Wednesday, October 3, 2012

My Recent Recipe Concoctions-early fall '12

I get asked about my food and recipes quite a bit, and I am super-flattered. I try to always eat clean and vegan and am always inventing new food ideas to give myself a sense of culinary adventure. Like I have mentioned in previous posts, this hasn't always been the case. My husband and I are moderately obsessed "foodies" and to prevent us from dropping dollars at swanky restaurants on the regular, I get creative in my kitchen!

Here are some clean, vegan recipes I posted this month on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/lindseyforchefitnesswellness, if you happen to be interested.

SPROUT & HUMMUS SANDWICH
I make my own hummus. It isn't difficult; it requires basic ingredients and a food processor. Mine is spicy, just the way we like it at our house! The secret=Marzetti's roasted red peppers + Frontera roasted red pepper hot sauce + a pinch of cayenne and red pepper flakes. 
Ingredients:
2 slices sesame Ezekiel bread, toasted
thick smear of hummus
roasted red pepper slices
baby spinach
Daiya vegan cheddar, if desired
handful of alfalfa sprouts
julienned carrots
splash of balsamic vinegar (optional and definitely immediately before consuming)


 TRUFFLED WHOLE GRAIN PASTA WITH ARUGULA, PORTOBELLA, & STEAMED VEGETABLES
First, cook up a serving of whole grain pasta. Toss with a little extra virgin, some sea salt and pepper. 
Next, steam some mixed veggies. I used broccoli and baby carrots.
Then, preferably in cast iron, sautee sliced portobellas with a little EVOO and red pepper flakes. Let the arugula steam on top when almost done.
Toss it all together and drizzle with black truffle oil.

 STOPLIGHT SALAD
Love these colors!
Toss arugula, pineapple, peppadew peppers, sunflower seeds and raspberry balsamic vinegar in a bowl. I use Fustini's vinegar, which is local to me and life-changing. 

WHOLE WHEAT FLATBREAD WITH HUMMUS, ZATAAR, ROASTED PEPPERS AND OLIVES 
A little Mediterranean flair!
I put the flatbreads in a 350 degree oven for a minute or two, then spread with homemade hummus. 
I topped with pine nuts and zataar (this is a Mediterranean spice blend that is WELL WORTH seeking out. Hummus is not the same without this magic sprinkled on top.) 
Then I added a little oregano, roasted red peppers (Marzetti is my favorite brand) and quality green olives. 
I baked at a low temp for about 30 minutes. I also added fat free feta to the one I made for my BFF, and added a side of Alexia's sweet potato fries (baked in the toaster oven.)


TRUFFLED RICE-STUFFED ACORN SQUASH & ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
A lot of people like chips for their addictive saltiness. I love roasted cauliflower. Cut into florets, pop into an oven at 400 for about 30 minutes after drizzling with olive oil, sea salt, pepper and garlic--and...HEAVEN! 
Acorn squash is my pick of the squashes, the creme de le creme of fall. I poke holes in mine (important to not blow the microwave up!), and microwave for 5-7 minutes until pretty tender and easy to slice in half lengthwise. This makes it take much less time in the oven, and I am impatient. Scoop the seeds and guts out, and drizzle with olive oil, a little raw honey, some salt and pepper, and any autumnal spice you've got on hand, like rosemary, thyme, sage, and nutmeg (I do all of these in small amounts). Roast at 400 for about 30 minutes. I did these on my Pampered Chef stoneware with the cauliflower. Multitask! 
Cook rice according to package directions. You can make instant rice; I just make huge batches of dry brown rice so I can save a bunch in the fridge for other things throughout the week. When it's done, I added a mix of carrots, peas and corn--but feel free to improvise with what you've got. I stirred in some black truffle oil, which just makes everything taste like a 5-star meal, then stuffed it into the squash. If you like cheese, I suggest a sharp cheddar blended into the rice--a little bit goes a long way. Asparagus would also compliment this dish. Get creative and add a squirt of real lemon or some lemon zest or vegetable stock. And if you try it, let me know what worked!

Lindsey. 






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