Spicy Low-Carb Noodle Soup

This is a cheap and satisfying soup that you can eat before a meal or make as a meal in itself. I love soups, because you can throw in all the veggies that you have in the house, spice it up, and voila! I found these Tofu Shirataki Noodles while shopping at Whole Foods in the tofu section. These noodles are made out of tofu, and one package has only 40 calories, one gram of fat, four grams of fiber and two grams of protein. It’s also cholesterol-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, vegan and kosher certified. Miracle noodles...what?! The best part of the Shirataki Noodles is that they are less than $2.00 a package!

Spicy Low-Carb Noodle Soup (Vegan...of course!)

• 8 oz Tofu Shirataki Spaghetti (1 package), you can find these at Whole Foods
• 1 box of low-sodium vegetable stock (32 oz.)
• 1 teaspoon of Organic Better Than Bouillon vegetable base (vegan)
• ½ of a yellow onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 bok choy heads, chopped (celery or whatever other veggies you want to throw in)
• garlic salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon of caynne pepper (optional)

Bring all ingredients to a boil except for the noodles. Once brought to a boil, reduce heat to medium-high and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes or until veggies are cooked. While the broth is cooking, prepare the noodles. To prepare the noodles, drain and rinse the noodles. Microwave the noodles in a bowl for 1 minute. Dry noodles well. Add the noodles to the broth, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Taste before serving and add in any extra seasonings neccesary.

 

 

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Nacho Cashew Cheese

I had a major craving for some nachos the other day! A woman I work with, Connie, suggested I try nacho cashew cheese and use a red bell pepper. The red bell pepper gives the cashew cheese a nice nacho looking color and adds just the right amount of sweetness.

Nacho Cashew Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw cashews
• 1 cup water
• 1 red bell pepper (diced)
• 3 cloves garlic (if you don't have garlic on hand use garlic powder or garlic salt to taste)
• 4 tbs nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp of Mexican chili powder

Soak raw cashews for 1 - 2 hours in a bowl of water (not the 1 cup of water that you will use when blending) and drain.

Then place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix til smooth (several minutes). Taste and add more salt or chilli powder to your liking.

Pour into a bowl and let sit a few minutes to thicken up a bit. Bake onto chips for nachos like I did, dip with veggies, spread onto bread for sandwiches, or whatever you'd like!

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Vegan Quinoa & Kale Patties

Happy New Year!

For my first recipe post of 2013 I am featuring quinoa, because 2013 has been declared, "International Year of Quinoa" by the UN! The purpose of the of the International Year of Quinoa is to "focus the world's attention on the role that quinoa´s biodiversity and nutritional value plays, in providing food security and nutrition, the eradication of poverty in support of the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals." "The International Year of the Quinoa (IYQ) was proposed by the government of Bolivia, with support from Argentina, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Georgia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay, and FAO, and approved by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2011. The Conference took note of the exceptional nutritional qualities of quinoa, its adaptability to different agro-ecological floors and its potential contribution in the fight against hunger and malnutrition."

Quinoa is a golden grain!

This protein packed, gluten free grain was considered the "golden grain" by the Incas. Quinoa is now considered a superfood!!! Quinoa is a complete protein containing all nine amino acids. It contains 2x as much fiber compared to other grains. Quinoa is rich in nutrients like iron, lysine, magnesium, B2, and manganese.

Vegan Quinoa & Kale Patties

 (Recipe adapted from Yummy Supper)

• 1 cup quinoa (I used Trader Joe's Organice Tricolor Quinoa...6 grams of protein in 1/4 cup!)
• 2 cups water
• 6 teaspoons of Ener-G egg replacer (equivalent to 4 eggs)
• 4-8 tablespoons of water
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 of a yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup steamed kale, chopped
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

I topped mine with fresh squeezed lemon juice and avocados. Yum!

Cook 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water in a rice cooker. If you don't have a rice cooker...go out and buy one! You can find small rice cookers for as cheap as $12. Once you use a rice cooker to cook grains you will never go back to the stove top! When the quinoa is done cooking, remove from rice cooker, place into a bowl, and let it cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl whisk together 6 teaspoons of Ener-G egg replacer and 8 tablespoons of warm water. Then, mix in cooked quinoa, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, steamed kale, and breadcrumbs. Let everything sit for a few minutes to absorb the liquid. You want the batter to be moist, but not runny. You may need to mix in more water a little bit at a time to make it a little more moist. Form patties and set aside for cooking.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook up to 4-6 patties on the pan depending on how larger your skillet is. Cover the pan and let the patties cook for 7-10 minutes until the they are golden brown. Flip and cook the other side for another 7-10 minutes until both sides are nice and brown. Let patties rest on a cooling rack or paper towels while you finish the next batch.



***Stay tuned to my next 30-day blog challenge, but until then enjoy my vegan recipes!***

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