Category: Appetizer & Sides

Wild Rice Soup

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Wild Rice blend & Vegetable Soup
(Serves 4-6) ~ Vegan, Dairy-Free

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I wish I planned this recipe in advance, instead it was another pantry/fridge cleanout effort. I typically write out recipes first and tweak them along the way when I’m creating. Since I didn’t do that here, please make note that my measurements are not exact. BUT it came out so delicious that I just had to share it anyway.
Last week I had given the kids leftover pasta for dinner which left Seth and I with ??? Refusing to go to the store, I scoured through the pantry and fridge to see what I could find. I wouldn’t necessarily make soup with a red onion, for example, I prefer yellow or sweet, but it’s what was available. I also found celery, carrots, broccoli and parsley in the fridge. In the pantry I found wild rice and a can of corn. With the addition of the flour this soup comes out rather creamy.
My my this soup tasted like Thanksgiving. I will definitely be making this one again soon, especially with the upcoming holidays so then I will plan to measure. Warm, comforting and inviting! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 Quarts of Water
3 Tbsp Canola Oil
½ Large Red Onion, chopped
4 Large Carrots, sliced
4 Celery Ribs, sliced
1 Handful fresh Parsley, chopped
½ Cup of Wild Rice Blend, uncooked (I used Lundberg brand)
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, about ½ Tsp
All Purpose Flour, about 3 Tbsp
Salt/Pepper to taste
Italian Seasoning to taste
Florets from 2 bunches of Broccoli
1 (15.25oz can) Corn

Directions:
-In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook about 2-3 minutes until softened.
-Add carrots, celery, parsley and crushed red pepper flakes then continue to cook through for another couple minutes.
-Add water, salt/pepper, Italian seasoning and heat to slow boil. Stir in flour and cook for another 1-2 minutes before adding rice.
-Add wild rice blend, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for about 40 minutes.
-In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add corn and broccoli florets.
-Adjust seasoning to taste. Enjoy!

 

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Cream of Broccoli Soup

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Cream of Broccoli Soup
(Serves 12-14) ~ Vegan

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Proud ‘Sally Soul Smasher’ here. Yup, I just finished serving up salads for dinner tonight. I honestly couldn’t help but to think of the Domino’s commercial while serving it too. Well the salad was delicious – ingredients/picture below:

Spinach
Carrots
Celery
Zucchini (Squash)
Tomatoes
Kalamata Olives
Broccoli
Parsley
Avocado
Portobello Mushrooms (sautéed in oil, salt/pepper and finished with balsamic)

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You know… salad doesn’t have to be boring or tasteless. I’ve made so many and fancy ‘Waldorf/Greek’ and basic Chopped salads too. But today I really wanted to blog about my Cream of Broccoli soup! One day last week it was SO chilly out, just freezing. I wanted something warm and creamy and thought what better than a warming soup. Hope you try this one. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 Large Sweet Onion, chopped
1 Large Russet Potato, chopped
3 Tbsp Canola Oil
½ Tsp Celery Seed
1/8 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2 Quarts Vegetable Broth
1 Quart Water
7 Bunches of Broccoli (florets), chopped
¼ Cup Earth Balance (vegan butter)
3 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup Nutritional Yeast flakes
½ Cup Soy Milk
½ Tbsp Salt
2 Tsp Ground Pepper

-This is about the size of the broccoli (7 of these).
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Directions:
-Heat oil in large pot and add onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes until translucent.
-Add potatoes (I chop them about the same size as the onions), celery seed and red pepper flakes. Continue to heat for another 2 minutes.
-Add one quart of the vegetable broth and heat to cook down the potatoes for about 3 minutes.
-Add remaining broth/water and broccoli then heat to boil. Cover turn off heat and let stand for 35-40 minutes to cook.
-In the meantime, in a separate pan, heat earth balance and flour to create a roux or slurry.
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-Bring soup back to a simmer. Add roux, nutritional yeast, milk and salt/pepper.
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-Blend soup with an immersion blender and adjust seasoning to taste before serving. Enjoy!

Note: If you’re in a pinch for time just continue cooking over medium-high until potatoes are cooked through. I prefer the step that allows them to steam up and it kind of preserves the beautiful green broccoli color.

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Cream of Broccoli Soup

  • Servings: 12-14
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients:
1 Large Sweet Onion, chopped
1 Large Russet Potato, chopped
3 Tbsp Canola Oil
½ Tsp Celery Seed
1/8 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2 Quarts Vegetable Broth
1 Quart Water
7 Bunches of Broccoli (florets), chopped
¼ Cup Earth Balance (vegan butter)
3 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup Nutritional Yeast flakes
½ Cup Soy Milk
½ Tbsp Salt
2 Tsp Ground Pepper

Directions:
-Heat oil in large pot and add onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes until translucent.
-Add potatoes (I chop them about the same size as the onions), celery seed and red pepper flakes. Continue to heat for another 2 minutes.
-Add one quart of the vegetable broth and heat to cook down the potatoes for about 3 minutes.
-Add remaining broth/water and broccoli then heat to boil. Cover turn off heat and let stand for 35-40 minutes to cook.
-In the meantime, in a separate pan, heat earth balance and flour to create a roux or slurry.
-Bring soup back to a simmer. Add roux, nutritional yeast, milk and salt/pepper.
-Blend soup with an immersion blender and adjust seasoning to taste before serving. Enjoy!

Black-Eyed Chimichurri Bean Salad

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Black-Eyed Chimichurri Bean Salad
(Serves 8-12) ~ Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free

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Bursting with flavor! Try this amazing side at your next bbq/party. Beans always remind me of Seth since he LOVES beans and all things beans! Hell it even inspired us naming our first dog-child together (Beanie). 😊 So I wanted to share a funny story that happened on Monday night. Seth and I have been binge watching Oz (I know so 90’s, right?) and during one of the episodes the topic of Hell, Hades or something about a ‘lifetime of torture’ came up. (Sorry I butchered that explanation, I know). Anyhow, so he asks me what I would consider so torturous that would haunt me for a lifetime. My response was something about bugs, insects or rodents crawling all over me. I have nothing against the little guys…I just don’t want them crawling all over me. SO I ask him the same question and he replies, “what would torture me for life would be to lose all my senses… to not have the ability to see you anymore, smell or touch your soft skin, or to hear your voice… that would be torture to me – losing all my senses. Knowing that I once could experience those things but to no longer have that ability…” [melt] Um – he won, lol! ❤ well now you all know another reason why I fell in love – he’s smooth, right?

SO if anyone ever asks the question… for the love of God go with your senses.

Pft!…bugs, what was I thinking. 😊 Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 (15.5oz cans) Blackeye Peas, drained/rinsed
1 (11oz can) White Shoepeg Corn
1 Tofurky sausage, diced (sautéed for 3 minutes), optional
½ – 1 Cup Chimichurri Sauce

-Toss all ingredients to combine and refrigerate overnight. Best served cold.

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Gnocchi & Sausage Chimichurri ~ Vegan

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Gnocchi & Sausage Chimichurri ~ Vegan
(Serves 8-12)

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Again it’s all in the sauce. The chimichurri sauce is so bold but marries so perfectly with the gnocchi and Tofurky Italian sausage.

Speaking of marriages…Seth the artist is always creating something. As I always say my artistic expression is cooking, but him… if he’s not photographing, writing or painting you’ll find him always creating something. 😊 Recently he began making music – amazing work too. He’s been creating drum and bass, trance, lounge-type music. Check out his YouTube channel, here is his latest song if you’re interested: https://youtu.be/G5ud12LJCMg . He also tweets them find him @nsanity777.

My eclectic music selections can range anywhere from Miles Davis to Tool or some TripHop…a little Massive Attack/Portishead. As of late, my music sessions end up with anything Electronica/Drum & Bass. Seth turned me onto Goldie, good stuff. Oh to live in England, I’d love to even visit for that matter, the UK seems to have it going on. They’re about ten years ahead of us in music, he says. I can envision the nightclub scene out there, whew.  Good music and timeless, in my opinion. Artists and songs from ten or fifteen years ago, are still hot if you listened to them today. Drum and Bass…there’s no barricade between genres. Drum, the walls come down between jazz, reggae, house, classical, electronica and fuse into a great sound, bass. Seth is always teaching me something… He not only looks up an artist, but the artist that influenced those artists or ones that are similar. It probably started with him with that old-school ‘jungle’ music and his collection just grew. Joey Beltram, Omni Trio, The Prodigy, Goldie, Tricky, Massive Attack, Pendulum…and some popular US favs– Deadmau5, Gridlok, Skrillex, DJ Craze. We saw RL Grime in Vegas a couple years ago A-Mazing time! Maybe one day we’ll visit Bristol…

Ingredients:
Cooked Gnocchi (about 3-4 17oz pkgs)
Fresh Basil, chiffonade (about 7 pieces)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (drizzle to toss in pan before adding sauce)
Salt/Pepper to taste
1 (15oz can) Diced Garlic Tomatoes
2 Tofurky Italian Sausages, sliced (sautéed in olive oil over med-high heat for 3-5 mins.)
1 Cup Chimichurri Sauce

-Toss all ingredients to combine – adjust seasoning to taste.
Enjoy!

Chimichurri (Verde) Sauce

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Chimichurri (Verde) Sauce
(Makes about 2 ½ Cups) ~ Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free

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Mmm…Chimichurri sauce typically used as a marinade (hint: try on some portabella mushrooms) today used as a sauce. An insanely good garlicky herbed sauce to top gnocchi and also used in a bean salad. So good you want to put it on everything!

Ingredients:
2/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
7 Garlic cloves
3 Scallions (white/light green parts only)
1 handful bunch of Fresh Parsley
1 small handful bunch of Fresh Cilantro
5 Fresh Basil Leaves
½ Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
½ Tsp dried Oregano
1 Tbsp Chives (I used dried)
¼ Cup Vinegar
¼ Cup White Wine Vinegar
1/3 Cup Water
1 Tsp Black Pepper
½ Tbsp Salt
½ Tbsp Sugar
Directions:
-Blend all ingredients to combine. I used a high speed blender (nutribullet).
-Refrigerate leftover sauce for 2-3 days. Enjoy!

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Lentil Vegetable Soup

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Lentil Vegetable Soup
(Serves 12-18) ~ Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free

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Maybe I just don’t have it in me to make a small pot of soup or something. So I’ll just warn you now that this recipe makes an enormous amount of soup! Lol – feel free to cut it down or just go crazy and make the large pot like I did, it freezes great too. I typically go with the large pot of soup since it will last for several days – lunch and dinner. Not only is this vegan soup hearty with veggies it is wholesome too. Lentils are packed with nutrients and are high in protein and fiber – great for lowering cholesterol! I hope you try this great weeknight dinner, sample it with your favorite veggies. Enjoy!

Vegan Lentil Soup

  • Servings: 12-18
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large Sweet Onion, chopped
2 Large Russet Potatoes, diced/cubed
4 Scallions, chopped
7 stalks Celery, chopped
5 Carrots, diced/cubed
1 Tbsp Salt
2 Tsp fresh ground Black Pepper
1 ½ to 2 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Chili Powder
2 Bay Leaves
1 (28oz can) Diced Tomatoes
4 Cups dry Lentils, picked/rinsed (I used Bob’s Red Mill – the entire 27oz pkg)
3 Quarts Vegetable Broth (about 12 cups)
3 Cups Water
3 Tbsp Tomato Paste (I used tomato/basil paste)
10oz fresh Green Beans, trimmed/cut (about 2 ½ cups)
4 stalks Kale, stems removed/chopped
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:
-Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. You’ll need an extra-large pot! Add onions, potatoes, garlic and scallions then heat for 5 minutes. Then add carrots and celery continue to sauté for another 3 minutes.
-Next, add seasonings: salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and bay leaves. Stir to combine before adding tomatoes.
-Add your vegetable broth and water to the pot and heat to boil. While stock is boiling remember to pick through your lentils check for any rocks for example before rinsing.
-Add lentils, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 40 minutes.
-During the last 10 minutes of cooking add your green beans and kale. Enjoy!

Warning! – Ginormous pot of soup below!

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Stuffed Tomatoes ~ Vegan

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Sundried tomato and Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes
(Serves 4) ~ Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free

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You may find this hard to believe, but in all my years of cooking it never occurred to me before to stuff tomatoes, lol. I’m sure I’ve had to at least see them before at some point in my life, right? Not until a few months ago when I was perusing through blog posts and saw that one of my fellow bloggers stuffed tomatoes. This was literally the moment when the light bulb went off in my head. Why? My husband does not like stuffed peppers, maybe it’s the way the flavor of the cooked peppers permeate throughout the filling. He loves raw peppers just not cooked/baked. I’ve made them in the past for myself and really do like them, guess I never just thought to stuff tomatoes. Stuffed squash is pretty good too. This recipe is very flavorful, filling and heart healthy. The sundried tomatoes, sunflower seeds and quinoa offer a great texture.

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Ingredients:
4 Large Tomatoes
3 White Button Mushrooms, wiped clean/chopped
3 large Cauliflower Florets (about 1 cup), raw
7 Basil leaves, chiffonade
1 handful fresh Parsley (about 1/3 Cup), chopped
7 Pieces Sundried Tomatoes, chopped
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ Cup Cooked Quinoa
½ Cup Sunflower Seeds (I soaked the seeds for about 30 minutes)
1 Garlic clove, minced
½ Tsp Salt
¼ Tsp fresh Ground Pepper
¼ Tsp Chili Powder

Directions:
 -Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
-In a large bowl combine all ingredients. [except for the large tomatoes of course J ]

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-Carefully cut around the top of each tomato to core. Scoop the inside of your tomatoes with a spoon to core. (I used my ice cream scoop to core out the insides. Only because my scoop comes to a slight point. I don’t have the traditional disher style scoop with the mechanical lever which I suppose could be bulky and get in the way.)

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-Fill each tomato with stuffing mix – I used my measuring cup so I can give you all a pretty accurate measurement. I was able to fill each tomato with about 2/3 Cup of the mixture. (I used my 1/3 measuring cup – make sure to pack it down with each scoop).

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-Place tomatoes on baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle again with a dash of salt/pepper and chili powder.
-Bake for 25 minutes @ 375. Enjoy!

Tip: In this recipe I used jarred sundried tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil. Instead of using EVOO from my pantry – I used 3 Tbsp of the olive oil that the sundried tomatoes were packed in! Extra flavorful. J -I also used curly parsley in this recipe you flat leaf should work well too.

Sundried tomato and Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Credit: veganrescue.com

Ingredients:
4 Large Tomatoes
3 White Button Mushrooms, wiped clean/chopped
3 large Cauliflower Florets (about 1 cup), raw
7 Basil leaves, chiffonade
1 handful fresh Parsley (about 1/3 Cup), chopped
7 Pieces Sundried Tomatoes, chopped
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ Cup Cooked Quinoa
½ Cup Sunflower Seeds (I soaked the seeds for about 30 minutes)
1 Garlic clove, minced
½ Tsp Salt
¼ Tsp fresh Ground Pepper
¼ Tsp Chili Powder

Directions:
 -Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
-In a large bowl combine all ingredients. [except for the large tomatoes of course J ]
-Carefully cut around the top of each tomato to core. Scoop the inside of your tomatoes with a spoon to core. (I used my ice cream scoop to core out the insides. Only because my scoop comes to a slight point. I don’t have the traditional disher style scoop with the mechanical lever which I suppose could be bulky and get in the way.)
-Fill each tomato with stuffing mix – I used my measuring cup so I can give you all a pretty accurate measurement. I was able to fill each tomato with about 2/3 Cup of the mixture. (I used my 1/3 measuring cup – make sure to pack it down with each scoop).
-Place tomatoes on baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle again with a dash of salt/pepper and chili powder.
-Bake for 25 minutes @ 375. Enjoy!

Succotash

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Succotash
(Serves 14-16 – Party size) ~ Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Dairy-Free

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Maybe I’m showing my age or generation here, but who can make succotash without saying, “sufferin succotash.” Ha! Did Sylvester the Cat ever catch the elusive Tweety? We never did want Tweety to get caught did we? Maybe it’s because Tweety is so darn cute. It intrigues me how some cultures and people hold certain animals sacred while others slaughter them in massive assembly line fashion, like cows for example. Don’t worry, I’m not getting all self-righteous here – it’s all about the succotash.

I made this dish for a party about a month ago now. This recipe is a great summer side, perfect for any bbq. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Red Pepper, chopped
½ Red Onion, chopped
½ Tsp Chili Powder
2 (14oz Pkg) frozen Baby Lima Beans, steamed
3 (11oz can) Corn, drained/rinsed (I used 1 can white shoepeg and 2 cans sweet)
1 Pint Sweet Grape Tomatoes, sliced
Salt/Pepper to taste

Directions:
-Combine chopped red peppers, onions, tomatoes, corn and lima beans.
-In a separate container whisk together: olive oil, vinegar, mustard and sugar. Toss all ingredients together; top with chili powder and salt/pepper to taste then refrigerate. Enjoy!

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Quinoa & Peas (2x) with Citrus Dressing

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Quinoa & Peas (2x) with Citrus Dressing
(Serves 4-6) ~ Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free

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Nope, this is not another peanut butter dish instead let us swap one great source of protein for another. Cue in the Quinoa! Fluffy quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids and has been deemed a complete protein. This recipe is filling and refreshing and great for the summer. I have two kinds of peas in this recipe (I ❤ peas) but you can swap for so many other recipes like another love of ours, broccoli. Enjoy!

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Ingredients:
(16oz) or 2 ½ Cups Peas, steamed
(12oz) or abt 2 ½ Cups Sugar Snap Peas, steamed
1 Cup Quinoa, cooked
7 Scallions (white/light green parts only), chopped
½ Tsp Course Ground Pepper
½ Tsp Salt
1 small handful Fresh Curly Parsley, chopped

Citrus Dressing:
Juice of ½ Lemon
Juice of ¼ Grapefruit
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (good quality)
½ Tsp Course Black Pepper
½ Tbsp Sugar
¼ Tsp Salt

Directions:
-Prepare quinoa according to package or see directions here. During the last 5 minutes of cooking add scallions – during steaming.

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-For Dressing: whisk ingredients together to combine and toss with quinoa and peas.
-Add salt/pepper, parsley and optional (coconut bacon) – [see recipe here] to taste. Enjoy!

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Quinoa and Peas with Citrus Dressing

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Credit: http://www.veganrescue.com

Ingredients:

(16oz) or 2 ½ Cups Peas, steamed
(12oz) or abt 2 ½ Cups Sugar Snap Peas, steamed
1 Cup Quinoa, cooked
7 Scallions (white/light green parts only), chopped
½ Tsp Course Ground Pepper
½ Tsp Salt
1 small handful Fresh Curly Parsley, chopped

Citrus Dressing:
Juice of ½ Lemon
Juice of ¼ Grapefruit
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (good quality)
½ Tsp Course Black Pepper
½ Tbsp Sugar
¼ Tsp Salt

Directions:
-Prepare quinoa according to package or see directions here. During the last 5 minutes of cooking add scallions – during steaming.

-For Dressing: whisk ingredients together to combine and toss with quinoa and peas.
-Add salt/pepper, parsley and optional (coconut bacon) – [see recipe here] to taste. Enjoy!

Avocado Crema Sauce

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Avo-Crema Sauce
 (1 ½ Cup) ~ Vegan, Gluten-Free. Dairy-Free

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This sauce was absolutely refreshing over top my creamy enchiladas and cilantro-lime rice. The perfect addition. Let me know what else you decide to add it too? Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Large Haas Avocado, pitted
½ Cup Non-Dairy Sour Cream
Juice of ½ Lime
1/3 Cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
½ Tsp Cumin
½ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Course Black Pepper
¼ Cup Water

Directions:
Blend together to combine until smooth. Store in airtight container.
(May change color if avocado oxidizes, however, mine was still a vibrant green the following day).
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