Thursday, January 8, 2015

Kale and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients
2 teaspoons Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1 Leek, diced, use all of it
6 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
2 medium White Potatoes, cut into chunks, don't remove the skin
1 medium Sweet Potato, cut into chunks
2 large Carrots, cut into chunks
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1 tablespoons Better Bullion Veggie Broth
8 cups Water
2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
2 teaspoons Paprika
2 teaspoons Curry Seasoning
1 tablespoon Siracha Hot Sauce
1 Head of Kale, chopped

Directions
Heat olive oil in a large soup pan over medium/low heat. Add in onion and leek and allow to soften up for about 5-10 minutes.  

Add garlic, potatoes, carrots and parsnips and saute for another 10 minutes or so, add enough veggie broth to keep them from sticking to the pot.

Add the rest of the veggie broth and water and bring everything to a boil. Add spices, cover pot, reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer for 50 minutes (or at least until the potato chunks are fork tender).

Ten minutes before the soup is ready, stir in your chopped kale and allow to reduce to low for the final ten minutes.

Adapted From
http://evolvevegan.blogspot.com/2012/01/kale-parsnip-potato-soup.html

Nutrition
322 calories  |  3g fat  |  82.3g carbs  |  9g protien

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Pineapple Cashew Quinoa Stir Fry

Ingredients

Quinoa
3/4 cup dry quinoa
3/4 cup pineapple juice
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Stir Fry
80 grams cashews, raw, unsalted
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 red hot chili pepper, thinly sliced
2 green onions or scallions
3 teaspoons ginger root, grated
1 large red bell pepper
3/4 cup edamame
3/4 cup pineapple chunks
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable broth
1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Directions
Prepare the quinoa first. Combine the quinoa, pineapple juice, water and soy sauce in a medium-sized pot. Cover, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir a few times, lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa appears plumped and slightly translucent. Uncover, fluff and let cool. For best results, place the quinoa in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. If you’re in a hurry, chill the covered quinoa for at least an hour. When ready to use, break up any chunks of the cold quinoa with a fork.

For the stir-fry: use the largest nonstick skillet you have or a wok. Chop all ingredients first. Place the cashews in the dry pan and heat over low heat, stirring until lightly toasted, about 4 min. Remove cashews from pan, raise the heat to medium and add the oil, scallions and garlic. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the sliced chili pepper and ginger. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes.

Add the red bell pepper and edamame. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes, until the bell pepper is softened and edamame is bright green. Add the basil and mint and stir for another minute before adding the pineapple and quinoa.

In a measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, vegetable stock and rice vinegar. Pour over the quinoa mixture. Stir to incorporate completely and coat the quinoa. Continue to stir-fry for 10 to 14 minutes, until the quinoa is very hot.

Adapted From
http://www.usuallyvegan.com/tag/veganomicon-quinoa-stir-fry/

Nutrition
makes 4 servings
356 calories  |  16g fat  |  45g carbs  |  14g protien

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Ingredients
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 medium or small carrot, shredded
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 375F and lightly grease a baking sheet (I prefer to use a silicone mat instead).
In a large bowl, mix together the rolled oats, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: shredded carrot, almond milk, molasses, and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until combined.
Pile the mixture onto baking sheet. I like mine as a giant muffin top, so I don't do any shaping beyond pouring the mixture out. Sprinkle on the walnuts and cranberries and press down lightly.
Bake, uncovered, for 32-37 minutes (I baked for 35 mins.) until lightly golden along edge. The oatmeal will still look a bit soft or wet in some spots when it comes out of the oven, but it will firm up as it cools. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.


Nutrition
makes 1 serving
317calories  |  9.3g fat  |  51.9g carbs  |  7.3g protien

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Gramma's Amazing Granola Bars

Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup flaxseeds
2/3 cup muscovado or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup agave nectar
4 tablespoons earth balance
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups puffed rice cereal (unsweetened)
1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the oats, pumpkin seeds, and flaxseeds on the sheet and bake until fragrant, 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

In a saucepan, bring the sugar, agave, butter, and salt to a boil over moderate heat. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved and a light brown caramel forms, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Drizzle the caramel over the nut-and-oat mixture. Stir in the puffed rice and cranberries until evenly coated.

Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, extending the paper over the sides. Scrape the cereal mixture into the dish in an even layer. Cover the mixture with a second sheet of parchment and press down to compress it. Let stand until firm, about 2 hours.

Discard the top piece of parchment. Using the over hanging paper, lift the cereal square and transfer it to a cutting board. Cut into 12 bars and serve. Wrap each individually with plastic wrap for prolonged storage.

Adapted From
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/cranberry-pumpkin-seed-energy-bars

Nutrition
makes 16 granola bars
166 calories  |  5.5g fat  |  28g carbs  |  3g protein