Cauliflower, Broccoli, and Carrots, Baked

Recipe Inspiration Sources:  Cindy's Table and Clean Eating

I was looking for a recipe combining cauliflower and broccoli and came across this one.  The added color of the carrots pulled me in!  I altered the recipe a bit.  It called for a bunch of oil and some butter.  It also called for a total of 60 minutes cooking time, which turned out to be too long.

• cauliflower
• broccoli
• carrots
• garlic
• 1 teaspoon basil
• sea salt
• pepper
• garlic salt
• paprika
• broth
• nutritional yeast

Preheat oven to 375 degrees 

Cut vegetables into small pieces.

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

Cover dish and bake for 30 minutes.

REMOVE COVER and stir.

Bake for an additional 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender and browned. 

This recipe is a keeper, but I need to work out the correct cooking time when omitting oil.

Salad - Brussels, Kale, Apple & Pecans

Recipe Inspiration Sources:  
Ambitious Kitchen
Epicurious

My friend, Brenda, shared this recipe.  She made it for Easter and said it was wonderful. She's right!!!

It called for cheese, which I skipped since I don't do dairy.  The original recipe also called for 1/4 cup of oil.  I looked up lots of other similar recipes.  They all used some amount of oil.  The first time making this I used 1 TBSP of oil, but I believe it will be just fine with none.

This recipe is a definite keeper!!!

Dressing, option 1:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil  or none!
• freshly squeezed lemon juice - 1 lemon
• garlic, minced
• maple syrup to taste
• salt & pepper

More options:

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• some sites also add - 1 tsp Dijon mustard

For the salad:

• 1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed, loose leaves removed and thinly shredded
• 1 bunch of tuscan kale, stems removed and leaves finely chopped into ribbons
• 2 crisp apples, cored and thinly sliced  (SweeTango, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup candied pecans, chopped  (Epicurious recommends hazelnuts)

More Salad Options:

• 6 radishes, halved, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (about 1 medium)
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated

The food processor is definitely worth getting out for this recipe!!!

INSTRUCTIONS

Candy the nuts - Toss with maple syrup, then bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.

Shred the brussels sprouts and kale in a food processor.

In a separate large bowl, toss together shredded brussels sprouts and kale with your hands.

Add about 3/4 of the dressing, and use your hands to massage dressing into greens for about 5 minutes.  Taste and add more dressing as needed (you may not need all of it).  Reserve any leftover dressing for another use.

Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight to allow for dressing to soak into the the kale and brussels.   It’s actually best when made a day ahead of time so the flavors of the dressing can sink into the kale and brussels!

Once ready to serve, toss in apple slices, dried cranberries and chopped candied pecans. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Finally, garnish with crumbled cheese.

Makes about 6 servings.


Do Ahead (as described on Epicurious)

• Dressing can be prepared 3 days ahead; cover and chill. 
• Nuts can be toasted and chopped 1 day ahead; cover and keep at room temperature. 
• Kale and Brussels sprouts can be sliced 1 day ahead; place in an airtight container and chill. 
• Salad can be tossed together 30 minutes ahead; keep at room temperature.

Condiments - Tahini, Mustard, and Maple Syrup Salad Dressing

This is a variation of Honey Mustard Dressing.   The vegan version leaves out honey and after reading about the honey industry and the harm done to bees, I'm fully on board with using maple syrup instead. Maple syrup is every bit as good.  There are some basic ingredients found in most all of the versions I've seen. Some of them leaned heavier on Tahini and actually called it a Tahini dressing.  I look forward to finding the perfect combo for me.  Or maybe I'll enjoy varying it a tad each time. 

Photo from Cookie and Kate.

Photo from Follow the Seeds.

Super Fast basic version:

• vinegar (apple cider or balsamic) and/or lemon
• maple syrup or pitted date
• dijon mustard

To make it creamy, add:

• tahini (many recipes used either this or olive oil)

Other ingredients to experiment with:

• nutritional yeast
• tamari or liquid aminos
• minced or ground garlic
• sea salt *
• ground pepper
• paprika

TOO THICK?  Dilute with:

• water
• nut milk

NOTES:

• Balance tahini’s bitterness and tang with a little sweetener and some extra salt. A little bit of maple syrup or honey go a long way in making this salad taste well-balanced, complex, and totally delicious. This dressing also calls for a little more salt than most of my other dressings. Salt helps balance bitterness and brings out tahini’s best. - Cookie and Kate
• Dressing will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Recipe Inspiration Sources:  
Cookie and Kate
Follow the Seeds

Salad - Tomato Cucumber and More!

Recipe Inspiration Sources:  
Tastes Better From Scratch
Sherry Wilson
The Blond Cook

Basic Recipe

I had this salad at The Dillard House in Dillard, GA last week and fell in love.  I searched online for recipes similar to what I had tasted and found bunches of them.  I looked at a number of them to make sure I wasn't missing some wonderful variation.  What I have here is a combination of several of the ones I saw.

• cups cherry tomatoes , halved
• cucumbers, cut into 1/4'' coins or chunks
• 2 T red onions , diced - other onions will work
• 3 t olive or grape seed oil
• 1 t red wine or apple cider vinegar (other vinegars will work as well)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 T fresh basil leaves , chopped
• 2 T or more sugar (optional)
• 1/2 tsp dill weed (optional)

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:

• parsley
• minced garlic
• red pepper flakes also add a little pep to the dish

Cut cherry tomatoes in half and cut your cucumbers into 1/4” coins and add them to a bowl.  Then, drizzle olive oil and vinegar on top, toss the salad, and season it will red onion and basil.  It’s that easy!

Advice on cucumbers:  Any type of cucumber will work for this salad, but my family prefers mini or English cucumbers because the small discs are crunchy and fun to eat!  My general rule of thumb is that when the cucumber is one of the stand out ingredients in the dish, an English cucumber is the right one to buy.

Another Recipe that includes Corn

Recipe Inspiration Source:  The Blond Cook

Warmer weather is here and I'm in the mood for side salads.  I found this one on Pinterest and thought it looked good.  As always, I looked at a number of similar recipes for variations, so my list of ingredients shows a number of options, but not all amounts.  Salads like these never seem to require an exact amount of anything to be good.

Suggested Main Ingredients

• corn - fresh, frozen (thawed) or canned (well drained)
• tomatoes
• cucumber, large seeds removed - Some recipes don't use these
• red onions, sliced

Sauce Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil - can I omit this?
• 1 tablespoon lime juice - lemon would probably do in a pinch
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less, to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (more or less, to taste)
• 1/4 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
• maple syrup

Kick It Up Options

• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion

Combine all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes to allow flavors to mingle before serving.

Add these ingredients for a bit of Mexican flair -

• Black beans
• Bell Pepper
• Avocado
• Cumin
• Chili Powder

Source - Dinner at the Zoo

Asparagus, Green Beans and English Peas

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Good Housekeeping

I saw this photo on Pinterest and knew I needed to try this combination.    What I was most interested in was putting these three items together.  Could it possibly look this pretty?  Yes and as it turns out, these three are awesome together!

Note:  I didn't follow the inspiration recipe to the letter.  I don't bother tossing the veggies in ice water after steaming.  They still retain their bright color just fine. I also don't bother sautéing an onion to add on top.  I usually have onions in another recipe at the same meal.   

Boil or Steam 5 to 7 minutes or until asparagus and green beans are tender.

• thin asparagus, cut into thirds at an angle
• green beans (haricots verts in case you want to act fancy), trimmed
• fresh or frozen (thawed) peas

Vinaigrette - In small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, chives, sesame seeds, syrup, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil.   To serve, toss vegetables with onions and vinaigrette.

• lemon juice
• fresh chives
• sesame seeds
• maple syrup

Full length green beans and asparagus would have been prettier, especially if making this dish for a special occasion.  It didn't matter.  It was still delicious and pretty - prettier than in my photo!

Drink - Turmeric Milk, aka Golden Milk

There are a million recipes floating around for this.  They are all pretty similar.  I don't think I've ever made it the same two times in a row.

Some people drink this in the morning as a coffee replacement.  Some swear by it a couple of hours before bedtime to help them sleep better.  Whenever you drink it, be careful!  Turmeric can stain, so pour & use cautiously.  But just in case, according to Mindful Avocado - White vinegar does a great job of removing it from clothes, linens, and dishes. To remove stains from counters, a paste of baking soda and water should do the trick. 

This gorgeous photo is from Food Yuppie.
I plan to get my own photo soon.

Add to a saucepan and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, taking care NOT TO BOIL!:

• milk - coconut milk, nut milk, oat milk, whatever...  Turmeric is fat soluble; hence, it’s better to take it with some sort of fat, so,  I use coconut milk.
• turmeric - fresh or ground
• black pepper - Don't omit!  It's the key to help increase the absorption of the curcumin, which is the active compound found in turmeric
• ginger - paste, freshly grated root, or powder
• cinnamon - CEYLON is the healthiest!
• cardamom - optional
• nutmeg - optional
• fennel -  optional
• saffron -  optional (antioxidant and anti-depressant)
• 
  
• salt - optional, but just a tad is said to give it a little something extra
• vanilla - pods or pure extract
• sweetener, if desired - palm sugar or maple syrup. Whole dates can be used if you plan to put it all through a blender at the end.
• 1 tsp coconut oil - You only need to use this if you did not use coconut milk as the base.

You can pour it straight into a mug or use a blender first to make it all frothy.  Blending is great for getting that extra foam for a true latte vibe.

GARNISH - When serving, sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.  A stick of cinnamon added in the mug is also really pretty.  I have seen some tarnished with crushed cardamom pods.  It looks really pretty,  but not sure how fun that would be when drinking.

Leftovers?  You can store extra golden milk in the fridge for a few days and reheat as needed. If you blended it previously, the foam holds up quite nicely overnight, so you can simply reheat it and enjoy. If you didn’t blend it, you can add quickly blend the leftovers or use a milk frother to foam it up. - Running on Real Food

NOTES

Golden Milk Paste - Many recipes for Golden Milk make one cup at a time, and the recipes generally follow the same simple steps: heat milk (or a milk alternative) on the stove, whisk in turmeric and any other desired spices, and simmer for a short period of time.  If you’re drinking Golden Milk on a regular basis, it might be easier and quicker to make a turmeric paste, and use that turmeric paste to make your daily cup of Golden Milk.  - The Worktop blog has great instructions for doing this.


Benefits of Turmeric - The amazing health benefits of turmeric and curcumin include the ability to reduce inflammation, heal wounds, improve skin health, protect cognitive abilities, and ease menstrual difficulties. Turmeric also helps eliminate depression, alleviate pain, slow down aging, protect the digestive tract, and prevent cancer. - Organic Facts


Benefits of Cardamom - The health benefits of cardamom include gastrointestinal protection, cholesterol control, anti-cancer properties, relief from cardiovascular issues, and improvement of blood circulation in the body. It is useful for curing digestive problems, dental diseases, and urinary tract infections such as cystitis, nephritis, and gonorrhea. Cardamom possesses aphrodisiac properties and is also used as a cure for impotence, erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculation. - Organic Facts

Benefits of Ginger - The top health benefits of ginger include its ability to help with arthritis and osteoarthritis, relieve nausea and pain, prevent cancer, improve respiratory conditions, and reduce flatulence. It also helps boost bone health, strengthen the immune system, and increase appetite.
This spicy root is also good for enhancing sexual activity, mitigating obesity, and relieving the pain related to menstrual disorders. Organic Facts

Cabbage - Roasted Garlic-y Wedges

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Savor the Flavor

This is called "Roasted Cabbage Wedges with Lemon Garlic Butter" on her site.  First, let me say, her photographs are gorgeous!  She could probably make dog food look gourmet.  I had to modify this recipe to be vegan and suit my wish for less fat.  Since I was skipping the butter, I also skipped the sautéing step, which made the recipe even easier.  I feel sure the recipe as is would be amazing.  For those who have no issue with dairy, you should no doubt click the link and see the original version. My version is still tasty and pretty.  Plus, it's a tad easier and healthier.  

This beautiful photo is from the recipe source, Savor the Flavor.

• 1 medium green cabbage - I used half a cabbage since I was cooking for two.  I am trying to be less wasteful
• tiny bit of olive oil - I plan to experiment with replacing the oil in the future
• sprinkle of salt and pepper
• garlic bits
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice - I skipped this since I wasn't making the butter sauce, but may experiment with it in the future

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Line a large cookie sheet with parchment.
   
2. Take off the outer leaves from the green cabbage.  Using a large knife, cut the cabbage in 8 pieces by cutting it in half, then in quarters, etc.  Leave the stem and core on, as it helps the cabbage hold its shape.
   
3. Place the cabbage on the foil-lined cookie sheet.  Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.  Rub garlic bits on both sides.
   
4. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, then carefully turn with a flipper and roast for another 15 minutes or until slightly brown around the edges.
   
5. When the roasted cabbage is ready to serve, brush the lemon garlic butter onto each cabbage wedge.  So... since I didn't do the garlic butter, I had nothing to brush on at the end.  I added the garlic before cooking.  If I do come up with a tasty oil and dairy-free sauce, I could experiment brushing it on at the end.  

Cauliflower - Sweet and Spicy

Recipe Inspiration Source:  The Fitchen

The glaze makes it!

In progress - coating the cauliflower before baking

This recipe is a keeper!  It's tasty and has quite an interesting kick.  JC, who has claimed on numerous occasions not to like cooked cauliflower, loved it.  Ha!  

Also, I like that the spices give it some color.  I love a colorful plate!

• 4 cups fresh cauliflower florets - I have used frozen in a pinch and it was fine!
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoon sriracha - careful!  If you are sensitive to spicy, use less.
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil - Awwww, do I have to?  
• 1/2 Tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

This recipe is super easy to make in smaller or larger quantities.  You don't have to be real precise.  In fact, I seldom measure anything when making this.  

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
   
2. In a large bowl combine everything but the cauliflower – maple syrup, sriracha, olive oil, tamari, and pepper. Add the cauliflower  and mix until it's well coated.
3. Pour the cauliflower onto the baking sheet and place in the oven. Be sure to give the cauliflower “room to breathe.” If the baking sheet is over-crowded, the cauliflower will “steam” and it won’t cook right. If you need to, divide it between 2 baking sheets.
   
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.

Pasta - Creamy Vegan Garlic Mushroom Pasta

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Amy Le Creations

JC declared this to be really good.  He also told me not to tell him what was in it.  He felt sure that I would tell him some crazy ingredients that would shock him and then he wouldn't be able to enjoy it.  He preferred to pretend it was made with butter and cheese and cream or something like that.  OMG.

Note: These are not the best type of noodles to use.
Fettucini would be better.

I have a love hate relationship with pasta.  I don't think it's a health promoter.  It's vegan, but it's certainly not a whole food.  It's pretty much empty calories.  I tried the pasta made from lentils.  I tried the gluten free.  Those are not awful, but they certainly aren't as good as the wheat versions.  This is a compromise food.  It's a filling starch.  It's another tool in the kit for variety.  It's yummy and can round out a meal with mostly vegetables.  JC loves it and since he's, against all odds, staying on the Vegan bandwagon, I am keeping it in our rotation.  With recipes like this one, it's not hard to rationalize.  It's pretty tasty.

INGREDIENTS
Note: When cooking for two, reduce the amounts of these ingredients!!!


SAUCE - Oh yeah baby!  This sauce is a keeper!

• 2 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 small onion, diced roughly (1/2 cup)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 cups unsweetened nut milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 garlic gloves, or to taste  
• salt + pepper to taste

OTHER

• fettuccini pasta
• mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

TIP: A food processor can be used for several key steps.  There's no need to mess up a blender.  The processor can dice onions and mushrooms.  Then it can be used to blend the sauce.  

1. Cook pasta, but leave the pasta just slightly undercooked. Drain and set aside.
   
2. Add 2 tsp of olive oil into a large frying pan over medium to high heat. When hot, add onion and cook for 4 minutes or until soft.
   
3. Mix in cornstarch and cook for a further minute.
   
4. Add 1/2 of the nut milk, making sure that the mixture is smooth besides the onion.
   
5. Add the remaining milk along with nutritional yeast and salt. Again, let it thicken a bit.
   
6. Put the warm mixture in the food processor.  Add the garlic and blend until smooth. Taste and add more garlic if needed. Set aside.
   
7. Rinse and dry the frying pan. Heat up the remaining 1/2 tsp of oil (you could also use splash of water instead) and add the mushrooms. You will notice the liquid coming from the mushrooms, keep cooking until they’re soft and there’s about 1/4 cup of liquid left.
   
8. Add the sauce to the pan, making sure the heat is low to medium to prevent it from sticking.
   
9. When the sauce is heated through, add in the pasta, parsley, remaining 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste. When the pasta is heated through, it’s ready to serve.

Potatoes - Hasselback

Recipe Inspiration Source:  This recipe is all over with numerous variations.  I'm not sure where I first heard about it.  It's named after the Stockholm restaurant where it was first served, Hasselbacken. The seasoned potatoes turn out crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

In order to get a contrast of textures, with crispy edges and delicate folds, starchy potato varieties are recommended.  Russets, Idahos potatoes and yellow-fleshed Yukon Golds are most often mentioned.   If I were making this for company, I'd use any of those.  This is a gorgeous photo from Archaea's Kitchen, is a good example of how the final recipe should look.

I also tried it with multi-colored carrot.
I wasn't able to keep an entire carrot together,
but it still turned out pretty good.

My photos show purple potatoes, because they are a healthier option, and that's the potato I most often use at home.  However, Hasselback Potatoes do not turn as crunchy on the outside, or open up as much while baking, if made with any sort of new potato.

• 3 pounds potatoes
• 4 tablespoons olive oil -   I haven't tried this without oil yet, but I'd love to figure out a good alternative. - SEE OPTIONS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST!
• 5 cloves garlic
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• Salt and pepper
• Optional topping - nutritional yeast

Total cooking time - 1 hour!

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Smash the garlic cloves and peel off the skin. Then pour the oil on the baking sheet and lay the garlic cloves, and rosemary on the sheet pan as well.
4. Cutting the potato - Hold the end of one potato. Use a sharp knife to cut across the potato to create 1/16- to 1/8-inch sections. Do not cut through the potato, but cut two-thirds the way down, leaving a 1/2 inch solid base at the bottom (less if the potatoes are smaller, but it will get tricky).   Repeat with the remaining potatoes.  You can cut thick slices if you like. Yet I find you get a much better texture and look when you try to make the slices 1/16th to 1/8th inch wide.
5. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet and roll them around to cover them with fat. Set them cut-side-up.
6. Place a small slice of garlic in between each slit - new idea - I haven't tried this yet!
7. Sprinkle each potato generously with salt and pepper.
8. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
9. Then use tongs to gently squeeze the base of each potato to open up the folds. Use a pastry brush to brush the herb-infused pan oils over the top of each potato and in between the folds, making sure it seeps down into the layers. Discard the garlic cloves if they are blackened.
   
   Hmmm... I've been trying to open the folds slightly before cooking.  Maybe it's better to wait til halfway through cooking!
10. Roast in the oven for another 30 minutes, until the largest potato is fork tender. Add option toppings.
11. Serve warm.  

Since these potatoes were smaller and my base had to be less than 1/2 inch,
I used a couple of wooden skewers as my stop guide when slicing.
Some people suggest placing the potato in a serving spoon to use as the guide.

OIL-FREE VERSIONS - use these sauces in place of the oil

* From Simple Vegan Blog - She also uses this sauce to make garlic bread.

One more thing - I saw in one =of her photos that she used some sort of guide when cutting.  I promise I didn't see that before thinking of mine.  My idea is probably not original.  I likely saw it somewhere way back when and just don't remember.

Blend  in a blender or food processor:

• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 handful fresh parsley

* From Integrative Medicine - 

• vegetable broth
• a little bit of corn starch

 After cutting potatoes hasselback-style, place a small slice of garlic in between each slit and baste with a corn starch-thickened vegetable broth.   This sounds super easy and I love the idea of slipping some garlic into the slits.  I'm incorporating that into my instructions!!!

* From Culinary Gym - 

Blend into a cashew milk:

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup cashews
• 1 teaspoon garlic granules
• 1 teaspoon onion granules

Rice - Oven Baked Garlic Mushroom

Recipe Inspiration Source:  A Virtual Vegan

Rice is a great base for family meals because it’s allergy friendly, nutritious, low in calories (about 108 calories per half cup serving), naturally sodium free, cholesterol free and it’s a great source of B vitamins, phosphorous, zinc and plant-based protein.

NOTE - I am making modifications to this recipe!  TO see the original, click on the link at the beginning of this post.  I am typically making this for two people, so I reduced the amounts.  Also, the original recipe was for white rice.  I'm working to get this right for another, more nutritious rice - brown or wild or red or a mix.

• 1 cup rice - brown? Black? red? wild?
• 2 cups flavorful broth - "I like to use mushroom broth as it has the best flavour. It must be a good tasting broth as this is where a lot of the flavour will come from."
• 1 small onion chopped finely
• 5 cloves garlic , chopped finely, less if you prefer
• ¾  teaspoons salt - if broth is extra salty, may want to reduce this
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme ***
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary ***
• 2 or 3 heaping cups sliced mushrooms - You can go lighter if you have to, but if you are a mushroom lover, don't skimp!

1. Preheat oven to 380 F - see note
2. Rinse the rice then place it in a baking dish - probably something like an 8 x 8 or a pie dish.  No need to line or grease the pan.
3. Add the onions and garlic, then the seasoning and herbs. Stir together to evenly distribute then level out.
4. Spread the chopped mushrooms evenly over the top.
5. Add the broth then cover tightly with tin foil or a tight fitting lid.
6. Bake for 1 hour.   This turned out perfect for me.  
7. Remove from the oven, remove the foil, check the rice is tender. If not give it a stir, cover and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
8. Once rice is tender remove from the oven. If there is any visible liquid uncover and return to the oven for about 5 minutes and it will evaporate off.
9. Serve immediately.  

You can make this ahead – mix everything up in the baking dish, cover with foil and pop in the fridge, then you can cook it when you are ready, just be careful that you don’t slop the broth all over the place when you remove it from the fridge.

Adjusting temp and time for BROWN RICE -

Here are some other directions I found:

• 375 for 1 hour
• 400 for 1 hour
• 350 for 70 minutes

If you use another temp in order to cook the rice alongside another recipe, keep your eye on the rice and make sure it doesn’t dry out and burn on the bottom.

Flavor Variations:

• Before baking, slice one small yellow onion into dices or half moons and caramelize and brown in 1 teaspoon of olive oil until golden and soft (about 10 minutes in a nonstick skillet). Stir onion into rice and broth mixture and bake according to recipe.
• After removing rice from the oven and letting it sit for five minutes, remove aluminum foil and stir in the zest and juice from 1 lemon, 1/2 cup grated fresh VEGAN Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 apple, finely diced.  Note: I've heard some people love Vegan Parm but I haven't tried it.  I was such a cheese lover.  Now that I finally have the cheese monkey off my back,  it might be best for me to avoid imitations.  I do sometimes use Nutritional Yeast, which besides adding an interesting flavor, also has a boost of B vitamins. 

Salad - Carrot Salad, Spicy

I haven't yet found my keeper recipe, but I know it's worth more trials.  JC like my first efforts, but I didn't.  

Recipe Inspiration Sources:  
Caroline's Cooking
Inspiralized
Mother Would Know

This is what I used in my first attempt at the dressing.  Look at that!  I used the juice from a whole lemon.  That pretty much ruined my salad.  I was thinking tangy, but it was way over the top.  My bad.

• 8 oz carrots, shredded

FRUIT AND NUT OPTIONS

• raisins 
• Orange or tangerine bits
• almonds, chopped 

FRESH HERB OPTIONS - a little bit of green makes this recipe much prettier!

• cilantro coriander, finely chopped
• parsley, finely chopped

DRESSING -  WET Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable broth 
• 2 tbsp lemon juice - not more!  I used too much on my first attempt.
• maple syrup

DRESSING - SPICES - I need to keep looking for the perfect combo.

• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 clove garlic
• red pepper flakes
• 1 pinch salt

1. Peel and coarsely grate the carrots.  Or buy shredded.
2. Finely chop the cilantro.  
3. DRESSING: Whisk/stir together the dressing ingredients.
   
4. Pour over the carrot and mix through well.
   
5. Add the cilantro, almonds and raisins.  Mix and serve or chill until needed.

Hmmmm- this might be good cooked as well.  Might have to investigate.

SHOULD MOROCCAN CARROT SALAD BE RAW OR COOKED?
If you’ve had a Moroccan carrot salad before, you may have had a cooked version. The flavorings are otherwise very similar to this, but of course the texture will be a bit different. You’ll find both in Morrocco, and with a few variations as well.