1 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
vegetable broth
creole or Cajun seasoning, optional

1 can of beans (black or kidney beans work well)
1 cucumber
1/4 chopped cilantro, sometimes more
1/2 bunch green onions
3-4 Roma tomatoes
jalapeno, optional

3-4 T lime juice
chili powder
ground cumin
garlic
salt and pepper
vinegar
chipotle powder, optional

1. Toast quinoa seeds over medium heat for a few minutes. The quinoa is ready after it starts popping and looks lightly toasted. Stir continuously, so it doesn’t burn. Rinse VERY well. Quinoa can be bitter if it is not rinsed well enough.

2. Cook the quinoa according to package directions. I use a rice cooker for this and use 1 1/2 c dry quinoa with 2 cups of water or vegetable broth. Usually I add some creole or cajun seasoning to the liquid as well.

3. When the quinoa is done, transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add in:

- beans, rinsed and drained
- chopped cucumbers (I leave the peeling on.)
- minced cilantro
- chopped green onions (I cut the whole bunch at once with some scissors.)
- chopped jalapeno, if using

4.  Toss well to mix everything.  Add in the seasonings:

- lime juice
- cumin
- a light amount of garlic
- chili powder
- a drizzle of vinegar (I use rice vinegar)
- chipotle powder, if using

5. Toss well. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. Lastly, gently stir in the chopped tomatoes.

6. Chill and serve.

Note: This is also good with couscous or rice, so if you don’t have quinoa, try it with one of those instead. When I take this to potlucks, I leave out the chipotle and jalapeno so they won’t be too spicy. This recipe fills my 2-quart casserole dish and probably serves 8-10 people.

Lychee Dressing

1 20-ounce can of lychees, drained  (reserve the liquid)
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 to 1/2 cup cashews or pine nuts
1/4 cup lychee juice (or the liquid reserved from your can)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt – optional
1 tsp finely minced ginger
1/2 cup tofu (I used the Firm water packed type)

Blend all ingredients until smooth.  If the dressing is too thin, add a few more nuts. If it’s too thick, add some additional lychee juice.

This was great on a bed of romaine topped with garbanzo beans, sunflower seeds, orange slices and craisins.  The Little One preferred to use it as a fruit dip for her banana which was a great combination also. I think I would thicken the dressing a bit more if it had been intended to be a fruit dip – which it certainly will when we get some more lychees!

This makes a great dip for carrots, celery, cucumber sticks, pita wedges or tortilla chips. It’s also great spread on a pita or other sandwich. One of my favorites is toasted whole wheat bread spread with hummus and topped with cucumbers, tomatoes and some sprouts or a thin slice of avocado.  Here’s my basic hummus recipe, but the ingredients are very flexible, so try whatever variations sound good.

Basic Reduced Fat Hummus

15 ounce can of garbanzo beans
OR 280 grams of garbanzo beans cooked from dried beans
2 T tahini
4 T lemon juice
1 T minced garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 to 1/4 tsp salt, optional
1/4 tsp pepper

Blend all ingredients until smooth. This should keep well in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days, but ours doesn’t usually last that long.

Z’s Almond Milk

1/2 c raw or blanched almonds
2-3 brazil nuts or a small handful of pine nuts
1-2 medjool dates, depending on how sweet you like it
a few drops of vanilla extract (optional)
dash of salt

* Soak all ingredients for at least 2 hours. I usually leave them soaking for 8 hours or even overnight in the fridge.

* Put everything in the blender container (including the soak water) and add water up to the 1 liter mark.

* Start blender on low, quickly ramp up speed and switch to high. Run on high for 60-90 seconds.

* (optional) Pour through a strainer and it’s done. I set out a large bowl and place a metal colander type of strainer over it. Line the metal strainer with the muslin and pour milk through it. Gather up the sides and squeeze any remaining liquid through the strainer. What’s left will be almost a play dough consistency of almond bits. This can be composted or added to muffins or smoothies.

This recipe makes slightly over a quart and is good for 4-5 days when kept in the fridge.

Almond note: If you use blanched almonds, you’ll get a whiter milk since they don’t have the skins. Another option, although time consuming, is to squeeze the almond slightly, in order to slide off the skin. I did this once in an attempt to see if it made a difference in flavor or color. The flavor was almost the same and the color was lighter than my usual creation.

Strainer notes: My first strainer was a cotton/muslin blend that came in as a tofu making kit. I used it for years until it started to develop holes. Now I am using some muslin bought from the fabric store. If you choose this method and find that your fabric store has different thread-counts of muslin available, you’ll probably want the lower thread count. We use about an 18″ square size. Another option is to purchase a nut milk bag. I have one, but prefer the end result of the muslin.

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Rice Cooker Pasta

2 cups whole grain pasta
2 cups water
1 cup sauce

Add ingredients to the rice cooker. If desired, add some seasonings or a 1/2 cup of veggies.

Start the rice cooker on the regular setting.  Check before it turns off as it may be finished a little early.

If needed, the sauce can be thickened with flour or a sprinkling of mochiko.

NOTE: I usually use rotini or penne pasta, but other types should work as well.  For the sauce, try one of the following ideas or make up your own.

* White Mushroom Sauce – Use some ranch of Caesar dressing (I use a homemade Vegan Caesar), some sweet and sour sauce, garlic, water and a 4 ounce can of mushrooms, pureed.

* Simple Red – Just use a cup of spaghetti sauce. If desired, add some mushrooms, diced onions and/or bell pepper.

* Pizza Pasta – Use a scant cup of pizza sauce mixed with some of your favorite pizza toppings.