Vegan Sloppy Joes, Chickpea Style

On this very cold day where so many of us are looking for warmth and comfort, here is an old childhood favorite for many made in a healthy tasty way.  Shout out to The Splendid Table, a public radio program I listen to each weekend:  Vegan Sloppy Joes

Jen's quinoa/black bean/corn/tomato/avocado/cilantro/lime salad

This recipe is from friend and yogi Jennifer Lenhart and is simply terrific.  Simple-y.  ; ) 


1 cup quinoa; 2 cups water; 1 can black beans drained & rinsed; 2 cups fresh or frozen corn; 1 pint grape tomatoes halved; 1/2 cup onion diced; 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro minced; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1 TBS red wine vinegar; 1 TBS lime juice and zest of 1 lime; 1 avocado cubed; salt & pepper


cook quinoa; meanwhile, combine beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, & cilantro; add salt & pepper; allow quinoa to cool a bit then add to the veggies; add oil, vinegar, zest and juice from the lime and mix. Fold in avocado. 


YUMMO!


(Next day left-overs are delicious and savory by adding ground cumin and a healthy portion of chopped garlic)!


[Namaste].

Spring Veggies... "Guest Post"

If you haven't checked out "The Daily Green" newsletter, it is a practical, no-nonsense guide to healthier living.  Today's e-blast focuses on great recipes for early spring veggies and I thought I'd take the opportunity to share!

Pad See-oo

Pad See-oo, Sweet Thai Dish

This simple recipe will appeal to those who like sweet dinners. It is a very common dish in Thailand, according to my Chef friend who gave this recipe to me. This is a GREAT recipe for vegetarians who are needing extra protein.

Flat noodles, cut before cooking if not already cut
2 cloves garlic, minced
head of broccoli, chopped
2 eggs
8 oz. extra firm tofu, drained and diced

Sauce
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar
2 teaspoons fish sauce (I don't use this, but I hear it is better with than without)
[editor's note: you can deliciously replace fish sauce with "Maggi Seasoning" available in the Asian of some groceries or at any Asian market]
3 teaspoons brown sugar

Mix sauce to taste. You may have to adjust, depending on the sweet to vinegar ratio. Set aside.

Place noodles in boiling water and cook. In a pan, drop two tbsp. of oil, and fry the garlic on high. Move garlic to one side of pan, drop in eggs, and scramble them. Once eggs are completed, add tofu and broccoli, cook until broccoli is bright green. Add 3/4 sauce on top, lower heat, and simmer. Add noodles, add rest of sauce, and mix together until sauce is absorbed.

Serve hot!

Goat Cheese Dressing

This recipe was developed in my kitchen by a dear friend.  It's amazing what a little inspiration and good wine can do for you...

3 tbs Goat cheese

2 tbs Plain yogurt

1 tsp Honey

2 tbs Olive oil

3 tbs Rice vinegar

1tsp fresh lemon juice (Meyer lemons, if available)

2 tbs Chopped scallion

freshly ground pepper

Whisk ingredients together until smooth & serve

Ciopinno, (Italian fish stew) from the beautiful Italian cook, JackZen

Dear Lainey,

Here is my recipe.

Heat olive oil to cover the bottom of a medium pot

When it's just hot, add chopped onion, garlic and parsley [plenty of Italian flat-leaf parsley] and cook gently until the partially everything is soft

Add any kind of potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Add clear vegetable broth, a little white wine and canned crushed tomatoes

Add crushed fennel, some crushed red pepper, and a bay leaf

Let everything cook until the potatoes are done then add bite-sized pieces of any kind of fresh/thawed white fish

When the fish is done (flaky), everything is ready to serve

Top with grated hard cheese and season with pepper.

The approach to ingredient portions is sheer portion intuition and taste. Start with the amount of fish you think you'll be serving, cut it up in pieces and imagine the dish being more of a fish stew than soup. Plan on putting in about a third as much potato as fish and half as much tomato as potato. Start each herb and spice with a little, taste it and decide whether you'd like to have more in it, making sure you stir the whole stew well after you introduce each new ingredient. Plan on learning from each time you do it and expect each time to be a little better and different.

With gratitude, Jack

[editorial note: If you've never cooked with fresh parsley, you will have a new respect for the power of the herb after cooking this recipe] visit Jack at www.jackzen.com