Dal Makhani with Basmati Rice

Tucson, Arizona

Stormy sunset and rainbow in Tucson

Well we have had quite the mild winter here in Tucson, compared to the rest of the country, (polar vortex) oh my!!  My RV as of now is not made for cold weather, so the southwest is where I will call home for awhile.  We did have 1 stormy day since I've been here where the temps dropped a little.  Immediately, I got excited for this warm comforting dish.  As a vegetarian, Dal Makhani was my go to Indian food choice.  I figured it was surely time to veganize the recipe, as it usually contains cream and ghee.  This is a much healthier version without losing the flavor.  Containing lentils, beans, and nuts, this is a plant powered, protein packed, bowl of deliciousness.  Enjoy!

Creamy Vegan Dal Makhani with Basmati Rice

Dal Makhani with Basmati Rice

serves 4-6

gluten-free, vegan

1 onion, chopped

4 clove garlic, minced

1 chili pepper, sliced

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 ½ cups water, divided

½ tsp chili powder

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp garam masala

½ cup black lentils

½ cup raw cashews

½ cup kidney beans

3 plum tomatoes, diced

½ cup basmati rice

½ cup cashews

1 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp unrefined sugar

handful fresh cilantro

First, soak cashews by covering them in very hot water.  Let them soak while you prepare everything else.  About an hour.

In a large pot over medium heat, add ½ cup water, olive oil, garlic, chili pepper, onion, and ginger.  Sauté about 10 minutes. 

 Add 2 ½ cups water, chili powder, garam masala, cumin seeds, and lentils.  Cover & cook 10 minutes.  

Add tomatoes and rice.  Cover, cook 30 minutes. 

While that is cooking, Process or blend cashews (soaked and drained) with ½ cup of water. Blend until smooth. 

 After the 30 minutes of cooking, add cashew creme. Stir in sea salt and sugar.  

Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro.

African Peanut Stew

Sedona, AZ

  It was 87 degrees yesterday, not bad for November!  Once the sun went down, though, drastic temperature change.  It immediately became soup weather.

  This is a beautifully seasoned, hearty vegetable stew.  The veggies are easily interchangeable with what you have and what you like, because it's all about the flavorful nutty tomato soup base that brings it all together.  I added quinoa to my version, but that can also be omitted or substituted by serving over rice.

African Peanut Stew with Quinoa

African Peanut Stew
serves 4
gluten free, vegan

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 jalepeno or bell pepper, diced
1medium zucchini, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
½ cup edamame
1 cup quinoa (optional)
1 28 oz can of crushed tomato
1 ¾ cups vegetable broth
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp cayenne
½ cup fresh cilantro, for garnish
4 leaves of kale, stems removed, and chopped small
¼ of a green cabbage, chopped
season to taste with salt, pepper, cayenne, and red pepper flakes

In a large pot over medium heat- add oil, onion, sweet potato, and jalepeno.  Sauté 5 minutes.  Add zucchini, garlic, carrots.  Cook another 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix broth, peanut butter, and spices until smooth.  Add tomato and broth mixture to the pot with the vegetables.  Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes.  Add quinoa and edamame.  Cook until quinoa is tender. 20-25 minutes.  In the last minute stir in kale and cabbage OR ladle stew over top of raw kale/cabbage mix in the bowl while serving.  Garnish with cilantro.

Eggplant Parm Risotto- Easy Slow Cooker Recipe

Sedona, AZ

Oh sweet sweet comfort food.

Eggplant Parm Risotto - Easy Slow Cooker Recipe
for a 4 qt slow cooker, 4-6 servings
Easy, Gluten free, Kid Friendly, Oil free variation, Vegan

2 medium sized eggplants, peeled & cut to ¼" cubes
4 cups marinara sauce (RVegan Marinara recipe below)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup arborio rice (risotto rice)
1 cup your favorite veg cheese (my simple cashew ricotta recipe below)
2 Tbsp olive oil  (optional)

Drizzle olive oil in the slow cooker.  Add eggplant, marinara, broth, arborio rice, and veg cheese.  Stir well to combine.  Cook in the slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours.  Scoop into serving bowls.  Top with cashew parmesan (recipe below)

Eggplant Parm Risotto

RVegan Marinara
makes 4 cups
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh basil
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp fennel seed (optional)
½ cup dry red wine
sea salt to taste

Combine in a pot and cook on low for 30-40 min. (No need to pre-cook if it's going in the slow cooker)




Personally, I'm not a huge advocate for store bought vegan cheese.  It is highly processed and most don't pass my strict,  label reading scrutiny.  I do, however, make my own cheese from scratch and love it!  The ricotta is rich and creamy.  The cashew parmesan topping is perfect for salads, vegetables dishes, pastas, and pizza.  If nothing else, you must try this!

RVegan Cashew Ricotta (and Parmesan topping)
makes 1 cup ricotta, 2 Tbsp parmesan
1 cup raw cashews
¼ cup firm tofu
¼ tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp olive oil (optional)
1 tsp lemon juice

For the ricotta:
In a processor, process the cashews into a crumble.  Scoop out 2 Tbsp and set aside.  Process remaining cashews into a fine powder.  Add tofu, sea salt,  olive oil, & lemon juice to the processor with the remaining cashew powder.  Pulse to combine.

For the parmesan:
In a med-high heated pan, add the 2 Tbsp cashew crumble with a dash of  sea salt and a dash of garlic powder.  Heat only until fragrant.  Let cool.  Set aside to sprinkle on top of your risotto.


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Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup with Garlic Croutons

Palm Springs, CA

If your looking for a great soup that you can prepare in no time, and let your slow-cooker do all the work, try this wholesome flavorful dish.  Put it all together in the morning, go outside, get a nice hike in or a run.  Get your errands done, do some grocery shopping, take your kids to the park, or go to work.  Come home to a dinner that is ready for you.  That is what I call multi tasking!  Top with garlic croutons and crispy smokey coconut bacon!

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
vegan, gluten free, oil free
serves 4
prep time: 10 minutes, cook time 6- 8 hrs

1 cup split peas
4 ½ cups water or vegetable broth
1/8 cup liquid aminos (only if using water)
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp celery seed, or 2 stalks celery, sliced
½ tsp marjoram
½ tsp onion powder
¾ cup yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp liquid smoke

Put all ingredients except liquid smoke in slow cooker.  Cook 6-8 hours on low.  Add liquid smoke before serving.  Add garlic croutons and serve immediately.

Garlic Croutons
2 slices of thick cut bread
1-2 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper

Let slices of bread dry out on a paper towel for about a ½ hour (or use day old bread, bread going stale).  Cut bread into 1inch squares.
Drizzle each square with olive oil, and sprinkle garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Toast in oven or toaster oven, turning once until crispy and golden brown.  You can also opt to pan fry them over med-high heat until crispy and golden brown.

Coconut Bacon (makes another wonderful soup topping)
Easy, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Salads, Toppings, Vegan, Oil free*

1 cup unsweetened coconut (flakes or shredded)
1/8 cup tamari
1 tbsp maple sugar or 100% real maple syrup
1 tbsp liquid smoke

Preheat oven to 300º.  In a bowl, stir well to combine all ingredients.  Spread into a thin layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake 10-20 minutes, stirring it up every 5 minutes or so, until dry and crispy.  Allow to cool.

*You can also make this in a nonstick pan over medium heat, instead of the oven.  It may take a little dash of olive oil to get it crispy.  Sauté about 10 minutes, stirring often.

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Peanut Miso Soup

Savannah, GA

Food can absolutely be preventive medicine.  If you are hesitant because fresh ingredients like produce can be expensive, wouldn't you prefer to buy quality natural ingredients to feed your body now, than to have to take medications for your health problems later?   To me, it seems like a no-brainer.  There are so many benefits to eating a plant-based diet.

Changing the way you eat to plant-based drastically lowers your risk of other serious health complications such as diabetes, cancer, and obesity.  Making this change in diet alone, has proven to actually reverse diabetes and heart disease, even at their last (sickest) stages.  It also lowers risk of developing some types of cancer.  The standard American diet, rich in meats, dairy, and highly processed foods, is a major factor in causing the onset of the most common health problems in this country.

There are two kinds of cholesterol.  One  type is the kind your body naturally produces.  The other is the kind you ingest from the food you eat.  Plant-based foods don't have any cholesterol.  Not one vegan ingredient contains cholesterol.  So eating only plant-based is a sure way to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.  This is important because high cholesterol leads to countless health problems especially involving your heart, like heart disease, stroke, and heart attacks.   Switching to a plant-based diet can keep you off cholesterol lowering medications completely.

I could go on and on about this, but I'm sure you must be getting hungry and craving your veggies.  If you are interested in learning more about it, and the reasons why they don't teach you this stuff in school, I highly recommend reading a book called The China Study, by T. Collin Campbell.  He has been researching this subject for decades, and has a great way of explaining it all, from soup to nuts.   It is a fascinating read that could change your life.

 Speaking of soup and nuts......

Spicy Peanut Miso Soup

Peanut Miso Soup
makes 2-3 servings, 10 min
oil free, gluten free, vegan

5 cups water, separated to 4 1/2 cups & 1/2 cup
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3/4 cup cauliflower, sliced thin
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup firm tofu, cubed small
2-3 tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce
2 tbsp red miso (paste)*
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup sai fun noodles**
1 cup fresh baby spinach
2 tbsp sriracha (optional, for heat)

In a pot, combine 4 1/2 cups water, onion, cauliflower, mushrooms, ginger, tofu, and liquid aminos.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

While that is heating up, in a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of water, miso, peanut butter, and sriracha (optional).  Whisk until smooth.

Making sure the broth is hot but no longer boiling, stir peanut butter miso mixture into the pot to combine.  Remove from heat and stir in sai fun and spinach.  Serve hot.

* Miso is a probiotic, containing beneficial bacteria and enzymes.  It should never be boiled, to ensure that it remains a living food when eaten.

** Sai fun noodles are made of mung beans and potato starch.  They are done cooking just about instantly, upon touching water or broth.  You can usually find them in the ethnic section of the supermarket.  You can also substitute rice noodles, just follow their cooking instructions for changes in cook time.

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Pasta Fagioli

Matawan, NJ

A fast, easy, warm, comforting meal that is easy on the wallet.  Bon appétit!

Pasta Fagioli with homemade garlic croutons

Pasta Fagioli
cook time: approx 30 minutes.  Serves 4

¼ of a yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 yukon gold potatoes, chopped ½" cubes
3 tbsp red wine
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp fennel seed
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp red pepper flakes
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
15 oz can chick peas or great northern beans
½ lb orzo, ditalini pasta, or elbows
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup fresh baby spinach
salt to taste
2 tbsp olive oil

In a large pot over medium heat, add oil.   Sauté onion, garlic, and potatoes 5 min.  Add wine.  Stir in parsley, oregano, fennel seed, paprika, pepper, cayenne, red pepper.  Continue to sauté until wine is mostly absorbed/ evaporated, about 5 more minutes.  Add crushed tomatoes, water, and bay leaf.  Turn heat to low and simmer, uncovered.  While that simmers, pour half of the can of chick peas into a bowl or food processor.  Mash with a fork  or process, until puréed.  Add this purée and the other half of the chick peas with their juice into the pot.  Add pasta.  Simmer, stirring often, until pasta and potatoes are tender.  Remove from heat and stir in spinach until it wilts.  Serve hot.

*Indulge by adding veggie italian sausage crumbles


Garlic Croutons
2 slices of thick cut bread
1-2 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper

Let slices of bread dry out on a paper towel for about a ½ hour (or use day old bread, bread going stale).  Cut bread into 1inch squares.
Drizzle each square with olive oil, and sprinkle garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Toast in oven or toaster oven, turning once until crispy and golden brown.  You can also opt to pan fry them over med-high heat until crispy and golden brown.

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Southwestern Tortilla Soup

10/24/12
Morefield Campground
Mesa Verde National Park, CO

  After a long day of driving, we arrived in Mesa Verde National Park.  We found a campsite right away.  Apparently the season  is already over here, so the only available spot in the park was a primitive campsite.   We unhitched the pioneer, and explored the park with what little daylight we had left.

  About 1,400 years ago, the park was home to the Anasazi people, ancestral Puebloans. Today it preserves the elaborate stone communities they built in the sheltered alcoves of the canyon walls.  Their structures stood up to all the elements of nature and are in excellent condition to this day.  A strange and interesting place.

Cliff Dwellings in Mesa Verde

  Back at camp, the sun went down and temps dropped drastically into the 20's.  I got to work on this hearty soup, inspired by southwestern flavors, and packed with fresh ingredients.

Southwestern Tortilla Soup

Southwestern Tortilla Soup
Vegan, Gluten Free
(4-6 servings)

½ a yellow onion, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1 chile pepper (mild or hot), diced
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup fresh spinach, chopped
½ cup fresh kale, chopped
3 corn tortilla shells, cut into strips
15 oz can of black beans (with liquid)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
¼ tsp ground chipotle powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp  liquid smoke
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
4 ½ cups vegetable broth
salt- to taste

  In a medium sized pot, medium heat, heat ½ cup of the broth, potatoes, onion, garlic, chile pepper, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, liquid smoke, cumin, and oregano.  Cover pot, simmering about 5 minutes.

Add the rest of the broth, and cook 10 min, covered.

  Reduce heat med-low. Add tomato, beans with bean liquid, nutritional yeast, & kale.  About 10 more minutes, covered.

While that is cooking, heat oil in a pan, med-low heat.  Add tortilla strips and a pinch of salt.  Fry strips until golden brown and crispy.  Remove from heat.

Remove soup from heat, and stir in spinach and cilantro.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with tortilla strips.  Serve immediately.

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Thai Red Lentil Coconut Curry

9/25/12  Boulder, CO

   I've worked in the restaurant industry for several years and, generally speaking, chef's really don't like vegans.  They don't even like vegetarians.  They often don't really care whether your soup has chicken broth, or even think of that as being non-vegetarian.  Plus they cook your veggie burger on the same grill as the meat, and why should they care about that?  There is no point asking them to.  If you have an allergy, they don't want to be responsible for  killing you, but they still don't like you.  They want to make what they like, the way they know how, and their passion dies when they are forced to make substitutions or leave out key ingredients.  They want you to like it how they like it.     Sorry to break this to you, but the servers don't like you either.  They don't want to take the extra time to make note of all your elaborate preferences.  They want their job to go as smooth as possible, without you throwing a stick in the spokes.  I don't eat out much at all, but if I do, I dread asking them to cater to my needs.  

  I love authentic Indain and Thai food.  I know going out to eat at ethnic restaurants, specifically Indian and Thai will usually leave me with many vegan options.  But Indian food, though often plant based,  loves to contain yogurt and clarified butter.  Thai food loves to sneak fish sauce in everything.  I don't really know what that is exactly, but I know I really don't want to consume it.  Again I really like to know what I'm eating.  That leaves me my favorite option, to make my own ethnic foods at home.  Which I am very happy to do!  

  This recipe has very similar flavor to a red Thai curry, without that pesky fish sauce!

Thai Red Lentil Coconut Curry

Thai Red Lentil Coconut Curry

Vegan, Gluten Free

1/2 a yellow onion, diced

1tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, but if you like spicy...do it!)
1 tsp garam masala 

1/2 tsp of the following spices:  ground coriander, celery seed, cumin, ginger, turmeric, fenugreek seed, cardamom seeds, salt*
1 c. red lentils
2 yukon gold potatoes, peeled & cubed
3 c. water
2 tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos
1 c. chickpeas, cooked
1 c. kidney beans, cooked
1 13oz can coconut milk
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1.5 c. baby spinach
2 tbsp sugar
3 curry leaves (optional)
2 c. cooked rice, white or brown
1/4 c. basil leaves

*Spices are so important in my recipes.  Obviously it would be very pricey to purchase a bottle of all these spices, and wasteful since you probably won't use a whole bottle of some of them in a lifetime. And you sure can't fit all those bottles in an RV pantry.  I recommend finding a natural grocer such as a Whole Foods or health food store that carries bulk spices, sold by weight.  This way, you can buy just a 1/2 tsp of  each spice (or exactly how much you want) for a few cents per oz.  Your bring it home in a little plastic bag, and you are not breaking the bank or paying for wasteful packaging.  It is a great thing!  Try it!

-Heat sauce pot to med/high heat.  Add coconut oil.  Add onion to oil and let cook for 5 min, stirring occasionally.
- Add water, soy sauce, potatoes, curry leaves, spices, sugar, and lentils.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to med/low and simmer about 15 min.
-Add coconut milk, and beans.  Remove curry leaves.
Red lentils do not hold their shape.  They turn yellow and break down to a split pea soup consistency.  When this happens, stir in rice, tomatoes, spinach, and basil.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.


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