Still Here!

I'm still here, working on a big salad! I think some of you may be worried about me because I haven't been bragging posting lately. What with all the milestone celebrations my family has had and our world travels (sounds so glamorous hu?) you might think that I have slipped back to cinnamon rolls and cheesy pulled pork. Well honey, you would be thinking wrong. I'm still going strong and feeling better and better. I only need 6 hours of sleep a night!

Here is my Father's Day menu from yesterday (Roland has lost like 53 lbs! Hubba Hubba):

• Grilled Veggies (zuchinni, eggplant, sweet potatoes, peppers, onion, mushrooms, garlic scapes) marintated in 1T olive oil, 2 T spicy mustard, 3 T basalmic vinegar, 1 T red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning - if fat isn't a concern to you add more oil. I grilled a ton so I made much more marinade and will eat leftovers tonight. The peppers are the best, I used the baby ones.0
• Mango salsa salad (recipe below)
• Potato salad (make your normal recipe - leave out the eggs and use veganaise instead of mayo. Not low fat but a wonderful treat!)
• Sun Dried Tomato Hummus with warmed pita
• Coconut/Rhubarb Ice Cream! (recipe below)

Roland said the Mango Salad on top of the grilled eggplant was "recipe book worthy". Happy Father's Day indeed!

This menu is heavy on meal prep. I made the ice cream and hummus on Friday, the mango salad and potato salad on Saturday, so on Sunday I could focus just on grilled veggies and the fathers in my life. I doubled each recipe (or tripled!) so I don't have to cook today or tomorrow.
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Black Bean and Mango Salad - Kelly O.  I had this for lunch today on a large romaine salad, So good!

Ingredients:

·                        1 15.8 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

·                        2 cups mango, diced

·                        1 cup sweet red bell pepper, diced

·                        6 green onions, thinly sliced

·                        1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

·                        1/4 cup fresh lime juice

·                        1 tablespoon olive oil

·                        1 seeded Jalapeno pepper, minced or hot sauce to taste

·                        Salt to taste

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients, including beans in bowl. Toss and serve.

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Coconut Ice Cream: My mom sent me this recipe from this blog. I modified it and served it over fresh berries. It was delicious. I made it with the rhubarb (see the full recipe link) but I think I liked the parts without the rhubarb better. I plan to serve this on the 4th of July with blueberries and strawberries.

Ice cream:
1 cup (4 oz/110 g) raw walnuts
1 can (14 ounces or 400 ml) full-fat coconut milk, preferably organic
1/4 cup (60 ml) agave nectar
2 Tbsp (30 ml) coconut sugar* (I used brown sugar)
2 medium peaches cored or pitted and cut in to chunks (about 9.5 oz or 265 g)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
20 or more drops stevia, to taste (I used agave)
Pinch salt
1 Tbsp (15 ml) vanilla
* If you are not following an anti-candida diet and don’t have these sweeteners, you can use agave or maple syrup for the glycerin, and Sucanat or brown sugar for the coconut sugar.


For the ice cream base, place all ingredients in a blender and blend until perfectly smooth. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to directions.  Turn into a container and freeze until ready to serve.  Makes 6 servings.
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can prepare it this way: Prepare the rhubarb swirl as above, and place in a container.
Line an 8 x 8 inch (20 cm) square pan with waxed paper or parchment paper (plastic wrap won’t do in this case).  Set aside.
Blend all ingredients for the ice cream base as above, and pour the base into the prepared pan.  Freeze until just solid, then turn onto a cutting board, peel away the paper, and using a sharp knife, cut into about 25 squares.  Store the squares in a plastic bag in the freezer until ready to use.
To serve the ice cream, place 4 squares for each serving in a food processor and process until it comes together in a ball, then for about 10 seconds more to create a “soft serve” consistency.   Eat immediately.