A VIEW OF MY PLANT POWERED KITCHEN: COOKING IS NOT JUST FOR COOKS!

I grew up eating from my mother's perpetually stocked freezer. It was an easy draw for this non-cook. But once I learned that whole food, plant-centered food preparation can be quick and delicious, I started to prepare and build an arsenal of simple, budget-friendly recipes I could repeat! Included here is a view from my plant-strong kitchen of meals, sweet endings, healthy toppings for salads, tacos, grain bowls & more. And don't forget the hydrating beverages made from single food ingredients you can recognize!

More seriously, these delicious whole food, plant-centered goodies are just real food - whole grains (many gluten-free), beans, legumes, raw and cooked vegetables, herbs and spices, fruit, nuts and seeds. From breakfast until supper I keep fueled sustainably eating a new kind of simple, healthy 'fast food' - easily assembled fresh ingredients full of bold flavors that pack a nutritional punch. Now I eat to thrive and teach others to unlock health in their own kitchens. Have a look.

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POWER BREAKFASTS (pictured above): Peach-Apricot Oat Bowl, Oat Pancake, Avocado Nori Crostini, Breakfast Cookies, Chocolate 0at Bowl, Greens 'N Eggs, Avocado Toast Scramble, Breakfast Wrap, Purple Potato Brekkie, Chia Berry Yogurt Bowl, Nut Butter Morning Bowl, Chocolate-Strawberry Oat Bowl, Ronna's Breakfast Trio, Green Smoothie and Apple Hummus Toast, Summer Oat Bowl, Sprouted Overnight Porridge and Coconut Yogurt Melon Morning Bowl.

click arrow to see more images WHOLE FOOD PLANT-BASED DRINKS (pictured above): Detox Water, Watermelon Basil Cooler, Honey Please Do! Smoothie, Mexican Hot Cocoa, DIY Nut Milk, Dairy-free Hot Chocolate, Tropical Green Smoothie, Refresh Water, Cantaloupe Water, Strawberry Mint Water, Get Your Greens Smoothie!, PB & J Smoothie, Fuhrman Skinny Shake, Ginger Cocoa

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HAPPY ENDINGS (pictured above): Raw Chocolate Avocado Pudding, Blueberry-Banana Cookies, Strawberry Oat Bar - recipe here: (http://www.wakeupnaturally.com/Westchester-Putnam-NY/March-2012/Strawberry-Oat-Bars-with-Whipped-Cashew-Cream/), Banana 'Nice' Cream, No-bake Brownie, Raw Plum Tart, Almond Butter Cups, Apricot Thumbprint Cookies, Berry 'Nice' Cream Pops, Engine 2 Dark Chocolate Cake with Cashew Ice Cream, Dairy-free Coconut Fudge, Vegan Biscotti, Pumpkin Rice Pudding, Fudgesicle 'Nice' Cream, Dark Chocolate-Walnut Matzoh & Fruit-sweetened Macaroons, Chocolate Chili Spiced Pecans & Chocolate Bark, 5 Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Dipped (Fresh) Pineapple and Chocolate-Pistachio Strawberries.

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PLANTSTRONG TRUFFLES, BARS and ENERGY BITES (pictured above): Nutty Superseed Bars, Blueberry Muffin Energy Bites, Sesame Chia Truffles, Orange-Goji Spiced Energy Bards, Date-Nut Truffles, DIY Lemon Larabars, Raw Fudge Bar Hearts, Plant-powered Ultra Energy Bars, Pistachio Bites and Lemon Treats

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HAPPY MEALS (pictured above): Vegan Cheese Burger, Veggie-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash, Raw Veggie Sushi, Portobello Mushroom Burger, Mexican Nourish Bowl, Vegetarian Chili & Greens Over Easy, Black Bean Sweet Potato Burger & Mash, Eat-A-Rainbow To-Go, Macro(biotic) Plate, Nutty Taco 'Meat', Quinoa Veggie Loaves, Raw Burrito, Thrive Now Trio Bowls, Thrive Now Buddha Bowl and Thrive Now Fakeout Takeout (recipe on blog).

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NUTRIENT-DENSE SIDE DISHES (pictured above): Watermelon Salsa, Super Greens Hummus, Carrot Cutlets, Mushroom 'Bacon', Grilled Corn, Rainbow Rice, Fuhrmman's Apple Surprise, Eggplant Fries, Sweet Potato & Black Bean Hash, Kale with Cranberries & Walnuts, Sicilian Balsamic Greens, Celeriac-Parsnip Mash, Aubergine Stuffed Mushrooms & Zucchini, Chocolate-y Lentils, Mashed Potatoes 'n Greens and Vegetarian Chopped Liver.

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THE SALAD IS THE MEAL (pictured above): Thrive Now Salad Bowl, Avocado Kale & Beet Salad, Summer Peach Salad, Not Tuna Salad, Mango Quinoa Salad, Yogi Salad, Deconstructed Sushi Salad, Avocado Kale Salad and Fiesta Salsa.

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HOMEMADE VEGGIE-BASED SOUPS: (pictured above): Carrot Cashew Soup, Lentil Barley with Greens Soup, Black Bean 'Stewp', Raw Spicy Mango Soup, Chestnut Squash Soup, Hearty Vegetable Soup, Spiced Apple Acorn Squash Soup, and Ginger Pea Soup.

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TOPPERS FOR SALADS, STIR-FRIES AND PORRIDGE (pictured above): Coconut Bacon, Raw Macadamia Whipped Cream, Pumpkin Trail Mix, Maple Coconut Cashew Crunch, Honey-roasted Peanuts & Popcorn, Cashew Cream, Pistachio Cranberry Holiday Log, Rosemary Walnuts, Quinoa Granola, Non-dairy Whipped Berry Cream and Spicy Walnuts and Chili Cocoa Pecans