Vegetable Lasagna

*Vegan and Wheat Free*
Serves 2-3
2-3 Zuchhini, sliced lengthwise very thin
small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
1/2 bell pepper (red or green or both), diced
handful of baby carrots, diced
marinara sauce (store bought, homemade, your choice)
mozzarella "cheese", shredded or cut into thin slices (I used about 6-8oz of Vegan Gourmet, you can use any brand or regular mozzarealla if you aren't vegan)
italian seasoning (I used fresh basil and garlic salt)

Saute onion, peppers, carrots, and garlic together with Olive Oil until tender. Make one layer of zuchinni in an 8" square pan. Top with 1-2 spoonfuls of sauteed veggies. Pour a thin layer of marinara sauce and top with slices of mozzarella. Continue to layer until out of ingredients, ending with a layer of mozzarella. Bake at 375 for about 30-40 minutes. When done, top with seasoning.*This is a very flexible dish. Add or omit any seasonings and veggies that you'd like. I tasted it prior to putting in the oven and really enjoyed it raw. I cooked it only because I didn't want to push my husband too far with my experiments :) He loves his cooked food. My next goal is to find a raw cheese so I can make a Raw Lasagna. Slowly transitioning my husband, baby steps...

Quinoa Tabouli

~1/2 cup quinoa, cooked in 1 cup water for 15 minutes
~1 large tomato, diced
~1 medium onion, diced
~1-2 handfuls of parsley diced
~juice of 1 lemon

Cook quinoa and allow time to cool. Mix in chopped ingredients, pour lemon juice on top and lightly mix. Adjust ingredients to your preference. Enjoy! For a 100% raw dish, you could sprout the quinoa instead of cooking it. I've yet to enter the world of sprouting, so I'll stick with cooked quinoa for now.

This is a simple, quick, and healthy snack or meal. As a snack, I serve with corn chips or cucumbers or as a meal I heap this onto romaine lettuce wraps or in a flatbread. Traditionally this is made with bulgar wheat , but I like the added protein from the quinoa.

Backyard Salad

*RAW*

I'm normally not a big salad fan because it seems too boring at times. However, this past weekend, in an effort to use up some veggies I had lying around I threw together a little bit of everything and made the most delicious salad and dressing.
How to make a Salad:
Cut the following ingredients, toss in a bowl, and enjoy!
*Kale *Romaine Lettuce *Carrots
*Cucumber
*Jicama *Tomato *Red pepper *Onion
*Sunflower seeds *Pumpkin seeds *Olives (not raw)
I topped this salad with a spoonful of tahini and squeezed 1/2 lime. I've also tried it with the no bean hummus mixed with cilantro and lime. Both are delicious!

Cinnamon Raisin Grawnola

*RAW*

1/3 cup pecans
1/3 cup almonds
1/3 cup mix of flax, sunflower, and pumpkin seed
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 Fuji apple, diced
6 dates, chopped
2 T agave nectar(optional: I used only because my grawnola was not holding together well the 2nd time I made it)
cinnamon

Grind pecans, almonds, flax, sunflower, and pumpkin coarsely(I do this in my coffee grinder). If it is too fine, it will just make a mess. Pour coarsely ground nuts in a bowl and use hands to mix with dates, apple, and agave nectar. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Place on teflex sheet and "bake" in dehyfdrator for 24 hours.

**You can spread on sheet, "bake", and crumble for granola or I prefer to make bars or different shapes. I place different cookie cutters on the teflex sheet and scoop granola mixture into the cookie shapes. Press mixture with spoon or fingers to create a solid shape. Remove cutters and "bake".