by dnshah | Oct 3, 2019 | Main Dishes, Recipes
INGREDIENTS – Crust
100g of ground almonds
100g of gram flour
6 tablespoons of cold water
75g of coconut oil
50g of corn flour
Salt and pepper
INGREDIENTS – Filling
5 ounces box baby spinach, roughly torn
1 bottle of JUST Egg, cold and shaken well
½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup onion, chopped
⅓ cup shredded vegan cheddar
2-3 tablespoons shredded vegan parmesan
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground
salt and pepper
METHOD
- Start by making the pastry: In a large mixing bowl combine all the pastry ingredients with your hands, then roll the dough into a ball and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Roll the pastry out flat between two sheets of greaseproof paper then press it down into a greased tart tin.
- Cover pie crust with parchment paper (or foil) and fill with baking beans (to keep bottom of crust from rising). Bake for 12 minutes.
- Reduce temperature to 325 °F. Remove baking beans and parchment paper/foil, prick holes in bottom of pie crust with a fork and bake for an additional 8 minutes.
- While the pastry cooks you can make the filling: Add chopped onion, greens, and nutmeg to the pan on medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 6-7 minutes, stirring every so often, until the mixture has cooked down and most of the water has evaporated.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese on the bottom of the pie crust. Add cooked onion and greens mixture. Top with nutritional yeast, and crack of fresh black pepper. Shake the Just Egg bottle vigorously and evenly pour over quiche filling. Garnish with any desired toppings (halved tomatoes and parmesan).
- Bake in 325 °F oven for 60 minutes, or until the center is set. Let cool 15-20 minutes and serve warm or cold.
by dnshah | Sep 13, 2019 | Main Dishes, Recipes, Side Dish, Soups and Stews
A Vegan twist on Shepherd’s Pie, with a savory yet satisfying ensemble of plant-based protein and vegetables without a crust. It’s a great one- dish meal, perfect for Halloween or a Thanksgiving main dish.
INGREDIENTS –Topping
6 white potatoes, peeled/cubed
2 sweet potatoes, peeled/cubed
1 Tablespoon EVOO
1 Tablespoon Italian seasonings
1 Tablespoon Cajun seasonings
INGREDIENTS – Filling
3-½ cups water
1 cup lentils
1 cup onions, sliced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
½ cup broccoli
½ cup red bell pepper
1 zucchini, sliced
2 Tablespoon Cajun seasonings
1 Tablespoon EVOO
1 Tablespoon mashed potatoes (dry/instant)
2 cloves garlic
1 Bay leaf
1 teaspoon curry powder/garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
METHOD
- Cook the potatoes (white & sweet) in water via pressure cook, microwave, or stovetop boil.
- Drain & reserve some of the water (2 cup).
- Add 1 cup of water back into pot with potatoes & mash. Mix in other topping ingredients.
- Bring 3 additional cups of water to a boil; add in the bay leaf & lentils. Cook until tender (45 minutes) on medium heat.
- Separately sauté onions, garlic, mushrooms, broccoli, and peppers in EVOO for 4 minutes.
- Mix in the remaining cup of reserved water with salt, and spices. Allow it to sit until lentils are finished cooking.
- Pour the vegetable mix into the cooked lentils
- Add the spoon of instant mashed potatoes to ¼ cup water, and mix well creating a thickening agent.
- Pour the thickening agent into the vegetable/lentil mix.
- Heat the vegetables/lentil mixture for 3 minutes allowing it to thicken.
- Assemble a prepared casserole dish with zucchini slices on the bottom.
- Layer that with 4 cups of mashed potatoes on top of the zucchini.
- Layer that with 2 cups of vegetable lentil mixture.
- Add the remaining mashed potatoes on top and smooth.
- Bake for 50 minutes on 350° F.
- Allow it to cool prior to serving.
by dnshah | Mar 29, 2019 | Diet and Weight Loss, Main Dishes, Recipes, Side Dish
An amazing substitute for meatballs in pasta or a great appetizer. Makes 10-12 vegan balls.
INGREDIENTS
1 large head of broccoli, florets and tender stem, minced
¼ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon EVOO
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ chipotle pepper
⅓ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup almond meal
¼ cup bread crumbs, gluten-free if desired
1 chia seed egg: 1 Tablespoon chia seeds + 3 Tablespoons warm water, allow 2 minutes to gel
OPTIONAL: ¼ cup vegan cheese shreds
METHOD
- Heat oil over medium heat.
- Add onions & celery and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Pulse the broccoli and basil in a food processor until minced. Add to the pan.
- Mix in salt and cook for 3-4 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Take off heat.
- Mix in the spices, almond meal, and breadcrumbs. Make the chia seed egg.
- Mix in the vegan cheese shreds if using. Add more breadcrumbs if needed.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F / 200ºc.
- Prepare a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Shape the mixture into balls. If the balls are too crumbly, sprinkle some non-dairy milk and mix well.
- Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for a total of 20 to 25 minutes or until crisp and golden on the outside. Serve warm with marinara or over spaghetti or as veggie balls in a sub sandwich.
by dnshah | Jul 8, 2018 | Main Dishes, Recipes
This unripe fruit makes an excellent starch which is used to make a tortilla/wrap for a number of sandwich or taco fillings. It is heavier than most tortillas so it is very satisfying and “no grain” at all so ideal for Paleo or Corn-Free or Gluten free type of diets.
Total time: 5 hours – Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS for Taco “Meat”
1 Tbsp. coconut or avocado oil
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
1 avocado
Iceberg lettuce leaves
INGREDIENTS for Sauce
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup coconut cream
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
INGREDIENTS for Tortilla
1 large green plantain
METHOD
- Heat medium skillet over low heat and add coconut or avocado oil. Add walnuts and mushrooms and sauté until browned. Add in shredded carrots.
- Add all sauce ingredients to the blender and mix until smooth.
- Heat 2 to 4 cups of water to a boil. Slice plantain with skin on and add to water for 2 to 5 minutes. Peel plantain slices and add to food processor. Will create a dough-like ball. Cut into 4 equal-sized pieces and roll into a ball.
- Cut open a large plastic sandwich bag so it is one piece. Put the “dough” between the plastic and roll into a tortilla.
- Heat skillet with cooking oil or coconut oil and add plantain tortilla, cook each side until lightly browned.
- Add the filling, sauce, avocado, and greens to the tortilla and enjoy.
by dnshah | Mar 8, 2018 | Age Defying, Diet and Weight Loss, Health and Wellness Tips, Main Dishes, Obesity, Recipes
I have tried cauliflower “rice” with other curries and I really didn’t notice too much of a difference in taste. If you are a rice fanatic and you need your rice daily, you will definitely notice a difference – but consider swapping it out occasionally for nutritious variety and gain. And if you don’t eat it every day, and can add more flavor and taste with side dishes, I think it is a phenomenal swap! Here’s the nutritional breakdown
| 100g of each |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiber |
Calories |
Protein |
Carbs |
Sugars |
Fat |
Vitamins |
Minerals |
| Cauliflower |
3 |
25 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
0.4 |
C,B-6,Folate |
K,Mn |
| White Rice |
0.4 |
130 |
2.7 |
28.2 |
0.1 |
0.3 |
Folate, Thiamin, Niacin, B-6 |
Mn, Se, Fe |
| Brown Rice |
3.4 |
362 |
7.5 |
76.2 |
1.1 |
2.7 |
B-6,Folate, Niacin |
Cu, Mg, Mn, P, Zn |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
So choosing cauliflower over white rice helps us because our bodies need more fiber, and cauliflower packs more than 7x what white rice gives us. Most of us would rather spend our calories elsewhere than rice or cauliflower, and cauliflower is 5x less calories – for the same 100 gram comparison. Cauliflower is 5x lower in carbs. It provides some natural sugar – which is okay, and it provides some vitamin C and potassium which is needed for our immune systems daily.
Other fringe benefits include faster prep time because it is actually faster to food process and oven roast cauliflower than to boil long-grain white rice. Cauliflower is part of the cruciferous family of vegetables touted for their anti-cancer properties. Other health benefits for cauliflower over white rice include collagen production, good blood clotting, blood pressure regulation, bone health, and a metabolism boost!
So overall this particular swap is a great one!
Why would someone not want to choose cauliflower over rice? If you have a food sensitivity to cauliflower, you’re better off switching between white and brown rice! If you have thyroid issues, you have to watch overeating of goitrogenous vegetables, like those in the cruciferous family. If the cauliflower is cooked, it should not pose a health issue.
To make cauliflower rice, simply process the cauliflower (food processor) until it is rice-sized. Then boil in stock or saute with other flavors for 2 minutes. Voila! you have a cauliflower rice.
by dnshah | Aug 7, 2017 | Main Dishes, Recipes
Fa-Waffles
Makes 2 Belgian waffles
INGREDIENTS
- 1 can chickpeas (or ¾ cup dry, soaked, boiled)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 6 Tablespoons hummus
- 2 Tablespoons EVOO
- 2 Tablespoons dried dill
- 2 Tablespoons dried parsley
- 2 Tablespoons rice flour
- 1 egg (or egg replacer)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- Salt & black pepper to taste
INGREDIENTS FOR TZATZIKI SAUCE
- ½ cup Greek nonfat yogurt
- ¼ cucumber, grated
- ½ Tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ clove of garlic
- Salt to taste
METHOD
- Make tzatziki sauce by combining all ingredients in a bowl and manually mixing. Chill & serve with the fa-waffle.
- Make fa-waffle batter. Process all ingredients except the rice flour until it is a thick better- but not sticky. Pour out into a bowl and mix in the rice flour. Allow to chill for 10 minutes before using for waffles.
- Pour out waffle batter over hot waffle iron, and cook 7-8 minutes until crispy brown.
- Plate and serve with tzatziki sauce. Optionally eat with lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and hot sauce.
