Yoga, vegan recipes, and pretending I’m a virtuous eater, for about 5 seconds.
22 Feb
I’m feeling slightly smug this morning.
Artie and I got up at 5:30am and powered through yoga at Be. In Union followed by a healthy wheat toast, tomato and tofutti breakfast. With a side of green tea.
Granted, that followed a whole mess of crispy, fried, delicious tapas and a couple mojitos that were consumed at Casa B last night.
So I guess I don’t have that much to feel smug about….
Anyways, it always feels nice to start the day off right. Although, it also feels great to stay under the covers and snuggle with these monsters.
They don’t make it easy to leap out of bed and seize the day.
But since I did start the day off in a relatively healthy manner, I thought I would share a couple veggie-packed, protein-filled, vegan recipes that are good hot or cold, for lunch or dinner.
First, I have a curried cauliflower and chickpea salad, I came up with this one for a vegan cooking segment I did for Martha Stewart Morning Living XM Radio.
It has curry powder, scallion and cilantro (which you can switch out for parsley if you aren’t a cilantro person)
It would also be great with some chopped tomatoes thrown in there. Or any extra veg you have kicking around in the fridge.
Next up, a recipe for Warm quinoa salad with sesame-ginger dressing I wrote for the Boston Globe.
I don’t have a picture of this one, which is a shame because it is a beautiful salad.
A food processor really makes it a breeze to grate the beets and carrots, and whip up the dressing. But a box grater and a whisk will work just fine too.
Cool and creamy avocado is a great counterpart to the warm quinoa and kale. I like to sprinkle it all with a little nutritional yeast, which sounds foul but is really yummy – it has this savory, Parmesan kind of flavor and lot’s of nutrients.
Because that’s usually how I decide what to eat – I base my decision on nutritional content.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Yeah, right.
Hope you are having a happy and healthy Wednesday, and thanks for reading!
-Catherine
Curried chickpeas and cauliflower salad
Serves 4
This colorful, protein filled dish is equally good hot out of the pan, or packed for a picnic and served at room temperature. Here, we’ve used madras curry powder for its complex flavor without too much heat. If you’re seeking a hotter version try Muchi, a spicier curry blend.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and chopped
1 1-inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 Head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 14-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped scallions
salt and black pepper to taste
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch cauliflower for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 minutes until softened.
3. Add the garlic, jalapeno, ginger and curry powder and cook for 1 minute more.
4. Add the chickpeas, and cauliflower and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently until heated through
5. Stir in lemon juice and grated rind, and top with cilantro and scallions. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and serve.
Warm Quinoa salad with sesame-ginger dressing
Serves 4
While you cook the quinoa, make the dressing in a food processor, then switch the blade to the grater attachment to prep the beet and carrots. Just before serving, microwave the kale and stir it into the salad.
DRESSING
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
Juice and grated rind of 1 lime
1/2 cup canola oil
1. In the bowl of a food processor combine garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, lime juice and grated rind.
2. With the motor running pour in the canola oil and process until blended.
SALAD
2 cups quinoa
1 beet, grated
2 carrots, grated
2 ears corn, cut off the cob
1 bunch kale, chopped
2 avocados, chopped
1. In a medium sized saucepan combine 2 cups quinoa and 2 cups salted water and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed and quinoa is cooked.
3. Meanwhile, Transfer the beet, carrots, corn a to a microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes.
4. Transfer the kale to another microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes.
5. Toss quinoa with the steamed vegetables, avocado and ginger soy dressing
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