Light Lunch Salads

Spinach Strawberry Salad includes: Fresh Spinach, Sliced Strawberries, 1 can Mandarin Oranges, Sunflower Seeds, Annie’s Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing. Exact measurements are not important. Base portions on your individual taste. This is an easy, quick toss salad.

3-Bean Salad includes: Lima Beans, Kidney Beans, Chickpea (aka Garbanzo Beans), chopped Red Bell Pepper, chopped Green Bell Peppers (or Cucumbers), chopped Red Onion, frozen corn and your favorite Italian Salad Dressing. This dish is easy to create. Just throw in desired amounts of ingredients and toss. Exact measurements are not important. Portions are based on individual taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:
3 overripe Bananas
2 cups self-rising Flour
1 ts Baking Powder
¼ cup Sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup chopped walnuts

9x5 standard Loaf Pan

or

3x6x2 mini Loaf Pan

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In mixing bowl, use a potato masher to mash bananas into a paste. Add vegetable oil, vanilla, sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Mix well. Sift in flour and baking powder. Mix until all ingredients incorporated, but do not overmix. (If mixture is a bit dry, slowly add 1-2 TB water.) Fold in walnuts. Bake for 40 minutes, or until knife comes out clean.

Spinach & Tofu "Ricotta Cheese" Lasagna

One box o’ Lasagna Noodles

Filling:
15oz pack Firm Tofu
1 cup frozen chopped Spinach
½ cup Nutritional Yeast
½ tsp crushed Rosemary
¼ tsp Salt

Sauce:
½ Yellow Onion
4 large Garlic Cloves
2 TB Canola Oil
1 ½ TB Basil (I had fresh basil on hand)
1 TB Italian Seasoning (or equal parts Oregano & Thyme)
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
½ tsp Sugar
Pinch of Salt
6.5 oz can sliced Mushrooms
2 cans (29oz each) Tomato Sauce

Sauce -- Chop onions and garlic, then sauté in canola oil until tender. In mixing bowl, mix tomato sauce, basil, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, sugar, salt, mushrooms, onion & garlic. Set aside.
Filling -- In a separate mixing bowl, use a potato masher to mash tofu (supposed to resemble Ricotta Cheese). Mix in nutritional yeast, rosemary, spinach and salt.

Arrange -- Use a 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Pour half the tomato sauce mix into bottom of dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles side-by-side. Use half lasagna noodle to fill in empty portion. Spoon tofu filling and spread evenly. Arrange another layer of noodles. Spoon another spread of tofu filling. Arrange layer of noodles. Pour remaining tomato sauce on top. Tightly cover dish with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes. (Optional: sprinkle top with bread crumbs or nutritional yeast)

Corn Salsa...now in Technicolor

Ingredients:
3 cups frozen Corn
1 large Green Bell pepper (chop into small pieces similar to corn kernels)
1/4 cup chopped Red Bell pepper
1 large Tomato (makes about 1 cup chopped)
2/3 cup finely chopped Red Onion (or 1/3 cup for less intensity)
1 ripe Mango (skin should be yellow & red)
7 large Fresh Basil leaves (roll leaves into ball to chop)
2 TB chopped Fresh Mint leaves
1 Lime
Salt to taste
Cayenne Pepper to taste (or black pepper if you prefer)

Boil frozen corn for about 1 minute, then add to mixing bowl. Chop red & green bell peppers into small pieces the same size as corn kernels. Chop tomatoes. Peel off mango skin and chop. Finely chop the red onion. Roll basil leaves into a ball and finely chop. De-sprig mint leaves, roll into ball and finely chop. Throw all ingredients in mixing bowl. Add lime juice. Slowly add pinches of salt, stir and taste until satisfied. Pinch of cayenne pepper to taste. Mix well. Let sit 1 hour (for flavors to blend) before serving. Serve with Blue Corn Tortilla Chips.