Quinoa Veggie-Bean Stew

First post as a college student! Very exciting. As you might expect, it's pretty hard going from unlimited food ingredients to being on a budget with a limited supply of goodies in the pantry. I threw this recipe together with some of my favorite ingredients and it ended up very good! I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did!

Ingredients

• 1 c. quinoa
• 1 can black beans with some of the liquid
• 1 can garbonzo beans
• 1 can tomato sauce (I used trader joes tomato sauce, picture below)
• 1/2 c chopped carrots
• 1/2 chopped onino
• 2 cloves miced garlic
• 1/4 tsp papirka
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• pepper

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Cover and keep on low for 40 minutes.

The longer the ingredients stay on heat, the less soupy it will become so if you prefer a soup over a stew, try cutting the time down or use lesss quinoa.

That's it! Simple and delicious, just how a college student likes:)

The Chai

Ashley can attest to this, I love chai. I would have a chai latte every single day if I could, and now I am happy to say I can- and so can you! I, like many blue blooded americans had their first experience with chai at Starbucks. And although for this past year I've been scouring the trusty world wide web for impressive homemade chai recipes I have yet to be impressed. Some much too weak, and tasting like just watery warm milk, ewww, and others so bitter I had to dump it out. So today, being the first Sunday (day off) of fall I decided to get crafty and experiment- never did I imagine it would turn out perfectly, the first time! Whoa, beginners luck? I will take it. So here it is my friends, my deliciously amazing chai latte recipe!!

Serves two of your favorite medium/large mugs

            or three small one's

Ingredients:

3 cups water

3 cinnamon sticks (broken up a bit)

8 cardamon pods (lightly crushed with mortar & pestle)

3 star anise  (lightly crushed with mortar & pestle)

1 teaspoon whole cloves  (lightly crushed with mortar & pestle)

1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorn  (lightly crushed with mortar & pestle)

1/8 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

5 bags Darjeeling Tea

1/4 cup Almond Breeze Almond Milk -Vanilla

      or Silk Soy Milk -Vanilla, per serving 

1 packet of Stevia, per serving

In medium saucepan over medium heat start to bring water to a boil. Place cinnamon, cardamon, star anise, cloves, peppercorn, nutmeg, & ginger in water and bring to a full boil. Once boiling reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Now reduce heat again to low (the lowest your stove top will go) and let it simmer once more for 10 minutes, make sure you stir a bit and get anything off the sides of the saucepan. Once that ten minutes is up bring the heat back up and just before boil turn off. Now is when you can put in your Darjeeling Tea and let seep for 5 minutes. Do not leave in any longer than five minutes, it will release tannins and make an insanely bitter chai, no no good! Take tea bags out and prepare a container to strain the the drink into. I use a strainer and also half of a paper towel (because I don't have cheese cloth which would probably make my life easier, soo next time). You want to make sure you don't get any floating chunks of spice into your actual chai concentrate. 

To serve, warm up milk and put about 3/4 cups of concentrate into your mug. Once milk is all warmed up add to your mug, add stevia and stir! Garnish with whatever your heart desires, I added a dash (or maybe two) of ground cinnamon and put a little star anise for the photo because it was cute. 

I really don't mean to toot my own horn, and I am one of thooose who rarely loves the things I make and always need second, third and fourth opinions but for this baby, one sip and I knew I did good. Now go- go and make your chai latte and never buy the $4 a cup again! 

Tips & Tricks:

Store the concentrate in air tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

I like my chai spicy. Not hot spicy, just the ability to taste all the spices and get a good flavor! If one or two particular spices fancy's your particular taste just add more! Simple as that! This recipe will easily double or triple ;) 

As much as I love "the chai" I dislike all that black tea in my system, I am not a major caffeine gal. Thus I, and those of you who may be in agreeance, can sometimes substitute it with an herbal tea, a red roobios  would be perfect or a red roobios chai, and even though the latter is probably kind of cheating, it would be a great idea to use.

Serve on ice or blended for a cool treat!

Sunday Morning Crêpes with Blueberry Sauce

For the past couple of weeks I've really been dying to have crêpes. However the last time I'd had some was when I was being babysat by my cousin at the tender age of ten.. so yeah, I guess it's been a while, and they were definitely not vegan. I suppose I wasn't searching too hard for any vegan crêpe recipes, actually I wasn't searching at all, I figure the less I make sweet goodies like this, vegan or not, well the less I have to hit the gym. But lone and behold as I was reading through my newest favorite cookbook "Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook by Kim Barnouin" I came across a very deliciously sounding vegan crêpe recipe and I decided it was fate.

I did change it up a bit using blueberries and actually reducing them on a stove top (Oh My Goodness..Heavenly). Here is her recipe that I followed and added my own quirks to:

"Serves Six

Ingredients:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3 Tbsp. evaporated cane sugar,

  plus 1/2 cup.

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup almond milk 

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. Earth Balance"

(and here is where things change up)

1 cup fresh blueberries 

1/4 cup water

"In medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt. Whisk in the milk and the vanilla extract until smooth.

"Heat the Earth Balance in a skillet over medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter mix into the skillet, swirling to coat the bottom of the skillet as evenly as possible with the batter. Cook until the edges are lightly browned and the crêpe is almost dry on the top. Loosen the edges with a thin spatula and flip the crêpe over with your fingers. Cook crêpe an additional 15 seconds. Transfer to a plate and continue cooking remaining batter."

Now at the time you are mixing the batter you can take a moment to toss the blueberries, remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and the water into a blender. (I used the Magic Bullet, because it's so easy and fun) After the mixture is blended well pour into a small sauce pan on medium heat and let simmer until you've completed all of your crêpes (about 10 minutes). The blueberry sauce will slightly reduce and be nice and warm to pour onto your freshly cooked crêpe, ready for you to mangia!

The recipe calls for Evaporated Cane Sugar, which is actually really awesomely vegan and better for you. Unfortunately I didn't have any so I used regular granulated sugar, and wanted to mention that incase you end up in the same boat. It is still doable.

These are a few of my favorite things:

Almond Milk- Almond Breeze by Blue Diamond

I switched over to almond milk rather than soy over a year or so ago. Since I eat quite a bit of soy products I wanted to lessen up and try something new with my milk. I love Almond Breeze Original Unsweetened, I use it in cooking, I use it in cereal, It's a perfect alternative or almost anything that calls for milk! What's also so great about almond milk is that is is lactose, dairy, casein, gluten, and cholesterol free with much less saturated fat than cow's milk. It is chalk full of vitamins and a great source of calcium and vitamin D. 

Butter Alternative- Earth Balance Soy Free. 

I believe I've mentioned or at least used the soy free version of Earth Balance once before, but you don't even know how much this is changed my life! Well at least my cooking :) It tastes the closest I've yet tasted to actual butter, it rich and creamy with no trans fat, no cholesterol and excellent source of Omega-3's. Spread alone on toast or use in cooking and baking and you wont be disappointed!

Bell Pepper Cous Cous with Tofu & Broccoli

My mom and Ashley were gone for a week and I did a whole lot of cooking for my father and my brother! This meal was one our absolute favorites of the week! I found some Whole Wheat Cous Cous at  Trader Joe's and knowing my father grew up on Cous Cous as a staple I had to get it and make it a little more "me" like- with veggies! 

Ingredients:

Serves 4-5

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Red Bell Pepper & 1 Orange Bell Pepper, diced

2 Tbsp Italian Parsley

Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Cous Cous

1 cup Vegetable Stock

2 Tbsp. Earth Balance Soy-Free Butter

Sliced Pressed Tofu seasoned and sautéed with 

McCormick Grill Mates 'Roasted Garlic & Herb'

Broccoli

Salt & Pepper to taste

In a medium size skillet heat oil on medium heat add Diced Bell Peppers & Parsley and sauté until tender and set aside on low heat. 

Start up a small saucepan with water to boil (will be used to steam the broccoli) 

At the same time begin on the Cous Cous, follow the instructions on the box and in 5 minutes you will have ready to eat Cous Cous! The instructions actually call for water but instead I used the same amount just used vegetable stock instead. The vegetable stock gives it a much richer flavor! Mix in half of the bell peppers and Eath Balance Butter and set on low heat.

The water should be boiling and you can now steam your broccoli using a double boiler. After it's finished season with a little sea salt and pepper it's good to go! 

Now you can heat your skillet with a small amount of olive oil and season the tofu with the McCormick Seasoning and cook until heated through, about two-three minutes on each side on medium heat

Use the remainder of the bell peppers to relish the tofu and plate everything up and mangia! 

Substitutions:
Instead of tofu you can use organic free range chicken breast, use the same seasoning and all!