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!

Roasted Cauliflower & Spinach Salad

This evening while driving home from work I knew I wanted to use that head of cauliflower in the fridge for dinner. After not cooking cauliflower because of some mistaken notion that it would stink up my house for many many years, I've come to really love the flavor, aroma and taste of simple Roasted Cauliflower. Cut up the florets, toss the cauliflower in a gallon bag with a splash of water and whatever spices you like, toss everything together and then spread it all out on a cookie sheet and broil on high for 10-12 minutes. Umm mmm good!! Here's my standard Roasted Cauliflower recipe. 

As I was dreaming of my roasted cauliflower .. I was also dreaming of my box of baby spinach and the awesome batch of homemade hummus I made the other night! I guess I was hungry :)!!! Soon after getting home, I found a recipe I knew I could adapt to my tastes and preferences (umm no oil!), use the ingredients I'd been dreaming about and have it turn out great!! 

Adapted from: Modern Family Cooking

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 1 head of Cauliflower (any color, about 2 cups of florets)
2. 1 x 15oz Canned Chickpeas, rinsed and 
3. 4 Mini Cucumbers, sliced (about 1 cup)
4. 1 Bell Pepper (any color, preferably Red or Orange), diced
5. 1/2 cup Quinoa, pre-cooked in water and chilled. 
6. 3 cups Baby Spinach
7. 4 tbsp Homemade Hummus* (plain or roasted red pepper) (or more, to taste)
8. 1/2 cup Cold Water
9. 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
10. 3 drops of Liquid Smoke
11. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375° F.  Whisk hummus, liquid smoke and 1/2 cup of iced water in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside. Transfer drained and rinsed chickpeas and cauliflower (cut into small bite-sized florets) into a gallon zip lock bag with nutritional yeast, freshly cracked black pepper and about a third of the thinned out hummus. Close bag and toss everything together until the cauliflower and chickpeas are well coated with the hummus. Transfer to a rimmed cookie sheet and broil on high for 10-12 minutes until the tips of the cauliflower start to caramelize and char. Meanwhile in a large bowl, mix diced pepper, baby spinach. sliced cucumbers and quinoa and toss well with hands. Sprinkle liberally with freshly cracked black pepper. Once the cauliflower and chickpeas are ready, remove from oven and set aside for just a minute. Add remaining thinned out hummus to the bowl with greens and quinoa and toss well, top off with roasted veggies, toss and serve immediately. This salad makes 4 side-salad sized servings, or 2 large dinner-sized salad servings! Enjoy!

My Assessment: Tony wants me to make this for our Friendsgiving dinner which we celebrate a weekend after Thanksgiving every year. I guess in my head, hearing that from a self-proclaimed hummus-hater, this recipe is a hit!!! :)

Home-made Hummus*: Blend one can of chickpeas (rinsed & drained) with 1/2 to 2/3 cup water, 2 cloves of garlic, 1-2 tbsp Tahini (sesame seed butter, optional) and 2-3 tbsp lemon juice until smooth. Add more water, as needed to make a smooth paste. Store refrigerated for up to a week. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 205 (Fat Calories 26)

Total Fat 2.9 g; Carbohydrates 37.0 g; Fiber 8.8 g; Sugars 4.0 g; Protein 12.4 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!

Mediterranean Chickpea Pilaf

Most of the regular visitors to my blog know that I love rice. I grew up eating it. Its a staple in my diet. While I am okay with almost any kind of rice and have actually come to prefer Brown Basmati rice, my dear husband is not a big fan of anything other than white rice. So often, when I'm making a rice-based entrée, I'll use White Basmati rice. My way-around, adding more fiber and lowering the starch content is to add lots of beans and lentils and vegetables to most dishes. 

Prep Time: 20-30 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 2 x 15 oz Cans of Chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
2. 1 cup White Basmati Rice
3. 1 x 10 oz Fresh Baby Spinach
4. 2 cups water.
5. 4-5 tbsp Tomato Paste
6. 1 tsp Onion Powder
7. 1 tsp Garlic powder
8. 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
9. Salt & Pepper, to taste
10. 1/3 cup Raisins (optional)

Directions:

Line a heavy lidded stock pot (preferably cast iron) with a half a cup of water and add tomato paste, spices and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Add baby spinach to the pot, reduce heat to medium low and cover for 5 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt. Mix well. The spinach will release its water and the mix at this point will look like a thick gravy. Add rice and raisins (optional), mix well and add 1.5 cups of tap water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and cover with lid, with just a slight gap (couple of millimeters) to allow some steam to escape. Cook for about 8-10 min until rice is bite-tender. At this point, cover the pot completely with its lid, turn off the stove and let the pot sit on the stove for about 10 more minutes. This will allow any residual bite in the rice to cook and will also allow any excess water to be absorbed by the rice. This step is a good one to follow for any rice based dishes. This last 10 minutes makes for a fluffy pilaf. Serve garnished with freshly cracked black pepper. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 348 (Fat Calories 38)
Total Fat 4.2 g; Carbohydrates 69.7 g; Fiber 9.3 g; Sugars 3.5 g; Protein 13.9 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!

One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

In the past several weeks, I've come across several posts across several different plant-based groups and Pinterest boards raving about this One Pot Wonder Tomato Basil Pasta. The pictures were amazing as was the overall recipe. On this lazy Sunday morning it seemed like the perfect day to try out this recipe. I searched online for the original post so that I could appropriately credit the original author .. and here's how my version turned out!! 

One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

Adapted from: Apron Strings - One Pot Wonder Tomato Basil Pasta

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 8 oz Linguine (I used a rice-based gluten-free pasta)
2. 1 can Diced Tomatoes, with liquid
3. 1 large Sweet White Onion, julienned
4. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
5. 2 tsp Dried Oregano
6. 2 large Springs of fresh Basil, whole leaves
7. 4.5 cups of Home-made Vegetable Broth
8. 1 tsp salt, to taste
9. 1 lb fresh Baby Spinach

Directions:

Throw all the ingredients into a large pasta pot, including the uncooked pasta. I kept the spinach out because I didn't want the leaves to turn to mush. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 10-13 minutes until the pasta is cooked. There is no need to drain the pasta. The starch from the pasta is what gives this dish is characteristic warm soupiness. Don't leave the Basil out if you've worried about it losing its essential oils and flavors. Cooking it all in one pot mixes up all the flavors and gives it a awesome flavor which will be a wonderful thing to look forward to in the cold winter months. I added the Spinach once everything else was cooked and then covered everything and let it sit for another 5 minutes (to allow the spinach to wilt). Then I tossed everything together before serving in deep pasta dishes, with a generous sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper. 

Modifications from the original recipe: 

1. I did not use red pepper flakes as my 4y old was going to eat it
2. I added a pound of baby spinach
3. 1 did not use any oil (the original recipe called for 2 tbsp).

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 229 (Fat Calories 18)
Total Fat 2.0 g; Carbohydrates 43.8 g; Fiber 4.9 g; Sugars 4.7 g; Protein 11.3 g

Spinach and Tofu Panini

HH Tofu Scramble

Tofu Panini

I made HH Tofu Scramble for breakfast this week and had a bunch of leftovers. I usually modify the basic recipe by adding tomatoes, black beans and a ton of cilantro. I didn't have any black beans yesterday and I used some extra Nutritional Yeast to make the preparation extra-cheesy. Since I'm the only one in my house that'll eat tofu (imagine that!), I had to either re-purpose the leftovers or eat the same thing all over again. I opted for re-purposing .... as ooey gooey cheesy Paninis. 

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 1/2 recipe tofu scramble
2. 2 slices of bread
3. ~1/2 cup of Spinach

Directions:

Spread a thin layer of leftover tofu scramble on one slice of bread and top off with the spinach leaves. Spread remaining tofu scramble on the other slice of bread and combine both sides. Toast 2-3 minutes in a panini maker, or as I did, in a George Foreman Grill, until both sides are crispy and golden brown. I did not use any butter or oil on the bread or in the tofu scramble. The moisture of the tofu scramble and the spinach makes this sandwich moist enough for it to brown really well on the grill. Enjoy!!

Nutritional Facts for this recipe are the same as those listed on the HH website noted above. A half cup of baby spinach has about 5 calories and calories for bread are variable so please check packaging.

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

Beans, Greens & Bean Curd

Having grown up with a rice-loving father, I developed a love for rice early in life. Being around dad, I got used to considering a rice-less meal incomplete. He loved rice in all forms - steamed plain, fried, pilafed or in the form or a biryani. To me a perfect meal has always been rice topped off with something. Tonight I decided to use some of the spinach I had sitting in the fridge to make a oriental style dish which could be eaten over rice. 

Beans, Greens and Bean Curd

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (Serves 6):

1. 1 lb Baby Spinach
2. 1 x 14 oz Extra Firm Tofu
3. 3 large Roma Tomatoes (~1.5 cups, diced)
4. 8 oz Shelled Edamame
5. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
6. 1 recipe Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce
7. 1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
8. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Line a stock pot with water and saute garlic in water until its aromas are released. Add baby spinach, reduce heat to medium low, cover and allow spinach to wilt. Once spinach is wilted, add tomatoes, edamame and the soy, peanut and sambal oelek sauces. Add about a cup of water, cover and allow to simmer until semi dry and spinach and tomatoes are well wilted and combined (about 10-12 min). Do a quick taste test, and add add more sauces, and salt or pepper, as needed. Serve over a bed of steamed jasmine or basmati rice. 

Did you know that Tofu is also called Bean Curd?

My Assessment: LOVED IT!!! It was delicious and each serving contains a quarter of a pound of greens. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 239 (Fat Calories 89)
Total Fat 9.9 g; Carbohydrates 16.8 g; Fiber 6.9 g; Sugars 3.8 g; Protein 21.6 g

Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce

For some odd reason, I was craving Thai Peanut Sauce today. I love the HH "Cheater" Pad Thai Sauce and decided to make a spicier hotter version of it tonight!! 

Spicy HH Thai Peanut Sauce

Prep Time: 15 min

Directions: 

Prepare 2x recipe of HH "Cheater" Pad Thai Sauce* and set aside. Boil a bag of Boil-in-a-bog Brown rice (about 1.5 cups), drain and divide into 2 serving bowls. Steam 2 scrubbed Russet potatoes in the microwave (scrub, rinse, place soaking potatoes in grocery bag, wrap, and microwave on high for 7-9 minutes).  Meanwhile saute 4 cups of Baby Spinach in a skillet with 1 tbsp of crushed/minced garlic and 2 tbsp Low-Sodium soy sauce and a splash of water. Transfer sauteed spinach to serving bowls containing boiled brown rice. Once potatoes are tender, remove from bag, transfer to serving bowls and cut open. Drizzle the peanut sauce over the 2 bowls, dividing it approximately equally and serve hot :) 

HH Cheater Pad Thai Sauce (1 recipe, whisk everything together until smooth):

1. 2 tbsp warm water
2. 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
3. 1 tbsp Smooth Peanut Butter
4. 1 tbsp Sweet Red Chili Asian sauce
5. 1/4 tsp granulated garlic powder
6. 1/4 tsp ground ginger
7. 1/4 tsp hot sauce (to taste)

For Smooth Peanut Butter: I used "Naturally More" Smooth Peanut Butter with flax seed.

For Sweet Red Chilli Sauce: I used "Huy Fong" Sambal Oelek Chili Paste (super spicy)

For Hot Sauce: I used "Huy Fong" Sriracha Chili Sauce (even spicier).

My Assessment: What a lovely easy dinner to have on a week night! Got my 2 cups of greens in (albeit wilted - the fiber is still all there!). The HH Sauce is one of my favorites. With the Sambal Oelek Chili paste, it was lip-smacking good (especially if you're into hot stuff!). If you're not into hot foods .. make this the standard way and the dinner will still be equally amazing!!! Yum!! 

 
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 346 (Fat Calories 52)
Total Fat 5.8 g; Carbohydrates 63.9 g; Fiber 7.5 g; Sugars 7.3 g; Protein 16.04 g

Black Bean Burrito

This post was inspired by a post by Fat Free Vegan Kitchen yesterday. She was asked what she made for her family when she was short on time. And just like me, her response was, Black Bean Burritos. Her pictures are more colorful than mine ;) maybe that's why she's more famous. My recipe is extremely lazy compared to hers :)

Black Bean Burritos w Spanish Rice

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (6 Burritos): 

1. 1 bag of Kroger Boil-in-Bag Parboiled Brown Rice
2. 1 x 15oz can of Black Beans, drained and rinsed
3. 3 cups of Baby Spinach
4. 2 tbsp Dried Minced Onions
5. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
6. 1 tbsp Taco Seasoning
7. 1/4 cup Mrs. Renfro's Hot Jalapeno Green Salsa.
8. Salt & Pepper, to taste
9. 6 Tortillas or your choice (today, I had white flour tortillas)

Directions: 

In a sauce-pot with ample water, boil brown rice until tender. Once done, transfer to a bowl. Add salsa to rice and toss well. Separately, line a skillet with water. On medium heat, add garlic and minced onions and allow to saute until garlic is fragrant. Add Spinach, allow it to wilt and then add black beans. Mix well, add taco seasoning, using more as needed to your taste. Saute for a few minutes until almost dry. Warm tortillas, wrapped in aluminum foil, in an oven preheated to 350F (10 min). Once tortillas are warm, transfer beans and rice to each and roll into a burrito. Add greens, fresh tomato, olives and more salsa, as needed. Enjoy!

My Assessment: Perfect for a great lazy evening meal! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 90 (Fat Calories 4)
Total Fat 0.5 g; Carbohydrates 17.6 g; Dietary Fiber 3.2 g; Sugars 1.2 g; Protein 4.7 g

* Nutrition facts are provided without the taco shells as calorie content can vary by size and brand.

Spinach Hummus

Hummus is such a versatile spread that can be used as a dip for veggies, as a salad dressing (4 vegan Ways), as a sandwich spread. Although I'd like to use it different ways, I'm boring and tend to simply use it as a dip for my daily snack of cukes and carrots and celery. Here's a link to 12 Great Ways to Use Hummus. They're not all plant-based ways .. so use wisely :) 

Spinach Hummus

Today I decided to modify my usual recipe to include more greens. Although the blog post about my  usual recipe calls for cilantro leaves, I don't always add it if I don't have any on hand. 

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

1. 2 x 15 oz cans of Chickpeas, well rinsed and drained
2. 1/2 cup Flame-Roasted Red Peppers*
3. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
4. 6 Sun-Dried Tomatoes (Plain dried, Whole Foods 365 brand) 
5. 1/4 cup Lemon/Lime Juice
6. 2 cups Baby Spinach
7. Salt to taste
8. Water, as needed. 

Directions:

Pulse everything together in a food processor until smooth, adding more water as needed to make a smooth blend. Add salt after everything is blended well, taste testing with each addition. Add more lime juice if needed. Enjoy!!

My Assessment: I liked the smoky sweetness of sun-dried tomatoes, mixed in with the extra greens. Yum!

* I use a brand called Bella Famiglia Flame Roasted Red Peppers, which has no added oil. Make sure you're getting a product where the peppers are not preserved in Olive oil. This brand has whole red peppers, water, sea salt, sugar, wine vinegar and grape must. If you want to roast your own red peppers, here's how.

Nutrition Facts (Batch): Calories 818 (Fat Calories 136)
Total Fat 15.1 g; Carbohydrates 145.8 g; Dietary Fiber 31.3 g; Sugars 10.4 g; Protein 52.4 g

Breakfast Quinoa w Greens

In recent weeks, I've switched to oats for breakfast instead of my spinach smoothie. I think I may have mentioned that before. Anyhow, since the smoothie was sometimes my main source of a bulk quantity of greens, I started missing it soon enough. I even tried doing both - spinach smoothie at 0700 and then a bowl of overnight oats at around 1030 instead of a snack but that ended up being a lot of calories. So I've been trying to incorporate greens in my diet in other ways.  

This morning I decided to mix baby spinach with Quinoa and got a pretty good dish. 

Prep Time: 15 min

Ingredients (1 serving):

1. 1/3 cup Quinoa, rinsed and drained
2. 2 cups fresh Baby Spinach
3. 2 pcs Sun-Dried tomatoes (Plain dried, Whole foods 365 brand, sliced w kitchen scissors)
4. 1 cup Silk Almond Milk, Unsweetened Original
5. 1/2 tbsp Minced Onions (dry)
6. 1/8 tsp Garlic powder
7. 1/2 tsp Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning, to taste.

Directions:

Place Quinoa, sun-dried tomatoes and spices at the bottom of a small stock pot, cover with almond milk. Bring milk to a boil, layer all the spinach on top, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Let everything simmer until Quinoa is cooked and spinach is cooked down. Uncover, mix well, allow excess liquid to evaporate (I left mine a little thick and soupier than oatmeal). Taste test, adding more creole seasoning, as needed. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper. Serve warm. 

My Assessment: Loved it! I used baby spinach which is what i had on hand today. This recipe should work with any green you have on hand. I can't wait to try it with kale. :) 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 254 (Fat Calories 55)
Total Fat 6.1 g; Carbohydrates 40.3 g; Dietary Fiber 6.7 g; Sugars 2.0 g; Protein 10.9 g

Spinach Fried Rice

This is a great way to use up leftover rice and to incorporate some greens into your (and your rugrat's) diet. T and I went out on Saturday night and all we had leftover from our visit to a new Indian restaurant we tried out was some Steamed white Basmati rice. Instead of leaving at the restaurant to be thrown out, much to T's chagrin, I got it boxed up. Here's how I ended up using the leftover rice it this afternoon.

Spinach Fried Rice with Mushrooms & Peas

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients (1.5 servings):

1. 1/2 cup Steamed White rice
2. 3/4 cup fresh Baby Spinach
3. 1/4 cup Frozen Peas
4. 3-4 Cremini mushrooms, sliced
5. 1 tsp Minced Garlic
6. 1-2 tsp Minced Dried Onion
7. 1-2 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
8. 1/2 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
9. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Line a skillet with water (medium heat) and add minced garlic and onion, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. As the garlic begins to saute, add frozen peas (straight out of the freezer) and allow to simmer for a minute. Layer the spinach on top of the peas, followed by a layer of sliced mushrooms and finally, add the layer of rice to top. I used whole leaves of baby spinach today but may chop it up into smaller pieces next time as I imagine it will go over better with my boy. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and allow a few minutes for the spinach and mushrooms to wilt and release their water. As the spinach wilts, some of the rice will sink into the brown (soy sauce) liquid at the bottom while some will remain white. I liked the dual tones in this dish. Once all the liquid evaporates, toss everything together and add another splash of water. Cover and let sit for 3-5 minutes until ready to serve. This allows all the flavors to blend together. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 240 (Fat Calories 7)

Total Fat 0.8 g; Carbohydrates 51.0 g; Dietary Fiber 3.4 g; Sugars 2.6 g; Protein 7.3 g

Mung Dal w Spinach & Peas

Tonight I was craving the comfort of home (got some bad news this morning) and so decided to make a simple dal to serve over rice. I looked at the variety of whole, split, and split-skinned lentils I had and decided on using Mung Dal. This recipe is an enhanced version of what my mom still makes all the time. She tends to make the traditional/authentic unadulterated versions - her dal is just a dal, without any spinach in it!!     

Palak Mutter Mung Dal

Prep Time: 20-25 min

Ingredients (6 servings):

1. 1 cup Split-Skinned Mung Dal
2. 2 cups Baby Spinach
3. 2 cups frozen Peas
4. 6 Sun-Dried Tomatoes (Plain dried, Whole foods 365 brand)
5. 1 (4oz) can of Tomato Sauce
6. 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
7. 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
8. 1 tsp Deggi Chili Powder
9. 1 tbsp Goya Recaito Cilantro Cooking Base
10. 1 tbsp Tamicon
11. Salt to taste

Directions: 

Mix all ingredients together (except for the Tamicon) with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer until dal is tender and begins to break apart. The preparation should be really soupy, so if it begins to thicken too much add cup or so of water. When the dal is tender, do a quick taste test for salt and add more, if needed. then add the tamicon, stir well and serve over brown rice. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 168 (Fat Calories 8)
Total Fat 0.9; Cholesterol 0g; Carbohydrates 29.6g; Dietary Fiber 7.6g; Sugars 5.0g; Protein 11.3g

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

Chana Dal w Fennel

Growing up in India, I was exposed to a variety of lentils and each day of the week, my mom and aunts cooked up a new kind of lentil or bean. If you'd like a quick tutorial on lentils, look here. It was always interesting to see how many different recipes they could cook up using the same beans. One of my favorites was Chana Dal. 

Photo Courtest: PhamFatale.com

This lentil can be cooked up with Rice into a pilaf (a holiday delicacy that is cooked up on at least 2 holidays during the year), it can be cooked as a simple dal, it can be added to meat dishes to make stews, and it is often also roasted and spiced as a quick low-fat high protein snack. One of my favorite ways my mom fixed it was in a vegetable stew. Mom would add summer squash or spinach to it, and flavor it with fennel seeds. This is what I've attempted to recreate as a plant-based, no-added-fat version today.  Note that Chana dal is NOT the same as yellow split peas, even though they may look alike to the inexperienced eye. Best place to buy Chana dal is an Indian grocery store, either online, or a regular store.

Chana Dal w Spinach

Prep Time: 30 min (pressure cooker)

Ingredients: 

1. 1 large red onion, diced
2. 1.5 cup Chana Dal, preferably pre-soaked overnight.
3. 2 cups fresh Baby Spinach
4. 2-3 tbsp Tomato Paste 
5. 1-2 tbsp Fennel Seeds
6. 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
7. 1 tsp Red Chili powder, to taste
8. Salt and Pepper, to taste
9. 3 cups of Water.

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients in a pressure cooker and cook under high pressure for 10 min (or 15 min if, like me, you forgot to soak the beans overnight). Release steam immediately. Beans should be soft to touch and should not hold up to any pressure, although unlike other lentils, Chana dal does retain its shape really well. If using the stove top method, you'll need to simmer on medium heat until lentils are soft.  Garnish with salt and pepper, and freshly chopped cilantro or mint leaves. Serve hot, over Jeera Rice.*

* Jeera Rice: In a separate pot, boil rice and 1 tsp cumin seeds in ample water. Drain. Voila! 

My Assessment: The fennel seeds add a faintly aromatic, somewhat sweet flavor to this dish. Although it looks like almost any other dal preparation, the flavors are unlike any you'll have had before. This dish does not taste like curry at all :) Tony loved it and wants it made again!! That's a success in my opinion!! 

Cremini Miso Soup

So this afternoon, I made a batch of my Quinoa Chili that has been a hit so far with everyone who's tried it, herbivores and omnivores alike :) !!! T loves it and asked for me to make it again. We both ate big bowls for lunch and were quite full. So full that I wasn't super hungry for dinner but I wanted to eat something ... don't know if it was boredom, or real hunger but I decided to make a low calorie, light soup for dinner. For a few days, I've been craving Miso soup and have looked at various recipes online. This one is a conglomeration of multiple recipes that I have read, and what I had at home. For example, I didn't have any baby bok choy, but did have baby spinach so I used that instead. I also used this soup as a platform for my New Veggie #52 - Cremini Mushrooms. 

Cremini Miso Soup

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups Vegetable broth
2. 1 cup baby spinach
3. 6 Cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced. 
4. 6 oz (1/2 pack) Extra Firm Mori-Nu Silken Tofu (cut into 1/2" squares). 
5. 1 tsp white rice vinegar
6. 2 tsp Miso*
7. 1 tsp Powdered Garlic
8. Salt and Pepper, to taste. 

Directions:

In a soup pot, bring 2 cups of vegetable broth and 2 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add garlic and baby spinach, reduce heat to medium and once the garlic is wilted, add thinly sliced mushrooms. Continue to boil for a couple more minutes and then add tofu squares. Silken tofu tends to be fragile to touch so make sure you stir gently after adding the tofu. Boil for another minute and then turn the heat off and remove pot from stove. Remove a little bit of hot broth into a small mixing bowl. Add miso to the broth and stir well to make a thin paste. Fold that into the contents of the pot. Taste test for salt and add freshly cracked black pepper, to taste.  

*Miso, is a slowly fermented soybean paste. It is a treasure trove of high quality protein and amino acids, simple sugars and fatty acids making it superbly easy to digest and easy on the stomach for someone suffering from GI issues. It is essentially the chicken soup of the vegan world. The fermentation process is enabled by an edible strain of fungus called aspergillus oryzae. It is also an excellent probiotic. In order to obtain the maximum benefits, Miso should be not be boiled. Most enzymes are destroyed by temperatures above 104°F (38°C). So unpasteurized miso should be added only after cooking is complete to help obtain its probiotic benefits. 

Two Lentil Soup

This heart warming Two-Lentil Soup is a concoction I came up with on a rainy Ohio fall day. It is packed with protein goodness, zero fat and greens as well. Also, it has only 1 spice ... roasted ground cumin! Yum! If you like cumin, or even if you don't, do give roasted ground cumin a try. It has a much smoother earthy flavor and a little bit of it goes a long way. 

Two Lentil Soup with Oyster Mushrooms

Prep Time: 15 min (pressure cooker)

Ingredients:

1. 1/3 cup Mung Dal (Green lentils, split and skinned)
2. 1/3 cup Masoor Dal (Red lentils, split and skinned)
3. 1 cup Spinach, coarsely torn
4. 1 cup Oyster mushrooms (optional)
5. 1 medium red onion, diced
6. 1 large tomato, diced
7. 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
8. 2-3 cups of water or vegetable broth
9. 1-2 tsp roasted ground cumin, to taste.
10. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a pressure cooker and cook under high pressure for 8-10 minutes. Release steam immediately. Stir to combine ingredients. Taste check for salt and add more cumin, to taste. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper, and fresh cilantro (if you have any available). If you don't own a pressure cooker, this can easily be made on the stove top, simmer on medium heat for ~30 min until the beans are well done and blended with the rest of the ingredients. It should not take longer than 30 min as the skinned split lentils typically cook super fast. Serve hot!! 

15-min Barley & Vegetable Soup - Take 2

Recently, Tony decided to go herbie with me :) for 90 days. Since his repertoire of veggies and grains is still rather limited, I've been attempting to try some of the things he might enjoy for his dinners and left-over lunches. He's told me often enough that he likes Barley and that he likes it in soup, so I decided to make another version of my 15-min Barley & Vegetable Soup by withholding some of the non-traditional items that I use in my original version (no TVP or lentils today). I added black beans to add back the protein that I lost by removing TVP and lentils and since those are T's favorite bean ... we were all set for a wonderful heart-warming dinner :)

Barley & Vegetable Soup - Take 2

Prep Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

1. 5-6 cups Vegetable broth, or water
2. 3/4 cup Barley 
3. 3 stalks of celery, diced
4. 2 carrots, diced
5. 1 bunch of Spinach, stems removed
6. 1 15oz can of Black beans, drained
7. 2 Portabella mushrooms, diced
8. 2 tsp dried Basil
9. 2-3 tsp Minced Garlic, to taste
10. 1 heaping tbsp Yellow Miso
11. 1 tbsp Ketchup
12. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients, with the exception of the last 3 in a pressure cooker and cook for 5 minutes under high pressure. I used "quick" barley since I am trying to get it eaten before I open my bag of regular barley, With regular barley, I'm guessing a 10-15 min high pressure would be enough. I'll have to update that when I've had a chance to try it out. Once the steam is released, open the cooker, add and mix in the miso & ketchup and salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste ... enjoy!! 

Basic Vegetarian Gumbo

.. the aromas of good ol' Creole cooking always make me smile. Andouille sausage was probably one of favorite meats before I went plant based. I don't miss the meat, but I do sometimes miss the flavors. A good hearty Gumbo is a good way to remember those flavors all over again. A lot of vegan/vegetarian gumbo recipes that are available online use vegan sausage and while I am sure that would taste good, those products are also extremely greasy and processed. Instead of sausage, I tried TVP chunks, with Cajun seasoning and .. my current best friend in a bottle - LIQUID SMOKE :) !!!  

Vegetarian Gumbo

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients: 

1. 4 or 5 cups vegetable broth
2. 1 medium to large Red Onion, diced
3. 3 stalks of Celery, diced
4. 1 tbsp minced Garlic
5. 2 cups of Spinach, stems removed
6. 1 cup white button mushrooms, quartered
7. 1 cup Baby Carrots
8. 1 12-oz bag of Frozen Diced Okra
9. 1/2 cup TVP Chunks
10. 2 tbsp Liquid Smoke
11. 2-3 tbsp Corn Starch, as needed. 
12. 1-2 tbsp Creole/Cajun Seasoning, to taste
13. 2 tsp of fresh Thyme leaves
14. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions: 

In a deep stock pot on medium heat, bring 4 cups of vegetable broth to a rolling boil. You can use water instead, but vegetable broth tends to add a lot more flavor. As the broth boils, add ingredients one by one, making sure that the liquid continues to boil during this process. Add onions and garlic, then okra, then spinach, mushrooms and baby carrots. Lastly rinse the TVP chunks in running water and add those as well. Reduce heat to a simmer, and boil for another 10 minutes or so. I used spinach today instead of green bell peppers which are more traditional to Gumbo, so feel free to use those instead. After about 10 minutes of simmering the soup, mix cornstarch in tap water and add in small amounts until the consistency thickens (but don't let it congeal). Add liquid smoke and cajun seasoning, mix well, seasoning with thyme and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve over brown rice. 

My Assessment: From what I've read, you need to boil the gumbo for at least an hour to get rid of the sliminess of the okra. From what I know of okra, it tends to get slimier as you cook it more. I only boiled this soup for about 25 minutes, including the time after I added corn starch. I don't mind the slightly sticky flavor of it, but if you do, try boiling it longer. Overall, I really liked this recipe. No added fat, very low on salt and very high on a lot of flavor. I love Creole seasoning :) 

Asparagus & Sage Soup

I often feel like a big bowl of soup for dinner. I've been thinking of an Asparagus soup for a while. Also, I've had Sage in my herb garden all summer and I'm embarrassed to admit that I had no use for it ;) !! Except for adding large bunches of it to my vegetable scraps for my Home-made Vegetable Broth, even that was a desperate attempt to use the growing jungle!!! I guess I also never tried hard enough to find a plant-based recipe that required Sage. Today, I was determined. A quick Google search revealed this recipe at The Cooking Club. It required however, 2 tablespoons of butter, a half a cup of Parmesan cheese and chicken broth. I wasn't planning on using any of those items; so here's my plant-based version. 

Asparagus & Sage Soup

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb Asparagus, chopped coarsely
2. 1 medium Red Onion, chopped coarsely
3. 2 cups Vegetable broth
4. 3 cloves Garlic
5. 2-4 tbsp of fresh Sage leaves
6. 1/3 cup Brown Rice
7. 0.5oz Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
8. 1/3 cup Baby Spinach
9. 1/3-1/2 cup Non-Dairy Milk
10. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Add everything to a pressure cooker, and steam for 10 min. Let steam dissipate naturally, open, mix with a large spatula and puree using a stick blender, or in a regular jar blender. Add Non-Dairy Milk and mix well. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper & Enjoy!!