So far this week has been crazy at work with so much going on, I feel like my head is spinning driving home and it can be hard to relax when I do get home. This gorgeous sunset view from our backyard helps.
Okay, I can’t take credit for this beautiful pic. Hubby snatched the camera and snapped the blooming plum tree in the backyard between my many food shots. Spring is very near!
I finally received another shipment of hemp seeds from Amazon, I go through this 5 lb. bag about every 2 months and just use Amazon’s Subscribe & Save to automatically ship it to me considerably cheaper than what I would pay at Whole Foods.
Hemp seeds a super food for me because they’re a great source of complete protein and more of it compared to nuts. They’re a great alternative to soy and tasty in so many raw recipes. And I use them in place of cashews for a lot of raw recipes to add more protein.
Some of my favorite recipes are Protein Punch Broccoli.
These old pics make me thankful for my new camera!
And just about anything from Kristen Suzanne’s Hemp Recipe book. Can’t forget Gena’s Cheesy Red Pepper Hemp dip and Red Pepper Hemp Soup. Mmm, so many good recipes, I’m getting hungry again. :-)
For dinner, I visited another one of Gena’s recipes again – Creamy Avocado Cumin Dressing.
I love avocado, but am pretty sloppy when it comes to slicing them and making them look presentable. Not a worry with avocado based dressings when they’re just being blended! This is a great dressing with a nice cumin punch and tangy citrus flavor, it’s perfect without adding salt which I like.
Especially since I decided to chop and saute the rest of my veggie dogs to add to the salad, they do contain a lot of sodium. But they’re also a great source of quick protein and I needed to use up the opened package in my fridge.
And I found a bag of kale chips in my pantry that only has crumbs left, I figured the spicy lime flavor would be perfect with the dressing.
And my crazy, quick dinner salad was served packing sauteed vegan hot dog chunks, kale chip crumbs, spinach, avocado dressing, sprouted buckwheat groats with plenty of other veggies. Crazy, no? But it was very good with a spicy kick, creamy and crunchy textures and another nutrient powerhouse.
Okay, so the crazy combo reminded me of the Elf scene where Buddy mixes pasta, candy, Pop Tarts and maple syrup for breakfast. But we need to get a little crazy sometimes, right?
Have you ever tried hemp seeds? What’s your favorite hemp seed recipe?
Aubrey says
That’s awesome hehe:) your salads always look so tiny I’d by hungry still::) lol ;)
christine says
It actually was a very filling salad with the vegan hot dog bits and sprouts. But I’ve been more of a grazer the last few weeks eating more small meals with all the running.
Carrie (Carrie on Vegan) says
I love hemp seeds but I’m a new user so all I’ve made so far is hemp milk. I have it nearly every day with my green smoothie. I’ll probably try them in a salad dressing next, thanks for the inspiration!
christine says
Sure, hemp seeds are awesome in creamy sauces like nacho dips and curry spreads.
bitt says
I too gt those big bags of hemp seeds! We love our hemp. I love Kristen’s book and also I ust sub in hemp for cashews and sunflower seeds here and there. Also a sprinkle on salads and in smoothies.
My fave hemp recipe is my hemp raw brownies.
christine says
Yum, I’ve gotta try your brownies!
Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) says
i love that you used a random amount of crumbs and created a dressing with it b/c of the lime flavor…I do that with crumbs as my “croutons” for my salad.
“These old pics make me thankful for my new camera!”— I can relate to that!! I keep reposting old pics b/c i will never remake and re-photograph every single recipe in my arsenal but sometimes i even cringe at my old pics to the point i dont want to post them and just want to post the link, sans pic!
christine says
To true on old pics, I keep looking at them thinking I could do better but should probably conserve server space. :-P
Lisa @ Thrive Style says
Looks like an awesome combo!
I love hemp seeds too….a lot. I’ve been buying the navitas brand, and they are quite steep—thanks for the tip on amazon. I am definitely going to order some!
They are the perfect protein—and they totally go in everything.
I always dump stuff in salad like that… I’ve been chopping my salads with a mezzaluna, and you can pack so much in there when it’s chopped!
Kale chips crumbled on salad is an awesome idea.
christine says
Great salad tip, I’ve gotta try that – thanks!
The kale chips, while not the cheapest salad topping, were great.
JL goes Vegan says
Your husband took a gorgeous pic! Makes me spring might happen…someday ;)
I love hemp seed! I make hemp seed milk a couple of times a day and sprinkle it on salads. I still need to follow your suggestions and mix it up a bit with some recipes that call for cashews — and use a little hemp seed with it.
christine says
Spring is starting to show here with blooms, so it’s on the way!
Wow, hemp milk a couple of times a day?! That’s impressive! I go through 4 cups of hemp milk in about 3-4 days.
JL goes Vegan says
Um, oops, nope a couple of times a week. The danger of reading and replying to blogs early in the morning! LOL
Jenn @ Peas & Crayons says
This looks awesome too! ok i’m running for the fridge — dinner time! <3
Pure2raw twins says
LOVE LOVE Hemp seeds! We eat them all the time. Sometimes I just go and take a spoonful of them throughout the day ;)
christine says
I do that too with the spoonfuls. :-)
Katie says
I put kale chips on my salad again tonight!! lol! Love it!
I never heard of the gnu mint chocolate thing you mentioned! I will have to check that out!!!
I cant wait to use my vita mix! I have not opened it yet, this weekend I will!!!!!!!!! Have a great night! xoxo <3
christine says
Aw, you’ve gotta bust out your Vita-Mix! I was like a giddy kid when I got mine setting it up that night and making smoothies. :-P Now I use it 2-6 times a day!