quiona with tofu and veggies

i'm slowly starting to enjoy eating more foods raw and not only is it healthier but saves time too : P

here is a simple meal I enjoy especially when pinched on time. great if you have left over quinoa or any other grain! 

ingredients:

• quinoa precooked
• spices- red pepper flakes, black pepper
• small onion
• olive oil
• veggies you have/like- carrots, broccoli, bell peppers
• spinach or kale
• tofu - cut into squares

how to:

1. cook your grain, add salt to the water for more flavor
2. in a skillet heat olive oil & cook onions until translucent
3. add your veggies- carrots, broccoli, bell pepper etc cook until soft
4. add spices you like to your taste
5. optional to cook your tofu in separate pan with olive oil (i'm now used to just adding it in raw to my bowl at the end)
6. once your veggies are soft add your spinach to the skillet for few minutes until it wilts  OR again optional to just put it it in raw as i have. 
7. in a bowl add your desired amount of quinoa, add your veggies, add your tofu and check spice/taste level to your liking!

quinoa stuffed peppers

STUFF PEPPERS NOT TURKEYS ! :  )

this is a recipe i made up to my liking and use often. it is quite easy and makes a ton of stuffed peppers so you'll have more for later! i actually made this recipe this thanksgiving as a vegan dinner option which is great for when you have lot's of people to feed. this recipe made about 12 small-medium stuffed peppers so it was plenty.

it happened to be my sisters birthday as well so i made our favorite chocolate vegan cake here because it is so easy and so so good! andddd its FULL of chocolate goodness:)  i ended up decorating the top with sliced kiwi which was almost better than our usual sliced strawberries. mixing kiwis and chocolate was surprisingly really great.

the stuffed peppers i have been using for this recipe lately are green peppers that were kept in the freezer after my mom had already carved out the middle. my parents had plenty of peppers from their vegetable garden this past summer so we freeze any leftover for the winter. so stuffed peppers were the best way to use them up! first i would take them out of the freezer before i started any cooking just to let them thaw out.

ingredients:

• baby bella mushrooms 2 packages sliced
• garlic 2-3 cloves chopped
• one large onion diced
• two shredded carrots
• two tomatoes chopped
• one jalapeno chopped
• spinach about one bag
• coconut oil for cooking
• parsley chopped
• 2 cups red or white quinoa (substitutes: couscous or rice)
• salt
• spices: turmeric, ginger

how to:

1. first thing i do is chop and prepare all the veggies, you can add as much as you like but above are the ingredients i like to use and about how much i use
2. in a large skillet (all depends how much you're going to make) heat two tablespoons of coconut oil
3. once it melts add in the garlic and onions until translucent
4. prepare the quinoa separately in a pan according to package directions- i now add salt to my quinoa so it isn't so plain when added to the main skillet dish
5. once the onions are ready start putting in your veggies; shredded carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes and jalapeno
6. let these cook on medium high heat until they are tender 
7. start adding in your spices (turmeric, ginger) and experimenting with the taste to your liking. i usually add lots of salt because the quinoa tends to be plain. i also add more red pepper flakes if needed, however a jalapeno pepper should be enough. 
8. keep stirring your dish often and once its about done add handfuls of your spinach in at a time. it comes later since it doesn't take long for it to wilt and mix in with the dish. i usually end up adding a whole bag of spinach
9. once your quinoa is done mix it in with your veggie dish and combine well.
10. check the taste and add any more spices if needed
11. once combined and everything is cooked well turn off the heat and mix in your parsley last

 

stuffing the peppers

if you have non frozen whole peppers just cut off the top of the peppers and once your dish has cooled a little start to stuff the peppers. i would also at this time preheat your oven to 400 degrees F while you prepare. sometimes my dish has lots of juice/water in it so i make sure to drain the quinoa stuffing before scooping it into the peppers with a spoon. you don't want that extra juice in your pepper. fill as many peppers as you want and then transfer them to a pan for baking in the oven. i usually pile the pepper right next to each other on the pan and finish it off with pouring some olive oil and water in the pan to coat the bottom so it doesn't burn. you only need a little of each depending on the size of your pan and how many you're making. once prepared you are ready to bake the peppers for about 30-40 minutes. the frozen peppers take longer but just keep checking the peppers until the pepper is soft and tender.

detox smoothie

 i am so in love with my new detoxifying smoothie creation.
it is perfect for a summers day to share with your mom out in the sun.

it tastes so fresh and clean i can't get enough of it and neither can my senses.
i would say it smells like cucumbers but doesn't taste like any particular vegetable included.

for me it is just enough sweetness, which comes from the berries and banana however you can use vanilla almond milk as a water substitute for more sweetness and a more creamier taste. use my ingredients as a base or for inspiration and play around with it to your liking.

ingredients:

•  3/4 cup berries - frozen raspberries & black berries
• 1/2 cup cucumber- peeled and sliced
• 1 banana- sliced
• 1 1/2 cups water or vanilla almond milk
• 1 1/2 cup loosely packed kale
• 2 handfuls spinach
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

how to:

1. cut up and prepare all your ingredients
2. put it in your mixer - i use a nutribullet; check taste! need sweetener?  

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this drink is full of essential nutrients and vitamins.

kale: one of the healthiest superfoods on the planet! no joke. pack these in whenever you can your body will thank you. low calories, high iron, high fiber, antioxidants, high vitamin K, A, C, high in calcium, antioxidants, great ant-imflammatory food and detoxifies your liver.

berries: contains phytochemicals that protect your cells from damage, flavonoids to keep your memory sharp, fiber to control diabetes, heart health, weight control, lower blood pressure and fight cancers.

spinach: high in vitamin K, A, magnesium, high fiber, calcium, protein, cancer fighting antioxidants, lower blood pressure, cardiovascular health, brain health.

parsley: antioxidant nutrients: flavonoids, wonderful source for vitamin A & C, source of folic acid for herat health, protects from rheumatoid arthritis, much more useful than decorating food!

chia seeds: lowers cholesterol, aids digestion, stabilize blood sugar, packed with omega 3's, fiber, calcium, manganese, phosphorous, protein, improve heart health,

cucumber: high water content, minerals essential for skin care, lignans fight cancer, control blood pressure, dietary fiber helps with digestion, joint health by strengthening connective tissues, relieve gout and arthritis pain, diuretic- eliminates waste products, aid in weight loss, cures diabetes.

banana: vitamin C, potassium, manganese, vitamin b6, fiber, easy to digest, amino acids, excellent source for carbohydrates your primary source of energy.

almond milk: dairy-free and has less calories than a cup of skim milk. wonderful source of calcium, vitamin D and E.

rice and veggie dish

hello everyone, and happy menstruating day 1 to me!
i can't be too ungrateful since my cramped belly decided i needed a light and airy meal today which led to this masterpiece that everyone enjoyed thoroughly.

i love it when my whimsical creations that are mostly little bit of this and little bit of that thrown together actually end up not only edible freakin delicious! and so this recipe will be a little harder to write down...if you really want to try this recipe and need more precise measurements just comment and i will do it but yes, much of this was eye balled in.

oh and by the way i used days old rice that we had in the fridge so if you ever have left over rice definitely try and make this dish. good luck!

ingredients:

• old rice [i had about 2 1/2 cups at least after cooked]
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil for cooking
• 2 carrots chopped into smaller pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 inch of fresh ginger chopped
• 2 green onions chopped
• 1/2 cup packed kale chopped thinly [ i used two big hand fulls-the more the better!]
• 2 tablespoon organic tamari soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon earth butter (optional)
• splash of lime juice (optional)
• salt to taste

how to:

1.  in a large pan heat your coconut oil over medium heat and add in your ginger and garlic stirring it around for 2 minutes, it should be fragrant
2. add in the carrots and cook until they are soft
3. add in the old rice and stir it around to mix everything together then make a hole in the middle for the earth butter and combine with rice as it melts
4. now stir in the liquids, add in the soy sauce, vinegar and splash of lime juice, stir it around  for couple minutes so your rice is well cooked
5. do a taste test and add any salt needed
6. now stir in your chopped kale and turn the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid so the kale wilts but doesn't burn the rice
7. you're done when the flavor is right, veggies are soft and the ingredients are mixed well

* you can also substitute spinach for kale if you happen to not have it, and feel free to add more veggies or exclude things your don't have/ your own version of ingredients

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i had this rice side dish with giant portabella mushrooms which i fried as i made the rice.

ingredients:

• 2-4 portabella mushrooms depending on how many people eating
• 1 tablespoon earth butter [or coconut oil]
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil for drizzling 
• sesame seeds sprinkled as topping
• green onions sprinkled as topping

how to:

1. heat the butter in a pan
2. prepare the mushrooms by placing them on a plate after washing. first brush them with some olive oil both sides
3. sprinkle on the sat, pepper or any other seasonings you like on both sides (almost like meat)
4. place in pan and i turn then so cap is down, leave on for couple minutes until browned you can turn over to check, they will wilt and ooze out lots of juice
5. once done transfer them to a plate and sprinkled on some sesame seeds and green onions

^^momma picked some veggies from the garden : )

^^ i threw in some spiced garbanzo beans after the sweet potatoes, great finger food.

thin crust veggie pizza

the other day i spent a lovely evening getting  galactic pizza in minneapolis and catching a screening of the bling ring at the lagoon movie theater. if you know me at all, this is my kind of night. this was my first time having a vegan pizza at a restaurant and it sure did not disappoint. i was inspired to make my own homemade pizza and use some of that delicious daiya mozzarella cheese. for those of you that do not know, their cheese is dairy free and comes in couple different types.

this week we have had pizza an embarrassingly four nights in a row...three of which we made homemade pizzas. i honestly wouldn't mind four more days. homemade pizza is a definite comfort food for me.

i found this very very simple and my current favorite go-to thin crust pizza recipe. it is a definite winner! and their is zero waiting for the dough to rise so definitely a time saver. i highly suggest you plan to make this sometime soon.

one thin crust

ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil [plus more for drizzling]
• 2/3 cup water [more or less]

how to:

1. preheat oven to 450 degrees; combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined, add the olive oil and small increments of the water at a time. mix with a wooden spoon until mostly combined
2. after most of the dough has combined use your hands to knead it together; add more water if too dry or add more flour if too moist. the dough should just enough combined and soft; do not over knead so it becomes hard.
   
3. sprinkle some flour on your working surface to roll out the dough. roll it out to the size of your pizza pan or about 1/4 inch thick
4. take your pan and put aluminum foil over it, lightly sprinkle some olive oil on the foil and spread it around with your hands. transfer your rolled out dough to the pan and fold in the outer edges for a crust. poke some holes with a fork in the center of the dough.
5. once the oven is preheated bake your crust for 5 minutes

topping
 *all toppings are optional so feel free to use whatever you like and how much you like.
ingredients:

• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• pizza sauce  [i used about half a 15 oz] 
• spinach chopped
• bell pepper chopped
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• red onion chopped
• mushrooms sliced
• avocado chopped
• 1 cup daiya mozzarella cheese

how to:

1. after your crust is out of the oven drizzle some of olive oil on the crust and spread it everywhere you can with the back of a spoon.
2. pour on your pizza sauce and spread it around with spoon getting more sauce on the outside near the crust than the middle. next sprinkle the garlic, add the chopped spinach, and then top with the remaining ingredients that you choose; red onion, peppers, mushrooms, avocaods. lastly add the cheese on top. 
   
   
   
   
3. once done topping the pizza put in the oven for 12-15 minutes; enjoy!