Christina Najjar

Cabbage Fried Quinoa (vegan)

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Sometimes, I like to be able to take little shortcuts in the kitchen. If you’re a really busy person (who isn’t?), any tips and tricks to speed up cooking can be helpful. For instance, if you’re cooking grains, make a large quantity for the week. Then, use the grains in a few different recipes. For instance, if you cook quinoa, you may want to make a quinoa salad, fried quinoa, and a quinoa stew.

Here’s another help hint. When I don’t have time to chop veggies to fry, I pick up a bag of coleslaw or some variation on it. I find that cabbage is one of the veggies that develops the nicest flavours when fried.

To give you an idea of how much I enjoy this meal, let me put it into perspective for you. Out of all the recipes I’ve posted on here since I started my blog, I can count on one hand the recipes I make on a regular basis. I mostly like to experiment with new meals, but I keep a few tasty and easy meals that I can make when time is not my friend.

Cabbage fried quinoa

Cabbage Fried Quinoa (vegan)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup dry quinoa, cooked and refrigerated (makes about 4 cups, give or take)*
Bag of slaw mix
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder (or more)
Salt and pepper to taste (go generous on the pepper)
Oil for frying

*To cook quinoa, bring 1 1/2 cups dry quinoa to a boil in 3 cups water and cook for about 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Refrigerate until completely cooled down.

Directions
Heat up a bit of oil in a large frying skillet over medium heat. Add the quinoa and toss around to get it heated up nicely.Since it’ll have been refrigerated, it won’t stick to itself. When the quinoa is nicely heated up (about 4-5 minutes), add in the slaw mix. Cook until it’s done to your liking, tossing every couple of minutes. Add in the rest of the ingredients and keep tossing a bit until nicely coated.

Creamy Sesame Pasta (vegan)

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Pasta is definitely a comfort food for me. I often switch out pasta for veggie alternatives, but there are times when I just can’t skip the pasta. Mind you, I do eat brown rice pasta, so it’s not the worst thing in the world. At least I get my fibre and a few B vitamins out of it.

This creamy pasta dish is fun because you get all the goodness of sesame, a tasty meal that doesn’t taste like every pasta you’ve ever had, and creaminess without unhealthy fats.

I know, short post today. I leave you with this as I go back to my midterm study.

Creamy Sesame Pasta (vegan)

Ingredients
150g pasta (I used brown rice)
1 large head broccoli or 2 smaller ones
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp minced ginger
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (can be omitted)
3-4 tbsp sesame seeds
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions.

In the meantime, heat up a bit of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and cumin. Toss around for a minute or two. Add broccoli and just enough water to cover the bottom of the frying pan.

Add the tahini and sesame oil to the drained pasta along with the broccoli and sesame seeds. Toss to coat well.

Makes two servings.

Improvised Zucchini Con Aglio et Olio (vegan, paleo)

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Interesting vegetables: zucchini con aglio et olio

What do you do if you have a craving for something, but you’re missing pretty much all the ingredients? You improvise! Okay, maybe I improvise. Other people who are feeling less lazy may take a trip to the store. It’s not that the grocery store is so far. There are three grocery stores within a ten minute walk from here. I’m working an evening shift tonight and I want to sit on my bum until it’s time to go.

So I was craving spaghetti con aglio et olio today. That’s pasta with garlic and oil. It’s typically made by browning the garlic and a bit of crushed red pepper, then adding some cooked pasta with EVOO, and topping it all off with some fresh parsley. Out of all of these ingredients, what I did have on hand was the garlic and the EVOO, so I took matters into my own hands.

In an attempt to lower my carb consumption, I haven’t been buying much pasta. Since I’m not on a paleo diet, I do eat whole grains, but I can’t help but feel suspicious about brown rice that cooks in eight minutes. That’s not to say that I would refuse to eat brown rice pasta in an event that calls for actual noodles, but if I can opt for something more natural, I’ll do just that. Luckily, I had organic zucchini on hand. I used cayenne pepper instead of crushed red pepper, and dehydrated parsley flakes instead of the fresh alternative.

Improvised Zucchini Con Aglio et Olio (vegan, paleo)

Ingredients
2 zucchinis
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dehydrated parsley flakes
A bit of oil for frying

Directions
Using a mandoline or a ton of patience, julienne the zucchinis into strips no thinner than 1/8 inch.

Heat a bit of oil over medium heat. Add in the garlic. Toss around until it becomes nice and brown. Add in cayenne pepper and toss for another 30 seconds. Throw in the julienned zucchini and the olive oil. Cook for another minute or two, just enough to soften the zucchini a bit without making it turn mushy. Add in the parlsey flakes and toss to spread evenly. Turn off the heat and serve.

Makes 1 serving

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo (vegan, paleo)

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Healthy pasta alternative: spaghetti squash alfredo

I’ve started to do some meal planning. It’s interesting to come up with as many meals as I can. I make a list of them, and every week, I pick a few things to make out of it. We buy what’s on sale and freeze it to save some money. There are  some naturally inexpensive meals that can be made.
One spaghetti squash gives me at least three large portions. Add a $1 zucchini, a package of mushrooms for $2.50, and a can of coconut milk for $1.50 and I easily have dinner for the two of us and lunch for at least one of us the next day. That’s definitely cheaper than all the Indian food we used to order.
If anyone has affordable dinner ideas, I’d love to know them!

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo (vegan, paleo)

Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
1 can full fat coconut milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, chopped
1 8oz package sliced mushrooms
Oil for frying

Directions
Preheat oven to 375F.

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Place flat side down on a baking sheet and cook for 40-45 minutes. It’s ready when you can easily insert a knife into the outer layer. With a fork, take out the spaghetti strands and pour them into a large bowl.

In a saucepan, heat oil and garlic over medium heat, tossing the garlic around. When it’s nice and brown, add in the mushrooms and the zucchini. Cook them to your liking and then pour the coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Add in the spaghetti squash and toss to coat nicely.

Daal Soup

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If you’re getting tired of reading about how much I love Indian food, I thank you, because that means that you’ve read at least a couple of my posts. Whenever I go to an Indian restaurant or order take out from one, I make sure to order a daal soup. I initially thought it was made from red lentils (they turn yellow when cookied) but I couldn’t figure out how to get the texture.

Before we met, my partner and I both had the same favourite restaurant. We were both regulars there, so the first time that the owner saw us together, he seemed happy for us. Everytime we’re in, he comes to our table for a few minutes to catch up with us. Last time we were there, I chose that moment to ask him about daal soup. So there you have it.

Daal Soup

Ingredients
2/3 cup split yellow moong lentils
6 cups water
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground ginger
4 tbsp chopped cilantro
Lemon to garnish

Directions
Combine everything but the cilantro and lemon in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer for at least 45 minutes, then turn off heat. Use a wire whisk to squish the lentils at the bottom of the pot.

Pour into serving bowls and add 1 tbsp chopped cilantro and a slice of lemon. Squish the lemon with your spoon to let out some of the juices. Makes 4 servings.

Pudla (Vegan Chickpea Flour Pancakes With Veggies)

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When I went to see my naturopath last week, she told me that I need to eat more protein with breakfast. Because breakfast is a rare occurrence around here, I wasn’t surprised to hear that. While I do try to make overnight oats for any day that I start work at 8 or earlier, I always seem to think I’ll have time for breakfast with later shifts. But who am I kidding… I did do some research and found this thing called “pudla”.

Forums are loaded with good ideas, though those ideas don’t all work for me. Pudlas, however, seem to work well for me. They’re chickpea flour based vegetable pancakes from Indian origin. I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned how much I love Indian food, but I LOVE IT. Oh what? Half my recipes are Indian food? Oh, I guess I must have mentioned it before!

To be honest, I have no idea if my pudla recipe is anything close to the real thing. I found guidelines for making these pancakes and I added the spices with inspiration from onion bahji. If you don’t have fennel seeds, you can skip them, but it brought these savory pancakes to a whole new level.

Chickpea flour pancakes (pudla)

Pudla (Vegan Chickpea Flour Pancakes With Veggies)

Ingredients
2 cups chickpea flour
1 tsp each: baking soda, salt, turmeric, cumin powder
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 medium sized white mushrooms, sliced
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
Oil for frying (optional)

Directions
Combine the dry ingredients. Mix in the wet ingredients. Add the veggies.

Heat a bit of oil (if using) in a frying pan over medium heat. Pour a quarter of the batter into the pan and spread evenly. When the top looks like it’s not liquid anymore, flip the pudla over and cook for another couple of minutes. Makes 4 pancakes.

Mushroom Risotto (vegan)

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I love trying new things in the kitchen. I recently went to a nice vegetarian (or vegan?) restaurant downtown Ottawa. They served us an amazing 5 course meal, but what stood out the most was their truffle risotto. Ever since, I’ve been dreaming of risotto.

Since I more or less like to stick to my budget when cooking, making truffle risotto at home isn’t ideal. The day before making this meal, my veggie broth was still in the freezer. I went to the mini-mart by my place to pick up some veggies and hopefully some broth. It turned out they didn’t have any gluten free broth, so I had to push back the risotto-making by one day while the broth thawed. Because it’s a mini-mart, my veggie options were quite restricted. I ended up settling on mushrooms and green onions.

This meal is great served with wine. Hopefully, you’ll still have some wine leftover from making the risotto – that is, unless you wanted to take several sips of the wine to make sure it tasted okay before cooking with it.

Mushroom Risotto

Vegan Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients
1 bunch green onions, chopped (white parts only)
Package white mushrooms, sliced (8oz/227g)
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups veggie broth
2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast

Directions
In a small to medium saucepan, warm up the broth. It doesn’t have to be boiling.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the green onions and mushrooms, tossing occasionally until brown, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and toss to coat until it starts crackling. Pour in the white wine. When it’s almost completely absorbed, add the broth in 1/2 cup increments, letting it absorb almost completely before adding the next 1/2 cup. This will ensure the risotto comes out nice and creamy.

When all the broth has been added and absorbed, turn off the heat and add the nutritional yeast. Cover and let it sit for a few minutes before serving. It will become creamier. Makes 2 servings.

Vegan Quinoa Lentil Stew

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Quinoa lentil stew

Today is one of those days I’m glad I have some food on hand. I have a final exam in the evening, and I don’t really feel like cooking. I made this quinoa lentil stew a few days ago, and I still have a bit left. It’ll be my tasty last minute bite. My brain is too fried to provide you with my usual update and/or background story to the meal, so, enjoy!

Vegan Quinoa Lentil Stew

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
1 cup red lentils
5 cups veggie broth
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 zucchini, quartered and chopped
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika

Directions
Combine quinoa, red lentils, and broth in a medium to large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add in the carrots and spices. Simmer for 15 minutes and add in the mushrooms and zucchini. Simmer for about another 15 minutes, until all the veggies are soft.

Carrot and Zucchini “Spaghetti” with Spinach Pesto

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Just recently, I ordered the Jamie Oliver All purpose 3-in-1 Peeler to help me finely julienne veggies. My mandoline makes the pieces too big to use as a replacement for pasta, and reducing my carbs isn’t such a bad idea. It took me an entire zucchini to figure out how to use it properly (do I ever feel silly), but now that I know how to use it, it’ll make my life so much easier. The peeler comes with a regular peeler head and a soft fruit peeler. I suppose I’ll probably end up using them at some point, but the real reason I purchased it was for the julienne head.

I had a lot of spinach in the fridge that was threatening to go bad, and I didn’t want to throw it out. I really enjoy pesto, but pine nuts are out of my budget. For this recipe, I opted for pumpkin seeds. Surprisingly, it’s hard to notice the difference. This makes me wonder about the necessity of spending $7 for a small container of pine nuts.

This meal is good detox food. The garlic is particularly cleansing, and the use of spinach, pumpkin seeds and raw veggies takes it that extra step further. You may want to reconsider this meal if you’ll be interacting with people though. It’s not exactly low on garlic. Or eat it with some green tea, and swish some mustard around in your mouth after.

Carrot and Zucchini “Spaghetti” with Spinach Pesto

Ingredients
2 large carrots
2 large zucchinis
3 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
3 cloves garlic (I used 4, it was too much)
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste

Directions
Julienne the carrots and zucchinis into a large bowl. Place the rest of the ingredients in a food processor. Process until it’s reached the desired consistency. Pour it over the julienned veggies and toss until well mixed.

Detox salad

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The people around me must be getting tired of hearing about this detox I keep talking about. Unlike lots of other detoxes, it’s not harsh, and doesn’t work by depriving your body of its essential nutrients. The idea is to cut out toxins by going vegan, gluten free, sugar free, and alcohol free for a week, and to eat organic as much as possible. During that week, you eat foods with detoxing properties. Here is the link to the website.

This salad is more than some side dish. The quinoa provides protein, making this a full meal. For added protein (and tons of other nutrients), you could even sprinkle some hemp hearts on there, but I prefer to use hemp hearts in places where I won’t taste them as much.

Instead of cooking one cup of quinoa by itself, I made the salad at the same time as the cilantro lime quinoa, which is also good detox food, and which will keep in the fridge for a few days as well. The good thing about quinoa is that you can make enough of it over the week end and keep eating it for most of the week without having to constantly cook more.

Detox Salad

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, lightly packed
4 large leaves kale, ribs removed
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 cup cooked quinoa – for raw, soak overnight
1 tbsp + 1 tsp (4 tsp) raw apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. It will be good for at least three days in the fridge (provided that your greens aren’t already at the end of their lives).

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Christina Najjar - Natural Nutrition

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