Hearty French Lentils

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 Tsp. Salt or to taste
2 Tsp. ground cumin
3-4 carrots peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp. Garlic, minced (about 3-4 large cloves)
3 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. Tomato paste
1 cup French lentils
3 cups water

Directions

Sauté the onions and salt in olive oil. Add the carrots, cumin, and garlic and sauté another 5 minutes. Add the lentils, water, bay leaf, and tomato paste and cook covered over a medium to low heat for 20 minutes stirring a few times. Remove the lid and rest on the side of the pot so a little air can escape and cook another 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

I'm making this right now and the house smells wonderful. Every time I cook a pot of beans I think of my father. He cooked a pot of beans every Saturday, although never lentils. I usually cook black beans or white Cannelini beans but decided to try this after I found the recipe on the internet yesterday.

Roasted Cauliflower with Onion, Garlic, and Thyme

1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
6 sprigs fresh thyme
4 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread cauliflower, onion, garlic, and thyme in one layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, or until fork-tender, stirring frequently with a spatula or large spoon to even out the browning. Taste occasionally to see if more salt or pepper is needed. Remove from oven, remove garlic cloves, and season to taste.

I found this recipe online from a cookbook by Chloe Coscarelli called Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen. I made it on Thanksgiving and ended up eating the whole thing it was so good. That was the only thing I ate on Thanksgiving so I guess that's not too bad. I peeled the garlic even though the recipe says unpeeled and ate it along with the onions and cauliflower. The onions tasted like onion rings but better. My apartment smelled wonderful. I stole this image from the website where the recipe was posted because I have lost my photographer to the Big Apple.

Autumn Couscous Salad

Ingredients

8 ounces Israeli or Pearl couscous, about 1 ½ cups
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, diced, about 2 tablespoons
1 fennel bulb, diced, about 1 cup
2 ½ cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
¾ cup dried cranberries
½ cup dried currants
1 ½ cups apple juice, reserving ¼ cup of the cooked juice
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Bring water to boil in a medium size saucepan, add couscous and bring back to a boil then lower to medium and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander, but do not rinse. Set aside in a mixing bowl to cool.
2. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the shallot and cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Add diced fennel and cook for another 5 minutes or until fennel softens. Add butternut squash, sage, cranberries, currants and apple juice and cook for 15 minutes or until butternut squash has softened and almost all of the apple juice has cooked down. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the couscous, reserving about ¼ cup of the apple juice for the vinaigrette.
3. In a small bowl, mix the reserved apple juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar and more salt and pepper to taste. Add to the couscous with the parsley and stir. Let couscous sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes for flavors to meld before serving. Add more sage if desired.

I made this for a party at work and it received a lot of compliments.

Italian White Beans with Kale

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion chopped
1 shallot chopped
8 cloves of garlic sliced
1 bunch of kale chopped, discard ribs
8 to 10 sprigs of fresh thyme, stripped of leaves. Discard stems.
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup water
2 15oz cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
fresh ground black pepper to taste
½ teaspoon umeboshi plum vinegar (optional)

In a large covered pot, sauté onion, garlic, and shallot in oil until transparent. Turn heat to medium, and add water, salt, kale, bay, and thyme leaves. Cook covered until greens are soft, stirring occasionally. Turn down heat, add beans and pepper and cook another few minutes. Remove bay leaves and add umeboshi vinegar before serving.




I made this on Saturday and it was super quick and delicious. I didn't have fresh thyme so used dried and also didn't add the vinegar at the end.
I made this again Thanksgiving weekend.
This time I used two bunches of lacinato kale and fresh thyme which I didn't have the last time. This is one of my favorite dishes, very simple to make with lots of flavor.

Vegan Chocolate Chipotle Cake

Cameron and I love the vegan chocolate chipotle cake at Radical Eats so I decided to try to make one at home.  I found a recipe online and changed it up a bit and it turned out great.
Here is the recipe:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa (unsweetened)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. chipotle (this was a little too much)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp white vinegar
5 tbsp vegetable oil (I used almond because that's what I had)
1 cup cold water

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9 inch cake pan.
In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Add the vanilla, vinegar, oil and water and stir until just combined.
Pour into the cake pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.


Just coming out of the oven.

Waiting to cool.

It was almost as good as the cake from Radical eats. Theirs may be a little better because of the icing. This one was definitely more spicy. Probably too spicy for most people. If I make this again I will use 1/2 tsp. of chipotle.

Sesame Ginger Quinoa Salad

I made this extremely healthy dish for Cameron. It was delicious, especially if you like ginger, and as you can see from the picture, very colorful. Like eating the rainbow!

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups shelled frozen edamame
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 cup red cabbage, chopped
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely minced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions

1. Place the quinoa, water, and salt in a covered pot. Heat on high until it boils, lower the heat to low, and cook for about 15 minutes or until the quinoa is soft and the water absorbed.
2. Pour the quinoa into a medium-sized bowl, and mix in the frozen edamame, carrots, peppers, and cabbage.
3. In a small bowl, make the dressing by mixing the sesame oil, rice vinegar, minced ginger, and sesame seeds.
4. Pour the dressing over the quinoa and veggies, and mix thoroughly. Enjoy immediately, or store in a covered container for later.

Cranberry Quinoa

Ingredients

2 cups quinoa
4 cups water
½ teaspoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ribs celery, chopped
3-4 Tablespoons green onions, sliced thin
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Dressing
5 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons cilantro, minced
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
Dash pepper

•Place water and quinoa in a 2-quart pot. Add ¼ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. oil. Bring to a boil and then simmer at a very low heat. Do not stir. Cook covered for about 15 minutes until small peaks form on top of quinoa and liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat. Stand covered for 10 minutes before transferring to a bowl and cool to room temperature. (Can cool faster in refrigerator if preferred.)
•Gently mix dressing in small bowl or measuring cup with a fork.
•Add dressing to quinoa and mix in.
•Add in vegetables, nuts and cranberries and mix well.
•Serve at room temperature.
Serves: 4-6

I made this over the weekend and I have to say it's one of my favorite quinoa dishes. My roommate enjoyed it too and took this picture.

Quinoa Mushroom Kale Recipe

Here is my latest quinoa dish. I made this one up so it doesn't have a name.


Ingredients
1 C. quinoa (2 cups cooked)
1 bunch lacinato kale
1 onion chopped
1 container of mushrooms sliced or chopped
several cloves of garlic, minced
Bragg Liquid Aminos (soy sauce alternative)
olive oil

Saute onion, mushrooms, and garlic in olive oil. When the onions are clear add the kale which has been torn into medium size pieces (stems removed) Continue sauteing until the kale cooks down but not too long.
Cook the quinoa in water with some Bragg Liquid Amino. I used 1/8 of a cup last night but you could use a little more or add some to the dish after cooking to taste. When the quinoa is ready just mix it all together for a super healthy meal. I made enough to have it for dinner all week.

Fourdogmom's Fabulous Quinoa Recipe

This recipe doesn't have a name since I made it up. On Sundays I make a big pot and put it in little containers and I have my lunch for an entire week.

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa (2 cups cooked)
1 can Rotel type tomatoes (I use Muir Glen Organic Diced Tomatoes, Fire Roasted with Medium Green Chilies)
1 onion diced
1 red bell pepper (or any color) diced
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Chile powder and salt to taste


Put the tomatoes in a medium saucepan with an additional cup of water, chile power and salt. When it is boiling add the cup of quinoa (be sure to rinse and drain first). Lower the heat and cook until all the liquid is absorbed (15-20 min.)
While that is cooking saute the onions, garlic, and pepper in the olive oil until tender.
When everything is done mix together and add the can of black beans.
Simple to make, delicious, and very healthy. I've been doing this for several months now and haven't gotten tired of it.. My roommate loves it too and took this picture.

Blueberry, Kale and Quinoa Salad with Fresh Blueberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients

For the Salad:
2 cups water
1 cup raw quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/2 bunch kale (6-8 large leaves), stems removed
1 Tbsp avocado or olive oil, preferably organic
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

For the Dressing:
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup avocado or olive oil, preferably organic
juice of 1 lemon
1 large clove garlic, chopped

Instructions

Make the salad: Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot; add the quinoa, cover, and lower heat to a simmer. Cook for 18 minute then remove from heat and turn the quinoa into a large bowl to cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, wash and dry the kale. Chop into bite-sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl with the 1 Tbsp (15 ml) oil and salt. "Massage" with your (clean) hands by kneading and squeezing the kale between your thumb and fingers until it becomes shiny, softer and a shade darker. This will allow the kale to be digested more easily.
Add the tomatoes, red onion and blueberries to the bowl and toss.
Make the dressing: combine all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy. Pour over the salad and toss to coat. Add the cooled quinoa and toss again. Makes 4-6 servings.

I found this recipe on cookingquinoa.net The original recipe called for only 1/2 cup of quinoa which wasn't enough so I ended up making an additional 1/2 cup which seemed just right. Cameron and I enjoyed it. I'll probably wait until blueberries are on sale before making it again as it is pretty expensive. This picture is from their website. Mine didn't look like this as I used lacinato kale.

Quinoa Miso Broccoli Salad

Ingredients

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp white miso

2 tbsp rice vinegar

2 cups cooked quinoa

3 cups steamed broccoli florets, roughly chopped

2 cups baby arugula

1⁄4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1⁄4 tsp salt



Directions

To make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, miso and rice vinegar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, broccoli, arugula and sunflower seeds. Add the dressing and the salt. Toss gently until combined.

I found this recipe on the Dr. Oz website and made it a few nights ago. Cameron and I both loved it. I'm planning on making it again tonight but will probably double the sunflower seeds.

Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry

Ingredients:
1 c. uncooked brown rice
4 c. cauliflower florets
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 ½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 c. fresh peas

Directions:
1. In small saucepan cook rice according to package directions, set aside to keep warm.
2. In large saucepan cover cauliflower florets with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until tender. Drain, and set aside.
3. In large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic until just tender, apr. 2 minutes. Add carrots, and saute until tender.
4. Add ginger, curry, salt and cloves to pan, and stir to combine. Add chickpeas, tomatoes, peas, and cauliflower, and stir. Cover and cook 5-10 minutes. Serve over rice.

I made this last night and it was delicious. The only change I made to the recipe is that I served it over quinoa instead of rice. It made enough for 2 meals plus all my lunches this week. The recipe is from Chickpea Recipes: www.chickpearecipes.com

Orange and Mushroom Noodles with Kale

I made this Saturday night.  Cameron and I both enjoyed it.  I had never heard of Shiritake noodles before this but found them at Whole foods and will definitely use them again. My Chinese friend found the vegetarian oyster sauce for me at a Chinese grocery store. Of course you can always use regular oyster sauce if you aren't vegetarian. The bitterness of the kale was a nice compliment to the sweetness of the sauce. This was an easy and delicious dish.



Ingredients:

1 bunch lacinato kale
2 cups sliced shitake mushrooms
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic sliced
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, plus the zest of one orange
1/4 cup vegetarian oyster sauce (aka mushroom sauce)
1 8 oz package Tofu Shirataki noodles

Directions:

Add a couple of teaspoons of neutral oil (I used sesame) to a large saute pan.  Add mushrooms and onions.  Saute until softened.  Remove the stems from the kale and tear into bite size pieces.  Add the kale and garlic to the onions and mushrooms and cook until the kale has wilted. (about 10 minutes)

In another small pan combine the orange juice, zest, and oyster sauce and bring to a slow simmer.  Allow to simmer and reduce slightly while the vegetables cook.

Rinse the noodles and boil for about 3 minutes in another pot.

Drain the noodles and combine with the vegetable and sauce.

Pictures by Cameron

I've made this dish several times and have started adding 2 packages of noodles. I also use a cheaper more common mushroom and I can't really tell the difference.

Quinoa with Black Beans

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups vegetable or "un-chicken" broth
1 cup black beans (15 oz can) drained, rinsed
1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 small tomato
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 medium green onions chopped (1/4 cup)
1 T. fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 t. salt

Rinse quinoa and cook in broth 15-20 min.
Fluff quinoa and add remaining ingredients.

Makes 8 servings (1/2 cup each)
260 calories
3g fat
12g protein
5g sugars
45g total carbhoydrate
740mg sodium


I'm trying to find quinoa recipes that are easy and don't have a long list of ingredients. This one qualifies and was pretty good. Not as good as the one I made last week but still pretty satisfying. When I make it again I will use regular water for the quinoa. I don't think the broth added all that much to the flavor but it did add a lot of sodium. I would also add more tomato, maybe a cup or so of cherry tomatoes halved and some chopped red bell pepper.

Balsamic Marinated Tofu

Whole Foods has a tofu dish I really love, Balsamic Roasted Tofu.  Lately however it has been hard to find and the taste isn't always consistent so I decided to try and make it myself.  All I did was buy extra firm tofu, cut it into cubes, drain the water out of it and them marinate it in Balsamic vinegar and a little garlic.  Whole Foods roasts theirs but I decided to put mine in a frying pan (no oil) and just let it simmer a bit.  Mine is so much better than the WF version even though they add rosemary and roasted red peppers.  I would have done that too but I didn't have any and it really doesn't need anything else.  I made enough for 5 lunches with one block of tofu which cost me under 5 dollars so it's a real bargin too.

Spicy Crisp-Roasted Chickpeas

I found this really easy recipe on Salon.

1 can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed and thoroughly dried
¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (more to taste)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil

1.Toss everything together and spread on a baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until completely crunchy.

Three-Bean Salad with Quinoa

Here's a recipe I found on the Whole Foods website. I like it because it's vegan and because it has quinoa, my favorite grain.

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces, cooked and rinsed in cold water
1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup organic Italian dressing
1 teaspoon dried tarragon

Method
Rinse quinoa under cold running water and drain. Bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil in a small pot. Stir quinoa and a pinch of salt into water. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender and liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover and let cool. Put cooled quinoa, green beans, edamame, peppers, kidney beans, dressing, tarragon, salt and pepper into a large bowl and toss well. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Potluck #51: Holidays and Cooking and Recipes- Oh My!

For this assignment I found a recipe on the Whole Foods website for Wild Rice and Cranberry Stuffing with Walnuts. It feeds 14-16 people so I used the Recipe Ingredient Conversion Calculator http://www.fruitfromwashington.com/Recipes/scale/recipeconversions.php
to convert the recipe to feed 7-8 people.
Here is the converted recipe. The original amounts are in parenthesis.

Wild Rice and Cranberry Stuffing with Walnuts

1 tablespoon olive oil (2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon yellow onions, finely chopped (2 )
0.5 clove garlic, finely chopped (1 )
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth (7 cup)
1 teaspoon salt (2 teaspoons)
1 cup uncooked wild rice (2 cup)
1 cup uncooked basmati rice (2 cup)
1 cup dried cranberries (2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped parsley (1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon chopped thyme (2 tablespoons)
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (1 1/2 cup)

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add broth and salt and bring to a boil. Stir in wild rice, cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in basmati rice, cover and simmer until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Stir in cranberries, parsley, thyme, and walnuts, cover and cook for 5 minutes more. Season with pepper and additional salt to taste. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Transfer rice mixture to dish and bake until light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Nutritional information:

Per serving (about 7oz/212g-wt.): 330 calories (90 from fat), 10g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 380mg sodium, 58g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 12g sugar), 8g protein

Even though I hardly ever cook, I do enjoy looking at recipes online and I also love to look through cookbooks, which is easy to do when you work in the cataloging department at HCPL.

Here is a link to recipe for a Spice Cranberry Bundt Cake that I found on the Bon Appetit website: http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2008/11/spiced_cranberry_bundt_cake

This looks really yummy and I have a beautiful bundt cake pan that I bought at Williams Sonoma a few years ago. It has never been used.

Since both of these recipes have cranberries I decided to include some facts about them that I found on http://www.healthhacker.com/

Cranberries are low in calories, have zero fat and are a good source of Vitamin C.
Here are some of the health benefits of eating cranberries:
prevent bacteria in the bladder, kidneys and prostate
supports optimum urinary tract health
may prevent kidney stone
deodorize urine
have both antiviral and antibacterial properties
Here are some fun facts about cranberries:
More than 85% of the weight of cranberries is water!
Native Americans used a brewed cranberry mixture to draw poison from arrow wounds
Native Americans used cranberries as a natural meat preservative.

Vegetarian Tacos with Jicama Tortilla

Here is the winning recipe from the quick fire challenge on Top Chef last night. Not only is it vegan but it's raw. The winning dish was created by Richard Blaise.

Vegetarian Tacos with Jicama Tortilla

1 jicama, sliced super thin (use slicer)
1 avocado, mashed
1 tomato, diced
1 papaya, diced, mashed
1T coriander, cracked
1t cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped (reserve chopped stems)
Drizzle of olive oil
key lime and lime, juiced

Season jicama, avocado, tomato and papaya with spices, cilantro and olive oil; drizzle with key lime and lime juices. Roll into “faux” tacos. Plate rolled tacos and season top with cilantro stems.