Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

 

Sauce:

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

4 teaspoons hoisin sauce (or alternative)

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

 

Filling:

1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

6 thinly sliced green onions (about 2/3 cup), divided

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided

3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)

1 cup matchstick-cut cucumbers

1 cup matchstick-cut carrots

2 cups hot cooked sticky rice

 

8 Bibb lettuce leaves

 

Preparation

1. 1. To prepare sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallot, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add 1/3 cup water and next 3 ingredients (through red pepper), and stir with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice.
2. 2. To prepare filling, spread crumbled tofu in a single layer on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 20 minutes, pressing down occasionally.
3. 3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 1/3 cup green onions; sauté 1 minute. Add tofu; sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro, soy sauce, ginger, sugar, and Sriracha; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in cucumbers, carrots, and remaining green onions.
4. 4. Spoon 1/4 cup rice into each lettuce leaf. Top with about 1/2 cup tofu mixture; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cilantro. Serve with sauce.

Chickpea Cookie Dough

Chickpea Cookie Dough

from fitsugar.com

Ingredients:

1 can of chickpeas drained, well rinsed and peeled

¼ cup peanut (or any nut) butter
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend until very smooth in food processor or blender

Once blended add ½ cup chocolate chips – mix with spoon

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Try not to eat the whole batch in one sitting!

Banana Blueberry pancakes

Banana Blueberry Pancakes

from ohsheglows.com

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup spelt (rice?) flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• tiny pinch sea salt
• 1 tsp baking powder (I use aluminum-free)
• 1/2 c unsweetened almond milk (or milk of your choice)

Syrup + filling:

• Pure maple syrup
• Peanut butter
• Jam
• Unsweet. coconut
• Cacao nibs
• Sliced banana
• Blueberries
• Raspberries

 

Directions: Mix all dry ingredients together the night before and place in container. In the morning, heat a skillet on medium while mixing the batter. Add the milk to dry ingredients and stir well. Spray the skillet with non stick oil and spoon the batter onto the skillet on med-low temperature. Flip pancakes when bubbles pop and cook other side. Layer with sliced banana, peanut butter, jam, and other toppings as you wish!

Makes 4 baby pancakes.

No-Bake Date Squares (GF)

Vegan Date Squares

from ohsheglows.com

 

No Bake Vegan Date Squares

Crust:

• 1.5 cups whole raw almonds
• 1.5 cups regular oats (for Gluten-free, use GF oats)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 10 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup coconut oil

 

Date filling:

• 25 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped (~2.5 cups)
• 1/2 cup water

 

Directions:

1. Line a square pan (I used 8in x 8 in) with two pieces of parchment paper going opposite ways. In a food processor, process the almond, salt, and oats until a fine crumble forms. Now add in the dates and process until crumbly again. Melt the coconut oil and add to the mixture and process until sticky. You can add a tiny bit more oil if the dough is too dry. I didn’t need to though! Remove from processor, set aside 3/4 cup of the mixture for later, and press the rest of the mixture very firmly and evenly into the pan.

2. Grab your pitted and roughly chopped dates and water and process in the food processor until a paste forms. You will have to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl often. You can add a tiny bit more water if needed, but you want the paste quite thick. Scoop out the date mixture onto the crust and gently spread with the back of a wet spatula until even.

3. Sprinkle on the 3/4 cup of mixture you set aside and gently press down with fingers. Refrigerate in the fridge until firm for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. Cut into squares and serve. Store in the fridge or freezer.

 

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese & Arugula

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese & Arugula

 

Ingredients:
3 red beets, peeled, roasted and diced
1 firm Bosc or D'Anjou pear, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice 4 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola or mild blue cheese
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 large shallot, peeled and chopped
4 ounces of mixed lettuce, washed
2 ounces arugula, washed
1 seedless tangerine, peeled
⅓ cup walnuts, halved, optional

Wash the beets, leave them wet, and wrap each one in foil. Arrange beets in roasting pan or on baking sheet; bake 90 minutes or until tender. Test by opening the foil and poking with a thin knife.
Note: I often make my beets ahead of time, or make more beets than I need, then dice and refrigerate so I can make more salad later.

Leave beets covered and allow to cool on a plate.
Dice beets and pear pieces, and toss with lemon juice in a small bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine oil, vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, shallot, salt, and pepper. Whisk these together until blended.

Make sure beets and pears are at room temperature.
Place roughly chopped greens and arugula in a bowl.
Top with pears, beets, tangerine slices, and cheese, and drizzle with vinaigrette. Add walnuts as desired.

Pecan and Maple sweeto potato

 

Pecan and Maple Sweet Potato

from drizzleanddip.com

 

This recipe is a flavour bomb of fresh herbs, sweet potatoes, zesty citrus and crunchy pecans, and has to be one of the best ways to spice up this lovely root vegetable.

It comes out of ‘Ottolenghi – The Cookbook’ and they mention that its origin is from Epicurious.com.

I never shy away from flavour so this recipe instantly appealed to me. I have had a ‘Post It’ stuck to its page for a while now, along with many other pages in this incredible cook book.
I was thrilled to see that Woolworths are now stocking red fleshed sweet potatoes. Having recently been in search of them for a recipe and establishing that they are quite seasonal and not always available, I pounced on a bag the minute I saw them. They are much healthier than potatoes because they are in lower in GI and have a lovely taste.

This recipe serves 4

I left out the sultanas and substituted the sherry vinegar with red wine vinegar.

• 2 Sweet potatoes (850g)
• 3 T olive oil
• 35g pecan nuts roasted and chopped
• 4 spring onions chopped
• 4 T chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 T chopped coriander
• 1/4 t dried chilli flakes
• 35g sultanas ( I left this out)
• Salt & pepper

Dressing:

• 4T olive oil
• 2 T maple syrup (I used 3)
• 1 Tb sherry vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
• 1 T lemon juice
• 2 T orange juice
• 2 t freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon

Heat the oven to 190 C, wash and cut the sweet potatoes into a chunky, small dice. There is no need to peel them. Coat them in the olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes. If you havent yet roasted your pecan nuts, you can do it directly after the sweet potatoes or whilst they are cooking on another shelf for 5 minutes. Put the chopped pecan nuts, spring onions and herbs in a bowl then mix all the salad dressing ingredients. As the sweet potatoes come out the oven, toss everything together and serve immediately warm. It can also be served cool at room temperature as a salad.
I totally love this dish and next time I will consider adding a little more chilli to give it a slight kick and perhaps a sprinkle of cumin to warm it up.

GF Pancakes!!

Banana Buckwheat Pancakes (Gluten-free)

from bojongourmet.com

 

 

 

 

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

A bonus to using gluten-free flours is that you don't have to worry about over-mixing, which activates the glutens in wheat flour and can make for gluey, tough pancakes. If gluten isn't a concern for you, you can sub all-purpose and whole wheat flours for the rice and oat; if you do, be very gentle when stirring the batter, and err on the side of under-mixing.

Since I don't like to wait too long for breakfast, I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve to make the cooking process go faster: I use a spring-loaded ice cream scoop to scoop scoops of batter in the pan, and I keep two wide frying pans going so I can cook twice as many pancakes at once. If you're lucky enough to own a griddle, all the better.

If making these for a crowd, slip them onto a plate or baking sheet in a low oven to keep them warm while you cook.

Makes 2-3 servings (ten fluffy 3" pancakes)

1/4 cup sweet (sticky) white rice flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 large egg
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
3/4 cup shaken buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large, ripe banana, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 cup toasted pecans, plus extra for garnish, coarsely chopped

For serving:
maple syrup (grade B has the deepest flavor and color)
plain, whole-milk yogurt
sliced banana

In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder and soda, salt and nutmeg.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and maple syrup to combine. Whisk in the melted butter until smooth, then whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla.

Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until just combined, then gently fold in the banana chunks and chopped pecans. The batter will be thick.

Heat a wide skillet (or two; or a griddle, if you've got one) over medium-low heat and add about a teaspoon of butter to coat the pan. The pan is ready when a drop of batter sizzles on contact. Drop 1/4 cup scoops of batter into the hot skillet, spaced about 2" apart as the batter will spread, and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until well browned and cooked throughout (though the bananas will be soft and gooey, and make it a bit tricky to tell.)

Serve the pancakes with maple syrup, yogurt, sliced banana and pecans. Extras can be kept in the fridge and reheated in a skillet.


GF Breakfast - Breakfast Bars

Almond, Prune and Apricot Breakfast Bars

from bojongourmet.com

Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

 

Since there is such a small amount of flour here, you could probably substitute a gluten-free all-purpose blend if you preferred. And you could swap out the apricots and prunes for just about any dried fruit that is soft and moist - I think figs would be nice, too. If you or your bar-eaters are very sensitive to gluten, be sure to seek out gluten-free oats and oat flour. A good, flavorful honey will make these extra-delicious (I use an amazing blackberry honey that we get in bulk at our co-op). All ounce measurements are by weight.

Makes twelve 2x3" bars (an 8x8" pan)

 

scant 1/2 teaspoon zest from 1/4 of a large orange

2-3 tablespoons orange juice from half a large orange
1/2 cup (3 1/4 ounces) dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup (3 1/4 ounces) prunes (or dates), chopped

2/3 cup (2 3/4 ounces) sliced almonds, plus a few extra for the top

1 1/2 cups (5 ounces) quick (baby) oats
2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) flax seed, ground in a coffee or spice grinder
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) oat flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (3 ounces) almond butter
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) olive oil
1/4 cup (2 3/4 ounces) honey
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325º. Line the bottom and sides of an 8x8" square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Zest the 1/4 of orange into a medium bowl and set aside. Place the chopped apricots and prunes in another medium bowl and set aside. Juice half of the orange into a small saucepan and bring to a bare simmer over a medium flame, swirling occasionally. Pour the hot juice over the dried fruit and let sit to absorb, tossing once or twice, while you get on with the recipe.

Spread the almonds on a small baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant, 4-5 minutes. In a large bowl, stir together the toasted almonds, oats, ground flax, oat flour, salt and cinnamon.

To the bowl with the orange zest, add the almond butter, olive oil, honey and almond extract and whisk to combine.

Add the almond butter mixture and the dried fruit mixture to the oat mixture and stir until well combined.

Scrape the mixture into the lined baking pan and use moistened fingers to press it firmly and evenly into the pan. Press a few extra sliced almonds into the top if you like. Bake the bars until the top is golden, 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely, then use the parchment paper "handles" to remove the bar to a cutting board. Use a large, sharp chef's knife to cut the bar into 12 rectangles.

The bars keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Vietnamese Rolls with Mango and Sauce

Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Mango and Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce
from veggiebelly.com

 

 

 

Set up all the ingredients on a clean surface. Dip a rice paper wrapper into a large bowl of water. Make sure all sides get wet. Then remove the rice paper and gently shake it dry. The rice paper will now be pliable. If it isnt, let it stil on the table (not in the water) for a few more seconds.

Place the softened rice paper wrapper on a clean surface. Place filling ingredients on the front (closest to you) 1/3rd of the rice paper wrapper in this order – cilantro, mint, lettuce, noodles, carrot, mango.

 

 

Vietnamese Summer Rolls or Goi Cuan with Mango Recipe

makes 6 rolls
2 oz dried rice sticks or rice vermicelli (available in Asian section of most grocery stores)
6 rice paper wrapper sheets (called ‘bahn trang’ - available in Asian section of grocery store)
a large bowl of water to dip rice paper sheets
6 sprigs cilantro
6 sprigs mint
6 leaves lettuce, rib/stem removed (I like boston lettuce)
1 small ripe mango, peeled and cut into strips (substitute with shredded purple cabbage, cucumbers, savoy cabbage, bean sprouts)
1 carrot, peeled and cut into match sticks
Soak rice sticks in boiling water for about 3 minutes or till soft. Drain well.
Dip the rice paper sheets in water, making sure all sides are wet. Shake off excess water. Place on a clean work surface. Place a sprig each of cilantro and mint in the front 1/3rds of the rice paper sheet. Then place lettuce leaf, a little rice noodles, carrot, and mango slices. Fold and roll the summer roll – see photos above for details on how to roll vietnamese summer roll.
Serve immediately with vegetarian vietnamese dipping sauce (recipe below). To store, put rolls on a plate, cover with a damp paper towel. Then cover plate completely with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce or Vegetarian Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce) Recipe

makes little less than 1 cup
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons warm water
1 garlic clove peeled and crushed
Red pepper flakes or chopped fresh chili to taste
Whisk everything together till the sugar dissolves.

Southwestern Black Bean & Rice Burgers

Southwestern Black Bean and Brown Rice Burgers with Roasted Poblano Sweet Corn Salsa
from veggiebelly.com

To roast poblanos, place them over an open flame. Keep turning till they are charred all over.
Keep roasted poblano wrapped in foil for about 5 minutes. Then using a paper towel, wipe off the charred skin. Roasting poblanos gives them great flavor which is wonderful in this roasted poblano sweet corn salsa.

Serving suggestions for vegan southwestern black bean and brown rice burger patties:

Serve with your choice of chipotle mayonnaise, avocado slices, sour cream, ketchup, barbeque sauce, tomato slices, red onion, pickled jalapeno, lettuce, lime wedges, roasted poblano and sweet corn salsa ( recipe below)

- as a southwestern veggie burger with toasted burger buns

- as a sandwich with bread slices
- as a tortilla wrap
- in pita bread pockets
- my favorite – in a salad with shredded lettuce, carrots, roasted poblano and sweet corn salsa (recipe below) and my cumin vinaigrette recipe
- lettuce wraps- serve burger patties and salsa with large, un-cut pieces of iceburg lettuce

Vegan Southwestern Black Bean and Brown Rice Veggie Burger Patties Recipe

makes 8 patties
1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked. I recommend RiceSelect Royal Blend brown & red riceOne 15 oz can black beans
sauté
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small red (or green) bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon store bought taco seasoning (substitute with 1/2 tablespoon cumin powder + 1/2 tablespoon paprika or red chile powder)
salt
to cook the patties
1 tablespoon corn starch
6 tablespoons olive oil
In a large pot, bring plenty of water to boil. Generously salt the water. Add brown rice and cook uncovered till the rice is done, about 20 minutes. Rice should be cooked through, but still chewy and not mushy. When done, drain the rice, run some cold water over it to stop the cooking. Make sure the rice is drained very well before using. Spread it on a kitchen towel to absorb moisture if needed.
Drain the canned black beans. Again, make sure it is drained very well.
While the brown rice is cooking, work on the satueeting. Heat a large non-stick skillet with the oil. Add onion and red pepper. Cook till onions are soft. Add garlic, stir for about 30 seconds. Add taco seasoning and drained black beans. Stir on high heat for about a minute. Turn off heat. Add salt (remember store bought taco seasoning already has some salt).
Using a potato masher or fork, mash the black bean mixture. Mash roughly, so that some black bean pieces remain. Add cooked, drained brown rice. Using a spatula, mix everything together. Taste and adjust salt and taco seasoning.
When the black bean brown rice mixture is cool enough to handle, divide it into 8 equal portions. Dust your hands with corn starch and make 8 balls. Flatten the balls down to shape into burgers. Dust a little corn starch on the patties; not too much, just a sprinkle. (You can freeze the patties at this point in a single layer in air tight containers).
Heat about 1 tablespoon oil in a non-stick skillet. Place 2 burger patties on the skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes on medium-high heat on each side. Remove when a crispy golden crust forms on both sides. Add more oil to the skillet and fry up 2 more patties at a time. Repeat till all patties are cooked.

Roasted Poblano and Sweet Corn Salsa Recipe

enough to serve with about 4 burgers
1 poblano pepper (substitute with bottled roasted red pepper or sauteed jalapenos or canned New Mexican green chile)
1 can drained sweet corn
1 cup chopped tomatoes
zest of 1/2 a lime, optional
2 tablespoons lime juice (juice of about 1 large lime)
1-2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
salt and pepper
Roast the poblano pepper over an open flame either on your stove or an out door grill. Char the pepper on all sides. Then wrap it in foil and let it sit for about 5 minutes. When the pepper is cool enough to handle, open the foil and peel off the charred poblano skin. Wipe off any remaining charred skin with a paper towel. Remove the seeds inside. Dice the roasted poblano.
Mix together the roasted poblano and all other ingredients. Refrigerate till ready to serve.

Blueberry Mango Quinoa Salad

Blueberry Mango Quinoa Salad with

Lemon Basil Dressing Recipe
from veggiebelly.com

Serves about 2
For the quinoa1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
For the fruits and veggies½ cup fresh blueberries
½ cup cubed ripe mangoes
½ cup cubed cucumbers
1/2 tablespoon dried cranberries
For the lemon basil dressing1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
10 Basil leaves, chopped finely
Salt and pepper

Place the quinoa and water in a medium skillet and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat, and simmer covered for about 15 minutes or till the quinoa is cooked. Remove the lid, and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Let it cool to room temperature.
While the quinoa is cooking, combine the fruits in a bowl and refrigerate till you are ready to serve the salad.

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients, except the chopped basil. Refrigerate till you are ready to serve. Chop and add the basil to the dressing just before serving. If you add it earlier, it will go black.
Add half the dressing to the quinoa and mix gently.

Assemble the salad just before serving – toss the quinoa, fruits and cucumbers together. Serve other half of the dressing on the side. Serve immediately.