Mixed Bean Salad Recipe

This colorful and lively salad is as tasty as it looks! It's healthy, high protein, nutritious, low-fat, high-fiber, and quick and easy to make for a meal, potluck or picnic. It tastes even better after marinating in it's dressing for several hours or overnight, so you can make a large portion and enjoy it for several days.

Ingredients:

• Edamame (soy beans)
• Black beans
• Garbanzo beans
• Corn (steamed and shaved from the cob)
• Chopped carrots, tomatoes, red peppers
• Chopped onion
• Chopped parsley
• Minced garlic (one clove)
• Juice of one lime
• Ume plum Vinegar
• Olive oil
• Fresh black pepper

Looks beautiful served plain or on a bed of lettuce with garnish.

Add your favorite beans, vegetables, nuts and dressings.

Enjoy!

Gotta Love Quinoa!

I am SO excited! I recently learned that quinoa (pronounced "keen-wha") is kosher for Passover!

I love Quinoa, the taste, the texture, and most especially the nutritional benefits it provides. It is rich in amino acids, with a fluffy, slightly crunchy texture and nutty flavor.

Quinoa was called the "mother grain" by the Incas, although it is not technically a cereal grain like wheat or oats, but has been cultivated and eaten as a cereal for thousands of years by South Americans. Quinoa is the tiny seed of the Chenopodium Quinoa, a leafy plant that is a distant relative of spinach and beets.

It contains all nine essential amino acids and is especially high in lysine, an amino acid that is scarce in most plant foods but is necessary for tissue growth and repair. It is a rich source of calcium as well as magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorous, and to top it off, it’s gluten-free, so those who are sensitive to gluten can enjoy it in its whole state or made into flour, pastas, or breads. Quinoa is also a fabulous source of fiber, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin E.

Quinoa can be eaten as a breakfast food with fresh or dried fruit to provide long-lasting energy and help you breeze through your morning. It's especially good with salad, steamed vegetables, beans, olives, nuts, and can be mixed with anything you love. Best of all it is low in fat and calories!

You can see that it has a great nutritional profile, but what I like best about it is that it’s fast, cooks in about a third of the time it takes for brown rice, which makes it possible to throw together a meal at the last minute and still enjoy a hearty, healthy and filling meal.

To the left is a dish I just prepared for tonight's Seder - it's Quinoa mixed with stir-fried onions, zucchini, sweet potato, carrots and red peppers (chopped very small), cooked with Bragg, sesame oil, garlic and seasoning.

There are literally hundreds of amazing recipes on-line and I'm sure you can create some great ones on your own. Just make sure it is colorful and flavorful!

You can find Quinoa in Whole foods and in most any supermarket.

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Hope You Enjoy!

Vegetarian Sloppy Joe

And now for an easy, filling and healthy vegetarian dish that our son Adam absolutely adores and says tastes just like the real thing...it's a product by Fantastic Foods called "Vegetarian Sloppy Joe" for under $3.00 in Whole Foods (and many other supermarkets).

This recipe serves about 4-5 people and my guess is you and your family will love it. Best of all it will take you only a few minutes to prepare.

To make the recipe, all you need on hand is a can of tomato paste and one teaspoon of oil and you're all set.

I made the Sloppy Joe for dinner recently and served it in a bun, along with tomato slices, lettuce, and sauteed Tofu slices (prepared using a bit of canola oil and some Bragg) and it was delicious!

Make sure you take the excess oil off by putting the tofu slices on paper towel after sauteeing.

This Sloppy Joe recipe tastes yummy with spaghetti as well. You may want to add more paste so the sauce isn't as thick (or spicy). You can add sauteed onions and mushrooms, steamed veggies, or anything else you'd like according to your taste.

There are plenty of great Vegetarian Sloppy Joe recipes on-line that you can make from scratch, but I thought this might be easier, especially for those who don't have as much time.

Hope you enjoy!

Simple Stir-Fry

Stir-Fry is incredibly easy, affordable, healthy and quick to make, especially if you own a wok (you can also use a big frying pan), and almost any vegetable can be 'thrown' into the mixture!

Can be eaten on its own or with potato, rice, quinoa, or any other grain.

(Before)

Basic Ingredients:

• Toasted Sesame Oil
• Bragg (Liquid Aminos - in Wholefoods and many other supermarkets)
• Shredded cabbage
• Shredded carrots
• Sliced or chopped zucchini
• Chopped celery

Other great veggies to add: Bean sprouts, sweet peas, corn, red pepper, bokchoy, cauliflower, broccoli...

Put all the vegetables in the wok, cook on medium, and mix veggies around. Pour a T-spoon or 2 of the Toasted Sesame Oil all around, and 2 or 3 Tablespoons of Bragg (or other healthy soy sauce-type ingredient), add garlic, pepper, ginger (fresh or powder), and any spices you like. Stir every once in a while. Cooks in about 15-20 minutes. Try not to overcook so the vegetables retain their texture, flavor, and as many vitamins as possible.

(After)

If you want to eat slower and savor each bite, use chopsticks!

Enjoy...