KASHA SALAD

I hadn't cooked kasha in a long time and decided to make it as a way to expand my repertoire of grains.  I grew up eating kasha and bowtie noodles so I have fond memories of kasha.   This salad reminds me of a tabbouleh salad.  You can make a number of variations with it including adding chickpeas which some tabbouleh salads include.  I didn't have fresh mint so I used cilantro.  I also used zucchini instead of cucumber.

Instead of kasha, you can substitute 1 cup of quinoa, bulgur wheat, or any whole grain and cook it in the amount of water appropriate to the grain.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup buckwheat kasha, medium coarseness

2 cups vegetable broth


2 medium tomatoes, chopped


2 green onions, thinly sliced


1/2 cup parsley, chopped


1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped


1/2 coloured bell pepper, chopped


1/2 large cucumber peeled, seeded and cubed OR 1 small zucchini, finely chopped

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp agave nectar

1tbsp sweet chili sauce 

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 2 cups of vegetable broth (or heat water and add vegetable bouillon).  While you're waiting for it to come to a boil, toast the kasha in a large, dry saucepan for about 3 minutes, or until it releases a nutty aroma.  When the broth reaches a boil, add it carefully to the kasha. Cover and turn the heat very low.  Cook until kasha is tender and all liquid is absorbed, 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff, and allow to cool.  Kasha can be refrigerated and stored overnight, if necessary.



Add all chopped vegetables to the kasha.  Mix the lemon juice and remaining ingredients well and add them to the kasha, stirring so that the dressing is distributed evenly.  Serves 8


Adapted and modified from blog.fatfreevegan.com


SALMON GINGER GARLIC MARINADE

There are many variations of marinades for salmon.  I like this one as it includes fresh garlic and ginger.   You have to be careful to not over marinate fish as the acid or salt in the marinade ingredients will start to cook the fish.  I used over 2 pounds of salmon but I didn't increase the quantity of ingredients other than adding more garlic.

Salmon baked with the marinade.

INGREDIENTS:

4 to 6 salmon fillets or steaks (2 pounds)

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 scallions/green onions, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Mix oil, soy sauce, scallions, garlic, and ginger to make a marinade, pour over salmon and marinate for one hour in the refrigerator.  I used a zip lock bag for marinating the salmon.  You can pour the marinade over the salmon and then bake the fish in a baking dish.

Grill, bake or grill salmon for about 15 to 20 minutes or until done.  The time depends on how you are cooking the salmon and the temperature.  I baked the salmon at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes as I put all of the fish into one baking dish and it was densely packed.

Modified from http://www.food.com/

FENNEL SALAD WITH ORANGE

During this time of year we usually consume a fair number of naval oranges from California.  The combination of fennel and oranges is wonderful and adding fresh parsley and cilantro helps add more flavour to the dish.  This is a wonderful salad and will keep for two days in the fridge.  I have kept it in the fridge for three days when I have made a big batch.

INGREDIENTS:

1 fennel bulb, sliced very thinly
grated rind from half an orange
orange segments and juice from half a large orange
2 tbsp olive oil
handful of parsley, chopped
handful of cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp marmelade

DIRECTIONS:

Into a medium size bowl combine all of the ingredients.  Chill or serve right away.  Serves 4.

THREE BEAN CHILI

This chili is a bit different than most as it contains both cocoa and cinnamon.  I have used cocoa in the past when making chili but this was the first for adding cinnamon.   This recipe calls for kidney and black beans and chickpeas.  I am sure you can improvise with other beans based on what you have in your pantry.  I didn't add corn to the chili as I didn't have any in the house.  I also did not add cayenne pepper but added medium hot salsa instead of tomato paste and the heat from the salsa was enough.  You could add more chili powder but I found one tablespoon to be enough.  I did like the taste of cinnamon in the chill and both the DH and I enjoyed having a bowl of chili for a weekend lunch.  The recipe makes a big pot so I will have chili for lunches this week.

Starting to saute onion, garlic and pepper.

All ingredients have been added and now ready to simmer for the next 45 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp oil
2 medium size onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large or 3 small celery stalks, chopped
1 1/2 coloured peppers, chopped
1 can (19 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (19 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (19 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes or 8 frozen tomatoes
2 large carrots, chopped
1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen (optional)
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp tomato paste or 1/3 cup salsa
ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, garlic, celery and peppers and saute for 10 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes.  Serves 8.

Adapted/modified from The Plant-Based Power Diet by Leslie Beck

LENTIL RICE CASSEROLE

I made this casserole for supper one evening.  My intentions were to also have leftovers for work lunches.  I didn't double the ingredients but used 1.5 times what was called for in order to have enough leftovers for several lunches.  For the ingredient of white wine/lemon juice, I used a combination of cooking wine and lemon juice.  I quite enjoyed this casserole and so did the DH.  I also like it as an alternative to having soup for lunches.

Mixing all of the ingredients together prior to baking.

Out of the oven with melted cheese on top.

A serving of the casserole in a bowl ready to eat.

LENTIL RICE CASSSEROLE

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ cups vegetable or chicken stock

½ cup green lentils

½ cup uncooked brown rice

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut up tomatoes or stewed tomatoes

½ cup white wine or lemon juice

1 medium sized onion, chopped

6 mushrooms, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp dried basil

1/2 cup cheese, shredded (optional)

ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.   Into a 6 cup casserole dish combine all of the ingredients except the cheese.   Bake covered for 90 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times.  If your casserole dish does not have a lid, you can use tin foil.   Serves 4.

An option at the end of baking is to remove the lid/cover and sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese and bake for 5 minutes.

Adapted from “The Plant Based Power Diet” by Leslie Beck

CUCUMBER, CARROT AND GINGER SALAD

I made this salad as a mid afternoon snack for work.  I like to have some variety for snacks and this is an easy option to make.  Plus I like sushi style ginger and use it for other things than just to have with sushi.

I used a small plastic container and stacked the vegetables on top of each other.  You can make a number of variations using different vegetables.  You can add coloured peppers, zucchini or mushrooms.  The salad reminds me of a japanese salad.

Top view of layered vegetables.

Side view.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 english cucumber, chopped
1 medium size carrot, finely chopped or shredded
1 tsp to 1 tbsp sushi ginger
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp rice vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

Using a container or a bowl, layer the vegetables on top of each other.  Add the ginger, sesame seeds and then rice vinegar.  Ready to eat right away or cover the container with a lid and refrigerate until ready to eat.  Serves one.

PLANT BASED DIET

Leslie Beck is a Toronto based dietician who has written a dozen books on nutrition and appears on television, radio and has a weekly column in the Globe and Mail.  I have been reading her nutrition columns in the Globe and Mail for quite some time.  I find her logic and rationale for explaining nutritional information and providing recommendations easy to follow and simply makes sense.

Past columns of mine have provided information on Mark Bitten and Michael Pollen who have both advocated a plan based diet.  I have also followed Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Oz and Mark Sisson among the diet gurus.  All of these experts have advocated for increasing the consumption of vegetables and fruit in one's diet.  

I have always eaten vegetables and fruit and have flirted with following a vegetarian or vegan diet.  I also firmly believe that a diet based on plants has a number of positive effects in terms of optimizing your health, preventing heart disease, reducing blood cholesterol levels and weight loss.  In 2012, Leslie Beck wrote a column that promoted a plant based diet and she said that being vegan is more than just rice and beans.  I liked this article and bookmarked it last year for further reviewing.

The recently published book on a plant based power diet provides 10 easy steps and tips for transitioning your current diet to one consuming more plants.  It also includes recipes and I will be testing a number of them and blogging them.

One chapter in Leslie Beck's book highlights becoming more familiar with whole foods and plant-based eating.  She stated in one of the chapter's paragraphs about changing your mindset and focusing on the foods you can eat.  When we change our diet, we usually focus on the foods we can't eat.  I know I think about the foods I am eliminating or giving up and build my food choices on what I should avoid.  Her statement about focusing on what I can eat and NOT think about what I can't eat made me have a paradigm shift.  I have started to focus my meal planning about foods I can eat.  I also have started to shift my focus to increasing my vegetable consumption and bringing more vegetable variety into my cooking.   I also realized that I have to to jazz up the salads I make and use vegetables that I hadn't considered before.

I recommend this book if you are wanting to make a shift in your diet and increase your consumption of  plant-based foods.

CITRUS CHICKEN

I recently bought a number of chickens from a local farm.  The chickens were large and after roasting the first chicken, I thought that the next chicken to be cooked should likely be marinated beforehand.  Some of the meat from the first chicken was tougher than I like.

You don't have to use a whole chicken for this recipe but can use a variety of cuts.  I cut up the large chicken using a Wusthof knife.  I have written about this knife in a previous post.  I also removed as much skin as possible from the chicken to cut down on the fat.  I marinated the cut up chicken for about five hours in a large roasting pan.  

I like this marinade as it is citrus based.  It is a great marinade and I will definitely use it again.  We had friends over for supper and all of us liked the flavour of the chicken.  

Marinade in a glass measuring cup.

Chicken place in the roasting pan with cut up oranges and lemon.

Ready to be served at the kitchen table.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup olive oil

6-8 bone-in chicken breasts or an 8-pound whole chicken

4 lemons

2 oranges

8 garlic cloves, chopped

3 tbsp fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried oregano

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey, maple syrup or agave

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or ¼ cup sweet chili sauce

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cut 1 orange into 8 wedges and 1 lemon into 6 wedges, and set aside.  Zest the orange and lemon to equal 1 teaspoon of each zest.  In a large measuring cup or other container, squeeze the lemons to yield 2/3 cup of juice.  Squeeze the oranges to yield 1/2 cup of juice.  Add the garlic, oregano, soy sauce, honey, and red pepper flakes to the citrus juice.  Mix well.

Using a large roasting pan or two 9×13 pans pour the olive oil into the pan and then add the chicken. Turn to coat.  Scatter the lemon and orange wedges between the pieces of chicken.  Pour the marinade over and cover with plastic wrap. Keep in the fridge for 6 hours, up to 12.   Give it a turn every now and again.  Once it is ready to put in the oven, drain off part of the marinade that is in the pan.  You only want a bit of liquid.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, with the rack in the center of the oven.  Put the roasting pan, uncovered, into the oven and roast for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 375 and roast until cooked through, about 40 minutes.

Adapted from http://thecreativemama.com/herb-and-citrus-marinated-roasted-chicken/

ALFREDO SAUCE WITH CREAM CHEESE

As a change to using a tomato base sauce for pasta I decided to make an Alfredo sauce.  I have lots of cream cheese in the house due to buying two containers of lower fat cream cheese at Costco.  The cream cheese is packaged at Costco so that you have to buy two containers.  I had bought some multi coloured Italian dry pasta and I was curious to see how it would taste.  The pasta shape was good for sauces as it has ridges and indentations which will help bind the sauce to the cooked pasta.  The sauce was not heavy and I used less butter and cream cheese than what usual recipes would call for.

Sauce cooking on the stove.

Pasta draining in the colander.

Ready to serve.

Cook 3 cups of dry pasta according to the directions on the pasta packaging.  Drain.

Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp butter

3 - 4 tbsp cream cheese (light)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 cup milk

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat.  Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth.  Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps.  Stir in Parmesan and pepper.  Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency.  Sauce will thicken and you can thin it with milk if it becomes too thick.  Toss with hot pasta to serve.

Modified from allrecipes.com

ORANGE CHICKEN-SLOW COOKER

I wanted to test my new slow cooker which is about half the size of one I bought several years ago.  I made this recipe using four kinds of vegetables.  You could substitute or add other vegetables including green beans, carrots or an oriental frozen vegetable mixture.  Instead of using chicken, you could use beef.  I added more chicken broth than needed and I did adjust the recipe to reduce the amount required.  To thicken the liquid, I added some corn starch mixed with water to the slow cooker at the end.  To brighten the dish you may want to use a red or green pepper.  I used a yellow pepper.  I served the chicken with rice.  Both the DH and I enjoyed this dish.

Just dished from the slow cooker.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 coloured pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
3 large chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce or soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp orange marmalade
1/4 tsp orange extract
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Splenda
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp gry ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Place the vegetables on the bottom of your slow cooker.  Add the chicken.  In a bowl or large glass measuring cup combine the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well.  Pour the mixture over the chicken and vegetables.  Set the slower cooker to low and cook for 5 hours.   Serves 4.

You can serve this over rice, pasta, quinoa or couscous.

Adapted/modified from '200 Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes' by Dana Carpender