Special Occasion & Holiday Recipes

Gingerbread Smoothie

December 17, 2023 Jean Yates

If it’s warm for Christmas, like it is here in San Diego, I’ll be enjoying some pickleball and a nice refreshing treat after. Like this healthy vegan gingerbread smoothie.

It tastes like a cookie but it’s made with cauliflower and banana for lots of nutrients. It’s also packed with flavor from all the spices. I hope you enjoy this deliciously unique treat!

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup chef v almond or oat milk
1 tbsp chef v vanilla protein (or pea protein of your choice)
1 cup frozen cauliflower chopped or riced
1 frozen ripe banana
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp coconut nectar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/8 tsp allspice
A pinch sea salt
1 cup ice

Directions

Blend all ingredients together in a vitamix or blender for 1-2 minutes until blended smooth. I like to top with a tiny cinnamon and I found these super cute mug cookies to decorate with!

Chef V’s Guacamole w/Pomegranate and Mango

December 6, 2023 Chef V

I like to make this guacamole for the holidays – so pretty and festive!

Chef V tip: save the pit and keep it in the mixture to keep the guacamole from turning brown.

creamy green smoothie

Ingredients

2 large ripe avocados
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp Fine sea salt
1/4 small white onion, finely diced
3 fresh cilantro sprigs with stems, chopped
2 Tbs. diced mango
2 Tbs. pomegranate seeds
1 tsp. Chopped jalapeno (optional)

Directions

For guacamole: Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Scoop the flesh into a bowl. Using a fork or a potato masher, mash the avocado with the lime juice and 1/2 tsp. salt until the guacamole is smooth but still has a little texture and some chunks. Stir in the onion, mango, cilantro and jalapeño (optional). Top with pomegranate seeds. Taste and adjust the seasoning for dipping. Serves 4.

Warm Butternut Squash Salad

December 1, 2023 Chef V

Warm butternut squash: this is a delicious holiday treat for those first cold days that signal the end of fall. It’s a hit at special dinners. It’s very filling and makes you feel warm inside even though it’s a salad. It’s also very healthy and vegan. – Veronica

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warm butternut salad

TOTAL 30 minutes

Serving Size: 2-4 people

Ingredients

Warm butternut squash

1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 cup diced sweet or yellow onion
1 small butternut squash, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup cooked quinoa
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups wild greens (arugula, spinach, or mixed herbs)
1 cup pomegranate seeds

Directions

Warm butternut squash: In a large non-stick pan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and butternut squash. (The smaller the squash is diced the more quickly it will cook.) Sauté the squash and onions over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the squash is soft. Do not burn the squash or onions.

Add the garlic, nutmeg and thyme, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer the butternut squash to a bowl and stir in the cooked quinoa. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cool mixture in the refrigerator.

To serve, mix the dressing ingredients and drizzle over greens. Top with cooled butternut squash mix and garnish with pomegranate seeds. Serves 2-4.

Grilled Artichokes with Two Sauces

November 30, 2023 Jean Yates

Grilled artichokes, precooked and finished at the picnic. They’ll love these on the barbecue. Serve with my two vegan sauces: Raw Horseradish Mayonnaise, and Vegan Herb Aioli.

grilled artichokes

Serving Size: 2 People

Ingredients

6 cups filtered water
1 large fresh artichoke
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 white onion
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Bring the 6 cups of water to a boil in a stockpot.

Trim the thorns from the artichoke leaves with scissors. Cut the artichoke in half vertically and remove the fuzzy center. To the boiling water, added the artichoke, garlic, and onion. Boil, covered, for 45 minutes – one hour, or until the leaves pull out easily. Transfer the artichoke halves to a paper towel cut side down or drain the water.

Heat a grill or grill pan. Place the artichokes cut side down on the hot grill or grill pan and char for 2 to 3 minutes, until you get good grill marks. This will add a nice smokiness. Plate the artichoke halves cut side up. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice and vinegar, drizzle over the artichoke, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and serve with Vegan Herb Aioli or Raw Horseradish Mayo.

Vegan Herb Aioli

November 29, 2023 Chef V

Aioli, a traditional Mediterranean sauce, is just right for dipping veggies or drizzling over toasted baguette. It makes a delicious accompaniment to my Grilled Artichokes. – Veronica

vegan herb aioli

TOTAL 10 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Serving Size: 2 People

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews, washed and drained (pre-soaked 1 hour)
1 cup filtered water
¼ cup of lemon juice
1 tbsp. of lemon zest
½ tsp. organic sea salt to taste
1 tsp. raw coconut sugar
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic

Directions

Blend mayo ingredients together in a Vitamix or food processor.

White Sweet Potato Purée

November 29, 2023 Chef V

Everyone loves mashed potatoes. But regular mashed potatoes are very starchy. That means the starch quickly converts into sugar. That’s more bad news for your gut. But this healthy recipe for mashed potatoes uses the nutritiously-superior white sweet potato. Instead of regular milk, I use almond or coconut milk.

I swear to you that my white sweet potato pureé will have the same starchy mouth-feel as regular mashed potatoes. But this version contains way more minerals and is lower in calories. – Veronica

sweet potato puree

TOTAL: 1 hour

Serving Size:2

Ingredients

1 large white sweet potato, peeled and chopped
3 cups filtered water
1/4 cup Chef V’s Raw Almond Milk or coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

Directions

Boil the sweet potato pieces in the 3 cups of water in a large pot for 15 minutes, or until soft. Transfer the pieces to a Vitamix and add the milk, sea salt, cayenne, and red pepper flakes, and process until smooth. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Raw Horseradish Mayonnaise

November 27, 2023 Jean Yates

Sometimes you just need a luscious rich tasting spread – so I created this cashew-based mayo. Easy to prepare, you can use it in dressings, dips, on a sandwich, anywhere you want that mayonnaise experience – only healthier. Add raw horseradish to make a zippy dip for my Grilled Artichokes. – Veronica

raw horseradish mayonaise

TOTAL 10 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Serving Size: 2 People

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews, washed and drained (pre-soaked 1 hour)
1 cup filtered water
¼ cup of lemon juice
1 tbsp. of lemon zest
½ tsp. organic sea salt to taste
1 tsp. raw coconut sugar
1 tablespoon horseradish

Directions

Blend mayo ingredients together in a Vitamix or food processor.

Chef V’s Cooking with V – Salmon Beurre Blanc

November 25, 2023 Chef V

-> GO TO BLOG HOME

Welcome to Chef V's Cooking School!

I'm Veronica, Certified Nutritional Therapist, author, and proud owner of Chef V. You might know me for my Green Drink and Cleanses, but I started Chef V as a personal chef. In my first video cooking series, I'll be sharing some of my clients' favorite recipes with you.

Using this blog and my YouTube channel, I welcome you to my kitchen. We're going to laugh, learn and cook – together.

This month we are making Salmon with Beurre Blanc Sauce, with my friend Maddi assisting.

Cooking with Chef V

Maddi is a friend and customer of Chef V. In 2017 she had a massive stroke, and has worked incredibly hard to recover. I'm honored to know her and to support her in eating healthy – and delicious. – Veronica

Maddi

SALMON BEURRE BLANC DIRECTIONS
Watch Veronica make the recipe in the video above

salmon beurre blanc

INGREDIENTS

for sauce:

1 shallot (about 2-3 tbsp.) finely minced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 tbsp. vegan butter
Salt & pepper to taste

For salmon and pasta:

1 package lentil, quinoa, or brown rice pasta
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 4-6oz wild salmon fillets – rest to room temperature
1 tbsp. chopped parsley (for garnish)
Salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

quinoa enchilada ingredients

PREPARE THE INGREDIENTS

1. SHALLOT
Finely dice the shallot, slicing lengthwise and then chopping on its side. Save in a small bowl.

mise en place chopped

2. PARSLEY
Roll the fresh parsley loosely into a ball, then chop that up and throw that garnish into a small bowl.

salmon beurre blanc pasta

3. LEMON
Juice the lemon and save in a small bowl.

boil water

PREPARE THE PASTA

1. Bring the water to a boil with one tsp olive oil and a pinch of salt.

boil water

2. Rip the dry pasta in half, adding it to the boiling water.

salmon cooking

GRILL THE SALMON

Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Heat Grill pan or pan to medium high heat.

When the pan is hot, place the salmon in the pan with the skin side up, cook the salmon for 3 minutes on each side, and remove when still pink in the middle.

It is easy to cook something more, but you can't undo an overcooked piece of salmon! Remove salmon and let rest.

making the sauce

MAKE THE BEURRE BLANC SAUCE

To cook the sauce add white wine, shallot and lemon juice to a medium heat saucepan and reduce to half. Slowly add one tbsp. of vegan butter at a time and whisk to create a thick sauce.

final recipe

ASSEMBLE THE DISH

Drain the pasta and place a portion on a plate. Place the salmon right on top. Then we take the beurre blanc sauce and pour it over the salmon and the pasta.

final recipe

NOW THE BEST PART – THE TASTE TEST!

Brandon says “mmmm… – that Beurre Blanc sauce – the lemon and the wine! Who knew eating healthy could be fun.”

Maddi says “it's delicious” – and her sous chef Dad says “nice and light and delicious!”

Raw Caramel Cheesecake

November 20, 2023 Chef V

This is my interpretation of a New York cheesecake. I’ve swapped the traditional cream cheese for a delicious mixture of cashews, coconut, and vanilla.

You will need to make this cake in 2 steps, and give yourself 24 hours to complete it, since you will need to soak the cashews for at least 2 hours or overnight and will need freezing time for the cake as well.

First make the crust and the “cheese” layers. Once those steps are complete, place the cake in the freezer for four hours or more. The final step is to make the topping and pour it over the chilled cake. You can serve the cake immediately or refrigerate it for up to a week. But I recommend eating it now!

Serve this to the most finicky eater and watch them become a raw food convert! – Veronica

Serving Size: 6 People

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients:
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup pre-soaked pitted dates (soaked in water overnight)
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. real vanilla extract
Cheesecake Layer Ingredients:
- 3 cups pre-soaked cashews (soaked in water overnight)
- 1⁄4 cup organic coconut oil
- 1⁄4 cup coconut nectar
- 1 tsp. real vanilla extract
- Juice of 1⁄2 a lemon
Caramel Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 cup pre-soaked pitted dates (soaked in water overnight)
- 3 tbsp. coconut nectar
- 2 tbsp natural almond butter
- 1/4 tsp. organic sea salt
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

Things you will need:

8-inch spring-form pan (bake-ware that sides can be removed
Coconut oil cooking spray (or cold pressed olive oil spray)

Directions:

Soak dates in water overnight. Soak cashews in water overnight. Add all crust ingredients to your vitamix and pulse until blended with still some nutty texture. Spray an 8-inch spring-form pan with healthy non-stick cooking oil.

Spread the crust evenly to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Add the cheesecake layer ingredients to your food processor and blend until completely smooth (scrape down the sides to get all the ingredients). Spread evenly over your crust.

Place in the freezer for at least 3 hours.

Place your Caramel Sauce ingredients into your food processor and blend until completely smooth (scrape down the sides to get all the ingredients).

Remove cheesecake from the freezer. Place the cheesecake on a serving pan.

Remove spring-form sides. Spread the caramel sauce evenly over the cheesecake. Cut into slices, serve and bon appetit!

Holiday Rack of Lamb

November 4, 2023 Jean Yates

When cooking for a special occasion you want meals that are hearty, healthy and memorable. Chef V makes this delicious go-to recipe when she needs a dinner party main course.

When shopping for lamb, try to find local USDA-Certified Organic Lamb. More and more, farms offering organic meat are built around the well-being of the lamb. The animals are all born and raised on the same farm on a simple diet of grass and hay; free of steroids, antibiotics, and hormones.

manly lamb chops

REST TIME: 2 hours
COOKING TIME: 45 minutes
SERVES: 2-4

Ingredients

1 rack of lamb (Frenched*, 7-8 ribs each, 1.5- 2 lbs. total)
2 tsp. fresh rosemary
1 tsp. fresh thyme
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil

Directions

Rub the rack of lamb with rosemary, thyme, garlic, and pepper. Place in a gallon plastic bag with olive oil and coat the lamb in olive oil. Close the bag tightly and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Bring the lamb out 2 hours ahead of time so that it can rest at room temperature before cooking. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Make diagonal cuts or slivers along the fat on top about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover the exposed tip bones with foil to avoid burning. Cook for 10 minutes at 450 degrees then lower the temp to 300 degrees and cook for 10-15 minutes more. Lamb should be cooked to rare or medium rare and then be removed and covered with foil.

Let the lamb sit for 15 minutes and rest to finish cooking through. Slice the lamb in-between the bones, cutting away from the bone. Serve with rice, potatoes, or anything else your Man desires!

*Most stores already sell the rack of lamb Frenched. This means the skin, meat, and fat have been removed between the tips of the rib bone, to make it look nicer and easier to eat.

Vegan & Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

November 1, 2023 Chef V

My oh my, pumpkin pie … how I love thee,
But how you seem to hate my belly.
For each sinfully delicious bite I take,
Your sweet and milky richness makes my tummy ache.
Is there a way to make you more nutritious,
All the while keeping you equally delicious?
The good news is yes there is,
And showing you how is my biz. (Mic drop)

Bon Appétit! – Veronica

My pumpkin pie recipe is better for your health because it contains low-glycemic coconut sugar and dairy-free coconut whipped cream. It is gluten-free.

Ingredients

¾ cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp. Chef V’s Pumpkin Pie Spice
½ tsp. organic sea salt
2 tbsp. Chef V’s Chia Seed Egg Substitute
1 ½ cups Chef V’s Organic Pumpkin Puree
1-cup organic unsweetened almond milk
Use my Gluten Free Crust

Directions

Mix sugar, pie spice, salt, egg substitute and pumpkin puree in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add almond milk.

Press pie crust into a 9-inch baking pie dish. Pour the pumpkin mix into the pie crust.

Bake 450-degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40 minutes.

Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Serve immediately with my Coconut Whip Cream Recipe or refrigerate.

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Welcome to Chef V's Cooking School!

Using this blog and my YouTube channel, I welcome you to my kitchen. We're going to laugh, learn and cook – together.

This month we are making Chicken Pot Pie with my trusty sous chef and husband, Brandon.

CHICKEN POT PIE

Watch Veronica make the recipe in the video above and follow along with the directions, below.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. olive oil (separated)
½ white onion, diced
1 Gluten Free pie crust
1 lb. Organic Chicken, poached or use rotisserie chicken
½ cup Fresh or frozen Peas
1 Carrot, chopped
1 Celery, chopped
2-3 tbsp. Gluten Free flour (separated)
2 cups Chicken or vegetable stock.
½ cup dairy free milk
1 egg white to brush the top of pie crust.
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper

DIRECTIONS

shredding the chicken

PREPARE THE CHICKEN

You can poach the chicken or I like to use a rotisserie chicken, it’s easier and has more moisture. I like to shred the chicken instead of chop it.

chopping veg

cooking veg

PREPARE THE VEGGIES

Chop the carrot, onion, and celery.

Sauté the vegetables in a pan – heat 1 tbsp. olive oil and add onion, add carrot, then celery to the pan. Add salt and pepper. Sauté lightly for 2 minutes.

making the roux

MAKE THE ROUX (SAUCE)

In another pan create the roux. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil and add 1 tbsp. gluten free flour and stir until golden brown (about 2 minutes). Slowly add chicken or vegetable stock ½ cup at a time and stir until you have like a gravy. Add salt to taste. Reduce the heat to low, add the dairy-free milk, and continue to stir.

boil water

PREPARE THE PIE

Add the gravy, the chicken, and cooked vegetables to a pie pan.

roll out dough

MAKE THE PIE CRUST

This recipe uses a purchased gluten-free dough. Or you can use my recipe for gluten-free pie crust.

Roll out the gluten-free dough. Place 1 tbsp gluten-free flour on a surface and roll the dough into a circular shape, slightly larger than the pie pan, with a rolling pin.

adding egg white to pie crust

ASSEMBLE THE PIE

Place the crust over the pie pan and press the edges with a fork. Add some slits at the top for air and decor. Mix one egg white and brush the top of the pie.

making the sauce