delicious – Eat Well Mademoiselle

Creamy Avocado Pesto Salad

I love pesto, so combining a leafy green salad with savory pesto dressing is a no-brainer for me. This salad is packed with the flavors of fresh herbs and lemony goodness. The avocado is loaded with nourishing healthy fats and creates a creaminess to this salad. Enjoy!

Preparation + Cook Time: 30 minutes

Makes about 5-6 servings

For the Pesto Dressing

Ingredients:

1 C Packed Fresh Basil
2 T Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 C Pine Nuts
1/3 C Raw Cashews
1/4 C Olive Oil
1/4 t Minced Garlic
1 T Water
Dash of Salt & Pepper
1 T Nutritional Yeast

Instructions:

Put all of the ingredients for the pesto dressing into a food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Scoop into a bowl and set aside.

For the Salad

Ingredients:

2 Avocados
2 T Fresh Lemon Juice
Dash of Salt & Pepper
1 15 oz can of Chickpeas
1/2 a Cucumber, chopped
1/4 C Green Onion, chopped
1/4 C Fresh Cilantro, chopped
6 C Spring Greens Mix or Arugula
1/4 C Cashews, chopped

Instructions:

Cut the avocados into small cubes. Put them into a large salad bowl.
Add the lemon juice to the avocados and mix until the avocados are evenly coated. Add a dash of Salt & Pepper.
Drain the chickpeas. Add to the bowl of avocado. Stir to combine. Now, add the cucumber, green onions, and cilantro. Stir again to combine.
Add the spring greens. Toss the salad and add the pesto dressing. (You may not need to add all of the pesto if you don’t want as much dressing). Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Top with the chopped cashews and serve.

Benefits of this recipe:

–Avocado protects heart health, aids in better digestive health, protects from diabetes, balances hormones naturally, and boosts your mood. It is also great for keeping your hair, skin, and eyes healthy.

-Basil contains disease fighting antioxidants, helps lower inflammation in the body, reduces stress, fights depression and anxiety, supports the liver, and promotes cardiovascular health.

-Salad greens or arugula protects eye health, improves heart health, helps maintain strong bones, improves digestion, helps prevent diabetes, and reduces skin inflammation.

-Chickpeas help control blood sugar levels, improves digestion because of high fiber content, helps protect against heart disease, is a good source of protein, and contains many beneficial vitamins and minerals such as zinc, folate, phosphorus, and B vitamins.

The information on the benefits of the ingredients was researched from http://www.draxe.com

Curried Chickpea Salad on Toast

Smashed Chickpea salad on toast is so satisfying and scrumptious. It has a similar texture to tuna salad or chicken salad. The curry flavor added to this dish is savory and rich, but not spicy at all. This is a great meal to enjoy for breakfast, lunch, OR dinner. Enjoy!

Preparation + Cook Time: 25 minutes

Makes about 7 servings

Ingredients:

2 15 oz Cans of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 C Vegan Mayonnaise (Vegenaise)
2 t Curry Powder
1/4 C Chopped Red Onion
1 Clove of Garlic, Minced
1 Stalk of Celery, Chopped
1 Shredded Carrot
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
1/4 C Fresh Chopped Cilantro
Dash of Salt + Pepper
A few Slices of Bread (I used Northern Bakehouse “Delicious Vegan & Gluten Free Seeds and Grains Bread”)

Instructions:

Pour your drained/rinsed chickpeas into a large bowl. Mash them with a potato masher until completely mashed. Tip: I like to keep a few chickpea chunks in there for texture!
Stir in the Vegenaise.
Add the curry powder to the mixture. Make sure the curry is evenly incorporated into the chickpeas.
Add the red onion, garlic, celery, carrot, lemon juice, and cilantro. Add as much salt and pepper as needed. This completes your chickpea salad.
Toast the bread. Load the Chickpea salad on top of the toast. You may add any additional toppings that you like. I like to add radishes, sprouts, or avocado.

Benefits of this recipe:

-Celery helps lower cholesterol, lowers inflammation, treats high blood pressure, protects liver health, and helps digestion.

–Carrots are high in vitamins which are great for your eye sight, skin, and hair.

The information on the benefits of the ingredients was researched from http://www.draxe.com

Mango Coconut Squares

These mango coconut squares are no bake and easy to make. They are a flavor-packed treat made with healthy ingredients to satisfy your sweet tooth. Enjoy!

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C Dried Mango (I used an entire bag of Trader Joe’s Unsweetened & Unsulfured Dried Mango)
6 Pitted Medjool Dates
1 1/2 C Shredded Coconut
2 t Melted Coconut Oil
1/2 C Raw Unsalted Cashews
3 T Maple Syrup or Honey
A Dash of Sea Salt

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until everything is finely chopped up. It may take several minutes until everything is processed.
Scoop the mango coconut mixture out of the food processor and press into a square pan. Press the mixture down with your hands or a spatula until it is about 1/2″ to 3/4″ thick. As you can see from my photo below, the mixture didn’t cover the entire bottom of the pan. That is okay- you don’t want to spread it too thin.
Set the pan in the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes. When you are ready to enjoy, remove the pan from the fridge. Cut into large squares, mini squares, strips, or whatever your heart desires!
Feel free to top the mango coconut squares with shredded coconut or cashews.
This recipe makes about 6 2.5″x2.5″ squares. You can cut them down into smaller pieces to make more squares. Keep the mango coconut squares in the fridge to keep them fresh.

Benefits of this recipe:

-Dried mango can soothe inflammation in the skin, aids in digestion due to the fiber it contains, improves bone density, and boosts body circulation. However, dried mango is high in natural sugars, so enjoy in moderation.

-Coconut improves immunity, improves the digestive system, and boosts heart health.

-Cashews protect bone health and promote heart health. They also contain many important proteins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and B vitamins.

The information on the benefits of the ingredients was researched from http://www.organicfacts.net

Sweet & Creamy Carrot Pudding

Carrot Pudding?! I know… it sounds crazy to use a vegetable as the main ingredient of a dessert. But it really isn’t. Think of pumpkin pie. This is the same concept. In fact, my creamy carrot pudding tastes very similar to pumpkin pie. This is delicious. Give it a try! Enjoy.

Preparation + Cook Time: 60 minutes

This recipe makes about 2 C of pudding.

Ingredients:

7 Organic Medium-Sized Carrots*
1/2 C Maple Syrup
1 T Melted Coconut Oil
1/4 C Almond Milk
3/4 t Allspice
1/2 t Cinnamon
1/4 t Nutmeg
1 t Organic Vanilla Extract

Instructions:

Rinse, peel, and chop the carrots into small pieces.
Place the carrots into a pot of water. Cover and turn onto a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn down to a simmer. Cook the carrots until they are soft.
Drain the water from the pot. Place the carrots into a bowl and put them in the fridge for approximately 20 minutes until they are completely cooled.
Put the carrots in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add all the rest of the ingredients to the blender and combine until everything is evenly mixed in.
Store the pudding in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, spoon the pudding into bowls. I would recommend topping the pudding with non-dairy cream and some pecans or pumpkin seeds.

*If you use regular non-organic carrots, they are usually much larger so you will only need about 5 carrots instead of 7.

Benefits of this recipe:

-Carrots are very high in Vitamin A, which protects eye health and vision. They are high in antioxidants, can help lower cholesterol, help protect against cancer, improve immunity, boosts skin health, and helps improve brain function.

The information on the benefits of the ingredients was researched from http://www.draxe.com

Homemade Creamy Coconut Yogurt

I have been waiting to post this until I got the recipe just perfect. And I think that moment has finally come! Coconut yogurt is SO good for your gut. It is rich in probiotics and contains beneficial bacteria that your body will love. Store-bought coconut yogurt can be delicious, but it always contains cane sugar, thickeners, and other additives. My recipe is very simple but still tastes like the good stuff. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 Cans of Unsweetened Coconut Milk (I recommend Thai Kitchen Brand. Do NOT buy the “lite” version, it will be too thin)
3 Probiotic Capsules (I used PB8 Brand)
3 T Maple Syrup
A few drops of Organic Vanilla Extract

**You will also need a glass jar, a wooden spoon, whisk, cheesecloth, and a rubber band

Instructions:

Open the cans of coconut milk without shaking the can. Notice that there is a thick layer of coconut milk towards the top of the can. The bottom of the can is a thin watery-like substance. Spoon out the entire thick layer into the glass jar. Now, pour about 1/4-1/3 C of the watery-like substance (from each can) into the jar as well. Discard the cans with the excess liquid.
Stir the coconut milk well with a whisk to remove clumps. It is important that you whisk it thoroughly, or else you will have problems with the yogurt later.
Open the 3 probiotic capsules and pour into the coconut milk jar. Using a wooden spoon, mix the probiotic into the coconut milk. Don’t use a metal spoon to do this as the metal may deactivate the probiotic. Make sure that it is evenly mixed around in the jar.
Next, stir in the maple syrup and a few drops of vanilla extract just for some added flavor. I used 3 T of maple syrup but you can definitely use more if you like it sweeter. You could also use honey instead if you prefer.
Cover the top of the jar with cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band. Store the jar in a well lit place for 24-48 hours. I recommend leaving it on a window sill where the sun shines or underneath a kitchen light. The longer your leave the jar out, the more tart the yogurt becomes. I like to leave mine out for about 40 hours.
After 24-48 hours, put the jar in the fridge to chill. After a few hours of chilling, it is ready to eat! The consistency should be thick and creamy.
The yogurt will taste delicious by itself, but I like to top mine with berry compote and my homemade granola which you can find the recipe here.

Tips to making your yogurt perfect:

-Make sure you are using a good quality, dairy-free probiotic.

-The consistency of my yogurt is what is shown in my photo. If you prefer your yogurt to be more runny, make sure to add more of the watery-like substance from the can in step 1. Note: if you add the entire can of liquid, the consistency will be similar to kefir. But, you must add an extra probiotic capsule to make up for the extra liquid.

Benefits of this recipe:

-If you are lactose intolerant like me, this is a great alternative to traditional yogurt.

-Coconut Yogurt with Probiotics boosts immunity, optimizes the health of your personal gut microbiome, and is a potential cancer fighter.

The information on the benefits of the ingredients was researched from http://www.draxe.com

Simple Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

This is my simple recipe for shepherd’s pie. For me, it is true “comfort food”. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 lbs Potatoes
3 T Organic Coconut Oil (Melted)
1 1/2 C Cashew Milk (unsweetened, unflavored)
1/2 t minced Garlic
2 T Fresh Parsley
2 C Green or Brown Lentils (Uncooked)
2 T Olive Oil
1/2 Yellow Onion, chopped
1 C Cremini Mushrooms, chopped
1 stalk of Celery, chopped
2 Medium size Carrots, peeled and chopped
1 T Balsamic Vinegar
2 t Dried Thyme
2 t Fresh Rosemary
1 t Paprika
1/4 C Red Wine

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Start by making the mashed potato layer that goes on top of the shepherd’s pie. Peel and chop the potatoes. Place them in a pot on the stove and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Once it is at a boil, turn down the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are soft and fully cooked.
Drain the water from the pot, leaving only the potatoes. Keep the heat on low. Add the melted coconut oil to the potatoes. Start mashing the potatoes with a potato masher. Slowly add in the cashew milk. Mash until smooth. Mix in the minced garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to stir the potatoes to fully mix in the seasoning. Once the mashed potatoes are finished, set aside.
Start making the lentil layer. Place the lentils in a large pot and cover with about 5-6 C of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer. Cook on low for about 25 minutes until lentils are thoroughly cooked.
In a large skillet, add the olive oil and turn the heat on medium-high. Once the olive oil is heated, add the onions and saute. When the onions are carmelized, add the carrots, celery, and mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes until soft and slightly browned.
Season the veggies with the balsamic vinegar, thyme, rosemary, paprika, and dash of salt and pepper.
Add the cooked lentils to the veggies. Add the red wine to the skillet and let it cook off for a few minutes.
Pour the entire lentil veggie mixture in a 8×12 casserole dish. Press down with a spatula so that the mixture is compressed and covers the bottom of the dish evenly. Add the mashed potato as the top layer. Make sure that it is completely even and flat.
Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before eating.

Benefits of this recipe:

-Lentils can help lower cholesterol, high in protein, good for digestive health, and beneficial for heart health

-Carrots are high in vitamins which are great for your eye sight, skin, and hair

-Mushrooms are a great source of protein, fiber, antioxidants, and high in B vitamins