Spring Smoothie

When it’s warm outside, I love making myself a juicy smoothie for breakfast. I just figured out that you can add raw greens into the mix for an added boost of nutrients — but without affecting the taste. Genius!

My current favorite combination:

1 1/2 c almond milk (you can also use soy, hemp, rice, etc milk)
4 tbsp hemp protein powder
1/2 banana
1/4 – 1/2 c frozen berries
handful of raw spinach OR 2 lacinto kale leaves

Put in blender and mix for 30 seconds.

Easy Chickpea Salad

My lunch routine has gotten old, so I decided to spice it up!  Beans are the perfect lunchtime fare, as they’re loaded with soluble fiber, which regulates blood sugar levels and can help lower cholesterol. Best of all, beans are an incredibly satisfying mix of protein and slow-burning carbohydrate — they definitely keep me full and on my game all afternoon!

I threw this chickpea salad together on the fly — and it’s delish.  Takes under five minutes and you can make a big batch of it and snack on it all week.  Today, I’m having mine over mixed greens with a lemon and olive oil dressing. I may add a few slices of grilled chicken for extra oomph.

EASY CHICKPEA SALAD

1 can chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
2 stalks celery, sliced finely
1/2 clove garlic, mined finely
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
pinch of smoked paprika
french feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of the above and sprinkle feta on top.  For extra flavor, prepare the night before and let sit in the refrigerator overnight to soak up the flavors.

Can be stored for up to 4 days.

Baked Coconut Brown Rice Pudding

A few weeks ago, I had a cup of delicious rice pudding at Sarabeth’s restaurant. It was just sweet enough and very creamy. Since then, I’ve had rice pudding on my mind. Traditionally, rice pudding is made with white rice, milk, and lots of sugar. I set about to create a healthier version with brown rice and natural sweetners. It takes a while to bake — 1 hour — but only takes about 5 minutes to make. Perfect or a dinner party, as it can cook while you eat! (and it’s good — oh, is it good!)

BAKED COCONUT BROWN RICE PUDDING

2 c cooked short grain brown rice
1 can coconut milk
1/2 c maple syrup
1/4 c raw sugar (you can reduce or omit if you prefer things on a less sweet side)
zest of 1 lemom
juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 tsp cardamon powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients into a large bowl; transfer to a casserole dish. Cover and bake for an hour; stir halfway through. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Raw cashew cheese

I’ve always been intrigued by the raw cheeses (read: vegan and nothing cooked over 115 degrees) I’ve had a various raw restaurants. They look like cheese… and taste like cheese… but they’re made from nuts. Curious. I saw a recipe for a raw cheese spread and couldn’t resist trying.

It was surprisingly simple to make. Yes, it does take foresight, as you have to soak the cashews for 2 hours; however, it takes about 10 minutes once that process is complete. I liked the results. At first, I thought it was too sweet and buttery and garlicky… but after it had sat for 24 hours per the instructions, I liked it a lot more. It’s a great dish to take to a party with some delicious crackers. I tried it with some za’tar sprinkled on top and it was fab.

Raw Cashew Cheese
Chocolate&Zucchini

- 1 1/2 cups plain cashew nuts (not roasted or salted)
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup water
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or good vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- freshly ground pepper

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Place the nuts in a salad bowl, cover with fresh water, and let stand for 2 hours.

Drain the nuts and place them in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add 1/4 cup water and the rest of the ingredients, and mix until thoroughly puréed, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl every once in a while. Add a little more water and blend again to adjust the consistency, if necessary; the cheese will get a little more solid as it sets.

Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let stand somewhere cool for 24 hours before placing in the fridge, where it will keep for another 5 days.

White Bean, Mushroom, and Zucchini Stuffed Peppers

Fall’s here… which means I’m craving heartier foods. I saw this recipe in the New York Times last week and thought I’d give a modified version a try.

If you use canned beans, remember to rinse them very well. Never use the water the beans are canned with–discard it and rinse well.

White Bean, Mushroom, and Zucchini Stuffed Peppers
serves three

3 red, yellow and/or green bell peppers (yellow and red are sweeter)

3 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 ounces sliced white mushrooms (about 1 cup)

1 zucchini, diced

15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinse

1/2 c short grain brown rice, cooked

1/2 cup vegetable broth

freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice off top of each pepper and discard. Remove veins and seeds from each pepper cavity.

2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and zucchini and increase heat to medium-high. Cook until mushrooms are golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in the beans, basil, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in brown rice. Taste and adjust seasoning.

3. Fill each pepper with bean mixture and arrange in a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Add 2 tablespoons water to dish. Top each pepper with parmesan cheese. Bake until peppers are very tender and topping is golden, about 45 minutes.

Coconut tofu, mango, and black beans

While flipping through a Rachael Ray magazine a few weeks ago, I saw this recipe. I’m not usually a huge fan of her recipes, but this one looked great. It called for chicken, but it’s been too hot lately–I haven’t been in the mood for meat. It turned out GREAT. I had some friends over for dinner and they loved it. I served it with corn risotto and a light rose wine–a perfect pairing. My adaptation below:

Coconut tofu, mango and Black beans

Serves 3-4

1-2 tbsp olive or coconut oil
1 package extra firm tofu, cubed
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 cup coconut milk [you can use light coconut milk]
1 mango, peeled and cut into ½ -inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1 c dry black beans [you can substitute two cans of black beans]
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped mint

If using dry black beans: the night before (or morning of), put the dry beans in 2 cups of water. Let sit for at least 8 hours. Strain beans and rinse them, discarding the soaking water. Add beans to 2-3 cups water; bring to a boil. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until they’re the consistency you like

For the mango & tofu: Heat a large skillet. Once hot, add oil. Once it’s heated, add tofu and coriander. Saute for 3-4 minutes until light golden on each side. Add the vegetable broth and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the coconut juice and simmer for about 4 minutes, until reduced to about half. Add the mango until warmed through, 1-2 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the black beans onto a place. Squeeze lime juice on them and sprinkle with mint. Spoon tofu, mango, and sauce over the beans — and enjoy!

Update:  This was even better the next day!  I decided to heat everything separately but serve them sort of mixed together… I really enjoyed it.

Corn risotto

I’m a huge fan of fresh corn in the summer–I end up eating it at least once a week through its peak season. Though I love simple corn on the cob, this week I decided to try something new.

My boyfriend and I had the idea of making corn the way you make risotto–cutting it off the cob raw and then adding broth until the liquid is absorbed and the corn is cooked. I tried this recipe for my mother and grandparents this weekend. It was a hit. We served it with slice tomatoes, steamed asparagus, and green beans–the perfect summer meal. A glass of French rose wine completed the meal.

Corn risotto
6 cobs of corn
approx. 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth [I used homemade chicken broth]
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 tsp butter (optional)
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
olive oil

Cut corn off of cobs. Over medium heat, saute onions with olive oil until soft; about 5-8 minutes. Add corn and saute in oil and onions for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 c broth and butter, if desired. Stir occaisonally. When liquid is absorbed, add another 1/2 cup. Repeat until all liquid is absorbed and corn is cooked to the consistency you desire. Turn off heat, add parsley. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste.

Update:  I made a delicious variation of this using garlic (sauteed with the corn), no onion, and a pinch of saffron towards the end.  So good!

Curry in a Hurry

One of my favorite food websites it Heidi Swanson’s 101Cookbooks. I love her take on meals: use whole foods, use vegetables, make everything as delicious as possible. You get the health benefits without sacrificing the taste.

This week, I decided to try her In a Hurry Green Curry. This is a great spring/summer dish, filled with peas and asparagus with a kick of tofu. It was good–not too spicy and pleasantly filling. I added about 1/4 c cooked wide Thai rice noodles at the end, which was a nice contrast in texture to the al dente vegetables.

2 teaspoons green curry paste [be sparing when starting; you can add more later to taste]
scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 14-ounce can coconut milk (light ok)
1 large onion, sliced
14 ounces water or light vegetable broth
6 ounces of firm tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
2 cups asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch segments
squeeze of fresh lime juice
1/4 cup small basil leaves

In a large thick bottom pot over medium heat whisk the curry paste with the salt and a small splash of the coconut milk. Simmer for just a minute. Add the onion and saute until it softens up, just a minute or so. Add the rest of the coconut milk and broth and simmer for another five minutes. Taste and adjust for flavor – this would be the time to add more curry paste if needed.

Stir in the tofu and (JUST BEFORE SERVING) the peas and asparagus, simmer for just a minute or two, just long enough for the vegetables to cook a bit. Finish the pot with a squeeze of lime and basil leaves. Taste, and adjust seasoning again if needed.

Serves 4.

Update: This recipe made three meals–two (big) lunches and a dinner. The dish was much better two days later–the tofu was MUCH more flavorful and nicely soft. I served it with both rice noodles and short-grain brown rice; I preferred the brown rice with it.