Blueberry Pie Quinoa Porridge

January 9, 2014 Kathleen Henry

Real quick, I have a little eco tip! I hate getting phone books. Who uses phone books anymore, seriously!? No really, I want to know. It's absurdity. Anyways, you can opt out of receiving them and it just takes a minute, truly. So if you have phone book recycling guilt, just opt out here. And now, a confession. Red quinoa isn't my friend anymore. It was a short relationship. Every time I try to make it, it boils over, a problem I never had with good ol' regular white quinoa. Also, I do not like it's texture. It's like munching on soggy packing peanuts. This is, of course, just my opinion.

Last night, after the umami bomb, I felt like something sweet for dinner. Sweet, but still healthy, so I made some quinoa porridge. It's like steel cut oats, but quinoa instead. It's healthier, heartier and a complete protein! Also, it's just so rustic and lovely.

This quinoa porridge is a healthier take on blueberry pie and oatmeal! It's a little bit chewy, lovingly spiced, and speckled with plump, tart blueberries. The sweetness is cut through with a little lemon zest and topped with crunchy walnuts, pecans and chia seeds for some extra protein.

Blueberry Pie Quinoa Porridge

Serves 1-2

Porridge:
1/2 cup dry red quinoa
1 1/2 cup non-dairy + additional (soy milk)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. maple syrup
grating of fresh nutmeg
1 tsp. chai latte powder (optional)
heaping 1/4 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
Toppings:
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans and walnuts)
sprinkling of chia seeds
lemon zest, to taste
fresh lemon squeeze, to taste

In a medium saucepan, combine all the porridge ingredients except for the blueberries. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow to cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally and ensuring that it doesn't foam over. The quinoa should be the consistency of wet oatmeal when done.

Remove from heat and stir in the blueberries, allowing them to warm up for a few minutes, especially if they're frozen.

Adorn with toppings, to your taste preference. I'm not a big lemon zest person, so I only use a little bit.

Add a little additional milk if you like, and serve warm!

A delightful breakfast, or if you're like me...dinner!

Singing along to Young the Giant – Cough Syrup

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Umami Udon Noodles

January 8, 2014 Kathleen Henry

As vegans we don't get a whole lot of umami in our lives. What's umami? It's one of the five basic tastes. Surely you're familiar with the sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastes. Well, Umami is a kind of savory flavor that was first scientifically identified in 1908. Meat and cheese are good sources of umami, as well as shiitake mushrooms, and I often find myself craving this savory type of flavor. Nutritional yeast is a source of umami, which is probably why I consume questionably ~~monstrous~~ large quantities of the stuff. If you want to read more about umami, you can do that here and here. Also, check out this interesting little article on umami by NPR, here, while you're at it!

Tempeh, shiitake mushrooms, and miso combine their delicious powers for one hearty and savory udon noodle dish that's sure to cure that umami craving when it hits!

Umami Udon Noodles

Serves 4

8 oz. packaged udon noodles
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
8 oz. tempeh, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 oz. dried (or 8 oz. fresh) shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced & soaking water reserved
1 Tbsp. ginger paste (or minced ginger)
1 tsp. lemon grass paste (optional)
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 cups shiitake mushroom soaking water or vegetable broth
3-4 Tbsp. miso (I like red)
2 handfuls of fresh spinach
fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish
sesame seeds, for garnish

Notes: If you have an aversion to tempeh, feel free to use firm tofu, or neither!

Start by soaking the dried shiitake mushrooms in 2 cups of very hot water. I like to put a big spoon over the mushrooms to help keep the, submerged. Allow to soak for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain when ready to use but keep the soaking water for later on in the recipe. If you're using fresh mushrooms you won't need to soak them and you can just use vegetable broth or water to replace the soaking water.

In a small saucepan, cook udon noodles according to package instructions. This usually includes boiling the noodles for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. We will not use the sauce packet, it's not vegan.

In a large frying pan, heat the sesame oil. Add the onion, tempeh, and garlic. Saute for about 10-15 minutes, or until the onions have started to brown and caramelize.

Now, add the sliced shiitake mushrooms, ginger, and lemongrass. Saute for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Add in the soy sauce, vinegars, water/broth, and the miso. Stir well to combine, dissolving the miso and deglazing the pan.

Add the udon noodles to the pan along with the spinach and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the noodles are heated and the spinach is wilted. You can even cover it with a lid to help the spinach wilt.

Serve hot and garnished with some fresh cilantro and sesame seeds.

Hello umami bomb.

Toe tappin' to MGMT – Electric Feel

[yumprint-recipe id='61']

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Superfood Soup

January 6, 2014 Kathleen Henry

When I first tasted this soup, in my head I did my best silent Ron Burgundy voice, "Oh this stuff is gooooood." Not even on purpose! It just happened. Like that was the most appropriate and logical reaction to this soup's deliciousness that my brain could come up with! So weird. But guess what? This soup is also good for you. Like, really good for you. Black beans and sweet potato? Yes, but wait, there's purple cabbage too! If you're not a cabbage fan, I promise you that it's not even discernible. Truly.

Did you know that purple cabbage lends the most nutritional bang for your buck? Yep. And black beans come in fourth! If you still haven't checked out NutritionFacts.org, you really should. This video on Superfood Bargains is great knowledge to have when money's tight.

This soup has a hint of sweetness and is spiced with chipotle chili powder, cumin, and turmeric. Black beans, sweet potato, and red cabbage all make a superfood star appearance dressed with cilantro and avocado.

So get your health on while mowing down on this absolutely delicious soup. It's definitely a keeper!

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Superfood Soup

Serves 4

1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 purple cabbage head (4 cups), chopped
1 large sweet potato, chopped
1 15 oz. canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 bunch of cilantro, separated and chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 avocado, chopped

Notes: This soup can be as chunky or smooth as you'd like, just adjust the blended portion to your preference.

In a large soup pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the cumin, turmeric, cocoa powder, and chipotle chili powder and saute for about 30 seconds.

Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the onion and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until the onions have started to brown.

Add the broth, salt, pepper, cabbage, and sweet potato. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down to low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender.

Add the black beans and maple syrup. Take the bunch of cilantro and chop it in half to separate the leaves from the stems. Mince the stems and add them to the soup. Save the leaves for garnish.

Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Then, carefully place about 3/4 of the soup into a blender and blend until somewhat smooth. Add the pureed soup back into the pot and stir in the lime juice.