Spicing Up Life

Peace in 1944 Vegan Spice Cake
It's certainly been a while since I've posted, but that doesn't mean I have abandoned cooking! This winter term has been dominated by directing a production of The Diary of Anne Frank for Oregon State University. This beautiful production took a great deal of focus, dedication, time, and energy (as all productions do). I was fortunate enough to be working with an extremely passionate and hard working group of students and, I really believe this is a show we can all be proud of. That all being said, one of my tasks through the rehearsal and performance process was baking "Miep's Spice Cake" that is eaten on stage every night. While purchasing a cake is usually the option, we were faced with the dietary challenge of a vegan in the cast. Rather than bother hunting down a suitable (and cost effective) ready-made vegan cake in the store, I developed this recipe. I probably baked this cake twenty times in the past few weeks. Moist and delicious, the cast ate it over and over again. They started asking for the recipe . . . so here it is. I named it "Peace in 1944" cake because that is what the icing was supposed to say. Feel free to omit the icing completely, it's delicious either way. One of the tricks to a vegan cake is finding the right substitution for eggs which act as a binder and a leavening agent. I found this vinegar and baking soda substitution to work very well for this recipe, plus the vinegar adds a slight tang to the recipe.

Ingredients
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1/4 c. vegetable oil
- 1/3 c. canned pumpkin
- 3/4 c. flour
- 2 Tbsp. plus 1/2 tsp. baking powder, divided
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. all spice
- 1 tsp. ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Lightly grease an 8" round cake pan with vegetable shortening, dust with flour and tap out the excess. Set aside. In small prep bowl dissolve vinegar with two tablespoons of water. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, and oil until smooth. Add flour, spices,  salt, baking soda, and 1/2 tsp. of baking powder and whisk together until well combined. Working quickly add the remaining two Tbsp. of baking powder to the water and vinegar mixture. It will bubble. Pour into batter and quickly whisk. The batter should become lighter and fluffier. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until cake is cooked through. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before decorating and/or eating.
   

Going NUTS

Sneaky Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
My theory about vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free (or whatever other dietary restriction) cooking is that attempting to force an alternative food to taste "just like the real thing" is ultimately a fool's errand. The best vegan recipes I have found are not the "corn dogs" or "hamburgers" that parade themselves as "healthy" alternatives to scarf down at a barbecue. Instead, it's recipes that make the most of fresh vegan-friendly ingredients for what they are - quinoa-stuffed squash, falafel, spicy hummus, and the like are all satisfying meals that don't need a bunch of overly-processed incarnations of soy and they taste better for it. My challenge here was to develop simply a good cookie . . . that happened to be vegan. Finding a fat-replacement is the easy part here, the trick was finding a suitable non-egg binder that would allow the cookies to remain moist and chewy (as chocolate chip cookies should be). I found there are a variety of easy alternatives, but for this recipe, the best choice was using cornstarch and water. Yep. It was already in my pantry. I did these as plain old fashioned chocolate chip cookies. The coconut taste, I find, is very subtle. As a basic drop-cookie dough recipe this works great! Feel free to substitute the chips for nuts or dried fruit, or for a more coconutty taste add a teaspoon of coconut extract and 1/2 c. of shredded coconut. Enjoy these cookies for what they are . . . you don't even have to tell people they are vegan (unless they ask). They won't know the difference.

Ingredients
- 1 c. plus 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/2 c. coconut oil
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 4 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 4 Tbsp. of warm water
- 1 1/2 c. vegan chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. In a small bowl, whisk together flour with salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer beat together coconut oil, brown sugar, vanilla, and cornstarch/water mixture until smooth and creamy. Beat in flour mixture in two additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between. Mix in chocolate chips and make sure that they are well incorporated into the dough.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange tablespoon-sized cookie dough balls to bake. Bake in batches 8-9 minutes. Allow baked cookies to rest on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Recipe should yield around 24 cookies. Yum!

Nuts About You

Soba and Cucumber Noodle Bowls with Spicy Peanut Dressing
I've been a little bit obsessed with my vegetable spiralizer lately. While this is probably the most ridiculous gadget in my kitchen arsenal, making carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, and squash into "noodles" perfect for twirling around a fork and soaking up sauce is just a lot of fun. The surprising warm spell that hit us this fall made me long for a lighter "summer" meal so this veggie-packed dish seemed perfect. It's tasty, vegan, and quite filling due to the delicious peanut sauce. (If you are lacking a vegetable spiralizer, you can get similar results by slicing thin ribbons of cucumber with a vegetable peeler.) Please note, I tend to like things quite spicy - feel free to omit the jalapeño and serano peppers if they are too much for your pallet.

Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber, peeled and spiralized
- l red bell pepper, seeded and spiralized
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and sliced thin
- 1 serano chili pepper, seeded and sliced thin
- 3-4 oz. buckwheat soba noodles
- 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
- 1/4 c. salted peanuts
- 4-5 green onions, trimmed and sliced
- 2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp. red chili pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
-  1-2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- salt
- 1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
- 2 tsp. hot sesame oil

Place spiralized cucumber and peppers and the hot peppers in a mesh colander over a bowl to drain excess water for 20-30 minutes. (You can blot out additional moisture with a paper towel.) While veggies are drying out a bit, make peanut dressing. Combine peanut butter, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, and soy sauce in a blender and process until it is smooth and creamy. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and/or soy sauce if desired. Set aside.

Once the veggies have drained, transfer to a dry bowl and toss together with half of the peanut dressing and half the peanuts. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the noodles. Boil the noodles in salted water according to package directions (usually 4-7 minutes). Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water. Shake out excess water and then lay the noodles out on a clean towel and blot gently to take out even more moisture. Transfer the cold noodles to the cucumber mixture and toss together with remaining dressing.

Divide peanut noodles among two bowls and garnish each with avocado slices, remaining peanuts, sesame seeds, pepper flakes, and green onions. Really really yummy!

A Match Made in Heaven

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter "Cream Cheese" Frosting
A brief warning now . . . don't judge this recipe by the photo. I don't have my camera at home and had to make due with a dimly-lit shot with my phone. Anyway . . . "Vegan Cupcakes!?! Liz, why on Earth would you do that to a perfectly good cupcake?" Tomorrow is the first read-through for our summer Shakespeare production of Julius Caesar and I wanted to treat the cast to some . . . well . . . treats! Knowing that one member of the cast is a confirmed vegan, I wanted to come up with a tasty option for her to enjoy. As it so happens, a vegan chocolate cake recipe is not hard to come up with. This is springy, chocolatey, and not too sweet. Frosting, in the traditional sense, is a bit more of a challenge. Peanut Butter and Chocolate are a natural pairing (and one of my personal favorites) so here we go. The frosting isn't exactly a "buttercream" but it is good. Unrefrigerated I would suggest using any leftovers for a nice gluten-free fruit dip . . . just in case there are any gluten-free vegans you are looking to treat to a nice dessert.

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c. flour
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 c. baking cocoa (make sure to find a vegan brand, not all are)
- 1/3 c. vegetable oil
- 1 c. water
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 3 c. powdered sugar
- 8 oz. vegan cream-cheese alternative
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 c. corn starch

CUPCAKES
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line standard-sized cupcake tin with liners and spritz lightly with vegetable oil spray. (The recipe makes about 18 cupcakes.) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa, and salt so that the ingredients are well combined. Stir in water, oil, vanilla, and vinegar and then whisk until the batter is creamy and smooth. Divide batter amongst prepared cupcake liners. Fill to about 2/3 and then bake in oven about 20 minutes until the cupcakes are cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack for cooling. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

PEANUT BUTTER "CREAM CHEESE" FROSTING
One of the tricks I ran into with this frosting was that as the "cream cheese" warms to room temperature, it very quickly becomes loose. This may not be all brands, but it was with the one I used. The flavor, however, was quite good. With an electric mixer, beat together peanut butter and "cream cheese" until well combined and smooth. Add vanilla. Slowly beat in powdered sugar one cup at a time until the mixture is thoroughly mixed. Beat in cornstarch and blend until smooth. (The cornstarch helps the frosting from being too runny without adding more sweetness.) Frost cupcakes with a generous dollop of frosting and spread with an off-set spatula. Store in refrigerator until ready to eat so that the frosting holds its form. Yummy for vegans and non-vegans alike.

Cassoulet . . . You Say?

Vegetarian Cassoulet
Our book club (or as my husband likes to call it - "drunk club") typically chooses a rather tasty title. We are all foodies as well as readers and enjoy gathering together over a meal and wine with our book. We have read many "food books" (Michael Pollon's Cooked or Julia Child's My Life in France come to mind), but even when the book is not a specific chef biography or book about "food culture" - we enjoy preparing a meal somehow connected with the chosen text. Our most recent choice was the Christopher Moore's comic quasi-historical romp through the late 19th century Parisian art scene, Sacré Bleu. Obviously this put French cuisine on the menu . . . wine, cheese, bread, etc. As host this time around I decided to make the main dish, but my Lenten vegetarianism posed a challenge to create something hearty and somehow culturally relevant to the novel, but also meat-free. A slow-cooked cassoulet seemed right, but these rich bean stews are traditionally cooked with ample quantities of sausage and any number of other varieties of animal flesh. I came up with this rich tasting version which is filling and hits all the right flavor notes. It is also easily made vegan by substituting the butter for the toasted breadcrumbs with olive oil. It was an enjoyable meal - perfect to feed a crowd.


Ingredients
- 1 lb. dried cannelini beans (soaked in water overnight and drained)
- 2-4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. tofu Italian sausage ("soy-sage"), sliced into disks
- 4 medium leeks (white and light green parts), rinsed and chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 sticks of celery, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
-  several springs of fresh thyme, oregano, and parsley tied up in an herb sachet or herb infuser
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 c. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 2 c. dry white wine - such as pinot gris
- 28 oz. whole tomatoes and their juices
- 1 qt. vegetable broth
- salt and fresh ground pepper
- 2 small handfuls finely chopped parsley
- 2 c. of dried breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp. of butter (or olive oil)

In a large, heavy pot (such as a Dutch oven), heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium. Add sliced "soy-sage" to oil and brown gently, turning occasionally with a wooden spoon. Be careful not to overcook.

Remove browned "soy-sage" from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Add 2 more Tbsp. if pan has become dry. Add chopped leeks to hot oil and stir gently, cooking until leeks begin to soften, season with salt and pepper and add carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook over medium 5-7 minutes until vegetables are soft and fragrant. Season with additional salt and pepper.

Turn heat to medium-high and add tomato paste and sugar to vegetable mix. Cook, stirring constantly for one minute. Then add tomatoes and their juices, bay leaves, herb sachet, beans, wine, and broth. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low (or low depending on your range) and allow mixture to simmer gently for 2-3 hours, until beans become soft and cooked through. (You may need to add more liquid as the mixture cooks if it starts to look dry. Check and stir periodically.)

Sometime in the LONG process of slow-cooking, toast the bread crumbs by melting butter (or heating olive oil) in a medium pan over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and one small handful of chopped parsley and stir gently over heat until the breadcrumbs become toasty and caramel-colored. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the beans have softened (most of the liquid should be soaked in at this point, but the mixture shouldn't be "dry"), heat the oven to 350˚F.  Remove the herb sachet and bay leaves from the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the browned "soy-sage" and remaining chopped parsley to bean mixture and stir to combine. Remove from heat and sprinkle evenly with toasted breadcrumbs. Bake cassoulet in oven for 30-40 minutes. Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. It goes great with crusty bread and wine!

Easy Appetizing

Smoky and Spicy Curried Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip
I LOVE eggplant. This versatile nightshade family member with its exotic purple skin and sweet, tender flesh is central to a variety of tasty vegetarian recipes. I was on a curry kick when I threw together this easy rich-tasting (vegan) dip for a party a couple of months ago. I was smart enough to make a double batch and then added coconut milk to the leftovers and used it as the sauce for a slow-cooked chicken curry later in the week. Oh beautiful eggplant . . . I salute you for all you've given to me!

Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant, ends trimmed off and cut into 1" cubes
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 Tbsp. curry powder
- 1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper
- pita chips or flat bread for serving

Preheat oven to 400˚ F. Line a heavy rimmed baking sheet with foil and spritz lightly with cooking spray. Arrange prepared vegetables on baking sheet (it's okay if they overlap a little as you will mix them up periodically when they roast). Sprinkle with salt, pepper, curry, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper flakes. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil.

Roast vegetables in oven for about 40 minutes until they become soft, brown, and caramelized. Stir them occasionally as they roast with a pair of tongs.

Once they have cooked through, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

Place roasted vegetable in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until a rough paste forms. With the machine running, slowly pour the remaining olive oil into the mixture and allow to blend until smooth. Season with additional paprika, curry, pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. You can make it as spicy as you like! Serve at room temperature. So, so good! Enjoy with pita chips, flat bread, or sliced raw vegetables!

Soup to Nuts

Roasted Carrot and Potato Soup with Hazelnuts and Garlic Croutons
I was looking for something new for my weekly vegetarian rotation and ways explore the world of vegan cuisine. I've done some successful vegetarian recipes, but vegan cooking is a whole other world. Good vegan food is deliciously nourishing, but bad vegan food is bland and, quite frankly, not very filling. The real challenge is that animal fats provide rich, easy flavor infusions and their absence can make for some pretty dull dinners. Vegan cooking is a fun challenge because it forces me to think differently about flavor. This soup is an easy vegan meal made rich and delicious with curry powder, soy milk, and hearty hazelnuts. Garlic croutons add a great dose of crunch and fresh chives are the perfect finish!

Ingredients 
- 6 large carrots, peeled and quartered
- 2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
- 6 small yellow potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, diced
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 2 c. vegetable broth
- 1 Tbsp. yellow curry powder
- 2 c. soy milk
- salt and pepper
- 1 c. roughly chopped hazelnuts
- 1 small handful chopped fresh chives
- 2 c. garlic croutons

Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and spritz lightly with cooking spray. Spread potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes evenly on the foil. Heat oven to 425˚F. Drizzle vegetables with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with paprika and roast in oven for 25-30 minutes until vegetable soften and begin to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.

While vegetables are roasting, heat remaining olive oil in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot oven medium. Add onion and cook until very soft, about 7-9 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add roasted vegetables to onion with 2 c. of vegetable broth and curry powder. Bring to a boil. Lower and cover. Simmer vegetables over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and blend soup to a puree with an immersion blender. Return soup to low heat and stir in soy milk slowly until soup becomes creamy. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. When soup is heated through divide among bowls and top each serving with chopped hazelnuts, chives, and croutons. Yummy!

Spice Girl

Jerk-Style Salmon with Mango Dressed Quinoa and Avocado Salad
I can never seem to get enough spice on my plate! Whether it's the peppery bite of Tabasco in my guacamole or the slow-burn of Sriracha in my udon noodle soup, I love the flavorful dimension spice adds to any meal! On these increasingly hot evenings, I find a healthy dose of spice is the perfect palate-pleasing way to beat the heat. The sweet, smoky blend of Jamaican Jerk-style seasoning makes a great dry-rub for salmon and paired with this fruit-infused quinoa, this is a fantastic dinner time treat. (For a vegan alternative, serve the quinoa salad with tofu or other animal-free protein for a complete meal.)

Ingredients
- 1 lb. salmon fillets with skin  
- 1 c. uncooked quinoa
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. curry powder
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. all spice
- 3 Tbsp. grape seed or vegetable oil
- 1 bunch green onions, trimmed and chopped
- 1 14.5 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 mango, diced
- 1 tsp. Tabasco or other hot sauce
- 2 Tbsp. minced cilantro, divided
- 3 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
- juice from 1 lime
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, trimmed and finely diced
- 1 avocado, peeled and diced

In a medium saucepan combine 1 c. quinoa with 2 c. of water and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil over high, cover, and lower heat. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the quinoa has soaked in all the water. When it is cooked, remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl to cool.

While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the other ingredients. In a small bowl, mix together all spice, curry, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and 1 tsp. of salt. Sprinkle salmon fillets with salt and pepper then evenly coat all sides of each fillet with spice rub. Allow fillets to sit with spices for about 10 minutes before cooking.

To make the mango dressing place diced mango, vinegar, 1 Tbsp. cilantro, minced garlic, lime juice, Tobasco, and a sprinkle of salt into the bowl of a blender. Puree until smooth. Add olive oil and blend again to combine all ingredients into a creamy consistency. Season to tasted to additional salt and pepper. Set aside.

After the quinoa has cooled slightly add green onions, diced jalapeño pepper, remaining cilantro, and black beans. Stir ingredients to combine. Add avocado and gently mix together. Pour half the dressing onto the salad, mix, then pour the other half and mix a second time so that the ingredients are well incorporated. Set aside to serve at room temperature topped with salmon.

Heat grape seed or vegetable oil over medium high in a large, heavy skillet (cast iron works great for this). Add salmon pieces to hot oil skin side down and sear 2-3 minutes so that a crispy brown layer forms. Turn over fillets and cook the skin side until it begins to brown (2-3 minutes).

Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, break up salmon fillets into bite-sized chunks and spread through the heated pan so that it cooks through, 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle salmon lightly with salt and pepper. Serve portions of salmon over the prepared quinoa salad. This meal serves 4-6.

Green Goddess Goodness

Quinoa and Kale Salad with Avocado Lime Cilantro Green Goddess Dressing
Okay, so technically "Green Goddess Dressing" is given its characteristic green hue from a variety of herbs, in particular, tarragon. Now . . . I've got absolutely nothing against the classic anchovy and sour cream-infused dressing/dip/amazing condiment, but I wanted to see how I did with a vegan version. This dressing is made creamy and satisfying with a nice, ripe avocado. Tossed together with fresh seasonal kale, crunchy cucumbers, and a hearty helping of quinoa, this is a salad truly fit for any green goddess!

Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
- juice from one lime
- salt and pepper
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted, then sliced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 bunch fresh chives, minced
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 14.5 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
- 1 c. uncooked quinoa
- 1 bunch fresh kale, leaves removed from stems and torn into 3" pieces

AVOCADO LIME CILANTRO GREEN GODDESS DRESSING
In a small dish or blender place minced shallot, chives, cilantro, lime juice, and white balsamic vinegar. Pulse to a puree with a blender or an immersion blender. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. of salt and several grinds of fresh ground pepper. Add avocado and blend until dressing becomes smooth and creamy. Thin out with olive oil and season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired.

QUINOA AND KALE SALAD
In a medium sauce pan, combine 1 c. of uncooked quinoa with 2 c. of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, and reduce to low. Simmer for 12-15 minutes until the quinoa has absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, bring a skillet with about 2" of salted water to a boil. Add kale pieces to boiling water, cover, and blanch for 1-2 minutes until kale is bright green. Remove from heat and drain water in a colander over sink. Immediately rinse with cold water.

Combine cooked quinoa, garbanzo beans, cooked kale, and diced cucumber in a medium serving bowl. Toss ingredients to combine. Pour half of the dressing over the salad, toss ingredients together. Pour remaining dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature. This "side dish" makes for a great lunch on its own or perfect for dinner along side chicken or a tasty cut of seared salmon.

Soup in the Summer? Hell yeah!

Hot Summer Night Gazpacho

I'm lovin' the summer. The longer days, the joy and challenges of outdoor summer theatre, the opportunities for beer and barbecues make for memorable experiences. I must confess, however, that as much as I love running around barefoot in my cute summer clothes, the hot weather tends to make me a bit lazy in terms of cooking. Who wants to stand over a hot stove when temperatures are getting into the 90s and 100s? But a girl's got to eat, right? Let me introduce you to one of my all-time favorite quick and easy summer meals. This cold summer soup is refreshing and filling without being heavy. Full of veggies and a bit a spicy zip, its perfect no matter how hot it gets!

Ingredients
- 1 32 oz. bottle mixed vegetable juice (such as V-8)
- 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
- 4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 tsp. hot sauce
- 1-2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 3Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. of sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- avocado slices

Placed prepped vegetables in a large Tupperware container. Season with sugar, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and vinegar. Stir to combine and pour in vegetable juice. Stir to combine all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and extra hot sauce to taste. Refrigerate until cold. Serve with avocado slices. Yum! It gets better after a day in the fridge when the ingredients have time to meld together. So good. So fast!