Bowl of Yum

For my birthday Mr. Mittens and I went to a wonderful veggie restaurant called Nourish. It came highly recommended by friends and we loved it. They have an outstanding nachos platter that comes with a varied combination of toppings ranging from beans to strawberries and everything you can think of in between. We also had the shepherds pie which was another unusual but delicious combination. And it's all yummy together. I highly recommend eating there too. YUM.

So, I still have difficulty at times (often) finding a tasty vegan meal that everyone will eat. Without bribes or threats. So I decided to 'channel' my experience at Nourish and make my own combinations. And I love it.
Basically you take quinoa, or brown rice or whatever and add as many fun 'toppings' as you like and add a fun sauce and there you have it!

Here's my 'taco salad'.
quinoa
avocado
chopped apple
corn
lettuce or spinach
pinapple tidbits
red pepper
black olives
walnuts
peach salsa
raw cashew cream
taco chips crunched on top or on the side

Sounds kinda weird, but the fruit and vegetable flavors just taste light and slightly sweet.We like the sweet salsa too, but any kind will do. The kids love to pick their own toppings and individualize. The Bug said he felt like a chef. The Bee raved about how good his dinner was. Score one for mom!

The key for me is the cashew cream. I've read several recipes which all are a variation of putting raw cashews in a blender with a few other ingredients.
I use about a cup of cashews, a cup of almond milk, whiz it up and then change it up to suit my taste. Like lime juice and cilantro. Or taco seasoning. We're not huge garlic fans but a little garlic, basil and oregano and drizzle on a pizza (again I've been letting the kids pick toppings on a flat naan or pita bread). The creamy texture is very satisfying and you can heat it in the oven (I LOVE real sour cream, but it does not love me back).

I also love asian rice bowls.
brown rice
apples
edemame beans
crunched nori sheets or dulse (I'm trying to love sea vegetables)
cucumber
chopped or shredded carrots
sesame seeds
lettuce
wasabi sauce drizzled on top (equal amounts water, braggs, maple syrup with a squeeze of wasabi paste, to taste)

I just thought I'd share, since it's not often I get such an enthusiastic response (that doesn't involve cheeseburgers or chicken nuggets).