Posts tagged: motivation

Red Beans & Quinoa

I’ve had a version of beans and rice on my dinner menu for as long as I can remember, mostly because it’s always tasty and filling, and I can make it as easy or as complicated as I want it to be. This version is definitely on the easier side of the scale, as I’ve switched out the rice for delicious quinoa, a good stand-in for rice because it has nice texture, good grassy flavor, and, best of all, it can be cooked very quickly. This is an ideal weeknight meal or weekend brunch dish.

Next time you’ve got a hankering for rice and beans, mix things up and try this quinoa version instead. Hearty kidney beans contrast deliciously with the fine, fluffy white quinoa grains, while dried thyme and garlic add a grassy depth of flavor. Like it spicy? Add some red pepper flakes after serving. (Pro tip: Red pepper flakes are a great condiment to keep on the table to accommodate hotness preferences.)

INGREDIENTS

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White Bean and Vegetable Soup

This is a great meal because if you don’t have one ingredient, you can easily substitute with other veggies from your fridge!

This is another great meal because if I don’t have one ingredient, I know there’s an easy substitute in my fridge. This soup has changed over the years. Below is my current version. I serve this with warm bread and a simple salad or sautéed broccolini with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of sea salt.

INGREDIENTS

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Budget-Friendly Shepherd’s Pie

Combining fluffy mashed spuds with tender veggies, this comforting shepherd’s pie is just like Mom used to make—minus the meat. Make plenty and eat throughout the week; you can never have too much

Fluffy golden mashed potatoes blanket a bounty of vegetables in this classic casserole that can warm you up even on the coldest nights. Carrots, onions, celery, and corn are cooked down into a savory gravy that adds rich flavor and moisture to the potato dish. The flavors will become richer the more they have time to meld, so you might want to make a double batch to keep in the fridge for easy and delicious leftovers.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
• 2 cups unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup coarsely chopped onion
• 1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
• 1 cup coarsely chopped celery
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
• ¼ cup rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place potato pieces in a steamer basket in a large saucepan. Add water to saucepan to just below basket. Bring to boiling. Steam, covered, about 20 minutes or until tender. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and mash. Add 1 cup of the milk. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet combine the next six ingredients (through Italian seasoning) and ¼ cup water. Cook over medium-low about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, place oats in blender or food processor; process until you have a flour-like consistency. In a small bowl whisk oat flour into the remaining 1 cup milk. Stir flour mixture into skillet with vegetables. Stir in vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring occasionally.
4. Transfer vegetable mixture to a 2-quart baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes, spreading evenly.
5. Bake 20 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned on top. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

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Vegan Spinach and Potato Tacos

Traditional Mexican tacos are much more than ground beef and sour cream in a fried shell. There are many, many ways to make tacos—in our opinion, this is one of the best.

Traditional Mexican tacos are much more than ground beef and sour cream in a fried shell. There are many, many ways to make tacos—in my opinion, this is one of the best.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small dice
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 medium poblano pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 cup unsweetened, unflavored plant milk
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 corn tortillas
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, lay a clean kitchen towel or several layers of paper towel on the counter and place the thawed spinach at the bottom of one short end. Roll up the spinach in the towel and, holding it over the sink, twist either end of the roll to squeeze out as much liquid from the spinach as you can. Unroll and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, cook the onion and poblano pepper over medium heat, stirring occasionally and adding water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time as needed to keep the vegetables from sticking, until softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add the reserved spinach and potatoes along with the plant milk and nutritional yeast. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
5. Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add as many corn tortillas to the pan as will fit in a single layer and heat for a few minutes to warm the tortillas through. Remove them from the pan and set them aside, covered with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
6. To serve, place the tortillas on individual serving plates or a large platter and divide the potato mixture among them, spooning it onto the center of each. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

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Mini Peach Tarts:

The velvety texture of sweet potato combined with fresh peaches is a match made in heaven in these scrumptious tarts.

Thickened with—surprise—sweet potato and a bit of agar powder, the filling in these summery peach tarts is delightfully light and fresh.

INGREDIENTS

• ⅔ cup rolled oats
• ⅓ cup sorghum flour
• ⅓ cup pecans
• Dash sea salt
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 small white sweet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
• ½ teaspoon agar powder or 1 teaspoon agar flakes
• 1 medium peach, peeled and cut into large chunks
• ½ tablespoon lemon juice
• 12 small fresh mint leaves (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. For crust, in a food processor combine oats, flour, pecans, and salt. Cover and process until finely ground. Add the ¼ cup maple syrup and 1 tsp. vanilla; cover and pulse until mixture starts to cling together. (Mixture will be slightly crumbly, but you should be able to press it together.)
2. Using twelve 2½-inch nonstick mini tart pans, drop 2 tsp. of the oat mixture into each pan. Press onto bottoms and fluted sides of pans. If pastry is too sticky to handle, dust hands lightly with additional flour. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until light brown; cool tart shells.
3. For filling, place sweet potato chunks in a steamer basket in a small saucepan. Add water to saucepan to just below the basket. Bring to boiling. Steam, covered, 15 minutes; cool.
4. Meanwhile, in another small saucepan combine ¼ cup water and the agar powder. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer 5 to 7 minutes or until agar is dissolved and mixture is reduced to 2 Tbsp., stirring frequently.
5. Wash and dry food processor. In processor combine sweet potato, peach, the remaining 1 Tbsp. maple syrup, the remaining 1 Tbsp. vanilla, and the lemon juice. Cover and process until smooth. Add agar mixture; cover and process until combined. Cool 10 minutes.
6. Fill tart shells with filling. Top with additional peaches and, if desired, fresh mint.

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Sweet Potato Bites

These simple four-ingredient treats from The Blue Zones Kitchen were inspired by New York Times best-selling author Dan Buettner’s adventure in Okinawa, where locals have a diet rich in sweet potato and live to be some of the oldest people in the world.

Sweet potatoes accounted for 60 percent of the Okinawan diet until about 1950. This slightly sweetened preparation is delicious and can serve as a dessert or snack. On our last visit to this Blue Zones region, we watched the potatoes cooking and were uninspired until Jordan, a Hawaiian who lives on the island, produced two packages of macadamia nuts from his backpack. We ground them up, rolled the sweet potatoes into balls, and rolled the balls into the nuts. Voilà!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound (about 3) white, orange, or purple sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ⅓ cup ground peanuts, macadamia nuts, or sesame seeds
• Dash of cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Boil or steam the potatoes until tender, then mash potatoes with sugar.
2. Once cool enough to handle, roll potatoes into walnut-size balls.
3. On a clean surface, spread a layer of ground nuts of your choice or sesame seeds. Gently roll the potato balls in the nuts to coat.
4. Powder with cinnamon to serve.

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Hidden Berry Dessert Squares

For these gorgeous squares, a light sweet potato filling houses fresh berries. A date-sweetened crumble is used for the base as well as the topping.

This vegan, no-bake variation on lemon bars is made with a fluffy sweet potato filling that sets over a layer of ‘hidden’ fresh berries. A date-sweetened crumble is used for both the crust and for a sweet, slightly crunchy garnish.

INGREDIENTS

CRUMBLE

• 2 cups dates or date paste
• 1½ cups whole grain bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 pinches sea salt

CREAM LAYER

• 2 pounds unpeeled sweet potatoes, baked until tender (about 3 cups mashed)
• 3–4 tablespoons pure cane sugar
• 1½ tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups mixed fresh berries, plus more for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the dates in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to break into small bits. Add the bread crumbs, vanilla, and salt, and pulse to the texture of coarse sand.
2. Reserve ¼ cup of the crumble for topping, and press the rest of it into the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Press down to make an even, compact base layer. Transfer dish to refrigerator to chill for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Scoop the interior of the sweet potatoes into the bowl of a food processor, and discard potato skins. Add sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla to the sweet potato. Purée to a smooth, creamy texture.
4. Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator, and spread a layer of fresh berries over the base layer. Cover the berries evenly with all of the sweet potato puree, and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the reserved crumble on top.
5. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until ready to serve. To serve, cut into 16 squares, and garnish with fresh berries.

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