Baby Bok Choy with Noodles, Chickpeas and Citrus Sauce

This is very quick, tasty, Asian-inspired meal. You could make it with a variety of greens, but I love the crisp, juiciness of baby bok choy leaves.

Ingredients:

4-6 baby bok choy, rinsed, bottoms removed and leaves chopped in half or in smaller pieces

1-2 TBSP olive oil

pinch of salt and pepper

2-3 garlic cloves, minced or crushed

1/2 package of 100% buckwheat soba noodles (gluten free) or udon noodles

3-4 TBSP (or to taste) Bragg’s Hawaiian dressing

Recipe for Crispy Chickpeas: HERE

Directions:

Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. (do not overcook!)

Cook the crispy chickpeas recipe. Set aside.

In a large heavy bottomed pan, add olive oil and garlic over medium heat. When the garlic begins to sizzle, add the bok choy, salt and pepper, stir well and then allow to simmer on low heat until the leaves become slightly tender and bright green.

In a large bowl, add the bok choy and noodles and then add the Bragg’s dressing. Stir well and then serve in a bowl topped with crispy chickpeas.

Baby Bok Choy, Noodles, Chickpeas

 

Sweet Curry Roasted Cauliflower Steak with Kale Chips and White Bean Puree

As a kid, I thought of cauliflower as the bland albino version of broccoli. However, as an adult, I love its subtle flavor and how versatile it is to flavor and cook with. This recipe is a very simple roasted “steak” seasoned with sweet curry and served up with kale and bean puree.

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, greens removed (keep “stump” intact)

1-2 tsp Penzey’s sweet curry spice

1 TBSP olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Recipe for Kale Chips form my blog: HERE

Recipe for White Bean Puree:

Ingredients:

1 can white beans such as cannellini or chickpeas work well too

3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely diced

1/4 cup olive oil

Juice from 1/2 fresh lemon

Fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste

Simmer oil and garlic in a small pan until garlic has softened but not browned.

Blend beans in food processor until smooth. Add oil and garlic mix, lemon juice, salt and pepper and blend until very smooth.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the cauliflower into large steaks and place onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sweet curry spice and salt and pepper to taste.

Roast for 20 minutes or until tender and slightly browned. You will need to turn the steaks at least once to brown both sides.

Serve over kale chips with a side of white bean puree.

Cauliflower steak with kale chips

Beet Burgers with Crispy Rice Cakes over Arugula w/tartar sauce

Tonight’s beet burger recipe comes straight from the PPK blog and is a great burger for a bun or as a main dish on its own. I served it over arugula with rice cakes and tartar sauce.

Beet Burger Recipe: HERE

Rice Cakes Recipe from my blog: HERE

Vegan Tartar Sauce Recipe:

1/4 cup vegan mayonaise

1/4 cup dill pickle relish

1 tsp yellow or dijon mustard

Mix together in a small bowl. Add more relish or mustard to taste.

Beet Burger with Rice Cakes over Arugula

Vegan Rice Cakes

This recipe is directly adapted from the Feedzone Cookbook by Allen Lim and Biju Thomas.

“Chef Biju and Dr. Lim vetted countless meals with the world’s best endurance athletes in the most demanding test kitchens. In The Feed Zone Cookbook: Fast and Flavorful Food for Athletes, Thomas and Lim share their energy-packed, wholesome recipes to make meals easy to prepare, delicious to eat, and better for performance.”

Ingredients:

2 Cups cooked sushi rice (or other sticky style rice)

1-2 TBSP brown sugar

1-2 TBSP Bragg’s Aminos (or GF tamari)

1 Cup sweet potato, diced into very small cubes

2 TBSP olive oil

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and mashed (use potato masher or food processor)

2 TBSP nutritional yeast

1/2-1 tsp salt

additional salt, pepper and spices, to taste

Directions:

Cook the rice according to package directions on the stove top or rice cooker. Set aside.

In a heavy bottomed skillet, add the olive oil and sweet potato and pan fry until crispy. In a large bowl, add potatoes to the rice.

Using the same skillet, add the mashed chickpeas, nutritional yeast, desired spices (fennel or cumin are a good choice) stir and cook until the chickpea mixture begins to dry a bit and look ever so slightly like scrambled eggs.

Add all of the remaining ingredients into the rice and stir well. Pour mixture into a brownie style or rectangular glass baking dish and press the mixture until it is spread evenly and smooth on top. Refrigerate for approx 15 minutes and then cut into small rectangles.

Scoop out each “cake” and wrap individually in foil, wax paper or ideally Martha Wrap. Store in an airtight container in the ‘fridge.

Vegan Rice Cakes

You can easily take these rice cakes on the go in your lunch, in your cycling jersey pocket or pan fry them in a little olive oil for dinner.

 

 

Gluten Free Vegan Banana Bread/Muffins

I combined up a few recipes from my cookbooks to make up a pretty tasty GFV banana bread/muffin recipe. They look a little dense but pack a lot of flavor!

Ingredients:

2-3 large very ripe bananas

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp molasses

2 Cups Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp xanthum gum

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mash bananas, molasses, sugar, vanilla, oil and applesauce with a hand mixer or potato masher. Stir in the remaining ingredients just until mixed completely.

Fill muffin tins 3/4 of the way full or 1-2 large greased or non stick bread loaf pans and bake for 20-25 minutes for muffins and 35-45 min for bread. The top should be lightly browned and a knife or tooth pick inserted through the middle should come out clean.

GFV Banana Muffins

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

This is a slightly modified version of the recipe from Patrice Pollack of http://www.ahealthfoodie.com. A healthy, slightly sweet pudding great for dessert or a post workout snack.

1 1/4 cup rice, coconut or almond milk (use chocolate for a richer flavor)

1/4 cup chia seeds – rinsed and drained

1 heaping tablespoon smooth peanut, sunflower seed or almond butter

1 banana – mashed

1/2 tablespoon raw, unsweetened cacao powder (you can also use natural cocoa powder or dutch processed cocoa powder)

Option 1: Mix everything in a large bowl and allow it to sit for 20 minutes before serving. This will allow the chia seeds to thicken and double in size. Pour into small bowls and chill before serving.

Option 2: Place all the ingredients in a bowl, stir well and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Pour into small bowls and chill before serving.