Spicy Mango and Rice Bowl

I just spent 30 minutes going back and forth on which post to put out today.  The indecisiveness thing is paralyzing.

But really it's a good situation for all of us.  It means that I have so many delicious recipes to share with you that picking just one is almost beyond my capabilities.

Luckily, I looked at the clock and realized I was wasting precious time and decided to just go for this one.  Why not right?



We've talked about my love for food "bowls" on multiple occasions.

Food bowls are:

1. unbelievably simple
2. the perfect vehicle for testing out new flavor combinations
3. quite healthy
4. capable of being edible in less than 15 minutes
5. adaptable to any mood

I could obviously give far more than five reasons...but people get bored at six.  Or start thinking your crazy.  And I don't need either of those.

This dish isn't too far off from my typical go-to bowl.  But there are three ingredients that absolutely seal the deal: mango, kimchi, and sriracha.  These must not be left out.  I repeat.  Must NOT be left out.  I know I said bowls are adaptable, but in this situation I need you to include those things.  At least the first time.  And then if you hate it well...you're crazy.  But you can leave them out the next time.

So go.  Go make yourself a big bowl of deliciousness.



Adapted from Betacyanin

Makes: 1 serving
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time:  None!
Total Time: 15 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cooked rice
1/2 mango, diced
1/2 avocado, diced
handful pea shoots
1/4 cup broccoli, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons kimchi
2 tablespoons green onion, thinly sliced
juice of 1/2 lime
soy sauce and sriracha to taste (optional)

Directions:
Heat rice if desired and put on a plate or bowl.  Top with mango, avocado, pea shoots, broccoli, kimchi, and green onions.  Squeeze the lime juice all over and season with soy and sriracha if desired.

Winter Quinoa Salad with Pear and Squash

I'm finally back in Boston.  Finally back to somewhat of a normal schedule.  Finally back to my teeny tiny kitchen.

And thank goodness.  I was starting to miss it.  And you.  Two blog posts over three weeks isn't exactly what I call sufficient.  But it's a new year, new semester, and time to get back to blogging on a more regular basis.  You can even expect to see a Meal Plan Monday next week.  Gasp.  I know.  It's been a while.



This dish came from somewhat of a compulsive habit that I have when browsing through cookbooks.  You see, I like to browse through cookbooks...quite often.  And I'll do it anytime I spot something of interest, whether that be at work, a bookstore, or another person's kitchen.  And then as I'm browsing I'll find something that makes my mouth water...so like any logical person I whip out my phone and take a picture of the recipe.  Which is brilliant in my opinion.

But that creates a space issue.  As I was sitting in the airport on the way back from Missouri I realized that a large majority of my pictures are recipes.  And unfortunately, I rarely revisit these recipes or go the next step and actually make them.

As I was getting rid of the ones not worthy of keeping, I stopped on this one and couldn't decide whether to delete it immediately or run to the kitchen and make it.  I decided on the latter as more of a challenge.  The flavor combinations were far too interesting to delete.  Soy, sesame, balsamic, cinnamon, and allspice?  Sun-dried tomatoes and pears?  Don't get me wrong.  I love all of those things.  But they don't tend to end up in a bowl together.



And guess what?  I totally loved it.  Something about this combination created fireworks in my mouth.  And the quinoa itself...my goodness.  Adding the soy, sesame, and spices to the water while the quinoa is cooking was a miraculous discovery.  I actually don't know if I'll ever go back.  The night I made it I served it warm with a bit of tofu on the side.  The next day for lunch I had it cold over a bed of greens.  Both were equally delicious and deserve your nod of approval.



Makes: 2 main dish servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes (with cooling time)

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butternut squash cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
salt and pepper to taste
1 pear, halved, cored, and diced
1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and halved
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
slivered almonds
feta cheese

Directions:

1. Place the squash in a microwavable bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 7-8 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife.  Let cool to room temperature.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa, water, soy sauce, sesame oil, cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes and then fluff with a fork.  Let cool to almost room temperature.  Gently fold in squash, pear, and tomatoes.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and olive oil.  Spoon over the quinoa mixture and toss lightly.  Arrange the salad on a platter or individual plates and serve and top with slivered almonds and feta cheese.  Serve warm or chilled.

Marinated Mushroom Salad with Walnut and Tahini Yogurt

Stop rubbing your eyes.

This is real.

I'm really posting.

However, I don't blame your doubt.

Seriously though.  I've just let this little blog be lonely for way too long.  But between the holidays, my sister's bachelorette party, entertaining family and working...I haven't had a ton of spare time on my hands.  So you've already forgiven me right?  Perfect.



As you could probably guess, vegetarian meals are quite a bit harder to come by in Missouri than they are in Boston.  Which is understandable and really my fault for not making my own.  But yesterday as I went to grab the last egg in the carton I decided I couldn't force down another egg and that I needed to utilize one of my new super wonderful cookbooks that I received for Christmas (don't fret, you'll be seeing all of them make an appearance in the near future) and make myself lunch.

I opened the pages of Plenty and started salivating immediately.  It took more time deciding what to make than it did to actually make the dish.  But we've talked about that little problem of mine once before.

I adapted the recipe slightly due to availability but I have only praises for how it turned out.  In the cookbook, the salad was served by itself.  But I decided to eat mine over a bed of baby bok choy.  And then I might have thrown some really pungent blue cheese over the top as a last minute decision.  Neither are necessary.  But highly recommended.  This would also make a great side dish or a quick lunch to drag to work.

Adapt it.  Devour it.  And of course remember to tell me how much you love it.



Adapted from the Plenty Cookbook

Makes: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time: None!
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• juice of 2 medium lemons
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• black pepper
• 3 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
• 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• 3 cups shelled edamame (fresh or frozen)
• 2/3 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint
• baby bok choy (optional)
• your favorite cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Start by marinating the mushrooms.  Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, the juice from one lemon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper.  Pour this over the mushrooms in a large bowl and toss well, making sure all of the mushrooms are coated.  Leave them to marinate for an hour.
2. While the mushrooms are marinating, mix together the yogurt, tahini, garlic, juice from the other lemon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Use a fork or small whisk to whip everything together, forming a light paste.  Set aside.
3. After the mushrooms have marinated for an hour, add the edamame, toasted walnuts, and cumin to the bowl and stir to mix.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.
4. Serve the mushrooms in small bowls or on small places, each portion topped with a dollop of the tahini sauce and sprinkled with the fresh herbs.
5. OR serve over a bed of baby bok choy and top with your favorite cheese.

Mix these things together.

And pour over the mushrooms.

Toss well to coat and set aside to marinate for an hour.

Grab all of these ingredients.

And mix in a small bowl.  Set aside until the mushrooms are done.

After an hour, grab your mushrooms.

Add the shelled edamame.

And cumin.

And toasted walnuts.  Mix it all together.

Make your bed of baby bok choy if you want to be like me.

Spoon your salad inside.

Top with tahini yogurt and fresh herbs.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

The other night as I was preparing to make some food, I told the guys we would be having Black Bean Veggie Burgers for dinner.

Their meat deprived stomachs took over their sense of hearing and immediately threw out the words "black, bean, and veggie" leaving them thinking I was actually making big meaty burgers for dinner.  They seemed somewhat disgusted but not so secretly hopeful that I was being serious.  I quickly put an end to their salivating mouths by repeating myself with an emphasis on the black bean veggie part.

I think know there was a tinge of disappointment lining their questions about what exactly a "black bean" burger was.  Is it just beans?  How does it stay together?  Does it have vegetables?  What else is in it?  I can only assume it wasn't the actual contents of the burger that was duping them but rather a tiny bit of hope for some sort of meat product.

The skepticism continued right up until the moment that the burger entered their open and hungry mouths and then it fluttered away far more quickly than I had anticipated.  They oohed and aahed.  They praised the homemade buns, the unforeseen deliciousness of the burger, the yummy sauce slathered on the bun, and left me overall satisfied with my afternoon in the kitchen.

I took something that could have been an easily thrown together meal and turned it into an afternoon.  I carefully constructed my recipe for the burger, prepared homemade brioche buns (recipe coming soon!), created several sauces, and ended up with a pretty darn yummy meal.

And now it's your turn.  You can make it an afternoon or you can throw it together in thirty minutes.  It's up to you.  I highly encourage the homemade buns but don't require them.  Toppings are yours to choose.  And so are the sides.  Seems pretty great, right?

black bean veggie burgers

Makes: 4 burgers   Prep Time: 10 minutes   Cook Time: 10-20 minutes   Total Time: 30 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
1/2 can corn, drained
1/2 red pepper or 2 baby red peppers, cut into large pieces
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 shallot, cut into large pieces
1 egg
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
toppings- (optional)
4 slices cheddar cheese
1 large tomato, sliced thin
1 avocado, pitted and sliced thin
arugula
4 homemade (or not) buns
"Spicy Sauce" - Consisting of mayo, steak sauce, finely minced garlic, salt, pepper, and tabasco
(I didn't measure quantities so just start small and do a lot of taste testing!)
 

Directions: 
1. Gather your ingredients.
2. After draining, rinsing, and patting the beans dry transfer them to a large bowl and mash with a fork.  You can mash them entirely or leave a few whole.  It's up to you!
3. In a food processor combine corn, cilantro, red peppers, shallot, garlic, and olive oil.  Pulse until thoroughly combined.  Add mixture from the food processor to the bowl of beans along with the bread crumbs, egg, spices, salt and pepper.  Stir well.
4.  Form mixture into 4 patties.  If grilling, wrap burgers in foil and grill for about 8 minutes on each side.  If baking, place patties on a lightly greased baking sheet for 10 minutes on each side in a 375° oven.  If pan frying, heat a bit of vegetable oil in a large skillet or spray with non-stick spray and cook burgers for 3-4 minutes on each side.  Top with cheese to melt if using.
5. Spread both sides of the bun with "spicy sauce" or whatever else you may be using.  Start with a handful of arugula, top with the black bean burger, then add the avocado and tomato.
6. Serve immediately with homemade fries, sweet potato fries, a simple salad, or a yummy bowl of gazpacho.
7. Enjoy!