Spicy Black Bean + Corn Salad

I’ve run into a really bad habit lately when it comes to the food I bring to work. I’m up crazy early ( 5am! ) but I’m also done by 1 or 2pm. Because of this, I don’t take a lunch break and I have been basically living on GoMacro Bars or sourdough/almond butter sandwiches until I can get home to eat some greens or something more substantial.

THIS IS NOT OKAY

Because of this, my recent goals are to come up with some recipes that are healthier than sourdough, something really portable, high in fiber and protein, and something I can get 2 to 3 work lunches out of. So far, this spicy bean and corn salad has been a great solution.

Spicy Black Bean + Corn Salad - makes 2-3 servings

• one 14oz can of organic black beans rinsed and drained

• one 14 oz can of organic corn kernels, rinsed and drained

• 1 cup red bell pepper, diced

• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

• 1/3 cup red onion, thinly diced

• 1/2 cup vegan feta crumbles ( I like “Follow Your Heart” Feta ) or an organic sheep’s milk feta if not vegan ( or omit entirely )

• 1 Tb plus 1 tsp red wine vinegar

• 1 Tb avocado oil

• juice of one lime

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 1/8 tsp black pepper

*Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Taste, and adjust salt, spice or lime juice if needed.

Lemon Lentil Soup

Been making a version of this humble lentil soup forever! Not quite sure where the original recipe came from, and I have modified it over the years but it always comes out great! Feel free to replace the spinach with kale or chard. Chopped Italian parsley is a nice addition as well. This is a perfect soup for chilly late winter days. And don’t forget the crusty bread for dipping!

Lemon Lentil Soup - Make 4-6 servings

• 1.5 cups dried red lentils. Rinsed and drained.

• 6 cups vegetable broth

• 1 Tb avocado oil ( coconut oil or olive oil can be used instead )

• 1 large white onion, diced

• 2 large carrots, grated

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 tsp coriander powder

• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes ( optional )

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 2 cups, baby spinach leaves

*Optional minced chives for topping

*In a large soup pot, saute diced onion, grated carrots, and minced garlic in 1 Tb of avocado oil over medium-high heat until onions become translucent ( about 5-7 minutes ).

*Add dried spices and then saute for about 30 seconds. Add vegetable broth and rinsed lentils and then bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and then simmer for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

*Add lemon juice and spinach, and then stir until spinach wilts. Remove from heat and serve.

***Serve with toasted crusty sourdough or even better, Kalamata olive bread.

Red Lentil Curry

Winter has finally arrived on Maui! We even had a rare, snow-capped Haleakala this week! So beautiful.

So on these “chilly” February nights, I love making large batches of creamy soups, Dahls, and curries. Here’s a recipe for my current weeknight favorite. This Red Lentil Curry is full of exotic flavors, it’s spicy and it makes great leftovers for days.

Red Lentil Curry - serves 4-6

• 1.5 cups of dried red lentils, rinsed

• 1 Tb avocado or coconut oil

• 4 cups of vegetable broth

• 1, 14 oz can of full-fat coconut milk

• 1 large sweet onion, diced

• 2 carrots, diced

• 4 cloves of crushed garlic

• 1 Tb fresh grated ginger

• juice of 2 juicy limes

• 1 Tb coconut sugar ( subs can be brown sugar, agave syrup, or maple syrup )

• 1 Tb plus 1 tsp curry powder

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1/4 tsp black cracked pepper

• 1, 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed

• 1 cup chopped cilantro, chopped

• 5 oz fresh baby spinach, chopped

*In a large stockpot or Dutch oven add 1 Tb of oil add diced onions. Saute about 3-4 minutes over med-high heat until slightly translucent. Add diced carrots, minced garlic, grated ginger, and black pepper and saute another 2-3 minutes. Add curry powder and cayenne pepper and saute for about 1 minute or just until spices are fragrant and slightly toasted.

*Next, add vegetable broth, coconut milk, lime juice, and sweetener of choice. Then add rinsed lentils and chickpeas and stir until combined. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce heat to medium-low heat and simmer ( uncovered ) until lentil curry thickens to the desired consistency. Stirring occasionally. This will take about 20 minutes.

*Add chopped baby spinach and chopped cilantro and stir until wilted ( about 2-3 minutes). Remove from heat. Taste, adjust flavor with more lime juice, cayenne or salt only if needed.

*Serve over rice. Some great toppings suggestions would be mango chutney, fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, or my favorite homemade vegan sour cream ( recipe under Dips/Sauces )

This will last in the fridge for about 4 days. This freezes really well too!

Jewel Box Salad

This pretty winter salad was inspired by a recent dinner at the Hali’imaile General Store in Makawao. I took the liberty of adding a vegan cheese but this addition is completely optional. I also thought that a citrus-based dressing would be a nice compliment to the roasted veggies.

Jewel Box Salad - makes one large salad

• 2-3 cups of mixed leafy greens

• 1/2 cup of roasted butternut squash ( made from frozen butternut cubes )

• 1/2 cup of roasted corn kernels

• 1/4 cup vegan ricotta, crumbled ( I like Kite Hill )

• 2 Tb chopped walnuts ( toasted walnuts are nice here )

• 2 Tb dried cranberries

Citrus Dressing

• 1/4 cup orange or tangerine juice

• 1/4 cup avocado oil ( or olive oil )

• 2 Tb white balsamic or champagne vinegar

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 2 drops of liquid stevia or 2 tsp maple syrup

• cracked black pepper ( about 1/8 tsp or more )

*Wisk all ingredients together and taste. Adjust any ingredients to your liking. Place in the fridge to chill until ready. This makes about 4 servings of dressing.

To prep salad ingredients

Preheat oven to 375F.

*Place frozen butternut squash cubes on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. I used a whole 10oz bag of frozen butternut so I did have some leftovers. Feel free to toss with a little bit of neutral-tasting oil ( like avocado oil ) but this isn’t totally necessary. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cubes are slightly golden brown and crispy looking. This step can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge.

*While the squash is roasting, place 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels on a lightly oiled, non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Saute until corn is lightly roasted ( about 10 minutes ) This step can also be done ahead of time and kept in the fridge until ready.

To assemble salad

Place fresh leafy greens In a large shallow bowl. Top with 1/2 cup of the chilled or room temperature roasted butternut squash, the chilled or room temperature roasted corn kernels, 2 Tb of dried cranberries, 2 Tb of chopped walnuts, and 1/4 cup crumbled ricotta. Dress with 2 -3 Tb of the Citrus dressing and toss. Serve with extra cracked black pepper.

Late Season Spicy Gazpacho

For those of you that aren’t quite ready for “fall-themed” foods ( meaning, pumpkin spice on everything LOL ) This is a great way to use up those ripe, late summer tomatoes and make a delicious light lunch. I feel like this gazpacho is best when it has a few hours to sit and “marinate” in the fridge. If you aren’t into spicy foods, you can easily skip the sambal or sriracha that I’m obsessed with. No strict rules here so enjoy!

Late Season Spicy Gazpacho - makes approximately 6 servings

• 32 oz tomato organic juice

• 5 large tomatoes - scored, blanched, peeled, and diced

• 1 large seeded cucumber, diced ( I left the skin on )

• 1/2 large green bell pepper, diced

• 3 cloves of garlic minced

• 1/2 of a large red onion, diced

• 1/2 cup of Italian basil, chopped

• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped ( cilantro haters can omit )

• 2 Tbs aged balsamic vinegar

• 2 Tbs olive oil

• 2 Tbs sambal or sriracha for heat ( a finely diced jalapeno could work in space of this )

• juice of 1/2 of a large lemon

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

To Make

*Bring water to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan. Score ( cut an X ) on the bottom of each tomato and place in boiling water for 30 seconds. Quickly drain tomatoes and place in an ice bath until cool. Peel skin off of the blanched tomatoes and finely dice and place in a large bowl

*Finely dice a seeded cucumber, 1/2 of green bell pepper, and 1/2 of red onion and add to the large bowl with the tomatoes. Pour in the tomato juice and add the remaining ingredients. Stir and taste. Adjust spice, salt, and pepper if needed.

***Optional - I like to take an emulsion blender to this recipe at the very end. I just submerge it in the finished soup and pulse it a few times to break down the veggies just a little bit more. This step is completely optional. You can get the same effect by pulsing just half of the finished gazpacho in a medium speed blender and then combining it with the unblended half.

To serve

*ladle gazpacho into a shallow soup bowl. Top with chopped basil and/or chives and drizzle a little olive oil on top. Cubed or sliced avocado is a nice addition as well.

Asian Noodle Bowl with Sweet Citrus Dressing

With the exception of some chopping, this salad is super easy to throw together and it makes a very satisfying lunch or dinner. I love making these on hot muggy days when I can’t bring myself to heat up the kitchen with a hot oven.

Feel free to add as many fresh veggies and herbs as you desire. I really love using red cabbage for some extra crunch and vitamin K, cucumbers are crisp and hydrating, carrots add some extra sweetness and vitamin A, bell peppers are colorful and add a great source of vitamin C. Experiment with what you like and have on hand. The more veggies and herbs the better.

For today’s salad, I used about 1/2 cup of each of the following:

• Shredded red cabbage

• shredded carrots

• sliced Persian cucumbers

• shredded romaine lettuce

Toppings

• about a handful of chopped cilantro, sliced green onions and fresh mint

• chopped peanuts

To make the rice noodles:

Cook according to the brand’s instructions and rinse with cold water to cool. My absolute favorite vermicelli rice noodles are by Dongguan Rice Vermicelli. Lotus Foods make a good one as well. I like the Millet and Brown Rice Ramen Noodles. Both brands come in perfect, one serving size dried bundles. They make about 1 cup of noodles once cooked.

To make the dressing: Makes about 1 cup of dressing. Keeps about 7-10 days in the fridge. Really good on rice or a tofu marinade as well!

• 1/3 cup coconut aminos

• 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1 Tbs toasted sesame oil

To assemble:

Arrange the shredded veggies, cooled rice noodles, chopped fresh herbs and peanuts in a large deep bowl. Add about 3 Tbs of the dressing and toss. Sometimes I like to throw in a little sambal for some heat. Enjoy!

My Favorite Green Juice

I’m not going to lie, I definitely go in spurts when it comes to juicing. I’ll juice upon waking for two weeks straight and then go without it for 2 months. But I gotta say that when I start my day with a green juice ( vs a large coffee ). I end up feeling a hundred times better! No contest.

Summertime is a great time to start juicing. It’s hot and sticky in Hawaii right now, so a cold green juice just sounds really good to me. So, here’s my go-to recipe that I’ve been using for at least 10 years. Hope you like it.

Note: Don’t be scared of leafy greens in your juice! The trick is adding lemon. This REALLY cuts the “green” taste down and makes this juice taste like a refreshing lemonade.

Green Juice - about 16 oz - juiced in a Breville highspeed juicer

• Several leaves organic kale. The amount of kale you decide to use will completely depend on your tolerance for its’ “slightly bitter” taste. I tend to use several leaves with the stems still intact. You can use spinach instead of kale if you prefer.

• 2 medium organic cucumbers - I leave the skin on

• 1 large organic apple - skin on

• 1 peeled lemon

• 1/2 inch fresh ginger

*I try to use organic produce as much as possible when juicing.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls + Hoisin Peanut Sauce

I should have just gone to the beach today. I mean, it’s absolutely gorgeous out but I’m dealing with a lot of anxiety right now. I’m sure you can relate?

Covid-19 is exploding on the U.S. Mainland, no idea when I’ll see my family again, the economy is tanking, kids can’t go back to school, we’re on a “Hurricane Watch” in Hawaii right now, it’s 2020, blah blah blah…Ugh, I’m so sorry. I am definitely in a mood right now. But for whatever dumb reason, I felt that it was better to sit inside and watch the news all afternoon instead of enjoying a beautiful ( pre-hurricane ) day outside. It was probably not the right decision but unfortunately, that’s what I did.

THIS TOO SHALL PASS ( right? )

Anyway, enough with that. I did make myself an absolutely fabulous lunch though!

Vietnamese Summer Rolls are really a perfect lunch (or dinner) to make when you’re stressed and trying to keep your sanity in check. Lots of repetitive chopping and meditative rolling going on here. And don’t worry about getting them to look perfect. It will most likely take a few tries before you get them just right but that’s not the point. Just think of rolling them like little burritos and it gets easier.

Ingredients for Summer Rolls

• 1 package of Vietnamese tapioca/rice paper ( I like this brand HERE )

• 1 large shallow bowl filled with warm water

Summer Roll filling ideas ( today I used lettuce, mint, chives, carrots, cucumber, cabbage, and mango )

• red or green cabbage sliced thin

• sliced bell peppers

• julienned carrots

• sliced cucumbers

• sliced bell peppers

• sliced avocado

• lettuce ( I like Butter Lettuce for these )

• mango slices

• mint

• chives or green onions

• tofu

• grilled tempeh

To Assemble

*Take one rice paper sheet, dip it in warm water for about 30 seconds, and then place it on a clean large cutting board.

*Arrange the fillings in the center of the wet rice paper. I find that starting with a lettuce leaf works best. Then layer the other fillings in the center of the lettuce horizontally. Note: It’s helpful to have the fillings cut roughly the same length. I like them all to be about 2-3 inches long.

*To roll: Fold the top end of the rice pepper over the fillings. Push the fillings back in if they start popping out of the front or side. Then fold the sides in like a burrito and continue to finish rolling the summer roll until tight.

*Slice in half or leave whole to serve

*I find that these don’t keep that well in the fridge for longer than one day because the rice paper wrapper tends to get hard and chewy. Best to eat them ASAP if you can.

Hoisin Peanut Sauce - makes about 2 cups

• 1 and 1/3 cups of water

• 1 cup hoisin sauce

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1.5 Tbs minced shallot

• 1 Tb rice wine vinegar

• 2 tsp coconut sugar ( optional )

• 1 Tb sambal oelek or sriracha

*More water if needed for consistency

*In a small saucepan over med-high heat saute the minced shallot in a splash of water until translucent ( about 1-2 minutes ).

*Add water and hoisin and whisk until blended and bring to a low simmer. Add peanut butter, vinegar, sugar, and sambal and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.

*I like to serve this with crushed salted peanuts sprinkled on top. This makes a lot of sauce so feel free to cut the recipe in half. Stores well in the fridge for several days. Add more water to thin out if needed.

***Optional Peanut Sauce without Hoisin below***

Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce - makes about 14 oz

• 1/2 cup creamy organic unsweetened peanut butter or almond butter

• 3/4 cup - 1 cup full-fat coconut milk ( depending on desired consistency )

• 1/4 cup of coconut sugar ( 2-3 tbs can be used instead if you want to reduce sugar content )

• juice of 1 juicy lime

• 1 tbs low-sodium soy sauce or tamari

• 2 tsp sambal ( or sriracha )

• 1/2 inch piece of fresh peeled ginger

• 1 clove of garlic

• Blend all ingredients in a highspeed blender until smooth. Lasts for about 1 week in the fridge.

Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Years ago, my husband and I spent A LOT of time at the Sea House Restaurant on Napili Bay enjoying their amazing Happy Hour. Back in the day, they had this incredible “small plate” menu and everything on it was between $5 and $7 bucks! For Maui, this was an absolute STEAL and during the Great Recession, it was very much appreciated. I have a post about the Sea House Happy Hour on my old blog HERE if you would like to check it out. Sorry in advance for my poor quality blog pics back in 2010 but the food was seriously AMAZING!

My favorite item on the Happy Hour menu was the Molokai Sweet Potato Quesadilla and OMG, it was so freaking good!

Over the years, the menu at the Sea House has changed. ( Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a great place for Happy Hour ) but they no longer have my favorite quesadilla (sad face). But to be completely honest, I wouldn’t be able to eat it anymore because it contained cheese. Luckily, it’s been pretty easy to recreate this quesadilla at home. Over the years I figured out a delicious way to veganize it and make it a whole lot healthier in doing so.

Here’s my updated version below. Enjoy!

Molokai Sweet Potato Quesadillas - Make 4 - 5 small quesadillas

• 1 large purple sweet potato ( Molokai or Okinawan ) a regular sweet potato or yam would work as well. Cubed, steamed, and then mashed.

• 1/2 small onion, diced ( I used a sweet Maui onion )

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 bell pepper, diced

• 1 cup shredded spinach

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• juice of 1/2 lime

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

• 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese ( Violife is good ) This is totally optional. I opted out today.

• 4-5, 6” corn, cassava flour ( pictured ) or regular flour tortillas

Toppings

• guacamole

• salsa fresca

• vegan sour cream ( homemade version HERE )

• hot sauce

• cilantro/chives

To prepare

*Peel sweet potato, cube, and steam in a steamer basket until easily pierced with a fork ( about 15 minutes ). Remove from heat and then mash cubed sweet potato with a potato masher or fork until “creamy” ( you may add a little water if need be ) then set aside.

*In a large non-stick skillet on med-high heat, saute diced onions, minced garlic, and diced bell pepper in about 1 Tb of water until translucent ( about 5 minutes ) You may use 1 tsp avocado or coconut oil instead of water if you prefer. Next, sprinkle on 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp chili powder, squeeze on lime juice, add 1 cup of shredded spinach, and 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro and saute for about 1 minute ( or until greens are wilted ). Remove from heat and then fold the cooked veggies into the sweet potato mash. Taste and sprinkle in more salt if needed.

*Heat tortillas on a hot grill pan or skillet until soft. Remove from heat and then place about 1/2 cup of the sweet potato and veggie mash on one half of the tortilla. Add a sprinkle of vegan cheese if desired here. Then fold tortilla over mixture and place back on grill or skillet until the quesadilla crisps up a bit ( about 2 minutes ). Flip and grill the other side of the quesadilla.

*Remove quesadilla from heat and plate with desired toppings.