Fire Roasted Tomato Quinoa with Grilled Veggies

 

I love quinoa because it only takes 20 minutes to cook. Instead of using water, I used 1 cup of canned diced roasted tomatoes. This adds so much flavor because the quinoa becomes infused with the tomato juices as it cooks.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa
1 14oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes
1/4 cup water
leftover roasted vegetables
fresh basil for garnish (optional)

Add 1 cup of diced tomatoes and water to a small sauce pan, heat on high until boiling. Add quinoa and bring temperatue down to low. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat leftover grilled veggies in microwave and slice some fresh basil for garnish. If you do not have leftover roasted veggies, then you could substitute frozen spinach, peas, zucchini, eggplant, broccoli or anything that you like. Cook in microwave, stirring often until vegetables are heated all the way through.

When quinoa is done cooking, divide between 2 plates,top with veggies, remaining diced tomatoes from can if you like, and sliced basil. Enjoy!

Cooking Tip: You can make the quinoa ahead of time for a really fast dinner the next night. I always pre-cook grains or pasta after dinner the night before so that it is ready when I come home the next night. Then dinner is ready in 5-10 minutes.

Grilled Veggie Burger

 

I literally have no time during the week to cook so I have to be creative with making fast meals that are healthy and delicious. This is so simple to put together, there’s really no reason to run out and get fast food!

Ingredients:

1 squash or zucchini
1 small eggplant
1 small red onion
1 tomato, sliced
1/2 avocado sliced
Lettuce, spinach, or your favorite spring mix
2 whole wheat buns, toasted

Slice squash or zucchini, eggplant, red onion into 1/4” rounds. Toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Cook both sides on grill, or line a baking sheet with foil. Bake at 400, 10 minutes each side.

While cooking, slice your tomato and avocado, toast the buns, and put together a quick side salad.

Arrange lettuce, tomato, avocado slices, and grilled veggies on toasted bun. Save extra veggies for next day or enjoy as an additional side dish.

Cooking Tip: Slice a whole avocado from top to bottom and twist to separate. Set aside the half with the pit still in tact. Take a paring knife and slice the avocado into thin slices from top to bottom without cutting all the way through the outside skin. Take a large spoon and scoop out avocado from top to bottom. You now have sliced avocado!

Cinnamocha Smoothie

I love making smoothies in the morning after I hit the gym or go running. This is packed with tons of protein and nutrients – and it’s delicious! It might sound strange to add cinnamon to a chocolate smoothie, but the flavors go together really well.

Ingredients:

1 cup Vanilla Soy Milk
1 Banana
1 Tbsp Nut Butter (Peanut, Almond, or Cashew – whatever you like!)
1 Tbsp Cocoa or Carob Powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 ice cubes

Blend and pour into a glass. Garnish with chocolate shavings if desired!

Cooking Tip: Place ingredients in your blender the night before and store in the fridge until the next morning.

Eggplant Rollatini

 

A classic Italian favorite with a twist

Eggplant Rollatini

2 medium eggplants, sliced long ways (from stem to base) into 1/4” thick slices

Preheat oven to 400 and place eggplant strips on lightly oiled baking sheets. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.

Filling:
1/2 cup white beans, cannellini or navy
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
Juice from a whole lemon
1/2 – 1 tsp garlic powder (depending on your tastes)
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional, just adds a slight cheesy flavor along with some vitamin B12 and protein)

Puree in a food processor until creamy, you may need to add water to thin.

In a square baking dish, spread tomato sauce or canned diced tomatoes on the bottom. Place a large spoonful of filling on each eggplant strip closest to where the base of the eggplant used to be. Roll each eggplant upwards and arrange in square baking dish. Top with more tomato sauce or diced tomatoes. Put back into oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until slightly bubbly. Serve with your favorite pasta and sauce. Enjoy!

The Birthday Boy’s Feast

 

Welcome to our birthday feast

To start - Tomato Corn Lime Gazpacho Shooters inspired by one of my favorite restaurants, Cava
cool tomato and cucumber puree balances a tangy corn and lime puree

Sushi – sticky rice with carrots, cucumbers, mango, and baked tofu strips

Dippers – pumpernickel bread, scooped out baked potato skins, baked seasoned tofu strips, and daiya pepper jack cheese corn quesadillas

Dips - Spinach Artichoke, Black Bean and Roasted Tomato

Pico de Gallo and Chopped Guacamole

Whole Wheat Spinach Veggie Flatbreads with Cilantro Lime Hummus

And the recipes, some from others (linked) and some created by me.

Tomato Corn Lime Gazpacho Shooters

3-4 large tomatoes, cut into large chunks
1/2 cucumber, cut into large chunks
1 tsp fresh garlic, coarsely chopped
1 T vinegar
2T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Puree in a food processor until smooth

2 ears of corn - heated in microwave for 5 minutes, cooled and then kernels cut off with a knife (or use frozen)
1 tsp fresh garlic, coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Soymilk to thin, about 1/4 cup

Puree in a food processor until smooth

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1/2 cup white beans (navy or cannellini)
1/2 can artichoke hearts packed in water, about 3-4 large hearts
1 cup frozen spinach thawed in microwave for about 30 seconds
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp vinegar
a few fresh basil leaves (or 1 tsp dry)

Puree in a food processor until smooth, serve chilled or heated with pumpernickel bread

Black Bean and Roasted Tomato Dip

Pico de Gallo

3-4 large tomatoes, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
Juice of two limes
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)

Chopped Guacamole

2 avacados cubed
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
Juice of one lime
splash of hot sauce to garnish

Cilantro Lime Hummus

1 can cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Juice of two limes
1 tsp fresh garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup of water to thin

Puree in a food processor until smooth

Whole Wheat Spinach Veggie Flatbreads

4 whole wheat tortillas
a few handfuls of fresh spinach (about half a small container)
2 sweet peppers
1/2 red onion
1 veggie sausage (optional)
1/2 batch of cilantro lime hummus

Pre-heat oven to 400. Thinly slice sweet peppers, red onions, and veggie sausage into strips. Place on baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray, season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 10 minutes, stir around veggies, and bake another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, on another lightly oiled baking sheet place two whole wheat tortillas on the sheet. Spread about 1/4 of the batch of cilantro lime hummus onto each tortilla. When peppers, onions, and veggie sausage are done cooking, divide among two tortillas. Top each tortilla with a huge handful of spinach and then place another whole wheat tortilla on top so that it looks like a quesadilla. Put back into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Slice each flat bread with a pizza cutter into quarters and arrange on a plate. Dip into more hummus or top with pico de gallo or chopped guacamole.

 

And for dessert?

Just a little chocolate soufflé

Chocolate Chip Scones

I love getting chocolate chip scones from Whole Foods – they are so good and I still have no idea how they do it. Well these scones are a pretty fabulous substitute since we live an hour from Whole Foods now. I’ve tried many different recipes and these are by far my favorite ones to recreate at home.

Chocolate Chip Scones

• 1/3 cup soy milk plus 1 tsp apple cider vinegar – mixed 5 minutes ahead of time
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling the tops
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 2.5 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup soy creamer (or soy milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the sugar, salt, and chocolate chips to the sifted mixture. Next, add the oil, soy creamer, soy milk/apple cider mixture, and vanilla. Mix until just combined – do not over mix. Drop by 1/4 cupful onto a greased cookie sheet and pat the tops to flatten them out a bit. Sprinkle with a little bit of sugar. Bake 12 minutes so that they are slightly browned on the bottom and firm on the top.

Adapted from: Vegan Brunch