Green Apple Detox Juice
Serves 1-2

This little cleansing wonder comes from one of my favorite bloggers, Kathy Patalsky, of Healthy.Happy.Life. It’s a hydration celebration thanks to the coconut water, and if that’s not enough, it’s got leafy green goodness and fiber thrown in for good measure. Plus it really does come out of the blender with a juice consistency—a major bonus for those of us who are sans juicer. I used a Honeycrisp apple and spinach, and definitely went for the optional few dashes of cayenne.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium apple, chopped (any sweet variety)

2 cups mache lettuce (or spinach – or any soft leafy green)

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 cup coconut water

handful of ice (optional)

optional: cayenne – a few dashes for spiciness

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender from low to high until smooth; serve. Don’t be scared if it’s a bit foamy. The foam comes from the fiber in the apples. It’s good for you, drink it!

Source: Kathy Patalsky of Healthy.Happy.Life for Babble. View the recipe on Babble.com.

Butter Bean Green Dip
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

This is one of the snacks I put into play for my Healthy Eating Revamp. It is super fast and easy to throw together and keeps well. It is a prefect midday nosh—great with vegetables or seed crackers for dipping.

INGREDIENTS

1 15-ounce can low-sodium butter beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped parsley

3 scallions, white parts roughly chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: In the bowl of a food processor, purée butter beans. Add lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Purée until smooth. Add parsley and scallions and continue to purée until fully combined. Serve with sliced vegetables for dipping.

Source: Vegetarian Times, June 2012.

Robot Heart Recipes Test Kitchen: 5 Portable Healthy Vegetarian Snacks

I am all about a healthy eating focus right now. In my opinion one of the essential keys to maintaining sensible eating habits throughout the day is to have nutritious snacks on hand no matter where you are. Here is a batch of healthy and portable vegetarian snacks that don’t skimp on flavor and have all received the stamp o’ approval from the Robot Heart Recipes Test Kitchen!

Amaranth Clusters

Coconut-Date Bars

Lemon-Ginger-Cashew Balls

Sweet and Salty Seed Mix

Vegan Flourless Nut Crackers

Roasted Veg-Hummus Wraps
Serves 4

In my book you can’t go wrong with roasted vegetables. They are simple and absolutely delicious. These wraps turn it up a notch incorporating hummus and feta for protein and additional flavor. All in all these babies are lip-smacking delicious. They would be equally good cold which means you can feel free to get your summer picnic basket out!

INGREDIENTS

4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices red onion

1 orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced into wedges

1 (12-ounce) eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into chunks

1/2 pound large crimini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dried thyme

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 (8-ounce) container plain hummus

4 whole-grain flatbreads

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place prepared vegetables in a large roasting pan. Add oil and vinegar and stir to coat vegetables. Add thyme and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, remove from oven and stir. Continue to roast until vegetables are tender and slightly browned, about 12-15 more minutes.

Step Two: Spread 1/4 cup hummus over each flatbread, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edges. Divide vegetables over each flatbread; top each serving with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up wraps, and cut diagonally in half.

Source: Modified from “Grilled Veggie and Hummus Wraps,” Cooking Light, April 2012. View the original recipe on MyRecipes.com.

Very Veggie Pasta Salad
Serves 8

I’ve never been a very big pasta salad fan. I typically find it rather boring and it seems like it’s just a bunch of empty calories. However, I made the mistake of asking Poppa what he was hungry for in regard to Sunday Night Dinner. His first response was macaroni and cheese. I told him I was not going to make something so laden with fat and dairy. (Which in reality meant I was not in the mood for dealing with a white sauce). The second choice he came up with was macaroni salad. I hate mayonnaise, so I wasn’t going to take that route either. This veg packed pasta salad was as close as I was willing to go to either of his requests. There are more veggies than pasta in this puppy and the dressing is very tasty to ward off a case of the borings.

INGREDIENTS

12-ounces whole grain rotini (spiral pasta)

kosher salt

1 cup broccolini florets

1/2 bunch of thin asparagus spears

1 pound English peas, shelled (about 1 cup shelled)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1 clove garlic, minced

fresh ground black pepper

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 can (15-ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, chopped

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot, add pasta and salt, and cook until pasta is al dente, 9 to 10 minutes. Use a pasta strainer basket or large slotted spoon to remove pasta from pot. Return water to boil and add broccoli and peas; cook 2 minutes. Add asparagus and continue to cook until vegetables are tender, 2-4 minutes longer. Drain and set aside.

Step Two: Whisk oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, and garlic in a large bowl; add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Step Three: Add drained pasta, broccolini, asparagus, and peas, and stir to coat with dressing. Let cool. Mix in tomatoes, artichokes, olives, and parsley; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Source: Expanded from “Pasta and Vegetable Salad,” Body + Soul, July/August 2009. View the original recipe on WholeLiving.com.

Vegged-Out Spaghetti Squash
Serves 6

This recipe features my favorite fresh tomato sauce. It’s a Lidia Bastianich recipe. The sauce itself is extremely simple to prepare, but there is a bit of time consuming work involved in prepping the tomatoes. Trust me when I say that it’s totally worth it. Especially if you are able to get farm fresh tomatoes in the summer. The rest of the dish is all about showcasing freshness as well. Any combo of your favorite veggies will work just as well as the ones I used. This type of dish is a nice pasta replacement for gluten-free folks or peeps avoiding flour or limiting carbs.

INGREDIENTS

Sauce

2 1/2 pounds ripe Roma tomatoes

1 cup yellow onion, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

8 leaves fresh basil, torn into small pieces

Squash

3 1/2 pound spaghetti squash

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/3 cup chopped yellow onion

1 large orange bell pepper, de-ribbed and chopped

3/4 pound large crimini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

2 medium zucchinis, quartered lengthwise and cut into chunks

1 can (15-ounces) butter beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup golden grape tomatoes, halved

10 black cerignola olives, pits removed and sliced

8 large basil leaves

small wedge of Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: For the sauce, with the point of a paring knife cut out and discard the stem bases of the tomatoes, removing small cones about 1/4-inch deep, then lightly cut X-shapes on the tomatoes’ opposite ends.

Step Two: Bring water to a boil in a large pot, drop in the tomatoes, and cook 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to a colander, run cold water over them, and slip their skins off with your fingers.

Step Three: In a nonreactive saucepan, lightly sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Add the tomatoes, crushing each directly over the pan as it is added. Season to taste and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step Four: For the spaghetti squash, preheat oven to 375°F. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Pierce skin side of squash halves multiple times with the tines of a fork. Place squash flesh down in a shallow baking pan large enough that both halves lay flush. Add 2 inches of water, cover, and bake until squash separates into tender strands when run across with a fork, about 40-50 minutes. Allow to cool before handling further.

Step Five: For the veggies, in a large pan heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté until both are soft and fragrant. Add mushrooms and zucchini and sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add tomatoes, beans, and olives and allow to heat through.

Step Six: Use a fork to separate spaghetti squash strands into a large serving dish. Add sauce and gently mix well. Top with vegetable mixture, basil leaves torn into pieces or cut using a chiffonade technique, and fresh shaved Parmesan.

Source: Sauce slightly modified from “Fresh Tomato Sauce,” La Cucina di Lidia by Lidia Bastianich (Clarkson Potter, 2003). View the recipe on LidiasItaly.com. View the book on Amazon.com. Remainder of recipe a Robot Heart Recipes Original.

Early Summer Pea, Corn, and Green Bean Salad
Serves 4

Here in the beautiful but stubborn Pacific Northwest summer is slow to start. The unwritten rule is that true summer weather typically doesn’t kick in and stick around until after the 4th of July holiday. However, we have had enough temporary glimpses of warm weather that the farmers markets and grocery stores selling locally grown produce are starting to have some nice offerings. I was inspired to create this salad from a combo of lovely fresh peas and corn that I stumbled across on my shopping trip. I really loved it! It was incredibly fresh, perfect for a sunny summer lunch, picnic, or light dinner. The contrast of the sweet corn and the zippy lemon served to highlight the delicate peas for and all around serious yum factor. As a bonus, it was also a no-brainer where prep is concerned.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into medium pieces

1 pound English peas, shelled

2 ears tri-color corn, kernels removed from cobs

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium leeks, white and light green parts thinly sliced and washed

1 large shallot, minced

juice and zest of one large lemon

one large handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add green beans and cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately run under very cold water or place into an ice bath.

Step Two: Allow water to return to a boil and add peas and corn. Cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. (Larger peas may take longer to cook). Use a colander to drain and immediately run under very cold water or place into an ice bath.

Step Three: Heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add leeks and shallot and sauté until soft and tender, about 5-6 minutes.

Step Four: Place cooked vegetables and leek-shallot mixture into a large bowl. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with lemon zest and parsley and serve.

Source: A Robot Heart Recipes Original.

Carrot-Pistachio Pesto with Bulgur and Chickpeas
Serves 4

This is an easy, breezy little ditty that I threw together a few weeks ago as a light lunch for me and my mom. It went well with some simple veg sandwiches. It’s a perfect dish for summer since aside from boiling water, no heat is needed for prep. It is also great as a make-ahead, just hold off on adding the mint until right before serving.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup cracked bulgur

3/4 cup boiling water

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup dried fruit, such as currants, golden raisins, or chopped apricots

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, torn if large

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (1 cup)

1/4 teaspoon chopped garlic (about 1 small clove)

1/4 cup shelled pistachios, toasted

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon wedge

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Place bulgur in a heatproof bowl and add boiling water. Season with a pinch of salt and cover with a plate until water is absorbed and bulgur is tender, about 30 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Stir in chickpeas, scallion, dried fruit, and mint.

Step Two: Meanwhile, pulse carrots, garlic, and pistachios in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Drizzle in oil and process until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Step Three: Stir pesto into bulgur mixture. Squeeze with lemon and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Source: Whole Living, March 2012. View the recipe on WholeLiving.com.

Southwestern Black Bean Burgers
Makes 6 patties

This is probably the fifth or sixth meatless burger recipe I’ve tried, and it’s one of my favorites. I liked the little bit of crunch that the cornmeal adds to the outside of the patties. I also enjoyed the fact that no eggs were involved like many veg burg concoctions. All-in-all these were fairly easy to make and they saved well. I stored the leftover patties in the fridge and ate them throughout the week. I would imagine that they would likely freeze well too. For condiments I made a quick Cheater’s Guacamole and a spread that was a combo of sugar-free ketchup, sweet relish, and red taco sauce.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 cup chopped red onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and well drained

1 can (4-ounces) chopped mild green chilies

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed and well drained

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons cornmeal, plus 1/3 cup for coating burgers

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

6 hamburger buns, toasted

vegetable toppings (such as red onion, tomato, lettuce, radish sprouts, etc.)

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer, cover and cook until the water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Uncover and let stand.

Step Two: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add beans, green chilies, corn, chili powder, and cumin and mash the beans to a smooth paste with a potato masher or fork. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool slightly. Add the quinoa, 3 tablespoons cilantro, 3 tablespoons cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; stir to combine.

Step Three: Form the bean mash into 6 patties. (Use about 1/2 cup bean mixture for each patty). Coat them evenly with the remaining 1/3 cup cornmeal and transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Step Four: Preheat oven to 200°F. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron (or similar heavy) skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook 3 burgers until heated through and brown and crisp on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to the oven to keep warm. Cook the remaining 3 burgers with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, reducing the heat as necessary to prevent over-browning. Serve on toasted buns topped with veggies of choice.

Source: Slightly modified from “Bean Burgers with Spicy Guacamole,” Eating Well. View the original recipe on EatingWell.com.

Simple Sweet Potato Oven Fries
Serves 2-3

Sweet potato fries are the cat’s pajamas plain and simple in my book. They are so easy to prepare with such a large taste payoff that you can’t really go wrong. I especially love to serve them with a main dish that has a little bit of a spicy kick to it for a nice flavor contrast.

INGREDIENTS

1 very large sweet potato, peeled, halved, and cut into medium wedges

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

juice of one lime

fresh ground sea salt and black pepper

olive oil cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, toss potato wedges gently with olive oil and lime juice; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet prepared with olive oil cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes, flip fries and bake for an additional 8-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Source: A Robot Heart Recipes Original.

Nomad Salad
Serves 5

This salad is a favorite of mine for potlucks, brunches, and luncheons. It’s especially nice for summertime fare because aside from boiling water, it does not require any heat to prepare. I could have sworn that I had posted this salad in the past, but since I couldn’t for the life of me find it in my blog archives I decided to share it now—maybe for the first time, or possibly as a rerun. At any rate, this little ditty is quick and easy to throw together. It  can be made a head of time, but if doing so I advise waiting to add the mint until just prior to serving. You may also want to drizzle with just a tad of extra-virgin olive oil. Lastly, the recipe calls for sweetened dried cranberries, but in my opinion the mixture is sweet enough from the figs, so I opt for unsweetened cranberries instead.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups uncooked bulgur or cracked wheat

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 cup dried figs, halved

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries (such as Craisins)

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Combine the bulgur and boiling water in a large bowl. Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Stir in the figs and remaining ingredients; cover salad and chill thoroughly.

Source: Cooking Light, May 2000. View the recipe on MyRecipes.com.

Carrot-Spinach Soup with Dill
Makes Three 3-Cup Servings

This was actually last week’s Sunday Night Dinner, but I am way behind when it comes to posting things. I have a whole backlog to get through. At any rate, this was a simple, very tasty soup filled with fresh flavors. The type of dish that tastes like clean eating. It is designed to be detoxifying, which is a bonus. The recipe also allows you to make a big batch of the soup base, and then add in fresh ingredients each time you serve it.

INGREDIENTS

For the Big Batch

1 large onion, diced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

7 carrots, diced (about 5 cups)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon coarse salt

8-ounces green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

For Each Serving

1 packed cup baby spinach

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: In a pot over medium heat, cook onion in oil until tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in carrots, turmeric, and salt. Add 10 cups water, bring to a boil, then simmer, 30 minutes. Add beans and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes.

Step Two: To serve, fill a bowl with spinach and dill. Ladle 3 cups hot soup over greens, cover with a plate, and let steep 5 minutes. Add lemon juice.

Source: Whole Living, May 2012. View the recipe on WholeLiving.com.

Warm Spinach-White Bean Dip
Makes 3 cups

My mom made this dip and brought it over to serve as an appetizer with our Easter meal. My extreme delay in posting it has nothing to do with its deliciousness. In fact, I absolutely adored this dip! I’ve just had a lot of “life” interfering with things that I want to do lately—such as catching up on blog posts. At any rate, Mom reported that this dip was easy to make. She also wanted me to let you know that it worked well as a “make-ahead” dish. She put it together the night before Easter, then transported to my house to bake and serve. She incorporated a few small additions, which I have included below. In my opinion this is a terrific, healthier alternative to the typical cream cheese or sour cream based versions of spinach dip!

INGREDIENTS

5-ounces baby spinach (3 cups)

2 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon yellow onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 can (15-ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest

3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, divided

1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt

freshly ground pepper

crudités for dipping

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash spinach, leaving some water clinging to the leaves. Transfer to a large saucepan. Cover, and steam spinach over medium heat, stirring once, until wilted, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove spinach using a slotted spoon, and let cool.

Step Two: In the same pan, heat olive oil and sauté onion and garlic until fragrant, about 2-4 minutes; remove from heat. Squeeze out excess liquid from spinach using a kitchen towel; coarsely chop.

Step Three: Pulse ricotta and cannellini beans in a food processor until smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Add chives, lemon zest, and salt. Season with pepper. Stir in spinach, onion and garlic mixture, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Transfer to a 1-quart baking dish and top with remaining tablespoon Parmesan.

Step Four: Bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Season with pepper. Serve warm with crudités.

Source: Martha Stewart Living, December 2009. View the recipe on WholeLiving.com.