Artichokes and Parsley with Quinoa

A friend asked for vegan recipes recently and I realized I don't have many. As I'm *mostly* grain free these days (I qualified this sentence because I somehow came home from the grocery store without quinoa and had to substitute with faro) it's hard to also be meat, dairy and egg free.

However, I enjoy being creative and as I also love vegetables (artichokes being one of my favorites) this was a relatively easy feat.

Happy meatless monday!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped spring or sweet onion
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 cup chicken, vegetarian chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
5 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and thyme; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add artichokes; sauté 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add broth and quinoa; bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 18 minutes or until liquid is completely absorbed.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in parsley, rind, juice, and salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Bacon Cheddar Cauliflower Chowder

I have never cared for cauliflower. So flavorless, so boring. But when I discovered several years ago that I could substitute it for things I once loved but no longer eat - like mashed potatoes and pizza crust - I was an instant convert. This chowder replaces super starchy potatoes with much less starchy cauliflower and cuts the calories in half. In my book that means you can add a little extra bacon and cheese :) Enjoy!

Ingredients:
8 slices center-cut bacon, chopped (half used for garnish)
1/2 small onion, chopped OR 1 teaspoon onion powder
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper
4 cups shredded or grated cauliflower (1/2 large head)
2 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth, divided
2 cups 2% milk
3-4 dashes hot sauce (or more or less)
2-1/2 cups (12oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided (half used for garnish)
2 green onions, chopped (optional)
Start the Bacon-Cheddar Cauliflower Chowder by chopping 1 celery stalk and 2 garlic cloves. (I used my food processor.) Remove the celery and garlic to a plate or bowl, then add 1/2 head of cauliflower to the food processor and pulse to "rice." This should equal 4 cups.
Next, chop up 8 strips center-cut bacon, to be used in both the chowder and as a garnish. Then grate 2-1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese to be used in both the chowder, and as a garnish.
Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and let it cook low and slow until it’s nice and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, then remove all but 1 Tablespoon drippings from the pot.
Next add the chopped celery and garlic, season with salt and pepper, then saute until the celery is nice and tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the riced cauliflower to the pot, along with 1 teaspoon onion powder and 2 Tablespoons water, then season with more salt and pepper, and place a lid on the pot to steam the cauliflower until tender. This will take between 5-7 minutes, continue to stir.
Once the cauliflower is tender, add in 1-3/4 cup chicken broth and 2 cups 2% milk. Also throw in a dash (or many dashes) of your favorite hot sauce. This will give the chowder a fabulous flavor, and pretty orange color.
Bring the chowder up to a boil then slowly drizzle in 2 Tablespoons flour whisked into 1/4 cup chicken broth while stirring constantly. Finally, turn off the heat then stir in 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese until smooth, then stir in half the cooked bacon. Taste, then add more salt, pepper, and/or hot sauce if necessary. Ladle the thickened, cheese and bacon-laced cauliflower chowder into bowls, then top with remaining shredded cheese, cooked bacon, and sliced green onions.

Cajun Jambalaya

I went through a weird phase recently (well, it actually lasted about six months) where I had a total aversion to shrimp. I mean the thought of eating it just didn't appeal to me AT ALL. And this was a bummer considering I have always loved shrimp.

I saw this recipe in a magazine recently and thought OMG...shrimp...delicious! So I credit this recipe for resurrecting my love of shrimp. The other "weird" phase I've been undergoing for, oh, three years now is avoiding grain whenever possible. For that reason I made my jambalaya grain free. But for the southerners who are horrified by this modification I have included rice in the preparation below.

Enjoy!

Ingredients: (serves 4)
1/2 lb raw shrimp, 26/30 size, peeled and deveined, tail on
4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into 1-inch pieces
1 all-natural low-sodium turkey sausage, sliced
1/2 medium white onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and discarded, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 1/2 medium vine-ripe tomatoes, cored and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp salt-free Cajun seasoning
1 cup all-natural instant brown rice
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a large mixing bowl, toss together all ingredients except cooking spray, mixing well until combined.
Prepare 2 foil pouches. Spray each piece of foil with cooking spray. Divide mixture evenly among both pieces of foil and seal.
Place pouches on a baking tray and slide onto middle rack of preheated oven for 25 minutes or until rice and proteins are fully cooked. (NOTE: When cooked, rice will be soft and proteins will be firm and opaque.) To test for doneness, carefully open 1 pouch and taste a few grains of rice from the center of the pouch. If necessary, close pouch and return to oven for 5 more minutes.
Carefully open pouch and pour mixture into a large serving bowl; serve immediately.

Plantain Chip Nachos

I've never been much of a nacho person, even in my grain eating days, so I certainly haven't made a habit out of eating them in recent years. However, there is a sports bar called Mo's Place or "Mo's" near our home in Playa Del Rey (rumor has it the Simpsons writers lived in PDR and were inspired by Mo's to create Moe's Tavern) that has the most AMAZING nachos. Thank god I'm not a college football or NFL fan or I would be in there a lot more often.

On that note, I recently heard the term "homegating" (I guess this is tailgating for lazy people?) and decided these nachos would be PERFECT for such an event. Like regular tortilla chips I imagine the plantain chips would get soggy in transport so best to serve them right out of the oven.
Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 ounces plantain chips (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
1/4 cup chicken or beef taco meat
1/3 cup shredded cheese
2 tablespoons salsa
1/2 avocado, diced
2 tablespoons slice black olives
other toppings: guacamole

Instructions:
Set the oven to broil and position a rack in the center of the oven.
Lay a sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet and spread the plantain chips in a single layer on a top. Cover with meat and cheese.
Broil for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the chips have slightly browned on the edges. If the cheese is not melting, close the oven door for a few seconds but watch it closely so the chips don’t burn.
Top with salsa, avocado, and olives.