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Recipe of the Week: A Beautiful Salad

February 15, 2013
Radish Salad by Cathy

Salad Recipe and Photo by Cathy Corey

From my sister’s kitchen…

Israeli Couscous and Radish Salad
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
1 cup couscous
1 bunch radishes, sliced thin
2 stalks of celery, sliced thin
1 bunch dill, chopped

Dressing
5 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp white pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the couscous according to the package instructions and let cool to room temperature. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and let chill in fridge until couscous is room temperature. Now mix the couscous with the radish, celery and dill in a large bowl. Pour dressing over salad ingredients. Toss until the dressing covers the salad well, then serve.

Comments { 1 }

Quick and Easy Vegan Brownies

February 10, 2013

Update: A reader mentioned her batch didn’t turn out as moist as mine looked in the picture below, so I have updated the instructions. I always appreciate comments on recipes, so I can make them better for all of you.

Yesterday it was cold and snowy and I was craving chocolate — brownies to be specific. I found a recipe online and started baking. When you have a well-stocked kitchen, it’s easy to cook and bake on-demand. This recipe is adapted from A Delicious Healthy Vegan Recipe for the Common Brownie on Ecorazzi. I substituted apple sauce for the oil and added chocolate chips. My craving was definitely satisfied. Give it a try the next time you want a chocolate treat.

Vegan BrownieQuick and Easy Vegan Brownies

2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup almond milk, unsweetened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)

Combine the dry ingredients and half of the walnuts in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients plus the chocolate chips and stir until evenly combined. The mixture will be thick. Add additional almond milk as needed to combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Secret tip: Ever since I learned to bake as a child, I almost always add more liquid than a recipe calls before. I follow the instructions and then add more liquid (water works most of the time) to the batter just before it’s ready to go into the baking dish. I mix the additional liquid into the batter and then pour it into the pan. The extra liquid tends to make for a moister end-product. In this recipe, I used extra almond milk as suggested above.

Spread into an ungreased 8×8 glass pan, top with the remaining 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 30-35 minutes. To determine if they are done, insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies. If it comes out clean, they are done.

Comments { 5 }

Recipe of the Week: Mashed Cauliflower

January 31, 2013

A Recipe From My Sister’s Kitchen

If you like comfort food on a cold winter evening, give this recipe a try. It’s a good substitute for mashed potatoes. Plus, it’s super easy to make.

Mashed Cauliflower
Serves 4-6

DSCN4464

1 large head cauliflower, steamed

1/2 cup cannelini beans, cooked

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp dijon mustard

1-1/2 tsp Spike seasoning

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp vegan cream cheese

2 tbsp vegan sour cream

Unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk or water, amount desired

Remove the stem and cut the cauliflower into medium-size pieces. Steam until tender. In a food processor, combine all ingredients and blend well. If you need to thin the mixture a bit, use a non-dairy milk or water as needed. The mixture should be thick like mashed potatoes when done. You can leave it a bit chunky if you prefer. Warm and serve.

Note: If you want to get more creative in the kitchen, you could substitute the olive oil, cream cheese and sour cream with cashew cream to create a healthier alternative.

This recipe was created by Cathy Corey.

Comments { 0 }

Sarah-Approved Israeli Couscous Salad

October 25, 2012

This is an easy and tasty salad I created on the fly. Turns out it was a hit. My fiance’s daughter loved it. It’s nice when someone appreciates your cooking, isn’t it?! We enjoyed it with Falafel sandwiches. Give it a try.

Israeli Couscous Salad
Serves 4-6

1 cup Israeli Couscous, cooked
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced in long strips
1/2 carrot, shredded
1 large radish, shredded
3 tbsp of green onion, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil (more if desired)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, parsley, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the couscous, cranberries, sun-dried tomatoes, carrot, radish, green onion and pine nuts. Add the dressing to the other ingredients and mix well. Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving.

 

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Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts

October 18, 2012

I remember my mom cooking Brussels sprouts when I was a kid. She would cook them in water — not boil them exactly, but not sauté them either. I’m not really sure what she was doing with them but I do recall they smelled horrible. They stunk up the whole house!

It wasn’t until I was in my late 30′s that I tried roasted Brussels sprouts for the first time. To my delight, I’m a big fan and eat them often. My favorite way is to roast them and they don’t stink up the kitchen.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Before you can roast the sprouts, you need to cut the end piece off each sprout, remove any yellow leaves and cut in half. If they are large (think golf ball size), you should quarter them. Spray a metal baking pan with oil. In the baking pan, toss the sprouts with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, salt and pepper. I use one package of Brussels sprouts and I don’t measure the other ingredients. I use more balsamic vinegar than oil. I love garlic, so I may use up to four cloves. Play with the amounts to determine your preference. Sometimes I add pine nuts when we have them.

Bake on 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. I like my sprouts soft, so I tend to roast them longer than a lot of recipes state. I like to add a bit more balsamic just before serving.

Leftover roasted Brussels sprouts are really good. I like to add them to salads the next day (as shown above) or eat them all by themselves fresh out of the fridge. If you were scared off by this vegetable as a child, give it another try. You might find you enjoy them as I much I do.

Comments { 2 }