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Heart Healthy Omega Burgers

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Heart Healthy Omega Burgers with a green salad & sweet potato crackers

These burgers are pretty quick to make up and can be paired with many side dishes. Of course, you can use your favourite burger bun to make them into a burger, stuff it into a pita with veggies, hummus, and Dijon mustard, or use large lettuce leaves as your ‘bun’. Our favourite way to enjoy these is to eat the burgers on top of a salad, or pair it with roasted root veggies (like turnip, carrots, potato, & yam).

Salmon is known to be a high source of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Ideally, you would be using wild or sockeye salmon. We used canned here because that is what we have available year round, and because when we have fresh salmon, we like to enjoy it ‘as is’ instead of mixing it up into burgers. The walnuts are an added dose of omega-3 fatty acids, and if you are using pasture-raised free-range eggs, they are known to be a good source of omega 3 fatty acids as well!

Heart Healthy Omega Burgers
 
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The heart-healthy omega fatty acids come from the salmon, walnuts, and eggs. We have ground up wheat-free market bread for the bread crumbs, or you can use ground Mary's crackers to keep it gluten-free.
Cuisine: dairy-free
Serves: 6-7 patties
Ingredients
  • 1 can wild or sockeye salmon, drained
  • ½ cup gluten-free or wheat free bread crumbs
  • 1 cup of walnuts
  • 2 free range eggs
  • ½ cup peas, fresh or frozen
  • 1-2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ¼ tsp sea salt, and more to taste
  • ¼ tsp dried thyme (or ½ tsp if using fresh)
  • ½ tsp dried dill (or 1 tsp if using fresh)
  • black pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Put canned salmon, walnuts, breadcrumbs & eggs and in a food processor and process for 10-15 seconds.
  2. Add peas and the rest of the ingredients and process for another 10 seconds.
  3. Divide into 6-7 patties.. filling heart cookie cutter is optional 🙂
  4. Place on a silicone lined or parchment paper lined baking sheet with a little bit of space in between each pattie.
  5. Bake 375 for 10 minutes, flip the burgers and continue baking for another 5 min.

 

Ken-Tucky Fried Chicken

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Ken's version of the famous 11 herbs & spices recipe

Ken’s version of the famous 11 herbs & spices KFC recipe

I have to give my Dad full credit for this recipe. It’s his delicious rendition of the famous 11 herbs & spices combination you’ll find in KFC recipes. The more basic herbs are brought to a whole new level with the addition of kosher salt, white pepper, curry & chili powders. (My Dad’s name is Ken, hence the ‘Ken-Tucky’ recipe name).

You can fry the chicken, as suggested below, but we’ve also baked the chicken at 350F for 35-40mins (omitting the oil), which gives you a less crispy chicken but it’s lower in fat as well. You can also start off with frying for about 15 mins to brown the chicken, and then throwing it in the oven to bake for another 20-30mins. There are alot of variations to cooking this recipe, as you can see. 

My Dad’s motto (courtesy of Chef Michael Smith) is “never make the same dish twice”.

Ken-Tucky Fried Chicken (gluten-free, dairy-free)
 
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Add a little more of this & a little less of that with equally delicious results. Serve it alongside roasted potatoes, carrots, and kale chips - and you've got yourself one tasty meal!
Author:
Recipe type: gluten-free, dairy-free, dinner
Serves: 10 thighs
Ingredients
  • 10 bone in chicken thighs, skin on
  • 1 tsp (heaping) oregano, dried
  • 1 tsp (heaping) basil, dried
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ¼-1/2tsp white pepper (depending on how spicy you want it)
  • 3-4 Tbsp brown rice flour
  • 2-3 Tbsp oil
Instructions
  1. Rinse chicken thighs in under cold water. Pat each thigh dry, individually. Place them on a cutting board or mat.
  2. Pre-heat 2 Tbsp oil on medium high heat in a large (at least 12 inch) sautee pan.
  3. Add all herbs, spices, salt, brown rice flour into a large mixing bowl. Mix together well.
  4. One by one, coat chicken thighs with spice mix by mixing it around in the bowl.
  5. Add coated chicken thigh to sautee pan, skin side up. Continue until all pieces are coated.
  6. You can sprinkle the remaining spice mixture onto each piece, or discard it.
  7. Fry chicken for 20 minutes, add 1 Tbsp oil more, if needed (if the bottom of the pan looks dry).
  8. After 20 mins, turn each piece with a fork or spatula (watch yourself!) and let cook for another 15-20 mins, or until done. You may have to let them cook for another 10-15 mins depending on the size of the thighs.

 

 

Dairy-free Seafood Chowder

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Thick, creamy & dairy-free!

If we had a secret weapon – this would be it! This recipe ‘wows’ people every single time. It’s thick, rich, and decadent. We’ve made it a few times now with a few minor variations, and it’s worked out great every time – we hope you like it!

Dairy-free Seafood Chowder
 
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This one-pot wonder satisfies any creamy chowder cravings you may be having this winter... and its dairy-free - bonus!
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Recipe type: dairy-free, gluten-free
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 4 Tbsp ghee, earth balance, or your favorite butter-like oil (... or butter if you can tolerate some dairy)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • ½ tsp celery seed
  • 1-2 bay leaf
  • 2 tsp dill, dried (4tsp if using fresh)
  • 1 tsp sea salt or 1½-2 tsp Herbamare
  • ¼ tsp pepper, fresh ground (or more to taste)
  • 4 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into 1in cubes
  • 1 cup water, no salt chicken or seafood broth
  • 2 cans coconut milk, but just mostly the cream (reserve the water for a smoothie)
  • 2-3 cups fresh or frozen seafood combination (skinless haddock fillet pieces, wild salmon fillet pieces, shrimp, lobster claws with liquid, scallops, crab)
  • 1½ cup frozen corn
  • lemon wedges or parsley, as garnish (optional)
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, melt ghee or oil over medium heat.
  2. Add in onions, herbs, salt & pepper. Sautee for 5 mins, until onions are browning.
  3. Add potatoes & sautee for 5 mins more. (feel free to add a bit of the water to prevent potatoes from sticking to the pot)
  4. Increase heat to high, add 1 cup water/broth & bring to a boil.
  5. Turn heat down slightly & boil potatoes, stirring often, until they reached desired tenderness (about 10 mins)
  6. Turn heat to low, add frozen corn & coconut cream and stir well. Add some coconut water or more water/broth if you prefer a slightly thinner chowder.
  7. Add in seafood & fish, and cook for another 5 mins, or until the fish is flaky, stirring often.
  8. Add salt & pepper to taste, and remove bay leaf.
  9. Serve with lemon wedges, fresh chopped parsley, and fresh ground pepper, as garnish if you'd like.

 

Thai Panang Curry with Chicken (gluten-free, dairy-free)

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A fragrant and delicious red curry dish.

You know how most people have a certain style of cooking? Well, not Nick – he’s the most versatile, well-rounded, and talented cook I know. He takes his time when cooking – it takes him most of the day to cook a meal… as it should when using traditional cooking methods 🙂 But the end result is a dish that is complex, sophisticated, and so full of flavour! So, at first, this recipe may look a little intimidating, but please know that you will not be disappointed if you decide to take on this recipe.

One of Nick’s favorite cuisines to prepare is Thai food. His inspiration for this recipe comes from the time he spent at Yousabai farm in Northern Thailand, taking part in a weeklong Thai vegetarian cooking course. This dish contains a few special herbs that are essential to Thai cooking. Galangal, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and Thai basil. You may not recognize galangal and kaffir lime leaves, but these two herbs are indispensable in authentic Thai cooking. They are optional in this recipe because of the difficulty in finding these Thai herbs, but if happen to have them in your kitchen – bonus!

You can easily make this dish vegetarian/vegan by substituting chicken for fried tofu, or cooked chickpeas.

Thai Panang Curry with Chicken
 
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The heat from the chilies is balanced by the coconut milk, and the addition of Thai herbs and spices give this dish an authentic Thai flavour in the comfort of your own kitchen.
Author:
Recipe type: gluten-free, dairy-free
Cuisine: Thai cooking, dinner
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 5 thai red chilies, de-seeded, soaked in warm water for 30 mins
  • 2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • 1 ½ cups wild rice blend, or long grain brown rice
  • 2⅓ cup water
  • 2-3 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp cumin seeds, whole
  • ½ Tbsp coriander seeds, whole
  • 3 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • ¼ cup tamari soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp coconut or cane sugar
  • 1 Tbsp galangal powder, or 2Tbsp fresh chopped (optional)
  • 5-10 keffir lime leaves (optional)
  • 2 lemongrass stalks, chopped (optional)
  • 1 cup green beans, fresh or frozen, cut into 1” pieces
  • ½ cup green peas, fresh or frozen
  • ½ cup zucchini, diced
  • ½ cup broccoli florets, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp dried thai basil, or 3 Tbsp if using fresh
  • cashews, roasted or dry roasted, for garnish
Instructions
Preparation:
  1. In a small bowl, place red thai chili peppers in warm water to soak for 30 mins.
  2. At the end of soaking time, remove chilies from water, chop off stems and cut lengthwise. Place chilies back in water and de-seed. When most of the seeds are removed (you can leave a few in for heat), take chilies out of water and chop well. Discard water & seeds. Transfer chopped chilies to a mortar. With a pestle and mortar, grind chilies into a paste. Set aside.
  3. Cut chicken breasts into strips. Set aside.
  4. Rinse rice, and add to a medium-sized pot with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and let sit for 45 mins. When done, fluff with a fork.
Cooking:
  1. In a large skillet, heat 1-2 Tbsp coconut oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Add chopped onions & cook for 2 mins, or until softened.
  3. Add minced garlic, and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Add 1 more Tbsp coconut oil with cumin and coriander seeds. Heat for 30 sec.
  5. Add 3 Tbsp Thai red curry paste, and homemade red thai chili pepper paste. Mix well, and heat for 30 sec.
  6. Empty skillet into a bowl, and set aside.
  7. In the same skillet, heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil. Add chicken strips & cook until done (when there’s no more pink), about 5 mins.
  8. Add chili/curry paste mixture back into skillet, and canned coconut milk. Mix well.
  9. Mix in tamari soy sauce, sugar, and thai basil. Add galangal, kefir lime leaves & chopped lemongrass if using.
  10. Add in green beans, green peas, zucchini, & broccoli florets.
  11. Reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 5-10 mins.
  12. Serve by scooping about ½ cup rice in a bowl, add a large scoop of veggies, and cashews for garnish.

Jenna’s Creamy Garlic ‘Cheese’ Sauce with Spaghetti Squash Noodles (gluten-free, dairy-free option)

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A creamy pasta dish all made from veggies

My sister, Jenna, created this recipe. If you know her, you probably didn’t know that she’s a fantastic cook – a very intuitive and brilliant cook! She has a taste for savoury flavours and can create delicious, healthy dishes intuitively just by adding a bit of this and a bit of that… You should hear her explain one of her recipes to me…”Then you add some dijon, and maybe DSC_5101a bit of lemon juice. Stir it around and just before its done, add whatever else you want”…. Not exactly easy to interpret into an easy-to-follow recipe ;) And she doesn’t use measuring cups… ever. So, when I can catch her, I follow her around the kitchen, taking pictures so I don’t forget anything, and eventually we create a recipe.

This “cheese” sauce gets its cheesy flavour from  nutritional yeast, which is a deactivated yeast that is high in B vitamins (don’t be alarmed when your pee turns bright yellow-green colour after eating this stuff – its just your body excreting the extra B vitamins that it doesn’t absorb). In the culinary world, you’ll see many people sprinkle nutritional yeast on popcorn or kale chips to give a cheesy flavour without the cheese.

If you want to make this dairy-free & vegan, substitute Earth Balance instead of butter, omit chicken and parmesan garnish. 

Jenna's dairy-free mac & cheese with spaghetti squash (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan)
 
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Other veggies that are good with this combination: broccoli florets, green peas, chopped carrots, sliced zucchini, and shredded purple cabbage.
Author:
Recipe type: gluten-free supper, gluten-free pasta
Serves: 5-6
Ingredients
  • 1 medium spaghetti squash
  • 2 chicken breast, cut into pieces
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 6-8 mini portabello or white button mushrooms, chopped
  • 8-10 asparagus spears, chopped into ½" slices
  • 3-4 cups spinach, chopped
sauce:
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, whole
  • 2 Tbsp brown rice flour
  • 1½ - 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • ¼ - ⅓ cup nutritional yeast flakes
  • salt & pepper, to taste
optional ingredients:
  • fresh parmesan, grated
Instructions
  1. Preparing the Squash:
  2. Preheat oven to 375.
  3. Wash outside of squash and poke several shallow holes in the skin to allow air to escape.
  4. Place squash in a baking dish and bake for 1 hour.
  5. Remove from oven and let cool.
  6. Cut squash lengthwise with a serrated knife, and scoop the seeds into the compost.
  7. With a fork, grate lengthwise along the inside of the squash to make "spaghetti" and place spaghetti in a large bowl. Set aside.
  8. Discard outer squash shell
  9. Preparing the veggies:
  10. Chop all veggies to desired size, including chopped spinach. Set aside.
  11. In a large skillet, heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil. Add chicken pieces and cook 5-7 mins, stirring often.
  12. When chicken is done, add veggies (except spinach) and sautee until almost done (about 10 mins). This will take about the same amount of time to make the sauce, so you can start the sauce while sautéing the veggies.
  13. Preparing the sauce:
  14. As veggies are sautéing, in a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp butter. While butter is melting, grate 3 cloves of garlic into butter. Add a few pinches of salt and pepper, and 2 Tbsp brown rice flour. Stir quickly to mix together well.
  15. Add 1½ cup unsweetened almond milk, stirring continuously. As the sauce thickens, add about ½ cup more almond milk. Continue stirring for 3-5 more minutes.
  16. Add 2 Tbsp dijon mustard, juice from ½ lemon, and about ⅓ cup nutritional yeast flakes, starting with ¼ cup and adding more until you get the desired taste. Add more salt and pepper, if needed.
  17. Remove sauce from heat.
  18. Putting it all together:
  19. To the large skillet of sautéed veggies and chicken, add spaghetti squash and chopped spinach. Stir to combine.
  20. Pour sauce over veggies and stir to mix all ingredients together. Add more salt & pepper, to taste.
  21. Garnish with grated parmesan, if using. Serve it on its own, or with a green salad for an extra serving of veggies.
  22. Enjoy!

Brown Rice Wraps (gluten-free, dairy-free)

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BROWN RICE WRAPS (gluten-free, dairy-free)

Brown rice wrap with baby arugula, hummus, roasted leeks & mushrooms, & Daiya cheese

Filled with baby arugula, hummus, roasted leeks & mushrooms, & Daiya cheese

 

Juliet sized wraps - one half with hummus, baby arugula & homemade brown beans, the other half with guacamole, Diaya cheese & olives

Juliet sized wraps – 1/2 with hummus, arugula &  brown beans & 1/2 with guacamole, Daiya  & olives

If you’ve seen our gluten and dairy-free Delicious Crepe recipe, then you’ll already be familiar with the ingredients and how to make this simple and yummy recipe – it is basically the same as the crepe recipe, but without any sweeteners. You can always get creative by adding herbs and spices to the batter, but they are also very good plain – so good that kids enjoy them too! Top them with your favourite dip, spread, veggies, and anything else that you can imagine.

Some ideas that we have for toppings are:

  • spread: hummus, Dijon mustard, guacamole, salsa, Siracha hot sauce
  • roasted veggies: onion, mushroom, leek, peppers, broccoli florets
  • mixed greens: baby kale, arugula, spinach, lettuce, mixed greens
  • fresh veggies: diced tomatoes, shredded carrot, sliced cucumber, olives, hot banana peppers
  • scoop of beans, cooked quinoa or rice (you could try our balsamic quinoa salad), or if you’re feeling fishy, try out our dairy-free tuna salad
  • Daiya cheese (to keep it dairy-free)

And now for the recipe…

Brown Rice Wraps (gluten-free, dairy-free)
 
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These brown rice wraps are best served fresh, but can be covered with a clean dish towel and used several hours later.
Author:
Recipe type: gluten-free
Serves: 7-8
Ingredients
  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1½ cup to 2 cup original or unsweetened almond milk or other 'mylk' alternative
  • ghee, butter, or coconut oil for frying
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl mix together dry ingredients and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl whisk together the egg. Add dry ingredients and stir until all flour is integrated.
  3. Gradually whisk in all of the mylk into the batter until there are no clumps.
  4. Set batter aside for 10-15 mins (during this time, I like to prep the fillings that I'll be using).
  5. Heat a 10'' frying pan or skillet on medium heat. Add a small pad of oil to evenly coat the pan.
  6. Add ⅓ cup batter into the pan and swirl the pan around to distribute the batter evenly over the pan.
  7. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the edges of the batter turns a golden brown colour. Use a wide, flat spatula to gently flip the wrap and allow to cook for another minute.
  8. When done cooking, place wrap on a large plate and cover with a clean dishtowel until you're ready to serve.
  9. Repeat adding oil to the pan before adding the batter until all of the batter is gone and you have 7-8 delicious wraps ready to be served. Enjoy!

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…Nom… Nom… Nom…

Troubleshooting

  • Lots of tiny bubbles in the batter when you add it to the pan? add more batter
  • Wraps turning crispy? turn the heat down
  • Did your wrap turn out more thick, like a pancake? add more mylk to the batter
  • Wrap sticking to the pan? add more oil and/or let cook for a few seconds longer

 

What’s for supper?

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When we’re hungry, we look for meals that are healthy, easy to make, relatively quick, and most importantly – delicious! The meal that most people prepare at home is supper, so this is what we decided to feature – what’s cooking for supper!

We’ve been compiling our favourite recipes have started posting them in a a series of posts labeled ‘Quick & Easy Healthy Homemade Meals’, which you can find in our Recipes section (be sure to find the ‘next page’ icon towards the bottom of the page to find earlier posts). Recipes that you’ll recognize are Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinegar Dressing, Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing, and Glory Bowl Dressing. Also, be on the lookout for recipes for Sunflower seed burgers, Chickpea chana masala, Ginger-tamari  stirfry sauce, Quinoa salad rolls, and Quinoa crab cakes, and more.

Chickpea Chana Masala

Chickpea Chana Masala with spinach served on long grain brown rice

 

Sunflower seed burgers with grilled balsamic portabello mushrooms and a green salad

Sunflower seed burgers, grilled balsamic portabello mushrooms, sliced pickles & cuc, and a green salad with glory bowl dressing

 

Prawn kabobs, balsamic quinoa salad and bitter greens with apple cider vinegar dressing

Prawn kabobs, quinoa salad with balsamic vinegar dressing, and bitter greens with apple cider vinegar dressing

 

Breakfast for supper: 2 poached eggs, roasted potatoes, and baby grape tomatoes and baby kale leaves served over a slice of gluten-free toast

Breakfast for supper: 2 poached eggs, roasted potatoes, scoop of dijon mustard, baby grape tomatoes and baby kale leaves served over a slice of gluten-free toast

 

Roasted lamb with , balsamic quinoa salad with cranberries and walnuts, and a green salad

Roasted lamb shoulder with rosemary balsamic reduction,  quinoa salad with balsamic vinegar dressing (with added cranberries & walnuts), and a green salad

 

Beef stirfry with tamari, ginger, garlic, and black sesame seeds served over brown rice vermicelli noodles

Beef stirfry with tamari, ginger, garlic, and black sesame seeds served over brown rice vermicelli noodles

 

Quinoa salad rolls! with dipping sauce (recipe to come)

Quinoa salad rolls! with hot & tangy tamari dipping sauce

 

Quinoa crab cakes, green salad with goat feta and red wine vinaigrette

Quinoa crab cakes, green salad with goat feta and red wine vinaigrette

 

Lamb popsicles in coconut curry dipping sauce, turmeric roasted potatoes and warm beet cabbage side dish

Lamb popsicles in a tangy coconut curry dipping sauce, turmeric roasted potatoes and warm beet cabbage side dish

 

Whole roasted chicken, warm wild rice salad with roasted almonds and tamari sauce, homemade sauerkraut and dijon mustard.

Whole roasted chicken, warm wild rice salad with roasted almonds and tamari sauce, homemade sauerkraut and dijon mustard.

 

Spaghetti squash with roasted veggies and pesto, and roasted veggies with tomato pasta sauce

Spaghetti squash half with roasted veggies and pesto, and spaghetti squash other half with roasted veggies and tomato pasta sauce

 

Quick & Easy Healthy Homemade Meals: Flax Fish

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FLAX FISH

Flax fish served over Moroccan Quinoa - a quick, easy, and delicious healthy homemade meal

Flax fish served over Moroccan Quinoa – a quick, easy, and delicious healthy homemade meal

Battered fish is tasty, but is often high in fat & carbohydrates, and contains gluten. This recipe is a great substitute, for those looking for a healthier version of battered fish. The light sesame oil has a high smoke point, so is safe for frying, and by using ground flax seeds as your batter, you will benefit from the high fibre content of flax seeds. Also, as a last cooking tip, it’s important to dry off the fish a little or the ground flax seeds will cake/clump onto the fish rather than coat it evenly. But even if your flax ends up being clumped on, it still ends up tasting good!

We like to serve this fish over Moroccan Quinoa, for a complete and satisfying meal.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 fillets frozen white fish, thawed & drained (basa, haddock)
  • 1/4 cup ground flax seeds (or more)
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4-6 Tbsp light sesame oil, olive oil or coconut oil (our favourite!)

Preparation

  • Fully thaw fish and remove excess moisture by patting fish dry with dish towel or paper towel. Cut fish into 3″x3″ chunks.
  • In a large bowl, combine ground flax, seasonings. Mix together well.
  • Add 6-8 chunks of fish to the bowl with flax & seasonings. Mix together to coat fish well.
  • Pre-heat a non-stick skillet or frying pan on medium heat with 2 Tbsp sesame oil.
  • Add coated fish to frying pan and fry on one side for about 3-5 mins. Turn fish to cook the other side for another 3 mins, or until flax seeds are dark brown. Remove from frying pan and place on a large plate*.
  • Add another 6-8 chunks fish to flax mixture and coat fish well. If you need more ground flax, add it at this point and any more seasonings, as you like.
  • Add another 1-2 Tbsp sesame oil to the pan, as needed. Repeat the above steps for frying the chunks of fish until you have no more fish left to fry.

* If you would like to remove excess oil, put a sheet or two of paper towel on a large plate. When removing fried fish from the frying pan, place fish on paper towel to soak up any excess oil.

Quick & Easy Healthy Homemade Meals: Moroccan Quinoa

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MOROCCAN QUINOA

It doesn't get much more healthy & delicious than this!

Bring this dish to your next potluck – people will be raving about it!

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Serves: 6

 Ingredients

  • 2 cups quinoa, uncooked
  • 3 ½ cups water
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 1 cup raw almonds, chopped
  • ½ cup Thompson raisins or dried cranberries
  • 1-2 Tbsp mild curry powder (or hot curry powder if you like some spice)
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp each turmeric, ground cardamom or ground coriander
  • 1 tsp sea salt (or more, to taste)
  • ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
  • 4 cups baby spinach (organic preferably – it’s on the Dirty Dozen)
  • 1 small (14oz) can Eden Organic Garbanozo beans or 1 cup soaked & boiled dried garbanzo beans(optional)

Preparation

– In a medium sized pot, cook 2 cups quinoa in 3 ½ cups water (and a pinch of salt) for 20 mins. Uncover when cooked, and allow to cool.

– Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, and sauté onions for 2-3 minutes.

– Then, add the sliced carrots and sauté for about 3-5 minutes, stirring often.

– Add almonds, raisins, spices & salt, and sauté 5 minutes more.

– Add cooked quinoa and peas (and garbanzo beans, if using), stir to coat ingredients evenly. (Add 1-2 Tbsp water, if quinoa is really dry, and/or 1 more Tbsp oil, if you think it needs it. You can also add more curry powder, if needed).

– Add in spinach and mix together well to wilt the spinach a bit (water from spinach will also help moisten the quinoa). Season with salt & pepper, and adjust spices to your liking.

– Serve and enjoy this dish – it’s a good one to add into the weekly dinner cycle!

Quick & Easy Healthy Homemade Meals: Rice & Beans

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We really like using soaked & boiled dried beans in all of our bean dishes (see ‘Vegetarian Chili’ recipe post on how to prepare dried beans), but when we don’t have time then we use canned beans. However, we choose to use Eden Organic’s canned beans because they are BPA-free. As a reminder, BPA is a hormone disruptor that mimics estrogen in our bodies. This is especially bad for our children, as they have immature & developing (and therefore vulnerable) hormonal systems that are affected by what we eat and the environment that surrounds us. Here is an article that is easy to read & also has more information on BPA-free food products.

RICE AND BEANS

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Rice & beans served as a tortilla with guacamole & scrambled eggs

Prep Time: 10mins

Cook Time: 30mins (50mins for brown rice)

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

  • 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3 cups white basmati rice, cooked (use long grain brown rice for a healthier version)
  • 1 can Eden Organic kidney beans or 1-2 cups soaked & boiled dried kidney beans
  • ½ – ¾ cup tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 cup frozen or fresh green peas
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • ¼ tsp cayenne (or more)
  • 1 tsp sea salt or Zesty Hebamare

Serve with one or many of the following:

Preparation

– In a medium pot, cook rice according to package directions (usually about 20 minutes for white rice, 35-40 minutes for brown rice).

– Heat oil in a large skillet, add onion and garlic. Sautee for about 3 minutes. Add in rice, kidney beans, chopped tomatoes and spices. Stir to evenly coat ingredients. Add more cayenne or salt, as desired.

– Serve on its own or as a tortilla and garnish with any of the toppings mentioned above.