Asian Rice Noodles with Spicy Almond Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1 package rice noodles
• 1/2 head broccoli, tops cut into flowerets, stems peeled and sliced thinly
• 2 cups of snow peas, trimmed
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup unsalted almond butter
• 1/4 cup of reduced sodium soy sauce
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) chili-garlic sauce
• 1 scallion, green part only chopped finely
• 1 tsp coconut oil

Directions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil
• Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medum heat, stirring frequently, until they are golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from skillet into a bowl
• Cook the rice noodles according to the directions on the package.
• Heat coconut oil in skillet
• Add broccoli, snow peas and red pepper for 2 min ensuring they still remain crispy
• While the rice noodles are cooking, make the sauce.
• Place the almond butter, soy sauce, lime juice, chili-garlic sauce and 3 Tbsp of boiling water (from the rice noodle pot) into a large bowl and whisk until smooth
• Drain the noodles
• Add the sauce and rice noodles to the vegetables in the skillet and toss to coat
• Serve garnished with the toasted almonds and scallion greens

Serves 4-6

Mango Lime Sorbet

Ingredients

• 2 cups pureed partially frozen mango
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• Juice of 2 limes

Directions

• Allow frozen mango to thaw for 15 minutes
• Once it has partially thawed, puree the mango along with the agave nectar and lime juice
• Pour the puree in a metal bowl and then place it in the freezer
• After 30 min, stir the puree, then repeat every 15 min thereafter until you are ready to serve

recipe courtesy of Dr. Neal Barnard (21 day weight loss kickstart)

Mexican Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4  teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup diced tomato
• 1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning (we use blenditup brand)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped
• juice of fresh lemon or lime

Directions

• Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat
• Add the onions and saute until tender and translucent
• Add the garlic, cumin and chili powder and saute for one minute
• Add the quinoa, broth, tomato, taco seasoning, salt and pepper and bring to a boil
• Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the the quinoa is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes
• Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes
• Serve and garnish with cilantro and a squeeze of lemon or lime to taste

Prep Time and Cook Time: 35 min

Serves: 4 as a side dish

recipe courtesy of: www.closetcooking.com with adjustments made by me!

For the ice cream lovers out there….Green Kiwifruit Sorbet

This is sooooooooooooo yummy and so fresh! Its an excellent substitute for dairy free “ice cream”.  Kiwi’s are an excellent source of Vitamin C and fiber.  They actually have more Vitamin C than an orange.

Ingredients

• 6 green kiwifruit (ends cut, peeled and chopped)
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp lime zest

Directions

• Wash, peel, and cut kiwifruit into small pieces
• Spread chopped kiwifruit pieces on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until frozen
• Place frozen kiwifruit pieces, agave nectar, lime juice and lime zest in a food processor or Blendtec blender and process until creamy
• Serve immediately as a soft-serve sorbet or pour the sorbet into a container with lid and return to the freezer for about an hour or so to firm up or until ready to serve

Recipe courtesy of http://www.rawepicurian.com

Raw Asian Ginger Soup – Vegan and Gluten Free

What you will need:

• Blendtec or Vitamix blender
• 1/2 an Avocado
• 2 tsp ginger root
• 1 – 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups of turnip greens (can also use kale or collard greens)
• 1 medium sized cucumber
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1.5 cups of hot water
• juice of 1 lime
• chopped cilantro as a garnish

Add the contents to your blender and let it rip!  Should be ready in 2 mins.  Add chopped cilantro on top

This soup is a great pick me up. It clears the sinuses and is loaded with fiber and powerful spices that promote regularity