Zesty Orange Salsa

Embrace the Flavors of Summer: Refreshing Orange Salsa Recipe

Summer in Southern California means enjoying fresh produce like oranges and early-season tomatoes from the farmer’s markets. This refreshing orange salsa is perfect for July 4th barbecues or any time you want a sweet, savory, and slightly spicy dish.

If you like mango salsa, you'll love this citrusy alternative. Bursting with bright colors and a delightful balance of flavors, this homemade orange salsa is sure to tantalize your taste buds. Plus, the ingredients offer numerous health benefits, making it a delicious and nutritious choice.

Let's dive into this tasty and healthy creation!4 cups chopped tomoatoes

• 1 red onion, chopped

• 2 jalapenos, chopped

• 1/2 bunch of cilantro

• 2 oranges, peeled and cut into small pieces

• the juice of 1 lime

• Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

In a pan, with no oil I “sweat” the chopped onion and jalapeños for 3-4 minutes, it’s just enough to take the bite out of them but not really cook them. Set aside and let them cool. In a large sized glass bowl, combine the peeled and segmented oranges, chopped tomatoes, the cooled finely chopped red onion, minced jalapeno pepper, and fresh cilantro.

1. Drizzle the lime juice over the mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Gently toss all the ingredients together until well combined.

3. Allow the flavors to meld together by refrigerating the salsa for at least 30 minutes before serving.

   Pair it with crispy tortilla chips for a delightful appetizer.

   Use it as a vibrant accompaniment to tacos or quesadillas.

   Add a spoonful of this salsa to your favorite salads for a burst of flavor.

Benefits of the Ingredients:

Oranges: Oranges are renowned for their high vitamin C content, which strengthens the immune system, promotes collagen production, and aids in iron absorption. Additionally, they are rich in dietary fiber, supporting healthy digestion and maintaining a feeling of fullness. Oranges also offer a generous supply of antioxidants that help combat free radicals and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are a nutritional powerhouse. They are a great source of vitamins C and K, potassium, and folate. Tomatoes are also rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant associated with various health benefits, including reducing the risk of certain cancers and promoting heart health.

Red Onion: Red onions not only add a delightful crunch and flavor to the salsa but also pack a punch of health benefits. They are a great source of antioxidants, particularly quercetin, which possesses anti-inflammatory properties. Red onions also contain sulfur compounds that may support cardiovascular health and help regulate blood sugar levels.

Jalapeno Pepper: Jalapeno peppers, known for their spicy kick, are a fantastic source of capsaicin. Capsaicin has been linked to various health benefits, including pain relief, increased metabolism, and reduced inflammation. Jalapenos also contain vitamins A and C, along with essential minerals like potassium.

Cilantro: A type of herb.Beyond its aromatic qualities, cilantro (also known as coriander) is a herb loaded with antioxidants, vitamins A and K, and minerals such as potassium and calcium. It may have detoxifying properties, aid in digestion, and potentially reduce inflammation in the body.

Incorporating fresh, seasonal ingredients into your culinary adventures not only elevates your dining experience but also promotes a healthier lifestyle. It can also cut down on food waste, often farmers will sell “the uglier” fruit and vegetables for much less because most people don’t buy them, and they don’t need to be perfect if you’re making salsa. Studies have consistently shown that adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet can significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart diseases, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes. Moreover, it's an environmentally conscious choice that contributes to a healthier planet. So, as you enjoy each spoonful of this delightful orange salsa, knowing that you're making a wholesome choice for yourself and a sustainable one for the Earth.

Plant-based diets and your carbon footprint

There are a lot of compelling reasons to consider a plant-based diet for environmental reasons. As concerns about the environment continue to grow, many people are turning to plant-based diets as a way to reduce their carbon footprint, that’s what prompted me to go plant-based, this time around. The first time I went vegetarian I was 15 and it was more for health reasons. A plant-based diet is typically made up of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, while minimizing (or avoiding altogether) animal products like meat, dairy, and eggs. Here, I’ll give you some of the key reasons why you might want to consider eating a plant-based diet to help combat climate change.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

One of the most significant environmental benefits of a plant-based diet is its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Animal agriculture is a major contributor, with an estimated 14.5% of global emissions. Livestock farming is responsible for significant amounts of methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide emissions, all of which contribute to climate change. By reducing or eliminating animal products from your diet, you can help to reduce your carbon footprint and lower your impact on the planet.

Conserving water resources

Another important environmental benefit of a plant-based diet is its potential to conserve water resources. Animal agriculture is a highly water-intensive industry, a pound of beef takes approximately 2,500 gallons of water to produce. In comparison, a pound of vegetables typically requires much less water. Choosing plant-based foods can help to conserve water resources and reduce the strain on water supplies in drought-prone regions.

Protecting biodiversity

The production of animal products often involves deforestation, which can lead to the loss of biodiversity and habitat destruction. Large areas of forests are cleared to make way for grazing land and to grow crops to feed livestock, which can lead to the displacement of indigenous people, the loss of wildlife, and the destruction of ecosystems. Eating plant-based, you help reduce the demand for animal products and support sustainable farming practices that protect biodiversity and promote environmental conservation.

Reducing pollution

Livestock farming produces large amounts of manure, which can contaminate waterways and contribute to algal blooms and other forms of water pollution. The use of fertilizers and pesticides in animal feed production also contribute to air and water pollution.

By reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving water resources, protecting biodiversity, and reducing pollution, a plant-based diet can help to reduce your impact on the planet and promote a more sustainable food system. Whether you're looking to reduce your consumption of animal products, already a vegetarian or vegan, wanting to incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet is a powerful way to make a positive difference for the environment.

Making changes can be overwhelming. Even small changes have a big impact. Start with meatless Mondays and shopping at your local farmers market for a few things once a week, or even once a month. Think of this as an adventure and be open to experimenting in the kitchen. A lot of people think that a plant based diet is going to be bland or tasteless, they don’t have to be. The recipes I share here are plant based, and there a tons of others online. Food is a huge way to connect with people and celebrate life, reducing your impact on the environment doesn’t mean you have to reduce your joy!

Carrot Cake

I don’t know why springtime and Easter scream “carrot cake” to me. Maybe it’s the association between bunnies and carrots? Nevertheless, carrot cake ranks in my top 5 favorite desserts. Banana cake is my all time fav, but that’s a different recipe for another day. I don’t usually tell people this is a plant based or vegan cake because when they hear that, they assume it’s going to be dry and have no flavor and this cake is anything but that! You can easily make this gluten free with all oat flour or a mixture of flours, I’ve done it and it comes out well but I like the texture of this one a little better. You can add 1/2-1 cup of raisins if you’d like. I don’t. For me, raisins belong in oatmeal cookies and that’s about it. I hope you love it and/or it brings back happy memories….carrot cake was all rage in the ‘70’s & ‘80’s!

2 cups shredded carrots

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1 cup drained crushed pineapple (save the juice)

1 cup nuts (walnuts or pecans)

1 cup unbleached flour 

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup oat flour 

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda 

2 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 cup organic sugar or coconut sugar 

1 cup organic brown sugar

3 flax ‘eggs’ 

1/2 cup avocado oil or melted coconut oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1 tsp orange zest (optional)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

2 cups shredded carrots 

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

For the frosting:

1 cup (8 ounces) vegan cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup vegan butter, room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar, (approximately, you may need a bit less or a bit more depending on humidity, altitude & temperature)

1 tsp vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

a pinch of orange rind (optional)

Drained pineapple juice

Garnish with chopped nuts and carrot ribbons or shredded carrots, if desired

Directions for the frosting:

Beat the butter (room temperature) until creamy. Add the plant based cream cheese (Toffuti, Miyoko’s, Kitehill or Trader Joe’s brands are all good), add the vanilla extract and orange zest (optional). Beat until creamed with the butter. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, until you have the desired consistency, it it’s too thick add some the drained pineapple juice 1 tsp at a time, if it’s too thin add a bit more powdered sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Directions for the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 9 inch cake pans (I use coconut oil spray) or 24 muffin tins 

For the flax ‘eggs’ use 1 Tbsp flax meal and 3 Tbsp of water for each ‘egg’ (you can grind the seeds in a food processor). You can also use an egg replacer or chia ‘eggs’. Mix the flax and water and set aside until it’s a gelatinous texture.

In large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt, mix well. In separate bowl, combine sugar and flax ‘eggs’ beat until well blended. Add oil and vanilla; beat until combined. Stir in carrots. Add flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Pour evenly into cake pans or muffin tins, with muffin liners. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. For muffins bake 20-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes.

Remove cake from pans; cool completely on wire rack, frost, sprinkle with nuts and ribbons of carrots if desired and, Enjoy!

Corn Chowder

Every time I went to Mimi's Cafe, I’d order the corn chowder. It’s warm, sweet, savoy, basically the perfect comfort food. I've had their recipe for several years and love to make it at home but like everything else I've modified it to make it plant based.

Ingredients
1/4 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup onion chopped
1 cup celery, large dice
3 cups hot water
2 1/2 cups raw potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 cubes
16 oz bag frozen corn (white or yellow)
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tea salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
5 Tbsp flour/gluten free flour
5 cups of plant milk (I use hemp milk)
Fresh ground pepper

Directions:
In a large pot or dutch over, melt vegan butter. Add onion, celery, simmer until softened but not browned. Add water potatoes, corn and seasonings. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until tender. Whisk flour into 1 cup of plant based milk and stir into soup. Add remaining plant milk, adjust seasoning if needed. Simmer 15 minutes, until soup thickens. Add salt and pepper. To thin add a little more milk, to thicken simmer 5-10 more minutes. Serve with fresh ground pepper. Enjoy!

Gazpacho

Summer is winding down but here in Southern California it’s still in the upper 90’s & 100’s. Tomatoes and cucumbers are full of water and electrolytes and gazpacho is perfect on hot days. I started making this several years ago, sometimes the ingredients vary a little but this is pretty much always my base. My husband called it martian salsa on Facebook once, haha! Eating spicy things when it’s hot seems counter intuitive but if you look at cultures near the equator they often eat lots of spicy food. I used yellow heirloom tomatoes for this version. If your cucumbers have a thick skin you can remove some or part of it. If you prefer something mild, remove the seeds and membrane of the jalapeño. The longer this sits the spicier it gets. Eat by itself or with avocado (everything is better with avocado) and tortilla chips.

Gazpacho

2-4 cucumbers depending on size
1 jalapeño
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 onion
6 tomatoes
2 limes
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper


Cut half of the ingredients into chuck then blend/purée in the blender pour into a large bowl. Chop the and vegetables and pour into blended mixture. Add the juice of the limes, the rest of the cilantro leaves. Salt and pepper to tasted (I used about 1 tsp of salt 1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper). Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat. Enjoy!

Peach Cobbler

Peaches are one of summer's treasures. We used to have a peach tree and nothing is better than fresh, organic peaches right off the tree. Peach smoothies, salsa and cobbler are all close seconds. It's an easy recipe but takes a little time. Frozen peaches are perfect for this because they’re already peeled and sliced (you can also used canned but the texture will be a little more mushy). If you can get peaches off someones tree, great! If not, buy organic, peaches are one on the “dirty dozen” list. If you like more cobbler on the top, it's easy to double the topping.

Peach Cobbler

1 cup whole wheat or unbleached flour (oat flour if you want it gluten free)

2 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tea baking powder

1/2 tea cinnamon

1/4 vegan butter

5-6 cups sliced peaches

1/3-2/3 cups sugar

1 Tbsp corn starch

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup plant milk

2 tsp vanilla divided

Preheat oven to 400. For the topping, in a medium bowl stir the flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the plant milk until you have a slightly sticky biscuit type dough. Set aside.

For the filling, in a large pot combine the peaches, the sugar, cornstarch, water (you don’t need to use water if they’re frozen) and 1 tsp vanilla. Let stand for a few minutes. Cook and stir until slightly thickened. Pour into a 9x13 pan if your doubling the recipe a lasagna pan will work. Add the topping and bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve with vegan whipped cream or ice cream and enjoy!

Blood orange lemonade

Sometimes it’s difficult to know what to do with all the fruit you have when you have fruit trees, especially lemons or limes. Back in March when all of the lemons were ripe at once, I stripped the tree and juiced all of them. I poured the juice into ice cube trays and froze them. Once they were solid I put them in a freezer safe container. Since it’s been warmer I’ve been making lemonade. Blood orange lemonade and strawberry lemonade are our two favorites. Blood oranges are coming to the end of their season but you could definitely use regular oranges or a combo or oranges and strawberries or raspberries and still get the same beautiful color and similar flavor. Here in the Riverside, Corona area, there is no citrus shortage. The citrus industry pretty much put this area on the map in the 1800’s. Anyway, enough of the history lesson….here’s the recipe. If you’ve never made your own lemonade, you’re in for a treat.

Blood orange lemonade

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup fresh blood orange juice (or strawberry purée)

1-1/2 cups organic sugar

4 cups of water

In a medium pan make a simple syrup by boiling 1 cup of water and adding the sugar. Make sure all of the sugar is fully dissolved and set aside. Pour your lemon juice and orange juice (or strawberry purée) through a strainer. You will still end up with some pulp so you can do this a couple of times or you can strain it through cheese cloth if you don’t want any pulp. Once you have them strained just pour everything into a large pitcher and chill until ready to serve. You’ll end up with about 6 cups. It’s delicious, refreshing and a great way to use up your lemon juice! Enjoy! (I’m sure it would also make a great mixer for your favorite cocktail.)

Beet burgers

This recipe is inspired by Eureka Burger in Berkeley and a recipe I saw in a magazine from The Change cookbook. I like simple recipes that use things that are mostly in my pantry. Also, it’s a pet peeve of mine to say something like “1/2 medium beet grated or 1 portobello mushroom chopped” Tell me how many cups dang it! Your idea of a medium sized beet and mine might be very different. And have you seen some portobellos, they’re literally the size of my head….okay enough bitching, lets get on to cooking these bad boys. Also, these freeze well, I sent some patties with my daughter to school and they were still really tasty.

Beet burgers

1 cup raw walnuts (1/2 walnuts and 1/2 almonds works great too)

1 cup uncooked oats

1 medium white onion finely chopped (any onion will do, even 4-5 green ones)

1 cup finely chopped portobello mushroom

3/4 cup beet, grated

15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed & drained

1/2 cup cooked rice (brown or white, quinoa works well too)

3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp chopped chives

3 Tbsp bbq sauce (smoky, spicy, whatever you like)

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 flax egg (1Tbsp flax meal & 3 Tbsp water)

1/2 tsp pink salt

1/2 pepper

In a dry skillet toast the oats for about 3 minutes and put into a food processor. Do the same thing with your nuts. Pulse them together until you have a fine meal that resembles sand. Pour in your olive oil and sauté onion stirring frequently until translucent. Add the garlic, mushrooms and chives, cook until the mushrooms are soft and remove from the heat. Stir in the grated beets, they’ll release a beautiful pinkish red color.

Get your kidney beans into a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher so you have some mashed and some remain whole, add the rice, oatmeal/nut mixture, mushrooms, flax egg, bbq sauce and spices until you have a moldable dough. This recipe makes about 8 burgers.

You can grill these outside or on a grill pan but this time of year I’ve been cooking them in a cast iron skillet or in the toaster oven (mine has an air-fry setting and that makes them crispy on the outside and moist on the inside). They only need to cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Serve on a bun with more bbq sauce if you’d like. I like mine with vegan mayonnaise, tomato, sprouts, avocado, lettuce and some vegan cheese. French fries or sweet potato fries with spicy ketchup make the perfect addition. Enjoy!

Vegan Persimmon Pudding

This is one of my favorite desserts, it just tastes like Christmas to me. It’s one of the first desserts beyond sugar cookies I learned to make back in high school. You have to have super ripe and squishy persimmons for this. I get mine from the farmers market, they save them for me every year. I used walnuts but you could also use pecans. If you like raisins you could add those as well. For the pulp I strained the persimmons through a colander into a large bowl. (Remember to compost the skins and stems).

Persimmon pudding

2 cups of persimmon pulp

3 egg replacement (I used Follow Your Heart’s)

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 nutmeg (or pumpkin pie spice)

1/2 cup melted vegan butter

2 1/2 cups almond or cashew milk

1 1/2 cup whole wheat or unbleached flour

1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl add the egg replacement to the persimmon pulp, whisk in the sugar.  Add baking powder, soda, salt and spices.  Pour in melted vegan butter, stir & pour in the almond milk.  The mixture will be sort of soupy, whisk in flour, fold in chopped nuts.  Pour into a greased 9 X 13 pan.  Bake for 1 hour or until knife comes out clean.  Serve warm or room temperature with vegan whipped cream.

Why Organic?

Some people think that buying organic produce and products is hype, I am not one of them.  I buy organic whenever possible, not only does it taste better, it’s better for the environment and most of the time it is affordable. The difference is usually only $.20 -.50/ lb or bunch, that is not expensive. 

Every year the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes an updated list of the 12 most contaminated foods, here’s this years list:

The 2019 Dirty Dozen:

Strawberries

Spinach

Kale

Nectarines

Apples

Grapes

Peaches

Cherries

Pears

Tomatoes

Celery

Potatoes

(Strawberries rank number one for the fourth year in a row, and the rest of the list looks similar to years past with one exception: Kale made the top 12 for the first time in a decade.)

If you're concerned about pesticides, the EWG also publishes a list of the "Clean 15," a.k.a. the produce from conventional growers that generally had less residue in the group's tests. 

The 2019 Clean 15:

Avocados

Sweet corn

Pineapples

Frozen sweet peas

Onions

Papayas

Eggplants

Asparagus

Kiwis

Cabbages

Cauliflower

Cantaloupes

Broccoli

Mushrooms

Honeydew melons

If you’re juicing I think it’s extremely important to use organic produce because you do not want a concentration of pesticides and chemicals in your juice, I’d say that pretty much defeats the purpose.  I’m a big believer in farmers markets, I try to go at least once a week. When my kids were tiny we loved going to the Redland’s farmers market then hit Trader Joe’s on the way home (because it was the closest one, thank God we have closer ones now)!  Check out your local farmers markets, it’s super easy…..there are free app locators, just search the App Store.

Sources: www.ewg.org, www.organic.org