Lemon Scented Quinoa. - Vegan.



Lemon Scented Quinoa - Vegan
photo by Martha Stroud-Merry

This is my knock-off version of the Lemon Scented Quinoa salad that I ate today at the Wheatsville Co-Op Deli on Guadalupe Ave. in Austin, TX.  Don't let quinoa (KEEN-wa) scare you.  If you can make oatmeal, couscous, or Stove Top Stuffing, you can definitely make quinoa. 

How to Cook Quinoa

Step 1:  Start off by soaking your quinoa.  You can soak for an hour or more without a negative impact but 15 minutes will do the trick.  After soaking, rinse for two or three minutes in a fine metal mesh strainer.   If you don't have a colander that is fine enough, you can line your regular colander with cheesecloth or paper towels to get the job done. 

Step 2:  Add one part quinoa to one and a quarter parts liquid.  As always, choose the liquid that best suits the dish you are making.  Bring to a simmer and then reduce to low.  Cover and cook for between 30 and 35 minutes.   Remove from heat and let sit covered for an additional five minutes. Fluff and serve. 

Lemon Scented Quinoa - Vegan
serves 4

1/2 c. garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 red onion, diced
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 c. tahini
juice of 1 large lemon
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 t. fresh lemon zest
*water
*cooked white quinoa
1/2 t. salt, or to taste

Prep:  Measure 1 cup uncooked white quinoa, soak and rinse as detailed above.  Add to saucepan with 1-1/4 cups water and cook according to directions above.  

Mix tahini, lemon, and garlic in a small bowl or measuring cup.  Add water and whisk with a fork until your sauce is the consistency of a nice smooth "gravy."  Combine cooked quinoa, sauce, and the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well with a rubber spatula.   This is even better the second day when the flavors have had a chance to marry.  Enjoy!

Eggless Salad. - Vegan.



Eggless Salad - Vegan
photo by Martha Stroud-Merry

Working with tofu is currently outside of my kitchen comfort zone. So, I'm proud that I experimented and tried this mock egg salad recipe.  It's really good!  My kids even ate it. My favorite way to eat it is on Mary's Gone Herb Crackers.  I like the crunch of the cracker with the texture of this recipe.

I looked up several recipes on the internet and came up with this based on the flavors and textures I like in an egg salad.  Enjoy.

Eggless Salad

14 oz. extra firm tofu
2-3 stalks celery, diced
1-1/4 T. nutritional yeast
1 T. yellow mustard
1/4 c. Nayonaise
3 T. sugar free sweet pickle relish
1/2 t. tumeric
1/2 t. mild curry powder
1/4 t. fresh minced garlic
1/2 t. onion powder
*sea salt and black pepper to taste

Press tofu for at least 20 minutes.  Crumble tofu into a large mixing bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.  Let it stand for a few minutes--this allows the flavors to merge and also enhances the yellow coloring.  Stir again.  Taste, adjsuting ingredients to your taste. 

(Substitutions/modifications:  Dill relish instead of sweet, 1 T. low sodium soy sauce, dijon mustard instead of yellow mustard, minced fresh onion instead of onion powder.  What else?  If you find any great combos let me know!)

Oil-Free Tomato-Basil Salad Dressing. - Vegan.

Oil-Free Tomato-Basil Salad Dressing - Vegan
photo by Martha Stroud-Merry

I'm always on the lookout for good homemade oil-free salad dressings.  This one is outstanding.  So fresh and delicious!  Enjoy.

Oil-Free Tomato-Basil Salad Dressing

3-4 small roma tomatoes, cored and halved
1 small regular tomato, cored and quartered
1/2 large red bell pepper, cut into large chunks
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/3 c. sundried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
8-10 fresh basil leaves
juice of 1 lemon
dash of sea salt
*1 cup water

Blend first 7 ingredients and half of the water in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Add more water until you attain the desired consistency.  Refrigerate unused portions.  Make about 3 cups.

Turkish Garbanzo Bean Salad. - Vegan.

Turkish Garbanzo Bean Salad - Vegan
photo by Martha Stroud-Merry

Just last week I discovered Wheatsville Food Co-Op in Austin, TX.  I had seen it for several years and wondered what it was, but never took the time to investigate.  I had some time between the art classes I'm taking at Laguna Gloria Art School, so I decided to check it out. 

What a serendipitous time to visit Wheatsville , now that I'm experimenting with eating an all plant/vegan diet.  I LOVE this grocery store!  In addition to natural and organic groceries and bulk items (including weird ingredients that I see in vegan recipes but had no idea where to buy them), they have a fabulous deli.  I sampled some of their salads, this garbanzo bean salad being one of them.  It's my new favorite.  I looked up the recipe online and found several sources.  The flavors remind me of the Chicken Mirabella recipe in the Silver Palate Cook Book.

I'm not a die hard "measure-er" with recipes like this, and use my own palate to guide me on amounts.  If you don't buy dried garbanzo beans to soak and use, you really should start.  It's dirt cheap and super easy.  They taste better too.  Use the overnight method described on the back of the package.

For those of you that adhere strictly to recipes, here you go.  My kids even love this stuff!  Enjoy.

Turkish Garbanzo Bean Salad - Vegan

2 cups garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, minced
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. kalamata olive brine from olive jar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. Dijon Mustard
1/2 t. each:  marjoram, oregano, paprika
1 t. sea salt
black pepper to taste

Mix together all ingredients and serve or refrigerate.  This salad tastes best the next day, after all the flavors have had a chance to seep into the beans. 

(Note:  I just made a second batch of this because my kids have already eaten 1/2 of the first batch.  I didn't have enough dried apricots so I threw in some dried currants.  Don't ever be afraid to improvise and modify.  If you do so with anything I post here, please share so I can try it too!!!)

Curry Pumpkin Lentil Soup. - Vegan.

Curry Pumpkin Lentil Soup - Vegan
photo by Martha Stroud-Merry

This is fat free and delicious.  Every single one of my family members said upon tasting, "...tastes like Christmas."  The spice combination definitely evoked this response.  I adapted this recipe from thehappyherbivore.com.  Warm, earthy, healthy, and filling.  Enjoy!

Curry Pumpkin Lentil Soup

1 whole sweet onion, diced
2 whole garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 cups dried lentils, rinsed
1 large box (32 oz.) vegetable broth
1 whole apple, peeled and diced
1 can (15 oz.) pure pumpkin
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt, to taste

Line a medium pot with a thin layer of water. Add onions and cook over med-high heat for 2 minutes. Add garlic, then continue to cook until onions are translucent and all of the water has been absorbed. Add broth, lentils and apple and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook until lentils are orange and soft, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in pumpkin and spices. Reduce heat to low and cook another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste.

Breakfast Cookies. - Vegan.

Breakfast Cookies - Vegan
photo by Martha Stroud-Merry

I bumped into a friend yesterday who also loves healthy food and I told her, "I saw the documentary Forks Over Knives, and I'm now eating an all plant diet."  To which she replied, "Me too! And I thought of you because I found this FABULOUS recipe for a breakfast cookie that is TO DIE FOR."  I got the recipe from her this morning and made them immediately.  I added a couple of things like walnuts and golden raisins, which just proves that you can customize this to your taste.   The grated orange rind just sends these over the top.  These cookies are indeed to die for, but are very healthy.  Therefore we won't die young, we will live long and prosper.  Enjoy!

Vegan Breakfast Cookies

2 mashed bananas

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (one of those individual sized serving cups)
1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg
grated fresh orange rind (to taste)
2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup mix of golden and regular raisins
1/3 cup walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine ingredients and press into cookie sized rounds on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 9 minutes.  Remove cookies to cooling rack.