Italian Summer Salad

Serves: 6
Prep time: 30 minutes

Mangia!

I made this summer salad this weekend for an Italian dinner and it was such a hit! It's light, refreshing and chocked full of watery vegetables, which are perfect for hydrating in the middle of summer. Serve it as a side dish to pasta marinara and mangia!

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, drained
1 can sliced black olives, drained
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and diced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1/2 package mushrooms, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Smokin' Texas Gourmet Garlic Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

-Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Add olive oil and toss to coat the salad. Season with more garlic salt and pepper, to taste.

-Chill for an hour or two before serving.

Kale with cranberries and toasted pecans

Serves: 2
Time: 15 minutes



A healthy holiday side that will have everyone wanting seconds!

 I began testing vegan Thanksgiving dishes about a month ago. I've tried casseroles, baked goods and breads. For some reason I haven't cooked up any vegetable sides, but everything changed last night. Challenged to make a healthy and delicious, holiday-appropriate side dish, I immediately started thinking of the in-season green gems that are perfect for a holiday feast. My mind immediately focused on the nutritional powerhouse, kale. This delicious recipe is the result.

Ingredients
8-ounce bag of kale
4 tablespoons pecans, rough chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 tablespoons dried cranberries
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Smokin' Texas Gourmet Holiday Spice

Directions
Use a sharp knife to cut out the central rib and stem from each kale leaf. Note: The kale stems are full of nutrients, so keep them in if you don't mind the extra crunch. Place the kale in a large bowl of cold water and allow to rest while you prepare the remaining recipe.

Toast the pecans over medium heat in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes or until golden. Shake the pan often to keep the pecans from burning. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Place the garlic and oil in a large skillet, and sauté over medium heat for 1 minute or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the damp kale and stir, then cover the pan and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add the cranberries and pecans, and stir. Cook and cover for 2 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and holiday spice, cover, and continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Serve warm.

Vegan chili cheese nachos

Serves: 2
Time: 45 minutes

This chili cheese nacho recipe is perfect for a party and noshing. I've served these for friends a few times and they always disappear quickly. Increase the ingredients if you're serving a larger group.

Ingredients
1 can chili beans, sauce saved
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 sweet or yellow onion, rough chopped
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon Smokin' Texas Gourmet Chili Seasoning, or more to taste
1 teaspoon Smokin' Texas Gourmet Smoked Salt, or more to taste
1 fresh jalapeno, sliced (optional)
Tortilla chips
1 package Daiya cheddar cheese, or your favorite vegan shredded cheese
Non-stick cooking spray
Smokin' Texas Gourmet Texas Twister hot sauce (optional)

Directions
Add the canola oil to a small frying pan and set to medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and sweat until the onion is translucent, about 6 to 7 minutes.

In a medium sized soup pot, add the drained black beans, can of chili beans, onion and Smokin' Texas Gourmet Chili Seasoning and Smoked Salt. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce to heat to a low simmer. Simmer the chili for approximately 30 minutes to allow flavors to infuse.

Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and arrange tortilla chips over the sheet. Sprinkle with Daiya cheese (as much as you would like) and broil tortilla chips until cheese is melted.

Sprinkle toasted chips with chili. Serve with sliced jalapeno and Smokin' Texas Gourmet Texas Twister hot sauce.

Sicilian Collard Greens with Pine Nuts and Raisins

Serves: 2 or 3
Time: 20 minutes

I've always been fond of collard greens, but this recipe takes my love to a new level. Its one of my favorite dishes from Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet and is a great way to introduce people to this extremely healthy green.

Ingredients
1 bunch collard greens
2 tablespoons pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions
Use a sharp knife to cut out the central rib and stem from each collard leaf. Rinse the leaves in a sink of cool water, lifting them into a colander to drain a bit (you want some water to remain on the leaves).

Toast the pine nuts over medium heat in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes or until golden. Shake the pan often to keep the pine nuts from burning. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Place the garlic and oil in a large skillet, and sauté over medium heat for 1 minute or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the damp collards and stir, then cover the pan and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add the raisins and pine nuts, and stir. Cook and cover for 2 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, cover, and continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Note: The stems of the collard greens are full of minerals, so if you want to use them, chop them into 1-inch pieces and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the collard greens.

Hot Chocolate with Kahlua

Serves 2
Time: 10 minutes

Yesterday was National Milk Chocolate Day. I love any excuse to eat chocolate, so I decided to celebrate the day. Only problem is, as a vegan I can't eat milk chocolate. So I decided to make vegan hot chocolate with a grown up twist. Here's my recipe for hot chocolate with Kahlua. It's simple, delicious and perfect for a cold day or any day!

Recipe Note: The hot chocolate will be pretty sweet, so add more coconut milk if you want to dilute it. 

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Silk or So Delicious Coconut Milk
2 shots Kahlua Liqueur
1 1/2 tablespoons Hershey's Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder

Directions
Pour the coconut milk and Kahlua into a small saucepan. Heat on low-medium heat, whisking frequently to prevent the milk from burning.

Bring the milk to a near boil and whisk in the cocoa powder. Whisk until all of the cocoa powder is dissolved and the milk is heated through.

Serve in a mug and enjoy!

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Photo credit: Pennies on a Platter

Serves 6  

Time: 10 minutes

My husband was working on the set yesterday for a Cooking Channel pilot episode "How to live to 100." Chocolate avocado pudding was one of the recipes featured on the show. I made this recipe for a baby shower and it was the first thing to disappear! Serve it in a red wine glass with sliced strawberries for a healthy, sexy dessert.

Recipe Note: The pudding thickens as it chills. It will keep for two to three days in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

1 medium avocado
1/2 cup Silk or So Delicious coconut milk

4-6 tablespoons pure maple syrup (more or less depending how sweet you want it)

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 pinches sea salt

Directions 

Put all ingredients except the unsweetened, desiccated coconut into the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. 

Transfer to individual serving dishes and serve immediately.