Simple Tomato Basil Sandwiches!

INGREDIENTS:
Whole organic tomato
Fresh organic basil
Bread of choice (I like Rudi's Gluten Free slices)
Herb infused olive oil (basil, garlic...etc!)
Fresh cracked pepper

When it comes to a warm weather sandwich, it doesn't get any fresher than this. It is light, crisp and very fresh! Not to mention how EASY it is to make!  Simply brush olive oil on one side of each slice of bread and toast. Then top with thinly sliced tomato, chopped basil and fresh cracked pepper!

You can also vary the dressing you use. Try hummus or another favorite, light dressing!

These sandwiches are inexpensive to make and great for parties and picnics. Hosting a brunch? Serve them on cutting boards with fresh veggie garnishes! Trust me, everyone will love them!

Smoky Black & White Bean Soup

Ingredients:
2 cans black beans
1 can chick peas
1 can small white beans
1 can kidney beans
4 stalks chopped celery
3 large chopped carrots
1/2 diced Spanish onion
4 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp sweet paprika
2 tbsp cumin (you can add more if you love cumin like I do)
1tbsp cracked pepper
Salt to your desired taste
Fresh chopped parsley

In a stock pot, lightly saute your onions, celery, tomatos and paprika. I do not saute in oil, just some water so nothing burns. Then add in your beans and 4 cups of water. Your mixture will have a chunky soup look to it at this point. Let it simmer for 30 minutes on low to cook the vegetables nicely.

When the vegetables are cooked well, puree 3/4 of the soup in your blender. If you want it chunkier, you can do just half of it.

Pour the pureed soup back into the pot and stir.  Add your chopped parsley now. This is where you can add your salt and pepper to taste. Then enjoy!

*Photo above is shown with a drizzle of horseradish sauce

Tomato Humus Sandwich & Asparagus "Fries"

What can I say ... I love tomato sandwiches!

Tomato Hummus Sandwich with Asparagus:

Ingredients:
Rudi's Gluten Free Sliced Bread (or other bread of your choice)
2-4 slices of large tomato
Handful spinach
Classic hummus
Fresh cracked pepper
Asparagus bunch
Stone ground mustard

This is so easy! The sandwich is basic ... toast your bread lightly, then pile high with spinach, tomato, hummus and cracked pepper!

As for your asparagus, broil at 475 for 10 minutes. Serve as a side and dip in mustard. They are like little vegetable "fries" ... enjoy!

Photography by Lily & Camelia Photography

Ron Finley: A guerilla gardener in South Central LA

This is beyond brilliant .... "plant some shit!"

Simple Vegan Alfredo Sauce

*You CAN make this recipe if you do not have braggs liquid amino acids. You can also add in ground flax meal which I do sometimes!

Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce, Vegan Alfredo Sauce

No Oil Kale Chips

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch kale

Seasoning of your choice (sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cracked pepper, nutritional yeast, curry .... the list goes on!)

Wash your kale thoroughly and de-stem it. Rip the leaves into large chunks. They shrink when they bake so do not make them too small. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and top with your seasoning of choice.

Place in the oven at 300 degrees for roughly 10 minutes. I encourage you to check them / toss them every few minutes as they are delicate and you do not want them to burn. Once they are not flimsy or floppy they are done! They should be dehydrated, crunchy and delicious! 

Baked Sweet Potato Chips & Fries

INGREDIENTS:

2 large sweet potatoes
Seasoning of choice (cracked pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, low sodium all purpose seasoning, cumin, curry .... you name it! use what you like!)

Fully wash the potatoes. Leave the skins on. Slice with a mandolin or by hand so they are about 1/8" thick. Place in a bowl and coat with your seasoning.

Place in toaster oven or regular oven. There is no need for a cookie sheet or pan. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. Bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes at 450. Every oven varies, so just watch them to be sure they do not burn or get overly brown.  You can also cook them less so they stay softer and are more like a great baked sweet potato french fry!

Rebel Green Fruit & Veggie Clean Review

Recently, I had the pleasure of writing a testimonial for Rebel Green Fruit & Veggie Clean ....

"As a health food advocate and healthy living blogger, eating clean and natural is of the utmost importance. Organic or not, all vegetables and fruits should be washed before eating. This is a practice everyone should follow and I enjoy teaching my toddlers how to do so as well. Not only is Rebel Green Fruit & Veggie Clean all natural, but the customer service is wonderful and they are passionate about having a great product. Plus, the bottle is so cute that I leave it right on my window ledge for everyone to use and see!  I highly recommend this to everyone."

Check out Rebel Green!!

Hearty Herb & Califlower Soup

Sometimes the best recipes are born in my head out of thin air. This recipe is one of them ... and now I make it weekly!

INGREDIENTS:
1 head cauliflower, chopped (do not be afraid to do up to 2" chunks, it will fall apart further while cooking)
3 carrots, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
1 turnip, peeled and chopped
1 tomato, chopped
3 tbsp herbs de provence
5 cups vegetable stock (OR you can use organic miso paste as a base, I used 1/4 cup to 5 cups water)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a time saving effort, I basically put everything in the pot at once and let it simmer for about 45 minutes. The end result is an amazing, hearty soup that has very little prep time! Enjoy it with a small serving of short grain brown rice or quinoa or all by itself! It is one of my new favorites...

Comstock, Ferre & Co in Wethersfield, CT

It is no secret ... I LOVE vegetables.  So the thought of finally building a large vegetable garden at home really lights my fire. So does seed shopping. We knew we wanted non GMO seeds and heirloom varieties. We get the Baker Creed Heirloom Seed catalog (which is an amazingly fabulous seed catalog). 

This led us to Comstock, Ferre & Co in Wethersfield, CT. Little did I know, that I have driven by this building after photo shoots in town, but I never looked close enough to see that it is a seed filled treasure! 

Rows and rows of seeds fill this old building ...

When I walked in, I may have squealed with delight when I saw the amazing rustic seed bins and drawers brimming! I felt like a child in a candy shop! Each seed slot has a great explanation which helped us make our decisions.

And the packaging! I love the packaging. They have their own brand as well as Baker Creed Heirloom Seeds.  They have every vegetable you can imagine as well as fruits and flowers.

They also have an amazing room full of antiques and old farming equipment to look at and enjoy.

I highly recommend everyone take a visit here! It is not just a place to shop, it is an entire experience!  We look forward to going back in the Fall to buy our pumpkins there and let the children explore.