Tag Archives: gluten-free

Roasted Squash Quinoa Bowl with Arugula Pesto

Who doesn’t love a good, cozy bowl? This one will fill you right up with beans, quinoa, roasted butternut squash, and a creamy, dreamy, slightly peppery pesto. The three year-old I care for during the week gave this dish two thumbs up and described it as “magical.” (Okay, so she may or may not have had princesses on the brain.)
*The recipe makes about 1 cup of pesto, a little more than needed for this dish. Enjoy any left-overs on sandwiches, sweet potatoes, scrambled tofu, or pasta.

For the arugula pesto:
2 cups arugula
½ cup chopped pecans
1 clove of garlic
1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
salt and black pepper, to taste

Use a food processor fitted with a steel blade to process the arugula, pecans, garlic, lemon juice, and a bit of salt and pepper, until relatively smooth, scraping the sides as needed. With the machine running, slowly pour in the olive oil. Add the nutritional yeast, and pulse to combine. Taste for seasonings and adjust as necessary.

Everything else:
1 cup quinoa (dry measure), cooked
1 medium butternut squash, cubed and roasted
1 cup cooked/14 oz rinsed and drained can of beans (borlotti, chickpea, great northern, etc.)
couple handfuls of arugula

When the butternut squash is fresh from the oven, toss it with the beans. Or, if the squash has been made ahead of time and has cooled down, gently reheat it with the beans on the stove for a few minutes, until hot. Serve squash and beans over quinoa with pesto spooned on top and garnished with a few arugula leaves.

Yield: About 3 servings.

Kale Salad with Grapes

Kale salad is usually not my thing. If you read my blog regularly then you know that I’m more of a braised greens kind of girl. And, yeah, I roll my eyes too when I see “massage” next to anything intended for consumption. Still, getting your hands in there and really working those leaves gives you tender kale that’s ready to absorb all sorts of tastiness (instead of just being a workout for your jaw). Early autumn red grapes add flavor and juiciness; adjust the amount of agave depending on how sweet or tart they are.

1 bunch kale, stems removed, cut chiffonade style
olive oil
¾ cup red grapes, halved and seeded if necessary
1½ tbsp pickled red onion
½ tbsp white wine vinegar
¼ to ½ tsp agave, or to taste
2 tbsp hemp seeds
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and black pepper

In a large bowl, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle some salt on the kale. Using your hands, massage kale for 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in grapes, pickled onion, white wine vinegar, agave, and hemp seeds. Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Let sit for awhile for best flavor.

Yield: About 4 servings

Roasted Fairytale Eggplant with Red Onion & Mint

Can you tell I’m holding onto summer for dear life? Get these beauties while you still can, and enjoy in this simple yet delicious dish. It’s good both warm and cooled down. Add chickpeas and quinoa to make it a full meal.

bunch of fairytale eggplants, halved
1 small red onion, roughly chopped
olive oil
salt and black pepper, to taste
squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice
a few mint leaves, cut in a chiffonade

Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and let sit for a few minutes (not necessary if eggplant is super fresh). In a baking dish, toss eggplant with onion, a bit of olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Roast in oven for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until eggplant is very tender. Remove from oven and season with fresh lemon juice. Just before serving, garnish with fresh mint.

Easy Peasy Cold Noodle Salad

Here, a summery cold noodle salad, with crunchy radish, creamy avocado, fragrant cilantro, and simple green peas. If you’re not keen on cilantro then just leave it out– it will still taste delicious.
*To toast the sesame seeds, heat in a dry skillet over medium heat for about a minute, watching closely, just until lightly browned and fragrant.

1 (8.8 oz) package of noodles (I used black rice)
1 heaping cup of frozen peas
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
a few small radishes, thinly sliced
1 avocado, diced
handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
sriracha for serving (optional)

For the dressing, whisk together:
3½ tbsp tamari
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

Cook noodles according to package directions. At the last minute of cooking time, add the peas, cook for remaining minute, then drain and rinse with cold water.
Add dressing and toasted sesame seeds to the noodles and peas, mix to combine. Top with radish slices, avocado, and cilantro. Serve with sriracha.

Yield: About 3 servings

Baby Bok Choy + Tofu Stir-Fry

Back in my early days as a vegetarian, my mom and I would sometimes make a stir-fry together. It usually involved broccoli and always incorporated those classic stir-fry flavors of soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger– along with a little homemade apricot jam for that extra somethin’ somethin’. Though my universe of vegetable-centric cuisine has expanded significantly since then, I still find comfort in a good stir-fry.

1to 1½ tbsp coconut oil, divided
1 tsp nutritional yeast
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 package firm tofu
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 bunch (about 8) baby bok choy (pak choi), washed well, rough very bottom edges sliced off
¼ to ½ cup vegetable broth or water
1 Tb + a few splashes of tamari
1 tsp toasted sesame seed oil
¼ cup cashews

rice, quinoa, or noodles for serving (optional)
sriracha for serving (optional)

Pat tofu with a couple paper towels. Cut into 1” cubes, then pat again to soak up extra moisture.
Mix nutritional yeast and garlic powder in a small dish.
Heat ½ Tb of coconut oil in a large wok or skillet over medium high heat. Add tofu cubes, sprinkle with nutritional yeast-garlic powder mixture, and stir gently to distribute seasonings. Then let cook– without touching, so it can crisp up– for about 5 minutes. Turn down the heat (just for your own safety), carefully flip over the tofu, and splash with some tamari. Turn heat back up, and cook (without touching) for about 5 more minutes. Turn off burner and transfer tofu to another dish. Let the pan cool a little bit, then give it a gentle wipe with a paper towel to remove any blackened bits.
Cook garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in remaining ½ (or more) Tb of coconut oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in baby bok choy. Add broth or water, turn heat to medium high, and cook, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove lid, add 1 Tb tamari and let cook for about another minute. Lower heat, stir in prepared tofu, cashews, and sesame oil. Cook for a minute or two, warming up the tofu and allowing all the flavors to meld. Serve with grain of choice and sriracha, if desired.

Yield: 3-4 servings