kidney bean and brown rice salad

prepared my lunch for tomorrow.  one word for you... delicious!

ingredients:
1/2 cup of uncooked brown rice
1/2 cup of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups of vege broth
1 tbs of olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 fresh lime, juiced
tbs plain vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper
2 green onions, finely sliced
a handful (or more) of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsb parsely, chopped

directions:
1) cook brown rice and kidney beans in vegetable stock.  let completely cool when finished
2)  in a separate bowl, whisk the olive oil, garlic, lime juice, red wine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.
3)  when rice is completely cooled add tomatoes, onions, and parsley.  toss in dressing (to your tasting)and serve chilled (i personally like it warm!).

** this recipe was adapted from the eat clean cook book**

note-  i personally set aside half of the rice and bean mixture to make a different meal later this week as well as some of the dressing to use for a salad dish later this week

penne pesto pasta with green beans and potatoes

ingredients:
2 cups of penne whole wheat pasta, cook as directed
french green beans, halved and steamed
1 potato, boil in water then cubed when fully cooked
red pepper, salt and pepper to taste
*toss all of these ingredients together and chill in fridge while preparing sauce.**

pesto sauce:
1-2cups of basil
3 large cloves garlic
6 tbsp raw pine nuts
3/4 – 1 tsp salt, or to taste
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
vegan parmesan cheese 1/4-1/2 cup

directions:
1)  blend all pesto sauce ingredients together.
2) mix sauce with potatoes, green beans and pasta.
3) enjoy!

cucumber chickpea quinoa salad

i just put this together for dinner using left over cucumber salad that i ate the night before. this is a great salad to eat that light, yet fullfilling and loaded with nutrients.

ingredients
1 cucumber sliced, cubed what ever you like.
1/2 cup of japanese rice vinegar
a handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced
1-2cups of cooked quinoa
1/2 cup of chickpeas, drained
salt, pepper and red pepper to taste
fresh parsley for garnish

directions:
1) marinate cucumber, tomatoes, onions, salt, pepper and red pepper in vinegar in a large bowl.  cover and chill for preferably and hour.
2) in another bowl mix chickpeas and quinoa together.  when cucumber mixture has fully marinated, drain vinegar and add the mixture to the quinoa and chickpeas.

grilled portobello mushroom salad

this is a basic and versatile grilled portobello mushroom recipe that can be tweaked for any meal.

ingredients:
1-2 portobello mushrooms
salad mix
ailoli sauce with chopped tomatoes
**see previous blog post for aioli sauce recipe**

marinade ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tbs olive oil
1 tbs garlic salt
1-2 tsp red pepper
3 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
** prepare marinade in a shallow bowl.**

directions:
1) clean mushroom caps and marinate portobello mushrooms for an hour. i like to place the mushroom cap face up and pour the marinade over it.  this way, the marinade soaks in the cap.
2) heat grill on medium heat.
3) when grill is hot, brush with olive oil and grill mushrooms for 5 minutes on each side.
4)  slice mushrooms and place over salad mix.  top with aioli sauce and chopped tomatoes.

green bean cherry tomato salad

 

i whipped this salad together to go with a spanish potato soup that my husband made for me.  this is a crispy refreshing dish that can be eaten alone or as a side dish.

ingredients

• 2 pounds thin green beans cut into 2-inch pieces (4 cups)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved (2 cups)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp parsley 

directions

In a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water, cook the green beans uncovered for 7 to 9 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse in cold water. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, lime juice and salt. Pour the dressing over the green beans and toss well. Fold in the tomatoes and chopped parsley, then add pepper to taste.
To make up to 2 days ahead, prepare and store separately in the refrigerator: green beans, dressing and tomatoes. Combine up to 3 hours before serving.

thai salad with peanut dressing

dressing

• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped green onion
• 1 tablespoon reduced-fat peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (Sriracha Rooster sauce)
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons dry roasted peanuts

to prepare dressing, combine the first 8 ingredients in a blender; cover and process until smooth. add peanuts; process 10 seconds.

salad

• 2 cups mixed baby greens
• 1/2 cup fresh bean sprout
• 2 tablespoons vertically sliced red onions
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves

to prepare salad, divide greens and remaining ingredients evenly between 2 serving plates. drizzle each salad with 1/4 cup dressing.

**note: recipe adapted from recipezaar.com**