Tomato and basil tart

I'm home after an amazing trip to San Fransisco. It's the Mecca of vegetarian restaurants for me and we ate so well the whole time. The weather was wonderful, it was a warm fall and that inspired me to make a "fall dish" at home. I made a tart with heirloom tomatoes, basil and goat cheese. Mmmmmmm is all I can say. The heirloom tomatoes are in season now and they make such colorful dish. This tart can be made vegan with tofutti cream cheese or vegetarian with goat cheese. To make this tart you need a 14 by 41/2 inch bottomless rectangular tart form or line with parchment paper in the bottom.

Tomato & basil tart

Crust:

Use 1/2 of this Martha Steward recipe but replace 1 cup flour for 1 cup spelt flour

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pate-brisee-pie-dough

Filling:

1/2 cup tofutti cream cheese or 1/2 cup goat cheese, room temperature

1 large heirloom tomato, sliced thin

1 bunch fresh basil leaf

2 tbs olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F

Follow the directions for the crust. Spread the cream cheese or crumble the goat cheese in an even layer in bottom of crust. layer whole basil leafs in an even layer (save some to sprinkle on top). Arrange the tomatoes in a nice pattern and brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle salt & pepper. Sprinkle chopped basil over. Bake for 20 minutes. Let rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Raspberry chocolate ganache pie

This was our sweet treat for Friday night family dinner. It was any chocolate lovers dream, creamy, sweet and oh yeah chocolate. It's a no bake pie and is very easy to make.

Crust:
1 cup chocolate graham crackers or regular and add 1 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup earth balance butter, soften
2 tbs sugar

combine everything and make a dough. Press into a buttered 9 or 10 inch spring pan.

Ganache:
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup So Delicious coconut cream
2 1/2 cup non-dairy chocolate chips

1/3 cup raspberries, mashed

Heat milk and cream on low heat in a sauce pan. Add chocolate chips. Stir until completely combined and smooth. Add raspberries and blend quickly. Stir in the raspberries. Pour on top the pie crust in the spring pan. Place in freezer for 1 hour. Serve with some fresh raspberries and whip cream.

Tomato & basil salad

I got heirloom tomatoes and basil with my weekly delivery from Sea breeze this week so I made a refreshing and simple tomato salad. It taste so good now when summer finally arrived in San Diego with heat waves added which for a five month pregnant woman it's torture. This week we found out that we're having a little boy!!!!

Tomato salad

2 large heirloom tomatoes (I used 1 yellow and one red to add some color contrast)

A bunch of fresh basil leafs

Olive oil

White balsamic vinegar

Salt & Pepper to taste

Slice tomatoes and arrange half on a large plate. Place basil leaf all over and place remaining tomato slices over. Drizzle oil and vinegar all over. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Apple & lentil soup

We're been eating very rich all weekend because a very good friend has been visiting us. Before she was heading to the airport I wanted to give her something hearty and healthy for the long journey back. I made a new version of lentil soup and this time I added lots of ginger and fennel to air digestion and an apple to add some fun to the soup. I always say if you have red lentils at home you can usually whip up a healthy meal in no time.

Lentil soup

1 tbs canola oil

1 tbs fresh grated ginger

2 tsp fennel seeds

3/4 cup red lentils. rinsed

1 apple, peeled and cut into small cubes

2 cup vegetable stock

1/2 cup grated carrot

1/4 cup zucchini, diced fine

water if soup seems thick

salt & pepper to taste1

Heat oil on medium heat in a soup pot. Add fennel and ginger and let them sizzle for 30 seconds. Add lentil, apple and stock. Simmer for 7 minutes. Add carrots and zucchini as well as water if needed. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Add salt & pepper. Enjoy with some whole grain bread.

Mediterranean neat balls in a creamy sauce

When I make neat balls, nuts are definitely my favorite protein to use. It makes a fun flavored, healthy and easy to roll neat balls. This time I used roasted cashews and rice cheese as base, flavored them with sun dried tomatoes and then made a very nice creamy sauce with Dijon mustard.

Mediterranean neat balls and creamy pasta sauce

1/2 cup roasted and salted cashews

1/2 cup grated cheese (I used rice)

3 tbs tapioca flour

1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, hydrated

1/2 tbs Bragg's liquid amino's or light soy sauce

Black pepper to taste

1 tbs canola oil to fry in

1/2 cup plain So delicious coconut creamer

1/4 cup vegetable stock

1 tbs Dijon mustard

Place cashews in a food processor and blend until it's a coarse flour. Add tapioca flour and cheese and blend well. Add tomatoes, bragg's and pepper and blend until it's a dough ball. If it's more like a batter, add more flour. Use wet hands to roll the neat balls. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat and fry the balls until golden. Add creamer, stock and mustard. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.

Fig scones

My figs are now ripe and taste wonderful but for this recipe I actually used dried figs. Figs contains iron and antioxidants and since I'm coming down with a cold, I thought that would help me get better soon. I hate being sick, especially when I'm pregnant.

Fig scones

4 cups spelt flour

2 tbs brown sugar

1/2 cup dried figs, chopped

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

2 cups So delicious cultured coconut milk

Preheat oven to 450F

Mix dry ingredients and add butter and use fingers to divide butter into the flour mix until it's a grainy mix. Add milk and blend quickly, making sure not to over work the dough. Roll into 6 large rolls or more smaller ones. Bake for 12-16 minutes or until a inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Greek salad

On Sunday I made a Greek feast with many different foods such as seitan souvlaki, bread, tzatziki, rice and this Greek salad.

Greek salad

1 Japanese eggplant, sliced

3 large tomatoes, sliced

1 cup feta cheese (soy or regular) cubed

3 tbs olive oil

2 tbs white balsamic vinegar

1 tbs fresh basil leafs, chopped

2 tsp paprika powder

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450F

Place sliced eggplant on a cutting board or plate in a single layer and sprinkle salt over and let sit for 20 minutes. Lay tomato sliced in a single layer on a parchment paper clad cookie sheet and bake for about 10-15 minutes. remove from oven. Rinse eggplant well and do the same as the tomatoes except they should be slightly browned. Mix remaining ingredients quickly. Place eggplant on a serving plate, and tomatoes arrange in a nice pattern over. pour cheese and dressing all over the vegetables. Bon appetite!

Kitchari

Kitchari is an easy digestible, nourishing ayurvedic dish made with rice and lentils. My family absolutely loves this dish and I have to admit I don't make it enough. This is my version of this amazing and very easy to cook dish which has helped with some of those not so fun pregnancy symptoms. This dish is also good if you are recovering from an illness or having stomach problems.

Kitchari with cauliflower

3 cup cauliflower, cut into smaller pieces

1 tbs canola oil or ghee

2 tsp ginger, grated

1 garlic clove, grated

2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp coriander powder

2 tbs Bragg's liquid amino's or light soy sauce

1/2 cup green lentils, rinsed

3 cup water

1 cup white basmati rice

Heat oil in pot on medium heat, add spices, garlic and ginger and sizzle for 1 minute. Add cauliflower and satay for 1 minute. Add lentils, bragg's and water and simmer for 5 minutes. Add rice and cook 10 minute or until rice and lentils are done. Add more water if it seems dry but do not stir as this can make mash everything.

Orange-ginger smoothie

I like drinking a smoothie as a snack. It gives me everything I need to support my pregnant body and the little creation growing in side me. This smoothie contains ginger which can help ease nausea which I still struggle with at 18 weeks??!!!! I got beautiful valencia oranges delivered from Seabreeze so I used them to adding folic acid and vitamin C.

Orange-ginger smoothie

1 1/2 cup So delicious cultured milk, vanilla flavored

1 large orange, peeled and sectioned

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

Place everything in a blender and process until completely smooth.

Kids friendly chocolate ice cream

Ever since Bella got her first taste of ice cream this year, I've been experimenting with making homemade healthy ice cream. Her favorite flavor is chocolate so today I made chocolate ice cream made from almond and tahini butter as well as bananas for sweetness. All these ingredients are good and provided nutrition while treating your kid. I used very little agave nectar powder for some added sweetness. Tahini is a sesame paste which contains B vitamins and is a good source of calcium, magnesium and iron. Now I say it's kids friendly but believe me we adults very much enjoyed it as well.

Chocolate ice cream

1/2 cup creamy almond butter

1/2 cup tahini butter

3 ripe bananas

1/4 cup agave nectar powder or syrup

2 tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbs cacao powder

Place everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Run in a ice cream machine until firm.