Delicious Quinoa!

Hello, my lovelies! Spring is finally here in my part of the world, and it was sorely missed! It's been a rough winter, and I can't wait to engage in warmer weather activities and lighter foods. Last week though, I was in the mood for something heavier and comforting. I decided on a roasted veggie dish that incorporated sweet potatoes and quinoa. I can't begin to tell you how good this dish was!!

First off, let's talk about quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah"). I'm a big brown and black rice fan for my whole grain fix, but quinoa is a nutrient powerhouse! It's actually a seed (not a grain) of a vegetable that's similar to to spinach, and when cooked, it "pops" open and its appearance changes to little spiral grain-looking beady things. Like my description?  It is one of the few plant-based sources of complete proteins, which means it provides all of the essential amino acids the body needs to function. Chia seeds, amaranth, and soybeans are also some others. It also provides antioxidants by way of flavonoids, and fiber, iron, B vitamins, and essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. Sounding good so far? It should! These all help with controlling your blood pressure & blood sugar, weight loss, and providing anti-aging and anti-cancer benefits! Read more and get additional recipe ideas here.

Quinoa is commonly available in white, red, or black varieties. Of note, when cooking, make sure you rinse the seeds under cold water and rub to remove a natural chemical called saponins. This chemical helps to protect the seed, but leaves a bitter taste if not removed by rinsing. You need to be especially mindful of this if you buy quinoa in bulk. I love how much it expands during cooking, so you don't really need a lot.

So here's the recipe for the fabulous, award winning-dish I made. Ok, maybe not so much award-winning, but it should have been. I'm just saying. I think the veggie combo I chose and the marinade flavors take it over the top. Plus it's so easy!

Nikki's Almost Spring Roasted Veggies & Quinoa

Ingredients:

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks (about 1")

1 medium onion, sliced and halved

3 large cloves garlic, crushed and chopped into medium pieces

4 oz baby portabella mushrooms, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

9 Brussels sprouts, quartered (cut ends off)

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 large finger hot pepper (optional!)

1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa, any variety (rinse, and cook according to package directions) ~> rule of thumb 2:1 ratio of liquid to quinoa, cook covered about 15 minutes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking pan with aluminum foil.

Marinade:

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp tamari sauce (or soy sauce if you're ok with gluten)

1/4 cup of mandarin orange segments w/juice

3 green onions (light green and white parts)

2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger

2 Tbsp unrefined coconut oil (melted or softened for easy mixing)

2 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, snipped (or 1 tsp dried) if you don't have fresh on hand)

1 Tbsp fresh basil leaves (or 1 tsp dried)

How:

1. Place prepared veggies in a large bowl and toss evenly with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour into foil lined pan and put on middle rack in oven. Roast for about 20 minutes, making sure to check on them every 5-7 minutes and stir.

2. Meanwhile, prepare marinade .in same bowl used for veggies. Mix all ingredients together with a fork or whisk and place in refrigerator until quinoa and veggies are ready.

 Prepared veggies 

Voila! Roasted and looking oh so yummy!

3. Once quinoa is cooked and veggies are ready, remove marinade from refrigerator. Transfer both to marinade bowl and toss gently but evenly. You can add extra sea salt and/or pepper if needed.

4. Serve immediately. Get ready to enjoy some serious grub!

Quinoa with Roasted Veggies

I want you guys to all go make this TOMORROW! I'm doing a 30 day spring body cleanse that involves juicing my fruits and veggies, so I won't be able to devour this dish for a while. Do it for me? Please? Thanks! I'll share my spring cleanse with you all in a few days!

Until next time,

Love and Happiness,

Nikki

Two Cent Tuesdays! Restaurant Edition

Hello again my lovelies! I trust you are all having a fabulous Tuesday.

I thought I would switch it up a bit this time and give my two cents on some of the vegan/vegetarian restaurants I have visited over the past few months. If you live in the Atlanta area and are vegan/vegetarian, feel free to suggest or comment on some of your favorite eateries. Let's go!

Cafe Sunflower

2140 Peachtree Rd. Atlanta, GA 30309
404-352-8859
Menu

My honey and I went to Cafe Sunflower in Buckhead back in January after some shopping at nearby Lenox Mall. This location is in the Brookwood Square Plaza.There is also another location in Sandy Springs.
Parking is easy and adequate.The decor is cozy and colorful, my favorite touch being the Chinese lantern type light fixtures dangling from the ceiling. Our waitress was really friendly without being overbearing. Their menu includes both vegetarian and vegan dishes with a touch of international variety. I was finally able to order a vegan  artichoke & spinach dip (that was actually very good!), so that's what we had as an appetizer. The fiance ordered a tall glass of herbal iced tea and I had a glass of vegan friendly cabernet sauvignon. Both of our beverages hit the spot, and our waitress was kind enough to tell us where we could purchase a bottle of our wine at a less expensive cost than at the establishment. See? I can be as frugal as the next chick.
Right at about the time our chips and dip ran out (and my buzz started knocking), our entrees arrived. Mine was a truly delicious sesame crispy soy "chicken" stir fry with snow peas, broccoli, and other veggies in a sweet & spicy sauce and brown rice. Lawd! He chose the orzo eggplant lasagna which was comprised of layers of portabella mushroom, eggplant, tofu ricotta and other veggies, laced in their marinara sauce. It also came with a side of salad greens with artichokes & olives in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. This is bomb...he said (or something similar).
We were adequately satisfied for a surprisingly reasonable cost of just over $40 for a "specialty" lunch that tasted very good. I had to fight off our waitress's dessert Jedi mind tricks. I won. This time. The vegan dessert tray looked mesmerizing.

 Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Dip, $9  Herbal Iced Tea, $3



 Orzo Eggplant Lasagna, $12

 

Sesame "Chicken", $12

 

Bottom line: Recommended

The lunch menu had a great variety, and although you may have to hand over a few more dollars than you're used to for lunch, it's worth it. The food is delicious, the service is great, and they state they support local farms and use organic "whenever possible". Note: menus differ at each location.

Healthful Essence

875 York Ave. Atlanta, GA 30310
404-806-0830
 Menu

If you are Carribean (like me) and have adopted a non-meat eating lifestyle (again...moi), there are times that you can become nostalgic for the foods you grew up loving. Healthful Essence solves this problem without question! The fiance and I were in a throwback mood and decided to hit up this spot and give it a try. It's not easy substituting West Indian dishes, so we were not sure what to expect.
We made our way across I-20 to the West End of Atlanta. We nearly missed the restaurant due to it being a lot smaller than we anticipated. It's located in a strip plaza (kind of) behind a Krispy Kreme. Hmmm...I was skeptical. Ample parking was available on the lot, so I kept my judgement at bay.
When you walk in, there's the  cash register and the counter with the food to your left, a few tables and chairs to the right, a menu on the wall above, and that's about it. Double hmmm.
We were greeted by a very loud and cheerful character, who happened to also be from Guyana like the fiance. He explained our options for ordering "hot" and "cold" items and gave us a sample of anyting we wanted. One taste of the food and any concerns I had were GONE!
One section had raw, or cold dishes and my absolute favorite of those options was the seaweed salad. Let me repeat: THE SEAWEED SALAD IS BEYOND! I have yet to find another in Atlanta that is as good. They also had broccoli and cauliflower salads, cole slaw, kale salad, and other live salads which were all pretty good.
On to the cooked foods. Yessir! They call their vegan/vegetarian versions of meat dishes the "Un" dish. For instance, we sampled the curry UnGoat and the stewed UnSalmon. We ordered 2 cold and 2 hot sides each, along with our choice of "meat" all for $7.50 each. Pretty good, huh?
I copped the seaweed salad, live salad casserole, curried veggies, steamed greens, and curried UnGoat. Whew! My little belly was screaming for me to stop, but instead I gave it some ginger beer to muzzle it.
The fiance had the marinated kale salad, veggie wrap salad, jerk UnChicken, sauteed cabbage, and stewed veggies. His drink of choice was mauby. We sampled off each other's plate for the full experience, of course! We could barely move when done.

Bottom line: Highly Recommended
I love the fact that they have a raw foods selection that tastes amazing, and I can get vegan food reminiscent of my childhood that actually comes close in flavor. They are true to their name, and the price for dinner for 2 was about $25! What? I gladly traded a fancy decor for this amazing food. They also serve smoothies, roti, veggie burgers, patties, and nori rolls. We will definitely be returning customers as long as they are around and the food is this divine.


Why I did this review while on a raw vegan challenge is beyond me. Thank goodness I'm feeling strong. However, I know on day 31 where we will be headed to eat!! Thanks for spending time with me again today, lovelies. Until next time.


Love and Happiness,

Nikki