig and then fill each with pulp mixture
Bake until just tender

Vegan Raspberry Fool

Raspberry Fool
1 lb of raspberries (fresh)
2 Tbsp + sugar
vegan whipped cream (see below)

Wash and put ½ lb of raspberries in a bowl, mash and mix in sugar, add more sugar to taste if necessary. Set aside and allow to macerate for several minutes
Meanwhile, make whipped cream (below)
Then gently and sparingly fold macerated and fresh raspberries into whipped cream, DO NOT over mix

Vegan Whipped Cream
2 cans coconut milk
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Put coconut milk in fridge for up to 12 hours. Chill whisk in freezer for a few minutes before mixing.
Remove cans from fridge and open -- being careful not to shake. Skimming thick coconut milk solids from the top, leaving liquid/water. Mix coconut cream in medium mixing bowl with sugar
Whip just until it thickens, ~ 20 seconds. DO NOT over mix
Can refrigerate up to 4 hours

Atop the Naan, recipe II

Home-made pico atop extra-sharp cheddar cheesy naan

3 tomatoes diced
1 onion diced
1 jalapeño diced
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tsp vinegar
salt/pepper
extra-sharp Cabot white cheddar
some pieces of naan

Mix diced veggies, cilantro, and vinegar in a bowl, toss, and allow to sit for 1 day to marinate. When ready to eat, slice sharp cheddar atop naan and toast until cheese is just softened. Top the toasted cheesy naan with the pico and enjoy!



If you're unfamiliar with Cabot: they are a cooperative of Vermont dairy farmers which produce an amazing variety of cheese available at almost every grocery store across the country, even Costco. It's a high-end cheese without the high-end price, found with the specialty cheeses in the deli.
http://www.cabotcheese.coop/

How to Cook Tofu Right

2 Different recipes for tofu
try it cubed or sliced for sammiches



1.  Italian Flavor
½ lb firm tofu
2 Tbsp white wine
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
3 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp coriander, salt, pepper

Drain tofu and cube or slice. Mix together wine, oil, and seasonings and cover tofu in bowl or container. Marinate for 10-15 min. Heat medium non-stick pan to med heat. Add  tofu and the marinade. Let brown (~5 min) and toss or flip; brown second side (~5 min). If cubed, continue to brown, if sliced, make sure it's warmed through and nicely browned. Remove from heat.

2.  Bragg's and lemon
½ lb firm tofu
1-2 Tbsp Bragg's
1-2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp lemon pepper
salt, pepper

Drain tofu and cube or slice. Mix together Bragg's, zest, and seasonings; cover tofu and marinate for 10-15 min. follow the same cooking instructions as above.