Quinoa Pilaf

by Reshma

-2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
-2 shallots, chopped
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1 bay leaf
-1 cup veggie stock
-½ cup rinsed quinoa
-½ pound butternut squash or any other summer squash, chopped
-¼ pound asparagus, chopped
-¼ pound carrots, chopped
-1 teaspoon mustard
-1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
-Salt and pepper to taste
-1 tablespoon chopped parsley

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil, and when warm, add shallots, garlic and bay leaf and cook until shallots and garlic soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add veggie stock and bring up to a boil.

Add quinoa, return to a boil and cover and simmer for about 10-12 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and adjust with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, sauté butternut squash over medium heat until tender, about 8-10 minutes. You may have to add a little water to the pan and cover it for the squash to cook more quickly. Add the carrots and asparagus and cook another 4-5 minutes.

In another bowl, combine mustard, apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon olive oil with a little salt and pepper, and pour this mixture over vegetables. Cook vegetables for 1-2 more minutes for the flavors to meld.

To serve, either place a scoop of quinoa on a plate and top with vegetables, or toss the vegetables and quinoa together and serve.

Cucumber and Watermelon Salad with Mint

by DeAnna

-2 whole cucumbers (remove seeds if you prefer)
-1/2 watermelon
-1/4 cup of red onion
-1 bunch of spearmint (don’t substitute peppermint)
-1 lime
-1/4 teaspoon salt

Cut cucumber and watermelon into bite size pieces. Dice red onion. Cut spearmint leaves into small pieces. Mix all ingredients in bowl. Squeeze lime on top and salt. Mix well and serve. Refreshing!

Beet Quinoa Salad

by Yumster Life

-4 beets
-2 teaspoons olive oil
-1 red onion
-green beans
-1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
-1 cup cooked quinoa
-Salt and pepper to taste

Place beets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until the beets are fork tender. (Or buy steamed and peeled beets to save yourself time).

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Toss the onion into the oil and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions are tender. Stir in green beans and apple cider vinegar. Cook for couple of minutes.

Allow everything to cool a bit before assembling the salad. In a large bowl combine onion, beans, roasted beets, and quinoa. Season with salt and pepper.

Chocolate Raspberry “Ice Cream”

by Casey Lorraine Thomas

-1/2 cup of frozen raspberries (frozen strawberries or mixed berries would also be lovely)
-1/2 an avocado
-2 big handfuls of baby spinach leaves
-2 tablespoons (or more) of raw cacao powder (or use a mix of carob and cacao or just carob)
-1.5 cups of water
-2 trays of ice cubes
-1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
-2 droppers of liquid stevia or about 50 drops (you can use a lot more as this was not overly sweet)

Blend all ingredients together until it forms a thick, smooth ice cream consistency. If you don’t have a high powered blender like a Blendtec or Vitamix, you might want to add more water. Or try blending in parts.

Patriotic Plant Protein Patties

By Alexandra Jamieson of Delicious Vitality

Yield: 6-8 patties

-4 tablespooons flaxseeds, ground in a spice grinder
-1/3 cup water
-2 1/2 cups cooked beans (any will do: try black beans, pinto, kidney, chickpeas, or a combination)
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
-1/2 cup diced yellow onion
-1/4 cup diced celery
-1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
-1 garlic clove, minced
-1 cup finely chopped spinach
-1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds
-1/2 cup cooked brown rice, quinioa or millet (leftovers from the day before are great for this)
-2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Combine the ground flaxseeds and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir often until the mixture become gooey. Set aside to cool while you do the next step.

Combine the beans, salt, pepper, parsley, onion, celery, orange zest, garlic, spinach, hemp seeds, brown rice, flax seed mixture and 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a food processor.

Pulse 15-18 times to combine the mixture so that it becomes thick and creamed together, with some chunks still remaining. The mixture should be easy to handle and can be formed into 1-inch thick patties.

Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup and flatten each scoop to 1-inch thick. If it feels to dry add a little water. If it feels too moist, add a few tablespoons of cooked grain or bread crumbs and mix to combine.

Heat a heavy skillet (a well-seasoned cast iron skillet is great) over medium heat and warm 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Cook the patties, about 3 at a time, for 7 minutes on each side.