Curried Rice Salad With Orange Dressing (Dairy, Gluten and Oil Free)

It has been way to long since my last post and here I am not even giving you an original recipe.  This delicious salad is from The Garden Grazer where you will find some great real food recipes.  I made only a few alterations more because this is what was on hand. I love the pairing of curry and oranges.  Our family has really been enjoying orange season right now so this salad was a hit.

Salad Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice 
• 1/2 cup raisins or currants 
• 1/3 cup chopped almonds
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet snap peas
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• Avocado for on top (optional)

Dressing Ingredients

• Juice from 1 orange 
• 1 tablespoons curry powder 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• pinch of sea salt

Directions

1. Cook rice according to the directions on the package.
2. In a large bowl combine all salad ingredients, adding rice when cooked.
3. In a small dish add all dressing ingredients and stir until fully combined.
4. Pour dressing over salad and stir to fully combine.
5. Serve warm or cold.  It does taste better to have it sit for about an hour in order to allow the flavours to combine. 

Quinoa Vegan Patties (Dairy, Gluten and Egg Free)

Looking for a tasty vegan "Burger" recipe?  This one is our favourite.  It is easy, allergy friendly and delicious. We have made them several times and they hold together so well. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

 Ingredients (makes 6-8 patties)

• 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa (cooked with 1 + 1/3 cup of water)
• 1 cup of pecans or 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup hemp hearts (or other seeds/nuts)
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons parsely
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 flax eggs (1 1/2 tablespoons flax set with 6 tablespoons water for 2 minutes)
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce 
• 1/2 finely diced onion 
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• Pepper to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons water if needed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 F
2. Cook quinoa.
3. Add nuts or seeds to a food processor and grind to very small pieces.  
4. Place all ingredients into a large bowl.  
5. Wet hands slightly and form into patties.
6. Bake for 20 minutes flipping once in between.

Lentil, Barley and Date Salad

Looking for a hearty salad or side side dish?  This salad is very filling and versatile.  It can be served warm or cold. 

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup French green lentils
• 3/4 cup pearl barley rinsed
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 diced green onions or chives
• 1/2 cup chopped dates
• 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds*
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

* I like "candying" the pumpkin seeds by heating them up a frying pan with 2 teaspoons of maple syrup for 2 minutes.

Directions

1. Fill a medium pot with 6 cups of water and add lentils, barley and a bay leaf.  Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until both are tender. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Remove bay leaf.
2. In a medium bowl stir in remaining ingredients and stir to combine.  Add cooked lentils and barley and stir again to fully mix.  Serve warm or cold

Stewed Pinto Beans (Gluten and Dairy Free)

Perhaps this is more of a winter meal but today is a rainy day and I felt like something hearty and warm.  This is a simple easy recipe and can feed many.  I soaked my pinto beans from dry beans but you can use canned ones as well.  Depending on how much of a "sauce" you want with your beans you can always adjust the amount of water.  I made this in a crock pot but it can also be done on the stove or in the oven.

Ingredients

• 6 cups cooked pinto beans (3 cans of pinto beans)
• 2 cups pureed tomato
• 1 cup water (adjust depending on desired amout of sauce)
• 2 diced carrots cooked until soft
• 1 diced onion
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle or to taste
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a frying pan heat and add diced onion.  Cook onion until very soft about 5-10 minutes.  Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes.
2. Add diced carrot into a pan with water and cook until soft.
3. Puree the carrots with the water.
4. Add all ingredients into a crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
5. Remove bay leafs.  Serve over brown rice if desired.

Pineapple Quinoa Salad with Roasted Cashews (Dairy, Gluten and Sugar Free)

Summer season is finally approaching and with warmer weather comes a desire for more salads.  This quinoa salad makes a great meal on its own or can be used as a side dish.  It is very hearty with the addition of the cashews and pumpkin seeds.  We love the combination of the pineapple and cilantro where sweet and fresh meet.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup quinoa (soak for 1-2 minutes, then rinse to remove the bitter saponin coating)
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup shredded red pepper
• 1 cup chopped pineapple (fresh or from frozen)
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1/3 cup raw cashews
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup shreded unsweetened coconut

Dressing

• 1 lemon juiced (1/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• sea salt to taste

Directions

1. Add quinoa and water to a pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let it cook for 10-15 minutes until tender.
2. Heat a frying pan and add cashews, pumpkin seeds and coconut. At a low medium heat, stir frequently and let roast 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
3. To create the dressing, in a small dish add lemon juice, olive oil, ginger and sea salt and wisk.
4. In a medium size bowl combine red pepper, pineapple, cilantro and chives/green onions. 
5. Add dressing to the bowl and stir to combine.
6. Add cooked quinoa to medium bowl and stir to fully coat.
7. Serve warm or cold.  It tastes great either way.