Open Faced Avocado Melts

The lady at Trader Joe's who samples cheeses could be my most favoritest person ever. Somehow she not only manages to convince my husband to buy delicious artisan cheeses, but advises him on how to use them. Which makes me about as excited as children on rollerskates.

Take for instance this little beauty, a combination of delicious ingredients, brought to you by none other than my husband, via the sweet little genius at TJ's.

We used a rustic olive baguette and a dijon cheese, but any cheese will work and you can add dijon mustard right on top.

Ingredients:

1 baguette, cut into slices
spinach
sliced tomato
sliced avocado
cheese of your choice
dijon mustard
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

Brush your bread slices with olive oil and vinegar, then top with spinach, tomato and avocado. Top the whole thing off with dijon mustard and finally sliced cheese. Broil until melty and slightly browned on top and eat with a knife and a fork.

Olive, Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade

Thanksgiving is nearly upon us!

I was recently asked by my editor over at Elephant Journal to post a vegan Thanksgiving menu. Check it out!

Here is a recipe that will make a great starter, for Thanksgiving or anytime!

Olive, Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade

1/4 cup pitted calamata olives

1/4 cup stewed tomatoes

1/4 cup roasted red and yellow peppers

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup artichoke hearts

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsp. brine from the olives or the artichokes

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

salt to taste

Process the olives, tomatoes, peppers, garlic and artichoke hearts, in a food processor, until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and, using a wooden spoon, mix in the remaining ingredients. Garnish with parsley and serve with crackers or french bread.

Plank Pose Panzanella

Every Sunday I make a few loaves of bread for the week. We love it for the first few days but by the end of the week, I always seem to have half a loaf of homemade bread that's in need of using.

This week I'm chopping up my lovely herb loaf leftovers and making panzanella, which is an italian bread salad. It is vegetarian and if you opt out of the mozzarella, it is vegan.

Plank Pose Panzanella

4-6 cups cubed bread

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic

1/2 chopped red onion

4 tomatoes, wedged

1/2 cup kalamata (or any other) olives, halved

handful of fresh basil

1 cup chopped mozarella (optional)

dressing

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Combine bread cubes with 1/3 cup olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Toss to coat and spread onto cookie sheet. Toast bread in preheated 400 degree oven until brown (about 8 minutes).

Let cool. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl, add the bread and top with dressing, tossing to coat. It's best if you let it sit for about half an hour before serving.

Plank Pose

Plank Pose is also called the "top of a pushup." From hands and knees, place the palms of your hands on the mat, spreading the fingers wide. Step the legs back, one at a time, until you come into plank pose. Keep both legs straight, lifting the backs of the knees toward the ceiling. Tuck your tailbone in and engage your buttocks. Draw the navel in and look slightly forward. When ready to come out, drop the knees to the mat and return to a neutral position.