Raw Oatmeal Porridge with Peaches & Strawberries

For the past few months, Steve and I have been eating Raw Oatmeal Porridge for breakfast on the weekends. We crave it! Never heard of cold oatmeal before? It might not sound that appealing but it's really delicious! Before my green smoothie days, this porridge was a staple dish. Might sound crazy, but I used make this for breakfast at my desk when I worked in the office. I used to make such a mess! This is one of those recipes I learned back in culinary school, tweaked a bit to make it healthier and honestly, tastier. It's super easy, super healthy and the toppings are limitless.  Instead of cooking the oatmeal, soak it in coconut milk or nut milk for about 10 minutes until soft. Just like my dad, I never really liked the classic oatmeal porridge, all hot and mushy, pretty much flavorless. It just wasn't something we ate growing up. But now that I've found a different method...aw man, I dig the stuff!! I like it raw! 

Trust me, it's very easy to make! As I mentioned, I used to make this at my desk so it had to be easy! This is how I pulled that off...I measured out a bag of oatmeal, a few cups or so, with cinnamon (maybe 1 tsp), a little sea salt (cause oatmeal needs some flavor) and kept that bag in one of my drawers at my desk. Also stored in my drawer of goodies was honey for tea, almonds or walnuts (for snacks), and I usually had almond milk in the fridge, but you could also just use water to soak the oatmeal. Then every couple of days I brought fresh fruit to work. While the oatmeal was soaking, I cut up the fruit and chopped the nuts (didn't think about buying pre-chopped nuts until now). When the oatmeal was soft and had absorbed the liquid, I added the fruit, nuts, and drizzled honey on top...and cleaned up the huge mess I made. It was fabulous, healthy, filling and quite frankly, everyone wanted some. 

If you're trying to avoid gluten, you can always buy gluten free oatmeal, just make sure it says so on the bag. Oatmeal doesn't contain wheat gluten but most of the time it is processed on the same line as wheat products. Just keep an eye out if you have any sensitivities. Oatmeal is very good for your heart, for lowering cholesterol and for giving you strength and energy throughout the day. When I eat this for breakfast I feel satisfied and grounded.  It's incredibly filling because oats are not stripped of their bran and germ during the hulling process, leaving plenty of fiber and nutrients including manganese, selenium, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc.

There is a base to this recipe which is the oatmeal, coconut or nut milk, 1 grated or small diced apple, lemon juice, cinnamon, honey and sea salt. After that, it's up to you! Usually I'll add seasonal fruit, nuts, protein and omega 3's with the help of hemp, chia and flax seeds for even more nutritional punch! The toppings are limitless! You could add cacoa powder to the oatmeal for a chocolaty breakfast (recipe coming soon) with an assortment of berries, nut butters, bananas and walnuts for something special. Get crazy with it! I always encourage tweaking my recipes as you see fit. 

Raw Oatmeal Porridge with Peaches & Strawberries 
Makes 2-3 servings. My toppings vary depending on what I have on hand, but the base of the porridge is usually the same.

Base Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal (gluten free if needed)
1 cup of coconut milk or nut milk
1 small apple grated (I used a Granny Smith apple)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1-2 tbsp of honey
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt

Toppings:
1 cup of sliced strawberries
1-2 peaches sliced
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts (or any nut you like)
1 tbsp Flax Seeds
1 tbsp Chia Seeds
1 tbsp Hemp Seeds
Drizzle of honey

1. Using a medium sized bowl, soak the oatmeal in the coconut milk or nut milk for about 8-10 minutes. 
2. While the oatmeal is soaking, grate the small apple on top of oatmeal. Add the juice of the lemon, honey, cinnamon and sea salt on top as well. Don't stir just yet.
3. Slice the strawberries and peaches (or whatever fruit you have). Chop the walnuts and add the fruit and walnuts to the bowl.
4. Stir the contents of the bowl adding the flax, chia and hemp seeds on top with an additional drizzle of honey.

You can eat straight out of the bowl like Steve and I do or serve in individually sized portions. Feel free to add more nuts and honey on top.

This breakfast will keep you full until lunch, no mid-morning hunger pains, I promise.

Enjoy!
K

  

Lemon Glazed Citrus Cupcakes

One year ago today, this happened....

Stephen and I got married! And in celebration of our one year anniversary, I decided to make Lemon Glazed Citrus Cupcakes because that was the same cake I made for our wedding! That's right...I made my own wedding cake! With the help of Stephen, his brother Matthew and my dear friend Kristina, we put together a lovely vegan wedding cake.  I had the guys zesting and juicing lemons until their hands were soar and sweet Kristina helped me assemble and ice the cake and she did the lovely decorations. Seriously, if it wasn't for you three, I don't know how I would have managed such a task!  

Cassandra Eldridge Photography

Cassandra Eldridge Photography

Cassandra Eldridge Photography

It was a DIY wedding, my good friends and family helped with the decorations of the gallery where we had our reception, my bridesmaids helped make my veil, did the flower arrangements, we made gorgeous paper flower ivy which hung above the wedding party's table...it was unbelievable! My closest friends from culinary school catered the reception and the food was amazing! And this goes without saying, but without our parents, none of this would have even happened. There are just too many wonderful things about our wedding and reception and too many people to thank.  We will never forget that day, all of our wonderful friends and family who helped make it possible (with such a small budget I might add). And of course, the delicious cake!

There are a few adjustments that I made here, one being, I made it gluten-free as well! Instead of using wheat flour I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour.  Also, instead of making a frosting, I went with a lemon glaze because IT IS SO GOOD!!! Lemon glazed anything tastes like heaven. It's ridiculously easy, just lemon juice and powdered sugar.  Not the healthiest thing on Earth, but hey, we're celebrating!

 

This recipe made a perfect dozen...although some are bigger than others, I will not discriminate. They will each be eaten equally. Since I go crazy for lemon glaze I double dunked the cupcakes letting the first layer set before dunking again. Yeah baby! That's what I'm talking about!  I might be on a sugar high right now...I'm typing faster than ever!  Might need to do a juice cleanse.  Next week! After these puppies are gone.

Lemon Glazed Citrus Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup of flour or Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour
1 cup of sugar (I used turbinado) 
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of lemon and lime juice (2 lemons 2 limes)
2 tbsp of lemon and lime zest 
5 tbsp of coconut oil
1 tsp of vanilla 
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of apple cider vinegar 
1 vanilla bean (optional, slit down the center using the back of a knife, scrap seeds out)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pan with paper cups.
2. Sift the flour and baking soda into a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl combine the rest of the ingredients, the wet ingredients. Whisk together well.  
4. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the flour. It will fizzle a bit from the citrus and the baking soda. Stir to combine. 
5. Then ladle cake batter into the paper cups and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Use a toothpick to see if they are ready. Make sure not to over bake.
6. Allow to cool for 20 minutes or so before glazing.  Yes, you'll have a wait a little while longer.

Lemon Glaze

Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
Juice and zest of 2 lemons

1. Whisk ingredients together. If you want it thinner add more juice, thicker add more powdered sugar. I nearly doubled the glaze recipe due to the sugar high. 
2. After cupcakes have cooled, dunk them into the glaze and set back down to set...or you could just eat them right away.

It's that easy and that tasty.  Happy Anniversary love!

<3
K

p.s. Our wedding photographer was Cassandra Eldridge. She is fabulous! She takes such beautiful photos and I would totally recommend her! Check out her blog at http://cassandraeldridge.com/.  

Cassandra Eldridge Photography
http://cassandraeldridge.com

Oh OHHhhmega 3's!!

It's so hard to write a fun post about something as boring, but majorly important, as essential fatty acids. But since this information is so vital to health, I urge you to read on and hopefully I can make it fun along the way.

There's been a lot of buzz about Omega 3 fatty acids the past few years, which is great because omega 3's are essential for our health. But do you have any idea why it's important??  Some of you smarties might now, at which point, you better be partaking!!  Or else, you're no longer a smarty, there I said it.  But for the rest of us out there the most important thing to know about omega 3 fatty acids is that it is an awesome, kick ass anti-inflammatory!!  And why do we care about that???? Now pay attention to this! The root cause of chronic disease is inflammation.  For the people in the back....

THE ROOT CAUSE OF CHRONIC DISEASE IS INFLAMMATION!!!!

Now, not all inflammation is bad, it is a natural response of our bodies when injured or infected, such as redness and swelling. This type of inflammation is localized, short lived and can even save our lives. When the threat of injury or invasion of a virus is over, the immune system shuts off the response and everything goes back to normal.  That's the good news about inflammation.

Here's the bad. Sometimes our bodies are so overwhelmed by either stress, our diet, toxins that surround us and that we ingest, that the "turn off" response never happens and chronic inflammation occurs. BTW, in case you were wondering, chronic means, to last for a long time. Chronic inflammation is dangerous and researches are finding that it could be the source of all chronic diseases! It is life threatening and causes loads of diseases such as...

• Alzheimer's disease
• Asthma
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Bipolar disorder
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular disease
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Eczema
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Huntington's disease
• Lupus
• Migraine headaches
• Multiple sclerosis
• Obesity
• Osteoarthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Psoriasis
• Rheumatoid arthritis

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=84

What causes inflammation, you ask? (I'm so glad you're interested!) Tons of things can cause inflammation like stress, bacteria, viruses, parasites (gross), toxins, some foods, sugar, smoking, high blood-insulin levels and obesity, to name a few. So, from this list I'm sure you can understand why this is such a problem. So many people are addicted to sugar, have stress, encounter toxins and viruses, and let's not forget that over 30% of Americans are obese (it's predicted to be around 50% by 2030, that's scary!) and 60%, if not more, are overweight and on their way to possibly being obese. Americans are overweight, eating more than we should, but are in fact, nutritionally starved. Research has shown that 99% of Americans are deficient in omega 3s.

Here are some things to look out for.

Some symptoms of omega 3 deficiencies include:

• Depression
• Dry Skin
• Fatigue
• Heart problems
• Mood Swings
• Poor circulation
• Poor memory

Symptoms of low grade inflammation are:

• Body aches and pains
• Congestion
• Frequent infections
• Diarrhea
• Dry eyes
• Indigestion
• Shortness of breath
• Skin outbreaks
• Swelling
• Stiffness
• Weight gain/obesity

Here are some foods that cause inflammation and should be avoided.

• Alcohol
• Barbecued foods (and blackened foods)
• Beef
• Dairy
• Deep fried foods, French fries
• Fried chicken
• Organ meats (like liver, heart, giblets)
• Over cooked foods or foods cooked at high temperatures 
• Refined carbohydrates (any form of white flour products)
• Sugar
• And any type of food that you are sensitive to can cause inflammation as well

We all know that the typical diet of an American contains some, if not most of these foods daily and most of the time it's at every meal!  

What should we be eating?? A whole foods and plant-based diet. Yeah, I said it! This diet has proven to reverse MS, diabetes (yeah, it can CURE diabetes, incurable disease my A$$), heart disease, it can stop the growth of some cancers and can help people lose weight among so many other things! (Ok, stepping down from the pulpit.) The point is, our bodies are overwhelmed with omega 6 fatty acids (which is present in most of the foods listed above) and it must be balanced out by omega 3's. 

Awesome, wonderful, powerful Omega 3's! 

Researchers and scientists have found that omega 3's help prevent a wide range of medical problems (remember that list of chronic inflammatory related diseases?) such as depression (feeling down, add omega 3's not prozac) , asthma, heart disease and arthritis.  Not only that but omega 3 fatty acids also improve our brain function.  Researchers have said that omega 3s can reduce the aging of the brain. How cool is that?? 

Having a good diet and one that is full of omega 3 fatty acids is the way to go! And it's soooo easy!!!!!  Cut out all the crap, trust me you are worth it! Have the majority of your meals come from whole foods, meaning nothing that is refined, whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, and eat a lot of plants! In addition, add in foods that contain a lot of omega 3's.  And wouldn't you know it, I have them right here for you!

There are different ways of getting omega 3 fatty acids but research has shown that it is better absorbed from food than by supplements. Two excellent sources are flax seeds and walnuts. The recommended serving size for flax seeds are at least 2 tablespoons.  The best way to do this is to buy whole raw flax seeds and grind them right before you eat them, a small coffee or spice grinder works great (buy one just for grinding the seeds, spices and herbs). You don't have to be old school like me using a mortar and pestle. The ground up flax seeds can be put in smoothies, sprinkled over salads or even cereal or anything. It's worth the effort. Two tablespoons of ground flax seeds will give you 132.9% daily value of omega 3's. 

A 1/4 cup of walnuts, which isn't that many when measured, is the recommended serving size, which will give you 94.5% of the daily value of omega 3's. That's an easy snack in the afternoon.  I always have walnuts at home and they're great to bring for a snack. Another great source is fatty fish (if you eat it) that live in cold waters, such as wild salmon and sardines. Do not fry the fish, fatty acids are destroyed during this process.  Bake, poach or pan sear instead. If you are all plant-based then go for the nut and seed variety.  

A healthy diet contains equal amounts of both 3 and 6 fatty acid. We can all benefit from getting our healthy fatty acids daily. Don't forget to eat your flax seeds and walnuts and cut back on the foods that contain omega 6. Yin Yang, find your balance.

To help the body to better assimilate the anti-inflammatory agents of omega 3's it's important that your diet has a sufficient amount of vitamin B6, B3, C, magnesium and zinc and decrease the intake of saturated fats and partially hydrogenated fats.  Check out this website for foods containing these vitamins and minerals. http://www.whfoods.com

To wrap up, it is easy to get Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Simply add 2 tablespoons of whole flax seeds and 1/4 cup of walnuts to your diet everyday. Prevention is not a word used by our current health care system. There are better, safer, cheaper, and healthier ways to get results. In a lot of cases, certain diseases can be prevented or treated using holistic treatments, changing your diet, reducing stress, and having a better outlook can do wonders for your health!  And of course, adding omega 3's daily into your diet!

Anti-inflammatory love to you all!

K

Refreshing Cucumber Herb Salad

It's pathetic how spoiled I am from living here in Southern California. It's so beautiful but let me tell you, summer isn't over yet. We still a couple weeks left but that doesn't mean that it's going to cool down exactly on September 22nd when Fall makes it way in. It feels as if summer has just begun, I guess it's because of the May Gray and June Gloom, when it was cool and cloudy majority of the time and it felt more like Fall than Summer. During that time, I would complain about the absence of the sun.  Now, I'm so ready for the cooler temps again. You always want what you can't have, isn't it true? 

We recently took a trip back to Chicago to visit family and friends and boy, was it hot there! I've already forgotten what the summer is like in the Midwest...hot and swampy! Thankfully, it's not that humid here but it hasn't been the normal 72°F for weeks now and quite frankly, I'm sick of it! (So spoiled!) Our apartment has been pretty warm especially since we don't have air conditioning, but honestly we really don't need it...I guess. (I know what you're thinking, what a brat! But I'd like to point out the fact that just a few lines up and the opening line of this post, I mention the fact that I am indeed, spoiled. I am aware of the fact.) We've kept the ceiling fans on and placed smaller fans in the windows to bring in the cool night air. Needless to say, I'm so ready for fall.  But since we don't really get that beautiful, wonderful season in the Southwest, I need to cool things down a bit with a refreshing cucumber salad...before my head explodes!  (In all honesty, it hasn't been THAT hot...but GOSH!)

I was inspired by a recipe from Cooking Light on myrecipes.com and the enormous cucumbers I picked up from the market.  Of course, I changed the recipe and added some Green Ritual flair, making it vegan.  I love simple fresh dishes that use herbs and lemons and that have amazing color. A feast for the eyes! This dish works great as a side but can definitely be served on it's own.  Just make sure that you don't make too much because the leftovers are not that great. The cucumbers release too much liquid making a huge sloppy mess. This recipe is enough for two people but can easily be cut in half for only one serving. 

If you want to be a copy cat and have long thin, beautiful slices of gorgeous cukes (what I call cucumbers in the safety of my own home) then you will need a mandolin. If not, then slice the cucumbers anyway you like, I don't really care. It will still taste the same! But mandolins are awesome! I got a fairly cheap one from Bed Bath & Beyond and it's not too shabby. For this recipe, I sliced the shallots and cukes using my new kitchen toy.  If you do decide to go my route, PLEASE be careful, the blade is extremely sharp! Mandolin accidents are common, especially in culinary school. Thankfully, I never cut myself in school but I did receive plenty of burns!

The herby part of the salad was brought to you by dill and tarragon, but please feel free to play around with other herbs as well. Mint would be fantastic as well as parsley.  Tarragon has an anise flavor and is very aromatic...and I guess you could take that as a warning.  A little goes a long way.  As for the dill, I feel that it is essential in this recipe, so I wouldn't recommend leaving it out. Dill and cucumbers are a match made in heaven. I love you, pickles! Another key ingredient are the capers. They add a satisfying saltiness and tang to the overall flavor. 

Also, instead of using dairy, which is recommended in the original recipe, I replaced it with cashew cream! Soak cashews in water for about 4 hours (or if you have a Vitamix Blender you can just throw them in with a little water and blend away because it is a super powerful, almighty piece of kitchen equipment!!) but the soaking will help soften the nuts and they will blend pretty nicely in any blender.  If needed, strain out any leftover bits your (weak) blender leaves behind. And, no, I am not a Vitamix Sales rep! It was one of the best decisions I've ever made in making a kitchen equipment purchase. 

Refreshing Cucumber Salad

Makes 2-3 servings. Best if eaten right away. 

Ingredients:

1 Large (or 2 small) Cucumbers - Organic is best so you can use the skin.

1/3 cup Pickled Shallots (recipe below)

1/4 cup Cappers roughly chopped

2 TBSP of Dill chopped

1-2 TBSP Tarragon - I picked some leaves off the stems and threw them in with the salad.

Vinaigrette recipe below

1. Using a mandolin with the thinnest setting, slice the cucumber lengthwise. Be careful! I sliced mine into a medium mixing bowl. 

2. Add chopped cappers, pickled shallots (I had about a 1/4 cup of pickled shallots leftover. Use as much as you like), to the bowl of sliced cucumbers and drizzle vinaigrette over. Toss to coat.

3. At the end add the chopped dill and tarragon leaves on top.  Just lovely.

Vinaigrette: 

1/4 cup of cashew cream (1/2 cup of raw cashews and 3/4 cup of water blend until thick and creamy, 2 minutes)

Juice from half a lemon

1 TSP of honey (or more if you want it sweeter)

1 TSP of Dill fronds

5-7 Tarragon leaves 

1 small garlic clove (or half of a big clove)

TT Sea Salt

TT Freshly ground black pepper

1. Blend all the ingredients together but season with sea salt and pepper at the end. TT means to taste. Add as much or as little as you like. 

Pickled Shallots 

This method is a quick pickling method and can be used with onions as well. Inspired by this recipe from My New Roots.

Ingrediets:

1 cup Apple cider vinegar

1 Large Shallot thinly sliced (I used the mandolin for this)

2 TBSP of Raw Sugar

2 TSP of Sea Salt

1 TSP of Peppercorns 

1 Bay Leaf

1. Heat apple cider vinegar on stove until simmering. Add bay leaf, peppercorns, sugar and salt, stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Then add and thinly sliced shallot, cook for 1 more minute, then remove from heat.  You can set aside and let it reach room temp.  I placed mine in a glass jar and put it in the fridge until I was ready to use it.

Such a light and fragrant dish that will surely cool things down.  Enjoy while sitting on a patio or at a picnic, or at the beach watching the sunset. Summer's almost over folks! Make sure to get a few rounds of Frisbee in before it gets too cold and catch a couple fireflies for me, but please let them go after a few minutes, ok?

Summer love and butterflies,

K

Basics: Dress it up!

This is the first of my "Basics" posts.  I have planned several posts which I will describe basic cooking techniques, for example making a vinaigrette, or feature basic kitchen skills, such as how to properly use a chef's knife, explain certain ingredients and how to use them in recipes, and other simple tips and tricks that most people might not really know. My plan is to help you to be more comfortable in the kitchen so that cooking at home is fun, easy and more likely to happen. ;) So here we go!  

Basics: Dress it up! 

We all know that getting more fresh, local, organic fruits and vegetables would do us a lot of good, right? This past weekend, I went to the Vista Farmer's Market just a few miles away from our home. The selection of local produce was astounding! And we're in the prime, it's summer time and everything is alive and growing. My goal this visit was to pick up some salad ingredients, fresh tomatoes, green garlic (love!) and whatever looked fresh, ripe, and smelled amazing. We're making a salad! 

There is nothing better than homemade salad dressings. Once you start to make your own you'll never go to store bought dressings, I guarantee it!. If you look at the label on the back of a common dressing you will find A LOT of strange words and a long list of ingredients! Some of these are preservatives, MSG in disguise, oils we really shouldn't be consuming such as soybean oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, and other toxic oils. This is not a real food, do not eat it!  It is so easy to make your own salad dressing at home and I promise it will taste 100 times better then those plastic bottles of toxic crap.  

What will you need:

• An empty, clean glass jar.  Instead of throwing out mustard or jelly jars, I keep them! Take off the label and wash them and they're ready to go.  Great for storing juices and many other things including your homemade salad dressings. A great tip I learned from culinary school is when the mustard jar is pretty much empty (remains on the sides that is hard to get completely out) then use that jar, with its leftover mustard to make a mustard vinaigrette!

• Olive oil - and you're going to want to get cold pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil and here's why.  First of all olive oil is the best oil out there because it is very heart healthy and has been linked to help fight cancer, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, regulate blood sugars and preventing free radical damage. Be careful to read the labels of olive oil because there are a lot of different types. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the oil from the very first press of the olives and has great flavor.  Getting the cold pressed is extra special because it means that the oil has not been heat treated which alters the chemical make up.  Cold pressed, considered a "raw" ingredient because all of the nutrients have not been damaged and are ready for you to take in.  Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil is more expensive but aren't you worth it?  You can learn more about oils from this great website  http://www.veghealthguide.com/oils-fats/. Other oils to use are grape seed oil, flax seed or flax oil, these need to be kept cold or else they will go rancid so only purchase these refrigerated and keep them refrigerated.

• An acid of some sort - Lemon juice (or any other citrus fruit) is great to use as well as vinegar. Usually, lemon juice is added to enhance the flavor of the vinegar and I always add a splash simply because I love lemon.  As far as the vinegar goes, there are so many types of vinegar out there so get creative!

        Types of vinegar I love to use

        Apple cider Vinegar (raw if possible)

        Balsamic Vinegar

        Sherry Wine Vinegar 

        Rice Wine Vinegar Mirin 
        Champagne Vinegar 
        
*Fun fact! Vinegar and aluminum don't mix.  If, for some reason, you have an aluminum bowl or pan don't use it if you have vinegar as part of your ingredients. The vinegar will leach the aluminum from the bowl causing whatever you're making to have a metallic taste. 

• Sea Salt and Pepper

That's as basic as it gets.  The formula for vinaigrette is 3:1 ratio of oil to vinegar. That's important to remember because if switch it around, 3 parts vinegar to 1 part oil then the concoction would be extremely sour! So remember, 3:1 oil to vinegar. Here's what I do...I grab a small glass jar with a lid and either eyeball the measurements or use a tablespoon. 

Serving for 1-2 single portioned salads 

3 tablespoons Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil (or organic EVOO)

1 tablespoon vinegar of choice

Splash of lemon juice
Drizzle of honey

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pour all the ingredients into the glass jar, place the lid on top and shake like crazy!  Done!

If you want to mix it up, try different vinegar since each one has it's own unique taste and quality. 

Other great ingredients to add are:

Fresh garlic

Fresh herbs

Mustard

Honey or Maple syrup 

Zest of citrus

Ginger

Poppy seeds

Sesame seeds

Spices

Tahini 

Nut Butters 

Cashew Cream 

Vegenaise (Vegan Mayo)

Toasted Sesame Oil

There are endless possibilities.  Dressings can be used for so many dishes not only salads. I love to use a citrus vinaigrette in quinoa dishes, toasted sesame dressing on coleslaw, tahini nut butter in Thai dishes and so on. They can be used as marinades for vegetables or tofu, with pasta and grains, or just on sauted veggies. Have fun with it and be creative. 

Stay tuned for future "Basic" posts!

Love,

K

      

Mangia, mangia! Basil, Sun Dried Tomato Quinoa Salad

"Mangia, mangia!" My grandfather used to say that before almost every meal.  In Italian, it means, eat eat! He was the cook and baker in our family. He would make wonderful meals for us all, fresh baked breads, pasta, pizza, anything Italian.  Everyone loved him because of his warm heart, his ability to make you laugh and of course, for his delicious food.  This meal reminds me of him because of the aromas and flavors and how with every bite you say, "yummmm!"  The combo of fresh basil, sun dried tomatoes, garlic and extra virgin olive oil is intoxicating!  I added some roasted corn and edamame to the mix with the protein packed, super food, quinoa. It's an easy summer meal which can be enjoyed either warm, room temp or cold. 

Weekly, I try to get to a farmer's market to pick up local, fresh ingredients. I came across bunches of fragrant basil and couldn't resist.  It's a great herb to have on hand and instantly adds freshness to any meal. That's why I love fresh herbs so much! You can jazz up a frozen meal by adding fresh herbs, or add in a salad, soup, vegetables, anything really.  When I'm asked what to add to spruce up a meal, it's fresh herbs!  Basil has become a mainstream ingredient because of it's flavor, aroma and freshness. Just remember it's best to add fresh herbs at the end of the cooking process, right before serving. Dried herbs should be used in the beginning to release their oils and flavor. Fresh herbs already have them, since they're fresh!

I find that herbs taste the best when picked from the plant itself.  Basil is very easy to grow. All it needs is plenty of sunshine and warm weather.  Make sure to plant seeds after the last frost of spring. Basil loves to be in the sun, no shade required.  Make sure it is planted in soil that drains well. It grows well in pots on balconies, just don't forget to water often if your balcony gets a lot of wind. You want to keep the soil moist at all times, do not let it get too dry. Pruning basil is super easy, just pinch off the flowers once they form so that the stem will keep growing and producing. Pick the leaves off when you need them.

Side note about soaking quinoa.  It's best to eat quinoa after it's been soaked overnight.  Here's why. Soaking beans, nuts and grains is important for digestion and it also has been shown to increase the nutrients.  When grains are cooked without being soaked first, you are also eating the phytic acid which is still present.  Phytic acid prevents the body from fully absorbing the nutrients. The non-neutralized phytic acid can actually steal the nutrients from the other foods you've eaten by binding to minerals in the digestion tract, preventing their absorption into the body. Soaking the grains, beans and nuts over night or for 8 hours, releases the phytic acid and could also make them more alkaline to eat. Win win! If I have my plan for dinner set before I go to work I'll soak my beans, nuts or grains before I leave. Then drain and rinse them before cooking or eating. Your body will be able to properly digest and absorb all the goodies and your tummy will thank you.

Basil, Sun Dried Tomato, Quinoa Salad

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups of Quinoa 

4 cups of water

2-3 ears of corn

1 bunch of basil (you can use all or half, I'll let you decide)

1 ½ cups of sun dried tomatoes chopped

1 cup of edamame 

1 leek sliced thinly

2-3 cloves of garlic minced

1 tbsp of Extra virgin olive oil (organic cold pressed is best)

1 tsp of Red pepper chili flakes (or more if you like a kick!)

Sea salt

1. Soak quinoa overnight. Drain and rinse quinoa.  Heat 4 cups of water to a boil, then add the quinoa. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes testing the quinoa around the 8th minute.  The quinoa should have a little bite to it, al dente.  If there is water left over, drain and set the quinoa aside for now.

2. While the quinoa is cooking, roast the ears of corn under the broiler of your oven (if you are so unfortunate to not have a gas stove like me) or you can roast the corn on a burner making sure to turn often, or you could grill the corn, or you could use a grill pan. Lots of options, just make sure to get a little caramelization on the kernels.  Slice off the kernels in a large bowl.

3. Chop off the top stems/leaves of the leek, we only need the "shaft." Slice off the roots. Then cut the leek in half lengthwise, then slice each half into thin half moons. You will notice a lot of dirt and sand. Grab a bowl and fill with water. Place your sliced leaks in the bowl and swish around. Then set aside for a few minutes.  The dirt and grit will sink to the bottom leaving your yummy sliced leeks clean! Ladle out the leeks being careful not to pick up any of the debris. Then drain on a paper towel. That's how you prepare leeks! (It's a lot easier then how it sounds.)

4. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat.  Add the leeks until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Then add the sun dried tomatoes, edamame, corn and garlic and stir until heated through, another 2-3 minutes. Add cooked quinoa and stir to combine.  When everything is heated through (perhaps another 2-3 minutes) empty the mixture into the large bowl.  Then add the vinaigrette below.  At the very end, add the fresh chopped basil leaves, as much or a little as you like. 

Vinaigrette 

Makes enough for the serving of salad above.  You might have more or less depending on how much dressing you want. It's up to you.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp of Extra virgin olive oil (organic cold pressed is best)

1 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar 

1 clove of garlic microplaned 

1 tbsp of lemon juice

1 tsp of Honey 

1/8-1/4 tsp of Dijon mustard

Sea salt

Pepper

1. Pour all ingredients in a jar and shake like crazy.  Season with sea salt and freshly ground peppercorns to taste. 

2. Add to quinoa salad a little at a time, mixing, then tasting.  Add as much or as little as you like.  You might have a little bit left over.  Use it on your salad the next day!

I am so pleased with the savory sweet flavors of this quinoa salad. I've added a splash of balsamic vinegar before to give another dimension but it's not necessary. Give it a try if you're feeling bold!  Eat when hot, warm, room temperature or cold, I don't really care, just eat it!

Enjoy and mangia, mangia!

xoxo,

K