Healthy Recipes by Wai Lana

1. Blend ingredients
2. Boost: If you'd like to make this a meal, add a scoop of protein powder and a teaspoon of maple syrup.

Juice ingredients and if you like your juice spicy, add a pinch of cayenne pepper for extra antioxidant protection.

Juice ingredients and add a twist of fresh-ground pepper.

Enjoy!

1. Place the lentils, water, tomato, ginger, and turmeric in a 4-quart pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
2. When the lentils have broken down and the soup is quite smooth, heat the oil or ghee in a small skillet over high heat. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and sauté for a few seconds. When the cumin darkens, add the chili and coriander and stir for a few seconds. Remove from the heat and add immediately to the soup along with the salt.
3. Add the cilantro or mint and garlic and stir through. Ladle into bowls, garnish with extra cilantro or mint, and serve.

Sauce:

1. In a small pan, gently fry the sliced ginger and diced garlic in the sesame oil until soft and aromatic; do not burn your garlic.
2. Lower the heat before adding the soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, sugar, tomato paste, chili sauce and lime juice. Stir well and let simmer for a few minutes.
3. Taste test. If it’s too intense add a little water, if it lacks flavor, add some more soy sauce, then let simmer for another minute. 

Tofu:

1. I use rice flour or plain flour but I’m sure you can use other flours if you want to experiment. Choose a sensible silken tofu as some are so soft that they are not meant for cooking.
2. Slice the tofu into thick slices; I like to cut them about ¾-inch thick so they don’t fall apart.
3. Place the sliced tofu on a paper towel and pat off excess liquid. Dust the tofu pieces with the flour to form a light coating.
4. In a large non-stick pan or iron skillet (my preferred choice), heat 2 Tbsp of sesame oil. Place your tofu in the sesame oil and fry over medium heat for 2 minutes on each side or till golden brown and crispy.
5. Drizzle the dressing over the tofu while it is still steaming hot.
6. Serve with your favorite steamed Chinese greens or bowl of grains.

1. Boil water and steam broccoli for 3 minutes, add sugar snap peas to broccoli for 3 more minutes, then put in peas for one minute. The color of each vegetable should turn bright green and beans will be crisp. Rinse under cold water twice and place in colander to drain.
2. Place the remaining salad ingredients into a bowl. Add the vegetables from the colander. Mix well.
3. Make dressing by putting all ingredients in blender and blending well.

Salad

Preheat oven to 375F.

1. Peel and chop beets to bite-size pieces. Coat with olive oil.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and lay beets flat. Roast beets for 45 minutes until tender. Remove from oven when done and let cool for at least 15 minutes.
3. While the beets are roasting, put pecans, maple syrup, and dash of cayenne in a saucepan. Turn heat to medium-high to allow maple syrup to boil. Once boiled, stir and use a spatula to scrape pecans onto a piece of parchment paper, separating the pieces so they don’t touch each other. Let cool for approximately 15 minutes.
4. Wash salad greens and place in salad bowl.
5. Place sunflower sprouts on top.
6. Place cooled beets on top of salad greens and sprouts.
7. Chop shallot and spread over greens and beets.
8. Slice goat cheese in rounds and also spread over greens.
9. Top with candied pecans and pomegranate kernels.

Dressing

1. Pour all ingredients in bowl. Whisk to combine. Pour over salad.

Serve immediately.

1. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, pan-fry the tofu in butter and soy sauce for a few minutes. Add nutritional yeast, and pepper and cook until golden but still soft. This should take about 8 minutes. Then add maple syrup, turning tofu strips as necessary for 1 more minute. Turn off heat and leave in pan.
2. Make dipping sauce by putting all dipping sauce ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
3. Put chopped carrot, red pepper, and lettuce in a bowl and pour a few tablespoons of the dipping sauce over and mix as you would if it were a salad. Set aside.
4. To wrap, have all items in front of you, including the carrots, tofu, noodles, and fresh herbs (cilantro and/or mint). Soak the rice wrap in warm water for approximately 10 seconds unit it is moist. Pull out the wrap being extra careful to not let the sides stick together. Place the wrapper on a cutting board.  Add a small amount of each item 2 inches up from the bottom in a 5 inch line, leaving just enough room for the part below it to be flipped around and tucked under the filling.  Fold in both sides and continue to wrap tightly. 
5. After each roll has been wrapped, use the remainder of the sauce for dipping.

1. In a medium pot, add olive oil and sauté spices.
2. Add garlic, onion and ginger and let cook for a few minutes.
3. Add chopped tomatoes and let cook for a few more minutes.
4. Add water, lentils and salt. Raise to high heat till boiling, then lower to simmer and cook until lentils are tender.
5. Add tomato paste and chard. Stir to combine. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.

*Can use more or less water for desired thickness. Serve with lemon slices.

1. Make dressing by putting all ingredients in blender and blending well.
2. Pour over top of salad