When tears fall

Triumph, defeat, joy,

sorrow.  Earth meets heaven.  Our 

hearts feel the moment. 

Hole in the Soul

 

Filled with bad stuff that

didn't work. Rescued by "God bolt".

With help of Twelve Steps.

Note: Inspired by the amazing powerful testimony of Stephen Hilton, better half of comedian, Laura Clery, about his road to sobriety from addiction with the help of the Twelve Steps.

Radish Greens Pesto Mozzarella Toast

 

Do not throw away your radish or carrot tops. Their hardy textures are ideal for making delicious pestos. I previously posted the use of carrot tops in this blog here.  This time I concocted another delicious pesto using radish tops with the help of nuts, garlic and lemon juice to impart amazing appetizing flavors.

I used the pesto on top of toasted bread that had been spread with vegan mozzarella and the pairing was incredibly satisfying.  

Radish Greens Pesto Mozzarella Toast

Radish Greens Pesto (recipe below)

Vegan Mozzarella (recipe here)

Bread

Toast the bread.  Spread the mozzarella on the toast.  Then place the pesto on top.

Radish Greens Pesto

2 cups radish tops, washed amd dried 

1 clove garlic

Juice of half lemon

1/4 cup macadamia nuts 

1 tbsp nutritional yeast 

Salt and pepper to taste

Add all the ingredients in a small blender. Mix to the consistency you like.

Life is Holy

 

Our life is a gift.

We live not by choice but by

grace.  We're blessed. Live. Love.

Note: Painting by my friend Kathy Stromple. The haiku has been inspired by today's entry in Richard Rohr's Reflections.

Easy Spinach Pie

When I go to the Farmers Market in Monroeville, PA,  I look forward to buying the spinach pie preferably without the feta cheese. This past weekend I was not lucky and I had to settle with the spinach with feta pie.  I decided to try to learn to make my own plain spinach pie.  

According to the taste of the pie,  lemon juice is one of the ingredients.  I did not want to be bothered into wrapping it in a pastry but I have to have something to hold the spinach,  I remember making spanakopadilla before which is a cross between spanakopita and quesadilla.  In that hybrid recipe tortillas were used.  I could have followed that recipe but it was not vegan using egg and cheese.  My favorite spinach pie does not have any cheese and that is what I wanted to make.  

Since I was not in the mood to cut and chop, I used dry spices from my pantry but you can use fresh ones.  Frozen spinach is very convenient to use since you really get a lot per volume and when thawed the water just seeps out that you just drain.  No sqieezing needed.

 

I decided to air fry the pie but it can be baked and pan fried too.  The result is very close to the spinach pie I love at the Farmers Market. Fresh lemon juice is the key as I had guessed.

Easy Spinach Pie

• 1 10 oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 tsps dry onion flakes
• 2 tsps dry garlic flakes
• 1/2 tsp dry dill lemon seasoning
• 1 tsp dry parsley
• juice of half lemon
• 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 stalks green onions, chopped (optional)
• 2 medium flour tortillas

Place all the ingredients except the tortillas in a medium-sized skillet.  Heat at medium heat till the spinach is mixed with the other ingredients and all its liquid has evaporated.

Place part of the mixture into half of a tortilla and fold over the other half. Spray both sides with cooking spray and place in the air fryer basket.

Air fry at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes.  Flip half through.

Deconstructed Sushi Bowl with Spicy Mayonnaise

If you are longing for sushi but are not motivated to do the rolling involved then prepare this deconstructed sushi bowl complete with the traditional seaweed sheet.  I purchased the sheet from Aldi.  I used spicy mayonnaise for the dressing.  I posted a recipe for vegan mayonnaise in this blog you can use.  You just add sriracha to make it spicy. You have free rein as to what vegetables you want to use.  The sushi rice can be prepared by adding vinegar to any cooked rice you have.  

Deconstructed Sushi Bowl with Spicy Mayonnaise

• 1 cup cooked rice of choice mixed with 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup chopped napa cabbage
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cup cucumber, sliced
• 2 radishes, sliced
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 seaweed sheet, torn
• 2 tbsp spicy mayonnaise (2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise added with drops of sriracha sauce according to taste)

Arrange the rice, vegetables and torn seaweed sheet in a bowl.  Serve with spicy mayonnaise.

✕

Air Fried Baby Eggplant

 

I fell in love with these baby eggplants yesterday when I was at the Farmers Market at Monroeville, PA.  They were so cute.  I googled what to do with them and settled for a grilled recipe. I decided to grill them in my air fryer.  I tweaked the recipe by adding garlic powder and using half the amount of dry pepper flakes but you can opt for the larger amount listed below.  

I did it in two batches and ate the whole first batch of six eggplants.  I was shocked to see the main plate empty so I prepared a second batch.  The inside is soft and the outside skin was crisp.  The cilantro, salt and the squeeze of lemon you add to the air fried eggplant make this side dish or appetizer even more addictive.

Air Fried Baby Eggplant

6-8 baby eggplants

1/4 to 1/2 tsp dry chili flakes

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garlic powder

salt

bunch of cilantro, chopped

1/2 lemon

Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and 10 minutes setting.

Mix the chili flakes, cumin , coriander and garlic powder on a cutting board and spread out the mixture.

Cut the eggplants in half.  Spray them with cooking spray.

Place the eggplant cut side down on the spice mixture spread out in the cutting board and push them so the spice mixture sticks on their surface.

Air fry them cut side up in the preheated air fryer for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle salt on the cut side of the air fried eggplant.  Squeeze the juice of half a lemon  and sprinkle chopped cilantro on top.  

Enjoy.  

I finally made my first mainly black bean burgers which I  based on this recipe except I used the air fryer to prepare them.  The burger came out crisp on the outside and moist in the inside.  It has some kick to it but not unbearable.  Just right. The list of ingredients to make them is short and yet the taste and texture of these burgers are surprisingly satisfying.  

Easy peasy so you do not need to buy all sorts of plant based burgers from the grocery store that use all kind of ingredients and flavors. Just follow this and you are good to go.  

Air Fryer Black Bean Burger

Adapted from this recipe

• 1/2 onion, chopped 
• 1/2 cup cooked rice 
• 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs 
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 
• 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder 
• 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 1/2 tsp. cumin 
• 1 Tbsp. ketchup 
• 4 hamburger buns 
• Tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, onions, ketchup, mustard, and vegan mayo (optional)

• In a food processor, pulse the onion, rice, breadcrumbs, black beans, chili powder, salt, cumin, and ketchup until well combined. 
• Form the mixture into 4 patties.
• Place the patties on the previously sprayed air fryer basket.
• Air fry at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 14 minutes flipping the patties halfway through.
• Serve on buns with toppings of your choice.

Inevitables

 

Joy, sorrow, life, death.

With their acceptance comes peace.

Cease the fear and live.

A Drop of Sunshine

Small kind act or words

in dark times are reminders

all's still good despite.

I have been dying to prepare an oil and dairy free mayonnaise that I will be happy with and I finally did it.  Here it is.  

Tofu Cashew Mayonnaise

12 oz soft silken tofu

1/2 cup cashews

2 tbsp lemon juice from 1 lemon

1 tsp Dijon Mustard 

2 tsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp garlic powder 

1 tsp onion powder 

1 tsp lemon dill seasoning (optional)

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

black pepper to taste

Dash Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Put in blender and blend till smooth. Transfer to a glass container. 

Portable foods are essential to maintaining ones good eating approach as we are out and about or we will be tempted to gobbling fast food alternatives. Here is a recipe for oil free and dairy free turnovers that you can tuck in your handbag as you go about running your errands or into your backpack or cooler during your bike rides, picnics, long trips or whatever you dare to take..

I put together two oil free and dairy free recipes I liked from past blogposts to prepared this, from this blog and this blog, and I was happy with the result.  Here is how I did it. Enjoy!

Chickpea Turnovers

Filling:

From this past blog 

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, coarsely mashed in small blender

2-3 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
¼ cup diced onion
¼ cup diced celery
¼ cup diced pickle
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Pastry dough and assembly:

From this past blog

1/2 cup almond flour

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
4-5 tbsp. almond milk

Combine the almond flour, cornstarch, whole wheat flour and salt in a bowl.  Add half of the milk and mix.  Add the rest of the milk as needed.  Knead the mixture till it gets stretchy.

On a floured surface, roll the dough into a large circle.  Then using a round cookie cutter or a glass, cut into smaller round circles.

Add about a teaspoon  of the filling on half of each circle.  Then fold over the other half and close the edges by crimping them or just use a fork.  

Air fry the turnovers at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes.

Eye Candy No Calories

Surprise splendor of

color painted by nature.

Mesmerizing joy.