Mexican Quinoa

Easy comfort food.

MEXICAN QUINOA
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1 1/4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 can (1 1/2 cups) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup corn
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional
1 quarter of a lime, juiced
To serve (optional): salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, and guacamole

1. Add a little oil to a medium-sized pot set over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and jalapeños; cook just until fragrant (about a minute).
3. Add quinoa, broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, and salt.
4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 25 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked and liquid is absorbed.
5. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and lime juice.
6. Spoon into bowls and serve with desired toppings.

Spiced Roasted Califlower

I HATE cauliflower.  But with this recipe, Eric and I can eat an entire head in one sitting.


What You Need
One head cauliflower
One lemon
4 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil
Fresh ground pepper

What To Do

1 Preheat the oven to 450°F. Chop the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Mince the four garlic cloves. Zest the lemon. In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons coriander, 1 teaspoons paprika, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.

2  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cauliflower onto the sheet. Mix with lemon zest, garlic, and spice mix. Drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, and lots of fresh ground pepper. Stir to coat evenly.

3  Bake for about 40 minutes, until tender, stirring occasionally.

To serve, squeeze on some fresh lemon juice and add a bit more kosher salt to taste. Serve warm.

Grilled Cheese

This is one of the best grilled cheeses that I have ever eaten, and that is saying a lot!  It takes a fair amount of work to make only a few sandwiches, but it is worth it!

2 pints (4 cups) cherry tomatoes
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 basil leaves
8 slices of good bakery bread (No wonder bread)
Butter
Kosher salt

What To Do
Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the tomatoes on the sheet. Roast for 15 minutes until the tomatoes are starting to burst.
P
lace the tomatoes in a bowl and carefully mash with a potato masher to extract the juice. Strain the tomatoes completely and reserve the juice in a small bowl.

Mix 1 tablespoon of the juice into ¼ cup mayonnaise until it has the consistency of a sauce (double the tomato juice and mayonnaise for extra sauce). Reserve the strained tomatoes and sprinkle them with kosher salt.

Spread each slice of bread with tomato mayo. Top with ¼ of the strained tomatoes, shredded mozzarella, and some torn pieces of basil. Sprinkle the toppings with a pinch of kosher salt and top with another slice of bread.

Heat a grill pan to medium high and brush it with butter. Cook the sandwiches until toasty and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Barley Salad

This is a delicious, hearty, and nutty salad.  Eric prefers it cold, I prefer it warm.  Makes great left overs!  You can find quick cook barley at trader joes.


2 cups of uncooked barley
5 cups of veggie stock
16 oz of fresh mozzarella
2 pints of grape or cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
8 – 10 basil leaves
Fresh cracked black pepper

Start by cooking the barley, using veggie stock instead of water to prepare. Veggie stock adds boatloads of flavor so I definitely prefer it, but if you’re without you can substitute water in a pinch. Add the veggie stock and barley to a pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 – 40 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. When it’s mostly absorbed, turn off the heat and cover, allowing the barley to sit for another ten minutes or so before removing the lid.

While the barley is cooking, cut your mozzarella into bite-size chunks and cut your tomatoes in half. Add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and stirring just until combined so that the tomatoes and cheese marinade. Add more vinegar if you’d like as some will absorb into the barley as it cools.


When the barley is all set to go, combine everything in a large mixing bowl. Add fresh cracked black pepper to taste and chop up your basil to add right at the end. And that’s it! Easy as easy gets.

Mediterranean Sweet Potatoes

We usually only make two sweet potatoes, but use all of the sauce.  Beware!  This recipe packs a delicious punch and may not be for kids.

INGREDIENTS
4 medium sweet potatoes*
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp each cumin, coriander, cinnamon, smoked (or regular) paprika
Optional: Pinch of sea salt or lemon juice

GARLIC HERB SAUCE:
1/4 cup hummus (or tahini)
juice of 1/2 lemon (~1 Tbsp)
3/4 - 1 tsp dried dill (or sub 2-3 tsp fresh)
3 cloves garlic, minced
Water or unsweetened almond milk to thin (we use water)
Optional: Sea salt to taste (I didn’t need any)

TOPPINGS:
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup chopped parsley, minced
2 Tbsp lemon juice


INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with foil.
Rinse and scrub potatoes and cut in half length wise. This will speed cooking time. Otherwise leave whole and bake longer (approximately double the time (45 min - 1 hour).

Toss rinsed and drained chickpeas with olive oil and spices and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Rub the sweet potatoes with a bit of olive oil and place face down on the same baking sheet (or another baking sheet depending on size).

While the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are roasting, prepare your sauce by adding all ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisking to combine, only adding enough water to thin so it’s pourable. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add more garlic for more zing, salt for savoriness, lemon juice for freshness, and dill for a more intense herb flavor. I found mine didn’t need anything else.

NOTE: If you don’t have hummus, tahini (which you can DIY!) will make a great base substitution for the sauce - just adjust the seasonings to accommodate the lack of flavor tahini provides.

Also prepare the parsley-tomato topping by tossing tomato and parsley with lemon juice and setting aside to marinate.

Once sweet potatoes are fork tender and the chickpeas are golden brown - roughly 25 minutes - remove from oven.
F
or serving, flip potatoes flesh-side up and smash down the insides a little bit. Then top with chickpeas, sauce and parsley-tomato garnish. Serve immediately.

Thai Chickpea Curry

This recipe is easy and not overwhelming with the curry.

1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil (We use olive oil)
2 leeks, cleaned, trimmed + sliced (We skip this)
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/3 cup sugar snap peas, cut into thirds
1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk (we use light coconut milk)
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (1 can of chickpeas drained also works)
3 tablespoons freshly torn cilantro

chickpea curry
While the rice is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the coconut oil. Stir in the leeks, red peppers, salt and pepper and stir to toss. Cover and cook until the vegetables have slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, ginger and curry paste and stir to coat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the peas and coconut milk. Increase heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and cilantro and cook for 5 minutes more. Taste and season additionally if desired.

Quinoa Bake

I wouldn't necessarily call it healthy, but it is delicious!  The hardest part is cooking the quinoa before hand, but it can be done in the microwave quickly.

Ingredients

2 cups COOKED quinoa
1 cup of your favorite pasta sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/3 cup heavy cream (we use skim milk)
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzarella, divided
1/2-1 cup grape tomatoes, halved (we use cherry tomatoes cut in thirds)
1 large bunch fresh basil, cut into ribbons
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Heat tomato sauce and tomato paste over low heat in a large saucepan. Once warm, stir in heavy cream, parmesan, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the quinoa. Fold in half of the mozzarella and half of the tomatoes, then chop 6 fresh basil leaves and add them in too. Once combined, spray an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with non-stick spray and pour the entire quinoa mixture into the dish. Top with fresh mozzarella rounds or shredded mozzarella and the remaining tomatoes.Bake for 10 to 15 minutes and then turn the broiler on and broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil ribbons. Allow to sit five minutes and then serve.

Black Bean Brownies

We make these and then freeze them.  If you feel like a midnight snack, you can just pop one in the microwave for 13 seconds.


INGREDIENTS
1 15 oz. can (~ 1 3/4 cups) black beans, well rinsed and drained
2 large flax eggs (fear not!  It is just flax and water)
3 T olive oil
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
heaping 1/2 cup raw sugar or brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Optional toppings: crush walnuts, pecans or semisweet chocolate chips (I like the tiny semi-sweet chocolate chips)

INSTRUCTIONS
Make sure you've rinsed and thoroughly drained your black beans.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a 12-slot standard size muffin pan (not mini).

Prepare flax egg by combining flax and water in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse a couple times and then let rest for a few minutes.

Add remaining ingredients (besides walnuts or other toppings) and puree - about 3 minutes - scraping down sides as needed. You want it pretty smooth.
If the batter appears too thick, add a Tbsp or two of water and pulse again. It should be slightly less thick than chocolate frosting but nowhere close to runny.

Evenly distribute the batter into the muffin tin and smooth the tops with a spoon or your finger.

Optional: Sprinkle with crushed walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips.

Bake for 20-26 minutes or until the tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides. I found mine took about 25.

Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan. They will be tender, so remove gently with a fork. The insides are meant to be very fudgy, so don't be concerned if they seem too moist - that's the point. Plus, they're vegan so it doesn't really matter.

Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. Refrigerate to keep longer.