Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Black Bean and Corn Quinoa Pilaf

 

Serves 2
Ingredients:

Chicken:

1. 1 pound organic chicken breast
2. Juice of 1 lime
3. 2 Tbs chopped cilantro
4. 1 Tbs of agave
5. Salt & Pepper
6. 1/4 tsp garlic powder
7. 1 adobo chili pepper chopped and 1 tsp adobo sauce (you can find a can of these peppers with the sauce in the Mexican section of your grocery store)*
8.  2, 6-8 inch bamboo skewers

*Freeze the remaining peppers and the sauce in a glass jar. Next time you want to use one, either thaw, or just scrape out the pepper and sauce with a fork.

Black Bean and Corn Quinoa Pilaf:

1. 1 cup quinoa (rinsed and scrubbed very well)
2. 2 cups water
3. 1 can black beans (Cuban or Mexican Flavored)
4. 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
5. 3 green onions chopped
6. 3 Roma tomatoes chopped
7. Juice of 1 lime
8. 3 tsp. cumin
9. 1/4 tsp. chili powder
10. 1/4 tsp. black pepper
11. 1/2 tsp. salt
12. 2 Tbs. olive oil
13. 3 Tbs. chopped cilantro

Broccolini:

1. 1 bunch broccolini

Directions:

Chicken:

• Cut the chicken into small 1 x 1 inch pieces.
• In a glass storage bowl add the chicken pieces, lime juice, chopped cilantro, chopped adobo chili pepper, adobo sauce, agave, garlic powder and salt & pepper. Secure lid onto the bowl and let marinate overnight, or at least 30 minutes.
• Once the chicken has marinated, lace it onto the bamboo skewers.
• Set oven to broil and let pre-heat.
• Place chicken skewers on a cookie tray and cover the exposed bamboo with tin foil. Place under the broiler and cook 4-5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook another 4-5 minutes. You can also BBQ the chicken skewers, but make sure you turn the chicken half way through cooking.

Quinoa Pilaf:

• Rinse and scrub the quinoa thoroughly in a mental strainer. It is important to scrub quinoa very well to eliminate the bitter taste on the outside of the seed.
• Place quinoa and 2 cups water into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and cover. Let simmer for about 20 minutes.
• While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the rest of the pilaf. In a large glass storage bowl, add the can of black beans (washed), corn, chopped green onions and chopped tomatoes. Add quinoa to the bowl. In a small bowl mix together the lime, cumin, chili powder, olive oil, cilantro and salt & pepper. Pour over the quinoa and gently toss the pilaf until all the ingredients are mixed together.
• Refrigerate the pilaf overnight so that the flavors have time to meld together. Serve cold.

Broccolini:

• While the chicken is cooking, bring some water to a boil in a double boiler steamer basket. Wash the boccolini and cut the tips off the stems. Place the broccolini into the steamer basket and let steam for about 4 minutes. Season with salt & pepper.

~Try these skewers on the BBQ~

Orange Coconut Quinoa Pilaf

 

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1. 1 1/4 cup quinoa (rinsed thoroughly)
2. 1 1/4 cup coconut milk
3. 1 cup water
4. A pinch of salt
5. 1 Tbsp olive oil
6. 1 can mandarin oranges (chopped)
7. 1/2 cup dried cranberries
8. 1/2 cup almond slivers (toasted with a little salt and olive oil)
9. 1/4 cup Grade B maple syrup
10. 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
11. 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
12. 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

• Rinse the quinoa very, very well.  Place in a metal strainer  and rub the quinoa together under running water.  This will release the bitter tasting saponins that coat the quinoa.

• In a sauce pan or large skillet with lid, gently toast the quinoa, just like you would Rice a Roni.  Once quinoa is dry and slightly toasted, add coconut milk and water.  Bring to a boil, cover the pan, and reduce heat to low.  Let cook for 15-20 minutes.  Once cooked, remove from heat and let sit for another five minutes.
•  While the quinoa is cooking, toast the almonds in a small skillet.  Heat a little olive oil over medium heat and toast almonds for about 5 minutes.  Add a pinch of salt to the almonds.  Place in small mixing bowl.
• In the same mixing bowl,  add olive oil, maple syrup, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon.  Mix together.  Gently fold in chopped mandarin oranges and cranberries.
• Place quinoa into a large bowl and pour the sauce that you just created over the quinoa.  Gently toss and refrigerate for about an hour and a half.  Serve cold.

 

~A Perfect side dish for Summer BBQ's~ 

Chicken Parmesan with Penne Pasta

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1. 1 organic chicken breast
2. 2 pieces Ezekiel bread
3. 1 tsp Italian seasonings
4. Salt & Pepper
5. 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
6. 3 Tbs whole wheat flour
7. 1 organic egg
8. Penne pasta
9. Spaghetti sauce
10. Parmesan cheese
11. Basil
12. Green beans
13. Cooking spray

Directions:

• Gently toast the Ezekiel bread until it is dry and slightly brown.  
• Pre-heat your oven to 475 degrees.
• In a food processor or blender add Ezekiel bread, salt & pepper, Italian seasonings, and red pepper flakes. Blend until you have fine bread crumbs.
• You will need three shallow bowls, one for the flour, one for the bread crumbs and one for the egg.  You will also need a wire rack for baking and a baking sheet covered with foil.
• Add a little bit of Parmesan cheese to the bowl with the bread crumbs and mix in.
• Pound down the chicken until 1/2 inch thick.  Season with salt & pepper and roll in the flour dish.
• After the flour, dunk the chicken in the beaten egg.
• Cover with bread crumb/cheese mixture and set onto a wire rank.  Spray the wire rack with cooking spray before you place the chicken on the rack.  Spay the chicken with cooking spray and place into the oven.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• While the chicken is baking, cook the penne pasta al dente about 10 minutes.  Cooking pasta al dente is not only the proper way to cook pasta, but it also lowers its Glycemic Index number, which means it is slower to digest and easier on your blood sugar.
• Steam the green beans in a steamer basket for about 4-7 minutes, or until bright green and slightly crunchy.
• Heat the spaghetti sauce in a sauce pan while everything else cooks.
• Plate  your meal.

~Benissimo~

Hummus Plate~ A Super Fast Meal

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

1. Greek pita (you can make your own, click here for a recipe, but try it with whole wheat flour)
2. Hummus (you can make your own, click here for a recipe)
3. Carrots (I used orange and purple)
4. Cucumber
5. Zucchini
6. Hard boiled egg 
7. Any additional vegetables

Directions:

• Boil eggs.  Place eggs in water and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Once the eggs have reached a boil, turn off the stove and let them sit for several minutes.  Rinse eggs under cool water and let them sit in a cold water bath for a few additional minutes.
• Using a panini press or skillet, grill the pita bread until lightly browned.  Slice into triangle pieces.
• Cut zucchini lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Grill on a panini press or skillet.  Once grilled, slice lengthwise into smaller stick pieces.
• Chop the remaining veggies into long matchstick pieces.
• Place a large dollop of hummus in the center of your plate and surround with the sliced vegetables.

Homemade Pitas are Amazing!

~Super Fast and Delicious~

Two for One...Lentil Tacos and Enchiladas

 

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Lentils
• 1 packet of low sodium taco seasonings (if making gluten free, check the ingredients)
• 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth or water
• 1 can re-fried beans
  
• Organic corn tortillas
• 1 can enchilada sauce for day two
  

 Toppings:

• Shredded cheese
• Cilantro, lettuce, olives, salsa, sour cream, avocado, etc.

Directions:

• Rinse lentils and prepare as directed on packet.  Replace broth for water (if desired) and add entire packet of taco seasoning to broth/water.  Cook for about 45 minutes, or as directed on lentil instructions.
• Heat re-fried beans and prepare taco toppings.
• Assemble tacos as desired.

Enchiladas Day Two: 

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 350. 
• Prepare left overs into several tacos. 
• Place into a roasting/lasagna/brownie pan and cover with enchilada sauce.  Top with cheese, and olives.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted.
• Garnish with cilantro, salsa and sour cream.
  

Enjoy!

Dinner in 10 MInutes

Serves 2-4
Ingredients:

1. 1 box whole grain Near East Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil Couscous
2. 1-2 Tbs oil olive
3. 1/2 can tomatoes, drained
4. 1 small can sliced olives, drained
5. 2-3 kale leaves chopped
6. 1 bunch brocolini
7. Salt & Pepper

 Directions:

• Bring water to a boil in a steamer basket.  
• In another sauce pan, bring water to a boil following the directions on the couscous box.
• Add the chopped kale to the couscous water and prepare couscous as directed.
• Steam brocolini for 3-5 minutes in the steamer basket, or until bright green and slightly tender.
• Once couscous has cooked, about five minutes, add the can of olives and tomatoes.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

~Almost as fast as a microwave dinner~

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

 

Serves 4
Ingredients:

1. 2 acorn squash
2. 1 cup red quinoa
3. 1 apple
4. 2 celery stalks
5. 2 green onions
6. 1/4 cup dried cranberries
7. 2 Tbs maple syrup
8. 3 Tbs walnuts, raw unsalted
9. 2-3 kale leaves
10. 2 cups vegetable broth
11. Salt & pepper
12. Cinnamon (to taste)
13. Allspice (to taste)
14. 1-2 Tbs olive oil
15. 1 teaspoon Earth Balance

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350. Wash and cut squash into halves.  Scoop out seeds and place in a strainer.
• Place squash face down on a baking sheet or roasting pan.  Bake for 30 minutes.
• Rinse squash seeds and place onto a baking sheet.  Coat with 1 teaspoon Earth Balance and salt and pepper. Place seeds on the top rack of the oven and take out after 15-20 minutes, or once toasted. Set aside.
• Rinse quinoa and place into a large sauce pan.  Roast quinoa until dry and slightly toasted.  Add two cups of broth and 1 Tbs maple syrup to the quinoa and bring to a boil, then cover.  Reduce heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes.
• While quinoa and squash cook, chop vegetables and toast walnuts.  In a large skillet pan, add olive oil and toast walnuts over medium-high until brown.  Place on a plate and set aside.  Add chopped celery, green onions, apple, and kale to the skillet.  Saute for about 5 minutes.  Add salt and pepper, allspice and cinnamon to taste.  Mix in dried cranberries and walnuts to the skillet.  Turn off burner and let sit.
• After 30 minutes turn the squash right side up and drizzle with maple syrup and salt & pepper.  Continue cooking for another 15 minutes right side up.
• Once quinoa is finished add to the skillet of vegetables and gently mix.  Once squash is finished scoop quinoa mixture into the acorn squash.  Top with toasted squash seeds and serve.

~Makes a great meal or side dish~

Polenta and Vegetable "Lasagna"

Serves 4-6
Ingredients:

1. 1 tube organic polenta (aka corn grits)
2. 3 small,  2 medium, or 1 large zucchini
   
3. 1 jar marinara sauce ( I used a basil version)
4. Sun dried tomatoes (optional, about 3-4 Tbsp chopped in oil)
5. 1 small can black olives
6. Italian cheese and/or Parmesan cheese
7. 3-4 leaves of kale, de-stemmed and torn
   
8. Cracked Black pepper
9. Italian seasonings
10. Olive Oil

Directions: 

•  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Chop zucchini and polenta into 1/2 inch rounds.  De-stem kale leaves and rip into small pieces. Chop sun dried tomatoes.
• In a lasagna pan, layer the ingredients like you would lasagna.  
• Start with sauce, a layer of zucchini, polenta, kale, olives, black pepper and Italian seasonings. 
• Drizzle with olive oil, a sprinkle of sun dried tomatoes and a little cheese.  Then add another layer of zucchini, polenta and olives.  
• Top with the remaining sauce and cover with a good layer of cheese.  Add more black pepper and Italian seasonings.
•  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.

 

I served this "lasagna" with a simple side salad.  The purple vegetable is actually a carrot!  Carrots come in a rainbow of colors and all of the colors taste really amazing.

Here is a version where I didn't use olives, steamed the kale on the side and added sliced sweet potato.  Both versions are good!

~Fantastico~

Veggie Sushi, Miso and Cucumber Salad

My First Attempt at Sushi!

 

It might not be the prettiest, but it was tasty!

Sushi, serves 2:

Ingredients:

1. 2/3 cups short grain brown rice
2. 1 cup water
3. 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
4. 2 tsp sugar or rice syrup
5. 2 tsp soy sauce or tamari (use tamari if making gluten free)
6. Nori sheets
7. 1 cucumber
8. Spinach
   
9. 1 medium carrot
10. Gomasio (sesame seeds with salt or seaweed)
11. Wasabi and pickled ginger (if desired) 
12. Small bowl of water

Directions:

•  Rinse rice and bring to a boil with 1 cup water and 1 tsp soy sauce.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.  Move to a cool burner and let stand for 10 minutes.
• While rice cools mix together rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 2 teaspoons sugar.
• Transfer rice to a glass or plastic bowl and add rice vinegar mixture.  Mix gently.  Place in fridge until cool, about 15 minutes.
• Peel cucumber and carrot.  Slice both very thinly, length wise.  Making sure the pieces are uniform.  You can place a piece of nori next to your veggies to compare length.  Cut off the edges to match the length of the nori sheet.
• Fold the nori sheet in half (hamburger, not hot dog) and break into two pieces.
• Wrap your bamboo mat with plastic wrap.  This helps your roll not stick to the bamboo mat and also makes cleaning very easy.
• Place nori sheet at the bottom of your bamboo mat.  Add rice and smash down along the nori, leaving 1/3 inch at the top of the nori sheet.
• Add veggies along the middle of the rice.  Grab the end of the sushi mat and roll over the veggies.  Pull back tightly on the mat.  Dip you fingers in the water and moisten the nori.  Lift the mat slighly and continue to roll along the remaining nori.  
• Place roll on a cutting board and cut into 3-4 pieces.
• Repeat until all the rice is gone.

Here is a good You Tube clip on how to roll your sushi:



Cucumber Salad:

Ingredients:

1. 2 medium cucumbers
2. 1 Tbsp sugar or rice syrup
3. 1/2 cup rice vinegar
4. 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
   

Directions:

• You should prepare this before you start the rice.  This way it will be cool and marinated by the time the sushi is ready.
• Peel cucumber.  Cut length wise and de-seed.  You can do this by using a spoon to scape the seeds out.
• Chop into thin slices. 
• In a bowl, mix together the sugar, rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil.  Add the cucumbers and mix gently.
• Place in the refrigerator to cool.  Top with Gomasio.

Serve with instant miso soup (or the paste version). Garnish with wasabi, pickled ginger and Gomasio.

~Yum~

~Hearty Veggie Stew with Dumplings~

Serves 4
Ingredients:

1.  4-5 Tbs olive oil
2. 1 rutabaga
   
3. 4 shallots
4. 2 garlic cloves
5. 1 large carrot 
6. 1 large celery stick
7. 1 lb colored potatoes (red, yellow, blue, etc.)
8. 1 tsp caraway seeds
9. 1 1/2 tsp paprika
10. 1 tsp cumin
11. 1 tsp Italian seasonings
12. 1 tsp bay leave pieces or 1 whole bay leaf
13. Salt & Pepper
    
14. 1 can diced tomatoes
15. 3-4  cups vegetable broth

 Dumplings:

1. 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2. 2 tsp baking powder
3. 1/2 tsp salt
   
4. 1 Tbs dried or fresh chives, chopped
5. 1/2 cup Earth Balance
6. 5 Tbs vegetable broth
   
7. Pepper to taste

 Directions:

• Finely mince the garlic.  Chop celery, carrot, rutabaga, and potatoes into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces.
• Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
• Add all chopped vegetables and whole shallots to the heated oil.  Add seasonings. Cook for about 12-15 minutes. 
  
• Add canned tomatoes with liquid and vegetable broth.
• Bring to a boil and cover.  Let simmer for 25-30 minutes.  Add more salt, pepper or any additional seasonings if needed. Vegetables should be turning soft at this point.
• Prepare the dumplings by mixing the dry ingredients in a bowl with softened Earth Balance and vegetable broth.
• Roll into 8-10 dumplings and place onto a cutting board or plate.
• Once the vegetables are semi-soft, add the dumplings to the soup.  Make sure there is plenty of space for the dumplings to expand.  They should not be touching.
• Cover and let simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes.

Serve with a fresh green salad or a kale salad.  I paired mine with a raw purple kale salad.  Check out this clip for the recipe:



Here is a run down of the ingredients:

1. Kale (I used purple curly kale) de-stemmed and finely chopped
2. Olive oil
3. Fresh squeezed lemon juice
4. Pine nuts 
5. Golden raisins
6. Hemp seeds (optional, I added them to my salad)
   
7. Salt & Pepper
   

You will want to make this salad a few hours before hand so that the kale can tenderize in the fridge.  The dressing of salt, oil and lemon juice help break down the tough fibers of the kale leaves.

~This is a meal that will really stick to your bones~

Spicy Indian Lentil Stew

Serves 4
Ingredients:

1. 1-2 onions
2. 1-2 garlic cloves
3. 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (keep your fresh ginger in the freezer, this makes it easier to grate)
   
4. 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
5. 2 cups water
6. 1 cup red lentils (rinsed)
   
7. 1 can cannellini beans or white beans (drained and rinsed)
   
8. 1 can diced tomatoes
9. 1 large carrot, diced
10. 1 medium parsnip, diced
11. 2 celery stalks, diced
12. 1 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
13. 1-2 teaspoons curry
14. 2 teaspoons cumin
15. 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (add towards the end of cooking)
16. 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
17. salt & pepper
18. Pinch of red pepper flakes
    
19. Kombu Seaweed (remove before eating, cooking with a 1-2 inch piece helps make the beans and lentils easier to digest)
20. 1 tablespoon olive oil  
21. Croutons and cilantro (garnishment) *eliminate croutons if making gluten free or vegan
    

Directions:

• Chop onion and garlic.  Saute in olive oil in a large pot.  Let cook for about 5 minutes, then add a little bit of vegetable broth.  Continue to simmer while you prepare the other vegetables.
• Chop the celery, parsnips,  and carrots.  I cheated and used the food processor, which is much faster than chopping all of those veggies!  You will need to cut in half or quarters before placing in the food processor.  Use the chopping blade.
  
• Add water, broth, lentils, washed beans, washed lentils, diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, parsnips, Kombu seaweed and spices.  Bring to a boil.  
• Boil for a few minutes and skim off any bubbles that accumulate at the top.  This will makes the beans and lentils easier to digest.  
• Reduce to low, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours.  Add lemon juice towards the end of cooking.
  
• Remove Kombu seaweed and discard.
• Garnish with croutons and cilantro.
• Serve with a simple green salad.

(This will likely make your house smell while cooking (Indian spices are pungent), but trust me, it tastes really good!)

~Namaste~

Healthier Pub Grub!

Ingredients:

1. 4 slices Ezekiel bread
2. 1 beer (you only need about 1/4 cup)
3. 1 egg
   
4. 1 pound wild halibut or wild cod
5. 1 large sweet potato or yam
6. 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I used habanero flavored)
7. 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
8. 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
   
9. Paprika, sea salt, pepper, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and parsley
   
10. Lemon, tartar sauce and ketchup (organic, it doesn't have high fructose corn syrup)

Directions:

Sweet Potato Fries:

• Start the sweet potato fries first, as they take about an hour to bake.  My fries were suppose to be curly fries, but they turned out more like hash browns.  I used the spirooli, but usually I just cut into julienne strips (I suggest you prepare them this way).  Place cut sweet potatoes onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and seasonings.  I used paprika, salt, pepper, chili powder, and parsley. 
• Bake at 425 for 45-75 minutes, depending upon the thickness of your fries.

Fish:

• Leave bread out over night to dry, or cut into cubes and bake for 20 minutes at 350 in the oven.
• Place dried bread cubes into the food processor and use the "s" blade to break down the bread into fine crumbs.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon habanero sea salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes.  Add 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.  Process again.
  
• Spread bread crumbs onto a plate or brownie pan.
  
• Mix egg and beer in a shallow bowl.
• Cut the fish into smaller pieces, about 3-4 inches long.
• Dunk the fish into the beer/egg mixture and then roll in the bread crumbs until thoroughly coated.
• Heat a non-stick skillet on medium high, reduce to medium once pan is fully heated.  Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil.  If you are using a very large pan, heat 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil.  I had to break my fish out into two batches because my pan was a too small.
• Once the pan is heated and the butter melted, add the fish.  Cook for 4-6 minutes on each side.  The fish is pretty fragile, so the less you flip it the better.  I found that coking each side for 4 minutes worked pretty well.
  
• Place the first batch of fish on a baking sheet and stick into the oven to keep warm.  Add additional oil and butter to the pan to cook the remaining fish.
• Once done, serve with fries and garnish with a lemon wedge.  Serve with tarter sauce and ketchup.

~Cheerio~

Half-Bowl? Three-Quarters Bowl? Semi-Bowl?

For those of you from Portland (Oregon),  you have probably heard of Whole Bowl (an amazing food cart that serves up a healthy lunch for only $5.00).

It was a favorite lunch spot for me, but since I left Portland,  I have not stopped craving the stuff.  I came up with a home variation that is pretty close.  It's at least good enough to tide me over until I am back in Portland again!

Ingredients:

Base:

1. 1 cup dried or canned black beans (if dried soak overnight in the fridge)
2. 1 cup short or long grain brown rice (soak for at least 30 minutes to help with digestion of nutrients)
3. Taco seasoning or cumin, paprika, garlic powder, chili pepper and black pepper
4. 1-2 inch piece of Kombu seaweed (this will go in with the beans while they cook)

Toppings:

1. Salsa
2. Cilantro
3. Shredded cheddar cheese
4. Black olives
5. Sour cream (not pictured on mine, because I don't like it)
   
6. Avocado (ditto)
   
7. Sweet Chili Sauce (this could contain gluten, so eliminate if making gluten free)
   

Secret Sauce (my lazy version):

1. 1/4 cup regular hummus
2. 1 Tbs nutritional yeast (this is a great ingredient for vegans to include in their diets because of the B vitamins it contains)
   
3. 1/8 tsp garlic powder
4. 1-2 Tbs lemon juice
5. 1/8 tsp curry powder 

"Yummy Sauce" (from what I have been told this is very close to the sauce Whole Bowl uses)*:

 SERVES 8 , 4 cups

• 1/2 cup canola oil (preferably cold pressed)
• 1/2 cup almonds (for a creamier sauce, use almond flour)
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast (available at Whole Foods grocery stores)
• 1/2 cup chickpeas or garbanzo beans, cooked
• 1/4 cup soybeans, cooked (not green edamame beans)
• 1/2 cup filtered water (important for flavor)
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh is best)
• 1-2 garlic cloves (small to medium size)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried cilantro

1. In a blender or food processor blend almonds beans and oil.
2. Add all other ingredients and puree until creamy smooth.
3. Cover and let stand in the refrigerator for one hour.
4. Don't cover to tight, remember the yeast.

*Yummy Sauce recipe from http://www.recipezaar.com/Yummy-Sauce-297251

Directions:

•  Soak beans overnight in a bowl of water in the refrigerator.  Keeping the beans cool, helps to stop fermentation.  You can change the water a couple of times while the beans are soaking.  This helps eliminate some of the oligosaccharides which are hard for our systems to digest.  
• After soaking the beans overnight add about 4 cups of fresh water to a pot on the stove with the beans.  Add a piece of Kombu seaweed to the pot.  After cooking, you can remove this like a bay leaf, or cut it up to include in your beans.  I pulled mine out (it doesn't look too pretty).
• Simmer beans for 1-2 hours.  I cooked mine for a little over an hour.
• While the beans cook, start the rice.  You can follow the directions on the package.  Add taco seasonings (1/4 of packet, or the spices listed above).
• Once the beans are finished drain and add back to the pot.  Add salt, pepper and salsa to the beans.  You can add additional cumin or other seasonings.
• While the rice and beans cook, prepare the toppings and secret sauce.  If following my version, just mix the ingredients in a small bowl.
• Once the rice and beans are finished.  Place a scoop of rice in your bowl, then layer with beans, top with secret sauce, cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado, olives, cilantro and sweet chili sauce.

~It's not Whole Bowl, but it's pretty dang close! ~

*to make this vegan, don't add cheddar cheese or sour cream.

Orange, Ginger Salmon and Baby Bok Choy

Ingredients: 

Marinade:

1. 1/4 cup orange juice
2. 1-2 teaspoons soy sauce
3. 1-2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger (keep your fresh ginger in the freezer for easier grating)
   
4. 1 clove garlic

Baby Bok Choy:

1. 4 baby bok choy, washed
   
2. 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil or olive oil
3. 1 teaspoon Ume Vinegar
4. Gomasio or Sesame Seeds
   

Rice:

1. 1 cup brown rice
2. 1 tablespoon coconut oil
   

Additional ingredients:

1.  2 salmon fillets
2. Sweet chili sauce
   

Directions:

• Put salmon into a container for marinating.  Add 1/4 cup orange juice, two teaspoons soy sauce, a pinch of freshly grated ginger and one chopped garlic clove.  Let marinate in refrigerator for several hours or over night.
• After marinating the salmon, measure out the dry rice and let soak for a few hours.  Soaking the rice allows for the phytic acid to be removed, which makes it easier to digest and for your body to absorb the nutrients. 
  
• Start rice 50 minutes before meal time.  Add the coconut oil to the rice water and cook as directed on the package (about 50 minutes).
• When rice is close to being finished, turn the oven on broil and heat a cast iron skillet for a few minutes.
• Once the pan is hot, add the salmon fillets with a little marinade to the skillet.  Place under the broiler for 7-9 minutes (no need to flip).  This cooking method is called "Quick Broil", you can read more about it on the World's Healthiest Foods website.
• While the salmon cooks, start boiling water in a vegetable steamer pot.
• With about 3 minutes left for the salmon to cook, add the baby bok choy to the vegetable steamer pot.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes.  Top with the Ume vinegar, toasted sesame/olive oil and Gamasio.
  
• Place a scoop of rice on your plate, and top with the salmon.  Cover with sweet chili sauce and accompany with the baby bok choy.

Yum.

Pizza, Pizza, Pesto Pizza

Ingredients:

Pizza Dough:

1.  1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2. 1/2 teaspoon sugar
3. 1 cup warm water 
4. 1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
5. 1 cup whole wheat flour
6. 1 teaspoon sea salt
7. 1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
8. Garlic powder and Italian seasonings 

Toppings:

1.  Pesto sauce
   
2.  Fresh mozerella
3.  Spinach
   
4. Black olives
5. 1 red Tomato
6. Zucchini slices
7. Canned artichoke hearts
8. Cheddar and Parmesan

Directions:

Pizza Dough:

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.  Let stand for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
• In a food processor, add the flour, salt and 1 teaspoon olive oil.  Season with a little garlic powder and Italian seasonings.
  
• While the machine in on low, add in the liquid until absorbed by the flour.
• Let knead for an additional 30 seconds.
• Place in a zip lock bag and add in the remaining olive oil to coat the dough.
• Let sit in a warm place for 45 minutes to rise.
  
• Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into desired size.
• Lay crust on a pizza stone or baking sheet.
  

Preheat oven to 425:

 Toppings:

• Coat the crust with pesto sauce, slices of mozzarella, and veggies.  Top with a little bit of shredded cheddar and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Not enough time to make your own crust?  Try an individual pita pizza!  I like to use Ezekiel Pitas.   You can find these in the frozen section of your health food store.  You will only need to bake them for about 7-10 minutes.  Instant pizza.

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti!

Ingredients:

1. 1 Spaghetti Squash
2. Marinara Sauce (my favorite is Dave's Gourmet Red Heirloom Organic Pasta Sauce from Costco)
3. Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees

• Cut squash in half lengthwise (hot dog cut)

• Scoop out the seeds and rinse the squash 

• Place halves face down on a baking sheet or roasting pan.

• Bake for one hour, or until the inside of the squash is soft.

• Use a fork to scrape out the squash.  It should, start to look like spaghetti noodles when you do this.

• Place the "noodles" on your plate, top with sauce and Parmesan cheese.

I coupled my "spaghetti" with the kale recipe below (I'm really into kale right now) and a simple arugula salad.  The salad had candied walnuts, a little Parmesan cheese, pear slices, a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of fig balsamic vinaigrette.

Feel free to make your own sauce from scratch or add meatballs.  Trader Joe's and Jenny-O  make some really tasty turkey meatballs (I'm sure you can find organic meatballs, as well).  I know it can be hard to sit down to a dinner that has no meat and no carbs, so feel free to embellish.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving (a healthy version)

This year I decided that I would host Thanksgiving, but I wanted to put a healthy spin on the traditional feast. It turned out great! Below are the recipes that I used.

Since it was just the four of us we didn't need a full turkey. I used a free-range turkey breast and prepared as follows:

Turkey

Ingredients:

1. Free range or organic turkey
2. Earth Balance Spread
3. 1 packet of fresh turkey herbs (rosemary, thyme and sage)
4. 1 bottle of Chardonnay wine
5. 1 clove garlic
   

Directions:

• Rinse the bird with cold water.
  
• Crush one clove of garlic and melt it in about 2-3 tablespoons of Earth Balance Spread.
  
• Use the melted garlic butter to coat the bird.
  
• Stuff the bird's chest cavity with a packet of fresh store bought turkey herbs (rosemary, thyme and sage).
  
• Pour about 1/3 bottle of Chardonnay over the bird and cover with aluminum foil.
  
• Bake at 350 for about two and a half hours (20 minutes per pound). Make sure you baste the bird every 20 minutes or so and bake the last 20 minutes without the foil, so the bird can brown up.

Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

1. 1 organic acorn squash
2. 1 Tablespoon Earth Balance Spread
3. 1 cup unsweetened organic apple sauce
4. Sprinkle of brown sugar
5. Salt and Pepper

Directions:

• Wash squash and cut in half.
• Scoop out the seeds and wash the squash again.
• Place the halves skin side down in a roasting pan.
• Spread half the Earth Balance onto each squash half.
• Fill each half with 1/2 cup of applesauce. (Sprinkle with brown sugar if you want extra sweetness)
• Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper
• Bake for about an hour at 350 until squash is soft.

Kale and Zucchini

Ingredients:

1. One bunch of kale
2. 1-2 zucchinis depending on size
3. Olive oil
   
4. Vegetable broth
5. Garlic powder and red pepper flakes
6. Sea salt & pepper

Directions:

• Pull the leaves off of the kale stem and chop.
• Chop zucchini in 1/2 inch rounds.
• Heat saute pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Add zucchini and kale.
• Add about 4-5 tablespoons of vegetable broth (I usually just eye ball this. You want enough that the kale steams and does not burn).
• Add garlic powder, sprinkle of red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook on medium heat for about 7-8 minutes until the kale is tender.

We also had organic cranberry sauce, Ezekiel bread stuffing and packaged organic turkey gravy.
My mom brought these items, so I'm not sure exactly what recipes she used. I think she just followed a traditional cranberry recipe and substituted Ezekiel bread for regular bread in the stuffing. In the gravy she used chicken broth instead of water (which adds move flavor). When you are only cooking the turkey breast there really isn't enough dripping to make gravy from the bird.

For dessert I made a vegan pumpkin pie, but with real whip cream (mom supplied this and I didn't want soy-whip, but you can try that).
The recipe for the pie I found on the website vegweb.com . Don't freak out, but there is tofu in this pie (you can't tell I swear it's really yummy).

Tofu Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

1 (16-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar or sucanat (or 1/2 cup maple syrup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice, optional
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
2-3 tablespoons cornstarch to firm up the pie filling
1 package (10-12 ounces) silken/soft tofu
1 9-in unbaked vegan pie shell

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Blend the pumpkin and sugar. Add salt, spices, cornstarch and tofu, mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 F and bake for another 60 minutes. Chill and serve. Don't use the low fat tofu, then the pie tastes like it was made with tofu. This pie is soooo yummy, it will fool almost anyone. I made it last Thanksgiving for my whole family, I am the only one, and everyone asked for seconds. They begged me to make another one for Christmas dinner. Top with non dairy topping and it will fool any pumpkin pie lover.

Makes: 8 servings, Preparation time: about 1 hour + chilling time, Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

For the crust I used a vegan Graham cracker crust from VegWeb.com. I added cinnamon to mine, a little extra butter (it was too dry) and a splash of maple syrup to sweeten it up. I also used the food processor to make both the pie crust and the pie mix.

Here is the recipe:

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Ingredients:

1 small package of graham crackers (10 sheets of crackers)
1/4 cup (1/2 a stick) of butter (I use Earth Balance)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Using a rolling pin, smash all of the graham crackers into very tiny pieces.

Melt the butter in the microwave until it is liquid.

Mix together the melted butter and the smashed graham crackers in a small bowl.

Transfer the cracker and butter combination into a pie pan and press it down until it sticks together. Arrange the mixture until it looks like a pie shell.

Bake in a 375 oven for about 8-10 minutes.

Serves: 1 pie shell

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

That was the feast! The pie went over surprisingly well. I even bought biscotti as a backup dessert, but everyone liked the pie!