Herby Rice Salad

 
Recipe from Julia Maiten
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 1-2 servings

This is just the perfect salad in that it can be made in advance, it’s great for meal prep day, it can use up left over grains and veggies, and it can be taken on a picnic, a pitch-in or in a lunchbox for work or school.  It’s full of good-for-you ingredients too.  To top it all off, this salad is absolutely delish!

Toasted Coriander Dressing:
½ teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted in a dry pan
Juice from ½ lemon
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1-2 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (You can cut back on the fat by substituting aquafaba for half of the olive oil.)
1 clove of garlic, finely minced or grated
good amount of salt & pepper

Salad:
Cooked brown rice, cooled (I used a brown rice-wild rice mix.)
Crispy chickpeas (I didn’t have these, so I substituted steamed & blanched fresh peas.)
3-4 radishes, thinly sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced (I used Sumac Onion Salad instead of the plain red onion.)
Fresh mint, finely chopped
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Fresh dill, finely chopped
Small handful toasted seeds or nuts (I used pistachios.)

Optional:  I added veggies that I had left over (blanched broccoli, cauliflower and ½ bell pepper.)

Method: 
Grind the coriander in a mortar & pestle or in a spice grinder until fine. Add to a small bowl with the other dressing ingredients and mix until combined. 
Add the salad ingredients to a large bowl and mix with the dressing. 

Salsa Verde Bean & Rice Soup (Vegan)

Recipe from This Savory Vegan

Husband Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Serves 6

This yummy comfort food quick vegan dish is the thing to make on a busy week day.  

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons oil OR water sauté

1 yellow onion diced

1 red bell pepper diced

3 cloves garlic diced

1 jalapeño diced, optional

1 packet taco seasoning OR 1-2 Tablespoons Homemade Taco Seasoning

½ block firm tofu drained & pressed

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

12 ounces salsa verde homemade or store bought

3 cups low sodium broth

2 15-ounce cans pinto beans drained & rinsed

2 Tablespoons cilantro chopped, plus more for serving

1 lime juiced, plus more for serving

2 cups cooked brown or white rice for serving (Other grains will work as well.)

Pickled Onions, optional, for serving

Scallions, corn chips, non-dairy yogurt, sliced radishes, optional, for serving

Instructions

Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeño and taco seasoning. Cook down for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently.

Crumble up the tofu and add it to the pot. Pour in the tomato paste, salsa verde, broth and pinto beans. Bring to a boil, lower the heat & simmer for 10-15 minutes - stirring every couple minutes.

Before serving add cilantro & lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

To serve, add rice to each bowl and ladle the soup over. Serve with any of the optional toppings.

For Leftovers: Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring to individual containers. Reheat the leftovers in the microwave or on the stove until bubbling & hot.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 1299mg | Potassium: 720mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 8g | Iron: 3mg

Homemade KIND Bars (Vegan)

 

Recipe from Five Heart Home

Husband Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 16 small squares OR 8 rectangular bars

These homemade KIND bars are FREAKIN' AWESOME!  They are very easy to make.  These little bites of deliciousness will make a great gift, a super lunchbox addition, or on-the-go snack.

Cooking spray

2 cups nuts, chopped (I used 1 cup cashews; 1/2 cup pecans; and 1/2 cup almonds)

1/2 cup puffed rice (You can find this in the cereal aisle of most supermarkets.  I used puffed brown rice.)

1/2 cup dried fruit, chopped if the pieces are large (I used dried cranberries, so I didn't need to chop the dried fruit.)

3-4 Tablespoons seeds such as sunflower seeds, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, pumpkin seeds (I used a mixture of sunflower seeds, ground flax seeds and pumpkin seeds.)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

1/4 cup brown rice syrup (I used Sweet Dreams Brown Rice Syrup.)

Optional: (But in my opinion, totally necessary if you are a chocolate fan.)

1/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped or use dark chocolate chips

1 teaspoon coconut oil

Preheat oven to 325F.  Grease an 8-inch by 8-inch square baking pan.  Line it with parchment paper so that it slightly extends above the top edge of the pan on at least 2 sides.  (Greasing the pan first with cooking spray will help make the parchment paper stay put in the pan. This will make removing the bars easy to do.) In a large bowl, mix together the nuts, puffed rice, dried fruit, seeds and salt until well combined.  Warm the brown rice syrup and vanilla either in the microwave or in a small pan on the stove.  (Warming this will help make it easy to pour over the nut/seed mixture.)  Pour the warmed brown rice syrup/vanilla mixture over the nut/seed mixture. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix  until the nut/seed mixture is completely coated.  Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Using wet hands, firmly press the mixture into an even layer, making sure to press into the corners.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes.  Using the parchment paper "sling", lift the contents onto a cooling rack to cool completely.  Once the bars are completely cool, cut into the desired bar size.** Store the bars in an air-tight container in the fridge.  

**Optional Chocolate Drizzle/Dip: Place the coconut oil and chocolate in a small bowl and microwave until the chocolate is melted.  Stir well.  Drizzle over the cooled bars or dip the cooled bars in the chocolate.  Store in the fridge.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 10 bars without chocolate) 220 calories; 15 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 16 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 67 mg sodium; 185 mg potassium; 3 grams fiber; 6 grams sugars; 0.1 mg vitamin C; 29 mg calcium; 1.3 mg iron

Buffalo Cauliflower & Chickpea “Dump & Bake” Casserole (Vegan)

Recipe from http://frommybowl.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4-6

If spicy is your thing then you will love this dish as we most certainly did.  Of course, the other great features of this dish besides the flavors are that it is super simple to make and it’s filled with good-for-you ingredients. 

2 cups vegetable broth

½ cup buffalo hot sauce

¼ cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon onion powder

1-2 ribs celery, finely sliced

2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ medium head cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized florets (about 2 cups)

1 cup uncooked brown rice (I use brown basmati rice.), rinsed and drained

2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Scallions, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Mix the vegetable broth, hot sauce, nutritional yeast, and onion powder together in a medium pot.  Bring it to a boil over high heat.

While the liquid is heating up, put the chickpeas, the cauliflower, celery, brown rice, and garlic in a 9” X 13” baking dish.  Pour the boiling liquid over the vegetable/rice mixture.  Stir together really well to distribute all the ingredients evenly and so that everything is coated in the liquid.

Cover the casserole with a piece of parchment paper and foil.  (If your dish has a glass lid, you can cover the casserole with the parchment paper and then the lid.)

Bake in the middle of the oven for 60 minutes.  Remove from the one and top with the scallions, if using.  Refrigerate the leftovers in a sealed container for up to one week or in the freezer for up to one month.

Serve this casserole with steamed greens or with a green salad and a piece of whole fruit for a complete meal.

Sushi Grain Bowl

Recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 1 grain bowl (Can be easily doubled, tripled, etc.)

Boy, I wish I had known about this terrific lunch back when I was still working.  Wowza!  We loved all the flavors and textures of this simple dish.  Another great thing about this simple recipe is that all the components can be prepared in advance and then just arranged together right before serving.  

Dressing

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon lime juice (or lemon juice)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Grain Bowl Ingredients

1 cup cooked brown basmati rice

½ cup cooked shelled edamame

½ cup or so of tuna or sardines in oil (leftover cooked salmon would also work)

1 small cucumber or Persian cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced

1 large hard-cooked egg, peeled and halved

Salt & Pepper, to taste

1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

½ sheet nori, cut into thin strips (use scissors)

Measure out the dressing ingredients in a small jar with a lid.  Shake the jar vigorously until all the ingredients are well blended. Set aside.

Arrange brown rice, edamame, tuna, cucumber, and hard-cooked egg in a bowl or on a plate.  Sprinkle the egg and the cucumber with the salt and pepper. Drizzle the sushi bowl with the dressing.  Top with the toasted sesame seeds and the nori.  Serve.

Coconut Cabbage & Tofu with Lemongrass & Ginger (Vegan)

Recipe from Anna Stockwell via Epicurious

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4

It’s a happy day to me when I test a recipe that turns out to be easy, tasty, healthful and budget-friendly.  After tasting this dish, the hubby said, “Don’t lose this one.”  The only problem might be access to lemongrass.  However, I was able to find lemongrass in a squeeze tube in the produce section of a supermarket.  A trip to a farmers market or Asian grocery store should meet with success in future. 

1 (14.5 oz.) can coconut milk (full fat or lite)

1 lemongrass stalk, top half trimmed, tough outer layers removed, thinly sliced OR a generous squeeze of prepared lemongrass from a tube

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped OR heaping Tablespoon of minced ginger from a jar

¾ to 1 Tablespoon kosher salt

¾ to 1 Tablespoon sugar (I used coconut sugar.)

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 (14 oz.) block firm or extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed dry, and cut into cubes

1 small OR ½ large head of green cabbage (about 1½ pounds), cut into 2” wedges through the core

3-4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2” chunks

½ cup or so of toasted coconut flakes*

Steamed brown rice (I used whole-wheat orzo because I had run out of brown rice.)

Fresh lime, cut into wedges (Don’t skip the limes.  We thought they really added to the dish.)

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Puree the coconut milk, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, salt, sugar, turmeric, coriander and the cayenne in a blender until smooth.  Set aside.

Place the tofu cubes into a shallow 13” X 9” shallow baking dish.  Add the cabbage wedges and carrots.  Arrange in an even layer.  Pour the sauce over and toss very gently to coat.

Bake, basting the vegetables and tofu halfway through, until the carrots are fork tender, the liquid is almost evaporated, and the top is golden brown and lightly charred in places, about 40-45 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes.

Serve over brown rice and squeeze lime wedges over the whole. Top with coconut flakes. 

*To Toast Coconut Flakes: Before putting the main dish in the oven, place coconut flakes on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake at for about 4 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t burn. 

Nutritional Information: (1 of 4 servings) 393 calories; 33 g carbohydrates; 27 g fat (20 g sat. fat); 14 g protein; 1192 mg sodium; 9 g fiber;

Kimchi Fried Rice

5-6 Servings (1 cup each)

Recipe from Pinch of Yum

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

To me this is comfort food.  Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made with pickled cabbage and other vegetables.  It is the national dish of Korea. You can usually find kimchi in jars or plastic bags in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. The heat and spiciness will of course depend upon the kimchi that you use.  You can omit the soy sauce called for in the original recipe, if you wish, because kimchi can be high in sodium.  Have your ingredients prepped before beginning because this delicious dish comes together quickly.  It’s quite satisfying on its own or it can be served as a side dish for a lean protein such as roasted salmon.  Serve this meal with a cold crispy fruit (grapes or Clementine oranges come to mind) to round out your dinner.   

Olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger (I use the minced from a jar.)

2-3 cups leftover cooked brown rice

2 cups frozen peas and carrots

1 cup kimchi (more or less to taste) (Kimchi usually comes in a jar.)

2 Tablespoons soy sauce (optional)

3 beaten eggs*

1 Tablespoon chili paste or sriracha sauce (optional)

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds for topping (optional)

1-2 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

Heat a swirl of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant.  Add the rice, peas and carrots, kimchi, and soy sauce (if using.)  Stir-fry for a few minutes or until everything is warmed and sizzling.  Make a well in the center and add the eggs. Scramble the eggs in the center of the pan and then mix them throughout the rice.  Serve with the sriracha sauce, sesame seeds and/or scallions, if you like. 

*You can fry the eggs in a separate pan, sunny-side up or poach the eggs if you prefer and then top the fried rice with the eggs.  This doesn’t work so well if you plan to have leftovers.

Kimchi Fried Rice served along with crisp cold seedless grapes and leftover roasted salmon. To roast salmon fillets, set the oven to 450F and cook the salmon (drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper) for about 8 minutes.