Quinoa, Kale, and Broccoli Salad

 

 

I threw this recipe together based on what was in my fridge. Although it was a good salad warm, it was even better cold the next day!

Ingredients:

1/2 red onion, chopped finely

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups of kale, washed and shredded

1 cup of quinoa

2 cups of water

2 heads of broccoli, chopped into small florets

1 carrot, shredded

1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts

 

Dressing:

4 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon of whole grain mustard

 

 

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in large frying pan. Add onion and garlic and fry until translucent, around 8 minutes. Add quinoa, kale, and water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and then simmer until the liquid is gone, around 15 minutes. Meanwhile, steam broccoli for 5 minutes, until bright green and slightly tender. Mix vinegar and mustard in a small bowl to make dressing.

 

When the quinoa and kale mixture is ready, add broccoli and carrots. Mix in dressing to taste. Top with pine nuts.

 

                                              

 

 

 

 

Cabbage with Tomato, Bulgur, and Chickpeas

 

I mentioned to my mom the other day that I was craving cabbage (odd, i know) and she sent me a link to this recipe by Martha Shulman. It was perfect, actually, because I had picked up some bulgur the other day and had yet to find a use for it. I added roasted brussel sprouts and subbed 1 tsp oregano for the fresh dill because I have a strong aversion to anything with dill in it. End result? Very hearty but a bit bland. I ended up adding some spice in the form of sriracha...but I do tend to add sriracha to everything. Definitely satisfied my odd cabbage craving though!

 

 

 Ingredients:

 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 medium head green or red cabbage, finely shredded
1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes with juice
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, cider vinegar or sherry vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill       
2 cups water
1 cup coarse bulgur
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Directions:
      
1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy lidded skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in a pinch of salt and the paprika. Cook, stirring, until the onion is thoroughly tender and infused with paprika, three to four minutes.
2. Add the cabbage, and cook, stirring, for three minutes or until it begins to wilt. Stir in the tomatoes, sugar and vinegar, and add salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes until the cabbage is thoroughly tender.
3. Stir in the dill and the water, and bring a to a boil. Add the bulgur and chickpeas. Stir to combine. When the water comes back to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer 10 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve hot or at room temperature.
 

 

Jalapeno White Bean Chili

I love white beans and jalapenos so this recipe caught my eye in my Forks Over Knives Cookboook. A simple and satisfying chili for a cold Boston night.

 

Ingredients:

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 large green pepper, seeded and diced

3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced

6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 tbps cumin seeds, toasted and crushed

1 28oz can diced tomatoes

2 cans of white beans

3 cups vegetable stock

Zest and juice of one lime

1 cup finely chopped cilantro

Salt to taste

 Directions:

Place onion, green pepper, and jalapeno pepper in large saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water at time to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans, and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.  Remove from heat and add lime zest, juice, and cilantro. Salt to taste.

Spicy Quinoa Salad

Last weekend I took a very much anticipated trip to Florida. Beach time in January should be mandatory for everyone. Anyways, before I left I needed to whip up dinner and did not want to run to the grocery store prior to leaving for a few days. I threw this together in a few minutes, with supplies all found in my pantry. Not fancy at all, but definitely served in a pinch and actually tasted pretty good and filling. This would also be an easy lunchbox option.


2 cups cooked quinoa (cooked according to package)
1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 cup of frozen corn, cooked
1 jar of salsa

Mix all ingredients together, adding the salsa to taste.

 

Kale stuffed peppers

So tomorrow I start the BluePrintCleanse again. I did the three day cleanse around this time last year and while I had mixed feelings about it, I have decided to take the plunge again.

I am preparing a little bit better this time around. I am on my third day with no coffee, having cut down from my usual three cups a day to one cup of black tea. And today I ate raw vegan- fruit for breakfast, some veggies for lunch, and some nuts pre-run for energy. For dinner tonight, I ended up making red peppers stuffed with kale and avocado. Super simple, all raw.

Ingredients:
1 bunch of kale, stems trimmed and shredded
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 avocado
2 bell peppers


Cut the avocado in half and mash up one half in a bowl. Mix the mashed avocado with the kale leaves (hands are actually the best method here to get it fully incorporated) and then add in the carrots. Cut the other half of the avocado into small chunks. Add in, mixing lightly.

Cut tops off of peppers and remove inner ribbing and seeds. Stuff with the kale salad.

I added a side salad of shaved zucchini with some olive oil.

Delicious....and the last solid meal I will have for three days. eek.

 

Kale Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing

I am super excited about the new cookbooks that I got for Christmas. One of them, Forks Over Knives, is particularly exciting because the recipes are all vegan, and all low fat. I usually don't get too excited about salads in cookbooks - I rarely have the patience to follow recipes for something I feel like I can put together just as easily on my own. However, this book has quite a few salad recipes that caught my eye. The one I made the other day, a kale salad with maple mustard dressing, was surprisingly unique in taste.
 
 Dressing:

• Zest and juice of 1 lemons
• 1 cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbps cup tahini
• 1 tbps stone-ground mustard
• 1 tbps Braggs Amino Acids (or wheat-free tamari or low-sodium soy sauce)
• 1 tbs. 100% pure maple syrup
• 2 tbps nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/4 cup water

Salad:

• 6 cups kale, ribs removed & shredded
• 2 cup of broccoli florets, cut into tiny pieces
• 1 cup of red cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup of carrots, shredded
• 1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1. Place all dressing ingredients into blender and blend until smooth (add more or less water to get to the desired consistency)
2. Mix salad ingredients together and add dressing.