Naraya Cooking Health Recipe: corn

avocado

QUINOA CHILI VERDE

10:21 AM

avocado

Quinoa & White Bean Veggie Burger

2:06 PM

It's burger time...

I haven't done a veggie burger in almost a year. It was time to add a new one to the list and this one is as delicious as it gets. These patties are loaded with protein and fiber as well as other beneficial nutrients, and they are very filling. As far as veggie burgers go this is fairly easy. I have to admit that I'm a pretty lazy cook and don't like a lot of steps. I prefer to spend as little time as possible preparing a meal as well as cleaning it up. Fyi, you can make this recipe even simpler by using a pre-made flour instead of processing oats like I did. The patties came out fantastic and held up great without falling apart, and they were not dry at all, nor were they mushy. The texture, taste and visual appeal all hit the mark. Once layered with all the extra goodies this burger was supreme and the best veggie burger I've ever had...am I biased...maybe, but these were divine! And, if you don't feel like having it on a bun, by all means top your veggie burger on a bed of fresh leafy greens with a squeeze of lemon, some avocado, salt and pepper...so good just like that!

I loaded this beauty up with leafy greens, slice of heirloom tomato, sliced red onion, whole grain mustard, mashed avocado and a nice drizzle of sriracha. Lot's of flavors going on and I loved it. As the saying goes, "Eat like you mean it!"

And now for the money shot! Having fun with my iphone and the VSCO Cam app (it's free), managed to create this final mouthwatering picture...veggie love at first sight!

Quinoa & White Bean Veggie Burger

Ingredients (makes four patties)

1/2 cup quinoa (I used tri-color)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 teaspoons thyme, divided (oregano would be good too)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, optional
1 can (15 oz.) white beans (I used cannellini), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup corn, fresh or frozen (about 1/2 fresh corn off the cob)
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced (about 1/2 bell pepper)
1/2 cup shallot, finely diced (about 1 medium) or red onion
juice of one lemon
1/3 cup oat flour, or flour of choice
1 Ener-G egg replacer or 1 flax egg (1 Tbs flaxseed meal + 3 Tbs water), optional*
mineral salt & cracked pepper, to taste
coconut or olive oil, to grease

To Serve:

tomato, sliced
leafy greens
avocado, sliced or mashed
red onion, sliced
whole grain or dijon mustard (hummus or vegan mayo is great too)
sriracha or Sriracha Cashew Cream (use the sriracha cream in place of mustard)
burger buns of choice

Start by making your flax egg or ener-g egg replacer and set aside. If baking in the oven, turn oven to 375 degrees F. (It's helpful to read instructions first before making the patties)

In a medium pot, bring water, quinoa, garlic powder and 1 teaspoon thyme to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Once done, remove cover and let set for 10 minutes.

While quinoa is cooking, prepare your corn, shallot and red pepper. Be sure to dice your onion and red pepper fairly fine, they should be about the same size as the corn kernels.

Next, mash your beans. I mashed about 3/4 of the beans leaving a quarter of the batch whole or somewhat whole.

Once quinoa is ready, add the quinoa to the beans along with the shallots, red pepper, corn, remaining 2 teaspoons thyme, smoked paprika and optional chipotle powder and lemon juice. Mix well. Add in the flour and egg replacer, mix well again. Season to taste with salt, pepper and more of the other spices. We all vary on how strong we like our spices...you can't take out but you can always put in.

Now to divide and make your patties. I like to pat my mixture into the bowl a little and divide it with a knife into 4 sections, making a plus sign if you will. Take each section and pack it tightly into a ball in the palm of your hands. It should be about the size of your hand. Flatten with your palms and place on hard surface. Cup the edges with your palms and tighten them in a bit and flatten the top to the desired size. Mine were about 1/2 inch thick by 3 1/2 - 4 inches.

Cook one of two ways:

In the oven at 375 degrees on a greased or parchment lined cookie sheet for 30 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes. I also added a sprinkle of himalayan salt to the top before baking.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil over medium to medium high heat. Cook patties about 4 - 5 minutes on each side.

I cooked both ways and had no preference. They both held up well and cooked great. (pic shows skillet cooked)

Serve on bun or bed of leafy greens with choice of toppings!

Notes:

The patties can be made ahead of time and stored covered in the refrigerator for a couple days prior to cooking.

*I have a sneaky feeling that this can be made without the use of any egg replacer if you don't have it available. I have it here for good measure until I try without (in the comments you will see that it has been done). If you decide not to use an egg replacer, when adding the flour, just try adding two - three tablespoons of water instead if needed...the amount may depend on the flour you're using.

For mashed avocado, cut open avocado, remove seed and using a fork, mash the flesh right in the skin...it's like a bowl. Spread on bun for a great creamy condiment!

I hope this makes you want to get in the kitchen and cook.
I encourage you to make these soon and often...

Enjoy!

avocado

Cowboy Caviar Quinoa Salad

7:51 AM

avocado

Street Tacos + Spanish Fried Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

7:44 AM

We have a full meal here, quite a bit going on and all so worth it. Funny how things work, part of this recipe came to be while I was at the gym. I was already planning on making the taco's and quinoa afterwards. And what do you know was on TV...it was Taco Nite on the cooking channel which inspired the black bean salad! They showed that as a veggie taco filler and so I have it here because it's so simple and pairs nicely with the quinoa. As a matter of fact, combined together the quinoa and black bean salad make a great 'Spanish Black Bean Quinoa Salad' to be used for leftovers!

The simple taco filling is pretty fantastic. We're using walnuts, mushrooms and a few spices to create a nut filling. If this is new to you, I think you are going to enjoy this recipe and will make it again and again. For the Mexican flavors use spices like cumin, chili powder, cayenne, coriander, paprika, cilantro and/or lime. You can also use this nut meat in burritos or on top of a taco salad. Or mix up the spices for an Italian flair using oregano, basil, marjoram, sun dried tomatoes, sage, thyme or rosemary and use it in lasagna or on top of spaghetti.

The thing I really love about all of these recipes together is that you can mix and match everything to your liking making tacos out of it all. I've also included the option of using lettuce leaves instead of corn tortilla's. Both ways are fantastic!

Maybe you'll prefer your tacos on the fresh side! These raw tacos are so delicious and refreshing. If you've never tried them I urge you to pick up some butter, romaine or other leafy lettuce and give this a try....you will not be disappointed. You may also opt to have your nut meat served at room temperature instead of warmed if you like. You could also double up on the leaves. If your interested in the nut meats, I also have a Rawsome Taco Salad w/ Lime Cilantro 'Sour Cream' that you may like to try as well. The Lime Cilantro Cashew 'Sour Cream' would be great along side this recipe as would this basic Cashew Sour Cream.

The traditional corn tortillas warmed on the griddle or warm skillet will envelope all the goodies you put into your street taco. So simple, healthy and delicious!

Don't forget the Tapatio! Really sets the tacos off nicely, even the lettuce wrapped ones.

Now let's get cooking and eat...

Street Tacos, Spanish Fried Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

Ingredients (serves 3)

Tacos

corn tortillas (2 per person)
butter, romaine or other leafy green lettuce leaves for raw taco wrap, optional
cilantro
lime wedges
pico de gallo
avocado slices
tapatio

Nut Meat for Tacos

1 cup walnuts
1 cup mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
1 tablespoon tamari, soy sauce
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Pico de Gallo

2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
himalayan salt to taste

Spanish Fried Quinoa

1/2 onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive or sesame oil
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce or about 3/4 cup
1 cup water or veggie broth (liquid total between water and tomato sauce should be 1 3/4 cup, at most)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 orange bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded & diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon chili powder, optional
himalayan salt to taste
cilantro, chopped
(use any veggies you want in place of bell peppers...ie, peas, chopped carrots, chopped tomatoes, etc)

Black Bean Salad

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 red onion, diced
2 corn off the cob, grilled (optional) or 1 can corn, drained or 1 cup frozen, thawed
1/2 teaspoon or so cumin
himalayan salt to taste
juice of 1 lime
cilantro, to taste

First start with the corn, if roasting. I used my griddle on high and it took about 50 minutes with turning every so often to get the nice roasted look. Fresh corn right of the cob would be great too, it's sweet and tasty without needing to be cooked. Roasting is optional.

Onto the Spanish fried quinoa. In medium size pan or skillet, heat oil over medium high heat, add onion and cook for two minutes, add quinoa and cook another five minutes or so stirring frequently until quinoa starts to get toasty and turn slightly golden. Add water, tomato sauce, bell pepper or veggies of choice, jalapeno, garlic powder, chili powder and salt, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. When done, remove cover, stir in some chopped cilantro to taste, and let set for 15 minutes to absorb the rest of the liquids. Taste for seasonings before serving.

Next, put together the pico de gallo. Chop and dice your ingredients, combine everything in a small bowl with lime juice and salt to taste. Set aside to let the flavors mingle.

Now onto the black bean salad. In a medium size bowl, combine all the ingredients, taste for seasoning adding anything extra you might like.

Start the nut meat. Place all ingredients in food processor/blender and pulse until you have chunky crumbles. Don't over process or you will have a nut mushroom pate...which wouldn't be so bad but we want a crumbly effect here. :) This is optional but in a small sauce pan, heat the nut meat on low just until warm. You don't want to over heat or the mushrooms will cook too much, we just want it slightly warm. I find both ways, warm and room temp, to be just as appealing.

Warm your tortillas on the griddle or skillet for 30 seconds per side.

Finally, put your plates and tacos together as you wish! You may find that you end up combining the black bean salsa with the spanish fried quinoa. You may also find yourself making tacos out of both of those side dishes as well. However you craft your plate....

Enjoy!

Follow my kitchen adventures on Instagram!

bell pepper

Raw Veggie Chili with Taco Nut Meat

6:31 PM

arugula

Spicy Thai Curry Corn Soup

6:59 PM

black beans

Enchiladas Verde w/ Cashew Crema

6:25 PM

I love enchiladas...not the kind with tons of processed cheese, be it vegan or otherwise, but the kind just like this one...fresh veggies and fresh sauce. It may not look like much but these were super! This is straight up casual dining at its best. Unfortunately it doesn't plate as well as I was hoping so make sure to keep this amongst your closest friends and family who don't mind a messy yet delicious meal. The verde sauce was amazing. I made it the day before so it could really set and combine flavors. It would make for a great salsa or even a taco salad dressing. And this version of the cashew crema is nice with the smoked paprika flavor, giving it just a touch of the smoky paprika flavor (add more if you like). Another cashew cream that would work fantastic here is this 'Cilantro Lime Cashew 'Sour Cream'.

I didn't go to far from the original recipe as I loved everything about it and it was fantastic. I added some black beans for protein and carrots for more color. Also, if you don't want to make the verde sauce, feel free to use a good brand pre-made verde sauce instead. But I highly recommend making your own as it is delicious!

Enchiladas Verde w/ Cashew Crema

Cashew Crema

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2+ hours

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (optional)

2 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

salt, to taste

1/2 - 3/4 cup water

Verde Sauce

2 lb fresh tomatillos, husked and quartered

1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 jalapeño, seeded and coarsely chopped

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup parsley or cilantro, chopped

himalayan salt & cracked pepper

Enchiladas

1 medium zucchini, chopped into 1/2″ pieces

2 ears of corn, shucked with the corn cut off the cob

3/4 cup or 1/2 pint cherry/grape tomatoes
1 carrot, peeled and diced (optional)

olive oil

1/2 -1 teaspoon cumin

himalayan salt & cracked pepper
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

9 - 12 corn tortillas

Start with your paprika cashew crema, this can be made in advance, a day or two and kept in the fridge, or you can assemble it while the enchiladas are cooking as long as you soak your cashews first. Soak cashews in two cups water for 2+ hours, drain and rinse well. Place cashews, lemon/lime juice, paprika, onion powder, salt and 1/2 cup water into food processor/blender and blend until smooth, about 4 minutes or so. Add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin to desired consistency. Taste for flavor. Add more paprika to your liking, but keep in mind the color will change.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the zucchini, corn and tomatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with 1-2 tsp olive oil. Add cumin and a pinch of salt & pepper, toss to coat with the olive oil. Spread the vegetables in an even layer on a roasting pan lined with parchment paper, silpat or lightly greased with oil and roast for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove and set aside.

While the veggies are cooking, start your sauce, this can also be made a day or two in advance. Place the tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeno, and vegetable broth in a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a food processor/blender, add the parsley or cilantro, salt and pepper to taste and process until smooth. Set aside. You may need to process your verde sauce in two batches. It makes quite a bit.

Once everything is ready, start putting the enchilada's together. Wrap your corn tortillas in a dampened paper towel and microwave 45 seconds. This steams the tortillas and makes them pliable. Pour 1/3 of the sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Fill each tortilla with about 1/4 c of the vegetable mixture, a spoon full the black beans, roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Once filled, pour the remaining sauce on top of the enchiladas. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes at 400 degrees F, until heated through. You may also like to leave the foil off for the last 10 minutes to let the exposed tortillas get a bit crispy.

Serve with the cashew crema. A side of sliced avocado would be great too.

If you only use half of the recipe like I did, the left overs make great taco fillings.

Enjoy!

black beans

Texas Three Bean Chili & Sweet Chia Cornbread

8:21 PM

I know it's hot these days but I've been craving a chili as of late. I've seen a few recipes here and there and have been inspired to add one to my list. A good chili recipe is a must and this one is loaded with flavor, protein and fiber....all the while being easy to put together! Along with the sweet chia cornbread, this is a completely satisfying and hearty meal that is sure to please.

Texas Three Bean Chili

Ingredients

1 can black beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes with green chilies (15 oz)
1 cup tomatoes, diced (I used grape tomatoes cut in half)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon old bay seasoning, if on hand
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon chipotle or cayenne pepper, to taste
1 -2 teaspoon cocoa powder or one small piece of dark chocolate
1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth, + more if needed
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt to taste
scallions and cashew sour cream to garnish

In large pot heat olive oil, saute onion and garlic until translucent, about 5 min. Add all ingredients to pot and bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or so, stirring occasionally and adding additional water as needed, shouldn't need more than 1/4 cup if that. Taste for flavor adding anything you feel it needs. Serve with the sliced green onions and cashew sour cream. Serves three generously.

Notes:

Replace the 1 cup fresh diced tomatoes for another can (15oz) of tomatoes for ease.

Mix and match your beans to whatever you like or have on hand. Cooking dried beans would be even better, texture and taste wise.

Add veggies if you like such as chopped celery, carrots, bell peppers, corn, etc...delicious! Adding more vegetables will make this go further giving about 4 serving. Add extra water if needed.

On to the Sweet Chia Cornbread....

The sweet chia cornbread has lots of texture and completes the chili dish, I can't imagine it without. The chia seeds give this a little bit of a crunchy texture so those who don't like little bits of crunchiness this may not be for you. But for those willing to explore new things, I highly recommend giving this a try! The chia seeds add some good extra nutrition. They contain six times more calcium per serving than milk and six times more iron than spinach. These little seeds contain almost half your daily fiber requirements in a single serving, 2 tablespoons. Adding them is a nice mix up of the traditional corn bread. I enjoyed it best by breaking it up and eating in my chili barely noticing the bits. It was so good!

Sweet Chia Cornbread

Ingredients

1 cup organic corn meal (I used a course grind)
1 cup spelt flour, whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose gluten free
5 tablespoons pure cane sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 cup water
1 cup almond milk
juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted) or extra light flavored olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Prepare a vegan buttermilk by mixing the almond milk with the lemon or vinegar and set aside.

Mix the chia seeds with the 1/2 cup water, set aside. Let these set for 10 minutes.

Combine all dry ingredients in medium size bowl. Add milk, oil, chia seed mixture and combine making sure to break up any lumps of chia seeds. Pour batter into an 8x8 greased baking pan or dish. Bake for 25 minutes. Test by inserting a toothpick, if it comes out clean it's ready.

Notes:

You could also add in 1 cup canned, fresh or thawed corn to the mix.

Enjoy!

basil

Vegetable 'Fried' Quinoa

10:31 AM

This is one of those recipes that will make it into the meal rotation consistently. I'm always looking for ways to make my dishes more nutrient dense and this was a great recipe for that giving me protein and fiber. I'm happy to have another great addition to the recipe collection. This was a nice use of quinoa and fantastic!

Another reason I love quinoa so much is it comes out of the fridge the next day as well as it went in. It also tastes just as great warm as it does cold. It's unlike rice that hardens and doesn't reheat very well for my liking. Quinoa is a sure staple in my kitchen.

This dish can go any way you like...add/subtract whatever you want...my favorite kind of cooking. You could up the amount of quinoa to vegetable ratio. Here I have one cup quinoa to about 3 - 4 cups vegetables. You don't have to use all these vegetables either but I highly recommend a good assortment for nutrition, texture and color. I have so many because I love veggies! This is also a great recipe for a 'cleaning out the fridge' meal. Almost everything and anything will be tasty. Try snow peas, broccoli, sweet peas, bean sprouts, baby corn and/or celery for variety. Add in some cubed tofu for added protein. Top with white and/or black sesame seeds for a little extra nutrition.

So easy to make...cook your quinoa, stir fry your vegetables, add in quinoa, stir fry a little longer and done. I guarantee you will love this as much as I do! I can easily eat this to myself given the opportunity.♥

Vegetable 'Fried' Quinoa

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 corn off the cob
1 8 oz. package mushrooms, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 scallions, thinly sliced (green and white parts)
1 small zucchini, diced
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced...red, orange or yellow
1/2 cup basil, chopped, optional
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons tamari, Bragg's Liquid Amino's or soy sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
Sriracha hot sauce, red pepper flakes or dash of cayenne pepper, to taste

Rinse your quinoa in a fine mesh sieve under cool running water. In medium sauce pan combine quinoa with 1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth, bring to a boil, simmer covered for 15 minutes. Once done remove cover and let set for another 15 minutes to soak up the excess water. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

In wok or large skillet, heat oil over medium high, add vegetables and stir fry for 1 minute or so. Add tamari, garlic powder and other seasonings to taste. Cook for another 3 - 4 minutes stirring occasionally, use a lid if needed to help soften the vegetables a bit. Add in quinoa, turn heat to high, cook another 3 - 5 minutes stirring constantly adding a drizzle of oil if mixture seems too dry.

Serve warm. Top with a little sriracha or tamari if you like.

Notes:

I added a few drops of sriracha while adding the garlic powder and tamari, a little goes a long way. This dish doesn't need a lot of seasoning, I felt that the tamari alone would've been enough.

Feel free to use any assortment of vegetables, and be sure to use as much or as little as you like of each vegetable. Try snow peas, broccoli, sweet peas, bean sprouts and/or celery for variety. I always feel you can almost never have too many vegetables!

Use thawed frozen vegetables of choice for convenience.

Add some extra firm cubed tofu in with the vegetables for added protein.

Enjoy !

avocado

Farmer's Market Salad w/ Marina'raw' Sauce

8:34 PM

Naraya Cooking Health Recipe

QUINOA CHILI VERDE

Quinoa & White Bean Veggie Burger

Cowboy Caviar Quinoa Salad

Street Tacos + Spanish Fried Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

Raw Veggie Chili with Taco Nut Meat

Spicy Thai Curry Corn Soup

Enchiladas Verde w/ Cashew Crema

Texas Three Bean Chili & Sweet Chia Cornbread

Vegetable 'Fried' Quinoa

Farmer's Market Salad w/ Marina'raw' Sauce

Popular Posts

Blog Archive

Labels

Like us on Facebook

About Me

Flickr Images