Maple-Chia Granola

I have a difficult time figuring out what to do with chia seeds. I don't like their texture in drinks and I'm usually not in the mood for pudding. This granola is a good, non-threatening way to introduce chia to your diet. It's especially good sprinkled over some plain or vanilla non-dairy yogurt and fresh fruit.

Maple-Chia Granola

4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut oil

Preheat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Spread the granola evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from heat and stir well, then bake for another 15 minutes. Allow granola to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to an air-tight container. The oats will become crunchier as they cool.

Avocado Kale Salad

Leafy greens are a staple in my family's diet. I try to cycle through the darker varieties - spinach, Swiss chard, mustard greens, turnip greens, collards, and kale.

This salad was inspired by one I had from a health food store salad bar. I thought that salad had potential, but was a little boring with just kale, onions, and the avocado dressing. I livened up this version with mini heirloom tomatoes, raw pepitas, and cucumber. 

There is a lot of nutritional value to be excited about in this tasty raw salad. Kale is high in Vitamins A, C, and K, and also contains significant amounts of calcium, folate, and potassium. Avocados contain beneficial fats in addition to a high fiber content, Vitamins C and K, and folate. Lemons are full of potassium and Vitamin C.  Pumpkin seeds are a good source of zinc and other trace minerals. Tomatoes are rich in antioxidants.

Avocado Kale Salad

1 big bunch of kale, washed, chopped, and stems removed (or a 10oz bag of pre-chopped kale)
2 avocados, peeled and pitted
2 lemons, peeled and seeded
1/3 cup water
3 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup raw pepitas (hull-less pumpkin seeds)
1 medium English cucumber, diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup diced cherry tomatoes (I used some mini heirlooms)

In a food processor or blender, puree avocados, lemons, water, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Place kale in a large mixing bowl. Pour avocado dressing over the kale, mix well, and then use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale. This will make the leaves tender.

Stir in the pepitas, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes.

The salad can be served immediately or refrigerated and allowed to marinate for several hours or overnight.

Eggplant Parmesan

I'm never quite sure what to do with eggplants when I buy them. They usually get turned into baba ganoush, but this eggplant called for something a bit more colorful. I decided to make a vegan Eggplant Parmesan. My husband was hesitant about it at first, since he has had some bad experiences with eggplant in the past, but he loved it, especially the cashew cheese sauce.

I have trouble with tomatoes because of reflux, so I substituted bell peppers for the tomatoes you normally find in Eggplant Parmesan. In addition, this is gluten-free and can be soy-free if you use chickpea miso. I baked the eggplant instead of frying it.

Eggplant Parmesan with saffron rice. The rice is from a box I found on sale since saffron isn't something I keep around my kitchen.

Eggplant Parmesan

1 medium eggplant, sliced into 3/8-1/2 inch rounds
1 red bell pepper, halved and seeded
1 green bell pepper, halved and seeded

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 tsp miso
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

Preheat broiler on your oven. Place eggplant and bell pepper halves on a cookie sheet. Broil for 5 minutes, then flip over pieces and broil for another 3-5 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 400F. Lightly grease a large cake pan, then arrange the eggplant in a single layer on the bottom of the pan. Slice the bell peppers and lay them on top of the eggplant rounds.

Cashew cheese sauce - Put the water, nutritional yeast, cashews, lemon juice, onion powder, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour cashew mix over the peppers and eggplant.

Pumpkin seed Parmesan - Place pumpkin seeds, miso, and nutritional yeast in a food processor (I use a mini processor for small quantities like this) and pulse until a fine mixture forms. Sprinkle the pumpkin seed mixture over the vegetables.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cashew cheese is bubbly and the pumpkin Parmesan is lightly browned.

Arrange the broiled eggplant in a single layer on the bottom of a cake pan.  

Slice the bell peppers and lay them on top of the eggplant rounds.

Pour cashew cheese over the vegetables.

Sprinkle pumpkin seed Parmesan over everything.

Bake at 400F for 25 minutes.