Made a New Year’s resolution to be more healthy? Looking for a quick, vegan, yummy recipe? Wondering what the heck quinoa is??

You have come to the right place. First, quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wa) is an extremely healthy grain, technically a seed, that is a good source of protein and all nine amino acids. It is also very quick cooking! Here is a very easy recipe that would make a great lunch!

Quinoa Salad with Garlic Tahini Dressing

1 cup quinoa (I used Bob’s Red Mill organic)

2 Persian cucumbers, chopped

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

Garlic Tahini Dressing:

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, chopped

salt and pepper

Cook the quinoa according to package directions. In a bowl, place the chopped tomato and cuke, season with a little salt and pepper. Add quinoa. In a small bowl with a lid, add ingredients for the dressing, shake well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over quinoa mixture. Mix well. Place in the fridge! Feel free to use whatever veggies you have! Roasted eggplant or red pepper? Enjoy!

I was inspired by IGE and the soup she made the other day.  The hubs has been a little under the weather and I was looking for something that would knock that out of his system STAT.  We have no room for sickness in the schedule!  This soup is very tasty and it was ever more tasty the next day.  It also happens to be vegan but this is completely randomly as I just used what I had.

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This time of year is always a marathon of eating.  Holiday party after holiday party I find myself eating rich, delicious, carby food that I would never eat at any other time of the year.  Now that the holidays are over I found myself craving something healthy and veggie packed.  This is a casserole I whipped up using my husband’s favorite grain, barley, and a list of delicious veggies (including two leafy greens!).

This recipe is vegan (with vegan “cheese” sauce) but I added some ground beef to my husband’s side.

Vegan “Cheesy” Barley and Vegetable Casserole

1.5 cups of Pearl barley
3-4 big stalks of Swiss chard, chopped
1-2 cups of frozen spinach, thawed and sauteed
3/4 cup Marinara sauce
1 can sweet corn, drained
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
EVOO
Salt and pepper

Cook the barley according to package directions. Set aside.  In a large skillet heat EVOO, add chopped onion, saute for a few minutes then add garlic.  Add corn then add chard and spinach.  Season with salt and pepper.  When green are tender and wilted add marinara sauce, stir well.  In a large bowl add barley and marinara veggie mixture.  Add cheese sauce, mix, and pour it all in a casserole dish.  Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes.

Vegan “Cheese” Sauce
ala Oh She Glows (a great vegan website)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsweetened, unflavored almond milk
6 tbsp nutritional yeast (you can get this at Whole Foods)
1 tbsp Earth Balance or non-diary butter spread
1 tbsp all purpose flour (I used corn starch)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in sauce pan.  Whisk in flour and milk.  Add yeast, whisk well.  Add mustard, garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper.  Add more milk if you want it thinner or more flour if you want a thicker sauce.  This is also really, really good on shells for vegan shells and cheese!

Enjoy!

And he brought me THIS:

A Breville BJE510XL Ikon 900-Watt Variable-Speed Juice EXTRACTOR!

Before I get to my basic hummus recipe and the cost savings it will bring you, I must comment on the book I am currently devouring.  Mike picked me up a copy of The Help by Kathryn Stockett for my birthday and since I started reading I cannot put it down.  I am very excited that it has also been made into a movie although movies versions rarely do the books justice.

You can check out the movie trailer here.

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