A Few More Overnight Oats Recipes

I've been tinkering a bit with the overnight oats recipes I posted a couple of months ago.  I wanted to make a recipe that includes greens but is is a little lighter on them (shocking, I know since I love greens, but my blender is having a hard time with the greens to liquid ratio I've been using). I've also been making my oats with whole chia seeds rather than ground since they add such a nice texture. Everything I've read indicates that unlike flax, chia's nutrients are available even when the seed is in the whole form. You can find more about that, and the nutritional benefits of chia seeds here. The chia seeds are totally optional though, and the overnight are still delicious without them.

Berry Cinnamon Overnight Oats
makes 2 jars
1 ripe banana
1 1/2 cups almond milk (or other milk of choice)
zest and juice of 1 large orange
2 cups blueberries or blackberries (frozen is fine)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups spinach leaves (baby spinach is fine)
2/3 cup rolled oats
4 tbs chia seeds (optional)

Put first 6 ingredients in the blender. Blend until smooth. Add spinach, push to the bottom of the blender with a spoon, and blend again until smooth. Place 1/3 cup of oats in each jar. Fill with smoothie mixture, stir, and add more until jar is almost full. Repeat with second jar. Top each jar with 2Tbs chis seeds and stir until well-mixed. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.

Tropical Fruit Variation:
Substitue 1 cup pineapple and 1 cup mango for the berries (frozen is fine). Omit cinnamon, and instead add in a 1 inch piece of fresh ginger (I recommend cutting it into slices to ensure that it gets well-blended)

Each jar contains:
2 servings berries (or 1 serving pineapple and 1 serving mango)
1/2 serving bananas
1 serving spinach

Lentil-Chickpea Stew with Kale

A few nights ago, I decided to throw together a soup out of bits and pieces of things I had and wanted to use up. I came across a recipe from Vegetarian Times that I used as a guide, and ended up with a tasty and satisfying soup. Note that the rice absorbs some of the broth over time, so if you eat this stew as leftovers, you may need to thin it down with a little water and add salt to taste. I also make some lemon-tahini dressing for the salad I served on the side. The recipe is from American Wholefoods Cuisine and I've included it as a bonus below.

Lentil-Chickpea Stew with Kale 
1cup dried green lentils

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp curry powder
3 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely sliced
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
7 cups broth
2 bay leaves
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
blak pepper
1 15oz can garbanzo beans
1/2 bunch Italian Kale, rinsed, leaves torn from stems and sliced into ribbons

Cover lentils with hot water and let them sit while you get the other ingredients ready.  Warm the oil in a soup pot. Add spices and stir for about one minute. Next add onions and garlic, cooking over medium-low until onions are almost soft. Add celery and carrots and cook for a few more minutes. Now add rice and stir to coat with vegetable mixture. Add broth, tomatoes, and bay leaves. Drain lentils and add them to the pot. Grind in some pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, allowing to cook until lentils and rice are soft (mine took about 40 minutes). Add garbanzo beans and kale and cook until kale is well wilted, about 7 more minutes.  Top with fresh pepper and serve warm with a crisp green salad.

Quick Lemon-Tahini Dressing
from American Wholefoods Cuisine
1/4 cup tahini
juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
3/4 cup oil
1/4 cup water
1 tsp tamari
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dried dill (or 1Tbs fresh)
Using a whisk, mix all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Spinach and Green Onion Mini Quiches with Quinoa Crust

I had a great time yesterday hanging out with my sweet Mama, and making these cute (and tasty) little quiches for a party I went to last night. The idea for these quiches came when I was trying to think of ways to use up some of the 2+ dozen eggs we had in the refrigerator. Some friends of ours who have chickens gave us a bunch of eggs, and we already had a dozen, so I knew I needed a recipe that would use a lot of eggs. Of course, like most good ideas, this one had already been dreamed up by many other cooks (just try searching for "quiche quinoa crust" and you'll see quite a few results). At any rate, I used this recipe as a guide, substituting spinach and green onions for the asparagus and chives since that's what I had on hand.  I imagine most vegetables would work here, but if you are using something firmer (peppers, onions, zucchini, broccoli) you should probably saute it before mixing with the raw eggs.

Quinoa Crusted Mini Quiches

Makes 24 mini quiches

recipe adapted from themuffinmyth.com

For the crusts:

3 cups cooked quinoa

3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used a sharp cheddar)

3 beaten eggs

any dried herbs or spices you'd like to add: dill, pepper, etc.

Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with muffin liners. In a large bowl mix together cooked quinoa, eggs, and cheese. Drop 2 Tbsp of quinoa crust mixture into each muffin cup and then use the back of a spoon to press the mixture down and flatten the top of each crust. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the crusts have set. Remove from the oven to cool slightly, but leave the oven on.

For the quiches:

1 small bunch spinach, washed and chopped

4 green onions, white and dark green part only, chopped

12 eggs

1 ½ cups plain yogurt (I used sheep yogurt for extra creaminess)

1 cup shredded cheese (I used a sharp cheddar)

salt and pepper

Whisk the eggs, salt and pepper, yogurt, and green onions together. Stir in spinach and ½ the cheese. Spoon the custard over the 12 bases, filling each muffin liner nearly to the top. Set in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the egg has just started to set.

Remove the quiches from the oven, sprinkle the top of each quiche with shredded cheese, Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, until quiches are puffed and golden. Remove from pan and set on wire rack to cool. Repeat with second set of 12.

Serve hot, room temperature or cold.

Cabbage Bhaji

Earlier this week, we'd gotten to the point where we really needed to go to the store. I wanted to make a healthy dinner, but I didn't have a lot in the way of fresh produce to choose from (believe it or not, even I get busy and forget to replenish from time to time). Anyhow, what I did have was a nice head of red cabbage. It was a cold and rainy evening, so I wanted to make something warm (rather than cabbage salad), so I looked through some cookbooks and found this awesome, old-school recipe for spiced cabbage. It's from Laurel's Kitchen , which in addition to being a terrific vegetarian cookbook, is also filled with handy charts for cooking beans and grains.
We ate the cabbage with salmon and steamed potatoes drizzled with yogurt that we seasoned with dill, garlic powder, and Herbamare.

Cabbage Bhaji 
from Laurel's Kitchen
4 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 an onion, chopped
2 Tbs oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
2-4 Tbs water
1/3 cup unsweetened dried coconut (optional)

Heat oil in a large pan with a lid. Add mustard seeds to hot oil and cover. Allow to brown but not to burn. Stir in turmeric, salt, and onion and saute for a few minutes until onion is almost soft. Add cabbage and 2Tbs of water. Turn down the heat, cover, and cook for a few minutes until cabbage is soft, adding more water if needed. Stir in coconut (if desired) a few minutes before the cabbage is done. Serve warm.

Simple Lunch- Quinoa Salad with Feta, Walnuts, Pineapple, and Currants

Today I wanted a quick, healthy, simple lunch so I threw together this easy quinoa salad and enjoyed it with a serving of plain steamed kale. I based the ingredients I mixed into the quinoa on little bits of stuff I wanted to use up. Think of the quinoa with dressing as a base and let your imagination (or what you have on hand and want to use up) guide you in your next quick lunch endeavor!


Quinoa Salad with Feta, Walnuts, Pineapple, and Currants
About 3 cups cooked quinoa (if you don't have this on hand, make up a batch and let it cool. There are great instructions here, you will want to use 1 cup dry quinoa and 2 cups water to yield about 3 cups cooked)
2 Tbs olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
2 Tbs currants
2 Tbs toasted walnuts (toast on the stovetop in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes, shaking occasionally)
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple (or frozen thawed, or substitute mango)
1 green onion, finely sliced
a small chunk of feta, crumbled
Mix dressing in a large bowl by combining lemon juice with a little salt and pepper. Add olive oil in a slow stream, whisking as you go. Stir in quinoa and mix to combine with dressing. Stir in walnuts and currants, then add pineapple and green onion. Add feta last, stirring gently. Serve with a side of steamed greens.

Garlicky Pasta with Arugula, Beans, and Walnuts

Continuing with my greens set-list is this easy, cheap, and nutritious dinner of greens, pasta, and beans. I learned to cook arugula from an awesome gentleman named Frank. I met Frank when I was working at a coffee shop, and when I started working at the Co-op, I frequently ran into him in the produce department. We'd talk about food and cooking each time we'd see each other, and eventually, he gifted me with a packet of fantastic recipes he'd created. One of the recipes was for pasta with cooked arugula. I'd never cooked arugula before, so I was quite intrigued. This recipe is a variation of the one he gave me, and I think it's pretty fantastic.

Garlicky Pasta with Arugula, Beans, and Walnuts
inspired by Frank de Libero
1/2 lb pasta (I used brown rice noodles this time, but often use whole wheat)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2tbs olive oil
1 bunch arugula, washed and stemmed
salt and pepper
1 can beans, drained and rinsed (I used Borlotti beans this time, but I've also made it with cannelini beans and garbanzo beans)
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
some shredded parmesan for topping (optional)
Cook pasta as directed on package. While pasta is cooking, get the saute ready. Saute garlic and a sprinkling of salt in olive oil on medium-low until it becomes fragrant. Add arugula and cook until it wilts (this will only take a couple of minutes). Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat. When pasta is done, combine with the arugula saute, toasted walnuts, beans, and parmesan (if desired) in a large bowl and mix together. Dinner is ready!

Braised Chard with Currants and Feta

I'm teaching a class this weekend that focuses on cooking with greens. I always like to run through the recipes I'll be making (kind of like rehearsing for a show I suppose), so tonight I made Braised Chard with Currants and Feta. This dish is simple, unique, and very flavorful. It also tastes a lot richer than the ingredients it contains would lead you to believe. I discovered this recipe on epicurious.  It gets the site's highest rating (4 forks), and 100% of people who reviewed it said they would make it again. I served it atop a bed of quinoa and sprinkled some sprouted almonds on at the end for an added crunch. Delicious!


Braised Chard with Currants and Feta
from Gourmet, December 2006

1 large bunch Swiss chard

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons dried currants

1/3 cup water

1 1/2 ounces feta, crumbled (1/3 cup)

preparation

Cut stems and center ribs from chard, discarding any tough parts near base, then cut stems and ribs crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Coarsely chop leaves.

Cook garlic in oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chard stems and ribs, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Add currants and cook, stirring, until plump, about 1 minute. Add chard leaves and water and increase heat to moderate, then cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until leaves are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in feta