Jewel Box Salad

This pretty winter salad was inspired by a recent dinner at the Hali’imaile General Store in Makawao. I took the liberty of adding a vegan cheese but this addition is completely optional. I also thought that a citrus-based dressing would be a nice compliment to the roasted veggies.

Jewel Box Salad - makes one large salad

• 2-3 cups of mixed leafy greens

• 1/2 cup of roasted butternut squash ( made from frozen butternut cubes )

• 1/2 cup of roasted corn kernels

• 1/4 cup vegan ricotta, crumbled ( I like Kite Hill )

• 2 Tb chopped walnuts ( toasted walnuts are nice here )

• 2 Tb dried cranberries

Citrus Dressing

• 1/4 cup orange or tangerine juice

• 1/4 cup avocado oil ( or olive oil )

• 2 Tb white balsamic or champagne vinegar

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 2 drops of liquid stevia or 2 tsp maple syrup

• cracked black pepper ( about 1/8 tsp or more )

*Wisk all ingredients together and taste. Adjust any ingredients to your liking. Place in the fridge to chill until ready. This makes about 4 servings of dressing.

To prep salad ingredients

Preheat oven to 375F.

*Place frozen butternut squash cubes on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. I used a whole 10oz bag of frozen butternut so I did have some leftovers. Feel free to toss with a little bit of neutral-tasting oil ( like avocado oil ) but this isn’t totally necessary. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cubes are slightly golden brown and crispy looking. This step can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge.

*While the squash is roasting, place 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels on a lightly oiled, non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Saute until corn is lightly roasted ( about 10 minutes ) This step can also be done ahead of time and kept in the fridge until ready.

To assemble salad

Place fresh leafy greens In a large shallow bowl. Top with 1/2 cup of the chilled or room temperature roasted butternut squash, the chilled or room temperature roasted corn kernels, 2 Tb of dried cranberries, 2 Tb of chopped walnuts, and 1/4 cup crumbled ricotta. Dress with 2 -3 Tb of the Citrus dressing and toss. Serve with extra cracked black pepper.

Southwest Pumpkin Soup

This recipe was inspired by a soup made on Rachel Ray’s cooking show over 15 years ago! Over the years I’ve made some tweaks to the soup, which includes making it vegan, by swapping the heavy cream in the original recipe with full-fat coconut milk. If you prefer, you can omit the coconut milk completely to make a delicious, very low-fat soup. It’s totally up to you, but I highly recommend including the coconut milk. It adds a velvety creaminess that compliments the heat of the cayenne and the tang of the lime juice so nicely. Originally Rachel Ray served her soup with cheese quesadilla slices. If you would like to do the same but are looking for a healthier, plant-based alternative, here’s my quesadilla recipe HERE.

Southwest Pumpkin Soup - Serves 6

• 2, 15oz cans of 100% pure pumpkin puree ( not pumpkin pie mix )

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 1, 14.5 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1, 14.5 oz can of roasted diced tomatoes ( including liquid )

• 1.5 Tb curry powder

• 1.5 tsp cumin powder

• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper ( salt with 1/4 tsp and then check the heat level at the end before adding more )

• Juice of one lime

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro ( optional )

To Prepare

*In a large pot over medium-high heat, saute diced onion in a couple of Tbs of water ( or 1 Tb of olive oil ) until translucent ( approximately 5-7 minutes ). Add curry powder, cumin powder, and cayenne powder to the onion and saute for another 30 seconds to lightly toast the spices. Careful not to burn.

*Add remaining ingredients ( except the cilantro ) and bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the freshly chopped cilantro. Now, taste the soup and adjust salt, pepper, cayenne and/or lime juice if needed.

To serve

Distribute soup into shallow serving bowls. Topping suggestions include baked corn tortilla strips, chopped cilantro, chopped chives, THESE spicy pumpkin seeds, and/or a dollop of vegan sour cream ( sour cream recipe is under my dips/sauces )

This recipe freezes well if anyone is interested!

Heirloom Tomato and Asparagus Salad

Hi!

How you all doing?

It’s probably no surprise but let me tell you, it’s hot AF out here in the Mid-Pacific. I swear, the older I get, the more and more I crave the cooler months between November and March out here in Hawaii.

Almost there. I seriously CANNOT wait!

So, I’m assuming that most of you are pretty over meal prepping these days and even worse, having to heat up an oven? Am I right?

So guess what?! I have a perfect dish for you!

This deconstructed salad is quick, nutritious, full of fiber, has strong crave-worthy flavors and it even looks, kinda fancy. I’ll be making this several times a week now for sure. I mean, you really gotta take advantage of those amazing late summer tomatoes right now right?

Heirloom Tomato and Asparagus Salad

*This can make an individual plate for yourself ( like pictured ) or supersize it for a group.

• 1 large thickly sliced Heirloom tomato ( regular tomatoes are fine but make sure they are perfectly ripe )

• 1/4 large sweet onion ( Like a Maui Onion ), shaved

• 1 large handful of arugula

• 1/2 cup jarred or canned heart of palm, drained and sliced

• 1/4 cup mixed olives. I love the olives with the pits still intact at the olive bar at Wholefoods.

• 1/3 of a bundle of fresh asparagus ( don’t forget to snap off the tough ends )

Aioli

• 2 Tbs Veganaise + 2 Tbs Dijon mustard mixed with 2 tsp fresh lemon juice.

To Prep Salad

*For the asparagus - bring salted water to a boil and blanch trimmed asparagus for 30 seconds. Drain and then immediately dunk in a dish of icy water to stop the cooking.

*Slice tomato and heart of palm then arrange on a plate with the blanched asparagus and the olives. Add a handful of arugula, top tomatoes with shaved sweet onion, then sprinkle on flaky salt ( like Maldon’s ) and cracked pepper. Sometimes I add a little ( aged) balsamic vinegar to the thick tomato slices, but this is definitely optional.

*Serve with aioli for dipping!

Vietnamese Summer Rolls + Hoisin Peanut Sauce

I should have just gone to the beach today. I mean, it’s absolutely gorgeous out but I’m dealing with a lot of anxiety right now. I’m sure you can relate?

Covid-19 is exploding on the U.S. Mainland, no idea when I’ll see my family again, the economy is tanking, kids can’t go back to school, we’re on a “Hurricane Watch” in Hawaii right now, it’s 2020, blah blah blah…Ugh, I’m so sorry. I am definitely in a mood right now. But for whatever dumb reason, I felt that it was better to sit inside and watch the news all afternoon instead of enjoying a beautiful ( pre-hurricane ) day outside. It was probably not the right decision but unfortunately, that’s what I did.

THIS TOO SHALL PASS ( right? )

Anyway, enough with that. I did make myself an absolutely fabulous lunch though!

Vietnamese Summer Rolls are really a perfect lunch (or dinner) to make when you’re stressed and trying to keep your sanity in check. Lots of repetitive chopping and meditative rolling going on here. And don’t worry about getting them to look perfect. It will most likely take a few tries before you get them just right but that’s not the point. Just think of rolling them like little burritos and it gets easier.

Ingredients for Summer Rolls

• 1 package of Vietnamese tapioca/rice paper ( I like this brand HERE )

• 1 large shallow bowl filled with warm water

Summer Roll filling ideas ( today I used lettuce, mint, chives, carrots, cucumber, cabbage, and mango )

• red or green cabbage sliced thin

• sliced bell peppers

• julienned carrots

• sliced cucumbers

• sliced bell peppers

• sliced avocado

• lettuce ( I like Butter Lettuce for these )

• mango slices

• mint

• chives or green onions

• tofu

• grilled tempeh

To Assemble

*Take one rice paper sheet, dip it in warm water for about 30 seconds, and then place it on a clean large cutting board.

*Arrange the fillings in the center of the wet rice paper. I find that starting with a lettuce leaf works best. Then layer the other fillings in the center of the lettuce horizontally. Note: It’s helpful to have the fillings cut roughly the same length. I like them all to be about 2-3 inches long.

*To roll: Fold the top end of the rice pepper over the fillings. Push the fillings back in if they start popping out of the front or side. Then fold the sides in like a burrito and continue to finish rolling the summer roll until tight.

*Slice in half or leave whole to serve

*I find that these don’t keep that well in the fridge for longer than one day because the rice paper wrapper tends to get hard and chewy. Best to eat them ASAP if you can.

Hoisin Peanut Sauce - makes about 2 cups

• 1 and 1/3 cups of water

• 1 cup hoisin sauce

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1.5 Tbs minced shallot

• 1 Tb rice wine vinegar

• 2 tsp coconut sugar ( optional )

• 1 Tb sambal oelek or sriracha

*More water if needed for consistency

*In a small saucepan over med-high heat saute the minced shallot in a splash of water until translucent ( about 1-2 minutes ).

*Add water and hoisin and whisk until blended and bring to a low simmer. Add peanut butter, vinegar, sugar, and sambal and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.

*I like to serve this with crushed salted peanuts sprinkled on top. This makes a lot of sauce so feel free to cut the recipe in half. Stores well in the fridge for several days. Add more water to thin out if needed.

***Optional Peanut Sauce without Hoisin below***

Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce - makes about 14 oz

• 1/2 cup creamy organic unsweetened peanut butter or almond butter

• 3/4 cup - 1 cup full-fat coconut milk ( depending on desired consistency )

• 1/4 cup of coconut sugar ( 2-3 tbs can be used instead if you want to reduce sugar content )

• juice of 1 juicy lime

• 1 tbs low-sodium soy sauce or tamari

• 2 tsp sambal ( or sriracha )

• 1/2 inch piece of fresh peeled ginger

• 1 clove of garlic

• Blend all ingredients in a highspeed blender until smooth. Lasts for about 1 week in the fridge.

Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Years ago, my husband and I spent A LOT of time at the Sea House Restaurant on Napili Bay enjoying their amazing Happy Hour. Back in the day, they had this incredible “small plate” menu and everything on it was between $5 and $7 bucks! For Maui, this was an absolute STEAL and during the Great Recession, it was very much appreciated. I have a post about the Sea House Happy Hour on my old blog HERE if you would like to check it out. Sorry in advance for my poor quality blog pics back in 2010 but the food was seriously AMAZING!

My favorite item on the Happy Hour menu was the Molokai Sweet Potato Quesadilla and OMG, it was so freaking good!

Over the years, the menu at the Sea House has changed. ( Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a great place for Happy Hour ) but they no longer have my favorite quesadilla (sad face). But to be completely honest, I wouldn’t be able to eat it anymore because it contained cheese. Luckily, it’s been pretty easy to recreate this quesadilla at home. Over the years I figured out a delicious way to veganize it and make it a whole lot healthier in doing so.

Here’s my updated version below. Enjoy!

Molokai Sweet Potato Quesadillas - Make 4 - 5 small quesadillas

• 1 large purple sweet potato ( Molokai or Okinawan ) a regular sweet potato or yam would work as well. Cubed, steamed, and then mashed.

• 1/2 small onion, diced ( I used a sweet Maui onion )

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 bell pepper, diced

• 1 cup shredded spinach

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• juice of 1/2 lime

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

• 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese ( Violife is good ) This is totally optional. I opted out today.

• 4-5, 6” corn, cassava flour ( pictured ) or regular flour tortillas

Toppings

• guacamole

• salsa fresca

• vegan sour cream ( homemade version HERE )

• hot sauce

• cilantro/chives

To prepare

*Peel sweet potato, cube, and steam in a steamer basket until easily pierced with a fork ( about 15 minutes ). Remove from heat and then mash cubed sweet potato with a potato masher or fork until “creamy” ( you may add a little water if need be ) then set aside.

*In a large non-stick skillet on med-high heat, saute diced onions, minced garlic, and diced bell pepper in about 1 Tb of water until translucent ( about 5 minutes ) You may use 1 tsp avocado or coconut oil instead of water if you prefer. Next, sprinkle on 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp chili powder, squeeze on lime juice, add 1 cup of shredded spinach, and 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro and saute for about 1 minute ( or until greens are wilted ). Remove from heat and then fold the cooked veggies into the sweet potato mash. Taste and sprinkle in more salt if needed.

*Heat tortillas on a hot grill pan or skillet until soft. Remove from heat and then place about 1/2 cup of the sweet potato and veggie mash on one half of the tortilla. Add a sprinkle of vegan cheese if desired here. Then fold tortilla over mixture and place back on grill or skillet until the quesadilla crisps up a bit ( about 2 minutes ). Flip and grill the other side of the quesadilla.

*Remove quesadilla from heat and plate with desired toppings.

Vegetable and Bean Soup

Aloha friends!

I made this yummy veggie soup for lunch yesterday! Honestly, I just wanted to use up the random leftover veggies I had before they went bad. Apparently, this turned out pretty well because I caught my husband standing in front of the fridge late last night just eating the leftovers cold. He just kept saying, “OMG this is so good. So so good…”

I swear, it’s even better heated up babe. LOL.

ENJOY!

Vegetable and Bean Soup

• 2 large white onions, diced

• 2 large carrots, sliced

• 2 stalks of celery sliced

• 2 cups waxy potatoes, skinned and cubed ( about 2, small/med size )

• 8 cloves garlic, minced

• 1, 14oz can organic diced tomatoes with juice

• 1, 14oz can of beans ( cannellini, chickpeas, kidney beans, pinto are all good ) rinsed and drained

• 1/3 cup sliced Kalamata olives

• 4 cups good vegetable broth

• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes ( optional )

• 1/2 of a lemon, juiced

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or any herbs you want honestly

• 1 Tb good olive oil

• a handful of fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme

• 1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt ( if needed )

• cracked black pepper

Toppings

• olive oil or basil oil ( to finish, optional )

• chopped chives

• fresh parsley

• vegan parmesan

*In a large stockpot over med-high heat, saute onions and garlic in a little water until soft and translucent ( about 5 minutes ). You can use olive oil to saute but I prefer water. Add some cracked pepper and a pinch of salt.

*Add remaining ingredients except for lemon juice, parsley, and thyme. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer ( covered for 40 minutes ).

*Right before serving, add olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs. Stir until incorporated. Taste and add more cracked pepper and 1/2 tsp sea salt if needed ( I usually don’t but this depends on how salty the vegetable broth is )

*To serve, ladle into soup bowls. Top with additional parsley and chopped chives

Simple Black Bean Tacos

It’s been a hell of a week.

Starting with the fact that I’m going on week number three with no car! Yep, a new auto repair shop has failed to fixed my brake system yet again. Multiple faulty parts ordered from the Mainland ( and god know what else happened ) but I’m seriously about to lose my cool. Obviously, having a car with no brakes is frustrating enough, but has anyone ever looked up what it costs to rent a car on Maui? Ya, not cheap. Oh, and did I mention that I work about an hour away from my house? So ya, I kinda need a car.

Also, I started a new job this week. And while I’m extremely grateful for this new opportunity, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the new position and the much longer day it requires. At the moment I’m leaving my house before 6 am and getting home after 5 pm. I know that’s normal for a lot of people but it’s new for me and my body is still trying to adjust. Thankfully these hours will be getting shorter soon.

And lastly, I’m sick. Slight fever, allergy-like sneezes, and lots of fatigue. It’s nothing major but considering what I mentioned above. It’s pretty bad timing.

So what does this have to do with tacos? Well, it’s because they’re pretty much all I could muster to throw together for dinner this week. I gotta say though, they were really really satisfying! My husband doesn’t get home until late so I’m usually on my own 5 nights a week when it comes to food. Because of this, my solo dinners tend to be really simple. I get asked all the time about super easy, super quick, weeknight vegan meals and this is one of them. One of my tricks is to always prep a batch of vegan sour cream at the beginning of each week. See my recipe HERE. I also recommend having a pantry full of beans and lentils for quick, high fiber plant-based proteins that you can add to all sorts of dishes.

So if you can rally yourself on a long day to make a 10-minute healthy dinner, this simple taco recipe is for you. I’ll continue to post simple recipes like this ( along with the more intricate ones ) because I do understand that so many people are bit lost when it comes to just super easy, plant-based meals when time is tight.

Simple Bean Tacos

• Tortillas - I love the gluten-free brand by Siete ( the ones made with Cassava flour are my favorite yet ) you can also use corn tortillas if gluten-free or any plant-based flour tortilla if you are not gluten-sensitive.

• 1 can of organic black beans, rinsed, and drained. Any leftovers ( I usually use 1/2 a can ) will keep well in the fridge for a few days

Avocado Salsa 

• 1 avocado, diced

• 1 large tomato, diced

• 1/4 of a red onion diced

• a handful of chopped cilantro

• 1 jalapeno pepper diced ( or you can use jarred jalapenos and dice them )

• 1/2 lime juiced ( the other half can be used if needed at the end )

• 1/4 tsp red wine vinegar

• a good pinch of salt and cracked black pepper.

• Throw all ingredients in a small bowl and toss.

Toppings

• Arugula or shredded romaine lettuce, vegan sour cream, and hot sauce

To make tacos

• Rinse black beans and prep avocado salsa. Then, heat skillet or grill pan and warm tortillas. Next, heat the beans. When I’m really lazy, I just do this in the microwave. Then, layer warm tortillas with beans and avocado salsa and top with lettuce, sour cream, and hot sauce. It doesn’t get easier than this! Enjoy!