Dave’s Epic Vegan Sammy ( V*)

I once won an award from the Taste of Home Magazine for a sandwich I make for my family and friends all of the time. My hubby now makes a vegan version which is to die for. By Implementing the Vitamin C boost of lemon essential oil, this flavorful meal (in between bread slices) can actually brighten your mood!

Ingredients:

4 slices hearty grain bread- Toasted Bread (we love Dave’s Killer bread)

1 whole avocado

1 drop lemon essential oil (optional)

½ red onion, thinly sliced

1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tomato, thinly sliced

Alfalfa sprouts

Mojo Picon sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Toast Bread and set aside.

2. Slice avocado and remove the pit. In a small bowl, gently blend avocado, essential oil, salt and pepper to taste.

3. Spread avocado blend on both slices of bread and assemble remaining veggies in the order listed.

4. Lightly salt and pepper over sprouts, place a tablespoon of Mojo sauce of sprouts. Place slice of bread on top and slice in half.

*Vegan

Orange Vanilla & Apple Tea with Hawthorn Berries

In preparation for my new cookbook, Aroma & Olive Oil I am wondering off the beaten path and posting recipes which do not necessarily contain EVOO. This is the part of my blog we call ...And then some.

This exceptional tea is a Honk Kong Original. It is a very healthy and light fruit tea, (which does not really contain tea at all). Hawthorns are actually know as thorn apples, and contain medicinal properties which help with blood circulation. It is a internally warming tea . And when you drop in the added benefits found in *Wild Orange Essential oil, you have a very healing tea for both mind, body, and soul.

Please keep in mind that Wild Orange Essential Oil has a flash point of about 110 degrees. Therefore if you would like the full therapeutic effect from this delicious tea, serve it baby bottle warm or chilled on ice. Either way, it is refreshing and fantastic

Orange Vanilla & Apple Tea with Hawthorn Berries

A light & fruity medicinal tea with the warming benefits of Hawthorn berries. Wild orange oil brings a tart & uplifting boost to this already delicious drink

Flash Point- 110 degrees F

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons dried Hawthorns 山楂 (shān zhā)

5 medium size apples, peeled and sliced

¼ cup cane, rock sugar, honey, or agave

2 quarts purified water

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 drops Wild Orange essential oil

Preparation:

1. Rinse dried hawthorn berries well and soak in warm water for 10 minutes, rinse again.

2. Add berries, apples, and water into a medium/large size pot, and bring to a boil

3. Drop heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Add sweetener, allow to completely dissolve, and add vanilla.

4. Cool to a minimum of 110 degrees and stir in essential oil. Serve warm, or iced.

*This unpretentious essential oil is used in aromatherapy to create the feeling of happiness and warmth, while calming nervous digestive problems. It deals very well with colds and flu, eliminates toxins and stimulates the lymphatic system, while supporting collagen formation in the skin.

Recipe by Micki Sannar 2012

Tomatillo & Avocado Salsa Verde V* GF**

The perfect match for Garlic & Lime Vegan Tostadas

I love shopping at a small Mexican Market near my home. I walked in today and noticed that everything had changed inside and quickly learned that they were under new management. Right in front of my eyes was their amazing meat showcase. The man behind the case wasted no time in trying to tempt me into buying some of their tantalizing marinated thinly sliced beef (which is why I usually go there in the first place). Just as I was starting to salivate, there it was …. The biggest ugliest cow head, or Cabeza I have ever seen in my life! Actually, I can’t say that I have ever seen just the head of a cow before, ever…eeeeek. He said, “oh, Senoria, you must try it, it’s delicious”. To which I replied, “he’s looking at me, and I can’t eat anything that is looking at me” “oh, no… he is not looking at you, he winking at you”. At that point, I pulled out the Vegan card and kindly asked…”where’s the tomatillos?” To which I bought a pound, headed home and made this sauce …..

Save a cow head today and make this tangy and tasty Tomatillo Salsa Verde instead…

Tomatillo & Avocado Salsa Verde

Ingredients:

1 pound tomatillos, husked

½ jalapeno pepper, seeds and all

4-8 cloves garlic (the more the better)

½ lime, squeezed

½ avocado

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Place tomatillos in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat for about 10 minutes.

2. Drain water, and carefully place tomatillos inside a blender with remaining ingredients. Place cover on blender and pulse about 4-6 times. Once pulsed, turn blender on high speed until ingredients are smooth and creamy

*Vegan

**Gluten Free

Garlic and Lime Vegan Tostadas

Garlic and Lime Vegan Tostadas

Now, let me get one thing straight.... I am not a Vegan.... Well kind of... I guess I am what I like to call a temporary Vegan. I always said that I would be a vegan except for the fact that I love the taste of meat and cheese. But for health reasons and as hubby and I are rounding a corner, & pushing the big 30, 40, or 50 (I will let you guess), we are ... dare I say.. eating an all veggie diet. And I mean ALL VEGGIE. (except for when I cheat and eat prepackaged pecan snack crackers).... Did I just say that out loud?

You got it; we are drinking green smoothies in the morning, and mixing and matching lots of vegetables all day long. The truth is that we do seem to have more energy. So, here comes the shocker.... Are you sitting down?

I have not had one cookie, slice of cake, pie, or sweetbread for three weeks. Yes, ME the queen of dessert, the princess of pie , the "let's have cake for breakfast"....yes, the woman who would rather have dessert than air, is not eating dessert!!! I can't believe I am still alive for heaven's sakes!!! What do I do? I eat fruit instead. I know, I know, I always said that fruit is not dessert. But for me at the moment it temporarily is.

At this point you must be thinking ...."eating nothing but Veggies seems crazy", but if hubby and I can do it, than you can at least share in our feast and try a Tostada or two. And the next thing you know you will be drinking spinach for breakfast.

But for heaven saves, whatever you do, don't go overboard and give up dessert.

Ingredients:

Corn tortillas

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups fresh or frozen corn

1 sweet onion finely minced

1 small red and green pepper, seeded and diced

2 heads garlic, unpeeled

Carne Asada Seasoning to taste

White pepper, to taste

3 limes

3-4 baked potatoes, skins removed and cubed

½ head cabbage, thinly sliced

½ Bunch cilantro leaves chopped

2 ripe avocados, sliced

2-3 roma tomatoes, diced

Preparation:

1. Place olive oil, corn, ½ of the onion, and red and green peppers in a large pan and fry until mixture begins to brown about (10-15 minutes).

2. Stir in minced garlic and the juice of 1 lime and begin adding the carne asada salt, and white pepper to taste. Turn heat to off position and cover

3. In a small bowl, mix minced onion, cilantro, and juice of ½ lime together.

4. Starting with a corn tortilla on the bottom, place a spoonful of potatoes, sliced avocados, corn mixture, cabbage, cilantro mixture. Top with tomatoes, and serve with ¼ lime wedges.