Quinoa with Roasted Broccoli & Avocado Sauce

A super simple and healthy main or side. Makes 2-4 servings.

Puree in food processor:
1 avocado
1/2-1 cup fresh cilantro
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp ginger
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4-1/2 cup water, depending on preferred consistency
Add salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350F
Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper:
4-5 cups broccoli florets
1 onion, chopped in relatively large pieces
Spread broccoli on roasting pan and roast for about 20 minutes until cooked

While broccoli is roasting, cook 1 cup quinoa
I like to rinse and soak quinoa for at least 15 minutes before cooking
Use ratio of 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water
Should cook in about 15-20 minutes

Mix together cooked quinoa,roasted broccoli + onions, and avocado sauce and serve

Spiced-Up Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

This is more-or-less a basic yellow split pea soup with a few unique spices added for a flavor boost.

Saute for 3-5 minutes:
1 medium onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil (or other oil)

Add and saute for about 10 mins until starting to soften"
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced

Add and saute for 1 min:
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp turmeric
1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper

Add and stir together:
1 1/2 cups split yellow peas
5-6 cups water or vegetable stock (adjust quantity depending on how thick you want your soup)

Simmer until peas are tender and falling apart, about 45 minutes and then add:
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste.


A few servings ideas:
Sour cream or Greek yogurt
Hot sauce
Mustard (traditional Swedish way to eat split pea soup)
Fresh herbs like dill or parsley
Add cooked rice or other grain to make a more substantial meal

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Makes 2 servings

Combine in a blender:
1 cup canned or pureed pumpkin
1 banana
1 large carrot (or 2 small)
1 cup almond milk (or other milk substitute or milk)
1 cup water
1/2 cup oats
1 tbsp flax meal
1 tbsp maple syrup or honey or agave
1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg (or 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice)


This smoothie is packed with great-for-your-health ingredients. Here are just few:
Banana - Vitamin B6, Potassium, Magnesium, fiber
Pumpkin - Vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene, potassium, fiber
Flax meal - Omega 3s, fiber
Oats - Antioxidants, protein, fiber
Cinnamon - Anti-microbial

Green Curry Lentils

This can be made with green lentils or mung beans or a combination of both.

The first step is to make a green curry paste - recipe here. If you want to skip this, you could also use a store bought green curry paste, but the homemade is great.

Saute in a pan until soft:
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced

Add:
1 cup of green lentils and/or mung beans
2 cups water
2-3 tbsp green curry paste (above or store bought)
Cook until the lentils/mung beans are soft, about 30 mins

Add:
3-4 cups chopped or baby spinach (or equivalent frozen)
Stir together until the spinach wilts

Stir in:
1 cup coconut milk (lite works fine)
Taste and add more green curry paste and/or salt if needed

Serve over rice. Basmati and jasmine are especially good.

Spicy Green Curry Paste

This is great in a variety of curries (think Indian or Thai style). You can also add it to soups, sauces, salad dressings, etc. for a little extra flavor.

The quantities below are rough. You could add more or less of each ingredient to get the flavor you prefer.

Process in a food processor until relatively smooth:
1/2 cup cilantro
1 jalapeno
1 tbsp fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 black pepper

I usually don't use this all in one recipe, so I store the extra in a jar in the fridge. I am not sure exactly how long it will last but at least a week or so.

Creamy Cauliflower Sauce Risotto ... Two Ways!

Continuing on my cauliflower kick (here and here), I recently discovered creamy cauliflower sauce from Pinch of Yum. It's amazing! I whipped up a batch and made a creamy mushroom and spinach risotto and then used the leftover sauce and rice to make a broccoli and chicken risotto a couple of days later. Healthy, satisfying, easy to make and yummy!

To start, cook whatever rice you prefer as you normally would. In this case, I used a mix of 3 parts brown rice and 1 part wild rice. I made 2 cups, which was enough for both recipes.

Here's my version of the creamy cauliflower sauce, close to but not exactly the same as the original.

Simmer until the cauliflower is tender:
5 cups cauliflower, roughly chopped
6 cups water 
1 tbsp soy sauce (optional, for a bit of flavor) 

Add cooked, drained cauliflower to blender with:
1 cup of the cauliflower cooking liquid
1/2 cup milk or milk substitute (I used almond milk)
2 cloves of garlic 
1 tbsp miso (optional)
1 tbsp textured vegetable protein  (optional)
1 tbsp olive oil
Blend until you have a smooth sauce

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(1) Mushroom and Spinach Risotto (Makes 2-3 servings as a main dish)

Saute for 3-5 mins until tender:
1 onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced

Add and saute until cooked through:
3-4 cups mushrooms, sliced or quartered

Add and saute until wilted, just a few minutes:
3-4 cups fresh spinach (or equivalent frozen)

Add and stir together well:
Half of cauliflower sauce 
Rice (1 cup uncooked)
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish with chopped scallions

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(2) Broccoli and Chicken Risotto (Makes 2-3 servings as a main dish)

Preheat oven to 350F
Roast until tender, about 15-20 mins:
3-4 cups broccoli, chopped 
Tossed with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper

At the same time, in the oven roast until cooked:
2 chicken breasts
Seasoned with salt, pepper and anything else you like (I used a bit of smoked paprika here)

Saute for 3-5 mins until tender:
1 onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced

Add and stir together well:
Roasted broccoli
Sliced chicken breast (or you can add this to the top when you serve)
Half of cauliflower sauce 
Rice (1 cup uncooked)
Salt and pepper to taste

More Cauliflower Love

Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables. It's tasty, healthy and endlessly versatile. Here are a few recipes to try.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites from Nutrition Stripped
A great spicy appetizer or side. I leave out the butter in the sauce to make it a bit healthier (and easier).

Black Pepper Tempeh & Cauliflower from Super Natural Everyday (Heidi Swanson) via Health is Happiness
The coconut oil is key to the flavor, but I use a bit less so the final product is not so oily. I rarely have shallots on hand, so I use onions. I keep a piece of ginger in the freezer, so I always have it on hand (it keeps forever this way).

Cauliflower w/ Capers, Raisins, and Almonds
An oldie, but a favorite. Good as a side or add to pasta (with a bit of the pasta cooking water) for a main.

Kimchi Fried Cauliflower "Rice"
I just discovered cauliflower "rice" and it's great!

Potato and Cauliflower Mash
Make mashed potatoes as you normally would, substituting 1/3-1/2 of the cooked potatoes with steamed cauliflower

Cauliflower "Potato" Salad
Substitute roasted cauliflower for potato in your favorite potato salad recipe. Cut the cauliflower into relatively small pieces, toss with olive oil and salt and pepper and roast at 400F for 15-20 mins. I make a healthier version of potato salad dressing:
1/3 cup each mayonaise (could use light or vegan) and greek yogurt
1/4 cup vinegar (I like rice vinegar)
1-2 tbsp of dijon mustard
1-2 tbsp agave or sugar
2 tsp dried or 2 tbsp fresh herbs (I like dill, parsley, basil)
salt and pepper to taste

Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli
Cut equal amounts of cauliflower and broccoli into bit sized pieces. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and chili flakes (optional) and spread on a baking sheet. Roast at 400F for 20-25 mins until tender, tossing once to help cook evenly.

Kimchi Fried Cauliflower "Rice"

(Makes 2-4 servings)

This was my first attempt at cauliflower rice, and it did live up to expectations. The texture is very close to real rice and the flavor is great. There are lot's of resources for making cauliflower rice on the web. I like the one from Everyday Maven, which also has handy instructions for freezing the cauliflower rice you don't use right away.

You can find kimchi (pickled cabbage) at Asian and specialty grocery stores. I usually buy it from Trader Joe's; look for it in the refrigerated section near the tofu. I have also seen versions at Whole Foods.

The ingredient list for this recipe is short:
1/2 large head of cauliflower, in chunks

2 cups kimchi, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced

1-2 tbsp soy sauce

Run cauliflower through food processor or grate into small pieces 
Saute onion and garlic in a pan until softened and slightly browned
Add kimchi and saute for about 5 mins until most of the liquid is gone
Add peas and cauliflower rice and saute until cauliflower is cooked, about 5-10 mins.
Finish with a splash of soy sauce

You could serve with a fried egg on top or make a simple egg omelette, cut into strips, and mix into the fried rice at the end. 

Vegan Cheesy Rice Casserole

(Makes 4-6 servings)

This is a great way to use leftover rice (and comes together really quickly if you do). 

Preheat oven to 375F

Saute until tender:
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced

Add:
3 tbsp sun dried tomatoes, diced
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano

Mix together and cook just until everything is combined and heated

In a bowl, combine above ingredients with:

3 cups cooked rice (I use brown)
2 cups greens (kale, collards, spinach, etc. or some combination), chopped
2 cups pepper, chopped
2 cups vegan cheese sauce ... see below for recipe**
(I usually use frozen veggies and thaw them before adding. You could substitute different veggies.)

Transfer mixture to 9x9 baking dish
Optional - top with breadcrumbs (or crumbled gluten free crackers if avoiding gluten) 
Bake for 25-30 mins until heated through and bubbling


**There are lots of vegan cheese recipes out there. Use your favorite. Fat Free Vegan has one I like and have used in this recipe. Let me know if you have a different one you recommend!

Sweet Potato & Lentil Stew

(Serves 4-6 as main dish or 6-8 as a starter or side dish)

2 -3 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes or so

1 cup red lentils (look for the small, quick cooking kind; I usually buy mine at Trader Joe's)
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups of water or vegetable stock
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ginger
    (you can substitute 3 tsp curry powder for all the above spices)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil (or other oil)

Preheat oven to 400F.
Toss cubed sweet potatoes in oil and salt and pepper and spread on baking tray.
Bake for about 20-25 mins until cooked through (toss once to cook evenly).

In the meantime, in large pot, saute onions until soft and slightly browned.
Add garlic and spices and saute for 1-2 mins to release aroma.
Add lentils and stock and simmer for about 15-20 mins until lentils are tender (may take longer if you have a different kind of lentils).
Add roasted sweet potatoes and serve.

Note: I often use a mix of lentils and quinoa in this recipe, substituting directly for the 1 cup of lentils. A 50-50 mix works well. If you have the quick-cooking red lentils, both the lentils and quinoa will cook in about the same amount of time, so it's an easy substitution. I like to soak the quinoa in water for 15 mins and then drain before adding to the stew to remove bitterness and make it easier to digest.

Vegetarian Borscht

(Serves 4-6 as main dish or 6-8 as a starter or side dish)

The basic recipe is vegetarian. Use meat stock and/or add cooked meat of your choice at the end if desired. Beef is traditional. I added sliced chicken sausage last time, and it was great. 

3-4 large beets, cut into matchsticks or small cubes
3-4 large carrots, cut into matchsticks or small cubes
1/2 small cabbage (I used red cabbage here), shredded
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups water or vegetable stock
1/4 cup soy sauce (optional but it does help add depth to the flavor, especially if you are going vegetarian)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (could substitute other kinds of vinegar)
1 lemon, juiced (or about 2 tbsp lemon juice)
2 tsp dried dill
1 tsp caraway seeds
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil (or other oil for sauteing)

In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil for about 5 mins until soft and slightly browned.
Add garlic and saute for 1 min.
Add carrots and beets and saute, stirring often for 10 mins. (If beets are older and less tender you might want to add them a few mins before the carrots to give them a head start.)
Add cabbage and saute, stirring often for 5 mins.
Add stock, soy sauce and seasonings and simmer for about 10-15 mins until vegetables are tender.
Add vinegar and lemon juice and you are done!

Serving ideas:
Sour cream
Greek yogurt
Horseradish
Fresh ground black pepper