BitterSweet

Cheers!

Another year; Another decade; Just another day. The New Year is both an opportunity to start fresh, and still nothing more than a continuation of the same old lives we’ve always been living. Typically a holiday that is but a blip on my radar, this time around, it’s taken on much greater significance. Between the greater global issues at hand and smaller personal battles, 2009 has been a rough one, to say the least. It takes a good kick in the butt to get me going again after wallowing for so long in the everyday doldrums, and for once, the changing calender date actually provided that much needed inspiration.

It’s not my standard modus operandi to make resolutions, and typically a ritual that I avoid like the plague, but in the spirit of starting anew and entering 2010 with an open mind, it’s as good a time as ever to give it a shot. Thus, this year I resolve to…

-Stay balanced. Remain grounded but let my thoughts and ideas soar.

-Have patience. Be calmer. Don’t fly off the handle at every little irritation.

-Give others the benefit of the doubt. Have more compassion for my fellow man.

-Live a little. Get out of the house. Leave room for both work and play.

-Love more. ‘Nuff said.

That’s a start, at least. And what about your? What is/are your resolution(s)?

Of course, this isn’t a wholly solemn and serious day to meditate on… It’s truly a time to celebrate! Taking the good with the bad and everything in between, we all managed to survive 2009 one way or another, and that in itself is reason to rejoice.

Most commonly associated with New Year’s festivities, champagne is actually one of the few alcoholic beverages we always have on hand… Although that doesn’t mean we’re big on drinking it. In fact, those bottles in the back of our liquor cabinet have been there for as long as I can remember, and they’re likely to stay there for many more years to come as well. However, if there’s ever a good time to crack open a bottle of bubbly, this is it, and what ingredient would be more perfect to highlight in a New Year’s Eve dessert?

Appropriately decadent for such merriment, but still unbelievably simple, you could actually throw this recipe together at 10 pm and still have a dessert to toast with when the ball drops at midnight. Creamy and redolent with rich vanilla essence, the champagne flavor is delicate but absolutely detectable. Although you could easily stop right there with nothing more than a simple custard, I decided to dress mine up with a small dollop of unsweetened, whipped coconut creme, and a handful of crunchy chocolate pearls to mimic the bubbles that would be in the drink. A fantastic contrast to the sweet pudding base, I’d recommend substituting crispy cocoa rice cereal should such a specialty item be unavailable.

Champagne Custard

10.5 Ounces Vegan White Chocolate, Store-Bought or Homemade
2 Tablespoons Margarine
3/4 Cup Champagne, Divided
1 12-Ounce Package Extra-Firm Silken Tofu
1 Vanilla Bean, Split and Seeds Scraped Out
Pinch Salt

Coconut Cream, Skimmed from the Top of a 14-Ounce Can of Coconut Milk and Whipped for 5 – 8 Minutes
Crispy Chocolate Pearls or Cocoa Rice Cereal

Place the white chocolate (finely chopped if using bars) in a microwave-safe dish along with the margarine and 1/3 cup of the champagne. Microwave on high for 1 – 2 minutes, checking at 30 minute intervals and stirring thoroughly until melted. Commercial white chocolate chips are notoriously difficult to melt smoothly, so they may need a good bit of coaxing; After two minutes, let the mixture rest for 5 minutes, stir vigorously, and begin the cycle again. Don’t panic when it turns a translucent, yellow-ish color, as this is normal and it will re-solidify in a more off-white hue.

Meanwhile, thoroughly drain your container of tofu, and place it in a food processor or blender. Puree, periodically scraping down the sides of the bowl, until smooth and lump-free. Set aside.

Once entirely melted and smooth, add in the remaining champagne, vanilla bean seeds, and salt. Reserve the spent vanilla pod for another purpose, such as making vanilla extract or vanilla sugar. Mix well but gently to combine, to prevent the champagne from foaming up, and transfer the mixture to your food processor or blender which is full of tofu. Blend to combine, and once fully incorporated, divide the mixture between four champagne flutes. Chill for at least two hours before serving. Top with coconut creme and chocolate pearls of cocoa rice cereal if desired. Cheers!

Serves 4

Printable Recipe

Sweet Home For the Holidays

Temporary insanity. That would be my excuse for such a long silence in middle of the most food-centric time of the year, if I didn’t have one screw loose in the first place. As it is, I have no excuse, other than palate fatigue after sampling a few too many Christmas cookies, and the general exhaustion that follows so many baking marathons. I had such grand plans for the holidays, so many more posts to make, but instead of pushing myself to the brink of collapse to make all those anxiety-provoking deadlines, I gave myself the gift of letting go. Just a few days of silence, a couple extra hours of sleep; small things that make such a huge difference.

Although this month’s Daring Baker challenge almost slipped through my fingers entirely, I summoned up the last of my energy to pull something, anything, together.

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.

Initially plotting one giant, elaborate Victorian house, complete with sugar windows and a wrap-around porch, just figuring out the basic foundation had me sweating bullets. I’m no architect, and it became abundantly clear that I would need to scale way back. Way, way back, down to the tiniest structure possible.

Much nicer for creating a little scene and giving everyone their own house to enjoy, it was a relief to make a few tiny gingerbread house nuggets instead. Shaping the dough like modeling clay, it was just a matter of making a very long rope, flattening the sides and cutting it into rectangles, then forming long triangles and pressing them on top. Bake until lightly brown, cool, and stick into some snowy white frosting atop of a cupcake. To ensure a pure, glistening white base, I made a marshmallow frosting to crown my cinnamon cupcakes, completing the scene with some chopped walnut stepping stones and a small pinch of coarse white sugar and dragees for sparkle. Plus,a practically microscopic dragee snowman that felt absolutely necessary to complete the scene, adorned with chocolate features.

Not my most extravagant or exciting effort, but just enough to feel a touch of the holiday spirit, even in my state of extreme weariness. Here’s hoping that everyone out there can take it easy now, and have a sweet winter holiday!

Luck Be a Lady Tonight

…And in this case, that lucky lady who will be receiving a Tofu Xpress for Christmas turned out to be commenter number #196…

The Voracious Vegan!  Long-time blog buddy and all around awesome person, I’m so thrilled to be able to share such a gift with this deserving vegan who had fate on her side. Gotta say, doesn’t that make you think there’s something to this whole “karma” concept? …No? Well, don’t peel away and storm off in a temper tantrum just yet, I still have something to share with you too.

No longer than 5 minutes after posing for it’s beauty shot did my super-extra-ultra-firm block of tofu find itself diced up and over the fire. Most excited to try using this uniquely textured bean curd as a paneer replacement, ideas and inspiration for different Indian dishes were limitless, and I just couldn’t make up my mind. Instead of making a traditional meal, I decided to make a mash up of my two top picks, matar paneer and dahl. Creating a completely inauthentic but highly delicious one-pot meal with little effort to speak of, this is one that will definitely be a staple for those cold winter nights ahead.  It may not win any beauty contests, but it definitely hit the spot.

I served mine up with lightly toasted pita for a quick carb, but it would be the perfect sort of thing to pile on top a hill of rice or quinoa, too.

Matar Tofu Paneer Dahl

1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
1/2 Medium Yellow Onion, Diced
2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
1 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
3 Cups Vegetable Stock
1 Cup Moong Dahl (Split Mung Beans), or Red Lentils
1 Plum Tomato, Diced
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1/2 Cup Frozen Peas
1 Pound Extra-Firm Tofu, Thoroughly Pressed for at least Two Hours
Salt and Pepper, to Taste

In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, melt the coconut oil and begin to sautee the onion in it. After a minute, add in the garlic and spices, and stir well. Allow the mixture to cook for 5 – 8 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the spices are highly aromatic. Deglaze the pan with the vegetable stock, scrapping the bottom to make sure nothing is sticking, and then introduce the beans/lentils as well. Cover the pot, turn the heat down to a low simmer, and let it sit, undisturbed, for about 20 minutes.

The if using mung beans, they will still be somewhat firm at this point, but red lentils will be nearly done. Stir in the diced tomato, tomato paste, peas, and pressed tofu, and let cook, covered, for another 5 – 10 minutes. Give the whole mixture a good stir to encourage your legume of choice to break down a bit, and test to see if its fully cooked. The lentils should be done, but mung beans will probably take another 15 minutes or so. Just be patient, and keep a close eye on the pot, making sure there is still enough liquid for everything to cook without burning on the bottom; add a splash of water if it seems too dry.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve piping hot.

Serves 4 – 6

Printable Recipe

A Sticky Situation

Have you ever heard the advice that you should lay off those plans to prepare any new and potentially disastrous recipe when expecting company?  I sure have, from countless sources on numerous occasions, but you would need to chain me down and keep me out of the kitchen altogether to prevent that from happening.  Guests, you say; Intelligent, food-loving guinea pigs, I say.  What better time could there possibly be to whip out something experimental and exciting than when you can collect a dozen opinions at a time?  Dinner parties are really just elaborate excuses to pull taste-testers into the house, right?  Sure, people might get hungry and cranky when things go wrong (and oh, do they ever,) and you certainly wouldn’t win the Hostess of the Year award, but I for one can’t resist the temptation.

Thankfully, since I only take charge of dessert most of the time, no one starves around here, but the awkward situation remains the same. What should one do if the dessert sucks? Throw it on the floor and hope the dog scoops it up before anyone notices? Say flat out how horrible it was?

Or just choose one redeeming aspect of it, and pretend like the rest doesn’t even take up space on the same plate. That’s the one I usually get, and that’s why I’m only posting the filling of this tart that was made for Hannukah dinner this past Saturday.

Super sweet and only barely offset by the tangy flavors of pomegranate and orange, the thinnest sliver of this little number will do you. In fact, you could quite happily prepare the filling without a crust, pouring it into a jar and using it as a caramel sauce instead. That’s the thing though- This crust, which you can easily see by the photo, was way too thick and tough. Should you decide to go the tart route as well, just use your favorite pie crust and there won’t be any awkward moments of silence at the dinner table while all of your guests try fruitlessly to stab and sever that brick-like shell at the bottom of their plates.

Pomegranate Caramel [Tart Filling or Sauce]

1/2 Cup Unsweetened, 100% Pomegranate Juice
2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1/4 Cup Pomegranate Molasses
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Margarine, Cut into Small Cubes
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk
2 Teaspoons Orange Zest

Place a medium saucepan with high sides over moderate heat, and combine the pomegranate juice, sugar, pomegranate molasses, and salt inside. Cover with a lid until it reaches a boil (be very careful to pay attention to it, lest you walk away at the precise moment it bubbles up and over the pan… Not like I know about this.) Remove the lid, insert a candy thermometer, and cook the mixture, swirling the pan occasionally to mix, until it reaches 248 – 250 degrees.

Add in the margarine and coconut milk, standing back from the stove in case it should splash and sputter, and stir the mixture until combined. Continue to cook it until it returns to 248 degrees, and then turn off the heat. Immediately add the orange zest and pour into a pre-baked 9-inch tart shell to make the dessert, or a number of glass jars if to use it as caramel sauce. You will probably have a little extra caramel left over if using a tart shell too, so have a jar out just in case.

Let cool completely, and chill the tart thoroughly before serving. Drizzle with chocolate ganache if desired. Keep the leftover tart chilled, or else the filling is liable to slide right out of its crust at room temperature.

Seal jars of caramel sauce well and store in the fridge. Heat briefly in the microwave before stirring and serving.

One Tart Serves 18 – 24; Makes 2 1/2 – 3 Cups Caramel Sauce

Printable Recipe

Decadence, to the Next Power

Pulling into the parking lot with a sense of urgency, we had made it to the grocery store with just enough time to spare before its doors closed for the evening. Plans had been made, lists were written, and it was time to begin holiday baking in earnest, once a few staples were secured. Casually perusing the aisles as if not feeling the intense pressure of a looming deadline, the mission was going just fine, items on that list moving from shelf to cart with ease. Walnuts? Check. Cranberries? Check? Sugar? Ginger? Chocolate? Check. Check. Che-

Not check. Peering over the tall stack of pallid, waxy, dairy-imbued white chocolate chips, a barren spot where the dark chocolate chips ought to have resided met my eye. Surely this must be a joke- A sick, nasty joke that no one in their right mind would laugh at- Not a single bag of suitable chocolate in the whole store? Devastated, I rifle through the other baking ingredients aimlessly, while my mom has enough wits about her to actually ask an employee what gives.  Nope, all we have is what’s out there, ma’am. The final verdict is crushing.  I trudge to the cash register, sans chocolate, utterly defeated.

And then, reaching the front of the store and lifting my eyes, as if sent by the heavens, a wiser, older employee stood triumphant, a bag of the very chocolate I sought propped up in his open hand.  Just like flipping on a light switch, my face brightened and steps quickened, the depression lifted in an instant.  How?  Where?  Oh, they were just hiding under the pile of white chocolate was all.  We have more, too- How many do you want? Um, all of them, please.  7 bags of chocolate chips richer, I breathed a deep sigh of relief, and took a moment to appreciate how important chocolate is in general, and especially when it comes to holiday baking.

Thus, it seemed to appropriate to make a sweet treat that truly allowed the pure chocolate to shine, the purest expression of cocoa beans, sugar, and vanilla possible beyond a solid bar of the stuff. Truffles are the only way to go for the true chocoholic, but then I thought, what would accentuate this intense flavor further, and add some complimentary earthiness and depth? Well, truffles.

Yes, it’s a bit of a splurge, but isn’t that what the holidays are all about? Besides, just the tiniest square will satisfy; Seriously intense is just about the only way to describe these simple yet very complex confections. Since these are truffled truffles, truffles², it only made sense to cut them into simple squares instead of going through the messy process of rolling them into spheres.

Perhaps not for all tastes, but the more adventurous eaters and true chocolate-lovers should be able to appreciate this unique treat. Just be sure to dose it out in very small, elegant portions!

Truffles²

9 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate, Chips or Finely Chopped
1/4 Cup Soy or Coconut Creamer
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Truffle Oil
Coarsely Ground Sea Salt

1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Line an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with aluminum foil and lightly spritz with cooking spray. Set aside.

Place the chocolate, creamer, and olive oil in a microwave safe bowl, and heat on high for one minute. Stir thoroughly with a spatula, and if necessary, heat for an additional 30 – 60 seconds, stirring thoroughly between each 30-second interval until completely smooth. Add in the truffle oil, mix well to incorporate. Pour the liquid chocolate into your prepared pan, and lightly dust the top with a pinch of sea salt. Let cool, and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before proceeding.

Once cool and firm, use the foil like a sling to pull the truffle rectangle out of the pan, and set it on a cutting board. Slice it into very small squares, about 1/2 – 3/4 inch, and dip the sides and bottoms into the cocoa powder. Let come to room temperature before eating for the most powerful truffle flavor, but keep chilled in an air-tight container for storage.

Makes 30 – 40 Truffles

Printable Recipe

Edible Gifts

‘Tis the season for that dreaded and sometimes painful ritual of exchanging gifts, faking surprised joy at unfortunate choices such as underwear and socks, and later making covert exchanges for things slightly less loathsome. As much as I try to appreciate how “it’s the thought that counts,” I can’t help but think of each Hannukah party with vague trepidation, even going so far as to practice my “happily surprised” face in the mirror before leaving. Though things have certainly improved since previous years, thanks to the advent of this little thing called the internet, where I have a handy little wish list all set up to direct those well-meaning but misguided gift givers. I, however, have found that the tables have now turned, and I’m on the other side of the equation, awkwardly handing out presents that may or may not hit their mark, sometimes to comical degrees of failure.

So here I sit, right on the precipice of holiday baking, utterly unsure about where to begin. There are the relatives, friends, and coworkers, all so completely different that they each may as well have a magnetic force that repels them apart, so impossible would it be to ever see everyone in one place together. No matter, there is one thing that unites them; a love, or at least appreciation, of good food. Figuring that just about anything homemade, sweet, and delicious couldn’t go too far wrong it’s just a matter of narrowing down the options…

Caramels are always a nice choice- Easy to make scads at a time, and very adaptable in terms of adding flavors for your own unique spin, too. This recipe has served me well before, with the simple substitution of soy or coconut creamer for the cream, and margarine for the butter. Already fantastic as is, I can’t help but toy with the idea of using molasses instead of corn syrup, with the addition of a hefty dose of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. Gingerbread caramels, anyone?

Of course, there’s always the classic brittle, simple enough to whip up in about 5 minutes and always well received (baring nut-allergies, naturally.) The original peanut is definitely tasty, but my Pistachio Chai version (recipe in Nov/Dec VegNews) was such a hit around the house, and the warm spices are perfectly appropriate for winter, this might be the perfect thing to make in mass quantities.

Having recently received the above peanut butter cups myself from the ever-thoughtful and talented Mimi Clark, I remembered how absolutely wonderful such a simple treat can be. Hers were near flawless, perfectly tempered and with just enough salt in the filling to really bring out the fresh peanut flavor- It’s the little touches that really count. These would be fantastic to make and give as well.

Two years ago, I made my family members their own full pans of cinnamon rolls, nestled into cute little brown and gold paper rounds and topped with sticky maple glaze. Though they wouldn’t travel or ship as well as many other options, they were met with such rave reviews, I feel practically obligated to mention them once more.

Oh, and how could I chat so long about homemade gifts without mentioning the chocoholic’s holiday staple, fudge! Also infinitely adaptable, easy to store, send share, and makes about a million servings per pan because just a little square should do you. This one is simple enough to whip together at the last minute, even for someone a bit more challenged in the kitchen.

Speaking of all this candy, don’t forget that any Halloween candies can easily be converted into a more seasonally appropriate treat, too. Imagine how wonderful it would be to discover a Cashew Joy in your stocking on Christmas morning! Just pick out festive wrappers and bags to present your goodies in, and no one will be the wiser.

It seems silly to suggest cookies, since they’re probably the first thing that anyone considers, but it’s worth poking through the archives to unearth a few gems. Turns out, I have two types of peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip cookies with a malty twist, spicy animal crackers, ultra-chocolatey little numbers, rocky road bars, and even some biscuits for the four-legged friends among us. And that’s just on this little old blog! For more options, my favorite online recipe resources is VegWeb, and they have cookies galore to choose from.

Now, I know that some people on your gift list can be tricky, and claim to not have a sweet tooth. Craziness, I know! Anyway, you can still humor them and make them something they’ll enjoy, too. A homemade blend of dukkah would be just lovely, and especially well-suited to someone who likes to cook and may come up with creative uses for it. Along those same lines, homemade spice mixtures are great for the “cook with everything,” because while they may not buy such things for themselves, they really are fun and convenient to have around. Plus, you may even be able to introduce them to new flavors altogether! Don’t forget to toast your spices and grind them yourself to make the mix extra special and flavorful.

Well, those are the first things I can think of off the top of my head… but I’m still not sure what I’m what to make!  What are you cooking, baking, and giving this year?

Cookie Super Hero (AKA, How Save Cookies from a Burning Oven)

Baking and cooking away with the oven cranked to the upper 300′s and stainless steel pots and pans occupying more than half of the burners on the stove, there were a lot of projects to juggle at once.  Slowly turning a deeper shade of golden amber, the caramel bubbling in a high-sided pan needs near constant attention, demanding to be swirled and coddled while threatening to burn, requiring more love than a 5-year old on the edge of a temper tantrum.  Then there was the saucepan of margarine, still in the early stages of melting, destined to be cooked down to a nutty hazelnut hue for browned butter, which could be ignored for the most part right now.  Directly behind that sat sugar syrup, having already rocketed up to the soft ball stage, and now cooling its heels until it levels out around 130, ready to be beaten into a luscious chocolate fudge.  But what was I forgetting?  Things were pretty well under control, all things considered, and I was wrapping up that caramel with a finishing pinch of salt when it hit me: The oven.

I forgot all about the contents of the oven.

Dropping my utensils with a clatter on the granite counter, I heaved open the door with a great energetic flourish, relieved that at least nothing had burnt, per say, and the smoke detectors weren’t wailing with displeasure.  Although I can’t say as much for myself.

Augh, the coookies are ruined, they’re way too dark! Examining each dark brown puck with a critical eye, there was no way I could pass these overcooked biscuits off as light and lovely sugar cookies.  Now, it would be hours of mixing, chilling dough, rolling, cutting, and baking again to make up for my mistake, and there simply weren’t enough hours in the day left.

What’s to be done?  Toss out the offending cookies and start again, forgoing sleep for yet another night?  Just say “screw it all” and show up to the holiday party empty-handed?  Weighing the pros and cons, possibilities and improbabilities after getting over my initial hissy fit, it hit me that there was a way around both undesirable scenarios.  Acting quickly while the offending cookies were still warm, I plucked each and every one off of their cozy silpats and chucked them straight into the food processor.  Blitzed to a fine powder, the dry and overdone wafers were already looking better.  On top of that dry mess, a serious scoop of cocoa powder obscured the fact that these should have been a much more elegant shade of light tan, and an additional glug or two of oil brought new moisture back into those previously desert-dry disks.  Finally, drizzling in just enough soymilk to bring the whole thing together, like magic, I had a brand new cookie dough, ready to hit the oven [again.]

It may sound crazy, but it ultimately saved my butt, and got me into bed at a semi-reasonable hour.  Though not the prettiest cookies to be plattered, sandwiched together with a generous dollop of ganache at the center, they weren’t left wanting in the flavor department.

So impressed at the results of this hair-brained scheme, I just had to share it near and far. Should you find you’re in need of a similar quick fix when it comes time to churn out the holiday baked goods, or any time for that matter, just suspend disbelief, don’t chuck your overdone treats into the trash, and give this trick a try. It might save you a lot of stress, and a sleepless night, too!

All About Balance

Stress. The general public, myself included, simply oozes stress. It’s bad enough on a typical day, with the usual work- and school-related pressures, but now that it’s officially December, as of a few hours ago, the whole game has changed. For many, it’s time to go into full-out holiday madness mode, eschewing a quiet and cozy celebration for something big, perhaps a touch complicated, but above all else, labor intensive. While most of my own ideas revolve around blog posts or decorating the house, it’s slowly occurred to me that even this “simple” strategy could easily spiral out of control, threatening to eat up every spare moment up until the big day (or in my case days) to hammer out all the fine details. And boy, if you’re working on a Hannukah extravaganza, good luck; the first day will be on our doorsteps in less than two weeks. Less than two weeks! I kid you not, it’s enough to overwhelm even the calmest party planners among us. Even I’m getting a bit freaked out now, so let just take a moment to breathe, shall we?

Like my boss would say, it’s all about balance. All the rich, fatty delights of the holidays are sure to tempt at every turn, but this early in the game, they’re nothing but trouble. Pair this with the urgent need to get things done, and it’s no wonder that stress levels are through the roof! A belly full of soy nog and candy cane fudge, all one could reasonably hope to accomplish might be a sound nap, not focused worked of any sort- Trust me, I know from experience!

To dilute some of that excess holiday cheer that will be headed your way, I offer today not a sweet fix, but instead a wholesome savory dish in an attempt to balance out the treats to come. Quinoa, my favorite super grain (well seed, technically) is paired with one dynamite green spread that will definitely see many repeat performances in my kitchen from here on in. Although I’m calling it a pesto, you may notice that it is not, in fact, anything like a pest- There’s no basil or pine nuts, two ingredients I’m not wild about. You could always go the traditional route, but I think that this new interpretation is way tastier, and you may at least enjoy an occasional diversion from the old standard. Pistachios stand in for the nuts, and spinach provides the greenery here, creating an earthy but dare-I-say buttery sauce. If nothing else, make the pesto and use it in sandwiches, as a tofu marinade, over pasta, or even as a party dip!

Although I went down a more unusual route and decided to soak both the pistachios and quinoa, you could easily skip over this step to make the dish more speedy, using plain pistachios and cooked quinoa. Just be sure to cool the quinoa completely before adding in the veggies, because there’s little worse than hot cucumber!

Lean, Green Quinoa Salad

Pistachio Pesto:

1/4 Cup Pistachios, Soaked Overnight
3 Cloves Roasted Garlic
2 Tablespoons White Miso Paste
2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
6 Ounces Fresh Baby Spinach
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Quinoa Salad:

1 Cup Quinoa, Soaked Overnight and Sprouted
1 English Cucumber, Diced
1 Large Red Pepper, Roasted and Diced
1 Ripe Avocado, Diced

Enoki Mushrooms (Optional)
Additional Spinach (Optional)

The pesto comes together very quickly and easily, just like any other pesto would: Toss the pistachios and garlic into your food processor or blender first, and pulse until there are no large pieces of either left. Add in the miso, nutritional yeast, and spinach. It will seem like way too much greenery, but trust me, it blends down to practically nothing. Pulse until the spinach is largely broken down, and then drizzle in the lemon juice and oil while the machine runs. Blend longer if you want a smoother sauce, or stop right here and set the pesto aside.

In a large bowl, toss together the [very well rinsed and drained] sprouted quinoa, cucumber, red pepper and avocado. If you plan on keeping this salad and serving it later, just toss the avocado pieces in lemon juice first and drain them thoroughly, to prevent them from browning. Add your pesto into the mix, and stir to evenly distribute the veggies and coat everything evenly in pesto. Top each serving with mushrooms and extra fresh spinach, if desired.

Serves 4 – 6

Printable Recipe