The Beauty and The Beet — Fun Vegan Creations

Aug
31

Mediterranean Style Quinoa

Quinoa (pronounced ‘keen-wah’) is a grain-like seed and is nicknamed ‘The mother of all grains’. It has a nutty flavor and is considered a high quality plant-based protein that is rich in fiber. Visually, it looks like it could pass for the healthy cousin of couscous… I see it as a basic ingredient that I can shape into patties, mix into salads, Tabbouleh or Stir-Frys. A good way to introduce it, is to serve it with your favorite sauce like you might serve rice, pasta or any other grain we think of as “side dish”. Quinoa is easy to cook and can be served hot or cold.

4-6 Servings

Ingredients

1 ¼ Cup Quinoa

½ Cup Pitted Kalamata Olives

½ Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes –OR– ½ Cup Dried Apricot (my favorite)

½ Cup Fresh Mint finely chopped

½ Cup Pine Nuts

Juice of Half a Lemon

2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil (If you use Sun-dried tomatoes in Oil, you might need less)

½ to 1 tsp Sea Salt (depending on your taste)

Freshly ground black pepper

(Optional: add 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced)

Preparation

1. Cook the Quinoa in 3 cups of boiling water for 15-20 min and then drain.

2. Lightly toast the pine nuts on a hot non-stick pan for a minute or two. Flip and toss them around; be careful because they can burn easily. Set aside to cool.

3. Chop the olives, sun-dried tomatoes (or dried apricot if you choose) and mint leaves.

4. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and let it sit for a while so the quinoa soaks up the flavors.

Serve warm or cold. Yummm…

Category: Easy & Simple, Gluten Free, Holidays, Lunch, Party, Recipies, Salads

Aug
31

The Real Happy Meal

One of the challenges I had with cooking vegan food for kids was competing with “classic” kids- menu food like chicken nuggets, Mac n cheese and such. Why is there a kids menu anyway? I’ll get to that in a later post… But really, when it comes to kids I think it all depends on the presentation and the consistency of the parent. I would like the food I feed my daughter to be tasty but still healthier and more wholesome than the junk food that surrounds us everywhere. This recipe is my answer to this challenge. Finger food like tempeh nuggets and sweet potato fries served with a coleslaw salad make a kids-friendly happy meal that you’ll be happy to serve your family, and I even have the toy prize. 🙂

These vegan strips are made out of Tempeh. Tempeh is a soy product made from cooked and slightly fermented soybeans. It is a good source of protein and calcium with a nutty flavor. I have tried three types of tempeh: Three grain, Soy, and Flax. My favorite is the three grain type. Some people find the taste of tempeh a bit bitter. The solution to that is to boil it first but I did not try it yet because my family and friends like it just like that. I served it with fiber-rich sweet potato fries, a tricolor coleslaw salad, and organic ketchup. In your face McDonalds!

*Serves about 4 hungry kids

Vegan Nugget Strips

Ingredients

2 Packages Tempeh

For the Marinade:

½ Cup Soy Sauce

1 tsp Mustard

1 Tbsp Water

1 tsp Ground Flaxseed Meal

For the Breading:

1 Cup Bread Crumbs (I prefer the Panko breadcrumbs)

½ Cup Sesame Seeds

1/4 Cup Corn Flour

1 tsp Adobo Seasoning (or any spice mixture you like)

½ tsp Salt

Oil for frying

Preparation

Cut tempeh into half inch strips.

In a shallow bowl mix in the marinade ingredients.

Dip the tempeh strips into the liquid mixture so it is fully submerged . The flax seeds helps the tempeh stick to the breading.

In another shallow bowl mix bread crumbs, sesame seeds, flour and salt.

Transfer the tempeh into the breading mixture and fully coat.

Lightly fry on both sides until golden brown.

Tricolor Coleslaw Salad

Ingredients

½ Purple Cabbage Shredded

½ White Cabbage Shredded

2 Carrots Shredded

Juice from ½ Lemon

1½ Tbsp Sunflower Oil

Drizzle of Toasted Sesame Oil

Sea Salt to taste

Preparation

In a big bowl mix all ingredients together.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

4-5 Sweet Potato

Oil for tossing

Sea Salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450º.

Peel and slice the sweet potatoes.

In a large bowl toss sweet potatoes with oil and sea salt to taste.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Spread out sweet potato in one layer so it will get crispy.

Bake until golden brown and crispy. If needed turn the fries halfway through baking.

Enjoy and be happy!

And here is an interesting video to watch about: Tricks to Get Kids to Eat Healthier at Home

Category: Kid Friendly, Lunch, Recipies, Whole Meal

Aug
31

Mexican Black Bean Dip

A quick and easy dip that is ready in minutes. If you like, you can soak the black beans overnight and then cook them. But if you prefer the easy way out, like me :-), you can use canned beans just make sure they’re BPA free like Eden Organics, or even better, I found Tetra Pak® carton packages and you don’t even need a can opener!

Ingredients

1 Package Black Beans (about 14 oz, cooked)

1 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped

1 Jalepeno Pepper

Juice of ½ Lime

1 Tbsp Tahini

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp Cumin

¹⁄8 tsp Smoked Paprika (smoked is optional but it really makes a difference in taste)

1 tsp Olive Oil

Preparation

Place all ingredients into food processor until smooth paste.

Spread it on sandwiches or enjoy as a dip with crackers or chips.

Category: Dips and Spreads, Easy & Simple, Gluten Free, Party, Recipies, Snacks

Aug
31

Have You Ever Supremed an Orange?

How To Supreme Citrus

Supreming an orange (or any other citrus) is a way to cut into its inner sections. This looks so complicated but is actually pretty easy. You’ll end up with clean beautiful segments that can be added to salads or as a finger food for toddlers.

It’s important to use a sharp paring knife. I use my favorite ceramic knife.

Start by slicing off the top and bottom of the orange so that it can comfortably stand on the cutting board.

Carefully cut off the peel around the fruit and try to remove all the white pith.

Slice into each side of the segment and remove it, staying as close as possible to the white membranes that divide up the orange.

I like to squeeze out the juice from the leftover “skeleton” of the orange into the salad dressing.

It’s a great addition to fruit salads and is an easy quick decoration to desserts.

Category: Kid Friendly, Misc., Salads, Snacks, Tips and Techniques

Aug
31

Beet Orange Salad

A blog named “The Beauty & The Beet” should live up to its name and I feel like I owe it to the beets to share a beet recipe first!

Here is a colorful and beautiful salad with a special tip to help you make it like a pro…and the dressing is so good you could use it on any fresh salad!