Tabouli Quinoa Salad

I just watched 20 minutes of Kristin Wiig video clips so I am in a fantastic mood. I also fell asleep for 20 minutes while in corpse pose at the end of yoga. So if my math is right I am 20 minutes away from the best hour in the history of man kind. Booya.

Starting Vegan week #1 off right is my take on tabouli salad.  I think bulgar wheat is sorta gross and chalky tasting so I added quinoa instead for a great vegan + gluten free side dish. You also better be sure you like tabouli salad, because i think it is a bit of an acquired taste. There are so many fresh herbs that it can be overwhelming. My husband said it tasted too much like nature. <--- whatever that means. Be sure to have lots of fresh parsley and mint on hand! 

Tabouli Quinoa Salad

2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa

1 cup flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons mint

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 lemon

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Finely chop parsley and mint and add to a large bowl. Slice cherry tomatoes and mince garlic and add to the bowl along with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into bowl. Stir until all ingredients and combined. Add quinoa and toss to coat.

The long lost blog.....

This just in.... I am not dead. Just back from the worlds longest vacation! I was about to write a bunch of awesome post with recipes made from fresh summer vegetables, then Oscar ate a soccer ball so I have been busy with that for a while (which made and appearance today, I leave you to guess how). But now here I am!

Summer has been great and we have been all over the place! Hawaii, Pennsylvania, British Columbia....nothing like flying through 7 different time zones in less than a week. And by flying I mean eating. Delicious fresh fish in Maui, $2.50 breakfast plates in Lehighton, and fresh Okanagan Valley peaches. The point is I haven't cooked in a looooooong time. And now that I am back even making a sandwich seems like work.

With summer dwindling down though.....I must take advantage of all these delicious fresh veggies! And what's a better way then doing a 3 week vegan challenge. Let's get real, anything is better than a vegan challenge. Like cheese. But I have heard so many amazing stories about people feeling and looking great after going vegan that it is worth a try. And I figure I am already half way there considering I don't eat most meat or drink cows milk. I just have to get rid of cheese.... and eggs.... and greek yogurt..... and butter.... and chocolate. On second thought maybe I don't do it.

Vegan diet restrictions:
Anything that contains anything having to do with animals. Ever.
So even though it is a natural thing for a chicken to lay an egg..... No.
Jello, gummies, or anything with pectin (aka ground up hooves or something)..... No.
Yummy, delicious, magical cheese...... No.
Wendy's Junior Bacon Cheeseburger..... Hell to the No.

But whatever. It's worth a try.... and the worst thing that could happen is I fail miserably and T.J. finds me in the corner of the bedroom surrounded by chocolate and slices of swiss cheese, while I dip hard boiled eggs in a peanut butter milkshake. 

Warm Sesame Green Bean and Quinoa Salad

My mom used to make a recipe similar to this when I was growing up. I think instead of quinoa it might have been brown rice though, obviously, because quinoa is now the trendy thing to eat. And no one had heard of it until about 2 years ago. And now I put it on my face at night as a cleansing mask. Just kidding :) I wish I had a badass story to go along with this but I just got back from a mega long run and I think I just might take a nap instead. Happy Wednesday!

Warm Sesame Green Bean and Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa, cooked

3 cups green beans

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon chili paste

In a large bowl combine rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds, honey, and chili paste. Whisk to combine and set aside.

Place trimmed green beans in a steamer basket and place over  boiling water. Steam for 3-4 minutes until barely tender. Drain and add to bowl with dressing,  along with cooked quinoa. Toss to coat. This salad is best when served warm, but not hot.

Lemon Blueberry Oat Pancakes

I know it is burger week but..... My friend Lee-Ann always has creative, healthy dishes that she puts on Facebook. She calls these little gems protein pancakes! I have been making them for a bit, but she recently posted the addition of oranges and blueberries. YUM! I didn't have and oranges but who doesn't love the combination of lemons and blueberries. These pancakes are super dense and very filling as well. You could substitute any thing for the lemons and blueberries....chocolate chips, bananas, strawberries. Just know you are replacing the refined sugar and flour of a classic breakfast dish with nutritious oats and protein packed eggs! It's a win-win and a great way to start your day!

Lemon Blueberry Oat Pancakes

1 cup quick cooking oats

1/4 cup vanilla soy milk

1/4 cup egg whites (approx. 2 egg whites)

1 egg

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon agave nectar

1 cup blueberries, halved

The stars of the show!

Put all ingredients, except blueberries,  in a food processor and blend until smooth. You may need to play with the ratios until you get a batter that is to liking. Pour into a bowl and fold in blueberries. 

Heat a pan over medium heat and add coconut oil, butter, or vegetable oil. Whichever you can afford :) I know coconut oil is super expensive, but so good for you! Pour about 1/2 cup into pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. These take a little longer than traditional pancakes to cook because of the oats. 

Serve with extra blueberries and your favorite syrup. 

Brown Rice Mushroom Burger

Continuing with the awesomeness that is burger week, we have a nice hearty burger, that is even brown like a real meat burger for you! This one combines protein packed quinoa and some ingredients you might find in a real beef burger like Worcestershire, garlic and onions. The deep brown color of the Worcestershire really make these have a nice color and the bright green parsley adds some nice freshness. They are a little more delicate than our last burgers, because there are no mashed beans for glue. But have a light hand and these are just as delicious! 

Brown Rice Mushroom Burgers

1 cup cooked brown rice 

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup oats

2 cups chopped mushrooms

1/2 yellow onion

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 egg

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

*You will want rice that is more on the sticky side. So add a little extra water when cooking :)

In a medium pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add chopped mushrooms, garlic, and onions. Cook for 15-20 minutes on medium-low until mushrooms have released their juices and onions are soft. Remove from heat and add to a food processor. Along with mushrooms add cooked rice, oats, parsley, and egg. Pulse until mixture is combined. 

Remove and add to a large bowl along with quinoa, Worcestershire, mustard, hot sauce, salt and pepper. stir to combine. 

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Form 3 inch patties with hands and add to oil. Cook for about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown, then transfer to a baking sheet. These are a little more delicate then the last burgers, so flip with caution!

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. This will make your burgers nice and crispy and mush more stable! 

Thai Chickpea Burgers

This is going to be burger week! YAY! I am actually going to do more than one post and a few will be burgers! The biggest complaint about vegetarian burgers I have is that the usually fall apart and don't really hold up to be put on a bun. 

I saw this show on the food network called "You gotta eat here!". It is like a Canadian version of Man vs. Food, but with out the challenges. So maybe more like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Either way, it sounds like I watch too much Food Network.  

There was a cool place featured called Boons Burgers, and it was totally vegetarian! They had so many cool veggie burger combinations it really inspired me to make a few different kinds of veggie burgers to expand my options.  This is an exotic burger with curry, cilantro, and cumin. A much needed change from the average burger ingredients. I actually caught my husband in the kitchen eating one right out of the oven. With nothing on it. BAZINGA!

Thai Chickpea Burgers

1 can chickpeas. drained

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup onion

1/2 cup red bell pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon grated ginger

2 teaspoons red curry paste

1/2 teaspoon chili paste

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1 egg

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

I could literally eat these with a spoon!

In a food processor add:

 chickpeas, 1/2 cup oats. onion, bell pepper, garlic, ginger, curry paste, chili paste, egg, honey, soy sauce, salt, cumin, and cilantro. Pulse until mixture is smooth. 

Add to a large bowl and add remaining 1/2 cup of oats and 1 cup of quinoa. Stir together until mixture is uniform. In a large pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Once oil is hot. form 1/3 cup of mixture into patties and add to pan. Cook for 2 minutes on each side. 

Place on a baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes until nice and crispy. These hold up so well, do not fall apart at all, and have a great spicy kick! I love them with barbeque sauce or a yummy curry mayo. 

Cucumber Sunomono Salad

My friend Nikki has a super cute blog about her journey into motherhood, DIY crafts, and some awesome recipes. She recently did one on Sunomono salad, which is my absolute favorite cold Japanese style noodle salad. The rest of the post is super funny too, and I am sure any mom-to-be readers will love it as well. Here is a link to her blog:

Two Loonies and a Penny

 I tried to find the most authentic Sunomono salad recipe I could on the Internet and go from there. Let's just say you can definitely tell I don't live in Japan, and the liquor stores don't sell sake. I ventured to the super run down asain mini mart down town, and besides the way too vast selection of douches( ya you read that right) it wasnt too bad.

 This recipe is my best shot at Sunomono salad, which I have to say didn't turn out as bad as I thought it might. You might not see it on the menu at your local sushi joint anytime soon, but given my materials (which I am guessing might be yours as well) it was great!

Cucumber Sunomono Salad

6 inch piece of cucumber

Japanese Rice Vermicelli

 1/2 cup sushi vinegar

1/3 cup white vinegar

5 tablespoons sugar

1 cup water

1/2 of a lemon

In a small saucepan add sushi vinegar, white vinegar, sugar and water. Cook on medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and place in refrigerator until cooled. 

While dressing is cooling in the fridge bring a large pot of water to a boil and add rice noodles. Cook until softened, then drain. Keep in cold water until ready to serve. 

Very thinly slice cucumbers and lemons. 

To assemble add a handful of drained rice noodles and a few slices cucumbers and lemons to a bowl. Pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup of noodle dressing over noodles. 

Eat up!

Kale and Red Cabbage Detox Slaw

I am always weary of anything labeled "detox". What does that even mean? If I drank a bottle of poison, then ate this salad would I be cured? Is that a little dramatic? Lol, ya I guess. This salad is clean and pure. Raw vegetables. Nothing touches heat. A dressing containing apple cider vinegar, a great cleanser, and olive oil. Protein and healthy fats from pumpkin and sunflower seed. I am guessing that is as cleansing as it gets? 

Kale and Red Cabbage Detox Slaw

2 cups raw kale

2 cups red cabbage

1 large carrot or 6-7 baby carrots

1/2 cup fresh parsley

1/2 cup red or green onion

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

salt & pepper to taste

Chop kale and cabbage into thin slices and add to a bowl. Grate or very thinly slice your carrots and add to bowl. Finely slice red onion and chop parsley, and add to bowl along with sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. 

In a smaller bowl add vinegar, oil, mustard and salt and pepper. Whisk until emulsified and pour over slaw. Toss to coat. Let sit for 30 minutes to an hour to allow flavor to combine. 

This is also super easy to make into an Asian slaw, which I did the second time I made it. Add some red peppers and sesame seeds. For the dressing use sesame oil, ginger, rice vinegar and a little soy sauce. It is a great way to continue to reap the benefits of such a healthy salad, but have a totally new flavor!

Sesame and Scallion Pea Shoot Salad

You may have never tried pea shoots, or even heard of them. Honestly the first time I saw them in a store was just over a year ago. Safeway just threw them next to the bean sprouts and I threw the in my cart. I had never eaten pea shoots before, but they are just the tender tips of a regular pea plant. They can be eaten raw, in a salad, or stir fried. They are super good for you and packed with vitamins. This recipe is perfect for your first time using pea shoots, because you can still taste the subtle pea flavor and it is easy peas-y. See what I did there....with the peas. Get it? 

 Sesame and Scallion Pea Shoot Salad

2 cups pea shoots

2 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger 

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

2 scallions, sliced on the diagonal

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

In a medium sized bowl whisk together rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, scallions and sesame seeds. Add pea shoots and toss to coat. Serve alone, or on top of your favorite salad. 

Crispy Baked Kale Chips

These have been all rage on the the ol' in-tro-net lately. The reviews below are just a few I have seen:

"They taste just like potato chips!" 

"I ate the whole batch."

"No more junk food for me!"

My replies: 

"Not a chance."

"Is the batch size 2 chips?"

"Suuuuuuure."

Anyways, so I thought I would give these a try. I don't really even eat chips, but kale is super healthy for you (in the cabbage family) and who doesn't love a crispy treat? The original recipes that I have read call for oil, and salt and pepper. We can do better than that! With a few tweaks, I will have to say these are pretty scrumptious. Also very hard to make... because the time has to be exactly perfect. Too long and the leaves are burnt. Not long enough and it is just a warm leaf. But give this a try and see how it goes for you!

Crispy Baked Kale Chips

1 bunch of kale

Olive oil

Garlic Salt, Barbeque Seasoning, or spice of choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash and dry kale. Using a knife remove the thick stems, then tear into bite sized pieces.

Add kale to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with seasoning of choice. I used barbeque spice, but I think curry powder & garlic salt might be great too! Toss to coat, and try to really coat each leaf with oil.

Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minute. Carefully monitor, and when edged of leaves begin to brown remove from oven. 

I was amazed at how crispy these were! Definitly not "just" like potato chips, but still hits the crunchy spot!