dinner

Leek & Mushroom Quiche with Quinoa Crust

September 15, 2014

This is my first vegan recipe on this blog!  Fresh organic leeks were on sale at a local grocery store and I really wanted to use them to make a quiche!  However, most quiche crusts require a lot of butter and oil and I wanted to avoid that.  So, I did some browsing on the internet and found a recipe for a quinoa crust!  The quinoa crust is obviously not as flaky or buttery as a regular quiche pie crust but hey, the additional nutrients and the totally delicious filling makes up for it!  Using a "healthified" crust makes this dish a perfect option for a healthy and pleasing lunch or dinner!




The toasted pine nuts add a nice crunch to the quiche.  They also give the quiche a nutty and buttery flavour, which is nice since this quiche does not use butter!




Vegan Leek Quiche with Quinoa Crust
Adapted from Jane Green
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For the crust:
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 tbsp flax seeds
2 tbsp oat flour
Thyme, basil, or herbs of your choice
Salt & pepper

For the filling:
1 pkg firm tofu, pressed and drained
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp turmeric
½ teaspoon himalayan salt
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil
1 ½ fresh leeks, sliced
5 to 6 white mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup roasted pine nuts

To form the crust, mix quinoa, flax seeds, oat flour, and herbs together.  Season to taste.  Grease a flan tin (or a glass pie plate) and press the crust mixture into the base and up the sides.  Make sure you press firmly and evenly.

Add water to a saucepan and steam the leeks for around 10 minutes.  Drain the excess water.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil into the saucepan and add the mushrooms.  Sauté the leeks and mushrooms until mushrooms are cooked.  Set aside.

Combine tofu and the next 6 ingredients (tofu through lemon) in a blender or food processor.  Puree until smooth.  Mix in the leeks and mushrooms.

Poor filling into the crust and sprinkle some pine nuts over top.  Garnish with a few slices of leek.  Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350F.  Serve warm.


Chow & Enjoy!

brunch

Healthy Frittata for One

August 25, 2014

Frittatas are one of my go tos for a quick and healthy lunch or brunch.  Another thing that makes frittatas so great is the fact that you can basically add whatever you want to it...meaning it is the perfect recipe to use your leftovers or for a fridge clean-up! If you are not a fan of eating too many eggs than you can always whisk together 1 whole egg + 2 egg whites.


Healthy Frittata for One
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 makes 1 serving 

½ small yellow onion, diced
1 bella mushroom, thinly sliced
small handful of kale, teared into tiny pieces
spring onion, chopped
¼ jalepño pepper, chopped (optional)
oregano
black pepper
¼ cup tofu
nutritional yeast + soy milk, mixed OR laughing cow cheese wedge
2 eggs, whisked
olive oil (or any kind of cooking oil)
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Heat the cast iron skillet on medium heat.  When heated, add a bit of olive oil (or any oil of your choice), approx. ½ tsp.  Place the chopped onion and mushroom slices in the pan.  Cook until the onions are translucent.  Turn the heat to medium-low and add the kale and spring onion.  Season with seasonings of your choice.  Cook until the kale is soft.  Spread vegetables into an even layer and add the nutritional yeast mix/cheese on top.  Poor the eggs over the vegetables, tilting the pan to make sure that the egg is spread evenly over the vegetables.  Crumble the tofu on top and sprinkle on the jalapeño pepper.  Cook for about 1 or 2 minutes, until the egg at the edges of the pan start to set.  

Transfer the entire skillet into the oven and bake for about 8 minutes.  When ready, take the skillet out of the oven and let cool for a few minutes before digging in!


Chow and enjoy!

coconut

Baked Mango Coconut Curry Cod Fish

July 02, 2014


One thing that my dad and I have in common is that we love adding curry in our cooking!  Which is why there is always curry powder in our kitchen pantry haha.  I especially love curry dishes on cold days because they warm me up from the inside (aka ma belly hehe).  This dish is a bit on the spicy side (because my family LOVES the spice) but you can always add more or less curry powder to suit your taste.  However, the mango does give a nice sweet contrast to the spice from the curry.  The preparation for this recipe is also very simple and does not take much time, so it can easily be made for family dinners or even for your friends!




Baked Mango Coconut Curry Cod Fish on top of mixed greens and quinoa.
Freshly baked and out of the oven...well a portion has been taken already lol.


Baked Mango Coconut Curry Cod Fish 
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Yields: 4-6 servings 

Olive oil
Approximately 1lb. fresh cod fish fillet(s)
Salt & Pepper

For the Mango Coconut Curry Sauce:
½ tbsp. yellow curry powder
1 tsp tumeric
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 mango, mashed
1 mango, cubed
¼ onion
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 tbsp coconut milk


Brush 1 tsp of olive oil onto the cod fish.  Lightly season with salt and pepper.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Celsius.  Bake the cod fish for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, sauté the ginger and onion with a little bit of olive oil on medium low heat.  When onion is translucent, turn the heat to low.  Add 2 tbsp of milk.  Next, add the mashed mango, the curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon and desiccated coconut.  Let simmer for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring every so often (so the mango doesn’t stick to the pot/burn!).  Then, turn off the heat.  Remove the pot from the heat and scoop approx. ¾ of the sauce onto the cod fish.  Place cod fish back into the oven and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until fish is fully cooked through.

Serve on top of grains or greens or both!


Chow and enjoy!