Browsing Category

Gluten Free

Dinner Gluten Free Recipes Salad Vegan Vegetarian

Wild Rice Arugula Salad

April 18, 2016

Wild Rice Arugula Salad
AKA – A vegan is coming to dinner

DSC_0656

A dear friend of mine called me last week in a panic – a vegan was coming to dinner. Gasp! What should she feed her? Is pasta vegan? What IS vegan? After I stopped laughing (with her, not at – I thought it was refreshing for her to be so concerned about someone’s diet), I told her that feeding a vegan is not as overwhelming as you may think. While I don’t consider myself a vegan, I do cook mostly vegan or food that can easily be made vegan.

DSC_0640

Okay the word vegan has officially been used too many times in this post and it’s weirding me out.

DSC_0650

I said I had the perfect recipe for her. It was fresh, easy, and great for any type of eater. This can be a side dish or an entrée if you add a simple protein to it. I served it with tempeh that I dredged in flour and pan-fried.

DSC_0707

Most people who eat v… a plant based diet and visiting for dinner are thrilled that their food choices are even being taken into consideration. There are plenty of times that I have shamelessly brought box of veggie burgers to a cookout. (Side note: Anyone know how much folic acid is in a veggie burger?)

DSC_0690

Wild Rice Arugula Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 cup of wild blend rice – I used Lundberg
¼ cup of raw sunflower seeds
1 cup of shelled edamame, thawed
4 scallions, sliced thinly
2 ½ – 3 ounces of baby arugula – I used half a package of Olivia’s Organics
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
2/3 cup olive oil
Juice of a lemon – about 1/3 cup
1 teaspoon of maple syrup
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon of salt, plus more to season
¼ teaspoon of pepper

Directions:

  1. Make rice: Boil 2 cups of water, add rice and simmer on low with the cover on for about 20-25 minutes, or until rice is tender. Strain off any water and fluff with a fork. Spread the rice out on a cookie sheet to allow it to come to room temperature.
  2. In a small pan over low heat, toast sunflower seeds for about 5-7 minutes until they become fragrant and browned.
  3. In a large bowl add cooked rice, toasted sunflower seeds, edamame, scallions, arugula, and cilantro.
  4. Make dressing: Combine olive oil, lemon, maple syrup, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix until it is becomes emulsified. I recommend making the dressing in a jar so you can shake it until it is blended.
  5. Add dressing to bowl and toss salad. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with cilantro.

 

Question: Have you ever had a guest come for dinner and were stumped on what to serve?

2 Comments
Breakfast Dessert Gluten Free Recipes Vegetarian

Lavender Blueberry Chia Pudding

March 27, 2016

Lavender Blueberry Chia Pudding
AKA – Bre’s Chia Pudding

DSC_0507

If you’re reading this blog you probably know that I’m obsessed with my niece. We don’t look very much alike, but you know we’re related based on two characteristics:

  • We think we’re hilarious – she cracks herself up and I crack myself up.
  • Our sleep habits – we hate going to bed and we hate waking up.

DSC_0544

I procrastinate quite a bit before I go to bed. It’s typically a ritual that goes something like…

  • Complain about going to bed
  • Get a snack
  • Declare I hate going to bed
  • Look in the fridge
  • Think of an idea for a recipe!
  • Get into bed
  • Oops, I need a glass of water!
  • Get back to bed and toss and turn for a good 45 minutes
  • Sleep
  • Wake up and scowl at my mom when she says, “Good morning, MariSunshine!”

DSC_0552

Last week, as I was going through my bedtime rituals, I came up with this recipe thanks to the help of Oh She Glows and my Flavor Bible. I’ve had some lavender in my cabinet for a few months and have been wondering how to use it. At Christmastime I made some lavender almonds, but was stumped after that. My Flavor Bible suggested combining it with blueberry and almond and that’s how this pudding was created.

DSC_0551

My niece loves to help in the kitchen and this was a perfect recipe for her to help measure, stir, shake, and get her hands dirty with the left over almond pulp.

DSC_0557

A few notes about this recipe:

  • You’ll make the almond milk first. If you don’t have a nutmilk bag, you can use cheesecloth. You also can skip the second straining, but it makes the milk significantly smoother. I love these dishtowels for this step. They’re super handy for a lot of kitchen tasks, especially drying produce.
  • Making your own almond milk is pricey. If you’d like to cut costs you could use prepared almond milk and blend it with the lavender.
  • A cautionary word on chia seeds – While they’re very healthy (high in protein, fiber, and omega-3s), some can’t digest them.
  • If you can’t digest chia seeds, replace the chia with raw oats for “overnight oats” (the ratio of milk to oats is usually 1:1).

DSC_0561

Lavender Blueberry Chia Pudding
Makes 2, 1 cup servings

Ingredients:
½ cup of almonds, soaked overnight
2 cups of water
1 teaspoon of lavender, culinary grade
2 Medjool dates, pitted and soaked about an hour
¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 whole vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
pinch of salt
¼ cup of chia
½ cup of blueberries – I used frozen since they’re not in season
Maple syrup to taste – I use about a tablespoon per serving

Directions:

  1. Rinse soaked almonds to remove any residue.
  2. Make almond milk: In a high-speed blender (hello Vitamix cult members!), combine soaked almonds, water, lavender, dates, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean. Blend on high for at least one minute.
  3. Place a nut milk bag over a bowl and pour almond milk mix through the bag. Squeeze the bag to remove any left over liquid.
  4. Optional step: Filter the milk again through a fine cloth to make an especially smooth milk.
  5. Place chia in a bowl or jar and slowly stir in the prepared milk with a fork.
  6. Chill until desired consistency (at least an hour), stirring occasionally. I like to put mine in a jar and shake it every time I go in the refrigerator… about every 15 minutes.
  7. Add blueberries and maple syrup

DSC_0571

1 Comments