The Best Guacamole (Vegan, Raw, Gluten Free, and Oil Free)

The Best Guacamole

• 4 ripe avocados
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 cup red onion (finely chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 to mato or a handful of grape tomatoes (diced)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• 1 jalapeno or serrano (seeded, deveined, and minced)
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

1. Cut avocados in half, remove pit, and slice the flesh crosswise and lengthwise without cutting through the skin. Spoon out flesh and put in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients. DO NOT mash the avocado! (Smooth guacamole is gross and you don’t want anyone to think it came from a mix.) It will become less chunky as you blend in the other ingredients.
3. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving (if it lasts that long).

How pick perfect avocados at the grocery store: Do not squeeze avocados! If you will be using your avocados the same day you purchase them, pick off the stem part of an avocado. If it is difficult to remove, it isn’t ripe enough. If the crater left from the stem is brown, it is overripe. If the stem comes off fairly easily and the crater is yellow, the avocado is perfectly ripe.

Empanadas (Vegan and Oil Free)

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 1 cup avocado
• 2 2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour

For the filling:

• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 package Upton’s Chorizo Seitan
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 1/8 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp chopped green olives
• 2 tbsp golden or regular raisins
• 2 tbsp finely chopped almonds
• black pepper, to taste

Directions

For the dough:

1. Put all ingredients in a food processor or mixing bowl and blend with a fork.
2. Roll into balls and use a large tortilla press to make your dough circles (4″-5″ diameter) or roll out about 1/4″ thick on a floured surface and cut out circles with a cookie cutter or knife.

For the filling:

Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add onions, carrot, and garlic. Saute until onions are soft.

Add chorizo seitan, tomato sauce, and spices.

Let simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in olives, raisins, and almonds.

Remove from heat and let cool.

To assemble:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spoon about 1 1/2 tbsp of filling onto each dough circle.

Moisten the edges with non-dairy milk or water, fold the circle in half and seal the edges with a fork.

Place empanadas on the lined baking sheet and brush tops with non-dairy milk or water, if desired.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.

Makes 1 dozen.

Deviled Tomatoes (Vegan, Gluten Free, and Oil Free)

Ingredients

• 6 Roma tomatoes
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup cup water
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup pickle relish
• paprika for garnish (optional)

Directions

Slice tomatoes in half and scoop out pulp and the seeds to create an egg-like cup. Set aside.

Combine the rest of the ingredients, except the green onions and pickle relish, in a food processor. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.

Add the green onions and pickle relish and just pulse until blended.

Spoon mixture into tomatoes and garnish with paprika, if desired.

Makes 1 dozen.

Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus (Vegan)

Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus aka Vegan Crack

• 1/2 box whole wheat phyllo (thawed)
• 1 bunch asparagus (tough ends removed)
• Parmesan substitute

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut a package of phyllo and save one of the halves for another recipe.
3. Roll out the half you will be working with, sprinkle with about 2 tsp of the vegan Parmesan, and place 2 asparagus stalks at one end.
4. Roll up, place on a lined or nonstick baking sheet. Repeat the process until your ingredients are used up. Cut each roll in half, if desired.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. They stay hot a long time!

Raw “Queso” (Vegan, Gluten Free, and Oil Free)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup raw cashew pieces
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup raw tahini
• 1 cup raw salsa

Directions

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Refrigerate before serving.

Candied Nuts (Vegan, Raw, Gluten Free, and Oil Free)

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw nuts
• 1/4 cup date syrup
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• dash cayenne (optional)

Directions

Soak nuts in filtered water for several hours. Rinse and drain and place in food dehydrator.  Dry until thoroughly crisp. (I have an Excalibur and I dry nuts in it for 48 hours.)

Combine the rest of ingredients in a bowl and add nuts.  Stir to coat and then pour onto a ParaFlexx or similar sheet on a food dehydrator rack.

Dehydrate for 24 hours.

Let cool (if you can stand it) and enjoy!

Basic Hummus (Vegan, Gluten Free, and Oil Free)

Ingredients

• 1 can garbanzos, drained, rinsed, and skins removed
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp sea salt
• juice of 1 small lemon

Directions

Blend tahini and water in a food processor until creamy.

Add garlic, salt, and lemon juice.

Add garbanzos and process for at least 5 minutes or until very smooth.

Serve as is, garnished with some Hungarian paprika and/or pine nuts, or add in your favorite flavors, such as sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, or artichokes.  The possibilities are endless!

The Best Basic Hummus (Vegan, Gluten Free, and Oil Free)

The Best Basic Hummus

• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sumac
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (optional)

1. Blend tahini and water in a blender or food processor until creamy.

2. Bend in garlic, salt, cumin, sumac, and lemon juice.

3. Add chickpeas and oil (or additional water, if necessary) and blend until completely smooth.

4. Serve as is, garnished with additional sumac and/or pine nuts, or add in your favorite flavors, such as sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, or artichokes.  The possibilities are endless!