Ensalada Azteca
I found this recipe in The China Study Cookbook, by LeAnne Campbell, PhD, and it was perfect for my summer salad series gathering on my back porch, where we enjoy a great conversation about health. I substituted peaches for the mangos, and I used maple syrup instead of agave for the dressing. Delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 -15 ounce cans of beans, drained & rinsed (I used kidney and black beans)
- 2 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 green, red, or orange pepper, diced
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 2 cups frozen corn thawed, or fresh off the cob
- 1/2 cup mangoes (I used fresh peaches from the local farm)
- 1 jalapeno, finely diced (optional)
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I used 1 tablespoon dried cilantro)
DRESSING
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 cup mangoes, diced (I used the peaches)
- 1/4 cup agave (I used maple syrup)
- 1/2 tsp grated ginger (optional)
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Combine beans, rice or quinoa, onion, pepper, tomato, avocado, corn, mangoes or peaches, jalapeno, and cilantro in a large salad bowl.
In a food processor, place the dressing ingredients: vinegar, lime juice, mangoes or peaches, agave or maple syrup, and ginger. Process until smooth.
Pour dressing over the salad, toss gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bean Burger
Batch cooking bean burgers is a great way of having a quick meal from the freezer. Pictured is my burger on a Dave's Killer Bread bun, with lettuce, tomato and mustard. Sometimes I use the Seedtastic bread from Aldi's or a whole wheat pita.
The key to making the burger is getting it to a consistency like ground meat so that it does not fall apart after baking. You can use any type of beans and seasonings that you like. If adding vegetables, which I recommend, use a low water vegetable like kale or broccoli. Spinach or Swiss chard will make it watery. The more veggies you put, the more of a powerhouse of a burger!
Having a food processor for pulsing the beans and vegetables is a bonus and makes the prep quicker and easier.
Ingredients:
2 cans beans drained (I like a combo of pinto, black or garbanzo)
1 bunch kale or broccoli
1 small carton mushrooms (optional)
1 small onion
3-4 cloves of garlic
2 cups cooked rice or quinoa, cooled
1-1/2 cups oat flour, chickpea flour or corn meal (or combo, or sub oatmeal)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Spices: salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric
Instructions:
Pulse beans in food processor or smash with potato masher and place in large bowl. Pulse or chop all vegetables. Add remaining ingredients and knead together with your hands. Start adding the flour until you get a firm consistency. Place bowl in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. This makes your mixture easier to handle. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scoop out mixture using a 1/2 or 2/3 cup measuring cup, depending on how big you want your burger. Form burger and place on a large, parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes, flip burgers over, bake additional 10-15 minutes. Once cooled, individually wrap in wax paper and freeze. This recipe should make around 12 burgers.
Ratatouille
This is a summer staple in our house. The abundance of zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant makes this dish a nutrient dense powerhouse. I prefer the small eggplant as it is more tender. If you don't like eggplant, just use zucchini and yellow squash.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 medium potatoes, sliced very thinly
- 1 zucchini, cubed
- 1 yellow squash or eggplant, cubed
- 2 fresh tomatoes or 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1-1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup fresh basil and oregano (or more if you like)
- salt & pepper
Instructions
Sauté onions in a hot stainless pan, stirring until a bit browned. Add the garlic and stir. Add the thinly sliced potatoes and 1 cup vegetable broth. Add salt to taste. Let simmer on medium until the potatoes are almost tender. Add the tomatoes and vegetables, salt and pepper. Simmer on low until vegetables are tender (you don't want them mushy). Add your fresh herbs. If using dried herbs, use about a teaspoon of each and add them with the tomatoes. This tastes even better the next day!. Serves 6
Just because you give up dairy, doesn't mean you give up your favorite dressing. This is easy to make and while the cashews make it creamy, they are optional if wanting a lower fat version. Recipe by Chef Del Sroufe
1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for about 1/2 hour
3/4 cup firm silken tofu
2 tsp lemon juice
2 (or less) cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 Tbsp fresh minced dill (or 2 tsp dried)
1 Tbsp fresh mince parsley
1 Tbsp fresh chives (or 1-1/2 tsp dried)
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Quinoa & Orzo Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 can chickpeas (drain and reserve the liquid)
- 2 medium cucumbers, diced
- small container of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 2 scallions, sliced thin
- 2-3 ribs celery, sliced
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Honey Lime Dressing
- 1 cup of the chickpea liquid (aka "aqua faba")
- 1/3 cup white or regular balsamic vinegar
- juice from 1/2 lime
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
Instructions
Cook the orzo and quinoa (separately) and let cool. You might want to drizzle a bit of olive oil on the orzo pasta while it is cooling so that it doesn't stick together. Slice all of the vegetables and add the orzo, quinoa, and chickpeas to a large bowl with the veggies. If you have a stick blender, blend together the dressing ingredients, or whisk until foamy. At this point you can add salt and pepper to taste and herbs of your choice. I like to add marjoram and thyme. Stir in the dressing and top with the fresh parsley!
