Strawberry Cheesecake Green Smoothie + Green Smoothie tips

Tired of hearing about green smoothies? Yeah, so am I. BUT WAIT! They are the easiest way for me to get a ton of greens down in one sitting. I've been making them for many years. I started making them in my food processor because my blender just couldn't handle it. Now we use a Cuisinart blender and it has changed my life. I don't see the day coming anytime soon when we can afford a Vitamix, so if you're like me, you need to figure out how to make them in your blender.

Tips about greens:

1. Use spinach if you are a beginner. Spinach is cheap and doesn't disturb the taste of the fruit in your smoothie very much. When you're ready to branch out, start adding a little variety of greens like kale or chard.
2. If you use lettuce, you will probably be able to taste it.
3. Kale works best if you stuff your blender full of kale, add enough water to cover the kale, and then blend just the kale and water up first before adding anything else. Same tip applies for swiss chard.
4. If you like the green ice cube method- (which I don't because I don't know exactly how much spinach I'm consuming and something about breaking down the spinach and freezing it makes me think I've destroyed the goodness) Try to use about a 6:1 ration. 6 cups of spinach, 1 cup of water.

Tips for a delicious green smoothie:
1. Don't be afraid to add a lot of fruit at first. As you get used to the taste, start adding less and less fruit until you are accustomed to a greener taste.
2. Frozen bananas help give the smoothie a nice, creamy consistency.
3. Frozen fruit works great because it keeps the smoothie cold and creamy. If you use fresh fruit, don't worry about cutting off the leaves, peeling, or removing the core.
4.  Make it big enough to fill you up! My green smoothies are usually between 26-32 ounces.
5. Nut butters and Greek yogurt are a great way to beef them up with some protein.
6. If your blender is having a hard time blending, just continue adding a little liquid at a time until it stops getting stuck at the bottom.
7. Be patient! Making a green smoothie in a blender takes some time. Let it run and run and run until it has reached a smooth consistency.
8. If you have a food processor, try using that if your blender tends to get clogged with fruit at the bottom.
9. Get creative!
10. Don't be shy with the greens- add 3 huge handfuls to each smoothie.

My favorite combos:
1. Banana + 2 pears + 1 C strawberries
2. Blueberries + almond butter + banana
3. Peaches + orange juice + strawberries
4. Banana + strawberries + Greek yogurt
5. Banana + peanut butter + cocoa
6. Strawberries + frozen cranberries + frozen raspberries

Strawberry Cheesecake Green Smoothie 

• 3-4 handfuls of spinach or 3-4 cups of kale
• 1 frozen banana
• 2 cups frozen strawberries or fresh strawberries with stems intact
• 1/3 C Greek Yogurt (I recommend Fage for it's superior taste and protein content)
• dash of pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In your blender, combine spinach/kale with enough water to blend it up. After greens are sufficiently blended with water, add fruit, yogurt, and vanilla. Blend. Blend. Blend.  

200 calorie Peanut Butter-Chocolate bowls

I grew up with parents who went through different phases of collecting things. During one phase, they collected antiques from the 50's. ANYTHING that said Coca-Cola ended up in the collection. At one point, my dad found an old soda fountain counter complete with spinning stools. This went in our small basement, much to our delight.

My parents also installed a vintage candy machine. I knew where they hid the key and ate Reese's Peanut Butter Cups without paying for them. 3rd-4th grade was awesome. Unlimited Peanut Butter Cups and Corn Nuts!

This old metabolism of mine couldn't handle those PB cups then and certainly can't handle them now.

My love of PB and chocolate knows no bounds. I invented this little snack to fight off the munchies. I usually make one around 10:30 am or 3:00 pm to hold me over in between meals. It packs the necessities- fiber, protein, and fat- for only 200 calories! Say goodbye to granola bars and fiber-you know the number products. (It's one in case you didn't know the number).  This will give you some great nutrients including antioxidants from the dark chocolate cocoa and keep you satisfied until your next meal.

 Ingredients:
1/4 C Old Fashioned Oats (Not the instant kind)
1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
1/2-1 tsp cocoa (If you don't like a strong dark chocolate taste, add less)
1-2 tsp honey, depending on taste

Instructions
1. Add ingredients to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 15 seconds. Stir. Microwave for an additional 5-10 seconds if needed. Peanut butter should be almost liquid. Stir again.

2. EAT. 

ALMOND BUTTER VARIATION:

Ingredients:
1/4 Old Fashioned Oats
1 Tbsp almond butter (Learn to make your own coconut almond butter here)
1 tsp honey (I used coconut flavored honey, but any regular clover will work)

Instructions
1. Add all ingredients to microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 15 seconds. Stir. Microwave again for 10-15 seconds or until almond butter is thin enough to stir into the oats. Final product will be course and kind of crumbly. 

2. EAT. 

One time, when we were broke...

Have you ever had a drastic change in your income? Not to get all awkward with finances, but holy crap, it's an adjustment to go down to one income. My sweet carb-loving husband is in an accelerated nursing program so I am the breadwinner! I'm barely winning any bread though. I work for a non-profit university and I am so grateful for my job, but we are REALLY having to tighten up our spending if we're going to survive my husband being in nursing school.

1 month down, 15 left to go! We can do it.

I've also been in a food blog rut. I am afraid that no one will want to eat the food I'm eating, so...why post about it? I have drastically cut back on treats, desserts, and eat your feelings food. I don't even really make food that masses of people would want to eat.

I am giving myself one year to let go of as much excess weight as possible. In order for that to happen, I need to eat CLEAN and LEAN. (Secret- I actually hate the term "clean eating"...)

Here's the deal. I will spend the next few months sharing what foods work for me and how to eat CLEAN and LEAN and SIMPLY on a budget. Can we still be blog friends if I do that? I hope so :)

I make this at least twice a week. As long as I remember to put my cashews in a bowl of water before I'm ready for lunch, it comes together in about 3 minutes! That's less time than it takes to open up a can of soup and cook it. It's very flavorful and creamy not to mention VERY good for you and your budget. Enjoy!

Decadent Zucchini Soup, serves 1. Taken from "The Good Life Coalition" Lighten Up! recipe book.

Ingredients:
1 large zucchini or 2 small zucchini, unpeeled
1/4 C cashews, soaked in water for 20 minutes
1 Tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Dash of salt

1. Chop the zucchini. Microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until it is steaming. Add all ingredients including cashews (drain water first) to a blender and blend until smooth.

 

Strawberry Pumpkin Seed Salad

I am so excited to welcome myself back to my blog with this amazing salad recipe. 2013 is all about rediscovering myself. I've had my ups and downs with my devotion to nutritious food. I've always loved healthy food and recipes. I've always loved reading and learning about the POWER of food. It's just that sometimes I want to eat what everyone else is eating! I want pizza and french fries and cake. Lots of cake with lots of frosting...

 It's time to get back to what I really love and believe in for 2013. This salad comes from my recipe book from a program I'm doing right now. The Good Life Coalition's Lighten Up Program speaks to me on so many levels. The best part is that it came with over 100 recipes! I am loving the food on this program.

The pumpkin seeds are toasted and then tossed in honey and coconut oil so they are sweet and crunchy. The strawberries and Poppyseed dressing make me feel like I'm eating at Zuppas! Here is just a hint of the kind of food I get to eat everyday.

Ingredients: (serves 1)
1 small sheet of parchment paper
2 Tbsp raw pumpkin seeds (hulled)
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp honey
1/2 head red leaf lettuce (I used romaine, spinach, and spring mix)
1 green onion, sliced thinly
1/2-1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

Poppyseed Dressing: (serves 8)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 Tbsp organic red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons poppy seeds or chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon high-mineral salt

Instructions:

1. Set some parchment paper out on the counter. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add pumpkin seeds and roast 2-3 minutes until they begin to turn golden, but before they begin popping. Remove from heat and stir in honey and coconut oil. then transfer to parchment paper, spreading them out to cool and dry while you prepare the salad.

 

  Toss together lettuce, green onions and strawberries. Prepare the poppyseed dressing by adding everything to a small jar and shaking well.

When pumpkin seeds are completely cooled and dried, crumble them over the top of the salad, and top with the poppyseed dressing. 

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Hi friends! My name is Stephanie and I have a little food blog called Part-Time Hippy.  I consider myself a part-time hippy and a full-time foodie. I'm very excited to introduce myself and share a recipe here for Danielle. 

I'm originally from Idaho and currently live in Salt Lake City with my husband Dan. I recently switched from running a piano and voice studio to working as an enrollment counselor for a university. In the little spare time I have, I love hiking, backpacking, biking, thrifting, finding vintage treasures, and of course, eating delicious food. 

I love food, pure and simple. I love blogging about everything from super healthy food to food full of butter and sugar. I'm so excited to share this post here on Blissful and Domestic. I have this awesome cookbook from the 80's that says "Updated for the 90's" on the front cover. It's called "Recipes to lower your fat thermostat." Who doesn't want to do that??? 

This recipe is wholesome, filling, tasty, and very inexpensive to make. This Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash is a great way to use up squash from your garden that's been sitting all alone on your counter.The filling reminds me of Thanksgiving stuffing and can be made with Quinoa or brown rice. Besides the baking process, this came together in about 10 minutes.

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash, serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 C cooked quinoa or brown rice (Quinoa cooks like rice- simply rinse your quinoa, add 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn down to a simmer and cover for about 20 minutes. The quinoa will be transparent and glassy when it is cooked)
• 1/2 C dried whole wheat seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 egg whites, slightly beaten
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 2 tsp parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 acorn squash

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients except squash.
2. Cut squash in half. Clean out seeds and discard them.
3. Fill each squash half with quinoa or rice mixture, heaping slightly.
4. Place squash in a nonstick casserole dish. Seal with foil. Bake at 350 until squash is tender, about 1 hour. Serve.

You might also like my blueberry blue cheese spinach salad, Chicken Roll Ups, Black Bean Flourless Brownies, Red Velvet Brownies, Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken, or my Warm Quinoa Salad with Tofu and Asparagus.
 Printable Version

Thanks again for letting me share today on Blissful and Domestic! 

Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Sweet Corn and Avocado

What's up with the ode to Zucchini here? I was graciously given dozens of zucchini and if I don't eat them, they will rot and my house will stink. The only solution is to eat them.

I pinned this recipe after one of my favorite food bloggers, Maria at Two Peas & Their Pod posted it. The pictures were gorgeous and I wanted to have her exact salad special delivered to my house.

I admit I was a little nervous to commit to making this recipe myself because I've never had raw zucchini and I didn't want to be left with the whole salad to eat by myself if I didn't like the zucchini ribbons. I made it anyway and was so happy with the results!

I've eaten it by the bowl-full ever since I made it. Dan refers to it as my "free" salad...meaning I can gorge myself on it and not feel guilty! Don't worry, the gorging has ensued :)

 The only alteration I made was using a can of sweet corn because the grocery store didn't have any ears of corn to buy. LAME. I'm sure the addition of fresh corn would make this even more delicious.

You can check out the original recipe Here on Maria's blog, and the recipe below is her original recipe.

Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Sweet Corn and Avocado

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 medium yellow squash
• 2 ears cooked sweet corn
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 2 medium ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 1/2 cup queso fresco (Mexican cheese)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil and lime juice together. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
2. Trim the ends of the zucchini and yellow squash. With a vegetable peeler, shave lengthwise into long, wide strips about 1/16 inch thick. When you get to the center of the zucchini, turn the squash over and slice from the other side until you get to the center again.
3. Put the zucchini and yellow squash ribbons in a large bowl. Cut the sweet corn kernels off of the cob, cutting close to the cob. Discard cobs. Add sweet corn, cilantro, red onion, and avocado slices to the squash ribbons. Pour olive oil and lime dressing over salad and toss until coated.
4. Crumble queso fresco over the top of the salad and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve and enjoy!

*I found my queso fresco by the cream cheese at my grocery store. I also used whole milk queso fresco 

Printable Version

Curried Cauliflower Zucchini Soup

Do you have Zucchini taking over your kitchen? I have a zucchini the size of a baseball bat and I'm not sure what to do with it. Another problem I have is buying produce when I know full well I have no plans to use it, I just know that it should come home with me.

I pride myself on filling my shopping cart with healthy food and sometimes I buy produce just because some voice inside me tells me my body needs it.

Whenever my produce hoarding problem gets out of control, I end up juicing it all so I don't experience produce-guilt. My green cabbage almost ALWAYS ends up in the produce-guilt juice.

I don't have a recipe for cabbage, but my cauliflower almost ended up in the juice until I remembered a recipe I have had marked for years in one of my favorite cookbooks called Volumetrics. This particular recipe was perfect- it called for zucchini AND cauliflower which means I'm in the negative for having produce guilt.

This soup is so amazing and I have eaten the entire recipe in less than 24 hours. It's thick and creamy and the hint of curry is divine.

Curried Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 Cups of cauliflower, chopped
• 2 medium zucchini, shredded (About 2 cups)
• 1 1/2 Cups chopped onions
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Cups chicken stock (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian variation)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp minced garlic

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a 4-5 quart pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and curry powder. Cover and cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the chicken stock, cauliflower, zucchini, and salt to the pot. Bring the soup to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover the pot and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.

4. Enjoy!

Printable Version

Paleo Banana Walnut Muffins

So I'm totally diggin this Paleo thing. I'm not a pro, but I'm learning as I go and it's been a really good thing for me. In one of the books I have about Paleo eating, the author says that with today's technology, one can take nuts or other foods like coconut and grind them into a "flour" and then be combined with other ingredients to create baked goods and that these kinds of foods are very easy to abuse. I think he was suggesting to avoid trying to recreate things like cupcakes, muffins, cookies, and such with nut flours because they really don't fall in line with the philosophy of a Paleo lifestyle.

I agree. They are easy to abuse and tonight I abused these muffins. There are 8 remaining, but there were 12 earlier today. All I can say is Halle-freekin-luia I found these! I've made 2 other muffin recipes and they were so gross that even my fellow hippy-food-lovin friend couldn't finish it.

These tasted like butter to me. They seriously tasted like a delicious buttery muffin. I am so pleased with them that I will make them again. They are so convenient for me because I eat most meals in my car. (lame, but true)

These are adapted from 3 different Paleo Muffin recipes, so I give credit to the the wonderful world wide web.

Ingredients:

2 Brownish Bananas
3 Eggs
1/4 C Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/4 C Coconut Flour
1/2 C Walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. In a mixer, combine the two bananas, eggs, honey, and olive oil.

2. Next, Combine the salt, soda, and coconut flour. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Fold in the walnuts.

3. Scoop about 2 Tbsp of batter into a muffin pan that has been heavily coated in cooking spray or lined with cupcake liners. 

4. To prevent burning, place the muffin pan on top of a cookie sheet and then put them in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. Every oven is different so keep an eye on these! Cool on a wire rack.

Printable Version

WOWZER Wheat Pitas

Normal people probably just go to he store and buy pita bread but oh no, not me. I've had this recipe from Cooking Light in my "I'm gonna make this one day" section of recipes for a few years and I'm so glad I finally made it! To my surprise the dough was incredibly easy to work with and very forgiving. These pitas were easily turned into pita chips to go along with this basil parmesan dip and our dinner guests loved them.

These are not too time consuming and the final product is a tender, chewy pita that you could easily fill with some chicken souvlaki and Tzatziki sauce for a yummy lunch.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp)
1 C plus 2 Tbsp warm water
10 ounces bread flour (about 2 1/4 C)
4.75 white whole-wheat flour (about 1 C, divided)
2 Tbsp 2% Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
Cooking spray

Instructions:
Dissolve sugar and yeast in 1 C plus 2 Tbsp warm water in a large bowl and let stand 5 minutes until frothy. Add bread flour, and about 3/4 C whole-wheat flour, yogurt, oil, and salt to the yeast mixture and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Add enough of the remaining whole-wheat flour, 1 Tbsp at a time to prevent dough from sticking to hands. *do not add too much flour or your dough will get tough.
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
Divide dough into 8 portions. Working with one portion at a time, gently GENTLY GENTLY!!! roll each portion into a 5 1/2 inch circle. (Consider using a Tupperware or Cool Whip lid as a guide) Place 4 dough circles on each of 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray.






5. Bake 1 sheet at a time at 500 degrees for 8 minutes or until puffed and browned. Cool on a wire rack. Brush each pita with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and a touch of cracked pepper.






Makes 8 pitas.




Printable Version

Basil Parmesan Dip with Pita Chips

It's hard to mess anything up that has basil as the star ingredient. This dip needs no introduction but here's one anyway. We had friends over for dinner and they loved it. So you will love it too. The basil and parmesan go perfect together and the creaminess of the dip is perfect for dipping or even as a sandwich spread. This comes from the fabulous Cooking Light magazine, my favorite source for healthy food that doesn't taste "diet".

Ingredients:

• 4 (6-inch) pitas
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 C lightly packed basil leaves
• 3/4 C finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 3/4 C reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Split pitas; cut each half into 8 wedges. Place wedges on a baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1/4 tsp pepper and salt. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes or until crisp.
3. Combine remaining 1/4 tsp pepper, basil, and next 4 ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Scrape into a serving bowl using a rubber spatula and serve with pita chips.

Make 8 servings.

Printable Version

Apple Cheesecake Oatmeal

Who doesn't love a good bowl of oatmeal for breakfast? I could name a lot of people including my husband and my sweet mother who would rather eat real ants on a log than oatmeal. BUT. I LOVE oatmeal and at one point in my life ate it for breakfast every morning for about 2 years.

Over the years I have perfected the art of cooking oatmeal and when I'm in a hurry, I use the microwave. This recipe was inspired by the Granny Smith apples in my fridge and leftover cream cheese glaze from a spice cake I made for some friends.

The secret ingredient is the egg. I don't add an egg every time but if I'm turning my oatmeal into a dessert, I always add the egg. It adds protein of course but it also turns the oatmeal into a custard like texture. I can thank my wonderful MIL for this little trick!

Ingredients for 1 serving

• 1/2 C slow cook oats
• 1/2 C finely chopped Granny Smith Apple
• 1 Egg
• 1 1/4 C Water
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• Dash of Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Cream Cheese Glaze (*Full recipe Below)

Directions

1. Start by finely chopping your apple using your Vidalia Chop Wizard that you have purchased by now after realizing how much it will change your life.

2. In a deep bowl, combine the water, salt, oats, cinnamon, apple, and egg. Mix thoroughly until the egg is incorporated into the mixture. (Don't be scared of the egg, I promise it's good!)

3. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn't boil over. Stir again and microwave for another 30 seconds if needed to reach desired consistency. Let stand for 3-4 minutes.

4. Once your oatmeal has reached its desired consistency, drizzle cream cheese glaze on top and enjoy!

* The recipe for a FULL batch of cream cheese glaze is:

• 1/2 block of lowfat cream cheese
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 3 C powdered sugar
• 1-3 Tbsp milk

1. Cream butter and cream cheese.
2. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing well in between each addition.
3. Add milk 1 Tbsp at a time until it reaches a glaze consistency similar to honey. 

This makes enough glaze for a cake so if you are making some just for oatmeal, I would say use equal amounts of butter and cream cheese measured in tablespoons and then enough powdered sugar and milk to make a small amount of glaze.

Printable Version

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Green peppers are really cheap at the farmer's market and of course my sense of reality gets fuzzy when I go to the farmer's market which basically equates to me thinking I can consume 16 peppers in one week. What better way to devour a green pepper than when it's stuffed with other veggies from the farmer's market??? No "wasted produce" guilt here. This recipe originally calls for couscous but I swapped it for quinoa. They were delicious, filling, and very healthy.

Adapted from ChangeOne for Diabetes

Ingredients:

6 large bell peppers (any color)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small zucchini, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 C cooked couscous (OR use cooked quinoa!)
1 can (15 ounced) chick-peas, drained and rinsed
1 ripe tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 C crumbled feta cheese (I used shredded parmesan bc that's what I had)

1. Slice the tops off the peppers to make lids. Scoop out the membranes and seeds and discard. Simmer the peppers and lids, covered, in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 and heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

(This is a plug for my favorite kitchen gadget, the Vidalia Chop Wizard! See how finely chopped the zucchini is?)

Add the zucchini and garlic and saute' for 2 minutes Stir in the lemon juice. Cook for 1 minute and remove from the heat. Stir in the couscous, chickpeas, tomato, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir in the cheese.

3. Fill each pepper with the couscous mixture and place upright in a shallow baking dish. Cover with the pepper tops and bake just until the filling is heated through, about 20 minutes.

Printable Version

Mystery Squash Rainbow Surprise and Warm Quinoa

Fall is an exquisite season. It is my favorite time of year and my favorite time to zip up my fleece jacket and head to the farmer's market on Saturday. I love seeing the old pickup trucks overflowing with pumpkins, gourds, and 3 foot long mystery squash. I picked up some mystery squash a couple weeks ago and they have been staring at me for days. I started chopping and sauteing my farmer's market veggies in some olive oil and what happened next really surprised me. I stopped eating it so I could take a picture because this dish suddenly became blog-worthy. I thought my invention would be one of those times where you eat something because it is SO good for you, not because it tasted good. This was delicious and I ate every last morsel. This is a serving for one, so adjust accordingly.

Ingredients:

1 medium sized mystery squash. I believe mine was of the zucchini family.

1/2 C chopped red cabbage

1/4 C finely chopped onion

1 Leek

1/2 C grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 tsp minced garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 C water

1/2 C cooked quinoa 

1. Wash and scrub all vegetables. Starting with the zucchini, cut lengthwise and remove large seeds. Cut each length into thin slices. Next chop the leek into thin slices, making sure to only use the white bulb and stem until you reach the long sprouting leaves.

2. Heat olive oil on medium heat and add the garlic and onion until fragrant, about a minute. Add zucchini, red cabbage, and leek and saute until soft, about 6 minutes. Add the water a little at a time while sauteing to make sure it doesn't burn. 

3. Add the cherry/grape tomatoes and the juice of the lemon and simmer covered for about 2 minutes. Allow excess liquids to reduce before serving.

6. Serve atop 1/2 C warm Quinoa 

*Quinoa cooks like rice. In a small saucepan, cover 1 C quinoa with 2 C water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes. Don't peek at it or you'll let the steam fairies escape. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Warm Quinoa salad with tofu and asparagus

Asparagus is by FAR my favorite vegetable. When Sunflower Market had it on sale for only $1.27 a pound this week, I bought 8 bunches because I know I will probably have to wait until next Spring before it goes on sale again. I would also classify quinoa as one of my favorite grains so a salad with both my favorites foods and a few other star foods like sun-dried tomatoes, lemon, garlic, and tofu is the best thing I've eaten in a long time. I used my Whole Foods cookbook as a guide but since I deviated from the original so far, I had to rename the recipe! This recipe is for a single serving so adjust accordingly.

Printable Version

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 C frozen peas
5-8 spears of asparagus, woody ends discarded, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 C cooked quinoa (May be cooked in chicken broth for extra flavor)
1-2 tsp minced garlic, the fresher the better!
1-4 tsp lemon zest, you decide
1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 block of extra firm tofu, diced. 1/4 block should equal 1 serving according to the package
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. To cook your quinoa, rinse your quinoa thoroughly to get rid of the bitter coating. After rinsing, place in a pot and cover with double amounts of water. It cooks similar to rice so if you have 1 C of quinoa, cover with 2 C water. Bring to a boil then turn heat down to low and cover for 20 minutes and don't peek or you'll let the precious steam out! This recipe works well with savory quinoa, so cooking in chicken broth instead of water would work too.

2. In medium skillet, saute the garlic in the olive oil on medium-high until fragrant. Add the sun-dried tomatoes. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice, cook 1-2 minutes.

3. Add chopped tofu and cook until almost browned, about 4 minutes.

4. Reduce heat to medium-ish and add the chopped asparagus and frozen peas. Cover and let cook until the asparagus is tender but not wilted.

5. Add cooked quinoa and stir until all combined. Continue cooking for about 1 minute. Salt and Pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Spicy Chickpea Patties with Cilantro, Lime, and Chilies

These delicious vegetarian patties are insane! This recipe comes from the Whole Foods cookbook and can be served as a side dish or as the main dish.

Ingredients:

1/8 cup canola or olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp)
1 jalepeno pepper, minced (optional if you don't like heat)
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 (15 3/4-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chickpea flour (if you don't have chickpea flour, try grinding some oats in a blender or coffee grinder for a quick substitute)
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
3 scallions, minced
Juice of 2 limes
Salt to taste

Directions:

In a large nonstick pan, heat the canola or olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, jalapeno, curry powder, and cumin for 3 minutes, until the onion is softened. Transfer the spice mixture to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a standard 5 blade, and process for 20 seconds, until coarsely chopped. Add the chickpeas, chickpea flour, bread crumbs, cilantro, scallions, lime juice, and salt.

Continue to process for 20 seconds more, until the mixture is coarsely chopped, well combined, and has fomed a thick paste. The paste should be firm enough to be scooped and shaped into small patties. After making the patties, lightly dust them with chickpea flour.

Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and spray it with the vegetable oil. Saute the patties for 4 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown and heated through. For an even crispier patty, place one on a sheet pan for 10 minutes in the center of a 375 degree oven. Serve with a simple cucumber raita  (recipe below)

2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 small red onion, minced
1/2 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and minced
1/2 medium tomato, seeded and minced
1/2 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
1/8 cup minced fresh mint
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced (1/2 tsp)
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice.

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Javanese Roasted Tofu with Pepper Rainbow

This delicious dish from the Whole Foods Cookbook is to die for.

Ingredients:

1 pound extra-firm tofu
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup tamari or shoyu (tamari can be found by the soy sauce, or just use lite soy sauce)
3 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup water
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt

1/8 cup canola oil
1 cup thinly sliced red pepper
1 cup thinly sliced green pepper
1 cup thinly sliced yellow pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Cut the tofu into 1-inch thick slices across the short side of the tofu block. You will have 6 slices. Place the slices on a baking sheet, and bake them in the oven for 25 minutes. The tofu should not be crispy-you want it to simply dry out and firm up.

While the tofu is baking, in a medium bowl blend the peanut butter, tamari, honey, water, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne pepper, and salt.

Pour the penut butter sauce over the cooked tofu, cover the pan with aluminum foil, and continue to bake at 350 for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. remove the tofu from the oven, and place on a serving dish.

Just before the tofu is done, heat the canola oil in a large sate pan, and saute the red, green, and yellow peppers for 2 minutes, until softened. Top the tofu with the peppers.