Recipes

Recipes

Breakfast, Lunch, Recipes, Snacks, Vegetarian

Quinoa Orange Breakfast Bowl

My friend Taryn and I went to Zinc Café on Sunday and decided to try their new quinoa bowl. It was filled with red quinoa, oranges, almonds, and topped with rich ricotta cheese. Zinc Café served their dish hot, which I really enjoyed since the weather has taken a turn. I wanted to try making the quinoa bowl at home,  and used cold quinoa that I had prepared and stored in the refrigerator the night before. I might even try making it into a parfait by alternating the layers of quinoa with ricotta in a glass jar. Perfect to have waiting in the fridge for mornings where I don’t have time to make something. Hot, cold, or in a jar, this is definitely going to be one of my new breakfast staples!

Quinoa Orange Breakfast Bowl
Serves 1

½ cup cooked red quinoa
1 cup Mandarin orange slices
¼ cup nonfat ricotta cheese
2 Tbsp slivered almonds
½ Tbsp fresh orange zest
½ Tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tsp honey if desired

Cook quinoa to package instructions. Combine quinoa with orange slices, orange zest, orange juice, and slivered almonds. Top with ricotta cheese, and garnish with a pinch of orange zest and honey if desired. Enjoy warm.
Note: You can use 2 small fresh mandarin oranges, 1 cup of canned Mandarin orange slices (no sugar added), or slices of 1 tangerine or orange!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: Mandarin orange
Whole Grain: quinoa
Protein: ricotta cheese
Plant Based Fat: almonds

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Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Rainbow Quinoa Salad

First of all, thank you SO MUCH to everyone who reads my blog! Today I hit over 200 likes on my Facebook fan page, and couldn’t even believe my eyes! You guys have been so inspiring and I am so grateful to have amazing fans like you! I promise to keep the recipes and tips coming!

Colorful dishes are the healthiest. The more colorful, the better… and no, I’m not talking about Froot Loops. Vividly colored fruits and vegetables are filled with flavonoids and polyphenols; powerful antioxidants that will support your retina, mitochondria, brain cells, and aid the removal of toxins. You can get your daily dose from vibrant veggies such as beats, carrots, peppers, and red cabbage, as well as brightly colored berries, and fruits like peaches, oranges, etc.

To achieve optimal health, aim for 3 different colors of fruits and veggies everyday!

Not only is this dish the perfect springtime salad filled with flavor, vitamins, minerals, and chewy whole-grains, but it also tallies up to a total of 4 different veggies of 4 different colors! Feed your brain, not just your tummy!

Rainbow Quinoa Salad
Serves 1

¼ cup cooked red quinoa
¼ cup cooked farro
½ cup unshelled edamame beans (chilled)
½ cup diced red pepper
½ cup diced red onion
½ cup shredded carrot
1/8 cup chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/8 tsp ground cumin

Cook quinoa and farro to package instructions and chill in the refrigerator. Combine edamame, pepper, onion, carrot, cilantro, vinegar, and cumin with cooled quinoa and farro. Enjoy your brain food!

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Recipes, Snacks, Treats, Vegetarian

Protein Pop

Sometimes it’s hard to make it from breakfast to lunch, or lunch to dinner without a little pick-me-up in between. From time to time I get midmorning and mid afternoon energy slumps and need something small to tie me over until the next meal. One of my favorite simple snacks is what I like to call a Protein Lollipop!

One Teaspoon of your favorite unsalted nut butter, and a drizzle of honey is all you need to get a quick boost that won’t spoil your next meal!

Protein Lollipop
serves 1

1 Tbsp unsalted nut butter
drizzle of honey

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Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tempeh & Green Vegetables With Tangy Peanut Sauce

The other day, I was excited to see an email from my old college roommate Dominique, who sent me an oishii (delicious) vegan, Asian-inspired recipe that we have both been oohing and awwing over.  Dom and I met on move in day at school and we bonded over our matching Hello Kitty toasters, and were inseparable ever since. Oh the power of the kitty! We both obsessed over Japanese culture, fashion, and cuisine and used to have “Panda Food” for dinner about 5 nights a week. Wow have we both come a long way since our Panda Nights of ramen noodles, Ling Ling potstickers, and white rice! We’ve traded in our amateur “Panda Food” for some sophisticated recipes, good enough for a geisha.

I made a few tweaks to the original recipe to make it Rabbit Food Pyramid friendly, and used low sodium vegetable broth to stir-fry  the veggies and tempeh instead of oil. Tons of Asian dishes are cooked in oils, which quickly adds countless calories and fat to a once healthy vegetable based dish. Olive oil is a great source of heart healthy fat when it is uncooked, but it’s properties are changed once it is heated to a certain degree, so I like to cook my vegetables in low sodium vegetable broth to achieve similar results.

Tempeh is one of my favorite proteins. It’s similar to tofu because it is made from soybeans, but it’s taste and texture are completely different. Tempeh is much more textured and firm since the soybeans are cooked and slightly fermented, and has a mild nutty flavor. It’s low in fat and high in protein and calcium, making it a great addition for stir-frys and salads.

Tempeh & Green Vegetables With Tangy Peanut Sauce
Serves 1

Veggies:
3oz tempeh, cubed
½ cup frozen spinach
½ cup green bell pepper, chopped
½ cup broccoli
¼  cup chopped yellow onion
¼ cup un-shelled edamame
¼ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
½ clove garlic, minced

Sauce:
1 Tbsp  unsalted peanut butter
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp garlic powder

Pour vegetable broth into a pan over low heat. Combine tempeh, spinach, bell pepper, broccoli, onion, edamame, and garlic in the pan and cook until vegetables are tender and vegetable broth has been soaked in. In a separate bowl while vegetables and tempeh are cooking, whisk together all sauce ingredients; if desired, add a bit of water for a thinner consistency. Set sauce aside. When vegetables have finished cooking, add the peanut sauce and coat evenly. Enjoy warm.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: spinach, bell pepper, broccoli, onion
Whole Grain: you may enjoy with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice if desired.
Protein: tempeh and edamame
Plant Based Fat: peanut butter

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Desserts, Recipes, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian

Banana Nicecream

Konichiwa bunnies!
I am finally back from Japan! I cannot believe I’m still awake right now because I am still on Japan time, which means it’s about noon on Thursday! I’ve been traveling by planes, trains, and automobiles since yesterday at 10am, and am desperately trying to stay awake until a decent hour to get back to CA time! In the meantime, I have been missing froyo like crazy!

I have the biggest sweet tooth. No, actually I think that my mom wins for biggest sweet tooth! We loveee our sweet treats! Yogurt (yogi as I say) and ice cream are two of my favorite desserts, but even the fat-free and lactose-free, versions can be loaded with added sugars.

Now, my favorite nighttime treat is the potassium rich, Banana Nicecream!
One ingredient. One perfect dessert.

Banana Nicecream
Serves 1

1 frozen banana – yup, that’s it!

Peel, chop, and freeze banana. After banana is frozen, throw it in a food processor and blend until smooth and fluffy. Enjoy with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top if desired!
Note: I always make sure that I have frozen bananas on hand for when an ice cream craving strikes!

There is an awesome ice cream maker called Yonanas that turns frozen bananas into a perfectly creamy soft serve! Any Yonanas fans out there?! Definitely worth the investment if you are a fan of Banana Nicecream! I need one pronto!

I cannot wait to share some recipes that I learned during a cooking class while I was in Japan! So manny goodies for you guys!

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