Tasty Tidbits

Home again, home again...though we got home mid-week last week, this was the first full week back to the normal routines. Last weekend, I traveled to western PA to visit Jen & go to my cousin's fiance's bridal shower. The time flew by & next thing I knew it was Monday again.

Jen made us some very yummy "spa water" with cucumber, lemon, & mint. It was super refreshing!

It's strawberry time at last! Our first picking (on Monday) yielded 3.5 quarts & we've been getting almost that much each day since! We're having no trouble keeping up with eating them. I've been waiting for this ever since last year.

Here's what we've been eating in the last week:

Breakfasts

• Pineapple yogurt with Pinepple Coconut Granola
• Puffed rice & puffed millet cereal with strawberries, bananas & almond milk
• Ashley's Strawberry Rhubarb Buttermilk Upside Down Cake - Ok, technically this is not a breakfast food...but we decided it should be! :-)

  

Lunches

• Sandwiches
• Leftovers
• Easy Three Bean Salad
• Hummus with rice crackers, carrots & celery
• Watermelon & apples 

Dinners

Saturday:
Out for Mexican with Jen

• Spinach quesadilla
• Steamed veggies
• Mexican rice

Sunday:

• Leftovers - brown rice, steamed broccoli, & baked sweet potato bowl

Monday:

• Black bean quinoa burgers on homemade buns
• Mango & avocado salsa
• Grilled asparagus, mushrooms, & onion
• Green salad

Tuesday:

• Veggie stir-fry (broccoli, asparagus, onions, & mushrooms)
• Brown rice
• Green salad

Wednesday:

• Grilled portabella caps
• Grilled zucchini & onions
• Grilled sweet potato
• Green salad

Thursday:

• Whole wheat rigatoni with tomato sauce
• Green salad

Friday:

• Adrianna's Spicy Black Bean Cakes
• Mango guacamole
• Green salad

Treats

• Fresh strawberries with Angela's Coconut Whipped Cream
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp topped with banana soft serve
• Katie's Chocolate Strawberry Truffle Pie - sooooooooo good!
• V.K Rees Photography's Vegan Cookie Dough Bites - I made these to freeze for future banana soft serve "blizzards," but we had to have several samples! They're made from chickpeas, but before you cringe, you totally can't tell. Try them!

Easy Three Bean Salad

 

Here's a perfect kick-off to summer recipe for you! It's healthy, filling, & delicious.

 For those of you with plenty of potluck picnics to attend, this is just the thing to bring. It can be eaten cold or at room temperature. No mayo or eggs to worry about spoiling in the heat.

It's also very easy to make & suits many allergies/dietary restrictions. It's vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, & dairy-free! What more could you want from a simple side dish? You can even make it a quick weeknight dinner by pairing it with a green salad and some hearty bread.

My mom made a lot of bean salad when I was growing up. She's the one who gave me this recipe, but I made a few tweaks. The main change was to take out the green beans. They aren't my favorite veggie, so while I do enjoy green beans in some ways (like grilled!), I don't like them in bean salad. However, if you are a green bean lover, feel free to add in about 1 cup of lightly steamed 1 inch pieces.



Easy Three Bean Salad
Serves 8-10

1.5 c cooked kidney beans (or 1 15 oz. can, rinsed & drained)
1.5 c cooked chickpeas (or 1 15 oz. can, rinsed & drained)
1.5 c frozen lima beans, thawed
1/2 of a yellow or white onion, minced finely
1/2 of a green bell pepper, diced finely
1/3 c sucanat or coconut sugar (or substitute with brown sugar)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 c apple cider vinegar

Mix together all three kinds of beans, onion, bell pepper, sucanat, salt, & pepper. Pour apple cider vinegar over mixture & stir until coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving to allow flavors to meld. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Note: This salad lasts quite awhile when covered & stored in the refrigerator. I like to make a batch to go with lunches & it's perfect for 2 people for at least a week.

Tasty Tidbits - Northwest Edition!

We spent the last week walking & eating our way around the northwest! It was a wonderful trip, full of flavor, family, & fun. We flew into Seattle on Tuesday, then on Thursday we headed down to Portland to stay with my aunt. The weather was pretty good - rainy, but also some days with lots of sun. The visability was poor, so we didn't see the big mountains on the horizon, but we were able to spend some time at the coast and in the Columbia Gorge.

I'm so impressed with the environmental awareness in both Seattle & Portland. There were signs on trees & ordinances that prevent them from being cut down. Stores were promoting the use of re-usable bags, to the point that the Seattle city has laws against handing out plastic bags. It really seems like people are aware of what we're doing to our earth. Plus, healthy eating options are everywhere! We took advantage of many vegan restaurants, as well as the veg options at other places. It was so exciting to have an entire menu to choose from, instead of 1 or 2 items on a menu.

Tuesday:

Dinner at the top of the Space Needle!

• Mixed Baby Greens salad with rogue creamery blue, huckleberry vinaigrette, gala apple, salted caramel pecans
• Mushroom Bisque
• Seasonal Vegetable Gateau (saint andre, herbed bechemel, root vegetable dust) with roasted sunchokes

Wednesday:

Breakfast at Portage Bay Cafe

• Vegan Maple Cornmeal pancakes topped with fresh berries
• Classic Portage Bay pancakes topped with fresh berries & peaches

Dinner at Brouwers

• Pommes frites with curry ketchup
• Beet and Endive Salad - Boiled red beets, Belgian endive, toasted pecans, California chèvre over a bed of mixed baby greens with balsamic vinaigrette
• Brouwer’s Salad - Baby spinach & red onions tossed with our dijon-sherry vinaigrette. Topped with toasted hazelnuts and gorgonzola.
• Falafel fries

Dessert at Old School Frozen Custard

Thursday:

Breakfast at Mighty-O Donuts (vegan donuts!!)

• Chocolate peanut butter
• Cuckoo for Coconut
• Long john
• Apple fritter

Beer sampler at Deschutes Brewery & fresh juice from Portland Juice Press

Rolls from Flying Apron (vegan & gluten free!!)

Lunch at Prasad Cuisine (vegan!)

• Dragon bowl - quinoa, beans, sea vegetables, avocado, steamed greens,
  sesame seeds, scallions & red cabbage with peanut sauce

Dinner at Aunt Beth's

• Polenta with roasted asparagus
• Green salad

Friday:

Lunch at Tillamook

• Ice cream: Fireside S'mores, Tillamook Mudslide, & Strawberry Cheesecake

Dinner at Aunt Beth's

• Mushroom spelt risotto
• Green salad

Saturday:

Hiking followed by beer & snacks at Hopworks

• Roasted red pepper hummus with pita & fresh veggies

Dinner at Bye and Bye Vegan Bar (a vegan bar!!! eek!)

• Veggie Bowl - brown rice, black beans, cubed tempeh with nutritional yeast, broccoli, peanut sauce
• BBQ Platter - beans, sauteed collard greens, bbq tofu cubes, grilled baguette
• Tortilla chips with salsa

Dessert at Salt & Straw (handmade, farm-to-cone)

• Rhubarb Crumble with Toasted Anise
• Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache
• Chocolate with Gooey Brownies

Sunday:

Lunch at Canteen (vegan!)

• Verde juice (kale, parsley, celery, cucumber, lime)
• Portland Bowl - quinoa, black beans, baked maple tempeh, NW sauce, kale, carrots, chopped Oregon hazelnuts
• Super Veggie juice (kale, celery, cucumber, carrot, beet, garlic)
• Bangkok Bowl - avocado curry & red curry peanut sauce, long brown rice, aduki beans, broccoli, red cabbage, kimchi, black sesame seeds 

Dinner at Aunt Beth's

• Whole wheat penne with roasted butternut squash, chard, & mushrooms
• Green salad

Monday:

Late lunch at Fish Tale Brew Pub

• Vegan Wrap - Hummus, grilled onions & mushrooms, tomato, avocado, shredded carrots & spinach in a spinach-herb tortilla
• Portabella Burger - Marinated Portabella cap, zucchini & yellow squash w/chopped organic basil, goat cheese & mixed organic greens on a fresh herb bun