Catching Up Part Tre

Yes, I know Uno is Spanish, Deux is French, and Tre is Italian.  I am bilingual!  Or, quad-lingual?

At any rate, this is my last "Catching Up" post, and my goal is to keep this updated on a weekly basis so I don't get so far behind again!  I am running a 10k on Saturday and will likely be cooking up some healthy fare while getting ready, so stay tuned...

A shout out to my friend, Harpreet, for these two recipes.  She made the sandwiches for a group of us one night, and I turned right around and made it again for some other friends the very next night.  They were THAT GOOD.  And the punjabi rice with Indian lentils, well, it goes without saying how good they were.

I am the worst blogger, though.  I did not take a picture of the assembled sandwich!  If you go make this on your own, you will see for yourself what it looks like anyway :)

Ingredients:

1 eggplant
2 zucchini
2 bell peppers
1 red onion
garlic
olive oil spray
mushrooms
artichoke hearts
hummus, any flavor
balsamic vinegar
whole wheat bread or wraps
cumin, salt, and pepper


1. Thinly slice peeled eggplant and zucchini, and lay out on baking trays.
2. Slice bell pepper and red onion into strips and add to tray.
3.  Spray both sides of the veggie slices to prevent them from burning or drying out.  (My first round of the eggplant was not successful because I tried it without any oil...they burned and shriveled up so I had to make a second batch!)

Pre-baked eggplant:

Pre-baked zucchini, onions, and peppers (the sweet potato cubes are for a side dish, see note below):

4.  Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes, but check on the eggplant and flip after 20 minutes.  When finished, they should look like this (or even a little less brown):

The zucchini slices came out perfectly.

5.  With a few minutes left before the veggies come out of the oven, saute the garlic, sliced mushrooms, and artichoke hearts in a skillet.

(Don't worry if the mixture turns a little weird color; mine is a very unappealing grey from both the seasoning on my wok and because I used baby portobello mushrooms which give off a dark color when cooked.)

6. Assemble your sandwich by spreading hummus on your bread, then layer the eggplant and zucchini, topped with the sauteed veggie mixture.  Drizzle a small amount of balsamic vinegar on top.  Eat!  I am telling you, you will not be disappointed with these.  They please meat-eaters and non-meat-eaters alike!

(7.  These go well with roasted sweet potato cubes or fries, too!  Just peel and cube a sweet potato or two, and roast it in the oven along with the other veggies.  Season with salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, whatever.  Great side dish!)

I'll keep this next recipe short for you--I know it can be annoying to read long blog posts, and I am worried I am often to blame for that!

Punjabi rice

So simple, yet adds such an amazing flavor to your rice.  Serve this with any type of Indian lentils of your choice.  (Note:  I did not make the lentils below, all I know is that they are vegan, made in the traditional punjabi style with authentic spices, etc.  It pays to have an Indian friend who happens to be a fellow cook!)

Ingredients:

1-2 T cumin seeds
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup brown basmati rice
Salt to taste

This may win the award for simplest recipe I have posted yet.

1.  Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan (or add a splash of olive oil) until aromatic (1-2 min).
2.  Add the frozen peas and stir until they begin to defrost.
3.  Add your cup of dry rice and toast in the pan until aromatic (2-3 min).

4.  Dump it all in a rice cooker, fill with water according to cooker's directions (adding slightly more water due to the added volume of the peas), add a pinch of salt, then cook.

5. Serve with Indian lentils or other deliciousness--Indian chickpeas and potatoes, cauliflower and spinach, etc.

 Until next time....

Catching Up Part Deux

In going back over the past few weeks, I found more that I wanted to share. Two more recipes, plus I want you to see the beginning stages of my very first vegetable garden!  My friend and I built these for her garden one weekend then mine the next, and I just cannot wait to start eating our own fresh veggies.  It was much simpler than I thought, and I wonder why haven't I done this before?  If you have ever wanted to do it, I promise it is easier than it seems!  I'll update this blog as the plants grow so you can marvel at the progress with me :)

Creole tomatoes, red and yellow bell peppers, jalapenos, artichoke, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes. Boom!

And obviously, if you know me, of course I'm growing kale.  Purple kale!  I have since removed the dry leaves at the bottom, and even had my first harvest already.  The leaves made for some very delicious baked kale chips :)

I roasted these one night when I needed a snack while waiting for my dinner to cook.  I was making roasted sweet potato and black bean tacos, so while the sweet potato was roasting in the oven, I baked the kale right on top of it.  I am so efficient and clever, I know....

So, ingredients for said tacos, that were some of the most amazing tacos I have ever made?  Keep reading.

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato, cubed and roasted (350 degree oven, 35-40 minutes)
Black beans, soaked overnight/8 hours and simmered for at least an hour (or canned, no salt added beans, drained and rinsed)
Seasonings like cumin, cayenne, chili powder, etc.
Sriracha or other hot sauce
Whatever toppings you like!  I chose shredded red cabbage, green onions, tomatoes, and lettuce

Top some Ezekiel sprouted grain tortillas with you sweet potatoes, beans, and veggie mix.  That's all there is to it!

Catching Up Part Uno

I have been M.I.A. from the blog world, so it's time to play catch up!  I'll keep it short and sweet, and just share two of my favorite salads from the last few weeks.  Enjoy :)

This is one of favorite salads, along with the kale salad, and my friend so appropriately named it Chip Chop Salad (modified from here:  Once Upon A Chef).

Ingredients:

shredded cabbage/coleslaw mix
shelled edamame
red cabbage, sliced/shredded
carrots, shredded
green onions
red bell pepper, sliced in thin strips
cilantro
crushed roasted peanuts

Dressing:

1/8-1/4 cup honey or agave nectar (I prefer less sweet, so I use 1/8 c.)
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 T Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 t sesame oil
1 T natural peanut butter
1 t - 1 T sriracha sauce
1 T minced ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced

Put all the dressing ingredients in a shaker, and shake, shake, shake (alternatively, you can whisk, whisk, whisk in a bowl).

Combine salad ingredients, toss with 2 Tablespoons dressing, top with crushed peanuts and eat.  (Apologies for the picture below--I forgot to take a picture before I dove into my lunch at work, hence the plastic container and half-eaten portion!)

I also made up a new salad tonight, inspired by a friend who made something similar yesterday.  I only had a bite of hers so I don't know exactly what she put into it, but here's my version, which I have aptly named Fiesta Quinoa Salad (that's a nod to Fiesta Triscuits, Caro!)

Ingredients (serves about 5):

1 cup dry quinoa, cooked
1 can no salt added black beans, drained and rinsed
fresh cut kernels from one cob of corn
3 green onions
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
handful of cilantro, chopped
cumin and paprika to taste (don't be shy)
dash of cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
juice from 3/4 of a lime

Toss, and eat.  So fresh and delicious!  Could add tomatoes, other types of beans, avocado, garlic...I have also made a similar version with roasted veggies that I'll post sometime over the summer.

Bon appetit!