Monthly Archives: December 2011

Fat Free Smoky ‘Cheeze’ Spread

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I’ve been wanting to make this for a while now so yesterday I finally did it! SO glad I did because this is really good! I ordered a pound of lima beans from NutsOnline.com just for this recipe, in addition to my regular order (love that site!). I sent a container of this spread to work with my hubby for his veggies sandwiches, he loves it! I toasted a piece of Ezekiel bread, spread this over it, topped with leftover Chipotle corn salsa and broiled for a few minutes. YUMMY!

Fat Free Smoky 'Cheeze

I made the beans in my pressure cooker after soaking them overnight – a definite learning curve because the manual didn’t say how long to cook them so my first batch was pulverized! My daughter likes to snack on lima beans, so I learned today when I threw some in a cup for her snack, just to see what she would do. Yay for new healthy toddler snacks!!

This recipe is from Melomeals, my favorite food blogger!(as I’m sure you know by now!)

Fat Free Smoky Cheese Spread

  • 2 cups (preferably warm) large lima beans
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 small red or orange pepper – I used a Habanero pepper and removed the seeds
  • 1 cup sauerkraut, drained of liquid (reserve liquid)
  • 2-4 tablespoons light miso – I used about 2 1/2 Tbsp
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon chipotle powder
  • pinch nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 2-4 tablespoons brine from green olives (or sauerkraut liquid) as needed to thin mixture – I used about 3 Tbsp
  • Salt/pepper to taste
  1. In a food processor, process garlic first, then add the pepper.
  2. Puree completely, then add the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Let mixture sit for an hour or so, then taste and adjust seasonings.

Yummy!

Spread this on toasted Ezekiel bread, topped with leftover corn salsa from Chipotle and broiled. YUMMY!

Kale Salad with Maple Lemon Dressing

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This dressing is so good! You can add this to steamed veggies, potatoes and sandwiches, it’s so delicious! I found the dressing recipe on the Forks Over Knives website – I included my changes too, it was a little too sharp tasting so I added some Stevia and extra lemon. I decided to mix it with cranberries, oranges and almonds and it turned out great! The orange juice in this salad makes it even better! My toddler loves this salad! I add lima beans to her salad if I’m serving it as a meal, she loves them!

Kale Salad with Maple Lemon Dressing

Kale Salad with Maple Lemon Dressing*

(Salad)

1 bunch of kale, stems removed and chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces – I used green kale this time but any kind is good!

Dried cranberries, about 1/3 cup

Slivered almonds, about 1/3 cup

2 oranges – wedges removed (see pics for instructions) and juice reserved for salad

(Dressing)

Zest and juice of 2 lemons – I added 1 more juice and zest but try it with 2 first

1 (15-oz.) can white beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup stone-ground mustard

3 Tbsp Braggs Amino Acids (or wheat-free tamari or low-sodium soy sauce)

2 Tbsp. 100% pure maple syrup

1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1/2 cup water

1/8 tsp Stevia or to taste

1. Place all dressing ingredients into blender (I use my Vitamix) and blend until smooth.

2. Chop or tear clean kale into salad bowl, add cranberries, almonds and orange segments (see pics) – top with dressing and massage with hands or toss with tongs

This salad (and dressing to top other goodies!) will keep in the fridge for a few days.

Dressing

Blend ingredients in blender (Vitamix works great!)

Wash, spin or towel dry kale, chop

Cut the top and bottom off the orange(s)

Cut off the peel and pith with a sharp knife in a curved motion against the orange

Ready to cut segments! (P.S. You can cut ANY fruit like this!)

Remove segments with a knife, add to salad. Squeeze orange into salad after all segments are removed

Add cranberries and almonds with dressing, toss with tongs or hands

Toss

Yummy!

Scallion Flatbread

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I made these with our Easy Red Lentils tonight and they were really good AND easy to make!

Scallion Flatbread

This is a Melomeals recipe (as you know by now one of my favorite food blogs!), I found it on the WholeSoy Yogurt website.

Ingredients

  • 2 c. flour (plus extra for kneading and rolling dough) – I used bread flour since I have a ton of it from Costco
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 1/4 t. baking soda
  • 1/2 t. cumin seeds
  • 1/4 c. plain WholeSoy yogurt
  • 1/3 c. water
  • 1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 Tbs. olive oil
  • ¼ c. scallions

Directions

In a mixing bowl add the flour, salt , soda and cumin; whisk well. Make a well in the dry mixture and add the rest of the ingredients. Knead dough for several minutes. Let dough rest for 30 minutes.

Divide into 8 pieces, roll them into desired shapes adding more flour if needed.

Heat a cast iron skillet to medium, brush with oil and cook for 5 minutes on the first side, flip and cook for 1-2 minutes more.

Served these with Easy Red Lentils

Easy Red Lentils with Scallion Flatbread

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There’s a theme here lately… easy! I have a few recipes waiting for me to make them but I haven’t had much time lately so I’ve been powering through my SUPER easy recipes first! I’ve made this one several times, it’s really good and pretty basic. My toddler loves these lentils and so does my hubby. You can find the Scallion Flatbread recipe here.

Easy Red Lentils with Scallion Flatbread

  • Lentils (Dal)
    • 1 cup red lentils, picked through for stones
    • 2 cups water
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
    • 1 (1/2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced
    • 2 medium tomatoes, diced
    • 1 serrano chile, sliced in 1/2, optional (I omitted to make it toddler friendly)
  • Tempering oil (bagaar)
    • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
    • Generous 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon paprika or bafaat powder (I’ve used both, bafaat powder is pretty good with it!)
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • Handful chopped fresh cilantro leaves
    • INSTRUCTIONS
        1. Put the lentils in a strainer and rinse them under running water. Add them to a bowl, cover with water and let soak for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
        2. In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups of water, the onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, chile (if using) and the lentils. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim any scum from the surface. DO NOT ADD SALT YET; it will toughen the lentils, thereby lengthening their cooking time. Lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid and gently simmer until the lentils are tender, almost translucent, and almost falling apart, about 30 to 40 minutes.
        3. Whisk the lentils, releasing its natural starch, and mash some of them so the mixture becomes thick. Add salt, to taste.
        4. Tempering oil (bagaar): In a small bowl, combine the cumin and mustard seeds. In another bowl, combine the spice powders. Have all the ingredients ready because this will move very fast!
        5. In a small skillet, over a medium-high flame, warm 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add seeds and immediately cover so you don’t get covered in spluttering oil and seeds! Add the spices. They should sizzle and bubble a little – that’s the blooming and it’s exactly what you want. Don’t let them burn. The mixture should bloom for about 30 seconds, no more.
        6. Pour the oil mixture into the lentils, standing back so you don’t get hurt when the mixture splutters again. Stir to combine. Transfer the lentils to a serving dish and garnish with cilantro.

Per Serving: Calories: 237; Fat: 5 grams (Saturated Fat: 0 grams); Protein: 14g; Carbohydrates: 35g; Sugar: 4g; Fiber: 9g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 23mg

Easy Curried Lentils & Spaghetti Squash

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Things have been so hectic lately… my 4 month old has been up most of the past 5 or so nights and I’m so tired! He’s usually such a great sleeper, these sleep hiccups are tough but I know they usually don’t last long so I’m hopeful. My cooking slacks when I’m super tired so I’ve been making a few of my favorite easy dishes, this is one of them. My toddler likes this a lot and its easy for her to get on her fork so that makes her happy!

Easy Curried Lentils & Spaghetti Squash

This recipe is from Melomeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day and it’s really good… not to mention easy to make!

Spicy Lentils and Spaghetti Squash
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder – I used Kashmiri Curry powder from World Spice Merchant
  • 1 onion, diced
  • ½ poblano pepper (or green pepper), diced
  • Heaping ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • Crushed red pepper flakes to taste – (I omitted this in the main dish so my toddler would eat it)
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 5 big cloves garlic
  • 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
  • Tony’s creole seasoning to taste – I used my creole seasoning from World Spice Merchant
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup salsa 
  • 2 cups cooked spaghetti squash (I used the boil method – drop whole squash into boiling water and cook for 20-30 minutes or until skin is easily pierced with a fork)
  • 1 cup cooked lentils
  • Juice of 1 lemon – used a Meyer lemon from my CSA 
  • ½ cup cilantro
  • Siracha to taste
  1. Saute the spices, onion, garlic, ginger, veggies and creole seasoning for several minutes.
  2. Add water, salsa, squash and lentils.
  3. Cover and cook over medium hi heat for 15 minutes
  4. Finish with juice of 1 lemon, siracha, cilantro and season with salt/pepper to taste
  5. ENJOY! serves 2

Saute onion, garlic, ginger, veggies and creole seasoning

Add water, salsa, squash and lentils

I served it with roasted sweet potatoes, delish!