Cucumber Pesto Roll

More killer vegan food to make your mouth water after breaking a fast, or any old damn time. These are super easy and incredibly delicious when you use fresh, ripe ingredients. I will be incorporating dairy, baked goods, and seafood into my diet in the next few weeks, but this jammy summer treat makes a strong case for the vegan lifestylie! This recipe is very much based on one I found on several sites around the internet, but without gross pimientos and with the addition of seasoned tomatoes.

Cucumber Pesto Roll
1 large, symmetrical cucumber
1 tomato (I used creole)
1 avocado
1 oz fresh basil (large handful of leaves)
1/4 cup of pine nuts (or more to taste)
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp olive oil (or more to taste)
1 clove garlic (or more to taste)
ground black pepper
ground sea salt

1. Wash, then peel the cucumber in alternating strips so it is "striped" with peel. Cut it in half lengthwise and use a small spoon to seed the cuke and make a long trench in each cucumber half.
2. Dice the tomato VERY finely. Season with salt and pepper and small squeeze of lemon. Mix well, then spread a light layer into the trough of each cucumber half.
3. Process the avocado, basil, pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. The mixture should be very thick. Spread a heaping spoonful of the pesto over the tomatoes in each cucumber half. Use a butter knife to level the pesto with the walls of the cucumber.
4. Carefully put the halves back together and wrap very tightly in plastic wrap. Place roll in the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours.
5. Uwrap roll, separate halves, and cut into bite-size pieces. Arrange on a plate--maybe make it fancy and put the pieces onto a bright green lettuce leaf. Enjoy!

Lovely Lentil & Sweet Potato Soup

This is a wonderfully easy, fragrant, and nutritious variation on the classic lentil soup. Seeing as how I hadn't eaten solid food in almost 12 days when I made this soup, I was really excited to eat something hot, simple, and flavorful--and this delivered big time. After completing a 10 day Master Cleanse followed by a post-cleanse day of fresh squeezed OJ and grapefruit, then post-cleanse day 2 of OJ and 1/4 of a veggie sandwich for lunch, I assembled a variety of organic veggies and spices and got cooking. All measurements are approximate and improvised, natch.

Lovely Lentil & Sweet Potato Soup
1 medium sweet potato
2 cloves garlic
4 stalks celery
10-15 baby carrots
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion
1 c. red lentils
salt and pepper to taste
approx 1 c. Magic Green Infusion (see recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub sweet potato with hands or veggie brush, then rub with a light coating of olive oil. Cut off the tops of the garlic cloves and rub with oil as well. Bake potato and garlic on foil-covered sheet for about 45 minutes. I suggest a nap while you wait :)
2. Let potato and garlic cool. Dice all veggies. Make Magic Green Infusion.
3. Put small bit of olive oil in a large soup pot and add medium heat. Add onion and celery, stirring occasionally for about five minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes and (peeled) roasted garlic cloves, and cover with about six cups of spring water. Let simmer for about 15 minutes.
5. Remove sweet potato chunks with a slotted spoon, and puree with a bit of the broth.
6. Return sweet potato puree to the pot, add Magic Green Infusion and lentils and let simmer (NEVER BOIL!) for about 40 minutes.
7. YUM!


Magic Green Infusion
approx 2 cups flat parsley
10-20 whole cloves garlic
approx 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
approx 4 Tbsp. olive oil
ground black pepper to taste
ground sea salt to taste
dried italian seasoning blend to taste (thyme, rosemary, basil, etc.)
1 cup water or broth

Blend all ingredients until smooth and bright green. Stir in to any soup while cooking--it adds a ton of flavor, nutrition and color.