Cherry Almond Popsicles

2 cups fresh cherries, pitted
2 1/2 cups almond milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp almond extract
pinch of salt

1) Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.
2) Pour into 8 4oz popsicle molds, dividing evenly.
3) Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Review: The almond milk did nothing for this popsicle. It seemed to add a graininess that was unnecessary, but also contributed to the popsicle having difficulty staying together. It also doesn't add to the flavor. The cherries and almond extract provided a great flavor combination. I think next time I'll make a simple syrup with the sugar and 2 1/2 cups of water and omit the almond milk.

Adapted from:
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/dairy-free-cherry-almond-pops

Serrano Chili & Watermelon Margaritas

8 cups cubed seedless watermelon
1 serrano chili
1 1/2 cups lime juice
1 cup silver tequila
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 Tbs Cointreau

1) In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water. Cook until the sugar is fully dissolved, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2) Put serrano chili and watermelon into a blender, blending until fully pureed. It should result in 5 cups of watermelon puree.
3) Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and chill before serving.

Review: This was unbelievably tasty. I put the bulk of it in my ice cream machine to make frozen margaritas. I licked the bowl of the ice cream maker to get all the last remaining bits!! The serrano chili adds just a hint of heat, making it a slight accent flavor. The watermelon is amazing with tequila. I would never have thought this would be this good, but wanted to make something exotic since I'm expecting guests next weekend. This is a good standby recipe for summer parties!!

Adapted from:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/grilled-fish-recipes

Hot Fried Rice

2 cups cooked rice
2 Tbs coconut oil
1 bunch asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup peas
8oz pkg tempeh, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp minced ginger
4 Tbs soy sauce
3 Tbs rice vinegar
3 Tbs hot sesame oil

1) In a large saute pan, over medium-high heat, saute the asparagus, peas and tempeh in coconut oil for 3-4 minutes.
2) Add the garlic and ginger, stirring until vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes.
3) Add the cooked rice, soy sauce and vinegar. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute.
4) Remove from the heat; stir in the hot sesame oil.

Review: I totally cheated by using the frozen cooked rice that Trader Joe's sells (sprouted red jasmine!). The original recipe called for a red bell pepper, but I cut into mine to find it was rotting and moldy inside - even though I just bought it last night!!! It was also supposed to use egg, but seeing as how I made enough to last three days, I didn't feel comfortable eating leftover eggs on day 3. Therefore, I subbed in tempeh. I also decided that the original recipe's suggestion for toasted sesame oil and some hot sauce was too much, when I could just use up some of the hot sesame oil in the fridge that I've had no use for. That was a mistake!! This was so hot that I lost feeling in my mouth. Leftovers at work should be fun . . . . but in all honesty, this was realllllly tasty and I'm a happy camper.

Adapted from:
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/vegetable_fried_rice.html

Thyme Lemonade

3oz limoncello
8oz seltzer, chilled
5-6 sprigs of thyme, crushed

1) Place crushed thyme in a tumbler-sized glass.
2) Add limoncello.
3) Pour seltzer over thyme.
4) Enjoy.

Review: I've somehow never had limoncello before. It's AMAZING. The thyme was subtle (maybe I need to add more?), but a nice flavor addition. This was a nice, summery drink on a hot day. Could be a new favorite for summertime (though margaritas will always have first place).

Adapted from:
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/low-calorie-cocktails?page=2

Harissa Lentils & Cauliflower

1 cup brown basmati rice
5oz can harissa
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 cup red lentils
15oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups vegetable broth

1) In a medium pot, cook rice according to package direction. Set aside.
2) Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, combine the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until lentils are tender.
3) Serve lentil mixture over rice. Salt to taste.

Review: Another recipe based on open bags in the cabinet. This was a great way to use up that last bit of red lentils in the cabinet. And, a great opportunity to use harissa now that I can actually get the stuff (at Whole Foods). I made recipes before that called for harissa and substituted chile-garlic sauce. I now know that's a poor substitution. Harissa is a roasted red bell pepper based sauce, which is AMAZING and could be my new favorite sauce. It was a phenomenal addition to the tomato and red lentil flavors. It was tangy, tasty and just a little spicy. I wanted to eat this every day. The only thing I would do to improve it is to roast the cauliflower instead of cooking it in the sauce. BUT, cooking it this way is much faster and easier.

Adapted from:
http://naturallyella.com/2014/02/11/harissa-lentils-and-cauliflower/

Green Split-Pea Dal with Coconut-Turmeric Rice

Dal:
1 cup dried green split peas, rinsed and picked through
1 Tbs coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 inch piece of ginger, minced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp salt
Rice:
1 cup brown basmati rice
14oz can light coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp salt

1) In a large pot of water, add the peas and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let sit for one hour.
2) At the end of the soaking hour, drain and rinse the peas. Then, saute the garlic in coconut oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until fragrant. Add the cumin, coriander, ginger, cinnamon and cayenne. Stir for one minute. Add the vegetable broth and peas. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for one hour, or until the peas have broken down and most of the broth is gone.
3) Meanwhile, in a medium-sized pot, add the rice, coconut milk, water, turmeric and salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook for length of time dictated on package (I use Trader Joe's quick-cooking brown basmati rice, 12-15 minutes). Stir before serving with dal.
4) Each serving should be dal spread on top of a bed of rice. Salt to taste.

Review: This was a labor of love and not a dish to make after work (which I did). This was phenomenally tasty. The dal was a fragrant, exotic dish that made my entire home smell like Indian food. It's typically made with yellow split peas, but I had an open bag of green split peas that needed to be used. The rice tasted like some of the yumminess I've gotten at Indian restaurants. I always wondered how they made the tasty rice and this must be it. It's not a strong coconut flavor, but it's more of an aftertaste with the turmeric. So, so good!!!

Adapted from:
http://sharetheveganlove.blogspot.com/2010/12/green-split-pea-dal-with-coconut.html

Lemon Quinoa Bean Salad

1 cup quinoa
1 cup corn
15oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 jalapeno, finely diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice

1) Cook quinoa according to package directions.
2) Once quinoa is done cooking, transfer it to a large saute pan, adding the corn and beans. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until all ingredients are heated.
3) Remove from heat and toss with cilantro, jalapeno and lemon juice.

Review: This is one of those dishes that is good either warm or cold - perfect for summer! I don't typically like a lot of lemon in my meals, as it tastes too acidic. However, it was perfectly balanced in this dish and didn't taste out of place. However, I'm already considering alternatives - what if I made this again but used roasted corn and lime juice?

Adapted from:
http://www.veginspirations.com/2015/05/vegan-lemon-quinoa-bean-salad.html