Author Archives: mary

Quinoa, Avocado, and Lima Bean Salad

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I found this recipe in InStyle magazine (it was an impulse plane read, I do not usually read InStyle) and this was actually very decent for a lunch or a dinner side. I’m rewriting the recipe since I didn’t like the way it was phrased in the magazine. Quinoa is at the top of the hot super foods list right now, for a good reason. It’s very healthy and can be jazzed up in a number of ways.
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Ingredients

1 cup cooked quinoa, rinsed under cold water
10oz frozen lima beans
1 avocado, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Handful of thinly sliced radish
1/4 cup chopped basil

Dressing

1/3 cup olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon cumin
Dash of red chili flakes
Salt and pepper

 

 

Directions

Cook lima beans in boiling water per package directions, rinse with cold water. Make dressing by whisking olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, chili flakes, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Combine with quinoa, avocado, lima beans, garlic, radish and basil.

An ethical discussion…

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I was perusing the NY Times the other day and came across this gem:

Calling All Carnivores
Tell Us Why It’s Ethical to Eat Meat: A Contest

The article mentions that the dialogue on food, especially healthy, ethical eating, is controlled by vegetarians or those who largely abstain from meat (Jonathan Safran Foer, Mark Bittman, Michael Pollan, etc.). Meat eaters, it seems, have “surprisingly little to say” in this important discourse. So, the NYT is opening up the floor for omnivores to discuss the ethical reasons TO eat meat. I remember the alma matter for all of our bloggers, Geneseo, had a debate by professors in the philosophy department on this very topic when we were in school (yay Geneseo).

The NYT contest ends April 8, but I think we can have our own mini-discussion right here. I love a lively debate, so meat eaters, let’s hear why it is ethically sound to eat animal protein. Go!

And who says vegans have nothing to eat?

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BBQ Tofu, Pasta  Salad, and Roasted Butternut Squash

I was in the mood for a hearty dinner tonight. I had a strenuous workout at the gym (15 pound weights! 30 pull-ups! well, assisted) and I didn’t have time to eat much at work today. I thought this dinner was a great mix of healthy proteins, grains and veggies. It was filling, satisfying and, best of all, very easy for a weeknight meal.

Roasted Butternut Squash – I love roasting vegetables because the oven does the work for you. Butternut squash is especially easy to roast because not a lot of cutting and peeling is involved. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half horizontally, then in half again vertically, then you can halve those pieces too. Scrape out the seeds, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast skin-side down for 30-45 minutes. Delish!

Barbecue Tofu – This is also super easy and flavorful. Remove the tofu from package, cut into strips, and press out excess water. Preheat a grill pan and marinate the tofu in BBQ sauce (we prefer Dinosaur BBQ sauce) for a few minutes. When the grill pan is hot, grill for about 5-8 minutes on one side, flip over and grill for another 5 minutes. You can throw more BBQ sauce on if you want. If you’re a super grill master like Eric, you get the fancy grill marks like in the photo above. If you grill like me, the tofu will have funky brown streaks running through, but either way its pretty darn good!

Pasta Salad – I LOVE pasta and could probably eat it every day if given the chance. This is what happens when you grow up in an Italian family and that is all your parents ever feed you. Because I eat pasta so often, I like to keep it on the light side with a bunch of veggies. I always use whole wheat pasta. What I love about pasta salad is that it tastes fresh when you first make it, but it gets even better as it sits in the fridge and the flavors blend. In this pasta salad, I used:

1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup cooked peas
1 red pepper, chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 lb whole wheat pasta

For the dressing I used a mix of homemade balsamic vinaigrette and 1/4 cup of Veganaise (not mixed together). For the homemade balsamic vinaigrette:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
salt & pepper
(whisk all together)

Combine the veggies with the pasta. Fold in the balsamic vinaigrette and Veganaise. Enjoy!