Frank Picchione

Vegan Green Goddess Salad

Since giving up eggs and dairy I have been unable to enjoy one of my favorite salad dressings. That is until now. I  have always made this dressing from mayonnaise and sour cream with mixed fresh herbs. But last week I finally bought my first jar of Vegenaise. It comes in many flavors. I chose the reduced fat traditional mayo. It was so good I ate it by the spoonful. It is tangy and rich, and really tastes like regular mayonnaise, while being cruelty free and healthy.

Orange Smoothie

I am referring to this as an orange smoothie more for its color than its flavor. Except for the lime everything in it is orange. One of the many great things about a Vitamix is that you can simply put an entire citrus fruit into it. A lemon or lime only needs to be peeled first. There is no need for squeezing.  Other than the obvious navel orange and the lime, the ingredients are a carrot, a large wedge of cantaloupe, half a mango, chilled white tea, turmeric, ground flax seeds and ginger. I may have gone a bit overboard, but my enthusiasm has gotten the best of me, and this combination was delicious. Though with each sip I thought how much better it would be as a frozen drink with tequila added.

Soba Noodles with Cucumber & Mint

Soba are Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour. They are gluten free, higher in fiber and protein, and about half the calories of traditional pasta. Soba noodles are usually served cold. I dressed these in a combination of rice vinegar, soy sauce and canola oil, and tossed them with a peeled, seeded and sliced English cucumber and chopped mint.

Lavender-Colored Roses

Salmon Curry

With peas, shiitake mushrooms and lots of lemon juice. I used vegetable stock for this recipe and thickened it with a roux made from flour and olive oil, so other than the salmon the dish is vegan. It would be great with tofu, seitan or mixed vegetables in place of the fish.

Sugar Free Vegan Tapioca Pudding

I made this pudding with unsweetened soy milk, vanilla and a bit of stevia. After slow cooking that involved a lot of stirring the resulting texture was silky and light.

Beet & Kale Smoothie

I am totally hooked on my Vitamix. This was my third smoothie of the day. As always, raw and organic. This one had one large beet, a green apple, a handful of kale, a chunk of ginger, turmeric, flax seeds and kelp for iodine.

Vegan Probiotics

Since giving up dairy, including yogurt, I've had to discover alternative sources of beneficial probiotics. Kimchi and pickled cabbage are both loaded with active cultures and enzymes, and are great for promoting healthy digestion.

Green & White Roses

Quinoa Salad with Red Beans, Shiitake Mushrooms, Tomatoes & Toasted Eggplant

For the first time I soaked the quinoa overnight to remove its phytic acid. The following morning it cooked in just a few minutes, and was much fluffier than unsoaked quinoa. After it cooled I tossed the grains with red beans, sauteed shiitake mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, toasted eggplant and cilantro. Then I drizzled a bit of olive oil over the salad just before serving.