Vegan Tomato Tart

As many of you may know I have been having all sorts of fun lately creating recipes that utilize healthy ingredients as an alternative to the conventional components of a dish. For all my testing and tasting I have had pleasantly successful results. Healthy food can be so delicious if you commit to using fresh, vibrant ingredients! But this tart...wow. This tart is my swan song- it is vegan, no-carb, almost raw (I cooked the crust at 250 degrees rather than in a dehydrator for hours upon hours) and full of unbelievably rich flavor. And it's so pretty to look at, which basically makes you want to devour it immediately. Credit there is fully due to the gorgeous rainbow of cherry tomatoes I picked up at the farmers market, gotta enjoy them while we still can!

Who doesn't love to nibble on a dainty slice of tart alongside a simple green salad...it just makes one feel so fancy, doesn't it? The magic of this tart is walnuts, which stand in for a traditional buttery crust as well as a creamy, cheesy filling. You definitely get your daily dose of omega-3s with this tart, and none of the guilt!

Ingredients

for the crust:
3 cups walnuts
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp. salt

for the filling:
3 cups walnuts, soaked overnight
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 handful basil leaves

Instructions
1. To make the crust, place the walnuts in a food processor and blend for about 10 seconds. Add remaining ingredients and pulse to combine.
2. Press the crust into a tart pan and bake at 250 degrees for about 1 hour or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and cool completely.
3. To make the filling, combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until a smooth, creamy consistency is reached. Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time if needed to reach desired consistency. 4. Transfer tomatoes to a baking sheet and warm in the oven for about 30 minutes at 250 degrees, until just softened.
5. To assemble, pour filling into cooled crust and arrange tomatoes on top. Garnish with basil and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow tart to set.

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Egg White Fritatta

Fritattas are basically a healthier version of quiche, and although sadly they don't include that wonderfully indulgent buttery crust they can still be just as satisfying. I love making fritattas at the beginning of the week to have on hand for a quick breakfast, light lunch or even a simple dinner- you gotta love that! This time I thought I would try an uberhealthy fritatta using only egg whites, and the result was delightful.

I love the versatility of this baked egg dish, you can include just about any type of veggie or meat your heart desires. And adding a bit of cooked orzo pasta or cheese is a wonderful way to impart heartiness and richness. Try baking them in muffin tins for cute little individual portions! Lots of options here...for this particular fritatta I just used a hodgepodge of vegetables in my kitchen that needed to be used up quickly- zucchini, bell pepper and jalapeño- and sprinkled a touch of fresh parsley over the top for a pop of color. And I couldn't resist adding avocado, because, let's face it, I can hardly ever resist adding avocado to anything...it's kind of my little secret weapon. So now you know. Secret's out.

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
1 small jalapeño, seeded and diced
1/2 zucchini, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
8 egg whites
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1/2 avocado, sliced

 Instructions 
1. Preheat broiler. Warm the olive oil in a medium sized oven-safe pan. Add the jalapeño, zucchini, red and yellow peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes.
2. Whisk together the egg whites, pepper and salt and pour over the vegetables and cook gently until the egg whites are set.
3. Transfer pan to broiler and broil until the top is nicely browned. Sprinkle with parsley and top with avocado before serving.

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Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocado

Palta Rellena, or "stuffed avocado" in Spanish, is a classic Peruvian dish that I can remember eating since childhood. Generally however, from what I can remember the chicken salad was always a quizzical mix of chicken, mayonnaise and that bag of mixed vegetables you find in the frozen aisle at the grocery store (you know the one, with the peas, corn and little cubes of carrot). Now that didn't make it any less delicious, but when John made a rotisserie chicken the other night I was inspired to create a contemporary version of this Peruvian classic with the leftovers. Chicken salad is one of our favorite things to make with a leftover chicken; we've also been loving polenta bowls with a hodgepodge of sauteed vegetables and sliced chicken, but that's a whole other blog post.

I love the idea of eating chicken salad in something other than a sandwich, it just keeps things exciting and new. And it's perfect if you're trying to limit your carb intake because the avocado makes it feel decadent.

For this chicken salad I included currants, toasted almonds and a sprinkling of parsley for color, but I have also made this dish with a Southwestern twist using black beans, corn, roasted pepper and cilantro. And I just love a chicken salad with dill, fennel and citrus...the possibilities are endless! 

serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup cooked chicken breast, chopped

1 small shallot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced
2 tbsp dried currants
2 tbsp sliced almond, toasted
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1/4 mayonnaise
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted and skins removed

Instructions
1. To make the chicken salad, combine chicken, shallot, celery, currants, toasted almond, parsley, mayonnaise and blasamic vinegar in a bowl and mix until ingredients are evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Scoop chicken salad into avocado halves. Garnish with additional parsley and serve.

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Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese and Black Cherry Tomatoes

This is hands down one of my favorite quick and healthy lunches. Paired with a few whole grain or lavash crackers for dipping (think of it as a lighter, more elegant version of 7 layer bean dip!), this dish is wholesome and utterly satisfying. It has definitely become a staple in our household. The beauty of this lentil salad is in its simplicity. No fancy ingredients or preparations here, just fresh from the market avocados, scallions and tomatoes tossed with steamed lentils, lightly dressed and topped with creamy goat cheese and a touch of arugula. That's it. The real stars of this dish to me are those gorgeous black cherry tomatoes I found at the farmers market over the weekend. They were so juicy and sweet, they tasted even better than they looked!

Ingredients
1 cup cooked lentils, cooled to room temperature
1/4 cup avocado, chopped
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp scallions, chopped
2 tbsp goat cheese
1/2 cup arugula
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp champagne vinegar
2 tsp honey
salt and pepper, to taste
whole grain or lavash crackers, optional

Instructions
1. Add lentils, avocado, tomato and scallions to a bowl and mix gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Whisk olive oil, vinegar and honey together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss lentil salad with half of the dressing, reserving the other half.
3. Toss arugula with remaining dressing and top salad with crumbled goat cheese and arugula. Serve with crackers if desired.

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