Favorite Summer Salad: Quinoa, black bean, and avocado

Why is this my new favorite summer salad?  Simply, its a chilled salad.  And it hits the right spot on hot days where the last thing I want to do is turn on the stove or oven.  I would also consider it the superman of salads because everything you need is in one bowl:  it has quinoa, beans, tomatoes, avocados, and red peppers tossed in a lime cilantro dressing.  It is a complete protein with healthy fats and lots of veggies.  And you can make it in less than 20 minutes!! What more could you ask for (a whole watermelon...not shown because I ate it!).  I will be making this at least once a week for the duration of the hot season (anything above 80 degrees feels like Death Valley in Seattle because no one has AC).  I would pair this meal with a good popsicle!  Enjoy.

Quinoa, black bean, and avocado salad (adapted from "Womens Health")

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups halved grape tomatoes or coarsely chopped regular tomatoes
1 avocado, pitted and diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup cilantro leaves
1 lime, juiced
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp lime zest
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt

To make the quinoa: Just combine 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water or broth, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.  Set aside or chill until ready to use.

Combine quinoa with black beans, tomatoes, peppers, and avocado.  In a food processor, combine all the dressing ingredients: cilantro, lime, olive oil, zest, garlic, salt and pepper.  Pulse until combined.  Pour over salad ingredients, toss to combine, and chill until ready to eat.

Hummus, the cheater way

 

Hummus is one of my favorite dips.  I am a serious late-night snacker, so it is important to have good snacks on hand or else I go crazy and just carry around a bag of chocolate chips and an open cereal box (preferably those sugary ones that portray themselves as being part of a balanced breakfast).  For the past few months we have been gorging on Costco hummus, but we can go through a carton of that in about two days, so I decided I would start making hummus again to save money, and because its nice to act on a craving of hummus at 11 pm without having to go to the store.  Hummus is intimidating for a lot of people because of a little ingredient called "tahini" which is exotic and expensive.  But what to do if you have no tahini?  I have found a near perfect cheater ingredient that I always have on hand and that makes fabulous hummus-- peanut butter.  Since tahini is just sesame seed butter, a good natural peanut butter makes a remarkable substitute, especially in this recipe which calls for garlic, lemon, and cumin (nice strong flavors).

Cheater Hummus

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 TBSP natural peanut butter
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/4- 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP olive oil

throw all ingredients in a food processor and whirl away until nice and smooth.  You can adjust the ingredients to taste or add more or less olive oil to control the fat count.  If it is too thick, stream in a little water and puree for a few more seconds.

The Best Chili (Vegan or not!)

I have been reading this awesome book "Eat and Run" written by Scott Jurek an ultrarunner.  It is the story of his path to greatness in both food and feet.  He intersperses his personal account with vegan recipes and running tips.  I highly recommend it.  I have just started testing his recipes out, and this first one completely "bowled" me over.  In his book he cites this recipe as the one that convinced him that he could be a happy vegan.  It is a vegan chili made with a myriad of chunky vegetables, three kinds of beans, bulgar wheat (which makes it feel especially "meaty"), and lots of warm spices.  It tastes fantastic.  I dare you to take it to your next chili cook-off.  I bet it could beat the pants off of any of those plain jane chilis.

Minnesota Winter Chili

2 TBSP olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped onion
8-10 mushrooms, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1 jalapeno seeded and minced
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 TBSP chili powder
2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato puree
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dry bulgar wheat
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Add the oil to a large pot and saute the vegetables until tender (about 10 minutes).  Add the spices and saute for another minute or so.  Add the remaining ingredients except the cilantro and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer over medium-low heat, covered, for about 30 minutes.  Stir and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.  Season with salt to taste.  Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.  Watch it disappear!

My award winning "you won't feel awful" Falafel burger

That is right-- this is an award winning burger (though it is not shown with its bun counterpart in this picture). Last Saturday night Richard and I went to a "build a better burger" contest and I brought a falafel burger to represent the vegetarians of the world and because, well, I haven't bought ground meat in almost three years.  I knew I couldn't just bring out the same awesome burger I made last year.  I really wasn't expecting this mediterranean spiced patty to be able to compete with a thick juicy sirloin burger topped with cheese and chipotle mayo (mmmm, I got to admit, sometimes I really just want a nice juicy burger), but everyone really loved it and it came away with second prize!  I recommend serving the "burgers" in pita bread with a large dollop of the cucumber yogurt sauce.    They are another super cheap way to eat well and eat healthy!

And did I say award winning....

Falafel and cucumber sauce (adapted from allrecipes.com)

2 (15 oz) cans garbanzo beans, drained
1 large onion  coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh parsley
4 cloves garlic
2 eggs
4 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp baking powder
2 TBSP olive oil
2 cups dry panko bread crumbs

1 cup plain yogurt (preferrably greek)
1/2 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 tsp dried dill
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Pulse garbanzo beans in a food processor until coarsely ground.  Empty into a large bowl.  In the same food processor, blend the onion, parsley and garlic until smooth.  Add to the garbanzo beans.  Add in remaining ingredients except for the bread crumbs and mix well.   Slowly add the bread crumbs to the bean mixture until the mixture is no longer sticky but will hold together.  Add more or less crumbs as needed.  Shape mixture into 8 patties and roll in some extra panko bread crumbs.  Set aside on a baking sheet until ready to fry.

Heat a couple of TBS olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Fry the patties until crispy and brown on both sides and cooked through (4-5 minutes each side?).

For the cucumber sauce, just combine the yogurt, cucumber, dill, and salt and pepper.  Chill until ready to use.

Serve your falafels hot with pita bread and cool cucumber sauce!

Crockpot refried beans

This is perhaps the most used recipe in our house.  I make a huge pot of these beans at least every other week, if not more.  We eat it throughout the week and it never gets old.  It is also the recipe that requires the least effort (about two minutes of prep total).  It only takes slightly more effort than opening a can of refried beans, but tastes infinitely better.  It also ends up being fat free!  And if you are wondering how to get enough protein in your diet without meat, you need look no further than beans.  I LOVE BEANS!  And they love me, and like that little black dress in your closet, they go with everything!  This recipe makes a lot, so feel free to half it!

Refried beans
1 onion peeled and halved
2 lbs of dry pinto beans (no need to rinse or sort or soak)
1 jalapeno, halved
2 TBSP minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 TBSP chili powder
9 cups chicken broth (or 9 cups water with 9 chicken flavored bouillion cubes)
3 cups water

Directions:
Basically, dump everything into a crockpot and cook on high for about 6-8 hours and then puree with an immersion blender (onion, jalapeno, and all).  You can add more water if needed.  Easy, right?

Southwest Stuffed Peppers

I have been out of town with my family for the past week.  On our vacation, we had the opportunity to eat at a real vegetarian restaurant in Victoria, BC called "Rebar" and it was awesome!!  The funny thing is that as we were considering where we should eat, I found myself thinking the same stereotypical anti-vegetarian thoughts that I usually make fun of: "Will I feel satisfied?," "Will the food be weird?,"and "I think there is a Fatburger down the street..."  Richard and I ordered an amazing curry dish and an almond burger with sweet potato fries.  We left feeling full and awesome!
This recipe is not from that restaurant. I picked this recipe because I had some leftover rice and this is my go-to recipe for leftover rice. I combine rice, beans, tomatoes, corn, cheese and some awesome spices and bake them in bell peppers.  And when I feel like it, I smother them in enchilada sauce before baking.  Did you know that rice and beans together make a complete protein? I am not sure WHY that is good, but I have been told that it is, so I repeat that rice and beans together make a complete protein.  And this is a versatile recipe because you could put pretty much any combination of ingredients inside that pepper and it will probably taste good.

Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers (adapted from Our Best Bites)

4 large bell peppers (whatever is cheapest, but red tastes best)
1-2 cups rice or quinoa (I just add however much I want proportionately in the mixture)
1 TBS olive oil
1/2 onion diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 jalapeno (or a whole one, if you like more heat)
4 oz canned mild green chilies (or 1 canned chipotle chili, if you like more heat)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I sometimes add two cans)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup of grated cheese (cheddar, jack, colby...whatever)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
juice of half a lime
salt and pepper to taste
red enchilada sauce (optional)

 Preheat oven to 350. Slice the tops off of your bell peppers and remove the insides.  Boil the whole peppers in a large amount of water for about 3-4 minutes.  Remove from water, drain, and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add onions, garlic, jalapeno, and any chilies and cook until softened (about 5 minutes).  Add corn, beans, green onions, chili powder, and salt and pepper.  Cook for another 5 minutes and then remove from heat.  Add in rice, tomatoes, cilantro, and cheese.  Stir to combine, and then add in the lime juice.  Adjust the seasoning to taste, adding in more salt or spices if you want.  Divide the mixture between the bell peppers.  At this point, you can put a little more cheese on top, or you can smother the peppers with enchilada sauce and then add more cheese on top-- however you like it.

Bake for 25 minutes in prepared oven.  Tonight we had them with a dollop of sour cream and some fresh pineapple on the side.  Yummm.

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Spanikopadilla (Greek quesadillas) and hearty greek salad

One secret about Anna, is that she will eat anything if it is contained in a tortilla with cheese.  Naturally, I was stoked when I found some recipes in a magazine that were all interesting variations of the quesadilla.  This was the first that I tried.  The filling is a mixture of sauteed spinach, feta cheese, a little egg, and some mozarella.  I paired our substantial quesadillas with a greek salad that contains bulgar wheat, garbanzo beans, tomatos, cucumbers, and cilantro with a lemon/dill vinagrette.  Feel free to add feta or olives to the salad or top it with some home made tzaziki sauce (yogurt cucumber sauce-- also good as a dip for the quesadillas). 

Spanikopadilla Recipe

olive oil
10 oz baby spinach
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 tsp minced garlic
1 large egg
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp dried dill or 2 TBSP fresh dill
1 tsp dried parsley or 2 TBP fresh parsley
2/3 cup feta cheese (or however much you want!)
4 or 5 flour tortillas
3/4 cup shredded mozarella

Heat oven to 425, saute the spinach in a little olive oil until it has wilted and significantly reduced in size (a few minutes).  Take it out of the pan and set aside to cool. Once cooled, squeeze out the spinach to get rid of excess water.  Meanwhile, in the same pan, saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil for a few minutes until softened.  Add to the spinach in a large bowl.  Add the egg, feta, and all spices.  Gently combine.

Arrange tortillas on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle a little mozarella on half of each tortilla, then evenly distribute the spinach/feta mixture among each tortilla on top of the mozarella.  Sprinkle a little more mozarella on top of the spinach mixture, then fold the tortillas in half over the filling.  Brush the tops with just a little olive oil and bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes (depending on how crispy you want them) on the top rack in the oven.

Greek Salad

3/4 cup bulgar wheat
3/4 cup boiling water
1 can garbanzo beans
1/2 of a red bell pepper diced
1/2 cucumber chopped large
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tomatoes chopped large
1/2 cup cilantro chopped (or parsley, or dill, or basil, or mint...whatever you have on hand)
2 TBSP olive oil
3 TBSP lemon juice (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp dried basil
feta cheese, olives (optional)

In a large bowl, pour the boiling water over the bulgar wheat and let stand until the bulgar soaks up the water (about 30 minutes).  Let cool.  Once cool, add the bell pepper, tomatoes, beans, cucumber, green onions, and cilantro.  In a small jar with a lid, combine the dressing ingredients-- olive oil, lemon juice, salt pepper, and dried spices.  Shake until combined and then pour over the salad.  I like to add a little more lemon juice at this point, and when I have it on hand-- some feta cheese and sliced olives.  Refrigerate for a few hour or until ready to serve.

Veggie burgers

The ultimate veggie burger (in my humble but correct opinion), and the best place to start if you are wanting to add in more meatless entrees into the rotation. You won't be dissapointed.
This was what we ate Superbowl Sunday. Veggie burger (from "the Food Network"), baked sweet potato fries (from "Our best bites") and a curred pea and cabbage cole slaw (from "Allrecipes.com"). So good. I entered it in a burger competition (okay, so it was just a bunch of friends), and I got 4 votes for best burger. Even meat eaters like it.

adapted from "Morgan's Veggie Patties"
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup diced black olives
1/2 cup diced red bell peppers
1 diced jalapeno
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/4 cup diced artichoke
1 can black beans, drained
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 can white beans, drained
2 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 TBSP dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3 eggs

Basically, just saute all the veggies in olive oil until tender, and then let them cool. Add the veggies to the beans and all the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. I like to mash this together and mix it with my hand, kind of smashing the beans into the mixture along the way. If it seems too wet, add a little more bread crumbs. It won't look perfect because the beans will still look like beans.

Shape into large patties and place on greased baking sheet, and then chill for about a half hour. It will help the patties to firm up and they will hold together better when you cook them.

I have had great success both with baking and frying. Usually I fry these in a little canola oil-- a few minutes on each side (depending on the size of the patty). The recipe makes quite a few veggie burgers (unless you make them huge), and from what I hear they freeze well. So go at it.