Quick Kale Couscous

Hey! Finally I've made it back on here. Its my first post of this year, yikes, how time flies!

So today's recipe is super simple, and who doesnt like a 15 minute recipe when you are crunched for time?! :-) I used wholewheat couscous and crisp baby kale - my latest delight - both of which can be cooked in a matter of minutes. It can be served as is or as part of a larger meal. 

Vegan. Serves two generous portions.

Ingredients:

1 cup wholewheat couscous

1 5 oz (142 gram) baby kale

1 handful dehydrated tomato slices

1/2 tsp asafoetida

1 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste

1 tsp multi-color pepper coarsely ground

1 1/2 TBSP sesame oil or oil of your choice

1 TBSP rosemary infused olive oil

1 3/4 cup water

Check couscous for any stones. Heat oil in saucepan on medium heat for a minute, add in asafoetida and fry for a few seconds. Add in the couscous, stirring until its lightly toasted to give it a nutty flavor. Add water, salt and pepper. Lower heat and cover with lid. 

When most of the water has boiled off, but the couscous is still wet, add in the kale and tomato's. Drizzle with a little rosemary infused olive oil and cover so kale wilts. After approx 5 minutes kale should be wilted and bright green, the tomato's softened and the couscous fluffy. 

Remove from heat. Remember it will continue to cook itself for abit after being removed from the heat, so you want the kale to be just wilted and bright green, rather than overcooked.

Optional extras: Add in extra goodies like cranberries, olives and toasted sunflower seeds with the kale.

Put the hot couscous into small bowls for 10 minutes to set into a rounded forms. Then up-end on a serving plate and garnish with yogurt or a sauce of your choice and a sprinkle of pepper. Voila, your simple quick lunch is ready! :-) 

Aromatic Sunflower and Basil Rice

Here's a tasty fancy rice I whipped up for lunch today. :-) Its tasty, vegan, and super quick to make - done within 1/2 an hour. 

Serves 4 as part of a larger meal. Bon Appetite! :-)

Ingredients:

1 cup quick-cooking scratched brown basmati rice (Trader Joe's)

21/2 cups water

1 tsp oil of choice

1 tsp sea salt

Combine the above, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook til soft and fluffy - approx 15-20 mins.

2 TBSP safflower oil or as you choose

1 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp paprika flakes

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 cup cherry tomato's

Heat a cast iron pan with the oil in it. When hot, drop in the spices and after a few seconds add the tomato's. Lower heat to medium low and lightly sautee tomato's stirring occasionally. When the skins have split and darkened a little remove from heat and add in the following:

1/4 cup fresh basil, washed and chopped roughly

3 TBSP green stuffed olives, rinse and cut in halves

1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds

1 tsp sea salt or to taste

Add in the rice to the sauteed tomato's and gently mix everything together. 

Offer with love. Best served hot.

Here's how I served my rice - from left to right; curried tahini veggies, avocado broccoli salad, sunflower basil rice, stewed cinnamon apples. :-)

  I also made spicy vegan bean quesadilla's served with a choice of humus dip or ketchup.

Curried Mung Bean Sprouts

I tried out something completely new today! Recently I have been venturing more into the world of raw and sprouted foods, inspired by some friends of mine who have "gone raw". I'm not quite that adventurous, but I do want to implement more raw foods into my diet. :-D 

Sprouting seeds and legumes greatly increases their nutritional content and digestibility, so sprouts are considered to be a super-food. And they are really simple to grow, so why miss out on such an inexpensive supplement to your diet?! :-)

Over the course of three days I sprouted mung beans, and then wondered - how can I use them - apart from in salad?! I don't particularly like the taste of raw mung sprouts myself, although they are so healthy, and I wondered how to make them more palatable.

I asked around, and a friend suggested lightly sauteing them with some seasoning. This idea worked out great for me because it changed the earthy raw taste to a surprisingly lovely nutty bean flavor. So here is the recipe which is the result of my experiment! :-)

This is how my fresh mung bean sprouts looked before I cooked them - I think they look abit like tadpoles with their funny tails!

Here is how my curried mung sprouts looked like when done:

I must say this dish is delicious, really quick to prepare and I will definitely be making it again! :-) Serves 4 as part of a larger meal.

Here is the meal I served along with the curried mung sprouts; roasted potato's on fresh rosemary skewers, home made hummus dip, curried sprouts, kiwi chocolate ice popsicle, raw zucchini veggie hummus wraps, lightly spiced wholewheat couscous. It was a super yummy lunch! :-)

Ingredients:

Approx 3 cups fresh mung bean sprouts

1 large organic tomato, washed and diced

1/2 TBSP coconut oil or ghee 

1 tsp curry powder (Frontier)

1/2 tsp smoked paprika (Trader Joes)

1/4 tsp asafoetida

1/2 tsp black pepper

Sea salt to taste

Juice of 1/2 a fresh lime

Add oil or ghee to a pan set over medium heat. When hot drop in the curry powder, asafoetida and paprika. Stir-fry for a few seconds. Add in tomato, sautee a few minutes and add in the sprouts. Sprinkle with black pepper and salt, stir to mix. Add 1 TBSP water. Lower heat, cover and cook for approx 10-15 mins. Remove from heat and add in the fresh lime juice. That's it - its so simple! :-) 

Offer with love. Great warm or cold, and can be added to sandwiches etc.

Tip: You can also add in other chopped veggies and fresh herbs like cilantro if you like.

Curried Green Beans

This is a super simple recipe and makes a nice side to a larger meal. The coconut oil gives a pleasant flavor and combines well with the curry spice. I like to serve green beans with mashed potato, veggie burgers and hot sauce, and salad - which is what I made for lunch today. :-)

Ingredients:
Approx 4 cups fresh green beans, washed, tailed and headed and snapped in 1/2's
1 TBSP coconut oil
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida (optional)
Approx 2 TBSP water
1/2 tsp sea salt

Heat a sautee pan, and add coconut oil. When hot sprinkle in the spices, and stir-fry for a few seconds.
Add the beans and stir- fry a few seconds. Add water, and cover.

Cook approx 10 min over medium low heat til al dente (= they still have some crunch and a nice green color).When done, sprinkle in salt, stir, and remove from heat.

Serve hot. :-) Bonne Appetite!