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

--------- 

Try not to eat the whole batch in one sitting!

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.


CAULIFLOWER foods!

Cauliflower Pizza Bites

from damihealth.com

 

 

Prep time: 10 Minutes - Cook time: 25-30 Minutes
Yield: Makes 24 Cauliflower Pizza Bites

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Grated Cauliflower (washed, dried and grated using a food processor or cheese grater by hand until rice-like or thinner – Note – Approximately one head of cauliflower)
• 1/4 Cup Egg Whites
• 1 Cup 1% Cottage Cheese (drained)
• 1 Tsp Oregano
• 2 Tsp Parsley
• 1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil (Optional)
• 1-2 Tbsp Frank’s Hot Sauce (Optional)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 450 F.
2. Using a healthy cooking oil spray your mini muffin tin.
3. In a hot frying stir fry the “cauliflower rice” until the cauliflower is slightly translucent (about 6-8 minutes). Place in a bowl and let cool.
4. Place all other ingredients the food processor and blend until smooth.
5. In a bowl combine both the “cauliflower rice” and blended ingredients. Mix completely.
6. Evenly spoon mixture into your muffin tin molds. Press pizza dough down evenly and firmly (*The pressing down firmly is very important to make sure these stick together).
7. Place in your oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
8. Remove the pizza bites from the oven and let set until cool (This is also very important – let these pizza bites set in their pan for 5 – 10 minutes before removing – If you take them out while they are too hot they will break).
9. Once cool remove from muffin tin (either by tipping them out OR by running a thin knife down along the side and popping them out).
10. Use organic, natural pizza or pasta sauce for dipping (or make your own sauce- Simple Marinara Sauce link).
11. Enjoy!

 Cauliflower Crust Garlic "Breadsticks"

from anediblemosaic.com

 

 

Cauliflower Crust Garlic Breadsticks

Serves 2 to 4

1/4 of a large head of cauliflower (about 5 1/2 oz/160 g)

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, grated or minced

1 large egg, lightly beaten

4 oz mozzarella cheese, freshly grated and divided (low-fat cheese is fine)

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning, divided

1 pinch each salt and pepper

Cooking spray

Marinara sauce, for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper so that the excess paper hangs over the sides; lightly spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.

To “rice” the cauliflower, grate it on a cheese grater; you should have about 1 1/2 cups (lightly packed) of riced cauliflower. Put the riced cauliflower into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave (uncovered) until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally (don’t add water or anything else); cool slightly. While the cauliflower cooks, heat the oil in a small skillet over low heat; add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly; cool slightly.

To the bowl with the softened cauliflower, add the garlic, egg, 3/4 of the cheese (reserving 1/4 for topping later), 1/4 teaspoon of the dried Italian herb seasoning (reserving 1/4 teaspoon for topping later), and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and then spread in the prepared loaf pan.

Bake until the loaf is set and starting to turn golden, about 30 minutes. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper; use the parchment paper to lift the loaf out of the loaf pan and carefully flip it over onto the lined baking sheet (so the bottom is on top). Bake until golden, about 10 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Cut the loaf cross-wise into 8 pieces. Slightly separate the pieces and sprinkle the cheese on top along with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning. Broil a couple minutes until the cheese is melted and golden in spots. Serve hot or warm. (If you let it cool for about 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven, the crust will harden a bit so it’s easy to hold like a thin-crust pizza.)

Caprese Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

from motherthyme.com

 

 

   

Ingredients

Cauliflower Crust
• 1/2 head cauliflower (or 2 1/2 cups coarsely grated cauliflower)
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 cup part skim mozzarella, grated
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Caprese Topping
• 2 tablespoon basil pesto
• 1 cup fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 roma tomates, chopped
• 1-2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray cooking spray on a large baking sheet or pizza pan and set aside.
2. Remove stems and leaves from cauliflower and coarsely grate cauliflower florets to resemble rice to make 2 1/2 cups.
3. Place grated cauliflower, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally until heated through and just tender, about 7-8 minutes.
4. Place cauliflower in a medium bowl and cool slightly. Add in mozzarella, egg, basil and oregano and stir until combined.
5. Spread on baking sheet and press down forming crust about 8-9 inches.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes until brown.
Caprese Topping
7. Spread pesto on top of cooked crust. Top with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes until cheese is melted.
8. Cool slightly, cut and serve.

Whipped Cauliflower “Potatoes”

from damyhealth.com

Use these whipped potatoes instead of your regular potatoes tonight for supper. I bet no one in the family notices and if they do it will be because they are so darn yummy. They feel so naughty but they’re not. They are a must try this week!
Even though they are “whipped potatoes” no where in this recipe will you find potatoes! Instead we will be using cauliflower! We choose this due to the many health benefits of cruciferous vegetables (phytonutrients and vitamin C). Aside from all the wonderful health benefits of cauliflower this recipe is delicious! You will be addicted!
Ingredients:

• 1 Large Head Cauliflower
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Herbs (chives work particularly well)
• Sea Salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper
• ½ Cup Onion
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Chop cauliflower into smaller chunks – about bite-size pieces works well.
2. Peel garlic cloves and cut in half, lengthwise. Chop onion into slices.
3. Steam cauliflower, garlic and onion for 15 minutes, or until cauliflower and garlic are tender enough for a fork to easily pass through.
4. Combine steamed cauliflower, garlic, onion, olive oil, fresh herbs, pepper, and sea salt in a food processor and blend until everything comes together into a mashed potato-like consistency. I like mine whipped.
5. Top with a little pepper for looks and enjoy your guilt-free whipped potatoes.

Thai Curry Cauliflower with Coconut Lime Aioli

from veganyackattack.com

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1LargeHeadofCauliflower
• 1 Tbsp.olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp.Cornmeal
• PinchofSalt / Pepper
• 3 Tbsp. Vegan Mayo
• 2 Tbsp. Light coconut milk
• 1/4 tsp.garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp.onion Powder
• 1/2- 3/4 tsp. Fresh lime Juice
• Zestfrom Halfof 1Lime
• 1 Tbsp. Finely Diced Green Onion
• Salt & Pepper to Taste

• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Thai Curry Paste
• 2 tsp.chili Paste
• 1/4Cup + 1 tsp. Lite coconut milk
• 1/2 Tbsp. Fresh orange Juice
• Pinchoflime Zest
• Pinchofcayenne pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Take cauliflower and break off outer leaves if the head has them. Chop the florets into slightly larger than bite-size pieces.
2. Get a baking sheet ready off to the side. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower in the olive oil, then sprinkle the cornmeal, salt and pepper over the top and toss until evenly coated.
3. Spread the florets over the baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes on each side.
4. In the meantime, whisk together the vegan mayo, coconut milk, garlic powder, onion powder, lime juice, and zest in a bowl. Stir the green onions in and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set in the fridge to let the flavors mingle together.
5. In another small bowl, whisk the curry paste, chili paste, coconut milk, orange juice, lime zest and cayenne pepper together. This will be the sauce used to coat the cauliflower.
6. Once the cauliflower is done baking, take it out of the oven and toss it in the Thai curry sauce until evenly coated. You can either eat this as is, or return it to the oven for 5-10 minutes to make it slightly more crispy.
7. Serve warm with the aioli on the side for dipping.

Tips

• If you don’t have vegan mayo on hand, use 3 tbsp. soft tofu with a splash of white vinegar as a substitute and put the sauce in the blender before stirring in the green onions.
• Also, you can pan fry the cauliflower for a crispier dish.

Sweet Potato Burga

SWEET POTATO VEGGIE BURGER

from lunchboxbunch.com

Easy Burger. You simply take a baked sweet potato, some soft canned beans (I used cannellini white beans) add in a few accents, mash, saute and serve. You can also bake for a healthier preparation. And you could add in other whole food ingredients too like brown rice, finely chopped apple, hemp seeds - whatever! The sweet potato is such a nice binder - you can really get creative if you choose.

I pan-fry. More of a saute really. I use just a splash of safflower oil.

And I don't think I have to remind you how incredibly healthy sweet potatoes and beans are. Filled with good stuff. Vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein. Dig in.


Sweet Potato Veggie Burgersmakes 7-8 large patties

2 cans cannellini white beans, drained
1 large sweet potato, baked/peeled/mashed (about 2 cups)
2 Tbsp tahini
2 tsp maple or agave syrup
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning OR Cajun seasoning (or another fave spice!)
1/4 cup wheat flour
optional: additional seasoning (whatever you have on hand - I used a few dashes cayenne, black pepper and a scoop of nutritional yeast)
salt to taste if needed

plentiful Panko crumbs
safflower oil for pan

burgers: avocado, Dijon mustard, grain buns, romaine, onion, olive oil, pepper

Directions:1. Bake sweet potato. Peel, place in large mixing bowl.
2. Add drained beans to mixing bowl. Mash beans and potato together.
3. Mash in seasoning, flour and any additional seasoning. Your mixture will be quite soft and moist. But you should be able to form a patty. Add more flour or a scoop of breadcrumbs - or dry rice to thicken the mixture if needed.
4. Heat 1 Tbsp safflower oil in a pan over high heat.
5. Form a patty from mixture and coat in Panko crumbs. Thick coating. Then drop the patty in the pan. Repeat until the pan is filled. Cook until browned on both sides. You could also bake. If baking, use less Panko.
6. Transfer cooked patties to paper towel. Cool for a few minutes.
7. Serve on toasted bun with lotsa toppings.

Note: yes this patty does fall kind of apart as you eat it. But that is OK because it tastes yummy.

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.

Creamy Polenta with Brussel Sprouts

Creamy Polenta with Balsamic Roasted

Brussels Sprouts Recipe
from veggiebelly.com

 

serves 3-4

Ingredients for Creamy Polenta
1 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups milk, any fat% you like
1 cup polenta (not the quick cooking type). I like Bob’s Red Mill polenta
salt
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Method
In a large pot, bring the milk and water or vegetable stock and some salt to a boil. As soon as it begins to boil, pour the poelnta/corn meal in a steady stream, while whisking. Continue to whisk till it is incorporated.

Let the polenta cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes or till the polenta is cooked and no longer gritty. Stir the polenta every 10 minutes so it doesnt burn in the bottom. Be cautious, the polenta can bubbles and splutter as it cooks.

When polenta is done, butter and parmesan. Serve immediately with roasted brussels sprouts (recipe below).

Polenta will tighten up as it cools. To reheat, add a little water to it.

Ingredients for Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
12 brussels sprouts. Substitute with 12 broccoli florets or 18 white button mushrooms
3/4 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, peeled. Optional
3 thyme sprigs. Optional
Salt
Cracked black pepper

Method
While the polenta is cooking, work on the roasted brussles sprouts.
Pre heat oven to 375f
Cut and discard the brussles sprouts stems. Peel away any yellow leaves. Cut each brussels sprout in half lengthwise.

Place brussles sprouts in a bowl with all other ingredients and toss well.
Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure the brussels sprouts are in a single layer.

Bake in a 375f for about 20 minutes or till the brussels sprouts are browned. Half way through, toss the brussels sprouts and return to the oven, so they brown evenly on all sides.

If using broccoli or mushrooms follow the same method, but roast them in a 425f oven for about 20 minutes or till browned.
Serve hot with creamy polenta.