Quinoa-Lentil Salad…A Salad that Fills You Up

June 3, 2014 by Holly 10 Comments

Are you looking to add more salads to your menu? I can help you with that! This Quinoa-Lentil Salad will fill you up AND taste great! If you don’t have quinoa you can substitute cooked brown rice.

I prefer to cook the quinoa and lentils ahead of time and toss this together in a few minutes. If you still need to cook your quinoa and lentils don’t worry, it only takes about 20 minutes. You can chop veggies while you wait. I add various veggies depending on what I have on hand but this is my basic recipe.

Quinoa-Lentil Salad

serves 1

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooked lentils (seasoned with a little garlic and onion powder)
1/2 cup cook quinoa (or substitute cooked brown rice)
2-3 cups mixed greens or your favorite lettuce
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup diced cucumbers
1/8 cup diced red onions

Do

If desired, heat (seasoned) lentils and quinoa.
Fill a large bowl or plate with greens/lettuce/
Dump lentils and quinoa over greens, then top with diced veggies.

Serve

I love this salad with equal parts lemon juice and red wine vinegar (1 Tbsp each) but it is also delicious with my other oil-free dressings. Try the popular Sweet & Tangy Salad Dressing or the new Creamy Italian Salad Dressing that my pickiest kid eats with a spoon!

For more salad inspiration check out my Salad Board on Pinterest! I’ll be adding lots of new salads and oil-free salad dressings this summer. You don’t want to miss them!

Filed Under: Main Dish Recipes, Recipes, Salads & Wraps Tagged With: Lentils, Plant Based Diet, Quinoa, Recipes, salads, Unprocessed, Vegan

Vegan and Gluten-Free Taco Muffins

April 17, 2014 by Holly 17 Comments

I love Tacos! There, I said it. I’m willing to bet that you love tacos too. What I don’t like is the mess my kids make every time they eat them. These Vegan and Gluten-Free Taco Muffins may just be the solution we’ve all be looking for.

If you’ve ever tried my Lentil Tacos then you will see where I’m going with these delicious, hearty muffins. Before you start doubting Taco Muffins let me ask you, have you ever had meat loaf or a faux beanie loaf? Taco Muffins are not that far of a stretch. You can even use a mini loaf or a full loaf pan but I haven’t tried it, yet.

I want to make sure you understand from the beginning that these are savory, taco flavored muffins. My teenage son that I was just being clever and had quite a shock when he took the first bite. I don’t know what he was expecting but he couldn’t stop eating them. My 3 year old devoured most of them over 2 days. I had to cut him off. I got a couple and put one in the freezer to experiment.

Taco Muffins (gluten-free and vegan)

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 cup Brown Rice Flour
1/2 cup Potato Flour
1/2 cup Tapioca Flour
1 tsp xanthum gum
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp each of garlic powder, sea salt, onion powder and cumin
1 1/2 cups unsweetened plant milk
1/2 to 1 cup water
8 oz tomato sauce
Lentil Mix (1 1/2 cup cooked lentils; 1 tsp each of garlic powder, sea salt, onion powder; and 1/2 tsp cumin)

Preheat oven to 350° and prepare muffin pan. I spray with a light coat of spray oil.
In a small/medium bowl make Lentil Mix by combining lentils and spices together then set aside.
In a large bowl mix flours, xanthum gum, spices, baking soda and baking powder and mix.
In a separate bowl or large measuring cup mix liquids.
Pour liquids into dry ingredients and stir with a sturdy spoon. Add more liquid as needed. Mine was clumpy so I used a potato masher to help.
Spoon in a small amount of batter into muffin tin, just enough to cover the bottom.
Then dump the Lentil Mix into the remaining batter in the mixing bowl and stir well. Continue filling muffin cups.
Bake for 25 minutes.

Serve these muffins while slightly warm, or straight out of the fridge if you have leftovers. They are equally good the next day and don’t need anything added. These are perfect for lunch boxes or to take to soccer games.

I haven’t tried making wheat versions yet but it’s not my list. I think you could also use a gluten-free flour mix if you don’t have these flours available.

This post contains affiliate links.

Filed Under: Bread & Muffin Recipes, Life with Kids, Main Dish Recipes, Mexican Food, On the Go, Recipes Tagged With: gluten free, Healthy, Lentils, Mexican Food, On the Go, pantry staples, Plant Based Diet, Recipes, Vegan

Hearty Lentil & Barley Stew

December 10, 2013 by Holly 7 Comments

Baby it’s cold outside! Don’t worry, this Hearty Lentil & Barely Stew will warm you right up.

This stew contains gluten but you can use rice or quinoa in its place for a gluten-free option. The potatoes, carrots and celery along with the lentils and barley will provide plenty of fuel for shoveling snow or chasing your kids.

Hearty Lentil & Barley Stew

Ingredients

3 cups water
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp Dry Veggie Broth Mix
1 carrot, chopped
2 small potatoes (with skin on), chopped
1/4 cup dry (uncooked) barley
3/4 cup cooked lentils (or 2/3 uncooked)

Add all of the ingredients to a pot and cook over medium heat.
Cook until barley is soft, maybe up to 45 minutes. Add more water water if necessary.

Serve

This is delicious with crusty bread and a side salad.

What is your favorite winter stew?

Filed Under: Recipes, Soups, Stews, & Chili Tagged With: Barley, Frugal, Healthy, Lentils, Plant Based Diet, Soup, Stew, Unprocessed, Vegan