Black Bean & Corn Quinoa

This is very healthy, easy to make and delicious! My husband and toddler LOVED it! You could eat this dish with a ton of things, we had it with wheat tortillas, shredded carrots, cilantro and leftover TVP Taco “Meat” and a side of Garlic Yu Choy.

Black Bean & Corn Quinoa

I found this recipe on a new food blog I’ve been checking out – Healthy Mammas. I made their Creamy Dreamy Superfood Pudding a few days ago and that was really good!

Black Bean & Corn Quinoa

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6)

  • 1/2 onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 2 cups organic veggie broth (plus a bit more for sauteing your onions and garlic)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional – I used 1/8 tsp)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 (15oz) can black beans drained and rinsed
  • Optional (Throw in a can of drained diced tomatoes – OR serve with some fresh salsa) – I added one can of Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic… YUM!
  • Chopped cilantro, to top (optional but good!)

Instructions

  • Saute onion and garlic in a few tablespoons of veggie broth over medium heat until soft and almost translucent.
  • Add the garlic when the onions are about 1/2 done…you may need to add a little more broth as they cook to keep them moist and keep them from sticking.
  • Mix in quinoa and cover with 2 cups veggie broth.
  • Season with spices and salt & pepper.
  • Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until most of the liquid is gone…about 10 to 15min.
  • Stir in corn, black beans and diced tomatoes – continue to cook on low heat for about 5 more minutes until all liquid is absorbed and everything is heated through. (add a little extra veggie broth if needed)
  • Taste and season with additional sea salt if needed.
  • Enjoy!

Saute onions & garlic in broth

Add quinoa, broth & spices

Add corn & black beans

Add tomatoes (if using)

I used these, they're yummy!

Red Lentil Thai Chili

I served this chili (and the Spicy Broccoli Cheeze Soup) at a party yesterday and it was a total hit, some people asked for leftovers to-go! It was even better today when I had it for lunch and dinner. It’s such a unique tasting chili, I really love the curry paste mixed with the sweet potatoes and lime.

This recipe is from one of my favorite vegan food blogs – Post Punk Kitchen. I doubled this recipe and skipped a few steps because I thought it would fit in my crock pot but it didn’t! My hubby had to run to the fire station to borrow a bigger pot.

Water or broth for sautéing
1 large yellow onion, diced medium
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced medium
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes cut into ¾ inch chunks
1 cup red lentils
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups vegetable broth
2 15 oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 15 oz can low-fat coconut milk
28 oz can diced tomatoes
½ cup fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
Limes for garnish (optional but VERY GOOD WITH IT!)

Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Saute onions and pepper for 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute more.

Add chili powder, sweet potatoes, lentils, salt and vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. When lentils are cooked and sweet potatoes are tender, add the remaining ingredients and heat through.

Taste for salt and seasoning, top with cilantro and lime and serve!

Chipotle Broccoli Quinoa Soup

This tastes like regular broccoli cheese soup with a kick of chipotle but it’s really healthy, easy to make and dairy-free! The creamy hummus and the nutritional yeast give it a cheezy taste and texture. It only takes about 30 minutes to make. My husband LOVES this soup and scarfed down two bowls for dinner tonight.

I used a batch of Chipotle Hummus to flavor this soup per the recipe from Melomeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day.

Here’s her recipe for the soup:

* 1 T olive oil
* 1 onion, diced
* 1/2 red pepper, chopped finely
* 6 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 t dried basil
* Several grates fresh nutmeg
* 1/2 t chipotle powder
* 16 oz frozen broccoli florets (or 1 pound fresh)
* 2 cups of  chipotle hummus
* 4 c water/stock
* Bouillon cube if using water
* 1/2 cup quinoa
* 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
* Salt/pepper to taste
* 1 T umeboshi vinegar (optional, but VERY good)


Method:
– Sauté the onion, pepper, garlic, basil, nutmeg and chipotle powder until the onion is soft.

– Add the broccoli, hummus and stock. Bring to a boil for several minutes.

– Turn heat down to low and add the quinoa. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

– Turn off heat and stir in the nutritional yeast and umeboshi vinegar then season with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Meatless Monday Meatloaf & Gravy

I’ve made a lot of mock-meatloaf in my day and this one is the best! My husband and daughter love this. You can serve this for Meatless Mondays! It’s so easy to make and doesn’t require any fancy ingredients.

I got this off of one of my favorite vegan food blogs – Happy Herbivore. She has a new cookbook out too, I highly recommend it! You can buy her cookbook here.

The brown gravy requires nutritional yeast and whole wheat pastry flour but you can find both in the bulk section of Sprouts. I bet you already have everything else in your fridge… well, maybe minus the Gimme Lean Ground “Beef”. Gimme Lean also makes a sausage style one too – both are fat-free and delicious!

Gimme Lean Ground "Beef" - find it at Sprouts

These are all the ingredients you will need for the meatloaf – plus onion powder and garlic powder.

Here’s the recipe for the Mock Meatloaf:

* 1 package Gimme Lean (Beef-Style)

* 3 Tbsp Ketchup

* 2 Tbsp Yellow Mustard

* 1 small onion, diced

* 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (Trader Joe’s has them for cheap)

* 1/4 non-dairy milk (I use rice, almond or soy depending what I have on hand)

* 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

* 1 Tbsp dry basil

Directions:

* Preheat oven to 350F

* Place a large sheet of foil in a regular bread/loaf pan – enough to make a tent over the top

* Mix all ingredients together well and place meatloaf in pan – smooth out the top and tent the foil over it

* Bake for 45 minutes or until the outside is brown and the inside is firm.

* You can smother the top with extra ketchup if you desire.

** Brown Gravy:

* 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

* 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

* 2 cups vegetable broth – I like to use the Imagine brand “No-Chicken Broth” – Sprouts has it

* 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

* 1 tsp onion powder

* 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

* Whisk nutritional yeast and whole wheat pastry flour in a medium saucepan, toast until fragrant – about 4 minutes

* Whisk in remaining ingredients

* Bring to a boil and allow to thicken as desired – it get’s pretty thick but if you want it thicker dissolve 1 Tbsp cornstarch in 2 Tbsp water and add it in

* Add salt and pepper to taste

Toast nutritional yeast and whole wheat pastry flour

Gravy... yum!!

This gravy really tastes like the real thing!

Now you are ready to serve and enjoy!

I served it with kale salad… recipe to follow!