1 1/2 cups asparagus, ends trimmed, stems peeled, and sliced
1 1/2 cups cremini mushrooms, ends trimmed, and sliced
1/2 cup shallots, diced
1/3 cup green onion, thinly sliced
2 T. freshly chopped parsley
3/4 cup water
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
2 T. vegtable stock
1 T. tamari soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced

In a food processor, place the asparagus, mushrooms, shallots, green onion, and parsley, and pulse for 30 seconds to roughly process the mixture. Add the water and process for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process the mixture for an additional 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Serve immediately or chill, if desired.

Yield: 4 1/2 Cups (4.5 Servings)
CORE - 5pts

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 T. water
1 T. Ener-G Egg Replacer
1 cup unbleached cane sugar (or white sugar from sugar beets)
2/3 cup vegan margarine
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. peppermint extract
2 - 85 g. Tropical Source Mint Candy Crunch Dairy Free Chocolate Bars, roughly chopped
1/3 cup vegan peppermint candies (or candy canes), roughly chopped
safflower oil, for oiling cookie sheets

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt, and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the water and egg replacer for 1 minute or until very frothy. Add the sugar, margarine, vanilla, and peppermint extract, and stir the mixture until smooth and creamy. Add the dry ingredients and stir well to combine. Add the chopped chocolate bars and peppermint candy and fold gently to incorporate them into the dough. Using a little safflower oil, lightly oil (or mist with oil) two non-stick cookie sheets. Working in batches, drop the cookie dough by rounded teaspoonfuls on to the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes for a soft-batch type of cookie (they will be just set but soft to the touch) or 8-10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges for a crisp cookie. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for 3 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely. Repeat the portioning and baking procedure for the remaining cookie dough. Store the cookies in an airtight container.

Yield: 4 Dozen
1pt per Cookie

5 medium to large onion (mix of red, sweet, etc)
175 grams of mushrooms, any kind (about 8 regular mushrooms)
1 tablespoon oil (I happened to use Truffle oil)
2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 cube veggie bouillion
water
1 tablespoon sun dried tomato tapenade (optional)

First heat the oil in a pot and add the chopped onions until they are slightly soft and brown. Then add the 2 teaspoon of brown sugar and caramelize them just a little bit.

Add the mushrooms and enough water until onions & mushrooms are just covered, and then add the veggie bouillion.

Leave on a low boil for about 10 minutes. Take out half of the mixture, put in a blender, and pulse quickly. I only do this to mix the texture up a bit, so its half smooth and half chunky. Then add the tapenade and leave on the low heat for another 5 or 8 minutes.

3pts - Serves: 3

3/4 cup pecan halves
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup canola oil (save calories and fat by using applesauce instead)
3 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 cup soy milk
1/4 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 inch pie plate. Spread nuts over a baking pan. Toast for 7-10 minutes on middle shelf, or until the smell of nuts fills the kitchen. Set aside 16 pecan halves for garnish.

2. Combine oats, flour, remaining pecans, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Pulse until mixture becomes a coarse meal. Whisk together oil and 3 tablespoons maple syrup, and mix into dry ingredients to form a soft dough. Press mixture into pie plate. Crimp edges. Bake for 10 minutes, and set aside to cool.

3. Blend soymilk and arrowroot in the food processor until the arrowroot is completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth, about 15 seconds. Add pumpkin, 1/2 cup maple syrup, ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, nutmeg, and cloves; blend until smooth. Pour filling into crust, and smooth the top.

4. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned and the outside inch of the filling is set. Don’t worry if the center is still soft; it firms up as the pie cools. Transfer pie to a wire the rack. Gently press toasted pecan halves into hot filling in 2 circles. Cool to room temperature, and then chill until set, about 3 hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

7.5pts - Serves: 8

Some of you have commented on the lack of updates on my website.. this is not due to me falling off the wagon but rather due to a time consuming effort to change the website. When I started the site, I had no idea how big it would become nor how many pages it would inevitibly create and I needed something to manage the content. So, here you have it. Easy for me to use, faster for you to load and easier to navigate, AND!! more importanly, you can customize how you view my site. Click on the themes and view using your favorite!

You can now comment on blog entries rather than email me questions or comments, and I now have an RSS feed in which will keep you notifed when I update the site. This will also keep track of all the journal entries and none should ever be lost. This way you can read the old as well as the new, and should something on my hard drive accidently be deleted, it will no longer effect the site function. I hope you enjoy the changes I have made and will continue to find comfort and support within the walls of this webspace.

2/3 cup sliced carrot
1/2 cup diced onion
2 garlic cloved, minced
3 cups fat-free broth
1 1/2 cups diced green cabbage
1/2 cup green beans
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced zucchini

in large saucepan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray saute the carrot onion and garlic over low heat until doftened about 5 minutes add broth cabbage beans tomato paste basil oregano and salt bring to boil lower heat and simmer covered about 15 minutes or until beans are tender stir in zucchini and heat 3-4 minutes

0pts - CORE

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 tsp canola oil
1 large egg(s), beaten
2 medium egg white(s), beaten
3 large banana(s), ripe
1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Add oil and eggs; mix thoroughly. In a smaller bowl, mash bananas with a potato masher or fork. Add bananas and oatmeal to batter. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan and bake until top of loaf is firm to touch, 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Flip out and cool on a wire rack for another 10 minutes. Servings - 10.

4pts

1/4 cup olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup clam juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 dozen littleneck clams
8 cups hot cooked whole-wheat linguine (about 1 pound uncooked pasta)

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 3 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Stir in clam juice and next 5 ingredients (clam juice through clams). Cover and cook 10 minutes or until clams open.

Place pasta in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil; toss well to coat. Add clam mixture to pasta; toss well. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups pasta mixture and 6 clams)

8pts - CORE

1 pound 96% lean ground beef
2tsp. onion powder or 1 onion, chopped
16 oz. tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. dried basil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1tsp. Italian seasoning
Veggie Toppings (mushrooms, peppers, olives, etc.)
17 slices Turkey Pepperoni (optional)
15oz. refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 1/4c. part skim milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (or FF)

Preheat oven to 350 F. In skillet, brown meat over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in onion powder or onion, tomato sauce, basil, garlic and Italian seasoning. Add veggies (mushrooms, peppers, black olives, etc…whatever you like) and pepperoni. Add quartered biscuits; stir gently until biscuits are covered with sauce. Spoon mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake an additional 10 minutes or until biscuits are done. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

8 SERVINGS: 5.5pts or 6 SERVINGS: 7.3pts

4 1/2 cup cooked macaroni, kept warm
3/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
3 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
1 medium sweet red pepper(s), diced
1 medium green pepper(s), diced
1 medium carrot(s), diced
1/4 cup red onion(s), minced
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

While macaroni is still warm, place in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise, sour cream and relish and toss to coat. Add peppers, carrot and onion; toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or chilled. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving. Serves 12.

Flavor Booster: Put a little heat in traditional macaroni salad by blending 1 teaspoon wasabi powder into the sour cream.

2pts