lunch

Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegetarian

Green Goddess

My friend Jillian and I used to get lunch after class every week at a cute little café in Pasadena called Little Flower Candy Co. We oohed and aahed for their huge bowl of fresh butter lettuce and crisp veggies. It was always the most absolutely satisfying combination of greenery. Their salad usually came with a creamy dressing, but Jillian would usually substitute it for sherry vinegar, which I quickly became obsessed with. I am a vinegar junkie, I love all flavors! Since I am not in the Pasadena area as often, I decided to try the  Green Goddess on my own.

Green Goddess
Serves 1

½ head butter lettuce
10 green beans
10 sugar snap peas
¼ cup sliced cucumber
1/8 nonfat cup feta cheese
½ hard boiled egg
1 Tbsp sherry/red wine vinegar

Combine the lettuce, green beans, snap peas, and cucumber. Toss sherry vinegar. Top with feta and hard boiled egg.

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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

Sesame Garlic Kale

I love kale! I love how unlike other lettuces, it holds up in the fridge for a couple of days, even with dressing. In fact, it tastes even better with “age” when marinated overnight! I love the slight bitter flavor and firm, embossed texture. If those reasons didn’t make me love it enough, it’s also high in calcium, protein, vitamin K!

This kale salad consists of only a few ingredients and is rich in vitamins, healthy fats, and antioxidants derived from sesame seeds.

Want to wear a bikini? Eat some tahini!

Sesame Garlic Kale
Serves 2-3

6 cups chopped curly kale
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp water
1 clove garlic

Wash and dry kale. Remove stems and tear into bite-sized pieces.
In a blender (I used my Magic Bullet), combine tahini, orange juice, water and garlic. Blend until smooth creamy dressing is formed. Toss kale with sesame seeds and dressing, coating the kale evenly.

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Lunch, Recipes, Snacks, Vegetarian

Quinoa Grape & Sunflower Seed Parfait

If you were a fan of my original Cinnamon Apple Pie Quinoa Parfait, then you will love this variation as well. This protein packed treat is ultra convenient and easy to make, store, grab, and eat!


Quinoa, Grape, & Sunflower Seed Parfait
Serves 1

1 cup frozen green seedless grapes
6oz or a single serve cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup cooked chilled quinoa
2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to taste

Cook quinoa and refrigerate beforehand. Cut frozen grapes into halves. In a glass jar, layer half of the yogurt along the bottom, followed by half of the quinoa, sunflower seeds, and frozen grapes. Sprinkle grapes with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Repeat layers to create a parfait and store in the refrigerator or eat right away.
Note: If you don’t like the tartness of Greek yogurt, you can mix a 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract and natural sweetener such as stevia to give more flavor.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: grapes
Whole Grain: quinoa
Protein: Greek yogurt
Plant Based Fat: sunflower seeds

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