Quinoa Cakes with Parsley and Lemon Zest

Nom nom nom.. YEP that’s what you’re going to be saying once you pop these bad boys in your mouth! The quinoa is light but hunger-satisfying, and the lemon zest really makes the simple, fresh flavors pop! These cakes would be great as a side dish at a BBQ or the main squeeze of a vegetarian meal. Any way you decide to enjoy them, you probably need the recipe don’t ya?

What you will need:

• Quinoa, 1 cup
• 2 cups water
• 1 egg + 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• Salt
• Pepper
• Safflower oil (about 3 tablespoons)

1. Place 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water; let boil, reduce to simmer, and cook until all liquids are absorbed. Remove quinoa from heat and let it cool completely.
2. Once the quinoa is cooled, add egg and egg white, Parmesan, parsley, shallot and lemon juice/zest, salt and pepper (as desired); Mix ingredients by hand for best results.
3. Form mixture into patties, should make 8 cakes, but you can make them any size you please! It is best if you allow them to chill in the fridge for an hour or so because they will hold a little stronger. You can definitely cook them right away, just be extra gentle!
4. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of safflower oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add cakes and allow them to brown and form a crust (about 3 minutes), then flip.

Easy as pie! Or I guess easy as cake? Whatever! I like to top mine with avocado, mmm! You know what’s coming next.. Ingredient swaps! Try blue cheese instead of Parmesan; add pureed garbanzo beans for a thicker quinoa cake with more substance; try orange or lime zest/juice instead of lemon; add Sriracha or cayenne pepper for some heat. The possibilities are endless, as always! Do what makes your tummy smile!

Health & Love <3

Asian-Inspired Veggie Salad

Sesame, ginger, lime, garlic… Asian flavors are my fav! I love how much freshness and depth you can get by using very minimal ingredients. The spiciness, sweetness and savoriness… Mmmm! This quick and fresh salad is perfectly balanced.. whip out your cutting board and get chopping!

You will need:

• Half red bell pepper
• Half green bell pepper
• Half medium-sized cucumber
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 small crown of broccoli
• 2 green onions
• 1 lime
• 1 inch cube of fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of Rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of Sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons of Agave syrup
• Salt
• Red pepper flakes

1. Chop up the veggies (both bell peppers, cucumber, carrots, and broccoli) into bite-size pieces; Mix altogether in a big bowl.
2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the juice of one lime, sesame oil, rice vinegar and agave syrup. Mince the ginger, slice the green onions and add to the dressing.
3. Pour the dressing over the veggies, mixing well. Add salt and red pepper as desired.

I like to let the veggies sit in the dressing for a little bit (maybe 30 min or so) to let the flavors marinade. I bet you won’t be able to resist having a few bites before the 30 minutes are up! Add grilled shrimp or chicken to make this salad into a summery meal. You all know I like to offer alternate ingredient ideas as well.. so don’t be afraid to try peanut oil instead of sesame oil; use different veggies like asparagus, radish, or zucchini; add sliced almonds or peanuts on top for some extra crunch. Anything goes in the kitchen! Enjoy :)

 

Health & Love <3

Fresh Pesto

To this day, one of my all time favorite meals is pesto with pasta. When I moved to San Diego, I would have to call my mom every time I made pesto to ask her for the recipe. How much garlic do I put in? How much olive oil? She never gave me exact measurements just estimates, so I had to play with it many times until I finally got it down. It is so easy to make fresh! I promise once you try this recipe, you will never again buy pre-made pesto.

All you need is …

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 2 Tablespoons of minced garlic
• Salt
• Pepper

1. Put basil leaves in food processor/blender and pulse until the leaves are fully chopped. Add garlic and pulse again. Add pine nuts and pulse some more.
2. Alternate adding olive oil and Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup at a time. I like to keep the pesto at a thick consistency because I will add a little bit of the pasta water to it once the pasta has cooked. Salt and pepper to your liking!

As I said above, I love pesto with pasta but don’t limit yourself! It’s so delish on brown rice or quinoa as a side dish! Also, you can get sneaky and add spinach or kale with the basil to get some hidden veggies into your dish. Don’t want to spend all of your allowance on pine nuts? Switch ’em out for walnuts or cashews! Always remember to keep your cooking creative! Enjoy!

Health & Love <3

Rosemary Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms

Two words: Stuffed. Mushrooms. I don’t know about you all, but stuffed ANYTHING sounds pretty delish to me. Yeah I like to stuff, I got a stuffing problem. No but really…

I know I have said this about almost every recipe I’ve posted, but these mushrooms really are so simple to make. The majority of the ingredients needed for this recipe you should have on hand. Did I mention they are super yummy and practically guiltless??!

All you need is:

• Mushrooms
• Garlic (1 1/2 tablespoons)
• Olive oil
• Rosemary (1 tablespoon fresh, 1 teaspoon if dried)
• Green onions (2)
• Parmesan (1/4 cup, grated)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil spray

1. Twist the stems off of the mushrooms; place empty mushrooms on baking sheet and set aside. Chop the stems coarsely. I like to leave them in variable sizes for texture.
2. Mince garlic, rosemary and green onion; add to chopped mushroom stems and parmesan. Coat mixture with olive oil enough so that it is cohesive (about 2 tablespoons). Season with salt and pepper as needed.
3. Spoon mixture back into the hollow mushrooms (I love making them overflow a little bit). *IMPORTANT* Spray with olive oil, otherwise they will majorly shrink in the oven! Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until stuffing is light brown.

Don’t be afraid to add other herbs like sage, parsley or basil or swap out parm for bleu cheese or feta.. GET CREATIVE! You can make any recipe your own with a little imagination. Go ahead, get to it! :)

Health & Love <3

White Fish in Tomato-Saffron Stew

Before I get too far ahead of myself, I have to let you all know this is not my recipe. I made a couple of alterations, but the overall concept is from the book “Power Foods” by the editors of one of my favorite magazines, Whole Living.

It’s super light, but filling enough for a full meal. Really simple, but totally flavorful. TRUST ME, you NEED to try this ASAP! It’s a great dish to impress someone with-they will never know how effortless it was to make (hint, hint Valentine’s Day).

All you need is…

•  Olive oil (about 2 tablespoons)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 28-ounce can of whole, peeled tomatoes
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 pound of (your choice of) white fish (I used cod)
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1/4 cup cliced almonds, toasted
• 2 scallions

Directions

1. Heat oil in pot or big flat pan.  Slice garlic thinly and cook in heated oil with red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, and saffron. Cook until fragrant (about 2 minutes).
2. Add tomatoes and lightly salt (about 1 teaspoon). Stir/crush the tomatoes into smaller chunks. Bring the “broth” to a simmer and cook on low for about 15 minutes (or until it has thickened a bit).
3. Chop fish into small cubes (I like mine bite size) and season with salt and pepper. Add fish and capers to tomato broth, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir the stew carefully (you don’t want to break the fish down) and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Serve and top with almonds and sliced scallions.

The only ingredient I switched out from the original recipe was using capers instead of dried currants. I wanted to stay salty instead of adding little sweet notes like currants. Try the original if you don’t trust my judgement, I mean I am no Martha Stewart! One thing you should trust me on is serving with a glass of wine and some homemade garlic bread… Mmmmm!!!! Go on, live a little!

Health & Love <3

 

 

Split Peas, Please!

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about split pea soup? I bet the majority of you are thinking about the scene in the Exorcist where possessed Regan’s head is spinning and… OKAY you get the picture! For the record, that is NOT the first thing that comes to my mind when I think about this yummy green soup; I think about rainy days in the Bay Area and my mom. My mom shared this recipe with me, but of course it never tastes as good as hers does. Possibly because she secretly left an ingredient out or something, but that’s another story.

I promise I won’t leave out any ingredients or steps in this fool-proof recipe. All you need is:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion (white or yellow)
• 4 stalks of celery (about 1 cup chopped)
• 3 medium size carrots (about 1 cup chopped)
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 1 package of dried peas (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups of water
• 2 cups of low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red pepper flakes
• Grated Parmesan cheese (if desired)

Directions

1. Add chopped onion, celery, carrot and garlic to pot with heated olive oil. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, seasoning lightly with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
2. Add peas, water, chicken or vegetable broth, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for about an hour.
3. Stir every once in a while, and add more water if needed (I like my soup thick, so I tend to use less liquids from the beginning- you can always add more, but it’s hard to take it away once you’ve added). You should be able to tell when its done when the consistency is pretty smooth but with some definite lumps.
4. Top with some sprinkled Parmesan cheese, croutons, crackers, or whatever else your little heart desires!

This recipe will yield a pretty big pot of soup, so make it to share with a bunch of friends! Another thinking-ahead idea: freeze the left overs to defrost on a lazy, rainy day in the future! As always, I am the left-over queen so I never mind making soup on a Sunday to have a few lunches ready for the week.

Whatever you decide, slurp up your bowl of delicious split pea soup with a smile in your belly! :)

Health & Love <3

Crunchy Chickpeas

Crunchy beans? Weird right? Ummmm, no… TOTALLY BRILLIANT!!! I am currently obsessed with baking chickpeas! They are perfect as a finger food to snack on, great crunchy alternative to croutons in salad, and super yummy as a topping to any dish you choose!

There isn’t really a real “recipe” for these tasty little bites, just an easy method. I tend to like spicy, so my “recipe” may have a little kick to it.

You will need:

• 1-2 cans of chickpeas (I usually make 2 because I can’t resist snacking on them)
• Olive oil
• Garlic salt
• Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper
• Cumin
• Oregano
• Onion Powder

The most important step in this process is making sure you rinse, drain and DRY the chickpeas. I usually let them sit in a colander with a paper towel for about 10 minutes just to ensure they are fully dry.

Once dry, I toss them in light olive oil (just enough to coat) and then sprinkle with the spices listed above. You really can choose any spices that you want depending on the dish or your mood! Then just pop them in the oven at 450 degrees for about 45 minutes (or until they are toasty).

I promise you are going to be as in love with these chickpeas as I am! HAPPY HEALTHY SNACKING!!!

Health & Love <3