Road Trip Quinoa Salad

I made this salad for our first vegan road trip and it kept us satisfied. It is perfect for a road trip because it gets better the longer it sits. Just be sure to keep it in a cooler!

2 c quinoa, cooked and cooled

3 multi-colored peppers, roasted, peeled and chopped

1 c garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

5 sundried tomatoes

1 c cooked and cooled rainbow orzo

1 rib celery, diced

¼ c sliced olives

1 c chopped spinach

1/3 c lemon juice

2/3 c olive oil

1 T red wine vinegar

2 T soy sauce

1 t pepper

Toss together salad ingredients. Shake dressing ingredients in a small jar. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Let sit covered in the refrigerator overnight.

As You Like It Hummus

I love hummus! It confounds me how something so beige and bland looking can be such a taste sensation. Try it any which way but loose.

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

2-3 cloves garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

3 T tahini

¼ c. liquid of your choice (water, vegetable juice, olive oil, etc.)

1 t salt

½ t cumin (optional)

For a variation add one third cup of any of the following, or try different combinations:

Olives (black, green, kalamata)

Spinach

Carrot

Artichoke hearts

Roasted peppers

Fresh herbs

Sun dried tomatoes

Kale

Put all ingredients in a food processor and process until thick and creamy. Serve with a variety of items. Some of my favorites are pita, chips, crackers, pretzels, tortillas, French bread, veggies, apples, pears, and on and on.

U-Pick Smoothie

In the summer months I take advantage of the fabulous array of produce in Oregon (no, you can’t move here, we’re full!) and pick my own fruit all summer long. Here is a smoothie to use all that fruit I pick.

1 peach

½ c blueberries

½ c blackberries

1 t vanilla

1 c nondairy milk

½ c ice

Put all in a blender and blend until smooth.

Blueprint for A Kick Ass Green Salad

Since my husband dabbled a raw foods a few years back, I have perfected my awesome green salad. This is what my husband has for lunch most days. Let me tell you, salad is not boring! Try it!

Serves 1 for a meal, or 2-4 as a side dish

Combine the following in a bowl with a lid.

1 kind lettuce (romaine, green leaf, butter) chopped or shredded

2 kinds greens/cabbage (kale, swiss chard, spinach, purple cabbage, savoy cabbage) chopped, shredded, or julliened

2 kinds non-sweet fruit (cucumber, zucchini, tomato, bell pepper) diced or julienned

2 kinds vegetable (jicama, carrot, celery, beet, broccoli, cauliflower) diced or julienned

1 or 2 kinds nut or seed, chopped if necessary

optional: sprouts (quinoa, alfalfa, bean, pea), sweet fruit (apple, pear, dried cranberries, strawberries) diced, protein (smoked tofu, veggie bacon, canned beans)

Pour dressing over top, put lid on and shake it!  Eat.  Lots.