zucchini pasta with gina's hemp-esan

feeling much better today, i made a yummy pasta dish for an early dinner.

zucchini pasta tossed with garlic and olive oil is always so tasty and easy to make. it seems to be my go-to meal when i don't have much fresh produce on hand.

i enjoy the simplicity of the ingredients, but the addition of gina's hemp-esan and a drizzle of lemon juice brings the flavors to a whole new level!

to make this delicious and nutritious dish, you will need a spiral slicer, which can be purchased online for around 25 dollars.

simply spiralize one zucchini, then add veggies of choice, chopped garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and you've got an amazing meal in minutes!

for gina's hemp-esan, just process 3 tablespoons hemp seeds with 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast and a pinch of salt if you'd like. how easy is that?!

to those who don't care for zucchini pasta, i highly recommend trying it with gina's hemp-asan. i have to admit, i was getting a bit sick of zucchini pasta, but now i can't wait to make it again!=)

sprouts a-mung us

*how to sprout your own mung beans*

you will need:
1/2- 2/3 C. mung beans
cheese cloth, nylon, or tulle
large open-mouthed jar
a rubber band

rinse and soak mung beans in cool water for at least 12 hours.


pour beans in jar and cover with cheese cloth (or a piece of unused nylon or tulle) and a rubber band.


drain, rinse, repeat.


place your jar upside down in a cool (70° -ish) low-lit area.
rinse and drain your beans every 8-12 hours.


they should begin to sprout in about 2 days. the sproutage you see pictured is after 4 days.

store sprouts in fridge.
add to salads, soups, sandwiches, or veggie rolls.
(click here for more ideas)

***

here's a yummy creation i came up with myself =)


so easy to make!
simply combine 1 C. each chickpeas, black beans, and mung sprouts with fresh mint, cilantro, olive oil, and sea salt.


serve warm, chilled, or over some grains, like red quinoa.

♫ beans, beans, they're good for your heart...♫

=)

c.a.t.e. pasta

c.hickpeas
a.sparagus
t.omatoes
e.ggplant

over brown rice spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, and basil.
yummmyy.
=)

beans, beans

if you eat a lot of beans like i do, it makes much more sense to prepare them yourself, rather than buying them in cans. it's better for your health, the earth, and your pocket.

1. buy dry beans in bulk. if you have access to whole foods, buy them from the bulk bins at around a dollar a pound. if not, buy the dry beans in bags or see if you can order some organic beans online.


2. rinse and soak beans in water overnight in fridge (1 to 3 ratio).

3. cook beans on stove in large pot or a pressure cooker, if you have one. add a few tbsp oil and seasonings if you'd like (but don't add salt until they are cooked). if using a pot, cover beans with water by two inches, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. you can find bean cooking times here (but be sure to check the beans often to see if they are done to your liking).

4. pour cooked beans in colander and rinse (you can save the bean juice to use as soup stock).

chickpeas

5. allow beans to drain completely and cool, then pour on baking sheet or casserole dish and place in freezer. occasionally break beans apart with spoon or spatula.

6. store beans in plastic storage bag in freezer. grab any amount you need whenever you want! simply defrost them in warm water or over low heat on the stove.

black (turtle) beans

i paid $2.06 for 3 cups of these dry organic black beans. i ended up with about 12 cups cooked beans! to get 12 cups organic beans from cans, you'd have to buy at least 6 cans, at around $2.00 a can. i saved at least 10 buckaroos! it pays to be cheap! =)

Mediterranean Chickpea Quinoa

1 C quinoa, rinsed
2 C vegetable broth or water
1 C chick peas
1/2 C chopped kalamata olives (make sure you remove any pits!)
1 diced carrot (about 1/2 C)
1 chopped scallion
cilantro

sauce:
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 T water
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T ground cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
few pinches salt
cayenne pepper to taste (if you like it spicy)

rinse quinoa. in a large pan or pot, toast quinoa a few minutes.


add vegetable broth or water. bring to boil, cover tightly, and simmer for 15 mintues.

in a bowl, combine chick peas, olives, carrot, and cilantro. in another bowl, whisk sauce ingredients.

allow quinoa to cool slightly before combining all ingredients.

protein-packed pasta

i posted this to inspire you to use up those leftovers and get creative in the kitchen! out with traditional meals and in with cooking out of the box!

this is made with the extra chick peas and sauce from our thai chick-un pizza. just added peas and mushrooms and topped with the same greens. it's a great feeling to create your own meal with that leftover food in the fridge instead of throwing it out!

what are some creative ways you've used leftovers?

extra crispy thai chick-un pizza

found this recipe in the wonderful cookbook eat, drink, and be vegan.

the sauce is a perfect mixture of peanut butter, ketchup, organic tamari, fresh garlic, ginger, and coconut milk topped with chick peas, pineapple, green onions, and cilantro.

left off the red bell pepper and the mung sprouts called for in the original recipe (not needed when you're cooking on a budget, IMO).

thin crust pizza dough recipe here.

delicious! my belly's growling for more as i write this!

asparagus quinoa

this is one of my favorites!

(recipe from an article on Susan Voison, the creator of fatfreevegan.com)

Asparagus Quinoa
makes 6 servings

1 C quinoa - RINSED
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 C. veggie broth
4 sundried tomatoes
1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp smoked paprika (McCormick makes it and they sell it at Wegman's. It has a great flavor!)
2 C. sliced portobello mushrooms
1 bunch asparagus, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 can chickpeas, drained
2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp red bell pepper, chopped (optional)

Rinse quinoa using a fine mesh strainer. Toast quinoa in saucepan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add remaining ingredients except asparagus, chick peas, lemon juice, and red pepper. Bring to boil, cover, and reduce heat. Cook 10 minutes. Add chick peas and asparagus. Cover and cook 8 more minutes. Stir in lemon juice and red pepper.