Quinoa Taco Salad

It's getting colder out which means we naturally remove ourselves from cold, albeit fresh, salads and opt for the more meatier (plant based of course) soups and rice dishes. So we've been having a lot of rice and bean dishes ... variations of the same, according to HOMY. He'd rather not eat another rice and bean dish for a few months :) !! I have been missing the greens in my diet and today when we came home with a salad box of baby spinach I decided to make a taco salad ... except HOMY is not a big fan of TVP and is fed-up with beans .. hmm? Stuck between a rock and a hard place .. not quite so because he loves Quinoa and I had the perfect idea to turn my Quinoa Chili recipe into a Quinoa Taco Meat recipe. 

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 1 cup Quinoa, rinsed and drained.
2. 1 cup Water
3. 1/2 Medium Red Onion, diced
4. 1 can (15 oz) Dark Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
5. 2 Large Tomatoes, diced
6. 2 cups Yellow Corn, steamed and ready to serve. 
7. 1 lb Baby Spinach, rinsed and ready to serve
8. 1 tbsp minced Garlic
9. 2 tsp Cumin powder
10. 2 Coriander powder
11. 1 tsp Italian seasoning
12. 1 tsp Taco seasoning
13. 2 tsp dried Cilantro leaves
14. 2 tsp Chipotle Pepper (add more, to taste)
15. 1 tbsp Light Molasses
16. 4 tbsp Soy Sauce, or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
17. Salt and Pepper, to taste
18. Salsa, as dressing, to taste.
19. Sliced Avocados or Guacamole, to taste (optional)
20. Sliced Jalapenos, to taste (optional)
21. Tortilla Strips, to taste (optional)

Directions:

In a large non-stick skillet, mix quinoa, water, red onion, and all spices and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover and allow to simmer until quinoa is cooked well (about 10-12 min). Remove cover, mix in Kidney beans and allow the excess water to evaporate until the mixture has the consistency of well-browned taco meat. Taste test and add more cumin, taco seasoning, salt and chili peppers, if needed. Split the baby spinach into 4 large salad bowls. Top off with a generous sprinkle of yellow corn and fresh tomatoes. Drop a generous dollop of taco meat in the middle, add salsa for dressing and serve. Garnish with optional taco salad toppings, if you wish. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 349 (Fat Calories 42)
Total Fat 4.7 g; Carbohydrates 65.9 g; Fiber 12.5 g; Sugars 9.7 g; Protein 17.0 g


If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Steel Cut Oat Bean Chili

One of my favorite vegan chefs out there, Chef AJ, shared a recipe on Facebook for a Steel Cut Oat Bean Chili. The picture itself oh so appetizing. The recipe was super simple. It looked like it would come together is around 30 minutes. The temperatures have been dropping all week and today .. snow was coming down in gentle flurries all day long. It was a perfect day for a bowl of chili. I even had all the ingredients on hand. It was meant to be :) 

Adapted from: www.sheknows.com (original recipe in OATrageous Oatmeals, by Kathy Hester)

Prep Time: ~25-30 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 2 cups water 
2. 1.5 tsp Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base 
3. 1/2 cup steel-cut oats
4. 1 tbsp Oregano
5. 1.5 tbsp Ground Cumin
6. 1 tsp Smoked Chipotle Chili powder
7. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
8. 1 (14.5 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 
9. 1 (14.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1-1/2 cups homemade)
10. 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
11. 1 cup frozen corn
12. 1.5 tsp Liquid smoke
13. 1 tsp Freeze-dried Cilantro leaves (or fresh)
14. Juice of 1/2 a lime (optional)
15. Salt, to taste

Directions:

I pretty much followed the directions on the sheknows.com website with the exception that I did not wait for the oats to be completely cooked before I added the rest of the ingredients. I let everything cook together which blended the flavors much better in my opinion. Bring the water and vegetable base to a boil in a heavy cast iron pot (I used my Le Creuset). Add oats, bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium and allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Then stir in remaining ingredients, bring to a boil again and reduce heat to low, cover with a heavy lid to prevent excessive evaporation and serve when the oats are completely cooked (about 20 min). I forgot to use the lime juice listed in the original recipe. And with the vegetable base I used, I didn't even need to add salt to this recipe. It turned out great!!

My Assessment: This chili was really good. I love using different grains in my chili recipes and hadn't used Oats until now. The recipe was so simple, even with my couple of substitutions and additions, anyone could throw it all in a pot and have a wholesome dinner in half an hour!! A+++ 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 242 (Fat Calories 19)
Total Fat 2.1 g; Carbohydrates 44.7 g; Fiber 9.8 g; Sugars 3.5 g; Protein 12.0 g


If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Vegetables in Creamy Cashew Sauce

Someone in my Facebook Group (Indian Plant Based Whole Food Junkies) asked earlier today for a Korma recipe without tomatoes. Now growing up in India, I remember Korma as a hearty meaty dish with lots of caramelized onions and tomatoes. But, they'd tried it at an Indian restaurant and wanted a WFPB version. So I decided to give it a try today. She recalled it being in a creamy white sauce - my guess, they just skipped the tomatoes in their recipe. 

This recipe is an adaptation of an older recipe for TVP Korma which I modified today to make the creamy white sauce. I, of course, changed up the vegetables :) but I didn't call this dish a korma as it is not a true korma in my opinion. Maybe this isn't what you were hoping for :) but that's my 2c. 

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 2 cups Green Beans
2. 1 cup Corn
3. 1 x 12 oz Pack of Extra-Firm Silken Tofu 
4. 1/2 Medium Red Onion, pureed
5. 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
6. 1/3 cup Raw Cashews, ground (I use a coffee grinder)
7. 1 cup Non-Dairy Milk
8. 1 cup Water or Vegetable Broth
9. 1 tsp Ground Cumin
10. 1 tsp Ground Cilantro Seed
11. 2-3 tsp Garam Masala
12. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Line a skillet with water and add pureed onions and 1/2 tsp of salt. Saute and caramelize onions until they are a rich dark golden color (keep a measuring cup with water handy; keep stirring the onions until they dry up and start to stick to the bottom of the pan, which is fine, add a splash of water, which will allow the caramelized onions at the bottom of the pan to soften up again. Repeat the process until the onions are are rich red color). Once onions are done, add the ginger-garlic paste and repeat the same process until the mix is fragrant (2-3 min). At this point, add beans, corn, cashew powder, 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, spices and water. Mix well, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile dice half the tofu into chunks and puree the remaining with 1/2 cup of milk. When you have a smooth creamy paste of tofu and milk, add that to the skillet, mix well and allow to simmer for another 5 min. At this point you can also add the diced tofu to the pan but be careful when mixing so as to not smoosh the pieces. When ready to serve, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and a fresh sprinkle of garam masala. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 190 (Fat Calories 78)
Total Fat 8.7 g; Carbohydrates 19.6 g; Fiber 4.2 g; Sugars 4.0 g; Protein 10.9 g


If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Savory Southwestern Oatmeal

I made this last weekend and loved it and I made it again this week for dinner when I couldn't figure out what else to make for myself at short notice (after staring at the pantry for a few minutes). Ever since I returned from my trip to India, I've been somewhat lazy and have been making either super quick meals or staring at the pantry for several minutes each night before deciding on what to make. This is another recipe that has been modified from one posted by The Oatmeal Artist and it's a definite keeper. 

Adapted from: The Oatmeal Artist: Savory Mexican Corn Oatmeal

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 1/2 cup Old-Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
2. 1/4 Small Red Onion (diced)
3. 1/2 cup Frozen Corn
4. 1/4 cup Black beans, rinsed and drained
5. 1 Medium Roma Tomato (diced)
6. 1/2 tsp Cumin
7. 1/2 tsp (Deggi) Red Chili powder
8. 1 tbsp Lemon/lime juice
9. 1 tsp Cilantro leaves, finely diced
10. Salt and Pepper, to taste
11. Hot Sauce, to taste (I used Cholula)

Directions:

Mix Oats, cumin, a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup corn with 1/2 cup water in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes, making sure to keep an eye on the bowl so that it doesn't overflow. Once the oats are done, remove from microwave, mix well and set aside. Line a sauce pan with water. On medium heat, saute onions in water until translucent. Add cumin, a pinch of salt, chili powder, the rest of the corn and mix well. Cook for a few minutes and then add black beans. Stir and simmer for a few minutes until beans are warmed up nicely along with the rest of the veggies. Remove from heat, mix with oats and corn, and lemon/lime juice (to taste). Transfer to a serving dish, top with fresh diced tomatoes and cilantro leaves. Serve with hot sauce.  Enjoy!!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 301 (Fat Calories 38)

Total Fat 4.3 g; Carbohydrates 60.5 g; Fiber 10.7 g; Sugars 6.1 g; Protein 12.0 g

Southwestern, Pan-Seared Smothered Tofu

Some days I stand in my pantry for a few minutes searching for something to make for dinner. This, despite the fact that the pantry and freezer are pretty well stocked, except at the end of the week ;) !!! I definitely wasn't expecting this on a Tuesday evening. Anyhow ... it turned out Tony had not eaten his lunch and was going to eat his leftovers for dinner. He's not a big fan of tofu so I decided that this would be my main ingredient. The rest of the recipe just kind of evolved around it, as I gathered up various items from the pantry and refrigerator. 

Southwestern, Pan-Seared Smothered Tofu

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (Serves 2):

1. 1 x 14oz Pack of Firm or Extra-Firm Tofu (cut into 4-6 strips)
2. 1 x 12 oz Pack of fresh White Mushrooms, stems removed and halved.
3. 1/2 cup frozen yellow corn
4. 1/2 cup cooked Black beans, drained.
5. 2 tsp Taco Seasoning
6. 2-4 tbsp BBQ Sauce (your favorite)
7. 2-4 tbsp Salsa (your favorite)
8. Hot Sauce (optional)

Directions:

Heat a medium cast iron skillet to high heat (a drop of water should sizzle as soon as it is added to the skillet). Toss the mushrooms with a sprinkle of table salt and add to the heated skillet and dry roast for a few minutes until the mushrooms begin to darken. Remove mushrooms and set aside. Allow all the water released by the mushrooms to evaporate and the skillet to attain a nice uniform dry heat again. Move the mushrooms to the side and add each of the tofu slices directly onto the dry heated skillet. The tofu will sizzle immediately upon placing on the skillet. Do not move each piece for a couple of minutes. This allows a seared skin to form on the tofu which allows you to turn it without crumbling it. Sear the other side in a similar manner. 

Once each piece of tofu is well seared, add the mushrooms equally across the surface of the skillet, sprinkle taco seasoning over mushrooms and tofu, and then drizzle the salsa and BBQ sauce over the entire surface.  Next cover the tofu with black beans and corn, cover, reduce heat to medium low and allow everything to simmer for 5-7 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Garnish with hot sauce and serve with fresh bread, or toast as I did. Enjoy!! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 458 (Fat Calories 85)
Total Fat 9.5 g; Carbohydrates 58.6 g; Fiber 11.5 g; Sugars 10.2 g; Protein 34.7 g

Toasted Oats Daliya

I started using Steel-cut oats, instead of Old Fashioned (Rolled) oats for my morning oatmeal not too long ago (yes, I waited too long to try the real deal). Anyhow, one of the first things that struck me about steel cut oats is how much the flavor and texture matches that of Daliya.  

Daliya is the same thing as Bulgur. For those who haven't heard of it before, it is essentially a cereal made from the groats of different varieties of wheat, most commonly - durum. It is commonly used in cuisines across Europe, Middle East and South East Asia, especially Pakistan and North India. It has a light, nutty flavor, similar to steel cut oats, which is why I decided to try out steel-cut oats in the same recipe today. 

Oats Daliya w Spinach and Mixed Veggies

Prep Time: 20-30 min

Ingredients (Serves 2):

1. 1/2 cup Steel-cut Oats
2. 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (peas, green beans, corn and diced carrots)
3. 3 cups fresh Baby Spinach (or regular spinach leaves, coarsely chopped) 
4. 1 tsp Onion Powder
5. 1 tsp Garlic Powder
6. 1 tsp Mustard Seeds (or Ground Mustard)
7. 6 fresh (or frozen) Curry Leaves
8. Salt and Pepper, to taste
9. Hot Sauce (optional)

Directions:

Toast the steel cut oats in a dry skillet, on medium to medium-high heat, until golden. What the toasting does is make them less sticky once cooked and also somewhat reduces the amount of water they need to absorb when cooked. Once golden, transfer oats to a pressure cooker. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes and then add half a cup of hot water (1 to 1 with quantity of dry oats). Cover immediately and cook under high pressure for 2 minutes. Allow steam to dissipate on its own. This works really well in an electric pressure cooker but a stove top should work just as well. Basically that half cup of water is just enough to soak and cook the oats (without making them mushy) and to generate just enough steam in the pressure cooker to last for 2-4 minutes. It all happens super fast!! Do not uncover the pressure cooker even after the steam has dissipated (make sure you turn off the 'keep warm' function, and move the stove top cooker to a trivet). Let it sit until the veggies are ready.  

Li'l Nikhil made my day he saw me take the box of Baby Spinach out of the fridge this morning. He asked me Leaves (Baby Spinach) and Dip (Balsamic Vinaigrette) for breakfast!! And then of course, he continued on to admonish me on using up all the leaves for my breakfast - "but I won't have any left for me for tomorrow!!" :)

While the oats are cooking, line the dry skillet used for toasting them with a thin layer of water and add onion, garlic and mustard seeds and frozen vegetable mix. Add a sprinkle of salt, and allow vegetables to thaw. Then mix in the curry leaves and saute until they release their aromatic oils (within 1-2 minutes). Then add the baby spinach and allow to wilt and mix everything together. 

Taste test for salt and pepper and once the vegetables are ready, open the pressure cooker, scrap the oats out with a wooden spatula (I've found that steel cut oats never get fluffy like bulgur but remain sticky). Add oats to the vegetables and toss everything really well together making sure to break up the larger pieces of crumbly oats. Garnish with freshly cut cilantro leaves and serve with hot sauce, or fresh mint chutney!

My Assessment: I liked this version of savory oats much better than the recipes I've posted before using old-fashioned oats. And of course, this is the whole, minimally processed, grain so it is much healthier as well. And it tasted just like wheat daliya :) so that was a great substitution that worked! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 218 (Fat Calories 31)
Total Fat 3.4 g; Carbohydrates 40.1 g; Fiber 7.8 g; Sugars 4.5 g; Protein 9.0 g

Savory Oats Upma

My typical breakfast for the last couple of month has been a big bowl of my Everyday Oats. This morning, I didn't have any bananas at home and that is my main source of sugars in my regular recipe. I wasn't really in the mood to add Maple Syrup or Agave to my usual recipe (it just doesn't taste as good without a banana). So I decided to make some Savory Oats Upma.

Upma is a traditional South Indian Breakfast preparation which has traditionally been made with Semolina (Rava or Suji). These days a number of variations of Upma can be found in restaurants and include wheat berries, rice, rice vermicelli, durum wheat semolina or even pearl sago. I decided to add another variation to it and made it with Old Fashioned Oats, which are also known commonly as Rolled Oats. I think this would work great with Steel-Cut or Irish Oats as well.

Savory Oats Upma

Prep Time: 15-20 min

Ingredients (1 servings):

1. 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats
2. 1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk (I use Silk Plain)
3. 1 small Red Onion (julienned)
4. 1 cup Frozen Mixed Vegetables (mine had corn, peas, carrots and green beans)
5. 2 tbsp Raw Peanuts, roasted in the microwave.
6. 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
7. 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
8. tsp Cumin Powder
9. 1 tsp Chilli Powder (I use Deggi Chilli Powder)
10. 1 tsp Ground Mustard 
11. 4-6 Curry Leaves
12. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix oats and almond milk and microwave each on high for 3 minutes; set aside. After a few minutes, mix well so that the oats are moist, yet crumbly. I used a 1:1 proportion of oats to liquid as I don't like them mushy. You can increase the liquid if you like. In a separate microwave-safe bowl, roast raw peanuts until they release some of their oils and the skins can be brushed off (microwave on high in 1 minute increments, making sure to mix with your fingers after each minute - you want to roast, not char them - that's why you can't leave them in there for 5 minutes straight). My 2 tbsp peanuts were roasted in 4 intervals of 1 minute each, with about 30 seconds in between each session. Once done, let sit for a couple of minutes to cool and then rub between your fingers or palms to remove the skins, which can be discarded. 

Line a non-stick skillet with water and add mustard seeds and ginger-garlic paste. Saute for a couple of minutes, add another splash of water and add onions. Saute until caramelized. Once done, add curry leaves, saute for another couple of minutes and then add the vegetables. Allow the vegetables to thaw, adding more water as needed and cook until the vegetables are fork tender and all the flavors are well blended. Taste test for salt and garnish with pepper. Either toss the oats in at this time and mix everything together, or serve over a bed of oats with roasted peanuts.  

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 398 (Fat Calories 125)
Total Fat 13.9 g; Carbohydrates 58.6 g; Dietary Fiber 13.1 g; Sugars 10.6 g; Protein 15.8 g

Taco Night

After a week of restaurant hopping in Texas, we returned to a home-cooked meal today. Guess what we had? Taco night!!! Yup, we didn't get enough Tex-Mex while in good 'ol Tejas so we had to have some the first day we were home. 

Taco night at the Coder Residence!!! 

I've posted about our taco fixin's before (see here). Today, we had Steamed Corn, Southwestern Quinoa, Spicy Black Beans, Sautéed Onions, Fresh Tomatoes .. and for the omni boys some taco meat and cheese.  For final toppings we had Salsa Verde and regular Medium Salsa. Everyone made their tacos with what they liked ... and everyone was happy!! No added-fat in the veggie fixins'!

Taco fixins!!! 

My Assessment: A+++ ... this might just be the most favorite dinner at the Coder residence.

Curried Kale Salad

Ummm Kale :) !!! When Tony is out, or when he's got dinner plans, I always plan for Kale. It's something he won't touch and if he's not eating dinner at home, I don't have to feel guilty about making something he won't/can't eat!! Tonight, I tried a Curried Kale Salad. 

Curried Kale Salad w Corn & TVP

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (2 Servings):

1. 1 bunch Kale, leaves torn and stems removed (about 4 cups)
2. 1 cup frozen Sweet Corn
3. 1/2 cup Brown Basmati Rice
4. 1/2 cup TVP Chunks
5. 4 tbsp Canned Crushed Tomatoes
6. 1 tbsp Garlic
7. 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
8. 1 tsp Ground Coriander seeds
9. 1" pc of Cinnamon stick
10. 3 small Bay Leaves
11. 2-3 Cloves, whole
12. Salt and Pepper, to taste
13. 1/4 cup Mrs. Renfro's Hot Jalapeno Green Salsa.

Directions:

Curried Kale Salad w Corn & TVP

Boil brown rice in ample amounts of water, drain and set aside. Do the same for TVP. Feel free to use Seitan instead as well. In a deep stock pot, big enough to hold 4 cups of kale, add crushed tomatoes and all spices. Saute for a couple of minutes and add a splash of water, if necessary. Once the spices release their aroma, add TVP or Seitan chunks and mix well. Add another splash of water and saute for a couple of minutes. Then add corn, mix well and layer kale on top. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Allow kale to wilt (about 5-7 min, it will turn dark green). Add rice to this mix, toss everything really well together, add salsa and give another mighty toss. Taste test for salt/pepper or more salsa and serve warm. 

My Assessment: I seem to love all things kale. So I'll let you be the judge of this one. It was amazing and quite filling as well. I made this into 2 huge helpings, but it could easily be 3 or even 4, if you had a bowl of soup or something else with it. My second helping is sitting in the fridge for lunch tomorrow. Yum!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 403 (Fat Calories 24)
Total Fat 2.7 g; Carbohydrates 76.0 g; Dietary Fiber 11.1 g; Sugars 9.2 g; Protein 22.7 g

Chinese Fried Rice

I seem to be on a rice kick these days. After making the Fiesta Toss-Up last night, I was still craving some rice this evening. Since Dr. McDougall, and others, promote consumption of healthy starches such as Brown Rice, I have no guilt whatsoever :) and consume rice several times a week. What I do try to do is add loads, and I literally mean loads, of veggies to my rice dishes so as to balance out the starches with fiber and nutrition. Today, I decided to make a plant-based version of Chinese Fried Rice. 

Chinese Egg (Tofu)-Fried Rice 

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients (6 BIG servings):

1. 1.5 cups Brown Basmati Rice (dry)
2. 1 recipe Happy Herbivore Basic Tofu Scramble
3. 2 pks (12 oz) Birds Eye - Steamfresh Mixed Vegetables - Corn, Peas, Carrots, Green Beans
4. 2 pks (12 oz) Birds Eye - Steamfresh Blends - Asparagus, Gold & White Corn, Baby Carrots
5. 2 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
6. 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
7. 4 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
8. Salt to Taste

Directions:

In a deep pan, bring 6-7 cups of water to boil and add brown rice. Simmer until tender and then drain and set aside. Prepare HH Tofu Scramble and set aside. I used black salt in my recipe to get the extra egg-like flavor. In a large skillet, thaw out veggies and allow any excess water to dry out. Then add the rice wine vinegar, ginger-garlic paste and soy sauce. Give everything a good toss and cook for a few minutes to allow the ginger-garlic paste to cook for a few minutes. Taste test the veggies at this stage. They should be saltier than you like them typically, because you will be adding a large amount of steamed rice. When the veggies start releasing the lovely aroma of Chinese food (its a mix of ginger and rice wine vinegar), add the steamed rice, give another good toss, and then add the HH Tofu Scramble and mix everything together. Turn off the stove, cover and let sit for a few minutes to allow the flavors to blend together. Serve warm, with freshly cracked black pepper for a garnish. 

Chinese Egg (Tofu)-Fried Rice

My Assessment: This was a great dish. Even my 17-year old step-son, who refuses to eat "my plants" enjoyed a big bowl-full. Tony loved it too (despite the fact that he abhors tofu ... he thinks I used Ener-G Egg Replacer in this recipe). 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 448 (Fat Calories 69)
Total Fat 7.7; Cholesterol 0g; Carbohydrates 72.1g; Dietary Fiber 9.0g; Sugars 12.2g; Protein 18.7g

Feisty Fiesta Toss!

So T wanted tacos and he wanted quinoa for dinner tonight. I wanted something Mexican but wasn't sure I wanted to really eat the tortillas. I knew I wanted lots of veggies and I wanted to incorporate some greens in my dinner AND I wanted rice. A tall order? Naaah ... its not THAT difficult to make tacos, veggies, rice, quinoa and greens ... heck .. I decided to mix them all together :) 

Fiesta Toss-Up

This recipe is inspired by Happy Herbivore's Vegan Taco Salad

Prep Time: 20-25 min

Ingredients (Serves 6):

1. 1 cup TVP crumbles (reconstituted) OR 1 cup Brown Lentils (Masoor Dal, steamed)
2. 1 cup Brown Rice 
3. 1 Pk Birds Eye - Steamfresh Mixed Vegetables - Corn, Peas, Carrots, Green Beans
4. 1 x 15oz can of Black Beans
5. 1 Medium Tomato, fresh, diced
6. 2 cups of Baby Spinach, fresh
7. 2 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
8. 2 tbsp Onion flakes
9. 2 tsp Minced Garlic
10. 2 tsp Ground Cumin
11. Salt & Pepper to taste
12. 2-4 tbsp Medium Salsa

Directions: 

Place TVP crumbles in a fine mesh hand-held strainer and run water over the it for a couple of minutes. This removes any TVP dust and also partially reconsititutes the TVP.  Place TVP in a skillet and add half a cup of water and all dry spices. Mix well and allow water to evaporate. Then add steamed brown rice and baby spinach and toss well. Allow the spinach to wilt. Meanwhile steam the pack of mixed vegetables in the microwave (about 5 minutes). Transfer contents of the skillet to a large bowl and add salsa, steamed vegetables, black beans and fresh diced tomatoes. Add a sprinkle of fresh cilantro leaves, if available. Toss everything together and serve warm, with freshly baked tortilla chips to scoop up the veggie loaded crumbles. For those who like tostadas, serve over corn tortillas after crisping them in the oven (flat cookie sheet, 10 min @350 F). Yum!

Fiesta Toss-Up Tostada

My Assessment: This was a great WARM way to enjoy lots of veggies and carbohydrates. If you're watching carbs (I'm not sure why anyone would!), enjoy just the toss-up without the tortillas. If you're in the mood for a burrito, wrap the toss-up into a large tortilla.  Of course, if you're in the mood for a salad, go right back to the original HH recipe !!! This was a hit even with my non-TVP eating husband!! He loved it and asked to take leftovers for lunch ... AGAIN!!! Score :)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving, with TVP): Calories 240 (Fat Calories 9)
Total Fat 1.0g; Cholesterol 0g; Carbohydrates 44.0g; Dietary Fiber 8.9g; Sugars 7.0g; Protein 15.5g

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving, with Lentils): Calories 224 (Fat Calories 10)
Total Fat 1.1g; Cholesterol 0g; Carbohydrates 45.8g; Dietary Fiber 8.8g; Sugars 5.6 g; Protein 10.5g

King Kale Pilaf

I've been looking for some different kale recipes recently and today I decided to adapt one of the interesting ones I've found recently. Being Indian, and being the daughter of a Rice-loving North Indian man, I have  always considered a warm Basmati Pilaf, or Pulao as we Indians call it, to be the ultimate comfort food. Today's recipe uses close to 8 cups of chopped Kale, for 1 cup of White Rice. With that much kale, it deserves to be called King Kale Pilaf!

King Kale Pilaf!

Adapted from: Tasty Palettes - The Colour Purple

Prep Time: 20-30 min

Ingredients (4 Servings):

1. 1 cup White Basmati rice
2. 8 cups Kale (stems removed, leaves chopped fine)
3. 1 Medium Red Onion, diced
4. 1/2 cup Frozen Peas
5. 1/2 cup Frozen Corn
6. 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
7. 2-3 pcs Cloves
8. 2-3 pcs Green Cardamom
9. 2-3 pcs Black Peppercorns
10. 2-3 pcs Black Cardamom
11. 2-3 pcs Bay Leaves
12. 1 tsp Deggi Chili Powder
13. 1-2 tsp Garam Masala
14. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Boil rice in an ample amount of water, drain and set aside. Line a deep pot with water or home-made vegetable broth and add onions. Once onions become translucent, add whole spices and saute for a couple of minutes until the aromas are released. Sprinkle a little bit of salt, mix and add corn and peas. Mix well. Then add kale in small increments and fold the vegetables and spices into the kale until everything is well incorporated. Simmer until the kale reduces in volume (about 7-10 minutes). Once most of the water is evaporated, add rice, fold everything together and garnish with garam masala and fresh cilantro leaves. Serve warm. 

My Assessment: I really liked this dish. Sauteing the kale tenderizes it immensely. The whole  spices gave it a subtle flavor without the heat and I loved how much fiber I was consuming with each bite and it almost made up for the fact that I made this pilaf with white rice :)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 283 (Fat Calories 14)

Total Fat 1.5 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Carbohydrates 60.8 g; Dietary Fiber 5.7 g; Sugars 3.6 g; Protein 9.8 g

Quinoa Upma

Upma is a South Indian Breakfast dish that is immensely popular also in the Northern parts of the country. It was also one of my Dad's favorite snacks, and my mom would make it at tea time. It is traditionally made from roasted refined semolina. Depending upon regional preferences, it may be made as a thick porridge or as a dry crumbly dish. In either case, spices and a lot of veggies are added to make it wholesome and nutritious. Some regional variations include vermicelli, pearl sago (similar to tapioca) and whole-wheat semolina. Nuts (peanuts, cashews) and coconut are often added as garnishes. 

Quinoa Upma

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (Serves 2):

1. 1/2 cup Quinoa, rinsed and drained
2. 1/3 cup Corn
3. 1/3 cup Peas
4. 1 Roma Tomato 
5. 2 tbsp Minced Onions
6. 1 tsp Garlic powder
7. 1 tsp Cumin powder
8. 1 tsp Mustard seeds (whole)
9. 1/4 tsp Turmeric
10. 1/2 tsp Deggi Chili Powder
11. Salt and Pepper, to taste
12. 1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin powder (optional)
13. 1-2 Green Chili peppers, sliced lenghwise (optional)
14. 1 tsp Cilantro leaves (fresh or dried)
15. 2 tbsp Peanuts/Cashews (optional)
16. Water or Vegetable Broth, as needed

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, add 1 cup of water to quinoa and bring to a boil, reduce heat to a slow simmer until quinoa is done, and then drain and set aside. Meanwhile, line a skillet with water or home-made vegetable broth and add minced onions, garlic, cumin, mustard seeds, turmeric and deggi chili powder. Mix well and allow to simmer for a minute or so. Add peas and corn and mix well. Allow to simmer, uncovered, until the spices are well incorporated and any extra water is evaporated. If using nuts, add them at the same time as the peas and corn. If you like carrots, you can slice some in at this stage as well. I didn't have any at home today. They make a really pretty picture when added in :) !!! Taste test the veggies at this time and add any additional spices, to your taste. Add drained quinoa and mix well, adding a splash of water or broth, as needed, to prevent sticking and burning. Once well mixed, add cilantro leaves and a sprinkle of roasted cumin powder, if you have any. All it does is add a wonderful aroma and cuminy flavor. Serve warm with or without hot sauce, or green chili peppers. I served it without any hot sauce as it tasted perfect without the added heat. I used a plump read chili pepper as a garnish for my pics :)

Quinoa Upma ... umm umm good!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 234
Total Fat 3.8 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Carbohydrates 42.8 g; Fiber 6.8 g; Sugars 5.6 g; Protein 9.8 g

* Nutrition facts are provided for the water option as vegetable broth calorie content can vary tremendously.

Curried Black-Eyed Peas

Happy New Year to all you fellow Herbies out there. It is a new year, it is time for a new veggie and since it is the first of January, I selected, not surprisingly, Black-Eyed Peas as New Veggie #63. Eating Black-Eyed Peas on New Years Day is a tradition in Southern United States and it is supposed to bring you luck to last the whole year through.  Black-Eyed peas may be served with greens (collards, mustard or turnip greens), with the peas represent coins and the greens represent paper money. In some areas cabbage may be used in place of the greens. Cornbread, often served with black-eyed peas and greens, represents gold. Some say that for the best chance of luck every day in the year ahead, one must eat at least 365 black-eyed peas on New Year's Day (that's a rather healthy serving .. I don't think I could manage that!). Black-eyed peas eaten with stewed tomatoes represent wealth and health. Whatever the reason might be, I figured if they're bringing good luck, I shouldn't pass on eating them today. 

Curried Black-Eyed Peas

The preparation I've made today is quite a traditional Indian preparation, with the exception of mushrooms and corn. I added the latter, only because I accidentally added too much salt to my preparation and need to tone down the sodium content. 

Prep Time: 20-25 min

Ingredients (4 servings):

1. 2 cups dry or frozen Black-Eyed Peas
2. 2 large tomatoes, diced
3. 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
4. 2 cups of water
5. 4 tbsp Granulated Onion
6. 1 tsp Red Chilli powder
7. 1 tsp Cumin seeds
8. 1 tsp Coriander seed powder
9. 6-8 Mushrooms, sliced
10. 2 cups frozen corn
11. Salt and Pepper, to taste
12. 1-2 tsp Garam Masala, to taste

Directions: 

Mix all ingredients in a pressure cooker and cook under high pressure for 12-15 min. Dry beans take slightly longer than frozen beans (which are pre-soaked). Once done, open the cooker, give a good stir and simmer for a few minutes until the dish has the consistency of a thick stew. Serve over brown rice, garnished with fresh or dried cilantro. Enjoy!!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 201
Total Fat 2.3 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Carbohydrates 39.4 g; Fiber 7.8 g; Sugars 4.9 g; Protein 10.4 g

Oil-Free Loaded Tostadas

So we're a family of Mexican food lovers ... all the boys including 3-year old li'l Nik Coder love tortilla chips with salsa and when asked, each one of us, will prefer to eat at a Mexican restaurant than any place else. Tacos are on our regular dinner rotation and everyone enjoys them immensely. Over the last several months, Tony has moved from making beef tacos to using ground turkey and recently even grilled chicken (the kids all still eat meat).

Since I went plant-based 9 months ago, I've tried TVP tacos, chick pea tacos, portabella mushroom tacos, squash fajita burritos and even just bean burritos. While I've always been a soft taco kinda gal ... the boys all seem to prefer crispy shells. Tony is especially fond of tostadas .. although it always bothered me to see him deep frying flour tortillas (not a very healthy option I must add!!). Now that Tony is going plant-based with me (yayy!) ... and his repertoire of plant-based foods is still somewhat limited, we've been trying to explore new foods and today was the day to try some new taco toppings. As I was getting dinner ready, he mentioned tostadas ... just in passing .. and I remembered reading this blog post a few weeks ago (I can't recall where) which talked about making baked tostadas and taco shells. And so ... taco night quickly transformed into Loaded Tostada night :)

Oil-Free Loaded Tostada

It was so superbly satisfying for me to able to serve Tostadas without even a trace of oil. All in all tonight's dinner took about 20 minutes to prepare (I multi-task well and used a combination of appliances - pressure cooker, microwave, oven and the stove). This was one of the more enjoyable dinners we've had in a long time.  Preheat oven to 375 F. Drape store-bought corn tortillas/soft tacos over an inverted muffin pan and bake for 6-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes (to allow them to crisp up a tad more) and serve warm. ... super simple and not fried or dripping oil!!  

Here's how I went about preparing each of the toppings -

Southwestern Quinoa - I use an electric pressure cooker for making Quinoa, and follow Chef AJ's technique. 1 cup Quinoa + 1.5 cup water - Cook under high pressure for 2 min, let stand for 10 min and release the steam immediately for fluffy perfectly cooked quinoa - every time. Today, I simply added 2 tsp of Taco seasoning mix to give it the southwestern kick. Or you can make Quinoa is a sauce pan too (simply use 2 cups of water for every cup of Quinoa). 

Sautéed Mushrooms - Slice 1 cup mushrooms and sauté in a skillet lined with water (or vegetable broth), with 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp soy sauce and salt (to taste) until mushrooms are tender and all the water has evaporated. 

Sautéed Corn - Thaw 1 cup frozen corn and sauté in a skillet lined with water (or vegetable broth), with 1-2 tsp Taco seasoning until all the water has evaporated. 

Refried Black Beans - Drain 1 can of plain black beans, add 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 2-3 tbsp mild salsa and microwave on high (uncovered) for 5 min. Remove, mix well with a spatula making sure to smush some of the beans while doing so. Microwave on high for another 2-3 minutes, uncovered. Or you can also do the same thing in a skillet. 

Serve with fresh salsa, freshly diced tomatoes, black or green olives, avocado and lettuce (we didn't have any today). Um mm good! 

My Assessment: I am a convert. I can most definitely say that these were so much better than soft tacos. The crispy shell adds so much more to the overall gustatory pleasure of tacos :) ... I hate to admit it ... but Tony was right all along! Tostadas are so much better than soft tacos. One more lesson I learnt from Tony today (after my tostadas were already loaded), spread the beans first then add the rest of the toppings - that helps all the other toppings stay on so much better!! Enjoy!

Oyster Mushroom Tossed Pasta

I've been eating a lot of grains and whole veggies lately and some days you just need a hearty pasta dish. I bought a few bunches of fresh Oyster mushrooms (New Veggie #14) at the store yesterday and wanted to use those maybe in a Lo-mein. 

When I got home, I only had regular spaghetti noodles (which we buy mostly for the kids). I prefer Quinoa Pasta these days and all I had was shells. So, slight change in plans - I made this lovely tossed pasta with lots of veggies instead - perfect for a summer evening !!  

I told somebody today that I've never met a mushroom I didn't love. Oyster mushrooms with their very characteristic aroma and flavor and slightly chewy texture are on top of my list of favorites. I usually further enhance the flavor of Oyster mushrooms by adding Oyster sauce. Yum!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 4-6 oz Oyster mushrooms, sliced
2. 1 cup baby spinach
3. 1/2 cup mixed frozen Veggies 
4. 4 oz Quinoa shells. 
5. 1/2 cup Vegetable broth
6. 2 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
7. 2 tbsp Liquid Aminos
8. 1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
9. 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
10. 1-2 tbsp Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
11. Freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions: Boil pasta shells and set aside until ready to toss. Line a skillet with vegetable broth and add ginger-garlic paste. Once that is fragrant, add the liquid ingredients (except the Oyster sauce) and stir well. Next add the baby spinach and allow to wilt (2-3 min). Once the spinach is wilted, add the remaining  veggies and toss for a couple of minutes until thawed. 

Add the pasta shells and toss again. Add the oyster sauce at the very end, and garnish with freshly cracked black pepper after a quick (and final) toss!! Enjoy!!

Nik's Reaction: This one was another hit. He didn't much care for the mushrooms (more for me!) but ate the shells and veggies with gusto!! Yay!

Gimme more .. Tortilla Soup!

Like most people I am a repeat offender :) I go back again and again to my most favorite recipes and I like to call these select favorites ... the gimme mores :) 

Tonight's gimme more was Vegetarian Tortilla Soup. I made a double batch, blended it with my stick blender  to make the creamy version. I used fresh cilantro from my herb garden and ate it as the entrée. I ate it by itself, but this soup is great also when scooped out with some tortilla chips. 

LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!

15-min Barley & Vegetable Soup

This past weekend I attended a lecture and cooking demo in Dublin, OH by Julieanna Hever and Chef AJ. Julieanna gave an excellent talk aimed at debunking the myths around plant-based cuisine and Chef AJ followed that up with No S-O-S (salt-oil-sugar) cooking demo where she made a couple of excellent soups, a quinoa salad, and also some yummy truffles. For her split pea soup, made from scratch, she used an electric pressure cooker and she set the timer, to just 6 minutes. The soup was superb. That inspired me to use my stove top pressure cooker tonight to make this Barley & Vegetable Protein soup ... and from start to finish - from the moment I turned the stove on .. to when I served it into a bowl, this recipe literally took just 15 minutes. 

Prep Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

1. 1/3 cup Quick Barley (I used Quaker Oats brand)
2. 1/3 cup TVP crumbles, rinsed
3. 1/3 cup Split & Skinned Mung dal (green lentils)
4. 1 large onion, coarsely diced
5. 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely diced
6. 1/2 cup frozen corn
7. 1 pk (0.5oz) dried Shiitake mushrooms 
8. 5-6 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos
9. 1/2 tbsp Roasted Cumin powder
10. 1/2 tbsp Penzey's Sweet Curry Powder (or use Garam Masala, instead)
11. 1 tsp Roasted Garlic salt
12. 1 14-oz can No-Sodium Vegetable broth
13. 2 cups water
14. 6-8 fresh basil leaves, for garnishing.

Directions:

Before doing anything else, place 2 cups of water and all the vegetable broth in the pressure cooker and turn  the stove on high to get the water going. Meanwhile rinse barley, TVP, lentils and mushrooms and mix in the broth. Add frozen corn. Dice onions and tomatoes and add to the cooker. Then add all the dry spices (except the salt).  By the time I had everything diced and added in the 2.5 cups of water in the cooker was at a rolling boil. Close the lid, keep the stove on high, and allow the cooker to come to a full steam pressure (about 4-5 minutes). Allow to sit at that pressure for 2 minutes and then turn off the steam. Using a spoon, lift the pressure regulator weight and release all the steam. Make sure to stay away from the gushing steam because it will scald you pretty bad. Once all the steam has been released, open lid immediately and mix. Do a quick taste check for salt, and if needed, sprinkle a small amount. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and serve steaming hot. 

My Assessment: Super quick dinner and a hearty one at that. This soup is so thick and rich and chewy, it didn't need any accompaniments at all. The barley was nice and nutty. The dal and the TVP made its texture creamy and I loved the flavor of shiitake mushrooms. Feel free to add more veggies, as you see fit to adapt this recipe to your taste. I used what I had in the freezer on this Thursday evening!! Lovely dinner ... and leftovers for later! Perfect week night dinner!

Jalapeño Cornbread ... a fond old TX memory!

Since I moved away from Austin, TX over 6 years ago, I've often missed all the lovely food that I enjoyed over the years. Some of the things I've missed are Breakfast Tacos from a small shack on Airport Blvd, Mexican Martinis from Trudy's, Coffee & Desserts from Mozart's Cafe, Tofu and Mushrooms from Veggie Heaven and Pad Thai from Madam Maam's on Guadalupe St., Red Potatoes from Rudy's and many many more - including the cornbread muffins from Threadgill's. These fresh-from-the-oven wonders were delivered at each table within minutes of arriving. They were tiny (by mid-western standards) muffins, had just a hint of sweetness and a sprinkling of red and green peppers (jalapenos!) inside. The sweet and spicy flavor is what I've remembered and missed over the years. A quick Google search revealed that there are plenty of versions of The Original Threadgill's Corn Muffin recipe. My quest for this weekend was to find a plant-based cornbread recipe and modify it to be as close to Threadgill's as possible.

Corn bread w Corn Salsa

Prep Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients & Directions: I followed a recipe for 'Bayou Cornbread' recipe from the Everyday Happy Herbivore cookbook and added a tablespoon of raw sugar for the hint of sweetness and added 1/8 tsp of Cayenne pepper and 1 jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and minced super fine. I baked it in a pre-heated cast iron skillet exactly as described. I served it warm with a peppery sweet corn salsa (Kroger Private Selection). Great breakfast ... and even better ... leftovers!! :)

Nik's Reaction: Nik, do you want to try some of mom's cornbread? NO!! :)

My Assessment: I liked it. This no-fat version takes longer to get the golden color on the top so I broiled it for a few minutes to get it nice and golden on top - but the bottom definitely had better color on it. Overall, it came pretty close to what I remember as the Threadgill's taste. I plan on adding some more jalapeno the next time while keeping the sugar at 1 tbsp only. I hit the nail on the head with the right amount of sweetness!! 

Creamy Tortilla Soup

This past weekend, I finally invested in a KitchenAid Stand/Stick blender. I hate digging my jar blender or food processor out for small tasks and invariably would end up whisking/mashing/fork mixing foods that required blending. I used my new gadget tonight and my, oh my!!! I am so in love with it already .. and also with my Vegetarian Tortilla Soup. I followed my old recipe to a tee and then in the end, used my new stick blender on it until it was nice and smooth and creamy. 

Creamy Tortilla Soup

Nik's Reaction: Being all of 2 years and 9 months old, he wasn't sure exactly how to eat soup from a bowl. But when I showed him how to dip his tortilla chips in it .. he loved it!! He spent the next 15 minutes double & triple dipping his chips and sucking on them until soggy (kinda gross ... but he ate the soup!!)  

My Assessment: I LOVED IT!!! I know its my own recipe, & I'm a tortilla-soup addict ... but this turned out really good!! All I added as a garnish was freshly ground black pepper and some crushed nacho chips!!

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Update March 3, 2012: We had leftovers from last night for dinner this evening and since T was home, I added some shredded chicken to his bowl and the soup was a hit with him as well :) ..!!