Here are some recipes for you:
High-Protein Porridge
This cereal is a good source of minerals and B vitamins, as well as protein.
1/3 cup quinoa
1/3 cup millet
1/3 cup amaranth
5 cups water
Pinch sea salt
1/4 cup flax or sesame seeds, ground
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom (optional)
Rinse quinoa. Place grains, water, and sea salt in heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent cereal from sticking to bottom of pan. Stir in ground seeds and spices.
Makes 4 servings
Tofu and Udon Noodles with Sesame-Peanut Dressing
1 (11-ounce) package udon noodles
1 pound firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cups thinly sliced green onions (4 to 6)
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Sesame-Peanut Dressing:
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil or peanut oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon honey, brown rice syrup, or agave nectar
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/3 cup boiling water
Cook noodles in boiling water 4 to 6 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Immediately toss noodles with tofu, green onions, frozen peas, cilantro, and oil. Place dressing ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. Pour over noodle mixture. Sprinkle on sesame seeds. Toss gently until noodles are coated with sauce. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Chunky Vegetable Soup
Don't worry if you don't have every vegetable listed; this soup recipe is very flexible. Use whatever you have on hand. Frozen vegetables are okay too.
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 cups water or vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet potato or rutabaga, diced
1 white potato, diced
1 cup green beans, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup arame, hiziki, or wakame, crushed or 1 tablespoon Sea Veg Mix (page xxx)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 cup chopped cabbage, kale, collards, or other green
1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, tarragon, savory, etc.)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon miso
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Place onion, celery, carrots, and oil in large soup pot. Sauté 5 to 10 minutes over medium heat until onions are soft. Add water or stock, garlic, potatoes, beans, and sea vegetables. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes until potatoes are tender. Add remaining ingredients except miso, parsley, and seasonings. Simmer 10 minutes until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in miso and parsley. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Variations
Chunky Vegetable Soup with Tomatoes: Add 2 cups or 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with peas and greens.
Chunky Vegetable Soup with Protein: Add 2 cups tofu, tempeh, seitan, or cooked beans with peas and greens.
Miso-Noodle Soup
This is a soothing soup that is great for upset stomachs or jangled nerves. I especially like it with brown rice pasta.
5 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons chopped wakame or 1 tablespoon Sea Veg Mix (page xxx)
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped kale, cabbage, watercress, or other green
1/2 cup snow or snap peas
1/2 cup small uncooked pasta noodles
8 ounces tofu, diced
2 tablespoons miso
Soy sauce to taste
Place water and sea vegetable in medium-size pan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered 10 minutes, or until pasta is just cooked. Remove from heat, stir in miso. Season with soy sauce if desired.
Makes 6 servings
Thai Pumpkin-Coconut Soup
This tasty soup is so easy you'll want to make it often.
2 cups or 1 (15-ounce) can pureed, cooked pumpkin
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon miso
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon red curry paste, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Place pumpkin, coconut milk, and stock in pan. Warm over medium heat until just about to boil. Remove from heat. Mix in miso, curry paste, and sea salt. Sprinkle cilantro over top.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
"Cream" of Broccoli Soup
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 large carrot, sliced
3 cups coarsely chopped broccoli
3 cups water
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 tablespoon arrowroot
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
1 tablespoon miso
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
Place onion, garlic, celery, carrot, broccoli, and water in soup pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Remove 8 to 10 small broccoli florets and set aside.
Place cashews in blender. Grind to powder. Add remaining ingredients to blender along with half of the cooked vegetable/water mixture. Puree until smooth and pour into a pot. Puree remaining vegetables and water, and add it to soup in the pot. Stir in reserved florets. Reheat if necessary but do not boil because it will destroy the beneficial enzymes in the miso.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Squash and White Bean Soup
This simple soup is packed full of vitamins, minerals, and protein. The squash doesn't need to be chopped evenly because the soup will be pureed.
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups water or vegetable stock
1 butternut, kabucha, or hubbard squash, peeled and cut into cubes (about 7 cups)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tablespoons miso
1 tablespoon tahini
2 cups cooked white beans
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley or watercress
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
In large soup pot over medium-low heat, add onion and oil. Stir gently to spread and then cook about 15 minutes without stirring until onions are brown and caramelized. Stir in garlic. Add water or stock and squash. Cover and bring to boil over high heat. Lower heat and simmer 30 minutes until squash is tender. Puree squash mixture in blender or food processor with spices, miso, and tahini. Add water if soup is too thick. Return to pot and stir in beans and parsley or watercress over low heat. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Garnish with roasted pumpkin or squash seeds if desired.
Makes 6 servings
Ginger-Lentil Soup
Lentils are a good source of iron and the kale or cabbage supplies vitamin C to aid absorption. Ginger and kombu make the lentils more digestible. Don't worry if you can't finish the whole pot in one meal; this soup tastes even better the second (or third) day.
1 cup lentils
1/2 cup brown rice
1 strip kombu (optional)
1 bay leaf
8 cups water
1 onion, minced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 1/2 cups chopped kale or green cabbage
1/4 cup minced parsley
2 tablespoons ginger juice (page xxx) or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon miso
Place lentils, rice, kombu, bay leaf, and water in large soup pot. Cover and bring to a boil while chopping vegetables. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots and continue to simmer (covered) for 30 to 45 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat 5 to 10 minutes. Do not boil as this will destroy the beneficial enzymes in the miso.
Makes 8 servings
Herbed Split Pea Soup
This soup is very easy to make. Not much chopping is involved and it is ready in an hour. I love this in the spring when my garden is full of fresh herbs. You can use water instead of stock if you like but the soup won't be as flavorful.
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
1 cup green split peas
1 cup long-grain brown rice
1 bay leaf
1/2 strip kombu or wakame (optional)
2 carrots, diced
1/2 cup minced kale, chard, spinach or other leafy green
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons miso dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Put stock, water, split peas, rice, bay leaf, and kombu or wakame in heavy pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 40 minutes. Add carrots. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Remove from heat. Remove and discard bay leaf. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Makes 6 servings
Tortilla Soup
This hearty, delicious soup is a favorite with my family and friends. Although the ingredient list looks long, this is really a quick soup to make if you have cooked or canned beans on hand. Since my children don't like spicy foods, I leave the Tabasco sauce out of the soup and put the bottle on the table so each person can spice his or her soup.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked pinto beans
2 cups cooked white beans
2 cups cooked black beans
4 1/2 cups water
2 cups or 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon Sea Veg Mix (page xxx) (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon miso
1 tablespoon tahini
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast flakes (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or to taste
Sea salt, if necessary
Tortilla chips
Optional Toppings:
Minced fresh cilantro
Sliced black olives
Shredded Jack cheese
Heat oil in large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook 10 minutes without stirring so they brown. Stir in garlic. Add beans, water, tomatoes, Sea Veg Mix, cumin, oregano, and chili powder. Heat until soup starts to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 30 minutes to let flavors combine. Remove 2 cups of soup and place in blender with miso and tahini. Puree and return to soup. Add Tabasco and sea salt to taste.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Insert tortilla chips into soup around edges of bowl. Top with cilantro, olives, and/or cheese if desired.
Makes 8 servings
Coconut-Tempeh Stew
4 cups vegetable stock
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 strip wakame, chopped or crushed
1 1/2 pounds tempeh, cut into cubes
6 cups chopped fresh spinach
3 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Juice of 1 lime or lemon (3 to 4 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
6 to 8 basil leaves, chopped
Sea salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Place stock, coconut milk, and wakame in large pan. Heat until coconut milk melts and steam rises from liquid. Add tempeh. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes, or until tempeh is heated through. Stir in spinach, rice, Tabasco sauce, juice, ginger, basil, and sea salt. Simmer 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Sprinkle cilantro over stew.
Makes 8 servings
Note: See the Grain Cooking Chart in the Appendix for instructions on cooking rice.
Mild Yellow Curry Stew
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cups diced tofu, tempeh, or seitan (1/2-inch)
1 large sweet potato or two large red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeño or serrano chili, minced (seeds and membranes removed)
2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon curry powder
Pinch ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets
2 cups or 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 packed cups baby spinach (6 ounces)
1 tablespoon miso
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh peppermint leaves
Heat oil over medium heat in large pan. Add onion and tofu, tempeh, or seitan. Brown 5 minutes, or until golden. Stir in potato, garlic, chili, ginger, curry powder, and cinnamon. Sauté 2 minutes. Add stock, coconut milk, salt, and cauliflower. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomatoes and spinach. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix miso with a little curry broth until you have a smooth paste. Stir miso into curry. Sprinkle cilantro and peppermint over curry. Eat as is or over rice.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Garbanzo Crunchies
Even nonbean-lovers will like this nutritious snack. These are best eaten the day they are made.
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, well drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Paprika or chili powder to taste
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Toss garbanzo beans with olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle sea salt and spice over beans. Bake 30 minutes or until golden. Eat warm or at room temperature.
Makes 2 cups
Raw Seed Wafers
A friend of mine during her first trimester of pregnancy asked me why no one sold a cracker that contained all the nutrients she needed since crackers were the only thing she could keep down. Here is that cracker! It provides protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. These are actually dehydrated rather than baked to keep from destroying enzymes and nutrients. Feel free to substitute any grain, bean, nut, or seed you have on hand.
1/3 cup lentils
1/3 cup whole buckwheat groats
1/3 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup flaxseeds
Place lentils, buckwheat, and seeds in a quart-size jar or bowl. Fill bowl with water (about 3 1/2 cups) and let soak overnight.
Preheat oven to 250ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain seeds. Place soaked seeds in blender with just enough water to allow mixture to puree. Blend until smooth. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet about 1/4 inch thick. Bake for an hour or two. When mixture is stiff enough, remove the wafer with parchment paper from baking sheet and place it directly on oven rack. Bake until crispy (about 4 to 7 more hours). Break into pieces. Eat plain, or with butter, nut or seed butter, or cream cheese.
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen
Meal Shake
This smoothie is a powerhouse of protein, vitamins, and minerals.
2 tablespoons raw almonds or cashews
1 tablespoon raw sunflower or pumpkin seeds
1 cup milk (dairy or nondairy) or kefir
1/4 cup juice (apple, pineapple, etc.)
1 banana, fresh or frozen
1 cup fresh or frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, etc.)
1 tablespoon wheat germ
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 teaspoon flaxseed oil or 1 tablespoon chia gel (page xxx)
1/4 teaspoon spirulina powder (optional)
Place nuts and seeds in blender and grind to powder. Add remaining ingredients and puree until smooth.
Makes 2 servings
Creamy Greens Smoothie
This smoothie surprises everyone because it tastes so good. You really don't taste the kale at all. This is an excellent snack while breastfeeding because the greens help to increase milk production. Use nutritional yeast flakes fortified with vitamin B12.
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 banana, sliced and frozen
2 to 3 kale leaves
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast flakes
Place ingredients in blender and puree until smooth.
Makes 1 to 2 servings
Note: 1 cup pineapple-coconut juice can be substituted for pineapple juice and coconut milk.
Energy Bars
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried figs
1/2 cup peanut butter, almond butter, or tahini
Place sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, raisins, and figs in food processor with metal blade. Chop until everything is ground together. Add nut or seed butter and mix until combined. Roll mixture into balls or press into 8-inch round cake pan and cut into 1-inch squares. Keep refrigerated.
Makes about 3 dozen
Note: Nuts can be substituted for seeds and other dried fruit can be substituted for raisins and figs.
Variation
Coconut Energy Bars: Add 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut to mixture. Add a little coconut milk if necessary to help balls hold together.
Carob-Nut Balls
These are great energy boosters. Keep a batch in your refrigerator and take a few along when you go out.
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup walnuts
1 cup raisins
4 dried figs or dates, pits removed
1/4 cup carob powder
2 teaspoons blackstrap molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger or 1/8 teaspoon powdered
Pinch sea salt
About 2 tablespoons water
Carob powder or unsweetened shredded coconut for rolling
Place almonds and walnuts in food processor with metal blade and pulse to chop. Add raisins, figs or dates, molasses, vanilla, cardamom, ginger, and sea salt. Process until everything is uniformly chopped. Add water a little at a time until mixture holds together. Roll into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in shredded coconut or carob powder if desired. Keep balls refrigerated if you are plan to keep them around more than a day or two.
Makes about 2 dozen
Note: Other nuts or seeds can be substituted for the almonds and walnuts.