Scented Crunch Black Rice Salad, by Diane

This is another recipe pulled from The Kind Cook's blog. I am really loving her concept on cold Asian-style salads, they are the perfect make-ahead lunch for these hot summer days. I didn't stick to the recipe exactly here, instead I sauteed most of the ingredients (except the greens and peanuts) in the dressing first. I also added red peppers and broccolini to the mix to bring in more veggies. This was delicious and will definitely be on repeat this summer!

Side note- I've never tried or heard of black rice before, but it has kind of a nutty flavor and is really good! It's also known for it's antioxidant properties and is very healthy for you and the immune system!


Ingredients:

1 cup black rice, cooked according to directions
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups chopped shitake mushrooms
1 small red chilli, cut in half lengthways, remove the seeds and finely slice
1 cup chopped broccolini
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, julienned
1 handful cilantro, rough chopped


1 handful of fresh basil leaves, sliced
4 cups fresh spinach 
2 handfuls of roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari for a gluten free option)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon of agave (or honey)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced


Directions:

1. Whisk last 6 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Heat 2 tbsp sesame oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and cook until they caramelize. Add in mushrooms, chili, broccolini, bell pepper, and carrots, along with your dressing from step 1, and cook until soft. Mix rice in and let cool or refridgerate.

3. Combine cilatnro, spinach, and basil in a large bowl. Top with rice and veggie mixture, sprinkle with peanuts.
 

Pea and Scallion Pancakes, by Diane

I love scallion pancakes, and try to get them whenever I go to a Korean restaurant. I found this recipe in Bon Appetit for scallion pancakes with spring peas, and decided to give it a try. The batter came out much thicker than it should have been, and as a result the pancakes browned too much on the outside while the middle took too long to cook. The flavor was good though, and I may try to recreate the recipe with a thinner batter.

Ingredients:

1 cup shelled fresh peas (from about 1 pound pods) or frozen peas, thawed
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
3 large eggs
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more for skillet
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) salted butter, melted (I skipped this since it's only a garnish and adds calories)

Directions:

 

1. If using fresh peas, cook in a small saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 3 minutes (if using frozen peas, do not cook). Drain. 

 

2. Purée eggs, cottage cheese, flour, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth. Transfer batter to a medium bowl and stir in peas and 4 scallions. (Batter should be thick but pourable; stir in water by tablespoonfuls if too thick).

 

3. Heat a lightly oiled large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add batter to skillet by 1/4-cupfuls, spreading out to 3-inch-4-inch rounds with a spoon. Cook pancakes until bubbles form on top, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until pancakes are browned on bottom and the centers are just cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. 

 

4. Serve pancakes drizzled with butter and topped with scallions.

Pancetta Parmesan Bread Pudding with Broccoli Rabe, by Diane

This was a great and easy recipe and very impressive for company! Not the healthiest of dishes, but definitely worth the calories! Recipe from Bon Appetit.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium bunch broccoli rabe (rapini), trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 pound country-style white bread, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 8 cups)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
6 thin slices pancetta

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir until garlic is softened, about 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe; sea-son with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing, until wilted, about 2 minutes; let cool slightly. 

2. Meanwhile, whisk eggs, milk, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoons pepper in a large bowl to blend. Add broccoli rabe mixture, bread, and 1/2 cup Parmesan; toss to combine. Transfer to a 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Top with pancetta and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. 

3. Bake pudding until puffed, browned in spots, and set in the center, 45-55 minutes.

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup, by Diane

I created this recipe last week when it got unexpectedly chilly. It is full of good nutrients and anti-inflammatory ingredients. Definitely easy and a hit!


Ingredients:

2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded (I used rotisserie chicken for a better taste)
1 package frozen yellow corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can enchilada sauce, whatever heat you prefer
1 can mild green chiles
1 bunch cilantro, rinsed and chopped
1 box chicken stock (equals 4 cups)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
Avocado
Tortilla strips


Directions:

1. Add everything except the last two ingredients into the crockpot, cook on low for 8 hours (you can adjust the time if needed, just increase the heat level).

2. Garnish with the remaining ingredients.

Homemade Vitamin Water, by Diane

This is hands down my new favorite discovery. No more wasting money on fancy vitamin drinks, and water is so much nicer to drink! You can use any combination of fruits, veggies, or herbs as well as other liquids for flavoring. Just add into water and in about 5 minutes you have a great tasting, refreshing, and healthy drink! I'll list the combination from the photo below, but my other favorites are watermelon cucumber basil, peach strawberry cinnamon mint, and blackberry sage. Yum! Also- whatever fruit you have can be frozen so it acts like ice cubes in the drink too! I typically use freshly bottled spring water from a local spring to make it taste amazing!


Ingredients:

1/2 large mango, cubed
1/2 cup wild blueberries
1 sprig mint
1/4 cup coconut water with pineapple juice (100% juice) 
1 splash pomegranate juice (100% juice) 
Water


Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large glass or mason jar and wait 5 minutes. Stir and enjoy!

Fragrant Cambodian Noodle Salad, by Diane

I found this recipe on the Kind Cook's website. It looked like the perfect dish for lunch on these hot summer days. It was easy, and really, really good! All my coworkers loved it too. I will definitely be making this more often!

The link to the recipe is here: http://thekindcook.com/fragrant-cambodian-noodle-salad/ I added shrimp to increase the protein!


Ingredients:

1cup of green cabbage, finely shredded
2 medium carrots, grated
1 green pepper and 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 small cucumber, grated
4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup (or agave or brown sugar)
1 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 cloves of crushed garlic
2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of fresh basil leaves, gently washed
¼ cup of roasted peanuts
1 handful of fried shallots
300 grams of rice noodles
Shrimp, cooked


Directions:

1. Place the cabbage, carrots, capsicum and cucumber in a large bowl, stir to combine and set aside.

2. Whisk the sugar, salt, fish sauce, garlic, lime juice, stock and olive oil together in another bowl until well combined and set aside.

3. Cook the rice noodles as per the packet instructions. Drain and refresh slightly under cold water. Then toss the noodles through the vegetable mix.

4. Pour the sauce over the top of the vegetables and noodles and stir. Add some fresh red chilli if you want some heat.

5. Mix though loads the fresh basil leaves just before serving. Garnish with the peanuts and fried shallots.

Breakfast Quinoa, by Diane

I've been seeing a lot of recipes lately for using grains other than oats at breakfast. I couldn't really imagine eating this at breakfast time, but decided to give it a try. I picked quinoa since it's a complete protein and packed with nutrients. This recipe was surprisingly good, and very filling. I can't wait to make it again and add more types of fruit in the summer!


Ingredients:

1 package quinoa (roughly 2 cups)
1 can light coconut milk
2 tbsp. agave
Pinch salt
Raw shredded unsweetened coconut
Sliced strawberries


Directions:

1. Combine quinoa through salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Let boil until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. Let sit covered for 5-10 minutes until tender.

2. Top with coconut and strawberries, or any fruit you like. :)

The Jammed Yam, by Diane

This recipe is a recreation of a meal I had at my favorite little organic lunch cafe. In the original recipe, it's a yam stuffed with all kinds of amazing things. But in this photo, I didn't have enough yams for each day of the week (I made it for lunches) so I just chopped the yams and mixed it in. Either way- this is a great tasting, really healthy, very filling lunch that makes you feel good. :)

Note- if you can't find mango salsa you can use salsa verde and chop some fresh mangoes!


Ingredients:

3 yams
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed
2-3 cups quinoa, cooked
2-3 avocados, diced
1 large handful cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup mango salsa
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Pinch salt


Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Wrap each yam in foil and place on a baking sheet in the oven for 45 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, steam the red pepper (or you can cook in microwave for 2 minutes to soften). Add red pepper through salsa into a large bowl.

3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over the rest of the ingredients. Mix to combine.

4. Cut each yam in half and top with the mixture. :)