Simple and Delicious Cous Cous Salad mostly RAW!

I make this dish every week. I created it myself from trying different versions and this one is the best. Cous Cous is a friend to a vegan. It is a good for you grain that can satisfy for hours. I make a big batch of this and it keeps for about 3 days at its' freshest. We love having this in the fridge because it is full of raw veggies and easy to put in a bowl for a quick lunch. You can add toppings to this but it is great just the way it is!
Things you will need
3 Cups couscous
1 pint organic grape or cherry tomatos
1 large bunch organic cilantro (or two small ones)
2 bunches organic green onions
1 bulb garlic (yes the whole bulb!)
1 large organic cucumber
extra virgin olive oil
lemons
1-2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
large cooking pot
a great knife!
a great cutting board!
Preparation
VEGETABLE PREPARATION
*Have a large bowl ready to throw all vegetables in
-Cut grape tomatos in half and throw in bowl
-cube cucumber and throw in bowl
-chop green onions in to rings and throw in bowl
-cut stems off of cilantro bunch chop of the leaves - throw in large bowl.
-mince the whole garlic! put in small bowl
COUSCOUS PREPARATION
prepare couscous as directed by your box or if you are using bulk couscous. I use 1 1/4 cup water for every cup of couscous. Boil the water then put the couscous in. Immediately pull off the stove trown half of the garlic in and cover with the lid. Keep checking it for the consistancy you like after the firt 5 min. Let the cous cous cool entirely. I put it in the fridge so it stops cooking.
FINAL PREPARATION
Squeeze 2 leamons into the couscous. Put 1/2 cup olive oil in the cous cous. Now put all the vegetables and stir for consistancy. Your couscous salad is ready to pack and put in the fridge - make sure to eat some right away!
TIPS
after I dish it up I sometimes freshly squeeze a half a lemon and drizzle a bit more oil. I also add currants and a dolip of vegan sour cream. You can really do anything with this dish!

Brazil Nuts - great way for a vegan to get nutrients!

I always associated Brazil Nuts with filler for mixed nuts. Often they are picked out first because they are large and have a mild flavor. Until I really looked into them I had no idea how full of nutrients they are. As a vegan I rely on nuts as a good source of nutrients and protein. A handful of nuts can be as satisfying as a turkey sandwhich to me now. I consume Brazil nuts often but in small amounts. To get the full effect of the nutrients I get them raw when I can. Trader Joe's has a great price on a bag of raw Brazil Nuts if you are lucky enough to have a TJ's in town. What really keeps me eating them is the fact they are high in selenium which may help prevent breast cancer. I eat just 2-4 and that seems to be enough to get a good amount of the nutrients. There are a lot of studies that have been done on Brazil nuts and googling them you will find all you need to know about them.
From Nature News:
Brazil nuts are the best way to add selenium to your diet. A recent study at the University of Otago in New Zealand found that eating just two Brazil nuts a day is as effective in increasing selenium status and enhancing glutathione peroxidase activity as a recommended dosage of selenomethionine. Inclusion of this high-selenium food in the diet could avoid the need for fortification or supplements to improve selenium levels.

Lemons & Apple Cider Vinegar

Both lemons and apple cider vinegar are great for health but they also both make cheeks pucker...so I thought would group them together. I eat them both everday.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
HISTORY:
Vinegar is said to have been used for ailments for at least 10,000 years. The Babylonians first converted wine into vinegar in 5000 BCE using date palms, grapes, and figs, and believed vinegar had exceptional healing properties. Hippocrates is said to have used vinegar as an antibiotic.
INTERNAL BENEFITS:
* Rich in enzymes & potassium
* Support a healthy immune system
* Helps control weight
* Promotes digestion & ph Balance
* Helps soothe dry throats
* Helps remove body sludge toxins
EXTERNAL BENEFITS:
* Helps maintain healthy skin
* Helps promote youthful, healthy bodies
* Soothes irritated skin
* Relieves muscle pain from exercise
Source: Braggs website braggs.com
I have a tbsp. of apple cider vinegar everyday. I use Braggs "with the mother". ACV without the mother is not as good as with. Sometimes I just take a straight shot or I put it with water. It was hard at first but I eventually got used to it.
LEMONS
I use lemons for everything! If I spot a blemish I immediatly put lemon juice on it and it dries it up quickly. It acts as an antiseptic to the skin. I put it on my cheecks to bleach any discoloration. I also consume it - put it green tea, in water, anyway that I can get it. It shocked me how high it is in vitamin C. Lemons are also very high in potassium. I eat the rind sometimes because that is where the essential oil of the lemon resides. Becareful, it is bitter and make sure they are very very clean. When you are in a bad mood take the lemon rind and bend it in front of your nose and it is instant aromatherapy. Lemons are a daily part of my life - a true superfood!

Red Potatoes and Tempeh or Tofu

This is a good weekend dish when you have time to cook. This was originally thought up by my partner. He started with tofu in stead of tempeh - the tempeh is even better than the tofu! The top picture is with tofu and the picture at the bottom of the post is tempeh. Tempeh is one of my favorite ways to get protein and manganese as well as many other nutrients. This dish is a great protein and carb dish great before a day of hiking, biking, shopping, etc. I usually just need a piece of fruit for lunch if I have had this for breakfast. This is also an economical dish and goes a log way. I love to eat with heat so this is a hot dish. This dish is really easy to alter yourself based on your own tastes. The recipe will serve two adults and will satisfy hunger for hours :)

THINGS YOU WILL NEED
6-8 red potatos
1 package of Tempeh(garden vegetable or multigrain)
1 table spoon crush dried peppers
1 table spoon cayenne pepper
1 table spoon tumeric
sea salt and pepper to flavor
1 cookie sheet med. to lg. size
1 fying pan
grape seed oil or oil of your choice
hot sauce for garnish
half of a sweet onion

PREPERATION
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
potatos
-cube potatos (the size of suger cubes)and rinse and dry them well
-in a pan with a lid for shaking generously coat potatos with grape seed oil
-pour in cayenne and crushed peppers
-shake it all together to coat potatos
tempeh
-cube the raw tempeh about the same size as potatos
-put 1/4 inch grape seed oil in frying pan and slowly heat
onion
-dice onion

COOKING
-put potatos on ungreased cookie sheat and bake for 30-40 minutes depending on how crispy you want them
-put tempeh in frying pan and coat it with the oil
-sprinkle the tumeric and start gently stirring to coat the tempeh with the tumeric
-grind some sea salt and black pepper to taste.
-cook tempeh on low-med heat for 15 minutes turning tempeh every 5 minutes or so.
-add onions and cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve with hot sauce as a side.