Can you tell I’ve been on a Seitan kick lately? Haha. I actually am really liking it for a meat alternative. This week I’m bringing you an original recipe that I made up and it turned out to be one of our favorites. I’ll definitely be making it again. It was filling, packs a lot of flavor, and I loved the texture of the seitan.
I love this seitan from Harmon’s Grocery Store (if you live in Utah), as I mentioned in my last post. It comes in chunks, which I love, but some times the chunks are a little big, so I cut those in smaller pieces.
Quick & Delicious Balsamic Glazed Seitan
Serves 4-6
2 packages chunky seitan
1-2 teaspoons sage
Salt and Pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
For the sauce:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
Take seitan out of the pack and separate. I like to cut the bigger chunks into smaller ones so they are all kind of the same size. Sprinkle it with 1-2 teaspoons sage, salt and pepper and rub the garlic into the chunks. Let sit while you make the sauce.
For the sauce:
Place all ingredients into a sauce pan and let it come to a boil until it’s thickened. This usually takes about 10 -15 minutes.
Place seitan in a skillet with about 1/2 cup sauce, stir and heat on medium high. Once sauce is absorbed into the seitan, add a little more at a time and turn heat down to medium low. Keep adding sauce and simmer until sauce is absorbed into the seitan, but yet there is a little left to use on the rice. I like to simmer it for 10-15 min. It gives it some good flavor.
That’s it! Simple. Easy. Packed with flavor. I like serving this with rice and here I show it served with zucchini and summer squash, but I think I prefer broccoli. Enjoy :).
It’s FRIDAY Y’ALL!! Time for a new recipe and I think you are going to love it. We sure did. I’ve been wanting to experiment more with seitan. I looked up a few recipes and then decided on this one that is adapted from the yupitsvegan.com site. If you haven’t checked out her recipes, you should. She’s got some amazing ones. I made a few changes though in the way you cook the seitan because I wanted it to take on more flavor while cooking. And, of course, I did not use oil.
Also, have you noticed how you can’t buy tofu in the grocery stores? I asked my local grocer, “Where’s all the tofu?” and he said that the tofu plants are closed for 3 weeks. Ummm hello?? I need tofu for my recipes!! I then decided that I’m going to make my own, so stay tuned for that recipe in the near future.
Let’s get back to todays recipe………
Vegan Mongolian Seitan
For the sauce:
1/2 cup vegetable broth (this is to use in place of the oil)
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
3 cloves garlic
1/3 teaspoon Chinese five spice
1/3 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup coconut sugar (or a scant half cup brown sugar)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
For the crisped seitan:
1 pound seitan, cut into 1 inch pieces (the seitan I bought was in chunks and it was awesome)
For serving:
toasted sesame seeds (optional)
sliced scallions
To make the sauce:
Heat a little of the vegetable broth in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and the garlic; stir constantly. After about 30 seconds, add the five spice and the red pepper flakes, and cook for one minute or until fragrant.
Add the soy sauce and the coconut sugar and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer until the coconut sugar is dissolved and slightly reduced, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Whisk together the cornstarch and the cold water, then add it to the pan and stir. Cook for 2-3 more minutes, until the sauce becomes glossy and thickened slightly. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and keep simmering gently until ready to add to the seitan.
To make the seitan:
In a wok or skillet, heat some of the vegetable broth over medium-high heat. Add a bit of the sauce to the seitan and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4-5 minutes or until slightly browned and crisped around the edges.
Reduce heat to low and add the remaining sauce to the pan. Stir to coat all of the seitan pieces, and continue cooking until the sauce has adhered to the seitan. Remove from the heat and serve hot, with the rice and/or vegetables of choice, and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.
This week I have been thinking about some creative dinner recipes that I could publish on my blog. Maybe it comes from not having so much to do because of being isolated and 6 feet apart from everyone in my world haha. The struggle is real folks! I hope all of you are doing well and filling your time with the people you love (virtually and real life) and some things that you have time to now do.
Today I am bringing you an original and with this recipe you can get creative yourself and use a different bean other than garbanzo, such as pinto beans (try my instant pot pinto bean recipe) and give it a Mexican twist.
Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms (an itsapegslife original 🙂
Serves 3-4 people
6 portabella mushrooms, washed, gills and stems removed
1 sweet potato, baked, sprinkle with a little cumin and chili powder and smashed
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch of green onions, sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup raw quinoa, cooked in veg. broth (1/2 c quinoa to 1 c veg broth, bring to boil, cover, and cook on med. low for 20 min.)
2 cans any type of bean. I did a garbanzo bean mixture with sauted onion and garlic, salt, pepper and tumeric and slightly mashed them.
1 can vegan refried beans
1 sliced avocado
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and once it is up to temperature, put mushrooms gill side up on a baking sheet lined with a splat mat or parchment paper. Bake for 15-20 min while you get the remaining ingredient together.
While mushrooms are cooking saute garlic, onion, red pepper and green pepper on medium high. To do this, first add a little veg broth to the pan and let it get hot, then add garlic and onion. Saute for 2 minutes and then add peppers. I like to add a few shakes of cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste (1/2 tea. each approx.) at this point. Saute until peppers are cooked through (about 10 min).
Add whatever bean you want to this mixture.
After mushrooms are done cooking, remove from oven and let sit while you get your ingredients in order for the “stuffing.” This is also a great way to use up some of the leftover stuff in the fridge. For example, the sweet potato, garbanzo mix and refried beans were leftover from other meals that I had prepared last week.
First blot dry the inside of each mushroom with a paper towel to absorb the moisture. Now for the assembly–
Refried beans
Sweet potatoes
Bean, pepper, onion mixture
Quinoa
Green onion
Put back in the oven and bake for 10 min on 425. Remove from oven and enjoy. I like to serve this with some greens. So delicious. Please let me know if you make these and tag me at itsapegslife.
This recipe is coming to you from one of my favorite cookbook authors, Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Her newest cookbook is called, “I Can Cook Vegan,” and it’s a winner!
Let me tell you, Lentil and Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie is definitely a keeper and one of our new favorites. And for those meat eaters in your family—they won’t even know that it’s Vegan :).
I prefer to leave the oil out of recipes, so I subbed veg. broth to saute the ingredients. I actually didn’t even oil the pan before putting the ingredients in and it was great. You can choose for yourself what you would like to do.
Lentil and Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie
Serves 8
2 cups cold vegetable broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 yellow onion, chopped into medium dice
3 medium carrots, thinly sliced into half moons
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 pound cremini mushrooms, chopped into pea-size pieces
3 tablespoons fresh thyme
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups cooked lentils, cooked in vegetable broth (do not add salt)
1 cup frozen peas
1 recipe Classic Mashed Potatoes (at the bottom of the post)
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)
1. In a measuring cup, mix together the broth and cornstarch until the starch is mostly dissolved. Mix in the tomato paste and set aside.
2. Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Saute the onion and carrots in a bit of veg. broth with a pinch of salt until the onions are lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds or so, just until fragrant. Add the celery, mushrooms, and thyme with a bunch of fresh black pepper and salt. Let cook for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have released a lot of moisture.
3. Add the lentils and use your spatula to mush them in the pan to create a “ground beef” effect. Add the corstarch-broth mixture and mix well. Let cook until the filling is thick and gravy-like, about 7 minutes. Fold in the peas. Taste for salt and seasoning.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 11 x 13 inch casserole dish. Transfer the filling to the casserole in an even layer. Dollop the mashed potatoes over the top, starting at the edges and working your way in, and then use a rubber spatula to spread them relatively smoothly.
5. Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet to collect any juices that bubble over. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the potatoes are browned. Let cool a bit before sprinkling with parsley, if desired, and serving.
Classic Mashed Potatoes
2 1/2 lbs. new potatoes, peelings on (cooked in instant pot for 13 min. with natural pressure release or you can boil them)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup whole unroasted cashews (if you own a high speed blender, you don’t have to boil these beforehand. If you don’t own one, then boil for 20 minutes to soften.)
2/3 cup vegetable broth, at room temperature
Freshly ground pepper
1. Cook potatoes.
2. While potatoes are cooking, place cashews and vegetable broth in a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth, scrapping the sides occasionally with a spatula to get everything.
3. When the potatoes are done cooking, drain and return to pot. Mash them with a potato masher to break them up a bit. Add half of the cashew mixture and the salt and pepper. Mash with potato masher until relatively smooth and no big chunks are left.
4. Add the remaining cashew mixture, mix it in and mash some more until it is mixed well. And there you have it! Enjoy!
P.S. All of the recipes I make from other bloggers/cookbook authors/instagramers (you get it 🙂 have a Peg twist to them, so if you look up the recipes on line they will be slightly different :).
It’s my hubby’s birthday today, so in honor of his big day, I’m posting the recipe that is his ultimate favorite taco. You will love the little bit of spicy cauliflower & chickpeas for the filling, which completely transforms the flavor that cauliflower, chickpeas and cabbage normally have. The filling is complemented with a scrumptious cabbage slaw, avocado slices (optional) and a drizzle of cashew cream. Trust me–YOU WILL LOVE IT! GUARANTEED! Please read the full recipe before cooking.
There are 3 parts to this recipe–Cabbage Slaw, Cashew Cream Sauce, and Cauliflower/Chickpea mix.
For the Cabbage Slaw:
1/2 Medium head purple cabbage, sliced thin
1/2 Sm/Med Red onion, sliced thin
2 T. Taco Time hot sauce
2 T. Honey or Agave
1/4 C Lime juice
Salt to taste
In a small bowl mix hot sauce, honey (or agave) and juice from limes together and pour over cabbage and onion. Mix with your hands. I like to massage it in really well together. (This is actually the part that the hub’s does :). Set in the fridge until serving. This can be made a day ahead (highly recommended, but not essential, for even better flavor), as well as the cashew cream sauce, which I’ll share next.
For the Cashew Cream Sauce:
1 C. Raw Cashews, boiled in water for 20 min or let sit overnight)
2/3 C. Water or just enough water to barely cover the cashews (not the water that you boil the cashews in–fresh water)
1 tea. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tea. Lemon juice
1 tea. Nutritional yeast (optional-this makes it more cheesy)
1/2 tea. Salt
Put all ingredients in a high power blender. I have a Vitamix that I love, and if you do have a Vitamix, you can skip the boiling of the cashews. It does make it a bit creamier if you boil them, but either way, it works great. Once that is blended together for a few min on high, then transfer to a container and set in the fridge. As mentioned before, this can be made the day before.
For the Cauliflower & Chickpea Filling:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Get out a cookie sheet pan and line it with a splat mat or parchment paper.
1 head Cauliflower, broken apart into smaller pieces (not riced though–still chucky)
1 can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Mix together cauliflower and chickpeas in a large bowl. Set aside while you make the sauce.
For the sauce:
In a saucepan on the stove heat together the following ingredients:
1/2 C. Frank’s hot sauce
1 C. Vegetable broth
2 T. Honey or Agave
1-2 T. Cornstarch
Mix together well in saucepan and cook on medium high heat until thickened. Pour on cauliflower and chickpea mixture. Mix together throughly with a spoon or once it cools enough, mix it with your hands. It just mixes better that way. Pour on cookie sheet and spread mixture out evenly. Cook for 15 min then turn and cook 10 -15 min more or to your liking. I like it a little crisp so I do 10 more min.
This is the brown rice that we use from Costco. It’s so fast to cook.
I was inspired to make these rolls after making a trip to my favorite bakery to buy rolls (Great Harvest) and they were out. Of course, it was because of the CoronaVirus and everyone panicking to buy bread. Their bread and rolls were sold out by 11 a.m. that day. SERIOUSLY PEOPLE!! All was not lost, however, thanks to my mama teaching me her mean bread making skills. We always had homemade rolls every Saturday. Ohhh how I love the smell of homemade bread. It brings back so many fond memories for me.
As most of you know, we try hard not to eat any oil, so I made this recipe as oil free as I could possibly could (minus the non-stick cooking spray that I sprayed in the pan to keep the rolls from sticking). I hope you love them as much as we did.
1-Hour to Delish Vegan Roll Recipe
1 c. Almond Milk
1/2 c. Water
1/4 c. Honey (I know, I know honey isn’t vegan) or Agave
1 T. Active-Dry Yeast
3.5-4 c. All purpose Flour
1 tea. Salt
Prep your oven and baking dish.  Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray, and set aside.
Warm the liquid ingredients.  In a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, stir together the water, milk and honey/agave. Microwave the mixture for 1 minute, and give it a stir. Continue microwaving the mixture in 15 second intervals, until it is very warm to the touch but not hot or boiling (anywhere between 95°F-115°F), and the butter is completely melted. The temperature of the water is important here, because if it’s too hot (120°F or more), it will kill the yeast. If it’s too cool, the yeast will not activate. Just think — a little bit warmer than your body temperature.
Add yeast.  Pour the liquid mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer. Then sprinkle the yeast evenly on top, and give it a quick stir with a fork to combine.  Wait for five minutes, or until the yeast is foamy.
Add dry ingredients.  Then add in 3.5 cups of flour (not all of the flour) and the salt.
Mix.  Using the dough-hook, mix on medium-low speed until the dry ingredients are combined.  If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add in 1/4 cup more flour at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is only slightly sticky to the touch.  (Only use up to 4 cups of flour total.)  Continue mixing on low speed for 4-5 minutes.  Then form the dough into a ball with your hands and transfer it to a greased bowl.
Let the dough rise.  Cover the bowl with a damp towel or paper towel, and let it rise briefly for 15 minutes in a warm place.
Form the rolls.  Gently punch the dough down and divide into 15 equal-sized pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place the dough balls in a pan sprayed with nonstick spray (9×13-inch baking dish).  Cover the dish again with a damp towel or paper towel, and let the dough balls rise for an additional 15-20 minutes.
Bake.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until the rolls are lightly golden brown on top and cooked through.
Remove the rolls from the oven.
Serve warm.  And enjoy!
NOTES
*I buy my yeast in bulk. But if you’re buying the packets, note that 1 packet contains 2.25 teaspoons yeast. So this will call for a little more than 1 packet.
Recently I set on a quest to perfect my chili recipe so those who are not whole food plant based people, would not miss eating meat in their chili. This original chili recipe came from https://eathealthyeathappy.com/killer-vegan-chili/ but I modified it a little bit. It’s quite a process to make but just like most anything in life that takes a lot of time—it’s sooooo worth it!!
I cooked the recipe for my pinto beans in the instant pot the night before. The recipe link is here https://itsapegslife.com/2019/03/09/delicious-instant-pot-pinto-beans/ They are my family’s favorite, so I thought the added flavor of these beans would just enhance the taste of the chili.
Next step is to make the cauliflower hamburger recipe as follows:
1 head cauliflower, grated in food processor or you can just use your blade, whatever works best for you to make the cauliflower the size of rice grains
6 oz. of button mushrooms, washed, dried and grated/blade in food processor
1/2 c. walnuts, chopped medium (again you can use your food processor)
1 -2 T. cumin
1-2 tsp. chili powder
salt and pepper as needed
Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together well. I like to use my hands and mix it really good. Taste the mixture to see if it is to your liking. Spread mixture out on a cookie sheet with a splat mat or wax paper on it. If you don’t have a splat mat or wax paper, just spray the cookie sheet with Pam and spread a thin layer of cauliflower mixture on it. I like to use two cookie sheets so the layer isn’t too think.
Cook on preheated 425 degree oven on the upper rack so it’s close to the element for 15 min and then turn the mixture. Cook again for another 10-15 min. And there you have it–cauliflower hamburger. Let cool.
45 oz. cans Pome chopped tomatoes (you can find these at your Harmon’s for those of you that live in Utah)
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs low sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
4 c water
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/3 c uncooked quinoa (wash throughly)
2-3 c cooked pinto beans (the homemade beans above)
1 15 oz. can of kidney beans
1 15 oz. can of black beans
1 can sweet corn
Toppings like fresh homemade cashew cream, cilantro, avocado or vegan cheese shreds (optional)
Instructions
Add a small portion of the broth to a large lidded cooking pot. Add onion and saute over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
Add the chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, basil, chipotle powder, cumin, oregano salt and pepper. Add a few splashes of the veg. stock to deglaze the pan and simmer 3-4 minutes. Reduce the heat slightly and/or add more if the spices are burning at all.
Stir in the bell and poblano peppers and the rest of the stock. Simmer about 7 minutes.
Add the Pome tomatoes, brown sugar, soy sauce, salt, liquid smoke and water. Loosely lid the pot and simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the lemon juice, quinoa, beans, and corn. Reduce the heat to medium low, lid the pot and simmer about 60-70 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add enough water to make it the consistency you like as you need to.
When soup is done simmering add cauliflower mixture. I like adding about half of it but you can add as much as you want.
Serve with your favorite toppings.
I like to make this the night before I serve it and then reheat in the slow cooker. Sooooo good!
My daughter introduced me to gnocchi in Portland. She is an amazing cook and has introduced me to a lot of different foods. Well, she is a dietician and that helps too. Gnocchi has come to be one of my favs.
The other night when I got home from work and the “What’s for dinner?” question entered my head, as my stomach was growling, I needed to make a quick dish before I smacked myself to death, I remembered I had some gnocchi in my pantry that I’ve been wanting to cook. I originally was thinking of a mushroom marinara for this dish, but at the last minute I changed my mind (definitely a woman’s prerogative haha) because when I tasted the white wine mixed with the mushroom broth and spices it tasted fantastic.
If you want to make this sauce creamy, blend up 1/2 c cashews in about 1/4 c vegetable broth in a high speed blender and add it to the dish at the end. Make sure you blend this up well so you don’t get that gross grainy texture. Another trick is to soak the cashews for 15 min in boiling water, drain it before adding it to the blender with broth. Now to the recipe…..
GNOCCHI WITH ROASTED BROCCOLINI IN WHITE WINE SAUCE
Serves: 4 but if you have big eaters I would double.
Cook Time: 30 min.
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small red onion
2 c. mushrooms sliced
1 bunch broccolini or regular broccoli (see recipe below)
1 package gnocchi, prepare as directed on package and set aside
1/3 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. vegetable broth (I like to make this with the “Better than Bouillon” brand
1 T. oregano
1 T. parsley
(Or in place of oregano and parsley add 1T. Italian seasoning)
Add oregano, parsley and salt. Taste the mixture to see if it is to your liking. From here you can make a the cashew cream as mentioned above or leave it out. I thought it tasted good as is, so I opted not to. Add gnocchi and roasted broccolini. Mix well and taste once again to make sure it is properly salted and spiced. Enjoy.
ROASTED BROCCOLINI
Preheat oven to 425 degrees with baking rack on the top slot of the oven.
Place as much broccolini on a baking sheet pan as you want to serve.
Sprinkle broccolini with vegetable broth and salt and pepper.
When oven is up to temperature, place broccolini in the oven and set timer for 7 min. After 7 min stir broccolini on baking sheet and put back in oven for about 4 min or until it’s cooked to your liking.
Remove from oven and serve or add to cooking dish.
SWEET POTATOES AHHHH they are one of my favs, so I love to use them any way I can, whether it’s a Mexican recipe, Indian, Asian or just a plain sweet potato, they call my name. I know, that’s a little weird, but the flavor is so satisfying and a comfort food for me. Â This recipe is based on a recipe from veganricha.com. Â I served it with Jasmine rice and it was SCRUMPTIOUS! Â Here is the recipe:
Peanut Sweet Potato Curry with Veggies and Peas
1 C. Onion, chopped
5 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1/2 inch Ginger, minced (optional, I did not use it)
2 C. Cauliflower florets, coarsely chopped
1 small Red Pepper, chopped
1 med to large Sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 tsp. Curry
1 tsp. Garam Masala
1 tsp Salt
1/3 C. Peanut Butter
1 can Chick peas
2 T. Lime juice
2 T. Maple Syrup
1 tsp. Distilled white vinegar
1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
1/4 tsp. Pepper flakes
2 C. Light coconut milk (1 poured the can into a 2 cup container, which is a few ounces shy of 2 cups and then filled it the rest of the way with water to make 2 cups exactly.)
3/4 C. Frozen peas
Black pepper to taste
Lemon juice and Cayenne
Basil and peanuts for garnish
Put a small amount of water in a Dutch oven or skillet over medium high heat. Â Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, add onion and cook until translucent. Â Fold in ginger.
Add peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, curry powder, garam masala, and a dash of black pepper and cook for 3 min. or until spices are very fragrant.
Add the rest of ingredients until frozen peas and stir well. Partially cover and cook for 15 min.
Taste and adjust salt, sweet and heat. Â Add a dash of lemon and cayenne if needed. Â Add peas and simmer another few min until the vegetables are cooked to desired doneness. Â Adjust consistency if needed, such as more coconut milk or water if its too thick.
Serve over rice. Â This could also be served as a soup by adding more water and adjusting the spices to your liking. Â Garnish with basil and peanuts. Â Enjoy!
Bowls, bowls, bowls (thats what I call them) are one of our favs to whip up on a busy work night. Â It’s very simple to make and you can make a very colorful, nutritious meal in no time at all. Â I mean look at all of these beautiful bowls. Â You can use whatever grain, veggies, tofu or no tofu haha, edamame or nuts you have on hand. Â The combinations are endless!!
First, choose the grain:
Pearled farro, quinoa, brown rice, white rice.
I have to say pearled or perlato farro is my personal fav. Â Pearled cooks faster than the regular farro because the the outer layer is peeled off, so make sure you buy the pearled, otherwise, you’ll be cooking your farro for A LOT longer to get it tender. We buy ours at the local grocery store, Harmons, in the bulk section. Â My hubby is the master at cooking farro. Â This is the way he likes to cook it—
Pearled Farro Recipe
Makes 4 small servings
Wash the farro throughly. Â Farro 3 to 1 ratio vegetable broth to farro, so 1 c. farro to 3 c. broth. Â Bring to boil, turn heat down to minimum, put lid on and cook 15 min, drain off access liquid
It’s that easy and so tasty.
If you choose to make quinoa. Â The Vegan Corner has the best recipe:
1½ cup water (12.5oz) (I like using vegetable broth)
INSTRUCTIONS
Thoroughly wash the quinoa to remove the bitter-tasting saponins from the outer layer. Drain the Quinoa properly before moving on.
Place a small pot over high heat, pour in the water and bring it to the boil.
As soon as the water starts to boil add the Quinoa to the water, give it a good stir with a fork and cover the pot with the lid.
Lower the heat to the minimum and cook the grains for 15 minutes.
Once that time is up, turn off the heat and let the Quinoa rest for another three minutes before removing the lid.
Fluff the quinoa with a fork, transfer it onto a dish and spread it. This will stop the Quinoa from coking any further.
If you choose to make brown or white rice, you can cook according to directions or in your rice cooker.
Next–choose your veggies:
Broccoli, butternut squash, cauliflower, asparagus, onion, mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes, corn, peas, beans–just any veggies. Â You can prepare them by steaming them, roasting them in the oven at 425 for 20-30 min and sprinkle them with a bit of vegetable broth. Â Make sure your veggies are cut the same size to equalize cooking times because some veggies cook faster than others. Â You can put your veggies in columns on the cooking sheet and pull out the ones that cook faster. Â Cover with foil to keep warm.
The last step:
Choose a crunch and a sauce (if you want sauce :).
For the crunch and a little protein:
Edamame, cashews, peanuts, or you can add some tofu and/or beans here too.
This is my favorite BBQ sauce because it has no oil and I can read all of the ingredients ha. Â Always a good sign of a good product. Â I found this brand at Harmons, but I’m sure other grocery stores have it too.
I am also in love with this Miso Tahini Sauce in my Isa Does It Cookbook. Â This is the recipe:
Miso Tahini Sauce
For the dressing:
1/4 cup mellow white miso
1/4 cup tahini
1 cloves garlic
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup water
Place all ingredients in Vita Mix or other blender and mix well. Â Start with 1/2 c water and add more.
I hope you enjoy these bowls as much as we do! Â Please tag me on Instagram @itsapegslife when you make this recipe. Â I want to see what you come up with :).
It's a peg's life 