Dairy free "ricotta cheese"

I've been looking for some good dairy free "cheese" recipes and holy cow, this is a good one! I found it on rawfoodrecipes.com. I made a lasagna with it but it would be great for manicotti or stuffed shells too.

2 cups raw sunflower seeds
½ cup water
½ cup lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon salt, I prefer Himalayan
8 cups spinach
1½ tablespoons Italian Seasoning

1. Soak 2 cups of sunflower seeds in pure water for 4-6 hours. Drain and rinse.

2. In a high-speed blender, combine sunflower seeds, water, lemon, garlic and salt. Blend well until smooth. Scrape into a large bowl.

3. In a food processor, process the spinach in batches until chopped but not pureed. Alternately, chop finely by hand. Pour into the bowl with the sunflower cheese. Add Italian seasoning and mix well. This can be eaten raw or cooked in a pasta dish.

No Tuna Salad

I love tuna salad but don't love the mercury that comes along with it. This "Tuna" salad is a great alternative to the real thing.

Ingredients:

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 Tbsp Vegenaise
2 tsp Braggs Liquid Aminos
2 Tbsp relish
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp onion flakes

Pulse the beans in the food processor and mix everything together, simple and sooo tasty!

Super Green Smoothie

This is my version of a smoothie recipe from the Dr. Oz website. Hemp, rice or almond milk can be substituted for the coconut water. Stevia can be added for extra sweetness.

1 cup chopped spinach, frozen or fresh
1 small banana
1/2 avocado
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp hemp seeds
1 cup coconut water

Blend up an enjoy!

Nutrition info
350 calories
18g fat
43g carbohydrates
10g protein
14g fiber
22g sugar
185mg calcium

Gypsy Soup

This soup is amazing alone or with quinoa!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive or avocado oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups kale, chopped
1 box vegetable or "no chicken" broth
dash of cinnamon
dash or cayenne
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 Tbsp. Braggs liquid aminos

Saute onion and garlic in oil until onions are translucent. Add celery, sweet potatoes, beans, and broth. Simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Add spices, kale, and stir. Simmer for 5 minutes. Yum!