Tag Archives: recipe

Recipe: Spicy Black Bean Dip

This recipe is inspired by a great dip that Chef Melissa Saunders has made a few times. Her version changed my mind about black bean dip, as I’m not the biggest fan of black bean dip. Her dip was so tasty that I became open to making black bean dip myself sometime. I used this dip for raw veggies and even more fun, a black bean and cheese quesadilla made with corn tortillas.

2 cups or 1 can of black beans

1 clove of garlic, slivered

1/2 jalapeno pepper minced (remove seeds if you prefer a milder dip)

Juice of 1-2 limes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, pulse black beans, garlic, olive oil, lime juice, and jalapeno on high until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add cilantro and pulse again until well blended. Enjoy with fresh veggies, chips or in a quesadilla.

 

Recipe: Quinoa Waffles

This recipe came to my attention from a client in April and I finally tried it this past weekend. The recipe originates from the chef at Dish cooking studio. I was reluctant to try it at first, because I do not enjoy the taste of quinoa flakes. However, this is a great gluten free recipe if you stick with the quinoa flakes or use gluten free oats (my preference). These waffles were great the next day, toasted and topped with Nutella and fruit. I would not recommend them hot off the waffle iron, as they were a bit too soft.

Quinoa Waffles (Serves 2)

¼ cup quinoa flour
¼ cup quinoa flakes or 2 tbsp quick oats + 2tbsp millet flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ Tbsp brown sugar or honey
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp coconut oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 very ripe banana, mashed
¼ cup non dairy milk such as Coconut Dream, almond, soy or oat milk

In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients except for the brown sugar and mix well. In another bowl, beat together eggs, mashed banana, coconut oil, milk and brown sugar or honey. Add wet ingredients to dry and lightly mix together. Be sure not to overmix to ensure a tender waffle.

Have waffle iron heated to desired setting. Pour batter into prepared hot iron, cook to desired doneness and remove from iron. Cool and store in an airtight container. Serve toasted with Nutella and fruit.

Recipe: Quinoa with sesame, grapefruit and mint

This a light refreshing summer dish that I have adapted over the years from the Silver Palate Cookbook. It’s great as a side dish for a barbecue or on it’s own for lunch at a picnic. If you don’t like grapefruit, orange works equally well. The original recipe called for canned mandarin orange segments, which is even more convenient if need be. However, I find there is more zest and nutrition with fresh orange or grapefruit.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented into small pieces

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup mint, finely chopped

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 cup walnuts, pine nuts or sunflower seeds

Cook quinoa in 2 cups of water, add salt to taste at the end of cooking and allow to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, mix together quinoa, sesame oil and green onions. Add grapefruit (be sure to add any grapefruit juice that remains on the cutting board for extra flavour) and nuts, mix gently. Serve at room temperature.