Summer Tomato Bruschetta





Serve this on crostini, pasta, salad, pizza or just eat with a spoon.  It's always delicious! 

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Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil (preferably a higher quality)
1 clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered (remove some seeds if desired)
1 small handful basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Method

In a large bowl whisk olive oil, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Add tomatoes and basil, give a quick stir and voila.  Fresh tomato bruschetta!



Frozen Chocolate Coconut Banana Bites

These make a tasty little treat that's perfect for satifying a sweet craving without going over board.

Ingredients

Semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
Splash of almond milk
Sliced banana, frozen (1-2 hours)
Unsweetened coconut


Method

Place chocolate in a small bowl with a tiny bit of almond milk and microwave 20-30 seconds, stir and repeat until melted. Add more almond milk if needed. 

Place some coconut in a small dish.  Dip your sliced bananas in the chocolate and then coconut.  Then place chocolate side up on a parchment lined plate or baking sheet.  Freeze an hour and then eat!  Transfer any leftover to tupperwear to keep in the freezer.

ChocoBanana Protein Smoothie

It's Hemp History Week (June 4-10) so why not enjoy a smoothie with hemp protein!  Hemp contains easily digestible protein, fiber, and Omega-3.  I love the hemp seeds on salad or oatmeal but decided to give the protein powder a shot (I bought the Nutiva brand).  It's definitely got an earthy flavor but in this smoothie that is masked by the banana, cocoa, and peanut butter.  Try slicing the banana and freezing for an hour to make the smoothie thicker.  It's not only delicious but quite filling.  I'll definitely be trying this is different smoothies.

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Ingredients

3/4 cup almond milk

1 banana, sliced

1 Tbsp hemp protein

1 Tbsp cocoa powder

2 tsp peanut butter

crushed ice (optional)

Method

Add all the ingredients to a blender and and blend until smooth.  Add ice for a more frozen consistency.

Tempeh Bacon

Vegan BLT with Avocado

So maybe this doesn't taste exactly bacon but it sure is a lot close than you would expect.  I am now pretty obsessed with tempeh bacon.  It makes a fantasic vegetarian and vegan B.L.T.

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Makes 2-3 servings

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1 tsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp cumin
1-2 Tbsp. water
1/2 package tempeh, thinly sliced (the thinner the crispier they'll be)

Oil for brushing

Method

To make the marinade, whisk all the ingredients, except tempeh, in a small bowl. Give it taste and make any adjustments.  Now gently dip each slice of tempeh in the marinade.  Lay in a shallow dish and pour or the remaining marinade over top.  Refrigerate for at least an hour (if you can do it overnight they will be even more tasty).

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Lay tempeh slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (this worked much better than directly on a greased baking sheet).  For extra crispness: mix a little oil with the left over marinade and brush on the slices.  You can also skip the oil and just brush the marinade.  Bake 8-10 minutes, flip over and brush again.  Bake another 8-10 minutes, or until crispy and browned.