MULTI-TALENTED BEAN AND QUINOA PILAFF

It’s always good to have a healthy, fall-back meal in the fridge, when you’re hungry and need something right now, or, when you just have to get back on track to eating healthy and nutritious.

This Bean and Quinoa Pilaf is not only good for you and your soul, but super delicious!!! You can eat it hot, as a meal, side dish or simply……right out of the fridge, when you’re feeling a bit peckish!  I like to make a lot so I can have it whenever I like.  I call it Multi-talented because you can eat it plain, or dress it up with nuts and seeds, chopped fresh onion, etc. or add a few simple ingredients like fresh chopped tomatoes, cilantro etc. and a light dressing and viola! It turns into a great salad!

A great alternative to rice! Try it and let it inspire you!

MULTI-TALENTED BEAN AND QUINOA PILAFF

1/2 cup Aduki Beans
1/2 cup Mung Beans
1 cup Quinoa
1 tsp Coconut Oil

BEAN AND QUINOA PREP

There are a few ways to do this. You can cook everything separately and mix together, or if you’re like me and always look or the quickest and easiest way possible to get things done, try this ONE POT method. Worked great for me!

1/2 cup Aduki Beans (rinsed)
1 cup Water
Bring to boil and cook for 15 min covered, on low

Add

1/2 cup Mung Beans (rinsed)
1 cup Water
Bring to boil, reduce to low and cook covered, for 20 min

Add

1 cup Quinoa (rinsed)
1 cup Water
1 Tsp Coconut Oil
Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and cook covered, for the last 8 min

Remove from heat and let cool completely.

BEAN AND QUINOA SALAD

To 2 cups of cooled mixture ADD:

1/2 Tsp Garam Masala
Garlic Powder OR Freshly chopped (to taste)
1 cup fresh Tomatoes, chopped
1 cup  Celery chopped
Sea Salt
1 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Enjoy!

MUNG BEAN HUMMUS WITH A TWIST!

MUNG BEAN HUMMUS This is my take on Hummus, since I love the mighty Mung Bean! It’s a bit out of the box, but that’s a good thing if it tastes good, and that it does!!! Mung Beans are super high in protein and fibre which reduces the carb value! They are so versatile and delicious, that I continue to experiment with them. The raw Sesame Seeds adds a little crunch and the Lime Juice really compliments the combined flavours! Hope you like!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Mung Beans

2 cups Water

1 large clove Garlic, more if you like Garlic

1/4 cup raw Sesame Seeds

1/4 cup Olive oil

1/4 cup Fresh Lime Juice

Sea Salt, to taste

Cayenne

METHOD

Rinse beans and cook in 2 cups of water for approx 40 min, till soft and let cool.

In a food processor add Garlic and Sesame Seeds and purée.

Add cooked and cooled Mung Beans, Olive Oil, Lime Juice and Sea Salt and process, stirring if necessary. Taste and refine flavours by adding more Olive Oil, Lime Juice and Salt. Add Cayenne to mixture or simply sprinkle on top.

Garnish with a little Olive oil, Sesame seeds, Mung Beans and Lime Zest

OR

Olive oil, spiced sun-dried Moroccan Olives and Cayenne

Makes over 2 cups

Enjoy!

CURRIED QUINOA SALAD WITH SAUERKRAUT

CURRIED QUINOA SALAD WITH SAUERKRAUT

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup Coconut Milk
1/2 cup Water
4 Cardamom pods, whole
Pinch of Sea Salt

1/4 cup Mung Beans, cooked
1tsp Curry powder
Cayenne powder or Chillies
1 or more tbsp Organic Olive Oil
1 cup Sauerkraut, chopped

METHOD

Combine water and coconut milk in a saucepan, add the Cardamom and salt, bring to boil and add Quinoa. Stir, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 8 min. (Al Dente)

Remove from heat, stir and let cool, semi covered. Remove Cardamom pods.

In a bowl, blend Quinoa with cooked Mung Beans. Add Spices to taste, Olive Oil and then Chopped Sauerkraut. Stir together and eat!

Serve warm or room temp! Delish!

Makes a delicious side or eat on its own.

NON-DAIRY MILKSHAKE

Everyone loves a good milkshake!   If you’re dairy free, this is can be very difficult to achieve a palatable drink.

I discovered this combination in one of my experimental modes.   Looking to get everything I needed for,  all around good nourishment and sustenance in a glass!

I believe I have perfected it!  The combination of Almond milk with coconut milk, I think, is really delicious!  You can even add a little Pure Vanilla Extract as well.  Yummy to drink all on its own!

This drink is very filling because if its high protein and natural essential fatty content.

My favourite fruit combo is Blueberry, Pineapple.

If you add Banana, you have to use a lot more liquid.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup Almond Milk

3/4 cup Coconut Milk

(I use this combination because it gives a creamy texture and taste!)

1 tbsp Chia seeds

1 tbsp Hemp seeds

1/2 cup mixed seeds and walnuts almonds,  soaked

(Sesame, Pumpkin, Sunflower, Walnuts, Almonds, all Raw and soaked for at least 2-3 hours)

*soaking releases the natural toxins and makes them more digestible!*

FLAVOUR OPTIONS

Strawberries

Papaya w some seeds (seeds kill parasites)

Mango

Blueberries

Pineapple

*Plain yogurt

METHOD

Add the liquid to your Vita-Mix or high-speed blender and add nuts and seeds.  Blend well!

Add fruit, to taste and blend.  Do not over blend!   If it gets too thick add more liquid to desired thickness.

Pour into a lovely glass and drink!

*makes 3 1/2 cups or more depending on what you use!  If you’re not sharing, pour excess into a glass right to the top, cover and refrigerate.  Drink within 12-24 hours.

ENJOY!

LENTIL STEW

This is another dish I grew up with, lets call it Lentil Stew.  It’s a little different from my Mom’s, in the way that my Mother used to make it with pasta.  spaghetti, broken into one inch or so pieces, so yummy!  So I decided to try it with Quinoa and although it did not have that starchiness to it, it was delicious!

This dish is fast and easy to make, Vegetarian and Vegan, high in protein and is sure to please on those chilly days, when you need something to warm you up inside and out!  The Olive Oil is added at the end, in your bowl.  This makes the flavours come alive and feel velvety in your mouth, a real taste sensation! Add some chillies for heat and your good to go!

LENTIL STEW

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Lentils, rinsed

3 cups Water

1 large Onion, chopped

1 large stalk Celery, chopped

1 tbsp Strained Tomato

Sea Salt

Red Chilies

Quinoa or Rice

Organic EV Olive Oil

METHOD

Cook Quinoa or Rice to Al Dente and set aside

In a sauce pan, bring water to boil,

Add Lentils, Onion and tomato

Turn heat to low and cook covered for about 15 min

Add chopped Celery, salt to taste and continue cooking, about 10 min, or until lentils are soft

Add cooked Quinoa or Rice (as much as you like, depending on what consistency you want)

Keep in mind the Quinoa or Rice will soak up some liquid

Turn heat off, cover and let stand for 5 to 10 min

Plate and drizzle at least 1 tbsp of Olive Oil all over and if you like some heat, sprinkle with red chilli flakes

This version has raw, chopped Baby Spinach!

Enjoy!!

QUINOA WITH BAKED SPAGETTI SQUASH AND TOMATO SAUCE

This recipe is so easy and super delicious. Great for when you’re having a craving for something smothered in tomato sauce! I came up with this when I was making my Quinoa Lasagna. I had some left over ingredients so I just threw this together and enjoyed every last mouthful! Hope you do to!

INGREDIENTS

Cooked Quinoa

Baked Spagetti Squash

Tomato Sauce

Parmesan Cheese, optional

Chopped Parsley

Viola! Delish!

ENJOY!

YUMMY GLUTEN FREE “CANDIED GINGER & CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES”

After having cravings for chocolate chip cookies, I thought I better find a recipe and fast!  This is not an original recipe, since I don’t do much baking.  I found this recipe in the Alive Magazine, but I tweaked it a lot to suit my taste!  First of all, I really cut down the sugar, even if it was Palm Sugar, sugar is sugar.  I mean, how much sugar is really necessary?  I don’t like to feel like my teeth are rotting when I’m eating my desert!  That way,  I can eat more, right?

 Also, Walnuts work great in this recipe as well, so if you’re not a Ginger lover, feel free to put chopped Walnuts instead!

Here is my well tweaked recipe,  hope you like it!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Almond butter
2 tbsp Coconut Palm Sugar
2 med org Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
3 tbsp Coconut Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
3 tbsp Candied Ginger, rinsed well and finely chopped

OR

1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped

METHOD

In a bowl, add Almond Butter and sugar and mix well

Add Eggs and vanilla and beat well

Fold in Flour, baking soda and Salt

It will be thick and dense at this point

Add Chocolate Chips, Ginger or Walnuts and blend well

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a cookie sheet with Coconut Oil

Scoop out dough with a teaspoon,  roll into a ball and place on the sheet

Repeat, leaving a couple of inches between

When your done rolling, take a fork, dip it in water and flatten out each ball

I made 20 cookies that were about 2 1/2 in diameter

Bake at 350F  for  14 – 15 min

Enjoy!

GREEN GAZPACHO SOUP

I’ve been making myself these green smoothies after my morning walk/run and I love them! Now, I know from talking to people, not everyone likes the idea of drinking green stuff, I’ve even met people and kids that don’t even EAT, green stuff.  That’s pretty sad considering all the health benefits they alone, provide us with.  So I came up with this idea.  Maybe if we took it out of the glass, put it in a bowl, dressed it up with some tomatoes and olive oil……….

maybe people would eat it instead!

If you’re like me and looking for a fast, easy and delicious way to get more greens into your body…………………..Just a thought!

GREEN GAZPACHO SOUP

1 cup Coconut Milk

1 cup Coconut Water

1/2 to 3/4 cup Raw Almonds (soaked)*

2 large Collard leaves (washed, tough stem removed)

2 large Kale leaves (washed, tough stem removed)

4 med sized Celery stalks (washed and trimmed)

Cilantro, few sprigs (to taste)

1 cup raspberries

2 cups Cucumber, chopped

1 cup Cocktail or Cherry Tomatoes, chopped

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Cayenne, optional

High Speed Blender or VitaMix:

Add Coconut milk and Almonds and puree

Add Celery, then Greens, Raspberries and only 1 cup of Cucumber

Add the Coconut Water and blend till smooth (you can add more depending on desired consistency)

Should make about 4 cups

Plate and add the rest of the Cucumber and Tomato, drizzle with Olive Oil and season to taste! 

Can be served cold or room temperature

OR……Just put it in a glass and drink the darn thing!  It’s not going to kill you! LOL

*Soak Raw Almonds in twice the water overnight, discard the water and rinse well.  Drain and put in a glass container in the fridge. This rehydrates the Almonds and makes them more digestible!

SUMMER FRESH PASTA

What’s better than fresh tomatoes and summer?  A pasta dish of course!

I don’t know about you, but I find the best tasting tomato out there, is what they call now…… the cocktail tomato!  A bit bigger than the cherry tomato, the cocktail tomato, is the only one I think, that tastes like a real tomato. Kind of like the ones  my parents used to grow in their garden when I was a kid, only smaller. 

This is a super easy dish to make and can be eaten hot or cold.  I use the Tinkyada brand, brown rice pasta, which I think is the closest, in comparison to wheat pasta, in taste and texture.  Hope you like!!

SUMMER FRESH PASTA

Brown Rice Pasta (or regular)

Baby Spinach

Tomatoes, chopped, with juice

Garlic, chopped (as much as you like)

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Hot Chilies and Parmesan Cheese

I didn’t put amounts on the ingredients, because you can make as much, or as little as you like.  Just a few things to consider…..Make sure you use enough water when cooking rice pasta and add salt to the water.  Spinach wilts to nothing, so make sure you put a big handful per plate.  Use at least 3 of the reddest tomatoes, cut into quarters, with the juice, per plate.  It’s best to put the olive oil on twice.  The first pour will be on the steamed Spinach to mix in with the spinach water and you can add more if you need on the Pasta to make it shiny and keep it from sticking together. 

METHOD: Cook Pasta to “al dente”.  If you over-cook, it will get mushy and fall apart. 

While Pasta is cooking, wash spinach, shake off extra water and place in a large deep skillet on med heat. Cover and steam spinach for a couple of minutes, just until it wilts.   Remove from heat!

Add  Olive Oil, Garlic, Chilies, Sea Salt to taste (keep in mind you will add Parmesan cheese)  and stir together. 

When Pasta is cooked, drain and add to Spinach mixture.  Stir together, add more oil if needed. 

 Add chopped Tomatoes on top and stir. 

Finish off with Parmesan Cheese and enjoy!

QUINOA POWER

I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting with Quinoa lately and trying dishes I usually do with pasta, and I have to say I’m enjoying the results!  One of my favorite vegetables is Rapini, its Italian broccoli, and we usually steam it and add olive oil, fresh garlic and hot chili pepper.  A lot of times we combine it with pasta,  a meal in itself.  

Here is my Quinoa version of  the rapini dish

QUINOA & RAPINI  “AGLIO  OLIO”

Discard yellow or damaged leaves and cut off woody stems

Rinse rapini very well and shake excess water

In a deep skillet pour enough olive oil to cover the bottom and a bit more

Chop as much garlic as you like and add chili pepper

Heat on med and watch the garlic get golden not brown

Add the rapini a bit at a time and toss, cover and steam for a couple of min

Remove cover and toss again

Rapini should be bright green and firm

Add sea salt to taste

Add cooked Quinoa and stir

Can be eaten hot or cold!

Enjoy!