Category: Vegetarian

Open-faced Tomato and Cucumber Sandwich with Tahini-Miso Spread

Published on by Alissa5 Comments

I’m going to make this short and sweet….just like this recipe.  It’s hot. So hot. My oven is staying off…so off.

But you know what is not hot…this open-faced sandwich. She’s cold. Nice and cold to break that heat.  This is an awesome quick lunch or light dinner.

The tahini-miso spread is quite addictive. You can add a bit of water to it, thinning it out to use as a dressing for kale salads or veggies as in Cookie and Kate’s Raw Kale Salad with Creamy Tahini Miso Dressing. Brilliant.

Alright..got it? Good. Oh and this cute open-faced sandwich is loosely based on Mark Bittman’s Updated Tea Sandwiches. This recipe was chosen by Aura of Dinner with Aura. Check out the other recipes here at the Food Matters Project page.

Open-faced Tomato and Cucumber Sandwich with Tahini-Miso Spread

Serves: 2

Ingredients

  • 2 slices of whole grain bread
  • 2 tablespoons of tahini-miso spread (recipe below)*
  • 1/2 cucumber, sliced
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • crumbled feta
Instructions
  1. Spread 1 tablespoon of tahini-miso spread on each slice of bread.
  2. Layer tomato slices and cucumbers. Sprinkle with feta. Enjoy!

*Tahini-Miso Spread Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1 tablespoon white or red miso paste
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon of rice wine vinegar

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.
  2. To use as a dressing for salads, add 1/4 cup of water.
  3. Spread/dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for a week.

Simple Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Published on by AlissaLeave a comment

What’s in season right now? EVERYTHING!!!!

Well, everything that I wait and wish and hope for during those long drab winter months: crisp refreshing cucumbers and orgasmic tomoates!  The first tomato was like heaven. Like an addict, I waited day after day for the tomatoes in my garden to start to blush. And then one day….there she was…I squeeled and picked it. I ran into the house holding my trophy tomato like the hammer of Thor. It was red…it was plump…it was perfect….and I got it before those stupid squirrels! HA! My husband and I savored every bite of that first tomato, lapping up the juice on the plate.  We have been waiting for this moment  for TWO YEARS.

Last year we planted SIX tomato plants…six glorious heriloom tomatoes with psychedelic names, but not one tomato was eaten by us. Every last tomato was devoured by those pesky, furry, beady-eyed rodents.

But this year is going to be different.  I may or may not have a sniper station set up in my second floor guest room to catch any salivating critter that even LOOKS at my tomatoes.

I even have more cucumbers than you can shake a stick at! I have been harvesting 2 to 3 cucumbers A DAY.  So as a result of my metric butt-load of cucs, I have been making this simple cucumber salad every day. It keeps well and is a refreshing snack or side dish to take to picnics for a 4th of July celebration. 

American style cucumbers will stay more crisp in this salad as opposed to the English seedless varieties.  Slice them and lay them onto a paper towel to drain for 10 to 30 minutes.  I also like to allow this salad to sit in the refridgerator for a few hours before serving. This allows all the flavors to meld into summery goodness.

Also, you can make the salad with or without the tomatoes. But, honestly people, why would you not want to include those succulent red gems? They are just begging to be devoured. Or send them my way….I’ll eat them until I have canker sores. Mmmmm.

Simple Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 medium cucumbers, sliced thinly
  • 1 small red onion, sliced thinly
  • 2 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill or basil
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Place sliced cucumbers on paper towels and allow to drain or wick the extra moisture away. This will keep your cucumber salad light and crisp.
  2. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss to coat. Eat! or chill for a couple of hours.

Grilled Cabbage with Cilantro-Mint Chimichurri Sauce

Published on by Alissa9 Comments

Grill it. Anything….grill it. No ovens. Pop open that grill. Look in your fridge…what do you have?  Me? besides ketchup….

Kale (of course…i’m obsessed)

Beets (another new obsession)…..red cabbage from my CSA….squash, onion, cilantro, cucumbers from the garden, and a whole chicken from the CSA. Hrmmm….

I am of the belief that when nearly anything is roasted or grilled, it makes it better…..like bacon.  Grilled romaine is awesome, so why not cabbage?

This is the easiest side dish. Cut a head of cabbage in 8 equal segments, keeping the core intact! This keeps all your pretty cabbage leaves together. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Throw it on a preheated grill for 5 to 10 minutes per side. Delicious. Any cabbage would work…green, red, nappa….uhm. I’m sure there are others. Try it.

I served the cabbage with a delicious cilantro-mint chimichurri sauce adapted from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook.  As part of the Food Matters Project, the featured Mark Bittman recipe was Mixed Grill with Chimichurri chosen by Lexi of Lexi’s kitchen.  Check it out. Chimichurri is an Argentinian herby sauce similar to pesto, but is typically made from parsely. It amps up anything.   I’m a cilantro and mint whore, and they are taking over my garden. So these two fab herbs went into the chimichurri.

Side note. Does anyone else like to say chimichurri like I do? NO? anyone? just me? Sounds like a dance move. hrmmm…do the chimimimimichurri.

Anyways, I used the leftover chimimimimichurri as a salad dressing for kale the next day.  It’s like a secret power sauce and will make you want to do the chimichurri while you eat it. Note to self, add chimimimichurri to new food loves.

Grilled Cabbage with Cilantro-Mint Chimichurri Sauce

Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 1 head of cabbage, sliced into 8 equal portion making sure to keep the core intact! This keeps your cabbage segments from falling apart.
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 bunch of cilantro leaves
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh mint
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt , divided
  • 1/8 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat grill for direct heat.
  2. Drizzle about 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil over cabbage segments. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  3. Carefully place cabbage onto grill, allowing to cook on one side for 5 to 10 minutes. You want those lovely grill marks. Carefully flip and cook on the other side for about 5 minutes, making sure to not completely char your cabbage. I like the edges slightly roasted. Remove from grill.
  4. Meanwhile, back at the ranch (or your kitchen), place the remaining ingredients (cilantro through black pepper) into a food processor or blender. Whirl and whirl until finely chopped. Pour into a jar.
  5. Spoon sauce over grilled cabbage and anything else that you want.

Vegan Strawberry Mojito Popsicles

Published on by Alissa10 Comments

I have a major weakness during summer. Snowcones and popsicles! Oh…and the ice cream truck. I swear, as soon as that creepy song and bell starts sounding on my street, my ears perk up and I want to order a Pink Panther ice cream bar or a dreamcicle or a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle bar with bubble gum eyes. Ya, I’ve been scoping them out. But I have had the willpower to not run directly into the street..only partially.

Instead, I made up a batch of uber yummy adult popsicles. These strawberry mojito pops have a splash of rum, making them perfect for an evening snack or party.  Or a solo party.   Hot days and nights are begging for these puppies. And they are totally portable. Plus, why must kids have all the fun. But, if you are making these for youths, the booze can be left out….well, should be left out. So make two batches…one for those kids and one for you…all for you.

These are dairy free, using coconut milk in place of milk, tangy from fresh squeezed lime and mint, and sweetened with strawberries and a dabble of maple syrup. If you love your dairy, you could easily use greek yogurt instead which will add more protein. These popsicles were made with fresh picked strawberries that were nearing their last days, but frozen strawberries also would work.

Popsicle molds can be found at most stores or online. You can also use paper cups. After allowing the pop to freeze and set for about an hour,  slide a wooden popsicle stick into the pop.  After at least 4 hours, these will be ready to devour!

So quit buying pop ice! Why are you even toying with that day glow frozen slush.  Jump on these easy pops. Sit back, enjoy your booze, stop sweating!

Vegan Strawberry Mojito Popsicles (gluten free, dairy free, vegan, paleo)

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1 15 oz can of organic unsweetened coconut milk (light is ok, but full fat coconut milk will provide a creamier result)
  • 1 cup of strawberries
  • juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 oz of light rum (optional)

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients except rum to food processor. Process until smooth. Taste to ensure that it is sweet enough. I like mine more on the tart side.
  2. Add booze, pulse until combined. Taste…..add more booze. Whoa…not that much. Ok.
  3. Pour into six popsicle molds. Allow to freeze for at least 4 hours. When removing from the mold, you may have to run hot water over the bottom of the mold so that they release.

Baked Curry-Spiced Falafel Sliders

Published on by Alissa9 Comments

Hellooooo summer. I went on a lazy bike ride one evening this weekend and watched families grill on their patios, kids running through water sprinklers, in promptu baseball games in neighborhood streets, old couples walking hand in hand down the trail by our house, and dogs playing fetch with their owners. Lightning bugs danced around me and the first chirps of cicadas filled the air. It was magical and classic.

The change between seasons and its effect on people is so curious to me. During the short cold days of winter, we stay tucked away in our homes, hybernating and watching reality TV. But as spring and summer hit, bringing with them longer and warmer days, people bloom like the vegetables and flowers in gardens.  They open up their homes and patios to their freinds and family, communing with one another and experiencing the outdoors. Neighborhoods turn into blockparties every night. It sometimes feels like a scene out of a Norman Rockwell painting. 

Another awesome thing about summer versus winter is that food turns from heafty casseroles to finger foods! And oh how I looooove finger foods. Huge burgers leave me lethargic, but sliders….I can have two DIFFERENT kinds. This is perfect for a gal like me that can not make up her mind when it comes to food or anything really.

If you are looking for a handy dandy finger food to take or serve at a party, these falafel sliders are perf.  This recipe is adapted from “Braised Chickpea Fritters and Vegetables” from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook and was chosen as part of the Food Matters Project by Lena of Mrs Garlic Head.

I adapted them to be spiced with curry and carrots, plus turned them into a picnic totin finger food. The curry kick makes them a winner for even meat lovers.  For this falafel, use uncooked chickpeas that have soaked overnight. You will need a good food processor to create the chickpea “flour” and mix in the additional ingredients. Baking the falafel makes them a bit crumbly, but still delicious. If you prefer, you can pan fry them in a bit of olive oil or coconut oil. The leftovers can either be frozen or refridgerated. I ate the leftovers cumbled over a delicious kale salad.

Baked Curry-Spiced Falafel Sliders

Ingredient

  • 1 cup dried chickpeas, rinsed, picked over and soaked for at least one hour and up to overnight (do not cook and do not substitute canned beans)
  • 1 small red onion, quartered
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 medium carrots
  • coconut oil or olive oil
  • Slider fixings (12 whole grain rolls or pita, cucumbers, crumbled feta, cilantro, cucumber-mint raita*)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F.  Oil a roasting pan with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil.
  2. In a food processor, combine soaked and drained chickpeas, onion, cilantro, garlic cloves, cumin, curry powder, carrots, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Scoop out 1 tablespoon at a time and shape the falafel into small 1-inch patties at 1/4 inch thick. Place each falafel pattie in the well oiled roasting pan.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the roasting pan and flip the patties carefully. Place the roasting pan back into the oven (middle rack) for another 10 minutes. The patties will be light brown.
  5. Assemble your sliders with small whole grain rolls or pita flats, sliced cucumbers, red peppers, and cucumber-mint raita (recipe below).

*Cucumber-Mint Raita

  • 1 cup greek yogurt
  • 1 cup of peeled and diced cucumber, pressed with a paper towel to remove excess moisture
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped
  • pinch of garlic powder
  • Salt to taste

Instructions – Mix above ingredients together in a medium bowl. Season with salt to taste.

Roasted Cauliflower and Beet Salad with Hazelnuts

Published on by Alissa2 Comments

Nothing is wrong with your eyes or your computer. Yes, this is PURPLE cauliflower…and yellow cauliflower.

Stunning. I know I just took your breath away. I’ll give you a moment to regroup.

And no, it doesn’t taste different. But daaaaaaaaang she is sexy. This is like cauliflower royale, people!  Be jealous. If you don’t have fun easter egg-colored cauliflower like me, well using the plain ol’ hum drum white works just as well.

I know at first glance that this salad sounds like every child’s dream come true…haha….first, it has beets in it and second, cauliflower. Torture.  But with all the fun colors, it’s like a party in your mouth.

Seriously, you know that I’m a HUGE fan of roasted cauliflower. If you have never tried cauliflower roasted…holy cow go do it now. These gems turn into popcorn-candy-goodness when roasted with just a drizzle of olive oil and seasoned with salt n’ peppa. The same goes for beets….boiling beets is gross…quit.  And for that matter, quit boiling vegetables in general. Makes them mushy and it’s wrong. Except for potato salad. I mean, it’s okay to boil potatoes that are going INTO potato salad. If you are boiling potato salad, you have serious problems.

But I digress, go roast those beets because it caramelizes those beet sugars. Yes, caramel….yummy red caramel.  Warning…I do recommend roasting beets in a separate pan to keep from making your cauliflower look like a hot bloody and beaten mess. Not recommended.

Now let’s talk about hazelnuts, also known as filberts. I’m totally digging these suckers lately. They add a bit of sweetness and crunch to this side dish. Buy them raw and roast them yourself in an oven heated to 350°F for 10 minutes. Hazelnuts are packed with folate, vitamin E, essential minerals, B-complex groups, linoleic acid, blah blah blah…their good and good for you.

Go spread your wings, try something new, and give this dish a whirl.

Roasted Cauliflower and Beet Salad with Hazelnuts

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients

  • 1 medium head of cauliflower (2 lbs), cut into 1-inch wide florets
  • 2 to 3 small to medium beets, scrubbed clean, greens removed (reserving for another use), and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/3 cup of roasted hazelnuts, chopped
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons basil, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons crumbled feta

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Get out two roasting pans. In one pan, place the cauliflower and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place in the oven.
  2. In the other pan, line with aluminum foil. Place the sliced beets on the aluminum foil in the pan. Drizzle the beets with olive oil and season with salt. Cover the beets with another sheet of aluminum foil.
  3. Roast the beets and the cauliflower for 30 to 45 minutes. Poke a beet with a fork and if the fork goes in easily, the beets are tender and cooked. Remove both pans from the oven.
  4. Add the roasted vegetables to a bowl. Top with roasted hazelnuts, feta, and sprinkle with basil. Serve warm.

Paleo Fudge Brownies (Gluten Free and Vegan)

Published on by Alissa8 Comments

I’m going to let you in on a weird little fact about me…I prefer ketchup over chocolate. Chocolate has never been a major craving of mine.

*gasp*

I know…so weird.  This probably isn’t the best lead in sentence to convince you to make these brownies….I promise they do not taste like ketchup. Total let down, I know. womp womp.

Actually, chocolate…well, milk chocolate is too sweet for me. However, recently I have become a huge fan of gooooood dark chocolate.  That is, dark chocolate with at least 72% cacao…preferably with 85% cacao. And bonus….it’s good for you. And sometimes you just need some good melty chocolate. So I decided to find a way to turn this awesome dark chocolate into a flourless brownie so that my gluten free hubby could also partake. I’m a doll, I know. Also, if he helps eat them, then I don’t fall asleep with the whole pan in bed. Don’t judge!

Although I have dabbled in flourless and gluten free brownies before, these Paleo Fudge Brownies take the cake…pun intended. They taste amazing and are gluten free, grain free, dairy free, vegan, peanut free, soy free, and processed sugar free. Which also makes them a great dessert to take to cookouts if you have anyone that may have food allergies or sensitivities.

I like these better than conventional brownies that are loaded with flour and sugar and butter (blasphemy, I know), which typically leave me in a coma. And even my sweet-toothed, chocolate-loving hubby adores these.

Instead of flour, the base for this fudge-tastic brownie is almond butter!  You could use any nut butter that you have on hand.  Just make sure that it is unsweetened and all natural. They are sprinkled inside with melted chunks of good dark chocolate (SWOON) and topped with toasted walnuts. Are you drooling yet?

When baking these puppies, make sure you do NOT overcook them. If overcooked, they will taste like brownie croutons, which are still edible, but not as delightful as fuuuuuuudgy brownies. If you slightly undercook them, I guarantee you will take them to bed with you. No judging here.

Added bonus, my friends…they are good for you, and are packed with protein, dark chocolate, and omega-3s from the flax meal and walnuts.

You are welcome!

Paleo Fudge Brownies (slightly adapted from Elana’s Pantry)

Makes 16 brownies

Ingredients

  • 1 small banana
  • 3 pitted dates
  • 1 cup almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds, mixed with 3 tablespoons of water to form a paste (or 1 egg to make it nonvegan)
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut oil or grapeseed oil
  • 2 tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 tablespoons of agave nectar (or honey for nonvegans)
  • 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup cacao powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup chopped dark 85% cocoa chocolate bar
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8X8 inch baking dish with nonstick spray or grease well with butter or coconut oil.
  2. Pull out your food processor. If you don’t have one, use a stand mixer and substitute another banana (two total) for the dates. The dates will not break down in a stand mixer, only a good food processor. Combine the banana(s), dates (if using a food processor), almond butter, and ground flax seed mixture.
  3. Pulse in coconut oil, apple sauce, agave nectar, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth.
  4. Add cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Pulse to combine.
  5. Stir in chopped dark chocolate.
  6. Transfer batter into a well greased 8×8 inch pyrex baking dish. Top with chopped walnuts.
  7. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes, if you dare, before cutting and serving. (Note – Try not to drool on the brownies while cutting.)

Black Bean and Chard Breakfast Tacos

Published on by Alissa10 Comments

Greens are overflowing the farmer’s markets and my garden. Now is the time to load up on fresh leafy greens like chard, kale, mustard greens, and lettuce.

It was a shock to the system to arrive home from vacationing in cold South Dakota (highs in the 40s) and arrive in KC with heat indices topping at 100 degrees!!!! Today has been full of harvesting my spring plants and planting summer crops of basil, cilantro, beets, green beans, tomatoes, strawberries, and more chard. I can’t get enough! Plus, adding greens makes me feel not so guilty when I partake in one (or three) brews for Memorial Day celebrations and maybe an extra hunk of dark chocolate. Shhhh!

So back to those lovely greeeeeens. This is why today’s Food Matter’s recipe, Beens N’ Greens Burritos (chosen by Good Things Grow) is perfect for this time of year. I slightly adapted the recipe as a breakfast dish, adding a poached egg and serving it on corn tortillas instead of flour. I prefer corn tortillas to flour (even whole wheat flour tortillas), because they are less processed and typically have less than 5 ingredients. Corn tortillas also topically have more protein, fiber, and less carbs than their flour brethren.

This is basically the same as my Huevos Racheros recipe, but with the addition of swiss chard. Yum. Great start to the day!

Black Bean and Chard Breakfast Tacos

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons of olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 bunch (about one pound) of swiss chard (or kale or spinach), washed and cut into 1-inch strips (removing stems)
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 corn tortillas
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup cooked black beans
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta
  • cilantro
  • salsa or pico de gallo
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until translucent.
  2. Add chard and sauté for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until chard wilts. Add black beans and heat through. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Cook eggs to your liking. I prefer poached…mmmm.
  4. Heat tortillas by either throwing them in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds or over the stove in a pan with with a tad bit of olive oil.
  5. Place one tortilla on each plate. Divide chard/black bean mixture among each plate. Top with cooked egg, feta, and cilantro. Dive in!

Grilled Yellow Beets and Beet Greens, Camping Edition

Published on by Alissa1 Comment

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A few years ago, my husband and I flew to Eugene, Oregon and purchased a 1974 VW camper van and drove it back across the US, taking small highways and traveling through small towns until we made it to our home 8 days later in KC. We have lovingly named our bus the Annabelle Lee, because she is like our great ship that takes us every year in search of America. Annabelle is stocked with a couch that folds out to a full size bed, an ice box, a sink, collapsible tables, and a pop top. She is truly the best camping mobile anyone could ask for. She is part of our family.

The beauty of Annabelle is that she makes you take life a bit slower and enjoy the scenery more. She takes us back to a simple time, where people traveled on the blue highways and not interstates, finding the unique mom and pop shops and ice cream parlors that defined small American towns. She makes you leave “Generica” and the big box retail stores behind and realize that all you need in life is the ones that you love. When we travel, people look at her and smile. You can’t help it. We feel like we are traveling in a parade with people waiving, truckers honking, and trains whistling. It’s true.

Every year we set out for a great American road trip, usually heading north to escape the summer hot box. Two years ago it was Minnesota. Last year, we drove to Wisconsin, the land of beer and cheese curds!!!!

This year for our annual trip, we are headed….yes, north and west to Custer State Park. We are in search of great buffalo, blue highways, a good root beer float, slower times, good beer, hiking trails, and each others company.

The other thing I love about camping is camping food! No, not hot dogs. I love grilled chicken hobo packets, eggs and bacon in the morning with gritty coffee, and grilled bananas and marshmallows at night. This year I tried something new. I grilled some fresh beets and beet greens that we found at a farmer’s market to go along with the grilled lamb burgers the other night. So good. If you are a beet virgin like me, jump on this! And if you love beets, like my husband, you will want to devour the whole batch. So easy and you don’t waste any part of the beet. Winner winner. and it’s puuuuurty!

Grilled Yellow Beets and Beet Greens
Serves 2

Ingredients
One bundle of fresh beets (about 5 small beets), sliced 1/4-inch thick and greens removed
Beet greens, washed and sliced in 1-inch strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, sliced
Salt and pepper

Instructions
1. Heat grill.
2. Pull out a 2 foot sheet of aluminum foil. Fold in half. Open and spray with nonstick spray. Place sliced beets and onions in the middle of the fold. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place beet greens on top. Fold packet in half again, making a pocket. Fold all edges and seal.
3. Place on indirect heat on a grill for 10 to 15 minutes. Opening packet every five minutes and stirring veggies.
4. Remove from grill. Enjoy!

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Spicy Mango and Coconut Quinoa Salad

Published on by Alissa7 Comments

Fresh. Sweet. Spicy. Sassy.

No, not me…this quinoa salad. Well…yes, me too, but also this salad.

This dish is basically mango salsa mixed with quinoa…oh and flaked coconut, because we all need more flaked coconut in our lives.  Flaked coconut makes me feel fancy and on vacation. Adding it to this salad was just an extra bonus.

I’m a huge fan of quinoa salads. They are probably my second fav next to kale salads.  Quinoa is an amazing grain, or seed rather, packed full of protein and fiber.  This quinoa salad feeds 4 to 6 as a side dish. It’s great served along side grilled wild alaskan salmon.  To make a more substantial meal and serve it as a main course, the addition of 1/2 cup of roughly chopped roasted salted peanuts or almonds will add protein and make it a bit more hearty.  

This recipe started out as just mango salsa, which was adapted from this week’s Food Matters Project recipe, Mexican-Style Fruit Salad with Grilled or Broiled Fish which was chosen by Food and Frederick.  However, my salsa was taken to superhuman status after I was inspired by the Mango and Coconut Black Rice Salad in my new fav cookbook, Plenty from London’s Ottolenghi.  Holy cow, I have never seen such great veg-tastic food porn in my life. It’s gorgeous. It’s inspiring. It’s a must. I love this book, like I love mason jars….and that’s a lot of love people. Because, seriously, mason jars are about the most useful thing in the world. And duct tape. But duct tape is not beautiful.

Spicy Mango and Coconut Quinoa Salad

Serves 6 as a side dish

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of cooked quinoa* (see note on cooking instructions)
  • 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and diced
  • 2 green onions, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • grated zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint
  • 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil
  • 1 large mango (or 2 small mangos), chopped into 1/2-inch chunks
  • 1/4 cup flaked unsweetened coconut

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients, except the diced mango and flaked coconut, into a bowl. Toss to combine.
  2. Add mango and coconut, and stir just to mix. Do not over stir or the mango pieces will disintegrate and become too mushy. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

*Cooking Quinoa- Rinse 1 cup of uncooked quinoa thoroughly, until water is no longer milky. Place rinsed quinoa in a saucepan with 2 cups of water or broth. Cook on medium-high heat until it comes to a rolling boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender and the water has been cooked out. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. I like to double this, cooking extra to eat throughout the week.