My Week in Food

As you all know, I have been working towards becoming a vegetarian. Don't get me wrong, I have fallen off the meat wagon a couple of times this week but I am determined. And honestly, I have made some delicious nosh.

Fresh Strawberries and Dark Chocolate. Dessert has never been so good :)

I wanted to share some of my recipes with you.  All of my food takes an hour or less to make. You can do them in the morning before work or at night when you get home. 

I made some delicious salads

 

 homemade hummus and tahini

 and my special vinaigrette that I created in my apartment three years ago.

 

Here are the recipes for my delicious meals.:

Lemon/Lime Vinaigrette:

Ingredients:

 

1 Tbs Olive Oil

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 Tsp crush red peppers

1/4 tsp black pepper

Juice from one large lime

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Directions:

Mix it all the ingredients together and throw it on some salad :)

Spring Salad:

 

1/2 avocado cored and diced

1 1/2 cup fresh kale or spring mix

6 Strawberries cut in halves

1/2 orange peeled and diced

1/4 cup dried cherries

1 Tbs nuts of your choice

 

Toss ingredients together and add vinaigrette.

 

Tahini: 

 adapted from About.com

Ingredients 

2 1/2 Cups Sesame Seeds

3/4 cup Olive Oil

Directions:

Toast sesame seeds for 5-10 minutes, tossing the seeds frequently with a spatula in a non-stick pan.. Do not allow to brown. Cool for 20 minutes.

Pour sesame seeds into food processor and add oil. Blend for 2 minutes. Check for consistency. The goal is a thick, yet pourable texture. Add more oil and blend if too thick.

Hummus: 

adapted from Inspired Taste

Ingredients:

2 cups of dried chickpeas (soaked in water for a few hours), also called garbanzo beans
1/4 cup (59 ml) fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
1/4 cup (59 ml) tahini (we used recipe above)
Half of a large garlic clove, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, depending on taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3-4 tablespoons water
Dash of ground paprika for serving

Directions: 

1.  Pour garbanzo beans into processor, reserving about a tablespoon for garnish. Place lemon juice, tahini, chopped garlic and salt in blender. Blend until creamy and well mixed.
2. Transfer the mixture to a medium serving bowl. Sprinkle with pepper and pour olive oil over the top. Garnish with reserved garbanzo beans.