Chickpea Pancakes with White Bean and Basil Tapenade

Chickpea Pancakes with White Bean and Basil Tapenade

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This recipe is very easy to prepare and the chickpea pancake is a nice break from the regular cracker or pita that is normally served with bean dips. This would go great as a starter to a Greek or Mexican meal, or on it`s own as a light meal.

Serves 8

1 cup chickpea flour (also called garbanzo bean flour)
5 tbsp olive oil
1 cup canned or cooked cannellini beans or white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp chpped fresh basil
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt, plus additional to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450°
2. Prepare pancake: pour 1 1/3 cups water into a medium bowl. Add flour to bowl slowly, whisking in until smooth. Allow mixture to stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. When hour is complete, stir in 2 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt.
3. Heat a 10 inch cast iron or oven-safe heavy skillet on medium-high. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, pour in vatter and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the edges of the pancake begin to turn golden brown. Do not flip. Place skillet in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, until crisp around edges and light golden brown. Slide pancake onto a cutting board and slice into 8 wedges.
4. Prepare tapenade by placing white beans, remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp water, basil, and garlic in a food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Scrape mixture into a sealable container, and set aside until needed, or dollop directly onto chickpea pancakes and enjoy.

This recipe is from Clean Eating magazine.

Pickled Beet Carpaccio

Pickled Beet Carpaccio

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This is a truly elegant dish. The combination of the pickled beets with the spiced honey makes for tart yet earthly sweet melange.
Beets are great liver cleansers and are very high in iron, making them a great blood building food. Combining this dish with some steamed greens or a summer salad will keep your body cleansed and energetic.
Having a mandolin is a major bonus for this recipe, as the beets are best when cut very thin.

1 cup rice vinegar
1 star anise
4 pods cardamom
1 stick cinnamon
2 tbsp organic evaporated cane juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
10 oz beets, thinly sliced (I highly recommend using a mandolin for this step as the beets are better the thinner they are sliced)
2 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp plain Greek style yogurt, optional
Fresh mint, optional

Italian honey
3 oz honey
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme

1. Prepare pickled beets by combining vinegar, spices, cane juice, salt, and beets. Cover and marinade at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, prepare Italian honey by combining honey, salt, and herbs in a bowl. Set aside.
3. To serve, drain marinade from beets. Spoon one tablespoon of the Italian honey and toss very gently to mix. Plate the beets onto a platter, drizzle with remaining honey and garnish with optional yogurt and mint if desired.

This recipe comes from the magazine Clean Eating.

Cashew Pudding with Rhubarb compote

Cashew Pudding with Rhubarb compote

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This recipe is an all time favorite during rhubarb season. The nutty sweetness of the cashews blends deliciously with the tartness of the rhubarb. Serve for Tuesday night dinner or at a dinner party to guests, everyone will be licking their bowls.

Serves 6

The Pudding
1 cup cashews
3 cups boiling water
6 tbsp arrowroot powder
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp vanilla

Rhubarb compote
4 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup honey

1. Grind the cashews in the blender. Add the boiling water until creamy. This makes about 3 1/2 cups of cashew milk.
2. Pour 1 cup of cashew milk into a boil and mix in the arrowroot powder until it is quite smooth.
3. Pour this mixture and the rest of the cashew milk into a saucepan. Add the honey and vanilla.
4. Heat over low to medium heat until thickened, stirring all the while so it doesn’t boil.
5. Pour into individual serving dishes, the pudding will continue to thicken as it cools.
6. To make the compote, put the chopped rhubarb and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the rhubarb is quite soft. Keep watching and stirring it as it doesn’t take long to cook. Add the honey and stir to combine.
7. Spoon a bit of compote over each pudding, serve warm or cold and enjoy.

 

Wild Rice Salad with Pecans and Dried Cranberries

Wild Rice Salad with Pecans and Dried Cranberries

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This delicous recipe comes from my mother-in-law Vivian who is an excellent cook.  She excels at finding and executing tasty recipes like this one.  This was passed to her via a friend.

Balsamic-Raspberry Dressing;
3tbsp balsamic vinegar
3tbsp raspberry vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

The Salad:
1 cup wild rice
4 cups water
1 cup pecan halves
1 yellow pepper
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup minced parsley
4 scallions (or onions, or leeks)

1. Blend all ingredients for the dressing with a hand mixer, food processor or blender, until smooth.
2. Place wild rice and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover the rice, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes or until the rice is tender.  Drain the rice and chill it completely for at least one hour.  Place the cooked rice in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and salad dressing and mix well.
4. This is a very carb-rich salad due to the rice.  It works great as a main dish in the summer with veggies on the side, or as a substantial side dish next to a protein and veggies.

A crowd pleaser at parties and potlucks.

Sunny Sunflower Seed Burgers

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Makes 6-8 burgers

1 cup uncooked short grain brown rice
2 cups water
pinch sea salt

2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp Herbamare
1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
small handful of fresh parsley
extra virgin olive oil for cooking

  1. Place rice into a small pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add water and sea salt, cover and bring to a boil. Turn heat to a low simmer and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for at least 20 minutes.
  2. In a food processor, place the sunflower seeds, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, cumin, and Herbamare and process until finely ground. Add the chopped carrots and parsley and pulse a few times. Then add the rice and pulse a few times to combine all of the other ingredients. Be sure not to over process the mixture or it will get very gooey.
  3. Form mixture into patties. Uncooked patties can be sotred in a glass container in between pieces of waxed paper in the refrigerator for up to a week.
  4. When ready to cook, heat a skillet over medium heat and add about one tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Add burger and cook on both sides for 3-5 minutes.
  5. I recommend enjoying these burgers on Ezekiel hamburger buns (available frozen at most health food stores) with your favourite toppings.

Taken from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook 2nd edition by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre

Garlic-Lemon Salmon on Spinach

Garlic-Lemon Salmon on Spinach

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This uber-easy recipe was actually a pod cast from the website by Jerry Seinfeld’s wife Jessica called; www.doitdelicious.com
The recipe is so easy that I watched the video once and remembered the whole thing – well, almost  (and I changed the fish from halibut to salmon).

4 4oz pieces of salmon with skin removed
1 lemon cut into slices
10oz baby spinach (about 3-4 handfuls from bag or box)
1tbsp olive oil
1 1/4tsp salt
1 clove of garlic smashed and cut in half

1. Preheat oven to 450˚.
2. Rub a baking pan thoroughly with the two halves.
3. Toss spinach with olive oil and 1/4tsp of salt, and spread evenly over the pan.
4. Place fish on spinach bed.  Salt each piece of fish with remaining 1tsp of salt.  Place 2-3 slices of lemon on each piece of fish.
5. Place fish in oven for 7-8 minutes, or until the fish is no longer translucent in the middle.

Grilled Vegetable Stacks

Grilled Vegetable Stacks

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You may have noticed that I have a soft spot for many different foods. Roasted vegetables come close to the top of this list. Roasting takes something wonderful like a zucchini and makes it divine, turns garlic into something swoon-worthy, and gathers every last drop of sweetness from a tomato. These vegetable stacks take all that deliciousness and adds two more amazing ingredients; fresh bocconcini and balsamic vinegar. Once you try these little towers of vegetable power, you`ll be singing their praises too.

Serves 8

1 cup pesto sauce (homemade or store bought)
2 japanese eggplants (the thinner ones)
2 red peppers, quartered and seeded
2 yams peeled
2 zucchinis
2 red onions
2 tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup grated mozzarella or sliced fresh bocconcini
1/2 cup (125 ml) goat cheese

8 six inch wooden skewers
8 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/4 cup balsamic crema (this is a creamier reduction of balsamic vinegar mixed with grape juice. You’ll find it in most specialty stores and well stocked grocery stores).

1. Slice eggplants, yams, zucchini, red onions, and tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Brush all vegetables, except tomoatoes, with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
2. Heat barbecue to medium and grill all vegetables except tomatoes until they have some nice grill marks and are tender. If you don’t have a barbecue, or it is raining or snowing heavily, roast the vegetables in the oven at 350° for about 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.
3. Assemble 8 vegetable stacks by layering slices of vegetables with pesto and cheeses between the layers. Start the stacks with the yams and finish with the zucchini. Place a wooden skewer in the middle of each stack.
4. Make ahead and reheat in a 350° oven or the barbecue for approximately 20 minutes to melt the cheese and heat the vegetables. Once heated, remove the skewers and replace with sprigs of fresh rosemary. Serve the stacks drizzled with the balsamic crema.

This recipe was taken from the ‘Whitewater Cooks at Home’ cookbook by Shelley Adams.

Moroccan Yam Burgers

Ryan’s Moroccan Yam Burgers

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My husband Ryan is a talented guy in many ways. Cooking, however, is not one of them; this is not his recipe :) I’ll likely be posting many many vegetarian burger type recipes as I love a good burger. And though I will occassionally go all out and indulge in a grass-fed, organic, free-range beef or buffalo burger, I usually prefer to go for a lighter option. Really, it’s just an excuse to layer all of my favorite toppings between two buns! Who can resist sauteed mushrooms, crisp red onions, garlic aoili, all the varieties of lettuce, cheese (sometimes), unpasterized saurkraut,  etc etc etc. It’s got to be lunchtime somewhere…….

Makes 12 patties

6 cups grated yams
2 tbsp garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1-19oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cup unsalted mixed nuts
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp egg replacer mixed with 3 tbsp water (or 2 eggs)
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs (use wheat-free or gluten free breadcrumbs to suit your diet)
vegetable oil for sauteing

1. Peel the yams and grate them in a food processor or by hand. Put grate yams in a large mixing bowl.
2. Put the garlic and ginger in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
3. Add hald of the chickpeas to the garlic and ginger and process until fairly smooth. Add this mixture to the shredded yams. Put the remaining chickpeas in a bowl and mash them slightly with a potato masher or a large metal spoon. Add them to the yam mixture.
4. Add nuts to the food processor and grind until coarsely chopped. Add them to the yam mixture.
5. Add cilantro, cumin, chili powder, coriander, cinnamon, and black pepper to the yam mixture and mix well.
6. Mix the egg powder mixture, or eggs, in a small bowl and set aside.
7. Add soy sauce or tamari and sesame oil to the yam mixture and mix well.
8. Add eggs or egg replacer and breadcrumbs. You may need a bit more breadcrumbs to make the patties stick together. Measure into 1/2 cup portions and form into patties.
9. Saute on medium low, approximately 5 minutes on each side.
10. Serve on Ezekiel buns or your favorite whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, sliced red onions, and tzatziki.

This is another recipe from the ‘Whitewater Cooks at home’ cookbook by Shelley Adams. 

Crispy Tofu Nuggets

Crispy Tofu Nuggets

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Tofu is unfortunetly not without it’s faults as a potential health food. It is however a very good source of protein and relatively fast to prepare. I keep it on hand for the occasional quick dinner. Like anything else that isn’t completely healthy, use this food in moderation.

Serves 4

1 package (440g) firm or extra firm tofu
2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp thai sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp arrowroot powder
1 tbsp water
1/3 cup sesame seeds (untoasted)
or 1/3 cup panko or other dry breadcrumbs
2 tbsp vegetable oil for frying

1. Slice tofu into 15 rectangular pieces. Put the pieces on the bottom of a glass baking dish.
2. Mix soy sauce or tamari with sesame oil, rice vinegar and sweet chili sauce; pour this over the tofu turning the pieces over to coat. Marinade for about an hour (or longer) turning the tofu over a couple of times.
3. Mix the arrowroot powder and water together in a small bowl. Put the sesame seeds or panko bread crumbs in another bowl.
4. Remove the tofu from the marinade, (most likely, it will be all absorbed to the tofu) and dip each piece first into the arrowroot mixture and then the seeds or crumbs, pressing quite firmly to get them to stick.
5. Heat a saute pan to medium and add the vegetable oil.
6. Add the tofu nuggets to the hot pan and saute for a minute or 2 on each side until they are golden brown. Don’t try to fitr too many in the pan at one time or you’ll have trouble flipping them around.
7. Remove from the pan and set onto paper towel to soak up any extra oil, then serve right away with your favorite dipping sauces.

This recipe was taken from ‘Whitewater Cooks at home’ by Shelley Adams.

Moroccan Yam Soup

Moroccan Yam Soup

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This recipe was passed on from my mother-in-law, and is a staple in her kitchen.  It’s freezes well, is fancy enough to serve to company, and healthy at the same time.  Yams are very high in carotene which is helpful for everything from preventing cancer, to keeping your eyesight strong.

Serves 6-8

½ cup olive oil
¼ cup minced garlic
1 tbsp turmeric
2 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1 tsp saffron threads
8 cups grated yams (do this in the food processor to save time)
1 cup chopped red peppers
1/3 cup crushed tomato
4 cups chopped onion
1/3  cup minced ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup ground cumin
1 cup chopped celery
6 cups soup stock (chicken or veggie is fine)
1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup currants
salt

  1. Slowly sauté onions in oil at low to medium heat, stirring often, until soft and caramelized.
  2. Add garlic, ginger, and spices cook 2 minutes, stirring often.
  3. Add remaining ingredients, and simmer whisking periodically until yams practically ‘melt’ and thicken the soup (or use a hand blender once the yams are soft).

 Recipe from the Alfresco restaurant, Saltspring Island, BC