SPINACH AND CHICKPEA COCONUT CURRY

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
2 medium potatoes, diced into 1" cubes, par boiled
3 c. torn spinach leaves
5 cloves (if you can put these in a bag to insert into the soup it will make your life a lot easier!)
1 1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can coconut milk

combine ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.

turn down the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

serve with rice or pita bread.

CRISPY TOFU

these taste really good with A1 or ketchup.

1/2 c. yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
extra firm tofu, patted dry and sliced into 1/2" thick strips
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

preheat oven to 400.

combine cornmeal, italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes in a shallow bowl.

coat baking dish with cooking spray.

brush each tofu strip with the olive oil and coat in cornmeal mixture. place on baking dish.

bake 30 minutes or until browned.

LENTIL SOUP

what this soup lacks in beauty it more than makes up for in flavor! this is really really easy to make and really good! it tastes even better the next day!

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. chopped carrots
4 c. vegetable broth
1 c. water
1 c. dried lentils, rinsed and picked over
1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 small bay leaves

In a medium stockpot heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. add the broth, water, lentils, italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to between low and medium low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove and discard the bay leaves before serving.

TACOS:PART TWO: CONSTRUCTING THE TACO

even though i like to try new recipes...we probably eat these at least once every week or so. it's easy to make, fast, and yummy! another version of this which i do is to just add all the fillings in a bowl for an awesome taco salad! this isn't really any different from regular tacos other than the fact that i use veggie beef.

1 lb veggie beef
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. water
taco seasoning (see previous post)
1 c. lettuce, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 c. sharp cheddar, shredded
4 tortillas
salsa, to taste

cook the veggie beef in the oil for a few minutes over med-high heat until it is almost cooked through. add the taco seasoning, water, and cook another minute or so, stirring often, until beef is heated through.

while you are doing this chop the vegetables and microwave the tortillas (with a moist paper towel on top) for 30 seconds.

put all the ingredients together either in the tortilla or in a bowl for taco salad and enjoy!

TACOS:PART ONE: TACO SEASONING

through some trial and error trey and i found our perfect version of taco seasoning. it's a lot better for you than the kind you can buy at stores and it's so easy to make! this recipe is enoough for about 1 pound/1 bag of veggie beef.

also....i am a big baby when it comes to spicy foods so this is a fairly mild taco seasoning recipe. if you like more spicy...add more chili powder and red pepper flakes.

1/2 tbsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper

MIXED TOMATO-GARLIC SALAD

tomatoes, diced or halved into 1" chunks (i think the more colors you use, the better. i used 1 beefsteak tomato and some yellow cherry tomatoes)
2-3 cloves garlic, cut into thin slices
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. fresh oregano leaves

cut tomatoes and place them in a bowl. add oregano leaves.

while you are cutting tomatoes, heat garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until they start to brown. remove from heat and add vinegar.

pour garlic-oil mixture over salad and mix together.

CUTE LITTLE GUYS

aren't these cute? i work at a montessori school and the kids and i picked these from their gardens. i've never picked a carrot out of the dirt before! it was pretty fun!

you can't really tell from the picture but they are really small...about the size of my finger.