Tag Archives: vegan

Jica’me Crazy

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This is for those of you living in a cold weather area,  if you are craving a tropical vacation, or both.

When I lived in upstate NY, I remember around this time of year I would be entering into “the crazy’s”, craving sun and warmth. My solution at the time was to take super long hot showers. So long, everything would be steamed. I would validate this by creating a quick steam press for my clothes by hanging them on the back of the door. Anything to avoid ironing, right?

Instead of selfishly wasting water like some people, (I blame it on the ignorance of teens) you  can make this easy meal.

Bring some warm tropical flavors, and bright colors to your house. A taste of sunshine, a breath of warmth in a sweet/savory bowl.

Two other bonuses:

1) You can make it one pot. You know my love of this since we don’t have a dishwasher.

2)  This is nutrient dense. Where to start? Here we go: Complete protein for muscle repair and fiber for  umm digestion, from Quinoa and black beans. Vitamin C and antioxidants for healing bones and tissue repair, not to mention immunity from  Pomegranate, orange juice, jicama and garlic cloves. Healthy fats from coconut milk and oil, and avocado.  Energy boost from OJ and honey. Surprise sweetness for your sweeties from Jicama.

I’m lucky to work with some like minded coworkers who helped  inspire this meal by eating lots of quinoa, reintroducing me to Jicama, and supplying the Pomegranate fresh from her tree. Thanks ;) .

 

Tropical Quinoa

Quinoa Ingredients

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup quinoa

1/2 Onion chopped

1 Pomegranate- seeds removed and rinsed

1 Jicama chopped

1 can black beans

Tropical Dressing

1/2 cup OJ

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

2 Garlic cloves minced

2 Tsp honey

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook quinoa in large pot according to directions. Substitute 1 cup of water for 1 cup of coconut milk.

2. While quinoa is cooking, combine dressing ingredients and whisk.

3. After the quinoa absorbs the liquid, turn the heat to low. Stir in chopped onion, jicama, pomegranate seeds,  and black beans. Add in dressing. Stir and keep on low heat until warmed through.

You could also serve this cold, if you do not need the warmth….What is your solution to beating the cold grey days of winter?

This recipe was linked up at This Chick Cooks.

Garden Risotto

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This garden risotto developed from an abundant supply of tomatoes from my plant, and zucchinis from a friend’s. There are a couple unique twists from the standard risotto. First it uses orzo noodles instead of rice, and second instead of the starch absorbing wine/broth a tomato sauce/broth is used.

The result is a filling nutrient packed dinner or side dish.  In this meal you have healthy heart nutrients from the tomato, garlic and olive oil, and carbs from the orzo. The one nutrient lacking in this meal is a complete protein, however in one serving you can get about 16g which is perfect amount for one meal. You just have to make it a complete protein by eating a legume or nut sometime throughout the day.  The foundation of the recipe is from Vegan Italiano by Donna Klein.

Garden Risotto                                                                               

Ingredients

8 small to medium sized tomatoes

2 large zucchini

1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, well drained

1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 pound orzo

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves minced

2 1/2 cups veggie broth

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 tsp sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In large pot bring water for orzo to a boil.  Using a knife blade for your food processor, process tomatoes, bell peppers, and vinegar until pureed. Set aside.

Add orzo to boiling water and cook half the time recommended on the package (approx 5 minutes, pasta should still be firm in middle). Drain and then rinse orzo under cold water, and rinse again. Return to pot and stir with 1-2 tbsp of olive oil.

In large, deep non stick skillet, heat remaining oil over med-high heat. Add garlic and zucchini and saute until zucchini for approx 3 minutes, until zucchini is slightly softened and browned. Do not over cook, or cook fully.

Add 1 1/2 cups of broth, oregano, salt and pepper, let come to a boil Add reserved orzo and stir to coat, let come to brisk simmer. Add remaining broth and cook, stirring constantly until all liquid has been absorbed about 4 minutes. Add the reserved tomato mixture and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is creamy but not soupy, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

My fiance and I both gave this meal a 8.5/10. Improvements for the future would be to add a protein like tofu, shrimp or chicken for him. If you do not care about the meal being vegan you can also add Parmesan cheese on top for flavor.

We listened to the new Decemberists album, The King is Dead.  A little slower, and less dramatic then their last albums but perfect cd for cooking or relaxing too. This album gets better  after the second listen since the music is so complex with all that talent in one band.