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Hearty Quinoa & Rice Risotto

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This is not the usual risotto. I wanted a flavorful dish with great texture and all the nutrients that whole grains have to offer. Plus it’s all made in one pot.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 1.5 cup short grain brown rice
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 5 cup vegetable broth divided

Served With (per serving):

  • 2 cup baby spinach
  • 1 avocado

Directions:

  1. Sautee onion for 8 minutes on medium heat. Stir frequently
  2. Add brown rice and 3 cup vegetable broth. Cover. Reduce heat to medium low to simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally
  3. Add quinoa and 2 cup vegetable broth and continue cooking for 15 minutes
  4. Remove from heat and let steam covered for 10 minutes
  5. Serve with a bed of spinach and avocado

Nutrition:
510 Calories, 12.7 g Protein, 67.5 g Carbs, 15.8 g Fiber, 24.8 g Fat

Mushroom Polenta Casserole

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Mushroom casserole with a sauce that is delightfully garlicky. I made three slightly different variations to see what flavors worked best together. Here’s the finalized result of trial and error. Images are of all three batches.

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The three layers of the casserole

This is a three layer casserole that can be made in about an hour and a half.

Ingredients:

  • Half a head of cauliflower
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 8 oz of portabella mushrooms
  • 1 cup grits
  • 3 cups water divided
  • 1/2 tsp salt divided
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder divided
  • 3 tsp dried rosemary
  • Head of fresh garlic
  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 6 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried sage
  • 1/2 tsp dried tarragon

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, roughly chop half a head of cauliflower.
  2. Place chopped pieces onto a baking sheet and place in oven to cook for 30  minutes, flipping halfway through.
  3. Chop onion and mushroom and set aside
  4. Finely chop garlic and set aside
  5. Bring large skillet to medium heat and then add onions. Cook for 4 minutes until translucent, stirring occasionally
  6. Add mushrooms to the onions and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside
  7. In the empty skillet add the garlic and sauté on medium low heat for 1-2 minutes
  8. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. When boiling add the grits, 2 tsp rosemary, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp salt. Reduce heat to low and cook covered for 5 minutes. Set aside
  9. When cauliflower is done, remove and place pieces into blender with 1 cup water, sautéed garlic, sage, tarragon, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp rosemary, and cashews. Blend together until smooth (about 1 minute)
  10. Layer the polenta into 3-5″x5″ casserole dishes or one 9″x9″ dish
  11. Next, layer the onion and mushroom
  12. Follow that with the blended cauliflower topping
  13. Once all the layers are added, place into the oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees for the smaller 5×5 dishes or for 60 minutes for 9×9 dish
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Final result!

Zucchini Burrito

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Here is a quick treat, that I’ll build on in the future. For now, it is simple and satisfying burrito which celebrates the freshness of spring.

Ingredients:

  • 2 zucchini chopped (about 3 cups)
  • 6 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1/4c white onion chopped
  • 1 large avocado diced
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1/3 c finely chopped cilantro
  • corn tortillas
  • cashew cheese*

Directions:

  1. Heat skillet to medium low heat
  2. Add zucchini and cover for 5 minutes, stir occasionally
  3. Uncover and add the onion and garlic. Cook for two minutes
  4. Remove from heat and add cilantro, avocado and lime juice
  5. Mix and let stand for a couple of minutes
  6. Meanwhile, heat the tortilla to soften and then spread 1 Tbsp cashew cheese on tortillas

Makes 6 tortillas

*new recipe of cashew cheese coming soon

Teriyaki Hemp Seeds & Lentils

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This dinner was born out of a lack of time. I didn’t want to spend an hour in the kitchen, and this meal took only 35 minutes to make. Plus it’s freaking delicious and simple. Without further ado…

Total time: 35 minutes

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 3 Tbsp coconut aminos
  • 3 cups and 5 Tbsp water divided
  • 1 cup green lentils
  • 3 heads broccoli (roughly 3 cups when chopped)
  • 3/4 cup hemp seeds (hulled)

Directions:

  1. Rinse the lentils, and then combine 2 cups water and the lentils in a small saucepan on high heat covered.
  2. When the lentils reach a boil reduce heat to low simmer for 22 minutes or until tender.
  3. Meanwhile finely chop the garlic and ginger, and coarsely chop the broccoli
  4. In a large pot heat 1 cup water on high heat covered. When boiling add steamer rack and then broccoli and cover.
  5. Steam broccoli for 5 minutes and then remove from heat
  6. Heat a skillet on medium. Then add garlic, ginger, 5 Tbsp water and coconut aminos for 2 minutes. Stir occasionally.
  7. Reduce skillet heat to low and then add the hemp seeds. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the hemp seeds have absorbed most of the liquid.
  8. Enjoy

Servings: 3

Notes:

Calories: 493,  Fat: 21 g,  Carbs: 58 g,  Fiber: 16 g,  Protein: 30 g

and plenty of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Iron, Vitamin K, Manganese and more

If you do try the recipe, let me know what you think in the comments 🙂

Pistachio Fiddle-Head Fern

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I’ve always wanted to try some fiddle-head ferns, so I picked some up at the market and blanched them up. They have a fresh and earthy flavor. Here they are complimented by pistachios and capers with an added brightness.

Total time: 8 hours 20 minutes

Prep time: 8 hours

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 Tbsp capers divided
  • 1 cup pistachios (without shells) divided
  • 1 cup almonds soaked for 8 hours or overnight*
  • 3/4 cup water + 2 Tbsp
  • 1/2 juice of one lemon
  • 6 cloves garlic chopped
  • 4 cups fiddle-head ferns blanched for 2 minutes
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Cooked grain of choice (image of recipe is on a bed of rice)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Meanwhile spread pistachios onto a baking sheet
  3. Bake pistachios for 6 minutes until fragrant, then promptly move pistachios to a container to stop cooking
  4. While pistachios are cooking, heat a non-stick skillet to medium
  5. Move most (all but 2 Tbsp) pistachios to blender
  6. Add almonds, 3/4 cup water, lemon juice, and 3 Tbsp capers to the blender and puree for 45 seconds, scrape the sides of the blender and blend for another 15 seconds or until smooth
  7. Once skillet is warm, add 2 Tbsp water, garlic, and fiddle-head ferns
  8. Cook for 4-6 minutes stirring frequently until tender
  9. Finely chop the reserved 2 Tbsp pistachios
  10. Serve the ferns over some rice and top with the pistachio sauce, remaining 1 Tbsp capers, and chopped pistachios

Servings: 4

Notes:

*if you didn’t have time to soak almonds, then add an extra 1/4 cup water to the blender when pureeing

If you do try the recipe, let me know what you think in the comments 🙂

Delightful Lemon Dill Kale

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Total time: 30 minutes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cup white rice rinsed
  • 4 cups vegetable broth divided
  • 2 bunches kale (I used Italian) rinsed

Cashew Cream:

  • 1.5 cup cashews
  • 1.5 cup water
  • 4 Tbsp dried dill weed
  • 1 tsp onion flakes
  • 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • Salt to taste

Directions:

  1. In a pot, bring the rice and 3 cups vegetable broth to a boil covered. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook about 20 minutes until done.
  2. Meanwhile remove the large stems from the kale and discard (or save for a veggie broth for later)
  3. In a large pot add kale and vegetable broth. Cook on medium heat for 12 minutes stirring occasionally until tender.

Lemon Dill Cashew Cream:

  1. Add water, cashews, dill weed, onion flakes, and nutritional yeast to blender and blend on high for 30 seconds or until smooth
  2. Zest one lemon and add to blender
  3. Juice the lemon and add to blender
  4. Puree for another 15 seconds
  5. Salt to taste (keeping in mind the veggies with vegetable broth may have salt)
  6. Serve immediatly or heat in a saucepan on low for 5 min then serve over the kale
    • Can be kept in the fridge up to 4 days

Refreshing Oregon Grape Tea

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I went out on a hike today to harvest some spruce or Douglas fir tips for tea. The forest had different ideas. While there are a ton of plants to harvest, it is too early in the Pacific NW for evergreen tips. So, when I started snacking on the Oregon grape flowers, which were delicious and sweet; I thought why not pair the sweetness with an evergreen citrus bite of evergreen needles I could find.

They paired beautifully and I got this lovely fresh spring tea. I combined the Oregon grape flowers with Douglas fir needles and steeped covered for 20 minutes.