Vegan Quinoa and Black Beans

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 (15 ounce) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 ripe avocado, diced (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1-Rinse the quinoa in a strainer. Sometimes it can have a bitter taste on the outside so rinsing gets rid of this.

2-Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes or until onion is soft.

3-Add the quinoa and vegetable broth to the pan. Add the cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil and then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

4-Stir in lime juice and frozen corn into the pan and simmer for 5 minutes or until corn is heated through.

5-Finally, mix in the black beans and cilantro. Garnish with chopped avocado if desired.

6-Serve hot or cold. Store in refrigerator.

UNCOOKED REFRIGERATOR PICKLES

1 cup vinegar

2 cups sugar
2 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. celery seed
1 cup raw onion rings
6 cups cucumbers, thinly sliced

Combine vinegar, sugar, salt and celery seed. Heat to the boiling point. Pour over the sliced onions and cucumbers.

These keep well in the refrigerator for a long time. Replace the onions and cucumbers as used, if desired.

Bacon Lettuce Tomato (BLT) Wrap

ingredients:

• fresh lettuce, chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes chopped
• 6 pieces of bacon, fried
• shredded cheese
• ranch dressing or mayonnaise
• fresh basil or rosemary
• spinach wraps

directions:

1. On the 1/3 section spinach wrapper closest to you, start layering your fillings of lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and bacon. Add dressing and spices to taste.
2. Start rolling the wrapper over the fillings away from you, tucking and rolling the wrapper with your fingers, making sure all the fillings remain right and round within the wrapper.
3. Serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap to eat hours later.

Tabbouleh

Bulgur and tomatoes are the main components of this popular Middle Eastern summer salad. Eat it as the Lebanese do, scooping it up with romaine leaves instead of a fork. Alternatively, capture mouthfuls with wedges of pita bread. Tabbouleh is best when made at least 1 day in advance of serving so that the flavors have time to develop.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup medium-fine bulgur
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice, or as needed
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 green onions, including tender green portions,
    diced
• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
• 4 large, ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1 English (hothouse) cucumber, peeled, halved,
    seeded and diced
• 2 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1 head romaine lettuce, leaves separated, or 3
    pita bread rounds, heated and cut into wedges

Directions:

Place the bulgur on the bottom of a large salad bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 cup lemon juice, the olive oil and garlic and drizzle over the bulgur. In the following order, layer the green onions, parsley, mint, tomatoes and cucumber on top of the bulgur. Season the top layer with 1 1/2 tsp. of the salt and the 1/4 tsp. pepper and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours.

Bring to room temperature and toss together. Taste and season with the remaining 1 tsp. salt and more lemon juice, if needed. Serve with the romaine leaves or warmed pita bread.

Serves 6.

Apple Cinnamon Quinoa for Breakfast

Skinnytaste.com  

• 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed well
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tsp cinnamon + more for sprinkling
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup warmed fat-free milk for drizzling (non-dairy milk is fine)
• 1 gala apple, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

Combine quinoa, water, cinnamon and vanilla in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.Reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 15 minutes until quinoa can be fluffed with a fork.

Green tomato pickles with onions and spices.

• 
  
  Ingredients:
  • 4 quarts sliced green tomatoes, loosely packed
  • 1 quart sliced onion, loosely packed
  • 1 cup pickling salt, divided
  • 2 pounds light brown sugar
  • 6 cups vinegar (5% acidity)
  • 2 small red chile peppers
  • 1/3 cup mustard seeds
  • 1/4 cup celery seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon whole allspice
  • 2 teaspoons whole cloves
  Preparation:
  Place sliced tomatoes and sliced onion in separate bowls; sprinkle 3/4 cup salt over tomatoes and 1/4 cup salt over onion; stir both mixtures. Cover both bowls and let stand at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours. Place tomatoes in a cheesecloth bag, and squeeze gently to remove excess juice. Repeat this procedure for onion. Discard the salt liquid. Combine tomatoes, onion, sugar, vinegar, chile peppers, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and pepper in a large kettle. Tie allspice and cloves in a small cheesecloth bag; add to tomato onion mixture. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, over low heat 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Pack tomato mixture and liquid into hot sterilized 1-quart jars (with 1 piece of the chile pepper in each jar - cut if necessary), leaving 1/2-inch headspace; wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids, and screw on ring bands. Process in a boiling water bath 10 minutes.
  Store in a cool dark place. Store opened pickles in refrigerator. Makes 4 1-pint jars or 2 1-quart jars.
  
  

Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
1 green onion, chopped
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds


Directions:
Whisk all ingredients together and serve.

http://www.food.com Makes a good marinade

Mayo Sesame Soy Dipping

• 1/2 c  Soy Sauce
• 1 T  Mayonnaise
• 1 t  fresh lemon Juice
• 1 t  Sesame Oil

1. Combine all ingredients in a small mason jar. Close lid and shake vigorously for 15 seconds or until emulsified.

PICKLING BRINE

You can go all sorts of directions with a pickling brine—sweet and sour, sour and spicy, the sky’s the limit. This is a basic framework to get you started. Feel free to add whatever herbs/spices you’d like. Garlic adds flavor, peppers add heat. Play and have fun.

2 quarts water
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup salt (make sure it fully dissolves)

In a large enough saucepan, add the ingredients and bring to a strong simmer, stirring until the salt has all dissolved.

Thoroughly wash whatever vegetable you wish to pickle, and cut into small pieces if necessary (should probably not be thicker than one inch).

Place vegetables in an impeccably clean glass container (submerge in a pot of boiling water, or run through a dishwasher and remove hot). Add any garlic or herbs, as desired.

Add hot brine until it covers the vegetable entirely. No bit should break the surface of the brine.

Allow to cool, cover, put in fridge. You’ll want to wait a few days for the to flavor develop before eating.

Can be kept in fridge for a few months—so long as no mold, scum, spoiling occurs. Monitor regularly and discard if there is any cause for concern.

Pickled Green Tomatoes Recipe

Yield: Makes 2 12-ounce jars, or 1 pint and one half pint

Ingredients

• 1 pound green tomatoes, stemmed and cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pickling salt
• 2 teaspoons dill seed
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon peppercorn
• 2 bay leaves
Place the following into the bottom of each hot, ready-for-canning jar:
• 1 teaspoon dill seed
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon peppercorn
• 1 bay leaf

Instructions

1. Combine vinegar, water and salt and bring to a boil.
2. Pack green tomato wedges into the jars. Pour brine slowly into the jars. Use a wooden chopstick to remove the air bubbles and add a bit of additional brine if necessary. Wipe rims, apply simmered lids and screw on bands.
3. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. When time is up, remove jars from canner and let them cool on a towel-lined countertop. When jars are completely cool, remove rings and test seals by grasping the edges of the lid and lifting the jar. If the lids hold fast, the seal is good.
4. Store in a cool, dark place for up to one year. Pickles are good to eat after one week of curing. They are particularly good with sandwiches and stews.

Cabbage & Noodles with Bacon

1 head of cabbage, chopped
1 pound of bacon* OR chicken or turkey
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 handfuls of noodles
Black pepper

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels, then break into bite-sized pieces.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the egg noodles. Add the noodles and cook until done. Drain the noodles and set aside.

Drain some of the bacon fat from the pan, reserving enough to cook the onions. Add the chopped onion to the pan and cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften. Add the cabbage to the skillet and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. When the cabbage is tender, add the egg noodles and bacon, mixing thoroughly. Season with pepper. Serve immediately.

Black Eyed Pea Salad

Ingredients

2 (15.5 ounce) cans black-eyed peas

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red onion, diced

1 cup frozen corn

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, toss together black-eyed peas, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, red onion, celery, and parsley.
2. In a small bowl, mix balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss into the vegetables. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight.

GRANOLA BAR COOKIES

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour
2 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces dried fruit (I used 6 ounces each of blueberries and chopped strawberries)
1/3 cup whole flax seeds
1/3 cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, or sliced, almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until combined. Slowly pour in olive oil, beating continuously until fluffy and smooth. Add eggs and vanilla, beating an additional minute.

Measure the oatmeal into the bowl of a food processor. Grind until oatmeal has become a fine powder. Sift oatmeal, flour, baking powder and soda, and salt together in a medium sized bowl.

Stir the flour and oatmeal mixture into the butter mixture until well combined. Add in the fruit, seeds, and nuts, stirring until contents are evenly distributed.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form golf ball sized balls of dough, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Remove and cool on a cooling rack until cookies are cool enough to handle.

Recipe Courtesy of Katie Goodman from pauladeen.com