Recipe Night: Lunches 2016

Chickpea Salad In Cucumber Boats:

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small pepper, any colour, finely chopped
• 1 small roma tomato, finely chopped
• 1 pickle, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 cucumbers

Instructions:

• In a bowl, mash the chickpeas into a flaky texture
• Add the chopped vegetables and nutritional yeast and combine
• Blend the lemon juice, mustard and salt and pepper, then pour over the vegetables and blend
• To serve, divide the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Scoop out the center pulp and discard. Fill the “cucumber boats with the chickpea mixture. (Can also be served with crackers or stuffed in small hollowed out peppers.)

Chia and Coconut Milk Pudding:

Ingredients:

• 1 -19oz. can of coconut milk
• 2 cups coconut water, no sugar added
• 1 cup chia seeds
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Stevia to taste

Toppings such as berries, mangos, toasted coconut, seeds , nuts (you pick).

Instructions:

1.  In a blender, combine all the ingredients except toppings. Whirl on medium to high speed until most of the chia seeds break down and the pudding starts to thicken. Adjust the sweetness to your taste with stevia.
2. Pour into individual serving cups or a large bowl. Place in the fridge for 4-6 hours. Serve with your favourite toppings.
3. For chocolate pudding, add 1/2 cup cocoa powder and 1 more teaspoon cinnamon, when mixing in the blender.

Sweet Potato Toast: 

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes for the toast

Toppings:

• sliced eggs and oven-roasted tomatoes, pesto and chicken, peanut butter and apple or banana slices
•  Scrub and peel the sweet potatoes.
• Slice the potatoes into 1/8 – 1/4  inch slices
• Toast the slices in your toaster until the outer sides are crusty.
• Serve the sweet potato toast with the desired toppings.

Instructions:

For the oven-roasted tomatoes:

Slice roma tomatoes in half lengthwise and arrange on lined cookie sheets, fleshy side up. Brush a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top of each tomatoes and lightly salt and pepper top s well. Bake the tomatoes in the oven at around 200 F. until the tomato halves are flat and most of the moisture has dispersed. Store in the fridge if you are going to use these in a few days, or freeze.

Spaghetti Squash Quiche:

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• olive oil
• 1 leek, cleaned and coarsely chopped
• 1 large red or orange pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 package mushrooms, sliced
• salt and pepper
• 5 eggs

Instructions:

1. Roast the spaghetti squash in the oven until fork tender
2. When the squash cools, slice and scoop and discard the seeds, then use a fork to remove the spaghetti squash strands. Pat the strands into a greased pie plate. Bake the spaghetti squash at 350 F. for about 10 – 15 minutes to remove the moisture in the squash. Remove from the oven.
3. Saute the chopped leek, pepper, and mushrooms in oil  until tender. Lightly salt and pepper the mixture, then stir. Spoon the mixture into the pie plate over the spaghetti squash.
4. Crack the 5 eggs and blend the whites and yolks together. Pour the eggs over the vegetables in the pie plate.
5. Bake at 350 F. for approximately 45 minutes until the eggs are set.

Beet and Cauliflower Salad:

Ingredients:

Salad

• 4 large beets, scrubbed with ends cut off and quartered
• 1 cauliflower, stem removed and chopped into large pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups cooked whole grain such as quinoa, millet, buckwheat
• 1/4 cup hemp seed

Dressing

• 4 tablespoons mustard
• 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Place the beets and cauliflower onto a lined cookie tray.
2. Combine the vinegar and oil and brush onto the beets and cauliflower.
3. Bake in oven at 350 F. until roasted, around 40 minutes. The vegetables should be fork tender.
4. Remove from oven and let cool, then, chop into bite-size pieces and place in mixing bowl.
5. Add the hemp and grains to the vegetables.
6. Blend the ingredients for the dressing.
7. Pour 1/2  to 3/4 of the dressing over the salad, then mix well. Add more dressing if required.

Note: This salad can be served over mixed greens or a bed of spinach. Finely grated feta is also a nice addition to sprinkle on top.

Coconut Bread:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 6 eggs

Instructions:

1. Combined and blend the dry ingredients
2. In a large bowl, with a mixer, beat the eggs until frothy. Slowly beat in the coconut oil, honey and cider vinegar.
3. Using a spoon, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and blend well. The mixture will be thick and a little lumpy.
4. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 F. for approximately 30 minutes. The loaf will have a golden colour and the loaf will be firm to the touch.
5. Remove from oven and cool before cutting. Loosen sides with a butter knife.

Note: This bread is slightly sweet. It is better served with nut butters or you could use it as a sponge cake and serve it with plain yogurt and berries.

For a lemon cake, add 1 more tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon poppy seeds, zest of a lemon, 5 tablespoons lemon juice.

Caramel Apples:

Ingredients:

• 14 pitted medjool dates
• 2 large organic green apples, pitted, quartered, skins on
• 1&1/2 cup uncooked oat flakes.

Instructions:

1. Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend.
2. With slightly damp hands, scoop about 1&1/2 teaspoons of the mixture and roll into a ball. Continue until all the batter is used up – you should have about 28-30 bite sized caramel apples.
3. Store in fridge if they will be used with a few days. If not, place in the freezer.

Note: If you want to make these into a special treat, dip the balls half way into melted dark chocolate, and chopped nuts.

Stick a small piece of a drinking straw into the other side, i.e., non -chocolate side, to make the treat look like a chocolate dipped caramel apple

Broccoli and Red Cabbage Salad :

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chopped red cabbage (chop cabbage in small squares)
• 1 bunch broccoli, chopped into small bpieces
• zest of one orange
• 1/3 cup finely grated feta cheese
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup toasted and chopped walnuts

Dressing:

• Juice of one orange
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• pinch of cinnamon

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl combine the cabbage, broccoli, orange zest, feta cheese, and cranberries
2. Whisk together the orange juice, olive oil, mustard, garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper, and cinnamon
3. Pour over the salad and blend well
4. To serve, sprinkle with walnut pieces