Grilled Vegetable Quinoa Salad
By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen
Source: Canadian Living Magazine: June 2011


Ingredients

• 1 cup (250 mL) quinoa
• 1 sweet red pepper, quartered
• 1 sweet yellow pepper, quartered
• 1 zucchini, cut lengthwise in 1/2-inch thick strips
• 12 asparagus spears, trimmed
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) Light feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) toasted pumpkin seeds
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) chopped fresh cilantro

Chipotle Vinaigrette:

• 3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) red wine vinegar
• 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
• 2 tsp (10 mL) liquid honey
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

Preparation
Soak quinoa in cold water for 3 minutes; drain in sieve. In saucepan, bring 1-1/2 cups salted water to boil; stir in quinoa and return to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until no liquid remains, 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and fluff with fork; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Spread on small tray and let cool for 10 minutes.

Chipotle Vinaigrette: Meanwhile, whisk together oil, vinegar, chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, honey, cumin, salt and pepper. Set aside.

In large bowl, toss together red and yellow peppers, zucchini, asparagus and 3 tbsp of the vinaigrette until coated. Place on greased grill over medium heat; close lid and grill until charred and tender, 4 to 6 minutes for asparagus, 10 to 12 minutes for peppers and zucchini. Cut into large chunks and return to bowl.

Add remaining dressing, quinoa, half of the feta cheese, the pumpkin seeds and cilantro; stir until incorporated. Sprinkle with remaining feta. Serve immediately.

Baked Spaghetti Squash Casserole
from The Science of Eating.com

Ingredients:

• 12 oz Gardein Original Meatless Ground or Lightlife Vegan Crumbles 
• 2 Tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
• 1 large Spaghetti Squash
• 1 Cups Light & Healthy Marinara Sauce or Prego Light Smart Traditional Sauce
• 1/3 Cup Helios Plain Organic Nonfat Kefir (Lifeway)
• 1 6oz Container of FAGE Total 0% Plain Greek Yogurt
• 2/3 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded or your favorite white Vegetarian Cheese
• 1/3 of a medium Onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp Garlic Powder, divided
• 2 Tbsp Onion Powder, divided
• 1/2 Tsp. Sage
• 2 Pinches of Rosemary
• 2 Pinches of Fennel Seeds
• 1 Tsp. Oregano
• 1 Tsp. Basil
• 2 Tbsp. Parsley
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut spaghetti squash in half, remove the seeds and guts then poking the outside skin 10 times with a knife.
• Brush the inside and rim of squash with a tsp of olive oil.
• Microwave for 10 to 20 minutes (turning every 3 to 4 minutes if you don’t have a carousel.) You can tell when it’s done because the skin starts to buckle.
• While the squash cooks and is cooling off, heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat and add Lightlife Vegan Crumbles, cook 5 minutes.
• Once veggie crumbles have warmed through, add half of the onion & garlic powder along with sage, basil, oregano, rosemary and fennel seeds stirring well, and heat another 5 or 6 minutes on medium-low heat. Set aside.
• Once the squash is done, begin scraping it out with a fork, and transfer scraped squash into a greased 9X9 baking dish.
• Add veggie crumbles & 1/4 cup of the cheese to the squash, and stir well to combine.
• In a small pot, mix together sauce, kefir and Greek yogurt and the other half of the onion and garlic powder, and warm 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
• Stir in with the squash until it’s all well mixed.
• Top with remaining cheese & sprinkle with parsley
• Bake for 1 hour or until cheese is melted and bubbly and squash looks set.
• Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Facts: (Serves 6)
203 Calories
5g Fat
21g Carbs
21g Protein

Why you can feel good about this meal:
Making spaghetti squash a good choice for a low-calorie meal, with a cup of it only totaling 42 Calories. 

Spaghetti Squash has many vitamins and minerals including Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, calcium, iron, thiamin, niacin, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, selenium and manganese. They act as antioxidants, boosting the health of the bones, muscles, immune system, eyesight and the nervous system.

Spaghetti squash has an extremely low glycemic load which means that blood sugar levels stay low after eating it, maintaining a steady insulin level and preventing diabetes.

People who eat three servings of yogurt a day can lose up to 61% more body fat and 22% more weight than those who do not eat yogurt.  It also helps maintain lean muscle mass and a high metabolic rate. Kefir contains certain healthy bacteria that is not available in yogurt. These beneficial microorganisms help support digestive health and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in the intestines. Vitamin K and B-12, are produced in our gut, and probiotics in kefir help this production.

So, my mom experimented with making kale chips. And she also takes a class at the Y on Wed nights, at the same time I'm there. Which meant that last night she hands me a Ziploc bag in the locker room, of little green flakes, and says, "try this. What do you think?" And I'm like, "MOM! I can't carry that around the YMCA!"

Because ... it just looks like ...
Yeah.

I took it in to work today and let some people try it. The taste was actually good. It's just that neither my mom or I knew what kale chips were supposed to look like, taste like, or what consistency they were supposed to be. She was just trying to follow a recipe from a book my sister had sent us for Christmas. They asked for the recipe. Figured I'd share it with everyone! It's from Eat Pure Food by Nicole du Vent.

2 bunches – Kale

Dressing
2-4 TBSP   Olive Oil
1 TBSP      lemon juice
1/2 tsp.     sea salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne (optional)
1/2 tsp. onion powder (optional)

1.    Wash the kale thoroughly and pat to dry.
2.    Tear the kale from the stem in large pieces.
3.    Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, pour over the kale and gently massage into the kale. The kale will darken and soften as you massage it.
4.    Spread the kale on mesh dehydrator sheets or a lined baking pan.
5.    Dehydrate the kale at 115F until very crisp, 4-6 hours.

*If you don’t have a dehydrator you can dry them in your oven : warm up the oven on the lowest setting possible, then turn off the oven but leave the light on: this will give just enough heat to slowly dehydrate them.

Cheesy Kale chips: Add 2 TBSP nutritional yeast
Curry Kale chips:  Omit the onion powder and add 1 tsp curry powder and 1/2 tsp cumin


And, for anyone daring enough to experiment, my mom's notes after making her first two experiments. Er, um, batches:

Chocolate Bliss Balls

2 cups raw cashews or almonds, soaked 4 hrs
12 pitted dates
1/3 cup coconut oil melted
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp maca powder (optional)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch sea salt (or regular salt)

1. Soak dates in hot water for 10-15 min.

2. Meanwhile, drain and in a food processor, blend the soaked nuts with melted coconut oil to a smooth paste

3. Drain the dates and add them to the blended nuts, process again

4. Add the cacao powder, vanilla, maca, cinnamon and sea salt, process until very smooth

5. Scoop 1 inch balls and roll with lightly moistened hands, roll balls in extra cacao powder

Note: my mom made them without maca powder and they were fine

Back in the spring, I saw these pictures in my newsfeed on Facebook, of Salad-in-a-Jar. I thought it looked like a cool idea, so I tried it. Naturally, I took pictures of it, and posted about it (as one does, because - Facebook). Who knew that salad would generate so many comments and questions? Tons of people were interested. I got to be the guinea pig, and after a week, I made my report:

Success! I'm a convert. Today's salad was about as good as the first one, and seems to have held up over the 5 days. I suspect that it helped that I used dark greens (baby spinach). I still feel like lettuce would have gotten slimy, but the spinach was dry. No condensation. The hardboiled egg did not get "stinky" as someone asked about. The tomatoes are even still pretty firm, which surprised me. Again, I think it helped that I used whole berries, not ones that were cut up (not sure how strawberries would last, for example). But I'm willing to do it again and try, because I think the key is the Mason jars. Air-tight seals make a difference, and they're used for preserves. I guess it makes sense that they keep veggies pretty fresh for a week.

Basically, as long as the salad dressing is on the bottom, and the lettuce/spinach is on top, you can add whatever you like. I put the veggies on the bottom since they won't soak up the dressing so much (carrots, green peppers, tomatoes). Added feta and a hardboiled egg, for protein and taste. Blackberries. Pumpkin seeds. And then baby spinach on top. The idea is you turn the jar over when you're ready to eat it, and it all mixes together as you take the salad out of the jar, and you get the dressing spread over it all. You kind of need a big bowl. It would be nearly impossible to eat it from the jar, unless you wanted to eat it in layers.

Definitely a time-saver. One day of prep; 5 days of meals.

Q: Did you add nuts or seeds?
A: Seeds: raw pumpkin seeds. They added a ton of calories, but also some crunch and protein. Slivered almonds would be good, too.

Q: They didn't get soft?
A: Not really - marginally softer than Monday's, but still crunchy, and not even close to mushy (they were also closer to the top, not down in the dressing)

Hint from a friend: "Watch the salad dressing tomorrow... You might want to take some extra. Depending on how you made the dressing it sometimes has a taste change. I love salads in the jar. They really do keep for the entire week."

Hint from me: a Mason jar holds a lot of salad. So, watch where you eat it, or your friends will make fun of you for the size of your required salad bowl!

More sites:
http://www.thekitchn.com/no-more-soggy-salad-a-guide-to-the-perfect-salad-in-a-jar-186104
http://www.skinnymomskitchen.com/2013/02/12/my-thoughts-on-mason-jar-salads/
http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/

Garlic Rubbed Roasted Cabbage Steaks
(from Getting Skinny with GinaBean on Facebook)

If you love cabbage, you are going to freak out about how good this is. Now, if you are on the fence about cabbage, you need to try this because this might be the recipe that converts you to a cabbage lover. This is a simple side dish worthy of a dinner party and couldn’t be easier to make. Four ingredients, a couple of minutes to prepare and toss in the oven for an hour.

Ingredients
1 (approx 2lb) head of organic green cabbage, cut into 1″ thick slices
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 large garlic cloves, smashed
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
spray olive oil OR non-stick cooking spray

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Pull outer leaf off cabbage (it’s usually dirty and nasty looking), cut cabbage from top to bottom (bottom being root) into 1″ thick slices.

2. Rub both sides of cabbage with smashed garlic.

3. Use a pastry brush to evenly spread the olive oil over both sides of the cabbage slices.

4. Finally, sprinkle each side with a bit of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

5. Roast on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Carefully flip the cabbage steaks and roast for an additional 30 minutes until edges are brown and crispy. Serve hot and enjoy!

Chickpea, Sweet Pepper & Bocconcini Salad
LCBO Food and Drink - summer 2009

Pearl bocconcini add a pretty touch to this marinated salad, terrific as a starter or a side dish.

2 cans chickpeas, 540 mL each,
drained and rinsed
1 large sweet red pepper, diced
1 large sweet yellow pepper, diced
1 cup (250 mL) diced celery
2 cups (500 mL) drained pearl
bocconcini, about 12 oz (375 g)
1⁄2 cup (125 mL) white wine vinegar
1 tbsp (15 mL) liquid honey
1⁄4 tsp (1 mL) smoked paprika
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3⁄4 cup (175 mL) olive oil
Lettuce leaves
Sliced tomatoes or halved grape
tomatoes (optional)

1. Combine chickpeas, red pepper, yellow pepper, celery and bocconcini in a large bowl or airtight container.

2. Whisk together vinegar, honey, paprika, 1⁄2 tsp (2 mL) salt and 1⁄4 tsp (1 mL) pepper. Gradually whisk in oil until blended. Pour over chickpea mixture and toss gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or for up to 3 days (toss salad gently occasionally while marinating).

3. To serve, let salad stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on lettuce leaves and garnish with tomatoes, if desired.

Serves 8 to 12

Beet Salad with Apple and mint
LCBO Food and Drink – 2011 Holiday issue

3 lbs (1.5 kg) medium beets
2 large apples
2 tbsp (30 mL) apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp (2 mL) Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil
1/4 cup (60 mL) lightly packed fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped

1. Place unpeeled beets in a large pot; cover with water. Partially cover pot and place over high heat. When at a full boil, reduce heat so water gently bubbles. Boil 45 to 60 minutes or until beets are tender when pricked with a skewer. Leave in water in pan to cool until able to handle, about 30 minutes; then drain.

2. Peel beets; slice into bite-size pieces. Don’t bother peeling apples, just core and coarsely julienne.

3. Stir vinegar with mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl until combined. Stir in olive oil; then mix in apples until well coated. Add beets and gently stir. (Salad can be covered and refrigerated for a day.)

4. When ready to serve, fold chopped mint into salad. Garnish with additional mint sprigs.

Serves 8