Quinoa With Roasted Pine Nuts and Basil

Hope the start of everyones new year is going well and for those of us in school, the best of new semesters. So here is the recipy for today:

Quinoa with Roasted Pinenuts and Basil.


1 cup of Quinoa
1/2 cup of Pinenuts and/or sliced almonds and cashews
handful of fresh basil chopped
Pinch of sea salt
1 tbs of olive oil

Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse well. Combine with 2 cups of water and the salt in saucepan. Bring to a boil before reducing heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking heat the nuts in a small dry skillet over meaduim heat. Toast them until they start to turn golden (6-7 minutes). TO prevent burning shake the pan frequently. Move to a bowl and let cool.

Add the quinoa to a serving bowl with the nuts and fluff with fork. Add trhe olive oil and basil. Stir to combined.



Health note: Quinoa is great. Its actually a seed that is cooked and has the vitimines and fiber of a whole grain. Its really high in protien. If you want to give this crazy little seed more of a flavor thats rich and nutty, pan roast the rinsed quinoa until it is golden brown.

Fava Bean Dip!

This is one of the dishes that I learned when I was working at the Arabic Cafe. We didn't actually serve it but my bosses ate it allot and I love it!

1 can Fava Beans
1 tomato chopped
2 table spoons of onion diced
3 cloves of garlic diced
3 tablespoons of Lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoons of salt
1/4 table spoon pepper

Cook fava beans on the stove until they start to split open.

While they cook combine all of the other ingredients in bowl and mix well.

Once the beans are cooked drain off most of the extra liquid. Keep some of it though. Mix the beans in with the rest of the ingredients. Serve with warm pita bread as a dip.

Along side in this picture are hummus and stuffed grape leaves.

Roasted sunflower seeds

Here is an easy snack or salad topper! I always keep a thing of them in the fridge to toss on meals for a little extra zing! I also like to eat them by them selves as a little snack or pick me up.

All you need in raw sunflow seeds and soy sauce. Toss both into a pan over meduim heat watch and listen for seeds beginning to sizzle but not pop. They should turn a golden brown.

Juicer!

Sorry I know I have been MIA for the past while but the holidays...well you all know. Anyways not much has been happening. I got some kick ass appliences for christmas or with christmas money including a bad ass steamer, a food processor (I have never had one before! I hand chopped and minced everything!) and a new blender/ smoothie maker!

My baby Alyssa bought a juicer so tonight we made juice!


Mango/Strawberry/Kiwi Juice with Agave syrup
2 mangos ripe
2 kiwi ripe
2 handfuls of ripe strawberries
Agave syrup to taste

Stick all but the agave Syrup into the juicer. Stir and than add agave to taste if the fruits weren't about to turn.

Other than that we have been mucking around sun harvest having tons of fun! Have a happy new year and remember this Buddist quote to get you into the New year:

"To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent."

Snack time!

Snacks are unhealthy for most people. Potato chips, cheetos and the like. Snack time for me though really gives me a pick me up. So here are some my favorates that I thought that I would share with you.

Hummus is a great and filling snack. Especially with some whole grain pita that you can pick up at any Arabian market. I would get the hummus from there too. Sprinkle some Lemon seasoning on it with olive oil.

I love any kind of fresh fruit. Strawberries, mardrin oranges, raspberries and mango...everything. I reduce a little Balsamic vingear with agave syrup and lime juice than pour it over them. One of my fav seasonal ones through is pomagrant straight out of its shell. Theres alot of it and its sweet and tart at the same time. Its better than a whole bag of M&M's!


I also LOVE seeds and mixed nuts, most of all pumpkin and squash seeds. These little guys are great! Nuts are great too if you get them straight out of their shell and they are packed with protien and iron which will get you going about your day longer and stronger than a candy bar.

Wasbi peas also have a great spice to them. They satisfy even the most picky of snackers. I always have a handfull of them tucked away in my bag.

If you are really on the go and need something fast and portable, or if you forget something and walk into a super market looking for something to grab really quick, most places have Luna Bars (Copyright). They come in a bunch of flavors including chocolate peanut butter and S'more (Among others).

All of these should get rid of snack cravings and satisfy you a ton more! If you have any other suggestions let me know!

Eat the Rainbow!

One of the first things that I learned as a veg was to "Eat the Rainbow". Eating a huge varitey of colours will give you an endless buffet of amazing eating options. And surprise! All of them are good for you! So dont limit yourself and dont be afraid. All of them are good for you and they taste good.



One of my favorates that I never really ate before are radishs. I use them in just about everything now. Food, drinks (Daikon and carrot tea is amazing). Again dont be afraid to experiment. These foods are cheap and you can get them in a split second. Also something is always in season so check what grows and what growns in your area. If you go to a farmers market like myself you can eat the berries and what not right out of the bag. Its great.

Health Plus (s): (There are so many in this that I cant even write them all down.)

Red:
Red produce like tomatoes, watermelon, berries, guava, peppers and radishes contain nutrients like lycopene, anthocyanins, ellagic acid and bioflavonoids including quercetin, and hesperidin.

Orange/yellow:
Beta carotene colors things like sweet potatoes, mangos, pumpkins, carrots, squash and apricots. Other oranges and yellows like citrus, peaches and pineapple contain vitamin C flavanoids.

Green:
Everybody knows greens are good for you. Cruciferous ones especially like broccoli, brussel sprouts, bok choy, cauliflower and cabbage provide glucosinolates, isothiocyanates and indole-3 carbinol (noted for its ability to inhibit cancer growth). Other greens like spinach, collards, kale and broccoli contain carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These greens are also loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Blue/purple (and a little bit of red):
These guys have been hogging all the attention due to their nutritional value. Produce like pomegranates, blueberries and grapes (red wine) are known for their high levels of antioxidants. These colors contains anthocyanins, lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol, vitamin C, flavonoids, ellagic acid and quercetin.

White:
White might seem like a strange inclusion, but some white produce is super healthy, especially for your immune system and to help lower cholesterol. Things like garlic, onions and leeks (think inside the leeks) contain allicin.

Tofu, Seitian and other meat replacements

For most new veg or vegans tofu can become a staple very very quickly along with other meat replacment products. While they are healthier than animal products they still hold allot more protein then a person typically needs and can have side effects that are the same as the meat that you once gave up. (boldness, fatigue and depression)

Unfortunately it is a very common American idea that if something is good for you, allot of it is even better. This is not true.

Instead of soy milk try rice, or almond milk instead. These aren't just hippy store foods. They sell them in your local supermarket in typically in the cereal isle. They even have Chocolate almond milk that ROCKS!

Tofu or soy based products aren't the only way to make a meal. Try using organic non processed foods like fruits, veggies and high fiber, nutrient rich whole grains like quinoa, barely, oats, brown rice and bulgur.