optional – a very small handful of spinach (Recommended if you have difficulty getting your veggies in. This will change the color of your smoothie bowl, but shouldn’t affect the taste too much. You may also be interested in a powdered greens supplement.)
Toppings:
1 banana, sliced
1/3 cup of your favorite berries
1 Tbsp flax seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, or oats
Directions:
Blend together the frozen fruit, non-dairy milk, protein, seeds, and spinach until smooth.
Won the “Most Creative” category at a Chili Cook-Off!
Remember: you can alter this to your preferences! I left out the kale last time I made it because I didn’t have any and it was still great. I added carrots instead and threw them in about 20 min after the sweet potatoes
Ingredients:
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 1/2 inch cubes)
1 (28 oz) can of ground, crushed, or peeled tomatoes (get crushed if you don’t like stewed, cooked tomatoes; no need to drain)
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional for spice lovers)
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp of cayenne (optional for spice lovers)
1 (15.5 oz) can kidney beans, drained
1 bunch of kale, stems removed
Directions:
Place olive oil, garlic and diced onion on low in a crockpot.
Cut up the sweet potatoes.
Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes, quinoa, water, jalapeno pepper (if desired), and all the spices to the crockpot.
Rip or cut kale leaves to bite sized pieces.
Stir occasionally.
Once the quinoa grains have opened, add kidney beans and kale.
Stir occasionally.
Ready to serve when the sweet potatoes are soft (approx. 8 hours).
Serve warm and enjoy!
This recipe is a good one to meal prep! Cooled chili can be separated into freezable Tupperware containers and kept frozen until they are ready to be eaten.
For this, and almost all recipes, I recommend leaving the peel on and just washing all veggies well. The peel contains a lot of the nutrients, and we wouldn’t want to waste all that goodness by throwing it out!
I also usually add stems, but didn’t include them in this recipe because some don’t like the texture. If you’re like me, I recommend cutting into 1/2 inch pieces.
Some other ideas include serving the quinoa salad over a bed of fresh greens. The Mexican Quinoa Salad always pairs well with some salsa and slices of avocado.
One of my favorite ways to eat these salads, is wrapped in a tortilla, served cold, with some fresh greens. This is a really good way to grab lunch or dinner on the go! The Mexican Wrap is delicious with avocado slices and fresh salsa (the less liquid in the salsa the better). The Mediterranean Wrap is very yummy with a tablespoon or two of hummus spread on the tortilla.
Most tortillas are vegan, but always check the label to see if it contains milk, eggs, honey, or other non-vegan ingredients. For help identifying non-vegan ingredients, check out my post on Vegan Apps on iTunes!
Put dry quinoa and stock, or water and spices, in large saucepan over high heat.
Reduce heat to simmer when the pot is boiling and cover.
Let quinoa cook for a total of approximately 15 minutes, or until all kernels are open and fluffy. Stirring is not necessary or recommended. Best results come when the lid is left on during the whole cooking process.
Once quinoa is thoroughly cooked, move it to a bowl. Refrigerate to cool if desired to serve salad cold.
While the quinoa is cooking and cooling, prepare remaining ingredients.
Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
Add quinoa to the large bowl and mix well.
Serve cool or warm and enjoy!
Option to top each serving with sliced avocado and a whole, fresh cilantro leaf.
2 cups vegetable stock (could substitute water, but stock is much more flavorful; low-sodium stock highly recommended)
1/8 cup fresh parsley, chopped or 1/2 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 cup red onion (about 1/4 of a larger onion), chopped
1/2 can chickpeas, drained
1 med cucumber with the seeds removed, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
juice of 1/2 lemon (roughly 1 1/2 Tbsps)
juice of 1/4 lime (roughly 1/2 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup kalamata, green, or black olives (optional –Â depending on your taste), halved
Directions:
Put dry quinoa and stock in large sauce pan over high heat.
Reduce heat to medium-low when the pot is boiling and cover.
Let quinoa cook for a total of approximately 15 minutes, or until all kernels are open and fluffy. Stirring is not necessary or recommended. Best results come when the lid is left on during the whole cooking process.
Once quinoa is thoroughly cooked, move it to a bowl and refrigerate to cool.
While the quinoa is cooking and cooling, prepare remaining ingredients, and mix in a bowl.
When quinoa has cooled, combine quinoa with remaining ingredients and mix well.
Serve cool and enjoy!
It is the season for barbecues, picnics, and grad parties. I highly recommend doubling this recipe to bring to these events! It is definitely a real crowd pleaser. Also, quinoa and chickpeas have a good amount of protein for you, so it’s definitely a good thing to bring with you to picnics to be sure there is a vegan option for you that has a substantial amount of protein.
I like to take a bit of it with me as my lunch, or serve a few scoops on the side of dinner!
Vegan Living by Danielle 