Tag: recipe

Banana Banana Muffins

Banana Banana MuffinsWe eat a lot of bananas in our house! Occasionally, I’ll purchase an extra bunch of bananas so that we’ll have enough bananas on hand to go overripe for banana bread. This muffin recipe (adapted from Shelley Albeluhn on All Recipes) is easier than banana bread and always turns out great. Plus, I love to add extra ingredients – like nuts or dried coconut flakes – to mix it up.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 5 reallllly ripe bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup soft butter
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (we love walnuts or pecans)

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Line muffin pans with paper cups. Spray a little no-stick spray in each muffin paper.
  • In a large bowl, mash up the bananas with a fork. Add in sugar, eggs, butter and stir to combine.
  • In a larger bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix thoroughly, but with as few strokes as banana1possible. This is where you can add your extra ingredients, like 1 cup of nuts, coconut flakes, or chocolate chips, etc.
  • Spoon mixture into muffin cups. Should make 2 dozen muffins.
  • Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool on rack.
  • Don’t be surprised if these are gone within a day.

I’ll see you at the table!

 

Recipe: Vegan Fried Rice

rice3Versatile and abundant rice! There are more than 40,000 varieties of cultivated #rice (the grass species Oryza sativa) said to exist. But the exact figure is uncertain. Over 90,000 samples of cultivated rice and wild species are stored at the International Rice Gene Bank and these are used by researchers all over the world. (Source: riceassociation.org.uk) I want to see this rice bank!

rice1

 

 

 

 

 

Fried rice becomes the main dish at our dinner table. Here’s a simple recipe that is a crowd pleaser for the veggie lover and meat eaters.

Ingredients:
2 cups basmati rice, yields about 4-5 cups cooked
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup diced purple cabbage
1 small white or yellow onion, diced
2 cups frozen peas
2 cups carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks green onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce

Directions:
1. Use a rice cooker to prepare basmati rice. Usually, I prefer day old rice, but you can use same day rice of you forget to cook ahead.
2. Using a large wok, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil on medium-high heat.
3. Saute onion, celery, carrot for 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic, cabbage, broccoli and 1 tablespoon of sesame seed oil. Saute for 4-5 minutes or until cabbage is soft.
5. Add basmati rice and the frozen peas.
6. Add 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil, soy sauce and white pepper, toss to coat.
7. Put lid on wok, turn down heat to low and allow rice and peas to warm through about 4-5 minutes.
8. Through the entire cooking time, keep tossing the mixture as it will burn and stick to bottom of the wok.
Serve immediately with green onion for garnish. We love it with veggie dumplings on the side.

Optional sauces to add spice at the table: hoisin, mae ploy, sriracha, sambal.

I’ll see you at the table!

There are over 1 billion people who eat rice every day in the world. That's a lot of rice to be grown and harvested!
There are over 1 billion people who eat rice every day in the world. That’s a lot of rice to be grown and harvested!

Pleasure of Persimmons

persimmons3I’ve heard about persimmons for years and finally bought some. Holy-amazingness-Batman! What was I so concerned about before?? I have found a new fall time favorite. You should check them out too… Don’t wait years like I did.

The first dish using persimmon is a simple green salad. I’m heading back to the store to buy more and see what else I can do with this beautiful orange fruit!

Persimmon and Beet Salad:
Ingredients:
1 roasted beet, cubed
1 persimmon, peeled and cubed
Green leaf lettuce
Spicy nut mixture
Balsamic dressing

Directions:
Layer the ingredients lettuce, beets, persimmon, nuts. Add a drizzle of dressing. Serve as side dish to any main course that you’d normally pair with a green salad. Don’t be surprised if there’s not a lot of talking at dinner.
persimmons2
I’ll see you at the table.

Even the persimmon harvesters can’t help but smile when they check the crop! persimmons1

 

John’s Addictive Granola

I love friends who experiment with healthy recipes and share their very best with me. Below is a fantastic granola recipe that my beloved friend John shared with me years ago. Here’s the deal on this recipe… it’s addictive. I mean, really addictive. So, you’ll want to make a big batch of this because it’ll be a delicious snack, breakfast meal, sprinkled on ice cream, etc. Trust me, don’t halve this recipe, even though it seems like a lot to make!
Instructions:
In a bowl, mix the following goodness together
Ingredients:
  • 8 cups whole oats
  • 2 cups ground unsweetened coconut
  • 1 cup cashew pieces
  • 1 cup sesame seeds
  • 1 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1 cup flax meal
  • 1 cup walnut or pecan pieces
  • 1 cup steel cut oats
  • Throw some wheat germ in for good measure
  • 1 cup raisins (NOTE: These and the dates are to be added after the SECOND COOK CYCLE. See below for details.)
  • 1 cup chopped dates (optional)
  • Then add anything else you want. Other kinds of nuts? Sliced almonds? Cinnamon or other spices? Go ahead! Lots of leeway here.
  • 2 cups Adam’s natural peanut butter (softened for stirring)
  • 1 cup honey (omit for less sweet)
  • 1 – 2 cups warm water (add just enough water so that the ingredients can be compressed into a sticky ball)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 275.
2. Scoop out ingredients onto two separate large cookie sheets. Gently press and spread granola as you would bar cookie batter, making sure to evenly distribute and cover the cookie sheet.
3. Place cookie sheets in the oven for 15 minute intervals.
4. After each interval, remove granola and use a pancake flipper (that’s John’s term for spatula 🙂 ) to turn granola.
5. Break up granola to the chunkiness you desire along the way. After the second 15 minute cook cycle, add raisins or Craisins or dates (or all of them) to the granola BEFORE your turn it.
6. After the third fifteen minute cooking cycle, remove granola and allow to cool for an hour or so.
7. Place in your favorite air-tight container and eat whenever the hell you desire (as long as you are regularly exercising).
Thanks, John! I’ll see you at the table!

Lemon Spinach with Dijon Balsamic Dressing

spinach lemon saladI’ve never tried lemon spinach before. Packed with lots of citrus flavors, this leafy green made a wonderful tart salad. Wish I bought more at the Farmer’s Market so I could also try cooking with it.
Ingredients:
1. Bag of freshly picked and cleaned lemon spinach
2. Lemon cucumber, cubed
3. Caramelized walnuts
4. Tiny amount of thinly sliced red onion
5. Your favorite dijon balsamic dressing

Directions:
1. Toss together all ingredients and eat immediately.
2. For the meat lovers, add grilled cubed chicken, egg slices or blue cheese crumbles.

Recipe: Vegan Cauliflower and Potato Curry

Easy to make Vegan curry that’s great stand alone dish, or side dish.

Cauliflower and Potato Curry

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, medium cube
2 cups carrot, diced
1 white onion, small dice
2 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1-15 oz can cooked potatoes, medium cube
2 cup frozen peas
1-15 oz can coconut milk
1 cup water

Directions:
1. Using soup pot, water sautee onion over medium heat for 4 minutes.
2. Add garlic and additional water as needed for water sauteeing.
3. Turn heat up to medium-high and add cauliflower, 1 cup water, coconut milk, curry and turmeric – bring to slow boil and then turn heat down to medium-low for 15 minutes.
4. Pulse 3 cups of mixture in a high powered blender (I use @Blendtec) until smooth and add back to the pot. [WARNING: Blending hot food has a high potential of exploding out of the blender, so blend carefully with the lid tightly secured]
5. Add carrots and potatoes, covered and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Add frozen peas, mix through and simmer for 10 minutes, covered.

Serve with lightly toasted naan, basmati rice. Chopped cilantro and sriracha for garnish.

I’ll see you at the table.

Recipe: Loaded Salad

Loaded salads are baaack!

I remember planning for a vegan pregnancy. 2 months into the pregnancy and I craved a hamburger. I still ate a lot of #veggies and fruit, but meat was back on the menu. Salads weren’t satisfying anymore, which totally bummed me out. Any of you who’ve dealt with pregnancy cravings KNOWS what I’m talking about when I say, “What baby wants, baby gets!” Now I’m past breastfeeding and starting to feel more in control of my eating. Enter stage left, the grand and ggloriousLOADED SALAD!! This salad tastes great and fills my belly.
Ingredients per salad:
5 oz lettuce
1 roma tomato, diced
3 sweet mini bell peppers, diced
1/2 cup hummus
3 tablespoons spicy nut mixture
1/4 cup salsa for salad dressing
5-6 kalamata olives, pitted

Directions:
🍅Using large bowl, layer in this order
🍅Lettuce
🍅Salsa sprinkled on lettuce
🍅Hummus in corner with kalamatas on top
🍅 Tomatoes in 2nd corner
🍅Bell peppers in 3rd corner
🍅Peanut mixture in 4th corner

Optional toppings:
Radishes
Avocado
Celery
Carrots
Seeds – chia, sunflower, and/or #pumpkin

Fill your belly and feel great! I’ll see you at the table!

Refried Beans Enchilada Casserole

​Refried Beans Enchilada Casserole with pico de gallo salsa… Yummy dinner and leftovers.

Ingredients:

2-14oz cans of your favorite enchilada sauce

8 Large flour tortillas, cut in half

2-14oz cans of your favorite refried beans

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 large white onion, diced

1 cup black olives, sliced

1-14oz can corn, drained

1-14oz can diced tomatoes, or 3 fresh roma tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons cumin

1/4 teaspoon chile powder

Your favorite pico or other chunky salsa

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Pour one can of enchilada sauce bottom of 9×13 glass baking dish.

3. On medium heat in pot, water saute onion, bell pepper, garlic for 5 minutes, then add refriedbeans, cumin, corn, tomatoes, chile powder and heat through- about 5 minutes

4. Place 4 tortilla halves with flat edge against sides of dish. Ladle 2 cups of bean mixture and spread over tortillas. 

5. Repeat 3 times.

Note: For vegetarian option, sprinkle 1 cup Mexican cheese blend on top of bean mixture at each layer.

6. Add last layer of tortillas, then pour other can of enchilada sauce over top. Sprinkle #olives. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

Serve with heaping scoop of pico de gallo salsa or other garnish. Pairs well with greensalad and vinaigrette salad dressing. Makes great left overs too! 

Optional garnishes:

  • Sourcream
  • Cilantro
  • Guacamole
  • Avocado slices

I’ll see you at the table!

Recipe: Stuffed Bell Pepper and Steamed Asparagus

17438080_494117124045466_2501886692655366144_nHealthy veggie based meal: stuffed bell pepper and steamed asparagus.
Ingredients:
4 yellow bell peppers, tops cut out and seeds rinsed out
1 package of saffron rice, prepared per package directions
1 roma tomato, small dice
1 zucchini, small dice
1 small yellow onion, small dice
3 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Olive oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cook saffron rice per package directions
3. On medium heat, saute onion and zucchini in olive oil or water for 5 minutes, then add tomato and garlic and saute for 1 minute.
4. Add cooked rice, parsley to zucchini mixture and stir to combine. Using a tablespoon, scoop rice mixture into bell peppers.

Note: You can use other bell peppers, but I prefer the mild, sweeter flavor of yellow.
5. Place 4 stuffed bell peppers into 8×8 glass baking dish. Add water around the outside of peppers, 1/3 the way up the pepper.
Note: If you’re preparing ahead of time, store in refrigerator for up to 2 days, covered in plastic wrap. Add water when ready to bake.

6. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the skin of peppers begins to wrinkle. If your peppers are really thick, you may need 5-10 more minutes. Better to over bake than under bake.
7. Serve with steamed asparagus.

For a more robust meal, serve with crusty bread and large green salad.
I’ll see you at the table!