Vegetable 'Fried' Quinoa

This is one of those recipes that will make it into the meal rotation consistently. I'm always looking for ways to make my dishes more nutrient dense and this was a great recipe for that giving me protein and fiber. I'm happy to have another great addition to the recipe collection. This was a nice use of quinoa and fantastic!

Another reason I love quinoa so much is it comes out of the fridge the next day as well as it went in. It also tastes just as great warm as it does cold. It's unlike rice that hardens and doesn't reheat very well for my liking. Quinoa is a sure staple in my kitchen.

This dish can go any way you like...add/subtract whatever you want...my favorite kind of cooking. You could up the amount of quinoa to vegetable ratio. Here I have one cup quinoa to about 3 - 4 cups vegetables. You don't have to use all these vegetables either but I highly recommend a good assortment for nutrition, texture and color. I have so many because I love veggies! This is also a great recipe for a 'cleaning out the fridge' meal. Almost everything and anything will be tasty. Try snow peas, broccoli, sweet peas, bean sprouts, baby corn and/or celery for variety. Add in some cubed tofu for added protein. Top with white and/or black sesame seeds for a little extra nutrition.

So easy to make...cook your quinoa, stir fry your vegetables, add in quinoa, stir fry a little longer and done. I guarantee you will love this as much as I do! I can easily eat this to myself given the opportunity.♥

Vegetable 'Fried' Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed 
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
• 1 corn off the cob
• 1 8 oz. package mushrooms, sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced (green and white parts)
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced...red, orange or yellow
• 1/2 cup basil, chopped, optional
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons tamari, Bragg's Liquid Amino's or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• salt & pepper to taste
• Sriracha hot sauce, red pepper flakes or dash of cayenne pepper, to taste

Rinse your quinoa in a fine mesh sieve under cool running water. In medium sauce pan combine quinoa with 1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth, bring to a boil, simmer covered for 15 minutes. Once done remove cover and let set for another 15 minutes to soak up the excess water. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

In wok or large skillet, heat oil over medium high, add vegetables and stir fry for 1 minute or so. Add tamari, garlic powder and other seasonings to taste. Cook for another 3 - 4 minutes stirring occasionally, use a lid if needed to help soften the vegetables a bit. Add in quinoa, turn heat to high, cook another 3 - 5 minutes stirring constantly adding a drizzle of oil if mixture seems too dry.

Serve warm. Top with a little sriracha or tamari if you like.

Notes:

I added a few drops of sriracha while adding the garlic powder and tamari, a little goes a long way. This dish doesn't need a lot of seasoning, I felt that the tamari alone would've been enough.

Feel free to use any assortment of vegetables, and be sure to use as much or as little as you like of each vegetable. Try snow peas, broccoli, sweet peas, bean sprouts and/or celery for variety. I always feel you can almost never have too many vegetables!

Use thawed frozen vegetables of choice for convenience.

Add some extra firm cubed tofu in with the vegetables for added protein. 

Enjoy !

QUICK & EASY CHICKPEA TACOS

I have been eating these tacos on a fairly regular basis. I shared a similar version of this on Instagram and Facebook about seven months ago (my how time flies!). It went over very well, especially on Facebook! I don't know why it took me so long for but I finally decided it was time to put this simple taco here as a valuable veggie resource. They are so quick and easy to pull together. They can be eaten as a snack or a meal. Usually I skip the cabbage and cilantro if I don't have it on hand. I love it simply with chickpeas, mashed avocado and sriracha but for the recipe I decided to add a few extras for your consideration making it a heartier taco. Chickpeas are one of my favorite beans and are about the most versatile bean in existence! They work well here served at room temp so there's no heating involved making your taco preparation speed along. Of course, if you prefer your beans heated, by all means heat them up. These tacos have been a useful creation and a complete meal to boot. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Cheers :)

QUICK & EASY CHICKPEA TACOS

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or 1 can (15oz.), drained and rinsed
• 1/4 head green cabbage, shredded
• avocado, sliced
• cilantro
• corn tortillas, warmed
• sriracha, sambal oelek or your favorite hot sauce
• lime wedges, to serve
• mineral salt

I'll let you do the measuring on most of the ingredients. I usually eat about 3 of these tacos at one sitting...sometimes 5. I will have left over chickpeas and cabbage with both of those amounts. If serving 7 or more tacos, add a bit more chickpeas to your list just to be on the safe side.

Warm your tortillas. I do this carefully on the stove top over an open flame to give it some charring on the edges.

Layer your tacos with chickpeas, cabbage, avocado and cilantro. Top with mineral salt, sriracha and a squeeze of lime. You may also opt to mash some avocado as your first layer and then add the chickpeas, cabbage and cilantro. This will help hold the chickpeas in place a little better.

So quick and easy...enjoy!

I'd love to see your masterpieces!
#thesimpleveganista

TEMPEH CHOW MEIN

This recipe has been on the back burner for a while. I shared a version of this on Instagram back in January of this year and meant to put together a recipe sooner. I find myself getting side tracked often as a food blogger. There are seriously 1000+ recipes that I have in mind and sometimes can't figure which one to do next. All in due time! Fortunately, the time has come and I'm happy to add this to the recipe collection. It's a classic dish and a very welcome addition! It's absolutely delicious and I polished the whole thing off by the end of the day...yes, it was lunch and dinner...no leftovers. ;) You can keep this simple or go all out with a few extra vegetables if you like. If you're not a fan of tempeh, omit it altogether or add some cubed tofu instead. This simple chow mein can be ready for the dinner table in less than 30 minutes for your enjoyment.

For the tempeh, I used this three grain tempeh that is available locally. Tempeh is a great source of protein for the plant based eater. It contains 19 grams of protein per serving (4 oz.) and 13 grams of fiber. It's also an excellent source of manganese, copper, phosphorus and vitamin B2. If you can't find tempeh, this recipe will do just fine without it. For me, I have added the tempeh primarily for protein purposes but I do love the flavor as well. Tofu would work here too, just be sure to use extra firm so it doesn't fall apart while cooking. Or omit the tempeh/tofu altogether and make yourself a nice protein shake or smoothie later. 

The noodles I chose are a Japanese version of Chinese egg noodles, but without the eggs. Chuka soba noodles are great for soups, stir fry’s and cold noodles salads. They cook up fast, about 4 minutes, making things go a little quicker. They shouldn't be confused with the Japanese soba noodles that are tan colored, straight and made from buckwheat flour. Ingredients for the shuka soba noodles are: wheat, water, salt & turmeric. Those looking to go gluten free should use rice noodles or 100% soba noodles. If you're not gluten intolerant feel free to use any thin spaghetti noodles or vegan chow mein noodles. The chuka soba and chow mein noodles can be found in the Asian section of your grocery store, at your local Asian grocery stores or purchased online.

The vegetables here can vary to suit your taste. You can add in bean sprouts, sliced shitake mushrooms, green onions, broccoli florets, etc. Lots of cabbage is a must for me. I could just as well use a whole head of cabbage in this recipe but decided to only call for 1/2 head. Feel free to adjust any of the ingredients to your liking. 

Super easy to put together! Cook your noodles, rinse and set aside.

 Next, start your stir fry by first adding the tempeh, celery, onion and some of the sauce. Cook a few minutes. Then add the carrots and cabbage, cook until everything is softened, add the noodles, remaining sauce and toss well. Continue cooking until noodles are warmed through amd serve.

Once served, I topped with sliced scallions, red pepper flakes and cilantro. I'm a huge fan of these last ingredients but feel free to omit anything you don't care for. Toasted sesame seeds would be a great topper too! 

Tempeh Chow Mein

Ingredients

• 8 oz. package chow mein noodles or thin spaghetti noodles
• 2 (8oz.) packages tempeh
• 1 tablespoon sesame or grapeseed oil
• 1/2 head green cabbage (about 4 cups), shredded
• 1 large celery stalk, sliced diagonally
• 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced diagonally
• 1/2 onion, sliced

Sauce

• 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, optional
• 1- 2 cloves garlic, minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 inch knob of ginger, grated or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• mineral salt and pepper to taste (white pepper would be great here)

If using chuka soba or chow mein noodles, bring a pot of water to a boil, add noodles, reduce heat to medium and cook for 4 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside. If using other noodles, cook as directed on package.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce, set aside.

In a large wok, heat olive oil over medium to medium-high heat, add tempeh, crumbling it between your fingers, onion and celery, cook 1 minute. Add a couple tablespoons of sauce mixture, continue to cook for another 2 -3 minutes. Add in cabbage and carrot, stir to mix, cover and cook another 5 - 7minutes, stirring occasionally until cabbage has shrunk down and softened. Add in noodles and remaining sauce, toss to coat, continue cooking until noodles are warmed through. Add additional tamari or other seasoning to taste.

Serve warm topped with scallions, red pepper flakes and cilantro. Sesame seeds and/or chili sauce would also be great!

Serves four.

Notes:

Feel free to use only one package of tempeh instead of two. The two packages does serve four but one package will still add a fair amount of protein to each serving.

I love the added sweet from the maple syrup using 2 tablespoons. Feel free to use 1 tablespoon instead of 2 and add more vinegar or tamari in its place.

Enjoy!

Asian Rainbow Salad + Spicy Mango Dressing

You may remember a few posts back that I mentioned buying loads of strawberries each week, I shared with you all a Strawberry Chocolate Milkshake.  Not only have I been buying strawberries each week, and freezing most of them, I've also been buying mangoes. We have a local farmer who comes around selling them and I scoop them up as much as I can. Some have been chopped and stored in the freezer along with the strawberries for smoothies, others eaten with a sprinkle of cayenne or as is. I love mangoes with their sweet yellow/orange flesh  and have been wanting to put them to different uses. I've always wanted to try a mango dressing but just never felt like using the food processor, one more thing to have to wash...I'm all about keeping things easy. But sometimes you just have to give and the little extra cleaning was all worth it. This spicy mango dressing with it's beautiful color is the perfect accompaniment to this colorful salad. And, it's a nice mix up to all the peanut dressings that I usually tend to use. Light, bright and refreshing, this colorful salad is another welcome addition to the recipe collection!

Start with your spicy mango dressing. Add ingredients to food processor/blender, process until smooth. Set aside so flavors can develop.

Chop and shred your lettuce and cabbages, add to large bowl.

Add bell peppers, scallions and cilantro, toss and serve! 

Asian Rainbow Salad + Spicy Mango Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 head romaine, sliced
• 1 small head cabbage, or 1/2 head large, sliced
• 1/4 head red cabbage, sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 avocado, sliced, to serve
• black sesame seeds, to serve
• slivered almonds, to serve

Spicy Mango Dressing

• 1 ripe mango, peeled and seed removed
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons water, or more vinegar if you like
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• pinch of pink salt

Start with the mango dressing by adding all ingredients to food processor/blender and blend until smooth. Set aside to let the flavors develop.

Add salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss. Serve in individual dishes, top with diced avocado and spicy mango dressing. Add a sprinkle of black sesame seeds & slivered almonds over top. If eating this as a monster salad, simply enjoy straight from the large bowl! 

Makes one very large salad or four smaller salads.

Notes:

Feel free to add cucumbers, carrots, broccoli....whatever you like.

Add some cubed plain, baked or crispy fried tofu for added protein if you like. 

Enjoy! 

Avocado and Black Bean Tortas

Can I make you a sandwich? A really really yummy sandwich? If you say yes...I will make you this avocado and black bean torta. It is absolutely delicious and I have no doubt that you will love it! This is for anyone and everyone, vegan or not! This fills your protein needs, has lots of fiber and is full of flavor...wonderful flavor, and texture. Now without further ado, let's eat...

Avocado and Black Bean Tortas

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup thinly shredded green cabbage
• 1 large ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
• 2 large radishes, thinly sliced
• red onion, a few thinly sliced pieces
• 1 can (15oz) refried black beans, warmed or at room temp
• 1 or 2 avocados, pitted, peeled and sliced
• sriracha cashew cream or cilantro lime cashew 'sour cream', as spread 
• 3 crusty or soft sandwich rolls, split (I used telera)
• 1 - 2 limes
• hot pepper sauce, as garnish, optional

Prepare your veggies and beans. Slice your bread and remove some of the soft bread from the inside of the top slice, making a slightly hollow area for the sandwich filling (this is optional depending on what your rolls are like, you be the judge, I removed a small amount from mine).

Spread a good amount of the refried black beans over the bottom half of each roll. Top with avocado, radishes, red onion and cabbage. Spread your condiment of choice on the top portion. Squeeze some lime over the bottom portion and cover with the top half of the rolls. Serve immediately, or wrap and pack to go (if you can get out of the door without eating them). Makes three sandwiches.

Notes:

Alternately, you could make this like the original recipe and combine the cabbage, tomato, radish and red onion in a medium sized bowl. Squeeze the lime juice on top and add a teaspoon or so hot sauce of choice mixing well to coat. Layer as above with beans, avocado, veggie mixture and some condiment of choice.

Options for those who are eating gluten free. Turn this recipe into tacos using corn tortillas or use gluten free bread of choice.

I highly recommend getting into the habit of making your own spreads but if you happen to be allergic to nuts or just don't have the time to make your own, you can just as easily use 1/4 - 1/2 cup veganaise and add a little sriracha, about 1 teaspoon at a time, until your desired flavor/heat is reached.

Enjoy to the fullest!

Inspired by this recipe from William Sonoma