Dressing
Olive oil ……………………………………………………….1/4 cup
Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar…………………….3 tbsp
Dry mustard powder ……………………………………….1/2 tsp
Grey sea salt …………………………………………………..1/4 tsp
Maple syrup …………………………………………………..1 tbsp

Soak lentils for 16 hours in clean water, drain and rinse.  Combine all ingredients, including dressing, let sit for 2 hours before eating.  Keeps well in the fridge for 2 days.

Dressing
Olive oil …………………………………..1/4 cup
Lemon juice ……………………………..3 tbsp
Maple syrup ……………………………..1 tbsp
Grey sea salt ……………………………..1/4 tsp
Cinnamon …………………………………1/8 tsp

Peel and dice grapefruit, you can cut around the centre and leave the segment skins within the pieces.  Quarter the avocado, remove the seed, and separate the skin from the flesh, and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Sprinkle on sunflower seeds and dress with the oil mixture.

Purified water ………………………………..6 cups
Black tea (eg Tetley) ……………………….9 tea bags
Milk (OG cow’s, soy or almond) ………4 cups
Green cardamom, whole, green ……….2 tbsp
Cinnamon stick ………………………………1
Cloves, whole …………………………………3 – 4
Nutmeg, freshly grated ……………………1/4 tsp
Black pepper corns …………………………1 tbsp
Ginger root …………………………………… 1 inch piece

Crush cardamom pods gently.  Place all spices in a pot with water and bring to a boil.  Throw in tea bags and milk and bring to a gentle boil again, remove from heat.  When the liquid settles, bring to boil again, remove from heat.  Repeat one more time.  Sweeten to taste with honey, stevia or regular sugar or have your guests add their own.  Remove tea bags and strain chai through a medium seive to catch the spices.   Ladle chai into mugs and serve.

Garbanzo beans, dried …………………………2 cups
Water …………………………………………………4 cups
Parsley, minced …………………………………….1 bunch
Lemon juice, fresh ………………………………..1/4 – 1/2 cups, to taste
Olive oil ………………………………………………1/2 cup
Tahini …………………………………………………3 tbsp
Garlic ………………………………………………….2 – 3 cloves
Grey sea salt ………………………………………..1/2 tsp, to taste
Paprika ………………………………………………. a generous sprinkle

Clean and sort beans to ensure there are no dirt clods or stones, rinse.  In a slow cooker, on med or high, cook beans overnight or for 6 – 8 hours.  Individual slow cookers vary in their heat, so it is a good idea to check on them ever few hours.  When the beans are fully cooked, they will be soft and ready to use.  Rinse the beans well in a colander until there is no more foaming.  Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix with a blade on low-med speed, making taste adjustments as you go, if extra moisture is needed, add a little water, extra olive oil, tahini or lemon juice.  To soften the garlic flavour, I often crush the garlic with the salt, first before adding the rest of the mixture.  It is best to let the hummus sit for several hours before serving.  Sprinkle a little paprika over the top for presentation.

Note:  Tahini is sesame seed paste and can be found in small tubs in Middle Eastern  groceries, the ethnic food section or at the health food store.  It is ideally kept refridgerated.

Sunflower seeds ………………………1 cup
Raw almonds ………………………….1/2 cup
Raw walnuts …………………………..1/4 cup
Raw pumpkin seeds ………………..1/4 cup
Garlic …………………………………….1 head
Celery, chopped ………………………1 cup
Lemon juice, fresh …………………..1/4 cup
Olive oil ………………………………….3/4 cup, plus 1 tbsp
Red pepper …………………………….1 large or 2 small
Grey sea salt …………………………..1/2 tsp

Soak seeds and nuts overnight or for 6 – 8 hours in clean water.  Drain and rinse.  While baking something else (e.g. baked tofu), place garlic head and oiled red pepper(s) in an oven preheated to ~ 350 F.  Cook until the pepper is soft and some of the skin has darkened.  Remove the peppers and place in a paper bag to sweat (~10 min).  Place nut/seed ingredients along with salt, lemon juice and chopped celery in a food processor with a cutting blade and mix on a low speed.  Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and add to mixture (can use half the cloves if desired).  Peel red pepper, remove seeds and extra water and add to food processor.  Mix until the pate has an even consistency.  Refrigerate until used.  Can roll in Nori, use in wraps or as a dip with vegetables.

1 cup yellow split peas, sorted (for stones) and washed
1 yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp olive oil, additional
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp roasted cumin, seeds or ground
4 cups filtered water
1/2 – 1 tsp grey sea salt
Optional – 1/2 dried ancho pepper
Optional – 1 – 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Optional – small bunch of parsley, chopped

Add olive oil and 3/4 of the chopped onions to a soup pot and heat on med-low heat, stirring, cook onions until translucent.  Add cumin and stir for another 30 seconds.  Add water and turn heat to high until boiling.  Add cleaned split peas,  salt and optionally, an dried ancho pepper stirring.  Reduce heat and cook covered for 20 – 30 minutes, checking and stirring occassionally so the soup doesn’t stick and burn.  Cook until the soup is thick and the peas easily become pasty.  Crush peas using a soup mixer or potato masher.  To finish the soup, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a small fry pan at medium heat.  Add (1/4) chopped onion, cook until the onion turns brown, add garlic and cook for another 30 – 45 seconds or until garlic browns.  Pour on top of soup.  Can finish with a little lemon juice and chopped parsley if desired.

Kale (dinosaur, purple or green), One bunch, finely sliced
Cabbage or Broccoli, 1 to 1 1/2 cups, minced

Olive oil 1/4 cup
Lemon juice from 1/2 lemon or 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Garlic, 1 clove
Unrefined, grey salt, 1/2 tsp
Thyme, 2 pinches, rubbed

Remove the tough stems from the kale by holding the stem with one hand and vigorously pulling the leaves in the opposite direction with the other hand.  Combine with finely sliced cabbage and or broccoli (or even cauliflower).  With a pestle and mortar, crush the garlic with the salt (to soften the garlic flavour), add olive oil and crush some more.  Add lemon juice or cider vinegar, thyme and mix further.  Pour over the kale mixture and let stand for 5 – 15 minutes.  Will keep in the fridge for one day.

Kale (dinosaur, purple or green), One bunch

Olive oil, 2 tbsp
Lemon juice, 1 tbsp
Sea salt, 1/4 tsp
Garlic, 1/2 to 1 full clove

Remove the tough portion of the stem from the kale and chop or tear the leaves into large pieces.  Set to steam for 5 to 10 minutes.  While the kale is cooking, make the drizzle by mashing the garlic and salt together with a mortar and pestle.  This takes the harshness out of the garlic and makes it more mild.  Add the oil and lemon juice into the pestle and stir.  When the kale is soft, put it in a serving dish and drizzle with the oil and lemon mixture.  Serve immediately as a side dish.

1 tbsp each of: Almonds, Pumpkin seeds, Sesame seeds or Sunflower seeds, Flax seeds.
2 cups filtered water
1/2 banana
1/2 cup blueberries

Soak all the seeds overnight (or for 8 hours) in a bowl of filtered water ( ~ 1/2 cup of water).  In the morning pour the nuts and water into a blender, add another 1.5 cups of filtered water.  Add banana and blueberries, or if bananas aren’t appropriate, use a little maple syrup.  Blend on med and then high until the mixture is smooth.  Enjoy in a large glass or tumbler.

Water, 2 cups
Fresh lemon juice, 1/2 cup
Quinoa, 1 cup
Olive oil, 1/3 cup
Tomatoes, 3 medium-sized
Fresh mint, 2 Tbsp
Parsley, 1 1/2 cup
Scallion, 1 cup
Grey sea salt

Rinse quinoa to remove the bitter coating in a fine sieve, you may rub it to assist this process.  Cook the quinoa by putting it a pot with a cover with the water and bringing to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for 10 – 15 minutes.  You can turn off the heat after 10 minutes and let stand for the additional 5 min.  Let the quinoa cool to room temperature.  Dice tomatoes and chop the parsley, scallion and mint.  Combine the olive oil and lemon with a bit of salt and mix or shake vigorously.  Combine quinoa with the chopped vegetables and pour the oil mixture over top.  Let stand for 15 minutes.   Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days.