Breakfast Quinoa

 

 

 

Quinoa ('keen-wah') has been cultivated in South America for hundreds of years.  It is a native of the Andes Mountains in Peru.  It pairs well with Mediterranean and Mexican dishes.

Quinoa is one of the best protein sources in the plant kingdom.  It is also a good source of fiber, potassium, iron, zinc and B vitamins.

I like quinoa added to a salad and also for breakfast.  Because it is high in protein and fiber it carries me through the morning without a need for a snack.

Today it was with raisins and cinnamon.  You could add any kind of dried or fresh fruit you like, either during cooking or after.  Quinoa can be made ahead and warmed for breakfast or cold with some fresh berries.

 

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1/4 cup raisins

dash of ground cinnamon

 

Rinse the quinoa with cold water in a fine strainer.  This removes any bitterness.

Place the quinoa, water, raisins and cinnamon in a 2 quart sauce pan and bring to boil over high heat.

Reduce heat to low, stir, cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes.  Stir several times while simmering.

After 20 minutes, remove from heat and leave covered for 10-15 minutes.  Then fluff with a fork and serve.

 

Makes 4 servings at 173 calories each.  Or this could be two large servings at 346 calories each.

Roasted Romanesco

 

 

Many thanks to my friend Glenn for reminding me about Romanesco with his face book post of a vibrant green head of this delicious vegetable.

Romanesco has been claimed to be both a variety of broccoli and a variety of cauliflower.  It originated in Italy and the Italians refer to it as green cauliflower.  They traditionally boil the florets and then top them with anchovies, diced hard boiled egg, garlic, olives and buffalo mozzarella.  And for those who like a little spice they add a diced red pepperoncini.

Since I am not a big fan of boiling vegetables, I roasted them with red onion and red bell pepper and a bit of spray oil.

 

 

One head of Romanesco, florets cut from the stem

One large red bell pepper, cut in narrow strips

One medium red onion, thinly sliced

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Coat a roasting pan with spray oil.

Add the vegetables and spray lightly with the spray oil.

Roast for 20 minutes, stir.

Roast another 20 minutes and remove from oven.

 

Makes 4 servings at 56 calories each.

Enjoy!



Garbanzo Bean Soup
With Braised Broccolini and Grape Tomatoes

 

 

This recipe is adapted from one I found in Bob Appetit.  The primary change was the omission of olive oil.  The original recipe called for steame4d broccoli and I substituted braised baby broccolini and grape tomatoes.

When I read this recipe I thought it was interesting, but feared it would taste too much like mashed garbanzo beans or hummus.  I was pleasantly surprised by the complex flavors in this soup.

It is a simple soup to make and takes less than an hour.

 

4 cups diced onion

4 teaspoons minced garlic

3  15 ounce cans garbanzo beans

2-3 small sprigs of fresh thyme

1/2 cup dry white wine (I used a Riesling)

4 cups vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

 

1 cup baby broccolini, cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

 

Coat a 6-8 quart stock pot with spray oil.  Add the onions and garlic.  Saute over medium heat until the onions are translucent.

Add the thyme, garbanzo beans and wine.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth, salt and pepper.  return to a boil and then simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

 

While the soup is cooking braise the vegetables.  Cut the broccolini into bite sized pieces and the tomatoes in half. Cost a large skillet with spray oil and add the broccolini.  Sear the broccolini over high heat until it begins to brown.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of water, cover the skillet and reduce to low heat.  When the water has evaporated add the tomatoes and cook uncovered over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

 

When the soup is done, remove the thyme sprigs and puree in a blender in small batches (Fill the blender container no more than half full to avoid burns from hot soup spewing out.)  

Return the soup to medium just until it begins to bubble.  Remove from the heat and ladle into a bowl.  Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the braised vegetables on top of the soup.

 

Enjoy!

 

Makes 10 cups at 164 calories per cup.

 

Orange Poppy Seed Flax Scones

 

 

The scone originated in Scotland.  It is  small round or wedge shaped pastry that is closely related to the American biscuit.  Biscuits are usually unsweetened and scones are lightly sweetened.  Scones are usually made with butter and biscuits with shortening.  Originally, scones were made from oat, wheat or barley flour and cooked on a griddle.  They often had raisins or nuts. 

Today, scones remain a staple in the British tea.

The American scone has evolved to coffee shop favorite and often contains butter,eggs and milk.  The recipe below is a vegan version of the American scone.

 

 

2 cups unbleached white wheat flour

2 tablespoons flax seed meal (ground flax seeds)

1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

2 tablespoons xylitol  (or sugar)

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup vegetable shortening (I used Spectrum Organic All Vegetable Shortening Butter Flavor Non-hydrogenated)

2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind

3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, flax seed meal, poppy seeds, xylitol, baking powder and baking soda.

Using a pastry cutter or two knives in scissor fashion, cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until it is the size of small peas.

Stir in the orange rind and juice just until mixed.

Turn out onto a well floured surface and pat into a circle that is 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.  Cut into 8 wedges.  Place on a baking sheet, leaving an inch two between each scone.

Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until the tops feel slightly firm.  Take care not to over bake.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

 

Enjoy!

Make 8 scones at 224 calories each.

 

Note- If you prefer a sweeter, increase the xylitol or sugar a little bit.  I used xylitol for it's low glycemic index.

 

Vegan Spatzle With Spinach Cashew Cream Sauce
 and Winter Squash

 

 

 

Spatzle is a German dish that is somewhere between a noodle and dumpling.  Spatzle is quick and easy to make.  It is a soft dough that is forced through holes in a Spatzle board or spoon.  It can also be scraped off a cutting with a knife, scarping small bits of the dough into the boiling water.

Spatzle is great in soups.  It is also very good sauteed in olive oil or vegetable margarine with green onions or chives.  Top it off with some vegan sour cream or cheese.

 

Spinach is packed with nutrients such as vitamins K, A, C, B-2, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, calcium and many more.

 

The spinach in the sauce is first cooked.   I used a vegetable steaming bag and cooked in the microwave.  Steaming the spinach without water helps it to retain it nutrients.

 

1 medium sweet dumpling squash or other winter squash

 

6 ounces fresh spinach that has been steamed until soft

1/2 cup cashew cream

1 cup non-dairy milk

1 teaspoon salt

dash pepper

dash or two of fresh grated nutmeg

 

1 cup unbleached white wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon EnerG Egg Replacer

4 tablespoons warm water

1/3 cup non-dairy milk

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with spray oil.

Cut the squash in half and scoop out seeds and discard.  Place the squash cut side down on the baking sheet and bake 45-60 minutes or until done.  Remove from oven and set aside

 

For the sauce, combine cooked spinach, cashew cream, cup of milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a blender.  Process until smooth.  Pour into a large skillet.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Cook until it begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

 

For the spatzle- combine dry ingredients in a bowl.  Combine the egg replacer and warm water in another bowl and stir until smooth.  Add milk.  Make a well in the dry ingredients.  Combine to make a soft dough.  If too stiff add a little more milk or water, a tablespoon at a time.  Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.

 

Bring to boil a 4-5 quart pot of water with a dash of salt and olive oil.  Force the spatzle dough through the board and directly into the boiling water.  Boil until they all float, 2-3 minutes.

 

Drain the spatzle and stir into the spinach sauce.

 

To assemble- place a 1/4 of the squash on a plate, spoon 1/4 of the spatzle-spinach mixture over top.

 

Enjoy!

 

Makes 4 servings at 206 calories each.

 



Vegan Roasted Potato and Sausage Breakfast

 

 

Who says roasted vegetables are just for dinner?  This roasted breakfast features red skin potatoes and vegan sausage,  This is a great weekend breakfast or brunch (or even dinner).  The vegetables can be varied to suit your tastes and what is in season.

Potatoes get a bad rap but they are fat-free, cholesterol-free and a good source of Vitamin B6 and dietary fiber. They are also high in Potassium and Vitamin C.

A 25 gram apple has 95 calories and a 26 gram potato has just 110 calories.

3 1/2 cups unpeeled red skin potatoes cut in bite size pieces (about 1 inch)

2 cups unpeeled carrots cut in bite size pieces (about 1 inch)

3/4 cups red bell pepper chopped

1 cup sliced red onions

3 cups sliced mushrooms

6 1/2 ounces vegan sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces ( I used a half package of Lightlife Gimme Lean Ground Sausage Style Veggie Protein)

 

Preheat oven to 430 degrees

Coat a large roasting pan with spray oil (I used Trader Joe's spray olive oil)

Add the vegetables to the pan and spray the top of the vegetable with spray oil

Roast for 20 minutes and stir

Roast another 10 minutes and add the sausage on top of the vegetables

Roast another 10 minutes or until the vegetables are done

 

Remove from oven and enjoy!

 

Makes 4 servings with just 214 calories per serving

Roasted Parsnip Cashew Cream Soup

 

 

Parsnips are a relative of the carrot.  They grow underground and are a good source of fiber and antioxidants.

Cashew cream can be made quite easily and adds protein and a creaminess to the soup.

 

Soup:

6 cups chopped parsnips

2 cups chopped white onions

1/4 cup cashew cream

5 cups vegetable stock

salt

pepper

freshly grated nutmeg

 

Preheat oven to 440 degrees.

Coat a roasting pan with spray oil and add the parsnips and onions.  Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, string once or twice, until done and slightly browned.Remove from oven and cool about 15 minutes.

Place half the parsnips and onions in a blender with the cashew cream and half of the stock.  Blend until fairly smoothly.  Pour into a 4- 5 quart pan.  Repeat with remaining vegetables and stock.

Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg,

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until hot.

Remove from heat and enjoy!

Makes 7 cups at 134 calories per cup.

 

Cashew Cream:

Cashew cream can be added vegan recipes where dairy cream would have been used. Because of the fat content in cashew cream behaves much like cream when cooking with it. It is great in sauces and soups.
Cashews contain fiber, copper, manganese, tryptophan, magnesium and phosphorus and 75% of the fat us unsaturated.

Cover 2 cups of raw cashews with cold water. Soak over night. drain the water off and place the cashews in a blender or food processor. Cover with fresh cold water and process until smooth. Cashew cream may be strained if you wish.

Makes 2 1/4 cups. Each tablespoon contains 43 calories.