Warm Quinoa Salad
Courtesy of GroupRecipes.comIngredients
* 1 cup of quinoa, rinsed
* 2 cups of water or stock
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
* 1 tomato, seeds and excess pulp removed, chopped
* 1 can adzuki beans, rinsed well
* 4 TBS lemon juice
* 3 TBS olive oil
* 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
* 1 avocado, cubed
* 1 TBS chopped pumpkin seeds
* Unrefined sea salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Combine rinsed quinoa, water, onion, garlic, and a little salt in medium saucepan and turn heat to high. Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat to low, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Fluff with fork and transfer to a bowl. Add chopped herbs, tomato, rinsed adzuki beans, 2 TBS lemon juice, 1 TBS olive oil, salt and pepper.
Toss romaine and avocado in rest of lemon juice and 2 TBS olive oil. Season with salt and cracked black pepper. Serve quinoa on bed of salad greens. Sprinkle with chopped pumpkin seeds.
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“Cocoa-Nut” Bananas
Courtesy of Eating Well
Ingredients
*4 teaspoons of organic cocoa powder
*4 teaspoons of toasted, unsweetened coconut
*2 small bananas, sliced on the bias
Directions
Place cocoa and coconut on separate plates. Roll each banana slice in the cocoa, and shake off the excess. Then, dip banana in the coconut.
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Pumpkin Pie Pudding
Courtesy of Healthy Food for Livingwww.healthyfoodforliving.com
Ingredients
* 4 large Medjool dates, pitted & roughly chopped, or enough to fill about 1/4 cup
* 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
* 1/4 tsp pure maple extract
* 1/2 cup mashed overripe banana, about 1 medium (for the sweetest pudding, wait until your banana has a completely brown – but not black – peel)
* 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (homemade is especially good in this recipe because you are not cooking it) See recipe below!
* 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice See recipe below!
Directions
1. Cover dates with boiling water in a small bowl and let soak for 10 minutes, or until very soft. Drain.
2. In a food processor, combine all ingredients and blend until very smooth.
3. Best if eaten immediately. (I put half of the pudding in the fridge overnight, and although still tasty, it tasted more banana-y than pumpkin-y and turned a dark, almost brownish color from the dates, spices, and oxidized bananas).
Pumpkin Puree
1. Start with “sugar” or “pie” pumpkins – they are smaller and sweeter than the big pumpkins used for carving into jack-o-lanterns.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degress F.
3. Coat a roasting pan or jelly roll sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
4. Cut pumpkin in half. Scoop out and discard seeds and pulp.
5. Place pumpkin halves – cut sides down – into the pan or onto the sheet.
6. Bake for about 60-90 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender and easily pierced with a fork.
7. Let roasted pumpkin rest at room temperature until cool enough to handle.
8. Flip pumpkin halves over and scoop flesh out of the skin and into the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth.
9. Line a sieve or colander with two layers of heavy-duty paper towel or cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Spoon puree into lined sieve and let drain for about 30 minutes.
10. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Combine the following:
* 1/4 cup ground cinnamon
* 1 Tbsp ground ginger
* 1 Tbsp ground nutmeg
* 1 tsp ground allspice
* 1 tsp ground cloves
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