Poppy Seed Fruit Salad

I've really been hitting up those summer foods. Sandwiches, cole slaw, cool pickled veggies, and now fruit salad. Because really, I love fruit salad. I actually prefer it to other desserts that one might bring to a BBQ or potluck. Cold fruit just tastes better when you're hanging out outside!

That's right. I'm gonna eat this salad. 'Eff you urine test!

There's a lot of recipes out there that call for a creamy dressing made of mayo. Which aside from being not vegan, also makes it more fattening (completely negating the fact that you're eating fruit), and makes it more perishable. Not a good idea when you're going to be bringing a dish somewhere where it will be out in the heat. This fruit salad is unique because it's a perfect blend of ripe, tropical fruit and the summer berries that are at their peak now. Nothing boring in this salad! It also has a "dressing" made of pureed honeydew, which lightens the overall salad and gives it plenty of flavor. Oh, and it's got poppy seeds in it, which I'm a huge fan of, and can eat all the time now because I don't have to worry about losing my job. Lol.

Anywho, this recipe is based on one found on the Whole Foods website, only it's been changed to make it taste better and be more convenient. Don't get me wrong, I love papaya (which is what the original called for), but most of the time in stores they aren't ripe at all. And they're huge! Substituting mango with papaya still gives it plenty of tropical flavor, but they're easier to tell when they're ripe and you aren't left with a bunch of fruit. I also left out the cantaloupe. Cause that stuff is gross. Lol.

Oh, and just a piece of advice. Taste the fruit as you go. Nothing ruins a fruit salad quicker than fruit that's not at it's prime. Oh, and wash that fruit! Just make sure to drain off any excess water before you add the "dressing".

Poppyseed Fruit Salad:
2 c. sliced strawberries
2 c. honeydew melon, cubed, divided
1 c. fresh blueberries
1 c. chopped mango
1 banana, ripe but not overripe (it needs to be somewhat firm), chopped
2 kiwis, peeled and chopped
2 Tb. fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice
1 Tb. liquid sweetener
1 Tb. poppy seeds
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of ginger

1. In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, 1 cup of the honeydew, blueberries, mango, banana, and kiwi. Set aside.

2. In a blender, combine the remaining one cup of honeydew, lemon/lime juice, liquid sweetener, poppy seeds, cinnamon and ginger. Blend thoroughly.

3. Toss the dressing with the fruit, coating all of it. Cover, and let chill for a couple of hours before serving.

I didn't really do the math or anything, but it's about 150 calories a serving, and this recipe makes about six good-sized servings.

Maybe one of these days I'll veganize the fruit salad I grew up eating (swapping out mayo for Veganaise, marshmallows for Dandie's, etc.), but for now, I just really enjoy eating this one in all it's fruity fresh glory!

Pasta with White Beans, Spinach, and Lemon (Gluten-Free!)

Lately I've been looking to the pasta world for some quick and easy one-dish meals. I've also had a mighty craving for cooked greens (especially chard and spinach). As I was looking across some old magazines, I came across the white bean-greens-tomato combo, and in an instant I knew I had to make something to that effect. As I scanned the kitchen for the main component of the dish, I rediscovered the last little bit of gluten-free pasta I had. Suddenly, my gluten-free pasta with white beans, spinach, and tomatoes (with lemon!) was born!

Give me a few days and I'll figure out how to get rid of that date!

Taking a moment to talk pasta here, I used to eat a ton of the stuff back in the day when I was a chubby kid. As I became more aware of how important good food is to a sound body, I gave up refined flours and along with it, pasta. I've tried whole wheat pastas in the past but I didn't care too much for their texture. Also, after not eating it for so long, it really wasn't a go-to ingredient any more. Enter quinoa pasta.

I love quinoa. In my kitchen right now, I have at least a couple quinoa products. Awhile back, my grocery store had some quinoa pasta on sale. I wasn't even thinking about it's gluten-free-ness, I just knew that it was quinoa and I'd like to try it out. It was great! It had a much better texture than whole wheat pasta, and it reminded me a lot of the pasta I had grown up on! It wasn't too heavy, it didn't have a weird texture or flavor, and best of all, its only ingredients were non-GMO organic corn flour and organic quinoa flour (at least with the Ancient Harvest brand). If you have only tried cooked quinoa and didn't care too much for its flavor, I still recommend this pasta. It has a much milder flavor when it is made into pasta (since quinoa can taste a little distinctive!). The only brand I've tried is Ancient Harvest, but I love all their varieties. I haven't bought pasta with gluten in it for a long time.

Photo from Ancient Harvest.

So, anywho. Before work today, I made my pasta dish, and I was surprised at how quickly it came together! It was literally ready to go in about 30 minutes, which is great because I know the majority of us are in a time-crunch. It's also low in fat, high in nutrients, and packs around 18 grams of protein per serving! This is definitely one of those proud moments in my vegan kitchen!

And did I mention it tastes awesome?? The sun-dried tomatoes add a bit of tang to the pasta, while the lemon juice and zest brighten the flavors of the beans and spinach. A garnish of toasted walnuts brings both satisfying crunch and heart healthy fats to the table. This recipe is going in my recipe rotation for sure! It will make two main-dish servings or four side-dish servings. I used roasted garlic because of the flavor it imparts and because I had a bulb ready-to-go in my fridge, but if you don't have the time (or desire, lol) to roast any garlic, feel free to use regular garlic.

Gluten-Free Pasta with White Beans, Spinach, and Lemon:

4 oz. gluten-free quinoa pasta (half a package)
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 a bulb of roasted garlic (or 3-4 cloves, minced)
12 sun-dried tomato halves, packed without oil, and finely chopped
1 (15-oz) can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 a (5 oz.) bag of baby spinach (about 3 cups)
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 Tb. grated lemon rind
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
3 Tb. chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Drizzle cooked pasta with the olive oil and toss to coat. Set aside.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and spray with some nonstick. Add pasta mixture, roasted garlic, tomatoes, and beans; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Stir in baby spinach, basil, lemon zest, juice, and salt. Cook another minute or until the spinach has wilted.

4. Serve each portion with a sprinkling of toasted walnuts, if desired! 

When served as a main dish (without walnuts), this dish has 423 calories, 4.3 grams of fat, 21.4 grams of fiber (!), 18.1 grams of protein, 72.7% of your daily Vitamin A, 28.1% of your daily Vitamin C, 15.7% of your daily Calcium, and 50.8% of your daily Iron. Adding 1 Tb. of chopped walnuts will add an additional 50 cals, 5 g. fat, and 2 g. protein.

I would definitely give this quick and easy dish a go!

Fruit Juicing for the Spirit

I mentioned previously that I've been doing a lot of juicing (thanks to my new juicer, yay!). Up until now, all the juice I've been making has been vegetable-based. I've been really concerned about the sugar in fruit juices, even though they're homemade and contain no added sugar. I read a lot about how juices supposedly don't affect your blood sugar, especially if you're following a raw vegan diet (not that I'm raw), but I'm still a little nervous about juicing.

But, like any chick with a new juicer, I was bound to make some fruit juice sooner or later. This was the first one I tried. I bought a bunch of black grapes because they were on sale super cheap and the organic apples were at a good prices (I always try to get organic apples, they're a member of the dirty dozen. I probably should've went with organic grapes too, but it's whatev. I rarely eat them). I've also been putting a lot of lemons in my juices, as they brighten and balance the flavors and are just damn tasty. This particular juice was refreshing and nicely sweet. My dad (who is a super picky guy) took a drink and exclaimed that it was "just like eating an apple!" And there was an exclamation to his statement.

This drink also passed the boyfriend test. He was surprised at how unlike store-bought juice this was. It's so much lighter. I love it! Also, all this juicing and smoothie making have given me an excuse to use my new glass straw. That alone makes juicing ten times more fun!

Red Grape and Apple Lemonade:
1 1/2 c. red or black grapes (seeded if they aren't seedless)
1 red apple, cored
1/2 a lemon, peeled

Prepare fruits to be juiced by scrubbing them and chopping them into smaller pieces. Don't juice any large grape stems as they will dull your blades. While juicing, alternate between the grapes and the apple slices, and finish off with the lemon. Give the drink a good swirl before drinking and enjoy!

Long-Forgotten Falafel

Yesterday I realized that I've never posted my recipe for falafel on here. It kind of blew my mind. I mean, here I have this awesome vegan recipe and I've never even bothered to mention it!

My old roommate turned me on to falafel. I don't think I would have tried it if it wasn't for her, just because it would be one of those recipes that I'd "get around to" eventually. Well, I'm glad she got me to make them because they're awesome. I've made this recipe dozens of times, it's one of my keepers, and better yet, I now pronounce the word "falafel" correctly!

The first time I made these, I didn't have a food processor. I hand-mashed the chickpeas in a large bowl with fork. I later put the recipe away for a time when I could get one. However, $3 and two garage sales later I had myself a fancy new food processor and the recipe was pulled back out with much fanfare (I put out a need in the universe... it's the thrift store mantra. Ask and ye shall receive!).

In my recipe, the falafel is baked instead of fried. I've never really ate fried food, it's not my thing. My mom never made it as a kid and we never went out to eat, so it wasn't really around. I'm not gonna lie either, I could fry stuff in those big restaurant fryers, but when it comes to frying at home I don't know what to and I don't care to learn, so that's that! These babies are baked!

This recipe makes about 24 falafels (is that right? With the "s" on there like that?) and I usually do three falafels per pita.

Falafel:
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 Tb. tahini
1 Tb. flax seed meal + 2 Tb. water
1 tsp. minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. parsley 1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tb. minced onion
1/4 c. fine (vegan) bread crumbs

Yogurt Sauce:
1 c. plain soy yogurt (or yogurt of choice)
1 Tb. lemon juice
1/2 Tb. cumin
1/4 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. grated lemon peel

Pita bread, warmed
Red onion slices
Tomato slices
Cucumber slices
Lettuce

1. Pulse chickpeas, tahini, lemon peel, cumin, garlic, lemon juice, coriander, chili powder, and salt in a food processor until mostly smooth, but still chunky.

2. Transfer chickpea mixture to a bowl and stir in bread crumbs, onion, and parsley.

3. Make small meatball-sized balls and placed on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Be sure to flip it over once while baking and flatten it down.

4. To make Yogurt Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl.

To serve: Fill warm pita halves with a few falafels (is that right? Falafels?). Then stuff the filled pita with lettuce, tomato slices, red onions slices, cucumber slices, and a couple tablespoons of yogurt sauce. Enjoy!

Variations:
1. To make this falafel gluten-free, simply sub 1/4 c. gluten-free breadcrumbs. Alternatively, you can toast about two slices of GF bread in the oven at 350 until browned and pulse into fine crumbs using the food processor (do this before you make the falafels). You may need to put them on a baking sheet back in the oven for a couple minutes to toast them a little more. You'll also need to sub out the pitas. I like to use romaine hearts and serve it in romaine "boats". You could also use GF pitas (there's a recipe here, but I have yet to try it).

2. To use fresh parsley in the falafel, simply sub the dried for one cup of fresh (stems removed). You'll need to give the food processor a few extra whirls to get it chopped and incorporated.