Beet Sunflower Pesto

August 26, 2011 By Laura

The beat goes on…

Ok, this post isn’t about Sonny & Cher. You can thank you later when you’re humming this song.

I made pesto! Oil-free, vegan, purple pesto.

With beets. Don’t be scared – it really is good. I don’t even like beets and I loved it.

Why buy beets if I don’t even like them? Because they are really good for you!

Among their long list of benefits:

Beets are high in nitrates, which can increase exercise endurance
are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals such as: Vitamin C, Niacin (B-3), Pantothenic acid (B-5), Pyridoxine (B-6), carotenoids, iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium, and folates
They are a source of betalains, which provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support
They contain two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are unique good for eye health
Betanin pigments from beets have been shown to lessen tumor cell growth and may have other anti-cancer benefits

The secret to making beets taste good is to add distinct flavors to them. The citrus from the lemon and the sweet nuttiness from the toasted sunflower seeds did a lot to help. Basil and garlic are, of course, is a great flavors to use in pesto. The balsamic gave the flavor a last little push over the edge.

You could also add some goat cheese or nutritional yeast to the mix to further amp up the flavor. Mine would have included goat cheese… but I planned poorly and used it all in my morning eggs.

For the “pasta” I improvised spiralized zucchini. Using a cheese slicer. Who says I don’t use all my kitchen gadgets?!

Topped with more sunflower seeds, red pepper flakes, and a tasty new French raw milk cheese: Raclette.

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Beet Sunflower Pesto (Oil-Free and Vegan)

2 medium beets (I ~~cheated~~ used packaged, pre-cooked)
~15 large basil leaves
1/4 C toasted sunflower seeds
1 large garlic clove
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
S+P, to taste

Toast sunflower seeds on stove top (~4-5 mins). Watch them closely and still as needed for an even toast.

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.

Makes about 1/2 cup.

***

I went back for ~~seconds~~ thirds. It’s also good atop brussels, FYI.

Do you have a favorite non-traditional pesto?

Do you ever eat things just because you know they are beneficial? Were you successful in making it taste good?

Raw Kale and Oyster Mushroom Salad

August 25, 2011 By Laura

This Raw Kale and Oyster Mushroom Salad has an amazingly rich texture. The kale softens in the marinade and the creamy avocado is balanced with the unexpected crunch of sesame seeds.

This raw kale salad was fantastic with its Asian-inspired flavors and marinated Oyster mushrooms. I must be on a ‘shoom bender.

The kale marinade is a simple one: rice vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, seasoning, sesame seeds, lime, and – the secret ingredient – avocado. The flavors combine perfectly to make a delicious, taste-filled side.

It’s all groovy… and then you reach the most satisfying part – biting into the meaty mushrooms, filled with the juicy goodness of their marinade of soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil.

Added Bonus: the lime keeps the avocado fresh enough to eat the salad for lunch the following day!

Raw Marinated Kale and Oyster Mushroom Salad

For the kale:

1 T rice wine vinegar
2/3 tsp soy sauce (or tamari)
1 tsp Bragg’s Sea Kelp Delight (or other herb-y seasoning)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 T white sesame seeds
Juice from 1/2 lime
1 small avocado, mashed
S+P, to taste
1/2 bunch of kale, roughly chopped with stems removed

For the Mushrooms:

1 tsp soy sauce (or tamari)
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp sesame oil
~10 oyster mushrooms

To prepare the kale: Mix all ingredients except the kale in a large bowl. Add kale and massage into marinade until well-combined.

To prepare the mushrooms: Mix together all ingredients except the mushrooms. Add mushrooms, tossing until coated. There will not be any marinade to spare. Not to worry – the ‘shrooms will “juice” as they marinate.

For at least one hour, allow each mixture to marinate.

Toss to combine just before serving and enjoy!

Makes 4 servings (as sides).

***

I made this to go with the baked Chili Nutty Tofu (as seen in yesterday’s WIAW post).

Do you ever make raw meals?

What is your favorte Asian-inspired dish?

Green Tea Spinach Smoothie

August 23, 2011 By Laura

Random thought of the day:

I read a study once (no idea who it was by) that claimed the 1st stall in the restroom is the one used least frequently.

Naturally, I began always using the first stall. Less frequent usage = increased likelihood the stall will be clean-ish.

Yesterday I realized the study can’t possibly apply at my office. Every time I go in the bathroom that stall is occupied!

I’m proposing a new hypthosis: the middle stall is the one used least often. Particularly in a 3-holer where the last stall is the #2 handicapped stall.

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Back to your regular scheduled programming. ~~Please don’t make any connections to my restroom observations and the green smoothie.~~

Leanne @ Healthful Pursuit posted a Green Energy Smoothie at just the right time for me. I felt like I didn’t get enough “good for you” greens this weekend. A green drink is just what I need to replenish.

I made my own version with what I had. I would have loved to add some ginger too, but I’m all out.

The best part? No ~~juicer~~ required! I did it all in my Magic Bullet. 🙂

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Green Tea Spinach Smoothie

1/2 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 C spinach
1/8 C cilantro
1/4 C unsweetened apple sauce
1 C kombucha green tea, brewed and chilled
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Blend and enjoy!

***

It’s going to be a green week after my farmer’s market run. Next up: kale!

Do you make random observations about things that probably don’t matter?

How would you customize this green drink? I think red zinger tea would be fantastic in it too!

Twitter Delivers

August 19, 2011 By Laura

Yesterday I failed.

Twice. Once I tried to get too creative with baked falafel. Then I tried to get creative with blueberry muffins.

My falafel is in the garbage. The muffins are edible, but I would never let anyone else eat them. At least they photographed ~~well decently~~ ok in the right light.

#fail

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I did have a good run – fastest pace ever in a non-race run! It had been a while since I’d run in my Newtons and I definitely giving them credit. As advertised, I could feel them propel me forward. (Previous review here.)

Newton Motion

Stats:

Distance – 4 miles
Time – 31:56
Average Pace – 7:56

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In lieu of a recipe (trust me – you don’t want either of the afore mentioned), I want to write about a consumer win.

Do you ever wonder if companies are listening to consumers? Apparently Chipotle is!

Thanks to the power of social media, Twitter, and one pro-active consumer, Chipotle will be changing their menus to make consumers aware that their pinto beans are prepared with bacon.

Seth Porges, a non-pork eating customer, discovered the beans were made with pork product (bacon) and tweeted his displeasure.

Within 2 hours the CEO of f Chipotle, Steve Ells, called Porges to apologize and rectify the situation.

Source: The Consumerist

To read the full story, click here.

Pretty cool, right?

***

I’m constantly impressed with the company responses I receive via Twitter.

Have you ever received a company response via Twitter?

Is anyone unpleasantly surprised about the bacon in those beans?

Tofu Noodle Stir Fry with Spicy Peanut Sauce

August 18, 2011 By Laura

The leftover gods smiled upon me.

I still had Moroccan Carrot Salad leftover and I was anxious to use more of the delicious peanut flour I ordered. Then I spotted a red jalapeño about to go bad in the fridge. In the same drawer was the end of a red onion. Right next to the shiitake mushrooms I forgot I purchased. This could only lead to a peanut sauce stir-fry.

Side note: Did you know that once jalapeños turn red they become more sweet and less spicy? It still had a kick, but I could eat a raw piece without needing to chug a glass of milk.

This was one of the best quickie meals I’ve done in a while. I love the way peanuts pair with spicy ingredients, and the way a creamy sauce coats noodles. The crunch of the raw carrots and almonds made the texture, and the earthiness of the mushrooms was perfect with the nutty, amino-laced sauce.

I wrote the recipe below without detailing the Moroccan part of the carrots (that recipe can be found by clicking here). You can easily make this without the spices I used there – the peanut sauce is plenty flavorful!

There are also substitution suggestions for the hard(er)-to-find tofu noodles (my Publix carries them), peanut flour (order online), and liquid aminos (Whole Foods carries it in a nifty spray bottle).

It’s a stir fry… a great opportunity to get creative! This would be great with snow peas, sesame seeds, and/or red pepper.

Leftover leftovers make for a tasty next-day lunch at work! 🙂

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Tofu Noodle Stir Fry with Spicy Peanut Sauce

1 package Shirataki tofu noodles (can use regular pasta)
1/2 C shredded carrots
5 shiitake mushrooms
1/4 C red onion
1 jalapeño
S+P, to taste
Garnish with fresh cilantro and sliced almonds (optional)

For the Sauce

2 T peanut flour (can use peanut butter)
2 T unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp garlic sriracha
1/2 tsp liquid aminos (or soy sauce)

Prepare tofu noodles according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms, onion, and jalapeño in a pan with a bit of oil over med-high heat until tender (about 7-8 mins). Add noodles and carrots, stirring briefly to mix (~1 min).

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients for peanut sauce, adjusting aminos or soy sauce as needed.

Add sauce to the pan and and toss together briefly. Add salt and pepper as needed, plate, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Enjoy!

Serves 2.

***

I’ve been really bad about using up leftovers in the past – this creation has inspired me to try harder!

Do you re-purpose leftovers?

What has been you biggest leftover success?

Coconut Milk Greek Yogurt + WIAW

August 17, 2011 By Laura

Jen’s WIAW is becoming my favorite weekly feature.

I get SO many great ideas reading other people’s posts! Head over Peas & Crayons to check them out.

Breakfast

I was fortunate enough to receive samples of the new So Delicious Greek-style yogurt. The flavors include blueberry, raspberry, chocolate, and plain. Made with coconut milk, the Greek-sytle yogurt is VEGAN.

The nutritional information overall is good. The fiber contect is awesome – 8g! For those who prefer flavored yogurt, it only has 11g of sugar. That’s a lot for my taste, but it is pretty low compared to others on the market. It also have a ton of Calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, and Magnesium.

Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed with protein. One of the reasons I love Greek yogurt so much is the high protein content. This coconut version only contains 2g.

I tried the blueberry version first. While I did like it… it was very different than Greek yogurt. The texture wasn’t as creamy and it didn’t have the tartness.

Recognizing that this may be a plus for some of you (especially if you don’t like/have never had Greek yogurt), I like the “real” thing better.

Had I tried it expecting a traditional yogurt, I would have been happier. I think it’s better than “regular” yogurt! (Disclaimer: I don’t like regular yogurt.)

I gave it some more “oomph” with my new love: Peanut Flour. Why didn’t you guys beat me over the head to order this sooner?! It’s life-changing!!!

It’s incredible. Just add a little liquid and salt and you have a protein and fiber-rich peanut butter substance with less fat. Did I mention it’s also gluten-free?! I cannot wait to make pancakes and cookies with this.

I’m not sharing – order your own here: Protein Peanut Flour (woo hoo for this hometown Georgia company!)

From a galaxy far, far away...

PBJ Vegan Yogurt Deliciousness

2 T Peanut flour
2 T So Delicious unsweetened vanilla coconut milk
Pinch of salt
1 container So Delicious Blueberry Greek-style yogurt

In small bowl, mix together first 3 ingredients to form a peanut butter-like substance. Swirl in yogurt. Inhale bowl of deliciousness.

Lunch

Moroccan Carrot Salad is even better a day or 2 later! I made some extra so I could eat it through0ut the week and I thoroughly enjoyed it in a wrap today. I used a Rudi’s spelt tortilla and stuffed it with hummus, carrot salad, cucumber, celery, spinach, and green pepper.

With lots of water throughout the day in my Georgia Tech glass. (16 days until the beginning of the GT football season!!!)

Insert 4 mile, music-less run here. Silly Shuffle was out of juice. 🙁

Do you see that sweat?! It was so flipping hot. No music. 630pm. I think I ran fast just to get ‘er done.

I ~~fantasized~~ thought about dinner the WHOLE way.

Dinner

More carrots! This time with Shirataki tofu noodles and peanut sauce (yes, more peanut flour!).

Tomorrow you get more details on this! This post is getting loooong… it was a fantastic throw-together-meal. You should check back. ~~Everybody’s doing it.~~

Snacks

I cannot believe I FORGOT to take a pic of my snack today.

Pinkberry yogurt. Sheer deliciousness. I got the watermelon (only in stores until August 19th!) with mango and toasted almonds on top.

I also sampled the Salted Caramel. It was good, but I prefer yogurts in fruity flavors. “Dessert” flavors (like chocolate and caramel) are reserved for ice cream treats. Clearly I don’t mind a fruity tart! (That’s what she said.)

My nighttime snack doubled as dessert – a chocolate-peanut butter protein shake. With spinach, of course.

Almost forgot the pic. Lucky me – I was chatting with the famous Jen while drinking it and remembered just in time.

In my shake:

1 scoop chocolate casein protein powder
1/2 C spinach (I ran out!)
1/2 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 T crunchy peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of guar gum (helps to make the texture more shake-like)
Ice + Water, to taste

***

I have dinner plans tonight and it’s making the day dragggggg.

Do you have dessert preferences in terms of what you like fruity vs. chocolate-y?

What is the best thing you’ve eaten so far this week?

Moroccan Raw Carrot Salad

August 15, 2011 By Laura

Feast Noir.

You have heard of a flash mob, right? Feast Noir is similar, except instead of breaking out into song and dance the mob of people break out into dinner.

Literally. We all dressed in black and lined up in the parking area of a mixed-use development in town.

At 7 pm, we all filed to the center of the area, set up dinner in pre-assigned groups of 8, and dined.

My friend and I were concerned that it wouldn’t go off as smoothly as one would hope. It was surprisingly well-organized.

People got really into it – so going so far as to bring black foods, candles, and even sparklers! ~~Overachievers.~~

Our table of 8 had been good about coordinating but our table head didn’t show up, which meant we didn’t have plates or a TABLE. The 5 of us who did show made the best of it and set up on an outdoor stage area.

There was certainly no shortage of food!

As long as we have a cheese plate, we will survive.

Hummus courtesy of a “table”-mate

My appetizer plate, complete with homemade bread from another diner.

I volunteered to bring a veggie side and dessert. (Desserts – yes, plural – coming tomorrow!)

A vegan Moroccan raw carrot salad had caught my eye on Epicurious months ago. Feast Noir seemed to be the perfect time to try out my own interpretation of the recipe. Naturally, I added a little more garlic, heat, and Mexican-influence.

One of the changes I made was to use orange in the recipe. It was an excellent decision because I think that bit of sweet citrus brought out all of the other flavors and made this dish something special.

I love when something I make turns out better than expected! Corinne even admitted she was surprised… ~~I’m not sure how to take that~~.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

10 oz carrots, coarsely grated (I cheated with store-bought)
3 T grapeseed oil
Juice + zest from 1/2 fresh lime
Juice + zest from 1/2 small orange
1/4 C cilantro
1 clove garlic, mashed
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 tsp garlic sriracha
S+P, to taste

Mix all ingredients (except carrots) in small bowl. Adjust flavors as needed. Add carrots to a large bowl, adding mixture in part to coating completely (you may have some vinaigrette leftover, depending on your taste).

Refrigerate for at least two hours or up to 2 days, allowing flavors to meld.

Serves 4 as a side.

***

We were successful in getting the skeleton of the Italia trip planned! I’m beyond excited. 🙂

How was your weekend?

Did you try/do anything interesting?

Apple-Fennel Salad + WIAW

August 10, 2011 By Laura

Cheers to another WIAW!

This one is more of a “what I ate in preparation for and while on the road this week.” One day life will slow down… right?!

~~Who am I kidding – I totally thrive on running around with my hair on fire.~~

Anywho… it’s a quickie because 7am meeting are a bad idea for night owls. That does NOT mean that you should discount my Apple-Fennel Salad. I actually surprised myself with this one.