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.

Broccoli Kale Fennel Soup

It's RAINING. In California! Which means it's finally time for some comfort food. Or at least the kale-infused California version.

This soup is delicious and looks beautiful too (much more beautiful in person.) Plus its one more way to prepare kale for which I'm always on the hunt.

So turn on the oven (poor/California man's heater) and curl up with a bowl of this healthy and delicious soup. You won't even have to unbutton your pants which makes it a much more "comfortable" option.

Ingredients:
1 small – medium head of broccoli
2 medium heads of fennel
2 – 3 heads of garlic
5 lacinato kale leaves, ribs removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
few heavy pinches sea salt
few heavy pinches ground black pepper
3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked for an hour (no worries if you don't have time to soak)
3 cups filtered water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
chopped fennel leaves to garnish
lemon zest to garnish

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees + line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Wash and cut the broccoli and fennel into medium sized florets/slices. Spread them out evenly on the baking sheet, with the cloves of garlic (leave the skin on) and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with sea salt and black pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes. flip the veggies and toss the kale leaves on top. Roast for about another 5 – 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cloves of garlic cool a bit and then pop them out of their skins.
Combine the raw cashews, filtered water, lemon juice and another heavy pinch of sea salt and black pepper in your blender. Blend until smooth. Then toss in the roasted broccoli, fennel, garlic + kale and blend until smooth again.*
To serve top with a dash of olive oil, chopped fennel leaves, lemon zest + black pepper.
*If your blender doesn’t have a soup setting you might want to heat the soup on the stove prior to plating and serving.

Zucchini "Fettucine" with Tomato Sauce

Zucchini noodles aren't new to me but the vegetable spiraler is! A friend posted about hers recently and as much as I wanted one I had to remind myself that I have more cooking gadgets than I can fit in my kitchen cabinets.

Then I happened to see one at William Sonoma when I was shopping for a bridal shower gift last weekend and - oops - it somehow ended up coming home with me.



If you aren't ready to invest in a vegetable spiraler you can purchase a Julianne peeler for much less and create zucchini noodles as described here.

Ingredients: (serves 4-6)
4 large zucchini or yellow squash
5 vine ripened tomatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp chopped jalapeño pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano

Directions:
Trim and peel the zucchini, then use a vegetable spiraler or Julianne peeler to create "noodles". Transfer to a colander and toss with 3/4 tsp salt; let drain in the sink. If serving cold remove and pat dry. If serving hot steam for several minutes and, this step is very important, press moisture out with a towel.
Meanwhile, peel the tomatoes using a sharp vegetable peeler. Puree 1 tomato with the olive oil, garlic, jalapeño, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper in a food processor or blender.
Roughly chop the remaining 4 tomatoes and combine with puree in a mixing bowl. If serving hot combine in a saucepan and simmer for several minutes.
Divide the zucchini among bowls and top with the tomato sauce + pine nuts, basil, oregano and salt to taste.

Chia Seed Pudding

I discovered chia seeds a couple years ago but wasn't quite sure what to do with them. From time to time I would put them in my smoothies but it seemed like a hassel and not worth what I assumed was a very minimal benefit.

However, after doing some research I've learned that chia seeds are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fabulous antioxidants that protect your body against free radicals and fight aging. They also contain significantly more protein than whole grains, and have an extremely high fiber content. Two tablespoons of chia seeds contain 11 grams of fiber (40% of your daily value!), which will keep you feeling full and satisfied while improving digestion. Just be sure to drink LOTS of water or they will have the opposite digestive effect ;)

Ingredients: (makes two)
4 tablespoons chia seeds, 1 cup coconut milk, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons honey/agave

In a small bowl or jar combine the first four ingredients. Give it a good stir and refrigerate for at least one hour. After the first thirty minutes give the mixture a stir, so it doesn't clump together. Once you're ready to eat, stir in the honey (add more if you don't think it's sweet enough) and top with your favorite fruit or chopped nuts.

Thai Red Curry with Tofu and Vegetables

If you follow my blog you know I'm not a big fan of Thai food. (And that is a HUGE understatement.) But every so often a Thai-ish recipe comes along that sounds ok and sometimes even wonderful.

Such was the case with these bell peppers. I took one look and decided I had to make them if for no other reason than they looked beautiful. But I also detected some of my favorite things like mushrooms, and zucchini.

If you're anti-soy you can substitute chicken for the tofu. Also feel free to ditch the pad Thai noodles for   zucchini noodles, perhaps left over from this anti-pasti recipe, or just make a bit more filling.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
2 oz white and/or crimini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
1 zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
8 oz organic medium or firm tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup light coconut milk or water
2 tbsp rice vinegar
4 red or orange bell peppers, tops trimmed and reserved
1 cup cooked brown rice pad thai noodles
Sea salt and black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saute pan on medium high heat, heat oil. Add onion and saute for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently until tender. Add curry paste and saute for 1 minute stirring frequently. Add mushroom and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and tofu and cook, stirring gently for 2 minutes. Add milk, vinegar, salt and black pepper and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Place bell peppers on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add noodles into the bottom of each, dividing evenly. Divide tofu mixture evenly into each bell pepper. Pace reserved bell pepper tops over top. Bake until bell pepper is tender but still holding shape, about 30 minutes.

Raw Zucchini Lasanga

It is rare that I find a dish that will please all of the different types of nutritional "lifestyles" ("it's a lifestyle, not a diet!";) that my friends follow. Some recipes are vegan-friendly, some paleo-friendly, and others gluten free. However, I think I can please almost everyone (including those who eat raw) with this lasagna recipe.

I substituted hazelnuts with the skin on for cashews so my "cheese" turned out yellow. Yours will be nice and white! Also, I cheated a little and steamed the zucchini. For a true raw lasagna you obviously wouldn't cook anything.

Ingredients:

Cashew "cheese":
2 cups raw, unsalted cashews
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Marinara Sauce:
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Medjool date, pitted
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp dried rosemary

Lasagna:
3 to 4 zucchini, trimmed, halved crossfire and thinly sliced lengthwise (I used the 2mm slicing blade on my food processor)
2 to 3 beefsteak tomatoes, thinly sliced widthwise
1/4 cup pitted black or kalamata olives, chopped

Directions:
Prepare "cheese" in a small food processor, combine cashews, garlic and salt; process into a fine powder. Add lemon juice and 1/4 cup water and process until thick and creamy.
Prepare marinara sauce in a blender, combine all marinara ingredients and blend until smooth.
Just prior to serving, arrange lasagna on individual serving plates: spread half of zucchini over bottom, followed by half of tomatoes, "cheese," marinara and olives. Repeat with remaining half of ingredients, dividing evenly.

Vegan Pancakes with Strawberries and Bananas

Pancakes aren't something I make often now that I'm low grain but I couldn't resist this delicious looking vegan recipe my cousin posted on her facebook page. Note: you can make it grain free by substituting milled flaxseed for the flour and egg whites for the coconut milk. Of course, then it won't be vegan ;)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
generous 1/4 tsp nutmeg
generous 1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 cinnamon
pinch or two kosher salt
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp maple syrup
3/4 cup warm water
oil, for skillet
strawberries and bananas

Directions:
Preheat the over to 250 degrees and grab a baking sheet. Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, coconut, baking soda, baking poder, spices and salt) in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (coconut milk, warm water, vanilla, maple syrup) and then add to teh dry ingredients. Whisk well until no clumps remain.
Preheat the skillet over medium heat and add some oil on the pan. Pour 1/4 cup of batter, per pancake, onto the skillet and quickly smooth out a circle with the back of a spoon. Cook until small bubbles appear on the surface and the bottoms of the pancakes are golden. Reduce heat if necessary. Transfer to baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
Slice strawberries and bananas for topping.

Grainless Veggie Enchiladas

First of all please let allow me to apologize for my prolonged absence. In the past month I got engaged and basically planned my entire wedding(!) During that time every moment on the internet was spent venue and vendor shopping but while away from the computer I still made time for healthy meals. (So I will try to bring you up to speed...)

One thing I've been meaning to speak to is the confusion over “no carb” diets. Carbs are found in almost everything we eat including fruits and vegetables and only the trendiest of fad diets would restrict those. In fact, in the Paleo Diet Cookbook Dr. Cordain encourages dieters to eat as much fruit as they want. (Best dieting advice I’ve ever gotten as it has also improved my digestion:)

When people say they are on a “no carb” or “low carb” diet what they (hopefully) mean is no/low grain. Eliminating or decreasing grain is the easiest way to lose weight quickly and is encouraged by many HEALTHY diets. There are many alternatives to bread, pasta, and other grains. For example, veggies (with hummus:) in place of crackers or chips, Spaghetti Squash in place of pasta and portobello mushrooms in place of hamburger buns.

Here is one more amazing no grain recipe to add to your collection:)

Ingredients:

6-8 large collard green or chard leaves
1/2 tbs coconut oil (or other cooking oil)
1 bell pepper, chopped
½  small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 med. carrot, chopped
1 med. zucchini, chopped
1 tbs chili powder
1/2 tbs cumin
1/2 can black beans
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.  Steam your greens in a veggie steamer until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the oil to a heavy frying pan and place over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and peppers and cook until the onions are translucent, about 8 -10 minutes. Add the zucchini, chili powder, cumin, salt & pepper and stir fry for 3-4 more minutes.
Add the black beans and taste to see if you need to adjust any seasonings. Set aside.
Place one leaf on a chopping block and dip the bean and veggie mixture into the middle. Roll up like an enchilada and place in a 9×11″ baking dish. Continue until you’ve used all of your greens (top with vegan cheese, if you want). Bake for 25-30 minutes and serve with guacamole and salsa.

Enjoy!