Fresh fruit salad

This is a very simple very delicious recipe. It can be modified for any fruit you want to use.  When making a fruit salad I like to squeeze some fresh orange juice on it. This does two things it keeps the color in the fruit more vibrant and it gives a hint of a citrus taste.

Ingredients: 

Half of a medium watermelon diced into bite sized chunks

2 mangos peeled and diced 

1 quart strawberries 

  Any other fruit you would like to add for color or flavor

2 medium oranges juiced

Directions:

Mix all fruit in a large mixing bowl and add the orange juice stir lightly but evenly chill and enjoy!

Yum and done!

Asparagus Artichoke Gnocchi

I won't try to hide it from you, I love pasta!  I also feel guilty about eating pasta in the winter because I feel I am less active and I don't need all the carbs, so the simple delicious solution I came up with is to add as many veggies to the pasta I can!  I get my pasta fix and I also get more than enough veg too!  This little number was something I made for a friend it was simple delicious and relatively quick.  I used store bought gnocchi and had pasta sauce that I made in a large batch frozen so I didn't have to prep those two ingredients.  I have never tried my hand at gnocchi but I plan to someday, and I always make a very large batch of sauce and freeze it in smaller batches, so when I am ready to use it all I have to do is remember to take it out of the freezer!

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces gnocchi

• 10 to 12 ounces asparagus cut in half (blanched lightly)

• 4 artichokes (I used frozen from trader joe's)

• 10 to 15 kalama olives sliced

• 3 tablespoons capers

• 1 medium onion, minced

• 3 cups tomato sauce

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• optional vegan meatballs

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan.  Add the garlic and onion and cook on medium heat for three minutes.  Next add the asparagus and the artichokes and the vegan meatballs if you are using them, then cook for five minutes.  

Now start the water for the gnocchi, after the water comes to a boil the gnocchi have to cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the majority of them are floating.  

Next add the tomato sauce to the veg mixture reduce heat and cover until the gnocchi water boils. Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and now add the olives and capers to the veg mixture.  When the gnocchi is finished drain and add to the veg mixture, make sure all the gnocchi gets some delicious sauce on them!  Add some vegan parmesan if you like and enjoy! 

Yum and done!

Vegan Cheesecake

There are a lot of birthdays this week in our house.  My first on June 11 our companion Vivian, on June 12 my husband Zack and on June 14 our companion Posey.  So rather than making one cake for the dogs and one cake for the husband I made a low sugar vegan cheesecake with a fresh strawberry topping.  The crust is a basic graham cracker crust but I feel by doing a basic crust it enhances the flavors of the actual cake.
Ingredients:
• 16 ounces of vegan cream cheese
• 12 ounces vegan sour cream
• 1/2 cup unrefined sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp egg replacer dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
Directions:
Prepare a 10'' spring form pan by adding 1/2'' of the crust then line the sides with wax paper.  Preheat the oven to 300.  The spring form pan will need to be submerged in water when baked, I usually use a cake pan and fill it about 1/3 the way with water and place the spring form pan in that for baking.  By placing it in the water when being baked the cake bake more evenly and have less of a chance of having any burnt bits.
Mix the first four ingredients well. If using a stand mixer use a medium speed and whip until creamy. Next add the vanilla beat again, then add the flour 1/4 cup at a time, add the egg replacer water mixture next beat again find finally add the lemon zest.  Pour slowly into pan and bake for about 90 minutes or until center is set.
Allow the cake to cool and then place in refrigerator over night do not unmold until the next day.

Yum and done!