Juicy Watermelon salad with fresh mint + heirloom tomatoes

Melon season has arrived and there's nothing like sinking your teeth into a bite of crisp, sweet, juicy  watermelon. On the other hand, there's nothing worse than going to the market, knocking on twenty different melons in hopes of finding the perfectly ripe one only to get it home, slice it open, and realize it's a mushy grainy mess inside. If this happens, don't toss it in the compost but instead, do the next best thing and make hydrating watermelon juice. 

If you win the watermelon lottery that day and pick the perfect one, this recipe is a must! An explosion of electric Summer colors, this salad combines both savory and sweet with a variety of textures to please the palette.

When I don't have time to make my own, there are a few companies I turn too for beautifully done vegan cheeses including; I

Kitehill -Vegan Artisanal nut based cheese. I've tried the White Alder and Cassucio and they are excellent!

Treeline- Vegan Artisanal nut cheeses to rival those of France and Italy. I've tried the scallion soft French cheese and aged crack pepper hard cheese. Both are delicious but the aged cheese was outstanding!

Dr. Cow -Raw vegan aged nut cheeses. These can be hard to find but worth seeking out. I have tried all the flavors and each one has blown my mind! 

I am always on the hunt for the best vegan cheese and In the near future, will breakdown in detail and review a large selection of different vegan cheese companies on the market. Stay tuned... in the meantime enjoy this recipe!

Watermelon Salad with fresh mint and heirloom tomatoes

Salad

4 1/2 cups 1-inch cubes of watermelon

1 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1/4 cup vegan nut based cheese, crumbled or cubed

Dressing 

Balsamic vinegar

olive oil

sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. In large mixing bowl combined watermelon, cherry tomatoes, mint leaves, red onion, and vegan cheese. Toss lightly until well combined.

2. Right before serving or plating, drizzle salad with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper to taste. ( the salad is so flavorful on its own I only did a light drizzle but I'll leave this one up to you guys) Serve immediately!

Superfood shake

    I am often asked what I eat for breakfast every morning, so here it is folks...I love starting my day with a liquid feast.  It's not that exciting but it tastes delicious and gives me a great boost of energy while packing in some much needed vitamins, minerals and protein for the day.  After all break-fast is literally breaking your nightly fast.  

Here's my daily morning routine:

I usually start with a huge glass of water followed by a hot cup of yerba mate with a few drops of liquid stevia and then bust out the Vitamix to make this superfood shake.  The banana and almond extract can hide the sometimes overly green taste that can accompany various green powders.  I prefer to use Dr. Schulze "Superfood Powder".  It's very high quality, 100% organic, vegan, raw and has tons of B vitamins and 6 grams of protein per serving.  Plus, the taste is pretty mild compared to most green powders although it still may take a little getting use too.   So instead of your smoothie tasting like someone just dumped a bag of lawn clippings in your mouth, try this shake and cheers to good health and vitality without gagging. Drink up!!

            

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

1 cup almond milk 

1 banana, peeled 

1 scoop raw vanilla protein powder ( I like hemp protein powder) 

2 tablespoons superfood green powder 

1 tablespoon virgin, raw coconut oil 

1 teaspoon raw chia seeds 

1/2 teaspoon almond extract 

liquid stevia to taste Directions: 

DIRECTIONS

1. Place all ingredients in high-speed blender. 

2. Blend of high for 1-2 minutes until coconut oil is broken down and shake is smooth and creamy. 

3. Add ice and blend another 30 seconds. Serve immediately

Watermelon, Peach, Pineapple smoothie

This smoothie literally tastes like liquid sorbet and is a great summer treat when crisp watermelon and juicy peaches are at their peak. 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups 1" cubed watermelon, rind removed
1 1/2 cups diced frozen pineapple
1 medium ripe peach with skin, pitted

DIRECTIONS
1.  In high-speed blender add watermelon, pineapple and peaches.  Blend on high for about 1 1/2 minutes or until fruit is broken down and smoothie is thick and creamy.  Serve immediately