Friday, May 13, 2016

Curried Coconut Quinoa and Greens with Roasted Cauliflower


INGREDIENTS

Roasted Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil or olive oil
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sea salt
Curried coconut quinoa with greens
2 teaspoons melted coconut oil or olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon curry powder of choice (optional)
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 can (14 ounces) light coconut milk
½ cup water
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well in a fine mesh colander
⅓ cup raisins
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 cups baby arugula or chopped chard, spinach, maybe even kale*
Optional garnishes: 2 green onions, chopped, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes


INSTRUCTIONS

1 Roast the cauliflower: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the cauliflower florets with coconut oil, cayenne pepper and a light sprinkle of sea salt. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes on the middle rack, turning halfway, until the cauliflower is tender and golden on the edges.
2 Cook the quinoa: In a large pot with a lid, warm the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it is turning translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, turmeric, curry powder and cardamom and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the coconut milk, water, rinsed quinoa and raisins. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the pot from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
3 Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Stir in the salt, vinegar and greens (if you intend to eat this dish as leftovers, I recommend storing leafy greens separate from the quinoa, as the greens don't reheat well). Divide the quinoa into bowls and top with roasted cauliflower. Garnish with green onions and red pepper flakes if you'd like.


Monday, May 9, 2016

Spicy Ramen Stir-Fry with Broccoli, Tofu, and Mandarin Oranges


When making this simple stir-fry, be sure to get the wok or skillet really hot so that the broccoli and ramen noodles get a seared crispiness to them.

Ingredients: 

1 7-oz. pkg. baked tofu, cubed
3 cups small broccoli florets
4 mandarin oranges, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (1 cup)
2 Tbs. hot-chile sesame oil
1 3-oz. pkg. plain ramen noodles

Directions:

1 Combine tofu, broccoli, orange segments, and hot-chile sesame oil in medium bowl, stirring to coat evenly. Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes.
2 Cook noodles according to package directions; drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Set aside.
3 Heat wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, and coat with cooking spray. Add broccoli mixture, and stir-fry 7 to 8 minutes, or until tofu is browned and broccoli is tender.

4 Add noodles to skillet, and toss to combine with vegetables, adding cooking water to moisten. Season with salt and more hot-chile sesame oil, if desired.