Roasted Cauliflower and Edamame Nourish Bowl

Recipe from Tess Begg

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 4 servings

I spent a pleasant time making the components of this dish and it paid off.  It can be eaten hot or at room temperature. Leftovers taste great the next day. This was good enough to serve guests.

Roasted Cauliflower & Edamame: 

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (approx. 3 cups) 

1 cup frozen edamame beans (thawed) 

Drizzle of olive oil 

2 teaspoons ground cumin 

3 teaspoons ground paprika 

1 teaspoon ground coriander 

2 teaspoons garlic powder 

1 teaspoon chili flakes 

Generous pinch of salt and black pepper   

Parsley Salad: 

1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped (approx. 2-3 cups) 

1 small red onion, finely diced 

1 cucumber, finely diced 

1 medium tomato, finely diced (I used cherry tomatoes.)

Juice of 1 small lemon 

2 teaspoons olive oil 

Pinch of salt   

Creamy Tzatziki: 

¾ cup soy or coconut yogurt 

1 small cucumber, grated and juice squeezed out 

Juice of 1 small lemon 

1 garlic clove, minced 

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill 

½ Tablespoon olive oil 

Pinch of salt and pepper   

Toppings: 

2 Tablespoon sesame seeds 

1/3 cup dried cranberries   

Instructions: 

Roast the Veggies: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Toss the cauliflower and edamame with the olive oil, cumin, paprika, coriander, garlic powder, chili flakes, salt, and pepper on a baking tray. Bake for about 35 minutes until crispy. 

Mix the Tzatziki: Combine all tzatziki ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. 

Toss the Salad: In a separate bowl, mix the parsley, red onion, cucumber, tomato, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. 

Assemble: Spread the creamy tzatziki at the bottom of the bowls, top with the fresh parsley salad, and pile the crispy roasted cauliflower and edamame on top. Finish by sprinkling with sesame seeds and cranberries. 

Christmas Rocky Road (vegan)

Makes 8 bars

Recipe from PickUpLimes
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

These treats are absolutely delicious and perfect for novice cooks.  They make a lovely holiday treat to give away or to serve at a party.  

Bar Ingredients
8.8 oz (250 g) dairy-free dark chocolate
4.2 oz (120 g) unsalted vegan butter, cubed
2 Tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup
7.1 oz (200 g) Biscoff Speculoos Cookies (I used “Lotus” cookies which can be found at most supermarkets or specialty stores. See photo below. You can also swap out these cookies with gingersnaps.)
1½ cups (99 g) vegan marshmallows, roughly chopped
½ cup (80 g) dried cranberries or dried cherries
½ cup (62 g) roasted salted pistachios 

Topping Ingredients

2 Tbsp (15 g) roasted salted pistachios, finely ground
2 Tbsp (3 g) freeze-dried cranberries, finely ground

Directions
Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking dish with parchment paper.
Break the chocolate into pieces and place it into a heatproof bowl with the butter and maple syrup. Melt it over a pot filled with gently boiling water on the stove. Set aside once melted.
In a large bowl, roughly crush the cookies, then add the chopped marshmallows, cranberries and salted pistachios.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl with the cookie mixture and mix until everything is coated in chocolate.
Transfer the mixture to your lined dish and press it down very firmly.
Sprinkle the finely chopped pistachios and freeze-dried cranberries on top.
Refrigerate for 3 hours to set, then cut into bars or squares. Wrap them as a gift if desired, and enjoy!

Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal with High Protein Icing (Vegan)

 

Recipe from That Vegan Babe

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 4 very generous servings or 6 reasonable servings :-)

I do love a good baked oatmeal for breakfast.  It always goes down perfectly with a cup of coffee or hot tea.  This Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal one did not disappoint.  Usually I zap my baked oatmeal in the microwave and eat it hot, but THIS one tastes pretty darn great cold, right out of the fridge.  

Baked Oatmeal

(Dry Ingredients)

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

2 Tablespoons chia seeds

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (Pecans or pumpkin seeds would be a nice substitute.)

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of sea salt or kosher salt

(Wet Ingredients)

2 cups plant milk (I used homemade cashew milk, but any will work.)

1/4 cup almond butter (I used sunflower seed butter because that's what's in my fridge.)

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

2 teaspoon vanilla

1 large carrot, grated

High Protein Icing

300 g silken tofu

2 1/2 scoops vegan vanilla protein powder

1/2 cup water

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line an 8" X 8" baking dish (or 7" X 10") with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.  Then add the wet ingredients.  Mix well.  Pour into the baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes.  Cool on a baking rack before icing. 

Meanwhile, add the icing ingredients to a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Use water as needed to thin or protein powder to thicken.  (It does thicken a bit in the fridge.)

If serving all at once, say for a family or party breakfast, spread or drizzle the icing over the cooled baked oatmeal.  If having it one piece at a time, I suggest keeping the icing in a mason jar with a lid in the fridge.  Drizzle over each piece as needed.  

The baked oatmeal will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.  

Nutritional Info:  (1 of 4 servings) 463 calories; 8.6 g fiber; 433 mg sodium; 459 mg calcium; 19.8 g fat; 2.4 g sat. fat; 43 g carbohydrates; 10.7 mg iron; 29 g protein; 16.9 g sugars; 496 mg potassium; 1.3 mg vitamin C; 3596 IU vitamin A

Popcorn Trail Mix

 

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes about 6 cups or so.

When you are doing your meal prep for the week, set aside just a few minutes to make this satisfyingly delicious trail mix to snack on or to pack in a lunchbox or picnic basket.  I use a silicone popcorn maker that's collapsible so that it fits in a drawer.  I don't use any oil.  I just measure out a couple of Tablespoons of un-popped popcorn into the bowl, pop on the lid and then zap it in the microwave for a couple of minutes. While the popcorn is popping, I measure out the rest of the trail mix ingredients into a big bowl. Then I store it in a large Mason jar and keep it on the counter. The popcorn popper is called Original Salbree Microwave Silicone Popcorn Popper (collapsible bowl) that I ordered from Amazon.  The bowl comes in lots of colors and makes a great gift.  

2 Tablespoons un-popped Popcorn

1/3 cup Unsalted Peanuts (Use other seeds or nuts if you wish.)

1/3 cup Whole Almonds

1/4 cup Pumpkin Seeds

1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds

1/3 cup Dried Cranberries (Raisins or dried apricots would be good substitutes.)

2 Tablespoons Cocoa Nibs or Mini Dark Chocolate Chips (Use vegan chips to keep this vegan.)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt

Pop the popcorn using whatever method you wish.  Mix the popped popcorn with the remaining ingredients and then store in an airtight container on the counter.  I think it should last about a week or so.

Cranberry-Walnut Vegan “Chicken” Salad

 

Recipe from Simple-Veganista.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 6 servings

Salad:

3 cups cooked or 2 cans (15 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup dried cranberries 

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced (you can substitute 1/4 of a red onion, minced)

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 Dressing:

6 Tablespoons (1/3 cup) tahini or vegan mayonnaise 

4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup) champagne, white wine or cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons water, as needed if using tahini

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Mash most of the chickpeas with a fork.  Keep some of the chickpeas partially whole for texture. The mashed chickpeas will help bind the salad.  Add the remaining salad ingredients and toss until well combined.  Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.  Add water a little at a time, if needed, to thin the dressing.  Add the dressing to the salad and mix well.  Serve the salad on bread or toast with fresh greens or dollop some of the salad onto a tortilla along with greens for a wrap.  You can also serve this on top of greens as a salad.  Store any remaining salad in the fridge.

Nutritional Info: (1 of 6 servings) 324 calories; 16.9 g fat; 1.9g saturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 594 mg sodium; 37.4 g carbohydrates; 8.5 g fiber; 15.1 g sugars; 103 g protein

Wild Rice Salad

Recipe from RainbowPlantLife

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 4 servings (recipe can be halved or doubled)

There are several YouTube channels and blogs I truly enjoy watching.  One of these is Rainbow Plant Life.  The recipes and food prep videos are excellent.  The dishes Nisha prepares are all vegan.  This particular recipe for a simple wild rice salad was part of a food prep video.  She used the salad as a side, but also as a filling for roasted butternut squash.  I love the chewiness of the earthy wild rice, the sweetness of the dried cranberries and the crunch of the pecans. 

3 cups cooked wild rice*

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup fresh herbs (such as parsley, mint, cilantro, basil), left whole or roughly chopped

½ cup dried cranberries, cherries or chopped apricots

½ cup toasted nuts (almonds, pecans, etc.) OR seeds (pepitas or sunflower seeds, etc.)

2-3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2-3 Tablespoons high-quality balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt or sea salt, to taste

Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl.  Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Serve.  Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

*How To Prepare Wild Rice In A Rice Cooker:

Place ¾ cup wild rice in the rice cooker bowl.  Add 2 cups water (or stock or a combination of stock and dry white wine).  Add ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt. Swirl to combine.  Close the cover and set for the regular/Brown Rice cycle.  When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, open the cover and stir to dissipate the heat to prevent over-cooking.  Close the cover and let the rice steam for 15 to 20 minutes. (At this point I added the dried cranberries to the wild rice and gave it a stir.  This plumps up the cranberries.) This rice will hold on Keep Warm for up to 1 hour.  Serve hot, or cool to room temperature and chill for later.

No-Knead Harvest Bread

Makes 1 large loaf

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Beginner bakers will love making this bread because it’s so easy and yet looks and tastes like it was made by a pro.  No need to spread it with butter or other toppings because it's delicious as is!  Begin the day before you plan to bake the bread so that the dough has time to develop flavor and texture. I would suggest mixing the dough on a Friday night after work and then on Saturday morning while you breakfast and get ready for the day, it can rise and then bake.  It’ll be ready in time for a Saturday night dinner party or for a delicious breakfast on Sunday.  

3¼ cups bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

½ teaspoon instant yeast

1 ¾ cup cool water

¾ cup dried cranberries

½ cup golden raisins

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts**

Mix the flours, yeast, and water in a large bowl.  Stir, then use your hands to mix and form a sticky dough.

Work the dough just enough to incorporate all the flour, then work in the fruit and nuts.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature overnight or for at least 8 hours;  it’ll become bubbly and rise quite a bit, so use a large bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and form it into a log or round loaf to fit in one of the following:

a 14” x 15” long lidded stoneware baker; a 9” X 12” oval deep casserole dish with cover; or 9” to 10” round lidded baking crock (I used a Le Crueset lidded stoneware Dutch oven.)

Place the dough in the lightly greased pan, smooth side up.

Cover and let rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, until it’s become puffy.  It should rise noticeably, but it’s not a real high-riser.

Using a sharp knife, slash the bread in a crosshatch pattern.  Place the lid on the pan and put the bread in a cold oven.  Set the oven temperature to 450F.

Bake the bread for 45-50 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to bake for another 5 to 15 minutes until it’s deep brown in color and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers about 205F. 

Remove the bread from the oven and turn out onto a cooling rack.  Cool completely before slicing and serving.

Notes: 

Walnuts sometimes give this bread a faint purple tinge.  If this bothers you, use pecans instead.

I like to add boiling water to dried fruit to plump them up.  I leave the fruit in the boiling water for about 5 minutes or so and then drain before adding the fruit to the recipe.

Nutritional Information:  (1 of 16 slices) 196 calories; 5 grams fat (1 gram saturated fat); 0 grams cholesterol; 293 mg sodium; 33 grams carbs; 3 grams fiber; 7 grams sugars; 5 grams protein

Brussels Sprouts, Cranberry, and Quinoa Salad (Vegan)

Serves 8

Recipe from Gimmesomeoven.com

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This is a lovely wintery salad that will be welcomed at any gathering.  It would also make a yummy lunchbox addition.  It’s full of protein with the quinoa and the crunchy pecans.  It’s also got the nutritional goodness from the brussels sprouts.  It’s sweetened with a bit of orange juice and dried cranberries.  If you make quinoa in advance then this salad is a cinch to put together.  If you are pressed for time, you can forget about plumping the cranberries, but I think plumping them up is totally worth the little effort it takes.

Salad

1 cup dried cranberries

1 pound brussels sprouts, rinsed, and ends trimmed, then halved and very thinly sliced

2 cups cooked quinoa*

2/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted**

Orange Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Orange Vinaigrette

Zest of one orange (optional)

¼ cup freshly-squeezed orange juice

¼ cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste             

Preheat the oven to 400 F for toasting the pecans.  (See directions below.) While you are slicing the brussels sprouts, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.  Pour the dried cranberries into the boiling water.  Turn off the heat.  Allow the cranberries to plump up in the hot water for about 10 minutes.  Drain the cranberries and put them on a clean dry towel to absorb any excess water.  Now that they are plump and dry, they can go into to the salad.  Put the sliced brussels sprouts into a large bowl.  Add the cranberries, the quinoa, and the pecans.  Set aside.  Put all of the Orange Vinaigrette ingredients into a jar with a lid.  Shake vigorously until combined.  Pour the vinaigrette over the salad ingredients and toss until coated.  Serve.   By my calculations, one of eight servings equals about 332 calories.

*Here’s how to prepare quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”)

Just 1 cup of uncooked quinoa will yield almost 4 cups cooked. (I usually prepare a batch and then use 2 cups for a meal and then I freeze 2 cups for another time.  Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.)

Here's what you will need to cook the quinoa: 1 cup uncooked quinoa; 2 cups water for cooking; a sieve; water for rinsing; a saucepan with a cover and a kitchen timer.

Place 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in a sieve (strainer.) Quinoa has a bitter coating (called saponin) 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. (Quinoa is really excellent when cooked in vegetable or chicken broth. Try adding other spices aromatics during cooking as well: A clove of smashed garlic, a sprig of fresh rosemary, or a dash of black pepper.) 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. You’ll know it’s done when it is tender and you see a little curled “tail” showing on each grain.)  Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork.  (If using quinoa for a cold salad, allow the quinoa to come to room temperature after fluffing so that your salad doesn’t turn out mushy.)

**Here’s how to toast pecans:  Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Place the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake the pecans for about 6-8 minutes, until they smell delicious and are toasty brown and crisp.  Watch carefully so that they don’t burn.  Leave them whole or pour the toasted pecans onto a cutting board and chop away.