Three things I learned while making up this salad:
1. quinoa is the only grain that is a complete protein, containing all of the essential amino acids your body needs
2. jicama is loaded with fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and folic acid (a B-vitamin that helps in producing and maintaining new cells)
3. quinoa, jicama, and avocado all in the same bite is textural heaven...
1 C quinoa, cooked according to package instructions and cooled
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tomato, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1/2 jicama, peeled and chopped into chunks
rice vinegar
olive oil
soy sauce
several dashes cayenne pepper
black pepper, to taste
Saute onion and garlic, if you prefer, otherwise feel free to leave it raw. Add all vegetables to the quinoa and dress with vinegar, oil, and soy sauce (I probably used about 1/4 C of each, but I definitely didn't measure and you should really just do it to your taste). Sprinkle in some cayenne and some black pepper, and mix thoroughly. Taste. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Enjoy!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Peanut-ey Tempeh Lettuce Wraps
Serves about 4. Scrumptious!!
1 package tempeh
about 2 cups of cooked brown rice
3/4 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons lite soy sauce (or a little less, if you're using full strength)
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons rice or wine vinegar
1 - 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (we sauteed it first, but only because I hate raw garlic)
cayenne pepper to taste
black pepper to taste
1 head of lettuce (preferably butter lettuce, but any old kind will do), washed and carefully separated into individual leaves
For the filling:
Cut the tempeh up into teeny tiny pieces. Saute it over medium-high heat in a bit of olive oil until it's turned golden brown and smells nutty and delicious. Stir in the brown rice and set aside.
For the peanut sauce:
Combine all other ingredients (except lettuce!) in a small mixing bowl. Add hot water (start with 1/4 cup) until mixture has a consistency a bit thicker than that of heavy cream. Right before serving, add peanut sauce to tempeh and rice mixture and stir well.
To eat, spoon a bit of the peanut-ey yumminess onto a lettuce leaf; wrap it up into a little packet and eat it. (Be prepare to get rather messy and not care at all).
1 package tempeh
about 2 cups of cooked brown rice
3/4 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons lite soy sauce (or a little less, if you're using full strength)
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons rice or wine vinegar
1 - 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (we sauteed it first, but only because I hate raw garlic)
cayenne pepper to taste
black pepper to taste
1 head of lettuce (preferably butter lettuce, but any old kind will do), washed and carefully separated into individual leaves
For the filling:
Cut the tempeh up into teeny tiny pieces. Saute it over medium-high heat in a bit of olive oil until it's turned golden brown and smells nutty and delicious. Stir in the brown rice and set aside.
For the peanut sauce:
Combine all other ingredients (except lettuce!) in a small mixing bowl. Add hot water (start with 1/4 cup) until mixture has a consistency a bit thicker than that of heavy cream. Right before serving, add peanut sauce to tempeh and rice mixture and stir well.
To eat, spoon a bit of the peanut-ey yumminess onto a lettuce leaf; wrap it up into a little packet and eat it. (Be prepare to get rather messy and not care at all).
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Scrumptious and healthy (sort of) almond cookies
This makes a pretty small batch, but almond flour is expensive.
Ingredients
2 cups almond flour
1/6 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup agave syrup (you could use honey or golden syrup instead)
1 egg
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon almond butter (or you could try peanut butter)
1/4 cup flax seeds (you could leave this out, but it gives it extra protein and a little texture)
xtras
raspberry jam and chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix flour and butter (i used my hands to get it smooth). Add in everything else.
Use a teaspoon to make 1inch balls and lay them on a cookie sheet. Start them baking for 3-5 minutes, then take them out and either flatten them with a fork or i put a little dent in some and filled it with raspberry jam/a chocolate chip. let them bake for another 8-10 mins...Until just a little brown on the outside.
Let cool. Devour.
Ingredients
2 cups almond flour
1/6 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup agave syrup (you could use honey or golden syrup instead)
1 egg
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon almond butter (or you could try peanut butter)
1/4 cup flax seeds (you could leave this out, but it gives it extra protein and a little texture)
xtras
raspberry jam and chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix flour and butter (i used my hands to get it smooth). Add in everything else.
Use a teaspoon to make 1inch balls and lay them on a cookie sheet. Start them baking for 3-5 minutes, then take them out and either flatten them with a fork or i put a little dent in some and filled it with raspberry jam/a chocolate chip. let them bake for another 8-10 mins...Until just a little brown on the outside.
Let cool. Devour.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
A correction
In the "Winter Veggie Soup" post, when I said "seeds discarded" what I REALLY meant to say was, "seeds roasted and eaten separately."
My apologies to any seed-lovers out there I may have offended :-)
My apologies to any seed-lovers out there I may have offended :-)
Winter Veggie Soup
(Swiped from Epicurious.com -- with a few revisions)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 cup peeled, cored and coarsely chopped Granny Smith apple
1 cup peeled and coarsely chopped turnip
1 cup peeled and chopped butternut squash (seeds discarded)
1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1 cup peeled, chopped sweet potato
5 cups vegetable stock
2 Tb maple syrup
Cayenne pepper
1 small whole-grain baguette
goat cheese
Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add apple, turnip, squash, carrot, and sweet potato; season with salt, then sauté 5 minutes. Add stock, bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add syrup, then cayenne pepper to taste. Cool slightly. Puree with a handheld mixer, food processor or blender.
Then: you can do two things. Either slice up the bread, toast it, spread goat cheese on it, and then float it in the soup; or, to add a yummy little kick to the soup, stir the goat cheese right in.
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 cup peeled, cored and coarsely chopped Granny Smith apple
1 cup peeled and coarsely chopped turnip
1 cup peeled and chopped butternut squash (seeds discarded)
1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1 cup peeled, chopped sweet potato
5 cups vegetable stock
2 Tb maple syrup
Cayenne pepper
1 small whole-grain baguette
goat cheese
Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add apple, turnip, squash, carrot, and sweet potato; season with salt, then sauté 5 minutes. Add stock, bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add syrup, then cayenne pepper to taste. Cool slightly. Puree with a handheld mixer, food processor or blender.
Then: you can do two things. Either slice up the bread, toast it, spread goat cheese on it, and then float it in the soup; or, to add a yummy little kick to the soup, stir the goat cheese right in.
Lentil and mushroom shepherds pie
2 cups vegetable broth,
2 teaspoons Marmite (or use yeast to make your own yeast extract)
1.5 cups dry lentils
2 large carrots, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
6 potatoes, chopped
milk or butter for mashed potatoes
1 large portabello mushroom cut into chunks
half a bundle of spinach
oregano
garlic
cheese (cheddar or Wensleydale)
salt and pepper to taste
*i'm very haphazard about measuring things,so trust your instincts especially with lentils and water.
*This makes a huge shepherds pie because we had lots of potatoes to use up and a big pan. You may want to use half measures.
Preheat oven to 350F
First start cooking the potatoes in boiling, lightly salted water. Then put the broth and lentils on a low heat with the marmite garlic and oregano. After about ten minutes add carrots and onions, and a little water. I also threw in more garlic and oregano. Thats going to need to simmer for about 20 more minutes, so during that time make your mash. We went with slightly cheesy mash with milk, salt and pepper. Set this aside.
Next saute the mushroom with garlic and olive oil. Throw in the spinach. Once your lentils are cooked you just need to layer things into an oven proof pan. Mushrooms and spinach go on the bottom, followed by lentils and then mashed potatoes. Sprinkle cheese on the top and then put into the oven for about 30 mins.
This would probably be really good with green beans or peas added.
2 teaspoons Marmite (or use yeast to make your own yeast extract)
1.5 cups dry lentils
2 large carrots, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
6 potatoes, chopped
milk or butter for mashed potatoes
1 large portabello mushroom cut into chunks
half a bundle of spinach
oregano
garlic
cheese (cheddar or Wensleydale)
salt and pepper to taste
*i'm very haphazard about measuring things,so trust your instincts especially with lentils and water.
*This makes a huge shepherds pie because we had lots of potatoes to use up and a big pan. You may want to use half measures.
Preheat oven to 350F
First start cooking the potatoes in boiling, lightly salted water. Then put the broth and lentils on a low heat with the marmite garlic and oregano. After about ten minutes add carrots and onions, and a little water. I also threw in more garlic and oregano. Thats going to need to simmer for about 20 more minutes, so during that time make your mash. We went with slightly cheesy mash with milk, salt and pepper. Set this aside.
Next saute the mushroom with garlic and olive oil. Throw in the spinach. Once your lentils are cooked you just need to layer things into an oven proof pan. Mushrooms and spinach go on the bottom, followed by lentils and then mashed potatoes. Sprinkle cheese on the top and then put into the oven for about 30 mins.
This would probably be really good with green beans or peas added.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Three-Cheese Pesto Pizza
So simple . . . so obvious . . . and sooo flippin' yummy.
1 pizza crust (we used store-bought . . . though I'm sure homemade would be even yummier)
Enough basil pesto (with lots of garlic!) to cover said pizza crust
fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
feta cheese, crumbled
parmesan cheese, grated
1 small eggplant, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush eggplant and zucchini slices with olive oil and roast until the eggplant smells sweet (yummm) and the zucchini is beginning to brown -- about 30 minutes for the eggplant, 15 for the zucchini. Spread pizza crust with pesto; arrange mozzarella, zucchini, and eggplant on top and sprinkle the whole thing with parmesan and feta. Bake until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Enjoy :-)
1 pizza crust (we used store-bought . . . though I'm sure homemade would be even yummier)
Enough basil pesto (with lots of garlic!) to cover said pizza crust
fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
feta cheese, crumbled
parmesan cheese, grated
1 small eggplant, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush eggplant and zucchini slices with olive oil and roast until the eggplant smells sweet (yummm) and the zucchini is beginning to brown -- about 30 minutes for the eggplant, 15 for the zucchini. Spread pizza crust with pesto; arrange mozzarella, zucchini, and eggplant on top and sprinkle the whole thing with parmesan and feta. Bake until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Enjoy :-)
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Spicy Coconut Pumpkin Soup
This soup is subtle (or not so subtle if you load up on the chili!) and wonderful with the coconut, cilantro, lemon combination. Perfect for this time of year - and if you've never cooked with a whole pumpkin before (I hadn't) this is a great place to start. I highly recommend that you split the pumpkin into halves or quarters, prick the inside all over with a fork, and stick it in the oven at 450 degrees for 30-45 minutes to soften before you try to peel it and chop it up. Roasting also brings out the wonderful pumpkin flavor. And, make sure you roast those seeds, too! Here's a little trick for detangling the seeds: when you pull them out of the pumpkin, dump them in a bowl of water and sqeeze them around with your hands for a while. The seeds will float and the goo will sink!
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp brown sugar
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small pumpkin, skinned and chopped into 1-inch chunks
2-3 cups vegetable broth
1 14-oz can coconut milk
1 TBSP chili powder
1-2 TBSP lemon rind, grated
4-5 shakes soy sauce
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
yogurt, cilantro, lemon peel, for garnish
In a large pot, heat oil and gently cook onion with brown sugar and garlic over low heat until softened (8-10 minutes). Add chopped pumpkin, vegetable broth, coconut milk, chili powder, lemon rind and soy sauce. Season with freshly ground pepper. Simmer for about 25 minutes until tender. Remove and puree until smooth. Just before serving, adjust seasoning to taste. Mix in chopped cilantro. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with a dollop of yogurt and sprinkled cilantro and lemon rind.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp brown sugar
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small pumpkin, skinned and chopped into 1-inch chunks
2-3 cups vegetable broth
1 14-oz can coconut milk
1 TBSP chili powder
1-2 TBSP lemon rind, grated
4-5 shakes soy sauce
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
yogurt, cilantro, lemon peel, for garnish
In a large pot, heat oil and gently cook onion with brown sugar and garlic over low heat until softened (8-10 minutes). Add chopped pumpkin, vegetable broth, coconut milk, chili powder, lemon rind and soy sauce. Season with freshly ground pepper. Simmer for about 25 minutes until tender. Remove and puree until smooth. Just before serving, adjust seasoning to taste. Mix in chopped cilantro. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with a dollop of yogurt and sprinkled cilantro and lemon rind.
Monday, October 22, 2007
WLP Quiche
I made this up one day at the Women's Lunch Place when I was supposed to be making a quiche with fresh vegetables and my produce order didn't come in on time. . . and it turned out to be a hit with the ladies! It's super-easy, since most of it comes from a can or jar (which is usually not the way I prefer to cook . . . but it's tasty!). The measurements are a guesstimate, since I'm used to making this for a whole lotta people . . .
1 jar artichoke hearts (the kind that come marinated in olive oil and herbs)
1 jar roasted red peppers (or 1 or 2 freshly roasted red peppers, if you have the time and inclination to do it yourself)
1 or 2 tomatoes, diced, or 1 can diced tomatoes
salt and pepper
pinch each of dried oregano and basil
1 pie crust
5 or 6 eggs
splash of half-and-half (optional)
shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese
Combine artichokes and their marinade with the roasted red peppers and tomatoes. Let sit for 30 minutes or so. In the meantime, beat the eggs (and add the half-and-half, if using). Season with salt and pepper and dried herbs.
Drain marinade from veggies and add to egg mixture. Pour into crust, sprinkle with cheese, and bake until mostly firm (you know . . . quiche-type firm . . .)
1 jar artichoke hearts (the kind that come marinated in olive oil and herbs)
1 jar roasted red peppers (or 1 or 2 freshly roasted red peppers, if you have the time and inclination to do it yourself)
1 or 2 tomatoes, diced, or 1 can diced tomatoes
salt and pepper
pinch each of dried oregano and basil
1 pie crust
5 or 6 eggs
splash of half-and-half (optional)
shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese
Combine artichokes and their marinade with the roasted red peppers and tomatoes. Let sit for 30 minutes or so. In the meantime, beat the eggs (and add the half-and-half, if using). Season with salt and pepper and dried herbs.
Drain marinade from veggies and add to egg mixture. Pour into crust, sprinkle with cheese, and bake until mostly firm (you know . . . quiche-type firm . . .)
Monday, October 15, 2007
Karin's Fabulous Tortilla Soup
This light but filling soup is packed with veggies and feels like a special treat every time. It's so quick and easy even folks with little cooking experience can make it! It is best to use stale tortillas but fresh ones will work too.
5 cups vegetable broth (I like to use vegan bullion cubes)
one bunch of green onions chopped
three zucchini or squash sliced thick
2 cobs of fresh corn, remove the kernels or just break each cob into thirds (this is more traditional)
ten corn tortillas (in a pinch you could use about 1 1/2 cup stale tortillas chips)
2 tbsp oil
a few shakes of chili powder
1/8 tsp cumin freshly ground cumin
1/2 tsp "Italian seasoning mix" or oregano, sage and tarragon
Add all ingredients less the tortillas and oil to a stew pot. Cover and bring to a simmer. Heat up the vegetable oil in a skillet. Add tortillas (if using chips skip this step) and toss them in the pan until they are evenly coated with oil. Saute them on medium to medium high turning them frequently until they become browned in some areas about five minutes. When the vegetables are nearly the desired firmness (I usually let them cook about ten to fifteen minutes) throw in the tortilla "chips" you made. Remove from heat and let steam a minute before serving, if you used store bought tortilla chips allow the soup to sit until the chips soften.
5 cups vegetable broth (I like to use vegan bullion cubes)
one bunch of green onions chopped
three zucchini or squash sliced thick
2 cobs of fresh corn, remove the kernels or just break each cob into thirds (this is more traditional)
ten corn tortillas (in a pinch you could use about 1 1/2 cup stale tortillas chips)
2 tbsp oil
a few shakes of chili powder
1/8 tsp cumin freshly ground cumin
1/2 tsp "Italian seasoning mix" or oregano, sage and tarragon
Add all ingredients less the tortillas and oil to a stew pot. Cover and bring to a simmer. Heat up the vegetable oil in a skillet. Add tortillas (if using chips skip this step) and toss them in the pan until they are evenly coated with oil. Saute them on medium to medium high turning them frequently until they become browned in some areas about five minutes. When the vegetables are nearly the desired firmness (I usually let them cook about ten to fifteen minutes) throw in the tortilla "chips" you made. Remove from heat and let steam a minute before serving, if you used store bought tortilla chips allow the soup to sit until the chips soften.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
website
I just discovered this blog/website . . . it's full of simple and yummy-looking recipes, and I believe they're all vegetarian.
http://www.101cookbooks.com/
http://www.101cookbooks.com/
Quinoa Breakfast Cereal
I've been really into quinoa lately . . . it's really good for you (lots of protein in a grain -- woohoo!) and also really inexpensive. It has a slightly nutty flavor (yum), and it takes all of 10-15 minutes to cook.
Serves 1
anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 cup quinoa, depending on how hungry you are
pinch salt
about 1/2 cup chopped apple
about 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted if you like
brown sugar to taste
cinnamon to taste
nutmeg to taste
splash of milk or cream (optional)
Boil water (1/2 cup water if you're making 1/4 cup quinoa) and add a pinch of salt (very important! Makes it much tastier). Add quinoa and cook, covered, for about 5 minutes. Add apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and cook until the water is absorbed and the outside germ of the grain is visible (it'll look like a little ring around it. Personally, I like leaving it a teeny bit crunchy). Remove from heat; stir in walnuts and add milk or cream, if using.
Best eaten on a chilly morning :-)
Serves 1
anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 cup quinoa, depending on how hungry you are
pinch salt
about 1/2 cup chopped apple
about 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted if you like
brown sugar to taste
cinnamon to taste
nutmeg to taste
splash of milk or cream (optional)
Boil water (1/2 cup water if you're making 1/4 cup quinoa) and add a pinch of salt (very important! Makes it much tastier). Add quinoa and cook, covered, for about 5 minutes. Add apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and cook until the water is absorbed and the outside germ of the grain is visible (it'll look like a little ring around it. Personally, I like leaving it a teeny bit crunchy). Remove from heat; stir in walnuts and add milk or cream, if using.
Best eaten on a chilly morning :-)
Lemon-Garlic Pasta
A superquick, very easy dinner. I'm excited to try it over the gnocchi I just bought . . .
Olive oil
2 garlic gloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup lemons juice
1 cup chopped tomatoes
8 oz pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper
Saute garlic in olive oil; remove from heat and pour in the wine. Return to heat; cook for 1-2 minutes until reduced by half. Stir in the lemon juice and tomato. Remove pan from heat.
Cook pasta and toss with sauce, basil, parm, and black pepper.
Optional tasty add-ins:
broccoli (cook it in the same water as the pasta!)
Artichokes (from a car or jar)
Shredded mozzarella
Olive oil
2 garlic gloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup lemons juice
1 cup chopped tomatoes
8 oz pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper
Saute garlic in olive oil; remove from heat and pour in the wine. Return to heat; cook for 1-2 minutes until reduced by half. Stir in the lemon juice and tomato. Remove pan from heat.
Cook pasta and toss with sauce, basil, parm, and black pepper.
Optional tasty add-ins:
broccoli (cook it in the same water as the pasta!)
Artichokes (from a car or jar)
Shredded mozzarella
Couscous with Apricot Vinaigrette
My mom discovered this recipe . . . soooo tasty!
1 10-ounce box couscous
1/2 cup apricot jam
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (though I think she actually uses cider vinegar)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoons black pepper
3 scallions (white and green parts), chopped
1/4 cup (1 ounce) roasted almonds, chopped
Place couscous in serving bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups boiling water and stir. Cover tightly and let stand for 10 minutes. Heat jam in small saucepan over medium heat until bubbling, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from heat. Immediately add vinegar, then oil, and mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper; set aside. Fluff couscous with fork; stir in scallions and almonds. Add vinaigrette and toss.
1 10-ounce box couscous
1/2 cup apricot jam
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (though I think she actually uses cider vinegar)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoons black pepper
3 scallions (white and green parts), chopped
1/4 cup (1 ounce) roasted almonds, chopped
Place couscous in serving bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups boiling water and stir. Cover tightly and let stand for 10 minutes. Heat jam in small saucepan over medium heat until bubbling, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from heat. Immediately add vinegar, then oil, and mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper; set aside. Fluff couscous with fork; stir in scallions and almonds. Add vinaigrette and toss.
Miso-Ginger Salad Dressing
This dressing is technically supposed to go over eggplant, but I liked it better over mixed greens. Serious yummy. Also, a general miso recommendation, based on recent experience; don't buy the floofy expensive organic miso you find in health-food stores . . . it might be organic, but it's not as good as the stuff you get in Chinatown. (I will never make that mistake again!)
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon miso
1 tablespoon chopped basil (I used fresh, which was really good, but I bet it would be fine dried)
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Whisk first 6 ingredients in bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper.
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon miso
1 tablespoon chopped basil (I used fresh, which was really good, but I bet it would be fine dried)
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Whisk first 6 ingredients in bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper.
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