FIESTA RICE SALAD

juice of 4 limes
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp. salsa
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper
2 c. cold cooked brown rice
1 c. cooked fresh or frozen corn kernels
2-15 oz. black beans, drained and rinsed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, diced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 avocado, diced
1/4 to 1/2 c. cilantro, chopped (optional)

In a small bowl, stir together the lime juice, olive oil, salsa, cumin,salt, and pepper.

In a large bowl combine the rice, corn, beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, and scallions. toss gently to combine. pour lime juice mixture over top and toss again to coat.

just before serving, top with cilantro and avocado ( wait until the last minute to chop the avocado or it will turn brown!!)

CURRIED CHICKPEA CAKES

these turned out really good! i ate them by themselves but they would make great burgers!

1-15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 c. sliced green onions, both white and light green parts
1/3 c. light coconut milk
2 tsp. sugar
2/3 c. breadcrumbs
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2/3 c. brown rice, cooked
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c, extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas and green onions. pulse until combined. transfer to a large mixing bowl. add the coconut milk, sugar, breadcrumbs, curry powder, nutmeg, and cumin. stir together with a wooden spoon until well combined. stir in the brown rice and salt. mold into 4 patties.

in a large saute pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chickpea cakes and cook a few minutes on each side until they are golden and crisp on the outside.

VANILLA AND ICED COFFEE FLOAT

this drink smells like fall! i love it :)

a few spoonfuls vanilla ice cream
iced black coffee
whippped cream
pumpkin pie spice, for topping

"THIS SOUP IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE PRETTY AWESOME" SOUP

well...as you might have guessed from the title...i was just throwing things together in a pot when I made this soup and it ended up being pretty good if i do say so myself :)

2-3 c. vegetable broth
3 scallions, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/4 c. orzo
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 tbsp. lemon juice, optional

combine all the ingredients, minus the lemon juice, to a pot and cook over high heat for about 10-15 minutes until carrots are soft. If you want, and I suggest you do, add the lemon juice right before you are going to eat it.

the end.

KRISTI'S AWESOME SANDWICHES

so a little while ago I went to my friend's house and she made me these sandwiches. Now here's the funny thing...as a general rule i HATE red bell peppers, but apparently I like roasted red peppers..haha. Anyway, she made me this sandwich on ciabatta bread, which was better, but I used french bread. These were so good! this picture does not do this sandwich any justice!

ciabatta bread
pesto sauce
goat cheese
roasted red peppers

layer and eat before someone else eats them all!

BAKED CREAMY CHIK'N TAQUITOS

3 oz. cream cheese ( I used tofutti vegan cream cheese...you will never notice the difference)
1/4 c. green salsa, plus more for topping
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. chopped cilantro
4-5 green onions, chopped
1 pkg. veggie chicken, cooked
1 c. shredded mozzarella
12 flour tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

preheat oven to 425. line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

in a large bowl, mix the first 7 ingredients. Once combined, stir in the cilantro, green onions, chicken, and cheese and mix thoroughly.

heat tortillas in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll.

spoon about 2 tbsp. of the mixture into each tortilla and roll tightly, placing it on the baking dish seam side down, making sure they aren't touching. spray lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.

bake 15-20 minutes, until crisp and golden.

CHILI MAC CASSEROLE

1 c. elbow macaroni
1-2 lbs. veggie beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1-16 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1-6 oz. can tomato paste
4-5 tbsp. green salsa
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 c. shredded mexican cheese blend (essentially 1 c. mozzarella and 1 c. sharp cheddar)

cook macaroni until just under al dente (it will continue to cook in the oven). drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook onion, salt, and pepper over med-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is mostly cooked through. Add garlic and veggie beef and cook for 3-4 more minutes. you don't want to beef to completely cook through because it will continue to cook in the oven. remove mixture from heat and mix in the tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, salsa, and seasonings.

add this to macaroni and mix well.

transfer to a 13x9x2 baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. cover and bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle cheese over top, and bake about 5 minutes more, until cheese is melted.

HEARTY PITA POCKETS

1 1.2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1-10 oz. pkg sliced mushrooms
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pkg. veggie beef
1/4 c. white balsamic vinegar, optional
2 c. fresh spinach
3/4 c. grated parmesan
4 pitas, warmed
1/4 c. mayonnaise

In a skillet, cook mushrooms, salt, and pepper over med-high heat for about 5 minutes, until mushrooms begin to brown and soften. add "beef" and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. add spinach and cook until it is wilted and beef is cooked through. season again with salt, pepper, and vinegar (optional). Add the parmesan and stir together well.

Fill pita with some mayonnaise and fill with beef mixture.

RED BEANS AND RICE SOUP

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
1 tbsp. ground cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
1-15 oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1-14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
4-6 c. vegetable broth (I used 4 c. but it wasn't very soupy....I'd do at least 6 c. if you want it more soup like with a lot of broth).
1 1/2 c. rice

Heat oil in a pot over med-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaf, italian seasoning, cumin, salt, and pepper. saute vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. add kidney beans, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil, then add rice. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender.

ROASTED BEETS

12 beets, top and bottom trimmed off, peeled, and cut into bite-seized chunks
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. fresh minced thyme leaves
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. .red wine vinegar
juice of 1 large orange

Preheat oven to 400.

Place beets on a baking sheet with 3 tbsp. olive oil. Add thyme, salt, and pepper and toss evenly to coat.

bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring once or twice, to make sure they cook evenly.

remove from heat and place in your serving bowl. toss with the 2 tbsp. vinegar and the orange juice. sprinkle again with salt and pepper.

serve warm as a side dish or it is also great cold in salads!

TOMATO CHICKPEA CROSTINI

these are one of my new favorite things! it's essentially a hybrid of bruscetta and hummus. This recipe is enough for 1/2 a loaf of bread but it will go fast!

2 large cloves garlic, finely minced, plus one more for rubbing on bread
6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 roma tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1-15 oz. can chickpeas, drained
1/2 loaf of french bread, cut crosswise on a diagonal
1/2 c. goat cheese
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

In a skillet heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over med-high heat. Add the tomatoes and half of the chopped garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat.

meanwhile, brush the bread slices with 2 tbsp. olive oil and grill in the oven until nicely toasted. As soon as you pull them out of the oven, take your whole garlic clove (cut a little bit off the tip) and rub it into each slice of toast.

In a bowl, mash half the chickpeas with 2 tbsp. olive oil and the remaining minced garlic. Once you have reached a mostly creamy texture, add the rest of the can of chickpeas but leave the rest whole. season with salt and pepper.

To assemble, spread each garlic bread slice first with goat cheese, then your chickpea mixture, then the tomato spread, and finally with some shredded parsley. At this point if you want you can drizzle a little more olive oil on top.

MINI ICE CREAM SUNDAES

well...as you can see from the picture...these melt quickly! most of it you can do ahead of time but once you put the ice cream in them...be ready to serve them fast!

2-3 bananas
semisweet chocolate candy coating, bark, or any other chocolate that will harden once cooled
chopped nuts or sprinkles
vanilla ice cream
whipped cream
maraschino cherries

cut the bananas into 1 1/2 " sections. hollow out a tiny hole from the top of each section.

meanwhile, melt chocolate according to package directions.

Once you have all your bananas cut into sections, dip the bottom of each banana into the chocolate trying to cover about half of the banana. before the chocolate dries, dip the bottom into either your chopped nuts or sprinkles. place each on a plate lined with wax paper.

At this point, you can store it like this in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve the sundaes.

fill each banana with a little bit of ice cream, top with whipped cream and a cherry...and serve it fast!

ATLANTA ORZO SALAD

so we went to atlanta last month, and one night that we were there my aunt made this dish. Not only did I eat it that night, I also ate the leftovers cold for the next 2 days for breakfast! haha. I really liked this dish. It can be served warm but I prefer it cold. Also...fun fact...if this sits in the fridge for a few days...the vinegar in the dish essentially turns the cucumbers into pickles! ;p

1/2 lb. orzo
1 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. tarragon, chopped
1/2 c. white balsamic vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb snow peas, trimmed and blanched
3 scallions, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 english cucumber, chopped
1 carton sliced mushrooms
1 c. crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

prepare orzo according to package directions. Rinse in cold water, drain well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, tarragon, vinegar, and garlic.

In a large bowl combine the orzo, snow peas, scallions, bell pepper, cucumber, and feta. Pour dressing over top and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

SLOPPY JOE POTATOES

2 potatoes
2-4 tbsp. butter, optional
1 pkg veggie beef
1 can manwich original sloppy joe sauce

cook the potatoes in the oven (everyone does it differently) until done.

When potatoes are almost done, cook the veggie beef according to package directions and then mix with the manwich sauce.

Cut cooked potatoes open, add butter if desired, and then top with manwich mixture.