Category Archives: Dietary Considerations

Homemade Tofu Quinoa Veggie Burger Patties

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Last summer, a lovely food cart – A La Cart – appeared downtown Benicia at the Farmer’s Market every Thursday night. I was delighted to find out they had a completely homemade veggie burger served on delicious whole grain bread with caramelized onions and mixed baby greens. I got one and was in heaven! After talking to the owner for a little while, I decided to go home and attempt my own version.

Excuse the somewhat ugly cell phone camera picture. It was too delicious and I couldn’t wait long enough to take pretty pictures.

Tofu Quinoa Veggie Burger

Tofu Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Makes 6-8 patties.

Ingredients

  • 10 oz extra firm tofu, sliced and patted dry (I recommend WildWood)
  • 10 oz cooked quinoa (You can use any color, but I used white)
  • 8 oz raw sunflower seeds
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Directions

  1. Place all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is almost smooth. Scrape down sides occasionally.
  2. Divide into 6-8 equal portions and use your hands to press and form round, slightly flat patties.
  3. Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Arrange patties on the skillet, cover and cook. Once they are browned, turn it over and continue to cook until browned on both sides, approximately 5 minutes each side. Make sure it is completely done inside as well, so be sure to not have your temperatures too high on the pan.
  4. Serve with your favorite burger toppings and buns. (I served mine with toasted multi-grain bread by Alvarado St Bakery, caramelized onions, quick homemade pickles, a little ketchup, mustard, tomato and lettuce.)

Nutrition for 1 patty (1/8th of the recipe) (approx): 330 cal, 18g fat, 29 carb, 5 fiber, 15g protein

101 Cookbook’s Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter

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Since the weather is cool, I tend to gravitate toward warm, cozy soups.The warmth of this soup is intensified with the deep flavors of the curried brown butter and spicy kick from the curry and red pepper flakes. It’s amazingly delicious and I could not recommend it more. Even people who aren’t big lentil or curry fans found this soup tasty.

My slight modifications and recommendations:

  • I used whatever lentils I had on hand (brownish). You don’t need to go out of your way to get green lentils unless you just want to.
  • I didn’t use the coconut milk. I didn’t think it needed it, so I subbed a bit more broth in it’s place.
  • Serve it with a crusty bread or naan. Delicious!
Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter

Image by 101 Cookbooks

 

Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter

Prep time: 5 min – Cook time: 45 min. Serves 4 to 6

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 6 cups good-tasting vegetable broth or water
  • 1 1/2 cups green (or any color) lentils
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon Indian curry powder
  • Fine-grain sea salt
  • 1 bunch fresh chives, minced (optional)
  1. Combine the 2 tablespoons butter, onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a large soup pot over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the onions soften, a couple minutes. Add the vegetable broth and lentils and simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender. This usually takes 20 to 30 minutes, but can take as long as 50 minutes.
  2. In the meantime, warm the 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and let it brown. When it starts to smell nutty and fragrant, stir in the curry powder and sauté until the spices are fragrant, less than a minute.

When the lentils are finished cooking, remove from the heat, stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, and puree with an immersion blender. You can leave the soup a bit chunky if you like, or puree until it is perfectly smooth.
  3. Stir in the spiced butter, taste, and add more salt, if needed, typically a couple of teaspoons if you used water instead of a salted broth. Serve drizzled sprinkled with chives and crusty bread or naan.

Recipe modified from a recipe from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.

 

Nutrition for 1/4th of the recipe (approx): 401 cal, 15g fat, 47g carb, 22 fiber, 19g protein

Quick Quinoa Kale Bowl

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Quinoa Kale

I call this my “power meal”! It’s an all-in-one meal and a power house of healthy ingredients, quinoa, kale, avocado. It’s high in protein, low in bad fats, high in good fats and straight up FILLING and DELICIOUS. Oh, and to make it even better… It’s super quick and easy!

I usually keep all the ingredients on hand and make more than I need and eat this for dinners and lunches for a few days. It’s my new favorite meal!

Here’s how I do it:

Quick (15 min) Quinoa Kale Bowl

Serves 2

  • 2 cups kale, cleaned & coarsely chopped
  • 2/3 cup cooked black beans, rinsed & drained
  • 2/3 cup quinoa, cooked according to directions on the package (any color will work, I usually use red)
  • 2/3 cup pre-made fresh pico de gallo
  • 1/2 cup lowfat mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 avocado, cut into cubes
  • Sea or kosher salt to taste
  1. Make the quinoa according to packaged directions. Heat your beans (on the stove or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes). Steam the quinoa (in a steamer or 2 minutes in the microwave, covered)
  2. Divide all ingredients except avocado and salt into two bowls and stir until just combined. Season to taste, top with fresh avocado, and serve.

Nutrition (approx): 300 cal, 7g fat, 43 carb, 9 fiber, 16g protein

Vegan Marshmallows, S’Mores & A Giveaway

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Image from wesleying.org

Until last year, I’d never had s’mores. (gasp!)

S’mores are one of those things that we vegetarians virtually never can partake. So, when everyone else is huddled around a fire pit happily toasting their marshmallows on a stick, we are trying to balance some dark chocolate on a stick to heat it up and sandwich it between the graham crackers – sans ‘mallow (don’t tell me I’m the only one who has done this).

The reason we vegetarians (especially vegans!) don’t get to join the s’more making parties is because marshmallows have 2 key ingredients that don’t work in the veg/vegan way – gelatin and (for the vegans) egg whites. And without those two ingredients, it’s REALLY (and I mean really) hard to create the perfect texture and flavor of the marshmallow.

After going years and years without rice krispy treats, rocky road, or s’mores, I finally went on the mighty quest for the ultimate vegetarian marshmallow (chronicled here and here). I tried a number of varieties and finally found marshmallow perfection in the form of Sweet & Sara.  S&S has literally perfected the vegetarian marshmallow and – dare I say it? – it is even better than a “real” marshmallow (your non-veg friends will never know the difference – they’ll just know they are having a super gourmet marshmallow). S&S’s ‘mallows are light, fluffy, perfectly textured morsels of gooey goodness that melt just right when making a krispy treat, hold up in a cup of hot chocolate and melt into spectacular s’mores.

I also have to keep plugging for S&S. I’ve been following her on FB and Twitter for a while. Not only do I love what she stands for and her business ethics, I also love how down to earth she is. She replies to tweets, responds to Facebook messages and signs each order invoice. She’s a super cool, normal vegan person who is making our vegetarian culinary lives that much better.  Thank you, S&S for giving me the opportunity to taste the delightful concoction that are s’mores!

Sweet & Sara Marshmallows

How to make s’mores:

  1. Put your marshmallow on a stick
  2. Toast it over an open fire (or cheat and microwave it for 30 seconds)
  3. Smash the hot marshmallow in between two graham crackers with a square of chocolate (I prefer 70% swiss dark and even a smear of peanut butter on the cracker!)
  4. Eat, being careful not to burn your tongue on the sticky ‘mallow. (Note: This is a very messy process, so just go with it, smear the chocolate all over your face and go ahead and lick your fingers. There are no manners with s’mores)

And now…. Because I just can’t keep this delicious goodness to myself, I want to pass the happiness on to YOU – my very special and kind readers – just as a thank you for reading my (somewhat sporadic) blog. And what better time than now as we move into summer and camping season?

I’m giving away Sweet & Sara marshmallows!

How to enter:

  • Comment on this blog post (Make sure to use your real email address so I can contact you later. Don’t worry, it won’t be posted for anyone else to see and I promise not to ‘spam’ you!)
  • Get additional entries by 1) Telling your friends by re-posting on your own Facebook page or blog OR 2) Liking my Facebook page and/or Following me on Twitter. Once you posted, liked, friended, followed, or whatever you did – come back and add an additional comment for each instance, telling me where you posted about the giveaway. I’ll randomly pick one lucky winner and send you a box of S&S marshmallows.

The giveaway contest will end next Wednesday (5/18) night at midnight, pacific time. All comments must be entered by that time and a comment will be randomly selected as our winner.

Good luck, and happy s’mores!!!

And the winner is…..

Comment #7 – Janice -  who says, “oh, wow, I’ve never heard of VEGAN marshmallows. I wonder how they taste “differently”.”

Congrats, Janice. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Strawberry Balsamic Caramel Cupcakes

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I tried this recipe for strawberry balsamic cupcakes a while back. And while it was good, it wasn’t quite as good as I’d hoped it would be. So, I decided to work up my own version with stronger flavors, and I was very pleased with the result. This one is GOOD! So additively good that I couldn’t keep my fingers out of the batter or frosting – especially the frosting. I made them on Friday night and Saturday afternoon for our Mother’s Day lunch.

Then, disaster happened… The cupcakes were in the fridge and I decided to show my husband how well they turned out. I pulled them out and realized there was a half inch of liquid at the bottom of my plate they were sitting on. Upon further exploration and sniffing, I discovered it was pickle juice. My jar of pickled okra tipped over on the shelf above and poured all the juice onto the plate. I scraped up some ingredients at midnight and with the help of my sou chef (aka husband), we finished up batch #2 around 1am.  The second batch wasn’t quite as good as the first, but it was a close second.

Also, for the record, I like the strawberry swiss meringue buttercream recipe better than my first strawberry frosting attempt.

A Cupcake CoThese Cupcakes are available at A Cupcake Co.

Chocolate Chip VitaMuffin or VitaTops Copycat Recipe

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Vitalicious products are expensive. There’s no way around that. At a local grocer, a box of 6 VitaMuffins or VitaTops are likely to set you back $6, maybe less if you were lucky enough to catch a sale. Either way, it’s expensive at right around $1 each muffin. The good thing is they are all natural, low in fat and calories and high in fiber. They are a tasty, chocolate-y treat.

So, why do we have to pay them to make them when we can make them ourselves at home, right? Ah, a recipe. That’s what’s missing.Oh wait… But I have one right here for you!

This recipe tastes surprisingly close to the VitaMuffin/VitaTop version. It does have that same slightly ‘healthy’ undertone to it, so if you’re looking for a really decadent chocolate muffin, this isn’t it. But don’t let that detour you from trying it out. If you’re wanting a sweet, healthier treat, this will definitely do the trick. Especially heated up with a little low-fat vanilla ice cream over the top. Yum!

It makes a fairly large batch, so I recommend freezing them and pulling them out one at a time. To freeze, I suggest you cool them down twice before moving them to the freezer. Cool them completely on the counter, then move them to fridge to chill. Finally, seal them up really well and freeze. When you’re ready to eat a frozen one, simply microwave it for 30-45 seconds (60 if you prefer it hot).

Now, go get in the kitchen, you chocolate-loving vitamuffin/vitatop people, and whip up your own batch!

(Sorry, no pictures of this one. I’ve been meaning to make another batch so I can snap a few, but I haven’t been able to and I didn’t want to hold out any longer, so I’ll just show you a picture of chocolate and hope that suffices for now until I can come back and add a photo.)

Chocolate Chip Muffins (or tops)

Makes approx 36 mini muffins.

  • 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 3 egg whites
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup fat-free half & half
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp table salt
  • 1 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp unflavored fiber supplement (such as Metamucil Clear & Natural)
  1. Preheat your oven to 365 F (Note: you will drop the temperature down before actually baking the muffins. Don’t forget!)
  2. Using a mini muffin tin or a muffin top pan, lightly spray the pan with a non-stick spray.
  3. Sift all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
  4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all wet ingredients except the water.
  5. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the water and stir until completely incorporated. Do not over-stir.
  6. Divide batter between muffin tins and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of each.
  7. Put your muffins in the oven and CHANGE the temperature to 350 F. Bake 8-10 mins, or until toothpick comes out clean. Do not over-bake or they will get very dry. Let cool for 15 mins on a wire rack.

Nutrition (approx): 70 calories. 1g fat. 14g carb. 1g fiber. 1g protein.

Sugar & Spice and Carrotly Nice Cupcakes

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My sister is having a baby. Yay. You know what that means…  A party…. And Cupcakes!  And I received the honor of making those cupcakes for her baby shower. That’s a job I won’t pass up!

It was an ‘eco’ or ‘green’ themed shower with lots of earthy tones, earthy foods, etc. So, I couldn’t think of a better cupcake to make than a whole wheat carrot.  Whole wheat? Healthy! Carrots? Healthy! A healthy cupcake! (ehem)

After a few attempts, I finally found  recipe that was perfection. It’s from the King Flour Whole Grain Baking book. My all-time favorite book – but you know that – I talk about it all the time… It’s a lightly spiced, not too sweet but just sweet enough carrot cake. It’s super moist and light. The texture was amazing. And then of course I had to take it up to more gourmet and ‘healthier’ heights (wink, wink) by filling it with caramel and orange scented cream cheese. Once assembled, the carrot cake was the perfect flavor to mesh with the caramely, cream cheesy filling goodness.

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Along with the green theme, I decided to make them like little grassy pots with an abstract flower and leaf on the top. I used all natural baking cups and a grass tip for the frosting and I colored and cut Satin Ice Fondant for my toppers. The flowers were two rounds stacked and glued with a drop of royal icing. How did I make the leaves curve,  you ask? Press them down over a couple of parallel chopsticks!

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Oh, and she’s having a girl. Thus the name… “Sugar & Spice and Carrotly Nice Cupcakes”. Enjoy!

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A Cupcake CoThese Cupcakes are available at A Cupcake Co.

 

Pumpkin Yogurt Parfait

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This pumpkin yogurt has become a staple in my fall eating repertoire.  Breakfast, snack, dessert, midnight snack. It’s super healthy, super satisfying, filling and all kinds of yumminess all wrapped up in one delicious bowl (or parfait glass). Don’t be scared off by the layering fanciness. The truth is I usually throw it all in one bowl and mix it up in one goopy glob of goodness. But layering makes for prettier pictures. It also makes for a fun holiday breakfast or brunch item to add to your entertaining menu.
Pumpkin Parfait

Pumpkin Yogurt Parfait

Serves 1

  • 1/2 c pumpkin puree, canned
  • 1/2 c nonfat greek yogurt (such as 0% Fage)
  • 2 Tbsp sweetener of your choice (sugar, brown sugar, splenda, agave, honey, etc)
  • 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice (more or less to taste)
  • 1 t cinnamon (more or less to taste)
  • 2 Tbsp Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal

The quick way… Throw everything except the cereal into a bowl, mix and sprinkle cereal over the top. Or, if you prefer, follow the directions below to make a pretty parfait and add some elegance to your day.

The parfait way… Divide the yogurt in half and place in 2 small bowls. Divide the sweetener  between the two bowls. Add pumpkin puree and all the spices into one of the bowls. Mix each thoroughly to combine. Layer in a parfait glass starting with 1/3 of the pumpkin mixture, 1/3 of the cereal, 1/2 of the yogurt. Continuing layering in this order.

Nutrition (without sweentener): 138 cal, 1g fat, 21 carb, 5 fiber, 13g protein

Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

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Holiday baking has begun! Spicy, pumpkin-y, deliciousness all wrapped up in one little whoopie pie. Smooth cream cheese frosting sandwiched between two moist, fluffy pumpkin cookies. Amazing.

What’s the history of the whoopie pie? The legend goes that Amish women would send them with the farmers in their lunch and upon discovery, they would say “whoopie!”  And I think these delightful fall-inspired pumpkin whoopie pies will inspire the same exclamation!

WHOOPIE!!!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Recipe from Martha Stewart
Makes 24 minis

Pumpkin Cookies:
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Filling:
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
  3. Using a melon baller (or teaspoon), drop approx 48 heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 12-15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.
  4. Make the filling: Sift confectioner’ sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)
  5. Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.

Lowfat “Hummingbird Bread” (aka Pineapple Banana Bread)

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I’m always looking for new ways to use my over-ripe bananas. Usually it’s just a basic banana bread. But that gets boring after a while. I was inspired by a Hummingbird Cake recipe on Martha Stewart’s site and decided to make my own lowfat version. In making it lowfat, I knew the texture would end up being more of a bread than a ‘cake’, so I put it in a loaf pan and am calling it Hummingbird Bread. I also left out the nuts to keep it lowfat, but feel free to add pecans to the batch if you’d prefer.

I LOVE this recipe because it’s SO incredibly easy! Literally throw everything in a bowl, mix and bake. My husband is addicted. I can’t keep the stuff in the house.

Lowfat Hummingbird Bread (aka Pineapple Banana Bread)

Serves 12

  • 3 cups self-rising flour
  • 1 1/2 cups Splenda
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 bananas, mashed
  • 1 cup crushed pineapple, with juice
  • 1 t vanilla
  • 1 t cinnamon
  • 5 egg whites
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly spray 2 loaf pans with nonstick spray.
  2. Mix all ingredients together until just combined. Divide batter between pans. Bake 40 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before sliding a knife around the edges and inverting the bread onto a plate.
  3. Optional: Make a cream cheese frosting for the top out of light cream cheese (approx 4 Tbsp), powdered sugar (approx 1/3 cup), vanilla and a bit of milk (approx 2 Tbsp).

Nutrition (without frosting): 185 cal, 0.4g fat, 40.4g carb, 1.8 fiber, 13.8g sugars, 5g protein