Miso Orange Rice w/Tofu

Recipe from Julia Maiten
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 2 generous servings 

I enjoy watching and learning from Julia Maiten’s fabulous YouTube channel.  This recipe came from an episode that she filmed while she was feeling under the weather.  The theme was nourish bowls. (This goes to show you that this recipe is super easy to make and nourishing since she prepared it while not feeling her best.) While watching this particular episode, I realized I had all the ingredients to make this quick dish.  I followed the recipe to the letter with two exceptions.  The original recipe called for two blocks of tofu.  I just used one block and it was plenty for two generous servings. I didn’t use leftover rice, but she did say that any grain would work in the recipe.  I had some leftover farro in the fridge and it worked perfectly fine. We thought this nourish bowl was quite yummy.  I think it will make a delicious addition to my lunchbox food prep rotation.

Miso Orange Sauce: 
1 teaspoon miso paste
Zest and juice from 1 large orange 
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 small clove of garlic, finely minced 
1 cm fresh ginger, grated or 1 heaping teaspoon minced ginger from a jar
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Salad:
1 block extra firm or super firm tofu, pressed
1¼ cabbage, thinly shredded
½ cucumber, cut on a bias
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Small handful of parsley, roughly chopped
About 2 cups cooked basmati rice or cooked farro or cooked quinoa (leftovers work well here)
Kosher salt, to taste 
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425F. Start by making the sauce. Mix together all of the ingredients in a small bowl or jar. 
Cube or tear the tofu and add to a baking dish along with about 1/3 of the sauce. Mix to combine, then bake at 425F for 20 minutes. 
In the meantime, prepare the vegetables: shred the cabbage and cut the cucumber, scallions and parsley. 
Once the tofu is crispy and golden brown, put the salad together in a large bowl: cabbage, cucumber, scallions, parsley, basmati rice, tofu and the remaining dressing.
Season to taste and enjoy.

Blueberry Quinoa Breakfast Bars (vegan & gluten-free)

Recipe from Simply Quinoa  

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 16 bars

Healthy vegan blueberry breakfast bars with oats, quinoa, coconut sugar, ripe banana, flax eggs, and fresh berries that are vegan and gluten-free. Be sure to read some of the variations in the notes below.  These were a nice change from my usual breakfast. If you have some leftover quinoa in the fridge, this recipe is a great way to use it up. I served these by smearing some Homemade Instant Pot Cashew Yogurt in a bowl and then topping the yogurt with the bars. I added sliced kiwi to get another fruit in my day.

Ingredients
1½ cups quick cooking oats  
1 cup cooked quinoa  
1 teaspoon baking powder  
1/3 cup coconut sugar  
1/4 cup hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 cup mashed bananas about 2 medium
2 flax eggs (2 Tablespoons flaxseed meal + 6 Tablespoons of water)
2 Tablespoons nut/seed butter
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries (You can also use a mix of frozen blueberries and raspberries)

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9"x 9" baking sheet with parchment paper and grease the sides with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oats, quinoa, sugar, baking powder, and hemp seeds.
In a separate bowl, mix the banana, nut butter, flax eggs, lemon juice and vanilla. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients, mixing everything together until fully incorporated. The batter should be moist, but not runny. Fold in the blueberries
Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula.
Bake on the center rack for 25 - 35 minutes until the bars are golden brown and firm to the touch.
Remove and let cool completely in the pan, then remove and slice into squares (or rectangles). Store in an airtight container for 4 - 5 days.

Notes
The author found that she enjoyed the texture of the bars best after being cooled on a wire rack overnight because some of the added moisture from the blueberries was removed and she found that they were even more hearty.
You can reduce the sugar to 2 Tablespoons instead of 1/3 cup.  

You can replace ½ cup of the oats with ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut. 

You can substitute almond extract for the vanilla extract.
According to reviewers, you can also bake these in an 8”x8” pan or a standard muffin pan.

Another reviewer makes these as muffins in a standard muffin pan. 

Nutritional Information (1 of 16 bars)
Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 3.3mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1.2mg


 

Spicy Thai Salad with Tempeh (Vegan)

Recipe from http://www.picklesnhoney.com
Husband-Tested  in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 4 servings

This is a beautiful, delicious salad worthy of your best company, meat eaters and/or vegans.  Many of the components can be prepared well in advance, making this party perfect. This colorful salad is loaded with protein too. Make the dressing, the tempeh, the quinoa and edamame as much as a day ahead and then it’ll be a cinch to layer the salad on a large platter for dinner.

For the Peanut Dressing:
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup low-sodium tamari sauce
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 Tablespoons (or to taste) Sriracha sauce
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 heaping Tablespoon fresh, peeled ginger (I use minced ginger from a jar.)

For the Tempeh:
1 (8 oz.) block of tempeh, steamed* and crumbled
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
Juice of 1 orange
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Salad:
1 head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced (I used several leaves of red leaf lettuce plus several leaves of Napa cabbage, thinly sliced.)
2 cups cooked quinoa, seasoned with sea salt and pepper
1 heaping cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup thinly sliced carrot 
½ cup cooked edamame 
½ cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, optional for garnish
Lime wedges, optional for serving
Sriracha sauce, optional for serving
 
Instructions:  
Place all the dressing ingredients in a high speed blender.  Blend until the dressing is smooth.  Set aside.  (This can be made in advance.). Heat a non-stick skillet.  Add the toasted sesame to the skillet.  Add the crumbled tempeh.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add the orange juice.  Stir until the tempeh is coated with the oil and juice. Cook, stirring every so often, until the tempeh is golden brown, about 7-8 minutes.  Set aside.  To assemble the salad, toss together the tempeh, lettuce, quinoa, cabbage, carrots, edamame, chopped peanuts, and green onions.  Divide between four bowls.  Garnish with the sesame seeds (if using) and drizzle the salad with the peanut dressing.  Serve with lime wedges and sriracha, if desired.

*How to Steam Tempeh:  After opening the package of tempeh, cut it into 4 sections.  Place it in a steamer basket.  Bring water to a boil in a pot that has a lid.  The water level should not come up above the holes of the steamer basket.  When the water comes to the boil, place the steamer basket in the pot and put on the lid.  Set a timer for 10 minutes.  When the timer beeps, remove the tempeh pieces to a clean towel.  Pat the tempeh dry.  When the tempeh is cool enough to handle, crumble it up and proceed with the above recipe. 

Nutritional Information: (1 of 4 servings)  
Calories 617
Total Fat 29g
Saturated Fat 4.4g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 627mg
Total Carbohydrate 72.7g
Dietary Fiber 7.9g
Total Sugars 30.8g  
Protein 23.3g  
Vitamin D 0mcg
Calcium 163mg
Iron 18mg
Potassium 848mg

Salad Topper (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

Recipe from Feasting at Home 
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 1½ cups

This is an easy-to-make, delicious way to add a nice crunch to your favorite salads, soups or bowls.  It’s made with toasted quinoa and seeds.  You can keep this simple or add your favorite seasonings.  (This is a great way to use up leftover quinoa.)

For the Crispy Quinoa
1 cup cooked quinoa 
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt

For the Seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
¼ cup hemp seeds
¼ cup sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon tamari or Braggs Aminos

Toss the cooked quinoa (thoroughly cooled) with olive oil and salt.  Spread onto two sheet pans in a thin layer.  (See notes) Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
In a bowl, mix together the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds with 1 Tablespoon tamari or Braggs Aminos.  Spread onto a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes.  After the seeds are completely cool, mix with the crispy quinoa and store in an airtight container for up to a month.

Notes:
• If making fresh quinoa for this recipe, it is important to let it cool completely, otherwise it will not crisp easily.
• Spreading the quinoa on two pans in single layers will help it dry out. When it is clumped on the pan it will just steam and not crisp up.
• Quinoa- cooked and cooled, can make a day or two before baking. Use white, red or black quinoa. A mixture is nice for color.
• Seeds- sunflower, hulled hemp, pumpkin, sesame – adjust to what you have on hand.
• You can use a little salt instead of the tamari/Braggs to keep things neutral.

Ways to Enhance the Salad Topper:
• Toast chopped nuts with the seeds.
• Add lemon zest, coriander, Aleppo pepper, smoked paprika.
• Add mushroom powder.
• Add fennel seeds, sumac or za’atar.
• For a sweet twist add a little coconut sugar, cinnamon, or 5-spice powder and orange zest.

Nutritional Information: (2 Tablespoon serving) 158 calories; 0.1g sugars; 182.3mg sodium; 10.8g fat; 1.5g saturated fat; 11.7g carbohydrates; 2.3g fiber; 5.5g protein; 0mg cholesterol

Banana Bread Quinoa Breakfast Cookies (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

Recipe from Love & Lemons Everyday by Jeanine Donofrio & Jack Mathews

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Yield: 12-14 cookies

These were very good and will make a delightful snack or breakfast served along with a piece of seasonal fruit and a cup of tea or coffee.

1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed

3 Tablespoons water

1 cup oat flour

1 cup (gluten-free) whole rolled oats

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt

½ cup cooked quinoa

¼ cup walnuts, chopped

½ cup almond butter

¼ cup maple syrup

½ cup mashed banana (about 1 medium)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  

In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseed and water and set aside for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together the oat flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Fold in the quinoa and the walnuts.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond butter, maple syrup, mashed banana, vanilla, and coconut oil.  Whisk well.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients.  Fold in just until combined.

Use a ¼-cup scoop to scoop the batter onto the baking sheet.  Bake for 20-22 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.  Cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.  When the cookies are completely cool, they can be stored in an airtight container.

Nutritional Information: Servings: (1 of 12 cookies) Calories 209; Total Fat 7.9 g. Saturated Fat 2.7g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2776mg; Total Carbohydrate 25.7g; Dietary Fiber 6.8g; Sugars 3.1g; Protein 5.2g; Vitamin D 0 mcg; Calcium 242mg; Iron 4mg; Potassium 638mg 

Black Bean Quinoa Casserole

Makes 6 generous servings

Recipe from Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD of Cozy Peach Kitchen

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This vegetarian casserole combines Mexican-inspired flavors with healthful ingredients like quinoa and black beans. No dicing or chopping required! My oven is a little hinky, so I added more time to the baking.  The original recipe mentions “slices”, but mine never firmed up enough for slices.  I just let the casserole cool for about 10 minutes and then dipped out the servings.  

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1¼ cups vegetable broth

10 ounce can diced tomatoes and green chiles

10 ounce can red enchilada sauce

15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen or fresh sweet corn

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon salt

1½ cups Mexican blend shredded cheese (Use dairy free cheese if desired to make this vegan.)

Optional garnish toppings: avocado or guacamole, salsa, diced jalapeno, cilantro, lime, scallions

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish. Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve until the water runs clear. Heat the vegetable broth until simmering.

Combine all ingredients, except for the cheese and garnishes, in the 9x13 baking dish. Stir to combine.

Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375F for 35 minutes on the middle oven rack. Remove the foil and stir. The quinoa should be cooked through but the casserole will still be liquidy.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the quinoa is firm and the excess liquid evaporates.

Top with the shredded cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Remove from oven and let set for 10 minutes before serving. Serve along with avocado or guacamole, lime wedges, fresh cilantro, scallions and salsa, if desired.

Notes:

Mexican blend cheese: Usually includes Sharp Cheddar, Colby Jack and Monterey Jack. Any of these three cheese can be used in place of a cheese blend. Use vegan cheese to make dairy-free.

Substitutions:  You can use taco seasoning in place of the individual spices. I couldn’t find tomatoes with green chilis, so I used one can of tomatoes and one can of green chilis.

Storage and reheating: Let cool to room temp, then cover the baking dish with foil or a lid. Keep refrigerated for 3-4 days for best quality. Reheat individual portions in the microwave. Reheat the entire casserole in the oven at 325 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Freeze for later: Let cool completely. Transfer individual portions into freezer safe containers or cover the casserole dish tightly. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw completely in the fridge before reheating. 

Additions:  Feel free to add other veggies (zucchini, bell peppers, etc.) to this dish.  You can substitute other beans such as pinto beans or kidney beans.  You can add extra protein by including Soyrizo or vegan tempeh taco meat.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 6 servings) Calories: 357kcal; Carbohydrates: 49g; Protein: 19g; Fat: 10g; Saturated Fat: 5g;  Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3g; Cholesterol: 27mg; Sodium: 788mg; Potassium: 617mm; Fiber: 11g; Sugar: 5g; Vitamin A: 668IU; Vitamin C: 8mg; Calcium: 236mg; Iron: 4mg

Green Spring Balance Bowl (Vegan + Gluten Free)

I tested this lovely salad out for a Spring birthday dinner party.  Not only was it very beautiful, but it was absolutely scrumptious.  This is a keeper for sure.

Serves 4
Recipe from Good Eatings 
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Herby Quinoa:

¾ cup quinoa

1 ½ cup water

Packed ½ cup fresh coriander

Packed ½ cup fresh flat leaf parsley

1 lemon

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon herbal salt

Black pepper, to taste

Roasted Asparagus:

1 bunch asparagus

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Bean Salad:

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup shelled edamame beans

1 Tablespoon chili oil with “bits”

Basil Dressing:

1 ½ cup fresh basil leaves

1 cup baby spinach

1 lemon, juice only

1 shallot

1 garlic cloves

¼ cup nutritional yeast

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons tahini

3 Tablespoons water

1 teaspoon maple syrup

Salt, to taste

To Serve:

4 large handfuls mixed baby greens

2-3 cups sugar snap peas, sliced in half

A handful of microgreens, optional

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400F. Rinse the quinoa if you wish and then transfer it into a sauce pan along with the water. Season with salt and cover with a lid. Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until all the water has been absorbed by the quinoa. This usually takes about 20 minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking trim the woody ends off on the asparagus and place it in an oven safe dish or on an oven tray. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and black pepper. Toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until tender. Then prepare the bean salad simply by draining and rinsing the chickpeas and mixing them with the edamame beans and chili oil until well coated. Set aside.

Also make the dressing while the other components are cooking. Combine all the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until you are ready to use it.

To finish off the quinoa, once it is cooked, finely chop the fresh parsley and coriander and add to a bowl along with the quinoa. Use a Microplane or box grater to zest 1 lemon into the bowl and then squeeze in the juice of half of it. Drizzle over the oil and season with herbal salt and black pepper. Mix well to combine. To assemble the bowls start with a bed of mixed baby greens followed by the sliced sugar snaps. Then layer the herby quinoa and bean salad on top. Drizzle the dressing over it all and finish with the roasted asparagus.

 

Colorful Beet Salad with Carrot, Quinoa & Spinach

Recipe from http://cookieandkate.com

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

2 main meal size servings OR 4 side salad servings

We were scheduled to have a new oven and stovetop installed today, so I figured I’d better make something for dinner that I could prepare in advance and just toss together.  I had cooked quinoa in the freezer.  So, I thawed that.  I had steamed the edamame and toasted the pepitas the day prior.  The vinaigrette was made in advance too.  It took only a few minutes to shred the beet and carrots.  Then all that I had to do was put it all together and plate it.  This salad was not only a beauty, but it was absolutely delicious and full of nutrition.  (I didn’t have an avocado, but that would have taken it over the top.) This is good enough for serving at a party.  

Salad

2 cups cooked quinoa (I used multi-colored quinoa.)

1 cup cooked edamame (Follow package directions.)

1/3 toasted pepitas or toasted and chopped almonds

1 medium raw beet, peeled and shredded (I used a yellow beet.)

2 carrots, peeled and shredded

2 cups packed baby spinach or arugula, roughly chopped

1 avocado, peeled and cubed

Vinaigrette

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon minced fresh mint or cilantro

2 Tablespoons maple syrup or honey or agave nectar

½ to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, to taste

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Toss all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Drizzle with the vinaigrette.  (I didn’t use all the vinaigrette, just enough to lightly coat the salad ingredients.)  To make this vegan, use maple syrup or agave nectar.  To make this nut free, use pepitas.

How to Prepare Quinoa

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water for cooking

Cooked quinoa will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze cooked quinoa. Just 1 cup of uncooked quinoa will yield almost 4 cups cooked.  Place 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in a sieve (strainer.) Quinoa has a bitter coating that must be rinsed off.  An effective method for rinsing off the bitter coating is to place the quinoa seeds in a fine-meshed strainer and run cold water over the quinoa while gently rubbing the seeds together in your hands. Place the rinsed quinoa in a saucepan and add 2 cups water. Bring the cooking liquid to a rolling boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer. Place a tight-fitting lid on the saucepan. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. (Set a kitchen timer to 15 minutes so you won't forget to check for doneness.)  Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork.

To toast pepitas: Place 1 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds) on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast at 375 until golden and fragrant, 6-8 minutes (you’ll hear them popping).  Cool completely on the baking sheet.  (Can be made ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.)

Nutritional Information: (1 of 4 servings) 344 calories; 20 g fat (2.2 g sat. fat); 0 g cholesterol; 207 mg sodium; 34.7 g carbohydrates; 8 g fiber; 12.3 g sugars; 10.3 g protein

Quinoa Taco “Meat” (Vegan/Gluten-Free)

Recipe from Minimalist Baker

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 3½ cups or 6 (½ cup) servings

Make a batch of this flavorful quinoa taco “meat” and you’ll have the beginnings of a great taco night.  You can use this filling for tacos and salads.  For the pictured  taco, I roasted some butternut squash and cooked up a batch of black beans.  Then, I filled the whole-grain tortilla with the quinoa meat, butternut squash, black beans, avocado, red onion, and purple radish.  Great tasting and filling meal, for sure!

1 cup quinoa (tri-color, white, or red), rinsed well until the water becomes clear

1 cup vegetable broth

¾ cup water

½ cup slightly chunky salsa

1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast

2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 Tablespoon olive or avocado oil

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Once it’s hot, add the rinsed and drained quinoa and toast for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add vegetable broth and water and bring back to a boil over medium-high heat.  Then reduce heat to low cover with a tight lid and cook for 15-25 minutes or until the liquid is completely absorbed.  Fluff with a fork, then replace the lid leaving an opening and let rest for 10 minutes off heat. Preheat the oven to 375F.  Add the cooked  quinoa to a large mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Toss to combine. Then spread on a lightly greased (or parchment lined) baking sheet. Bake for 20-35 minutes, stirring once at the halfway point to ensure even baking.  The quinoa is done when it is fragrant and golden brown.  Be careful not to burn. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 5 days. 

Nutritional Information: (½ cup serving) 147 calories; 4.5 grams fat (0.6 grams sat. fat); 21.4 grams carbohydrates; 0.8 grams sugars; 415 milligrams sodium; 2.6 grams fiber; 5.7 grams protein