Chocolate Fudgsicles (dairy-free)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup canned full fat coconut milk
• 2 small very ripe bananas
• dash of salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• sweetener of choice to taste (honey, agave, sugar)

Instructions:

Combine all ingredents in a blender. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze. Once frozen, run popsicle mold under room-temperature water for 15 seconds, then gently twist.

Makes 5-6 popsicles

Nutrients Per Popsicle:
Calories: 70
Protein: 1 g
Fat: 4 g
Carbohydrates: 9 g
Fiber: 1 g
sodium: 29 mg
Potassium: 198 mg
Phosphorus: 39 mg

Recipe Source: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/08/11/creamy-chocolate-fudgsicles/

Southwestern Black Bean, Quinoa, and Mango Medley

Ingredients:

• One 15-ounce can black beans, no salt added, rinsed and drained, or 1 3/4 cups cooked black beans
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh mango
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or 2 tsp dried)
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
• Juice from 1 medium lemon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp ground tumeric

Directions

1. Mix together the beans, quinoa, corn, bell peppers, mango, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno in a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and tumeric in a small bowl. Drizzle over the mixture and toss. Refrigerate until serving time.

Variations: substitute kidney or pinto beans for the black beans or use cooked barley, bulgur, rice, or farro instead of the quinoa

Makes 6 servings

Nutrients Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories: 164
Protein: 6 g
Fat: 4 g
Carbohydrates: 27 g
Fiber: 7 g
Sodium: 93 mg
Potassium: 383 mg
Phosphorus: 147 mg

Recipe Source: The Plant-Powered Diet by Sharon Palmer RD

Moroccan Chickpeas and Zucchini

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, sliced thinly
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 tap red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• generous pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 2 zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons
• 1 (24 ounce) can whole tomatoes
• 2 (16 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint, plus a little extra for garnish

Instructions

1. Prehead a 4-quart pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onions in the oil until translucent, about 4 minuts. Use a little nonstick cooking spray or broth if needed. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, and saute for another minute.

2. Add the remaining spices and salt, and saute for about 30 seconds.

3. Deglaze the pot with the veggie broth and mix in the carrots. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the zucchini. Break up the tomatoes with your fingers and add them to the pot, including the juice. Mix in the chickpeas.

4. Cover the pot and bring to a slow boil. Cook for about 15 minutes. Then adjust the lid so that there's some room for steam to escape. Cook for another 15 minutes; the liquid should reduce a bit, but not too much. Add the mint, if using, and let sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Remove the bay leaves and taste for salt.

Serves about 6

Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 230
Fat: 2.5 g
Protein: 10 g
Carbohydrates: 45 g
Fiber: 10 g
Sodium: 1010 mg

Recipe Source: Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Falafel

Ingredients:

•1 cup dry/uncooked chickpeas (or 2 & 1/4 cups cooked)
•3 large garlic cloves
•1/2 cup red onion, roughly chopped
•3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
•1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro
•1/4 cup packed fresh parsley
•1/4 cup ground flax
•1/4 cup breadcrumbs
•1/2 tsp ground cumin
•1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
•1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt, or to taste


Directions
1. If cooking chickpeas from scratch soak overnight (or for 8 hours) see instructions below. Alternatively, use 2 & 1/4 cup canned chickpeas.

1. Methods to prepare chickpeas: 1) Soak dry chickpeas overnight, or for at least 8 hours, in a large bowl filled with water. When ready, drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place in a medium-sized pot with 3 cups of fresh water. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Remove lid and add 1/8th tsp salt. Cover again and simmer on low-medium for about 50 minutes, watching carefully after about 35-40. When cooked, chickpeas will be tender and some may have split open. Drain and rinse.  2) Alternatively, you can use canned chickpeas or 3) the quick-soak method: Add 3 cups water and 1 cup dry chickpeas into a pot. Cover, bring to a boil, and immediately turn heat off. Keep covered and let sit for 1 hour. After 1 hour, drain and rinse chickpeas. Add into rinsed pot with 3 cups fresh water. Cook the same as method 1) above.


2. In a food processor, with the processor running, drop in 3 garlic cloves to mince. Now add most of the chickpeas (reserving about 1/4 cup to stir in later), and process a few seconds to chop. Now add the onion, lemon juice, and herbs. Process until just combined, being careful not to over-process. You want to leave texture. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

3. Scoop the mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the ground flax, breadcrumbs, cumin, reserved chickpeas, and salt and pepper to taste. Shape into patties, about 1/4 cup each and really pack the dough in tightly so it holds together.

4. Grease pre-heated skillet with cooking oil and then cook the patties on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes on each side, or until golden.


Makes about 7-9 patties

Nutrients Per Patty:
Calories: 90
Fat: 3 g
Protein: 3.6 g
Carbohydrate: 12.5 g
Fiber: 3.8 g
Sodium: 257 mg
Potassium: 108 mg


recipe source: http://ohsheglows.com/2012/07/16/falafel-with-a-twist/#ixzz2SdKtsl2Q

How to Cook Beans in a Crockpot

Crockpot Beans


Ingredients:

• 1 16-oz bag of dried beans (or more, if desired)
• Water
• 2 teaspoons salt (per 16-oz bag)

If desired, soak beans overnight in plenty of cool water. Opinions vary, but we have found this decreases some of our digestion issues.

In the morning, drain and rinse the beans. Discard any beans that floated to the top of the water or look otherwise unsavory.

Pour the beans to your crockpot. If using more than one bag, be sure that you leave a few inches of clearance at the top of your crockpot. Add a teaspoon of salt and enough fresh water so the beans are covered by an inch or two. Cover and set the slow cooker for 8 hours.


At the 4 hour mark, add another teaspoon of salt, stir the beans, and eat a few to see how far the beans have cooked. Continue checking every half hour or so, and stop cooking when the beans have reached your desired doneness. We don't usually cook the beans for the full 8 hours unless we're doing a mashed bean recipe, but we like the temperature range on the 8-hour setting for keeping the beans at a low simmer.


After cooking several batches, we have a good idea of when the beans will be done and no longer check doneness every half hour unless we're cooking a new kind of bean. In our crockpot, we've found that 5 hours is ideal for al dente beans destined for soups (where they will continue cooking a bit), 6 hours is good for ready-to-eat beans, and 7 hours gives us very soft beans.

Lentil and Almond Burgers

Ingredients:

• 6 cup water
• 1 cup brown lentil or green French lentil
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ¾ cup finely chopped carrots
• 2 finely chopped medium shallot
• 1 finely chopped celery
• ¼ cup sliced almond
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 large egg yolk, beaten
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions


1.Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in lentils, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until very tender and beginning to break down, about 25 minutes for brown lentils or 30 minutes for green lentils. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve.

2.Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrot, shallots and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add almonds, thyme, salt and pepper; continue cooking until the almonds are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a food processor; add 1 cup of the cooked lentils. Pulse several times, scraping down the sides once or twice, until the mixture is coarsely ground. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in the remaining lentils. Let cool for 10 minutes. Mix in egg yolk and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3.Form the lentil mixture into 5 patties. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn gently and continue to cook until lightly browned and heated through, 3 to 4 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Makes about 5 Burgers
Nutriton Facts Per Patty
Calories: 228
Fat: 10 g
Protein: 10 g
Carbohydrates: 13 g
Fiber: 7 g
Sodium: 268 mg
Potassium: 306 mg

Recipe Source: http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/lentil-almond-burgers