Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

I love Spring Rolls.  So fresh and great for summer since you don't need to heat anything up!  And since we've been in the upper 90s all week that is a very good thing!  Plus they are so versatile.  You can load them up with whatever you like.  Make sure you get the rice papers and not the egg roll wrappers.  Egg roll wrappers are usually fried or baked after rolling while the rice paper for spring rolls is just soaked for a few seconds in hot water to get it soft and pliable.  No need to bake or fry.  Make as many or as few as you'd like.  Just prepare enough veggies accordingly.  Spring Roll Wrappers last indefinitely in their dry state so you can use what you need and save the rest for later.  I got the peanut sauce recipe from my sister, Kirsten.  Enjoy!

Spring Rolls

Spring Roll Wrappers (Rice Paper)
1 block firm or extra-firm Tofu, pressed and then cut into thin strips
1-2 Tbsp. soy sauce
Greens:  spinach, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, Napa cabbage, etc. -washed, dried, and torn into strips
Herbs:  fresh cilantro leaves, fresh basil leaves, fresh mint leaves-washed, dried and coarsely chopped
Veggies:  Carrots, cucumber, snow peas, mushrooms, bean sprouts, broccoli slaw, red onion, green onions, etc. -cut in very this strips (except snow peas which I just leave whole.)


-Press tofu to remove moisture.  Cut into thin strips.  You can optionally pan fry the tofu (and then sprinkle with soy sauce) to get a crispy outside but I usually skip this.  Sprinkle with soy sauce and set aside.  


-Fill a pie plate or wide bowl with hot water. Immerse rice paper in warm water for a few seconds to soften them up just until soft but still flexible (work with one rice paper at a time, being gentle as they break easily when brittle). Remove from water and place rice paper on a kitchen towel and let rest approximately 30 seconds until it's more pliable.  


-Arrange greens, herbs, veggies and tofu on bottom 1/3 of rice paper.  Make sure the ingredients are evenly spread out from one end to the other.   


-Pressing down on the filling with your fingers (pressing down on the ingredients is particularly important because it tightens the roll), fold the bottom end of the sheet (side nearest you) over the top of the fillings and roll into a cylindrical shape halfway.


-Fold the left and right sides inward and complete rolling the remaining half (If rice paper is too dry to seal, moisten unsealed edges with a little more hot water). Transfer summer roll to a plate, seam-side down, and cover with dampened paper towels. Make additional roll in the same manner.

-To serve, halve rolls on the diagonal and place the rolls upright on your serving platter. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces.  For an appetizer, serve one or two halves per person. As a main course, serve at least six halves per person.  

Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup sweetener (whatever you like to use-sugar, honey, agave, etc.)  You might not need all the sweetener so start with half the amount and then add as desired.
1/4 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy work, I kind of like crunchy for the added crunch)
3 tbs soy sauce
5 tbs water
3 tbs cooking oil
1 or 2 cloves freshly pressed garlic cloves


In a small saucepan combine sauce ingredients, heat and stir until dissolved.

Zucchini Crumb Muffins

My kids were asking for doughnuts one Saturday morning.  I made these instead and you know what?  They were just as happy!  Seriously!  Even though they had zucchini in them and the only sugar in them is in the crumb topping.  They loved them.  The muffins themselves are only sweetened with the one mashed banana so if you think you'd like something a little sweeter you could always add 1/4 cup of your favorite sweetener: brown sugar, agave, honey, sugar, maple syrup, etc.  You could also add 1/2 tsp. salt if that's what you like.  For the crumb topping I didn't really use a recipe.  I just mixed until it was nice and crumbly.  I think this is pretty close to the proportions I used.  You just want it to be crumbly.  This recipe made 24 muffins.

Zucchini Crumb Muffins

3 Tbsp. ground flax
9 Tbsp. HOT water
2 cups shredded zucchini, packed
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
3 cups whole wheat flour

Crumb Topping:
4 Tbsp. Earth Balance, softened
3-4 Tbsp. flour
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. wheat germ
1 tsp. cinnamon

Whisk ground flax with HOT water and set aside.  Mix applesauce, banana, and zucchini.  Add flax mixture.  Mix well.  Add vanilla.  Combine flour, soda, baking powder and spices in separate bowl.  Stir into zucchini mixture.  Spoon batter into muffin cups.  Sprinkle a spoonful of crumb topping onto each muffin and very lightly press into muffin.  Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes.  Muffins will be very moist but a toothpick inserted in middle should be clean when they are done.

Cheesy Bean Casserole

I was feeling like some Mexican food the other night but I needed it to be quick and easy to make and I needed it to be creamy.  This is what I came up with.  I used this Cheese Sauce Recipe.  I added a bit of turmeric powder to make the "cheese" yellow but you definitely don't need to.  If you do use it, remember a little bit goes a long way!  This was totally delicious and everyone loved it!  We had it with some fruit salad and a green salad.  So good!

Cheesy Bean Casserole

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chopped tomatoes, do not drain
1 cup salsa
1 cup frozen corn, optional
corn tortillas, torn into quarters
Cheese Sauce recipe (below)

Combine beans, tomatoes, salsa and corn in a bowl and set aside.  Make cheese sauce.  Cook until just starting to get thick.  Spray bottom and sides of  a 2-3 quart casserole dish.  (Not quite enough to use a 9x13.)  Cover bottom of dish with tortillas torn into quarters.  Spread half of bean and tomato mixture over tortillas.  Spread half of cheese sauce over beans.  Place torn tortillas over cheese layer.  Finish with remaining bean/tomato mixture, cheese sauce, and then one last layer of corn tortillas.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  Uncover and spray top layer of corn tortillas with cooking spray or brush top with olive oil.  Bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Serve with chopped olives, salsa, cilantro, etc.

Cheese Sauce

1 cup water

2 small cloves of roasted garlic
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp. tahini (the larger amount makes it "cheesier")
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp. rolled oats
1 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick.  (For this recipe you want it to be more on the "thin" side.  Watch it carefully.  It thickens very quickly!)

Raw Cashew Dreamcake

I found this recipe on My New Roots.  Not only is this cake pretty and colorful (especially on her blog), it is sooo yummy!  Put this one on your Easter menu people.  And make it a time or two before and then again after.  OK...make this whenever you want because it's easy and tastes so good!  A couple things to say about this recipe though.  I don't know what her 9" springform pan looks like but apparently not like mine!  In her picture her layers are nice and thick and you can see that mine are definitely on the thin side.  (Which also made it a bit tricky to spread evenly.)  Still delicious but thin.  So if you have a normal size springform pan and you want it thick then you're going to have to double the filling recipe.  I should have known when I had to double my crust recipe.  I plopped the first batch in and thought, "There is noooo way this is going to cover the bottom of this pan!"  So I made up another batch and it was just right.  Also, a tip for spreading the crust into the pan is to use a plastic measuring cup.  No matter how greased up your hands are, all they will do is stick to the crust.  So use a plastic measuring cup.  Also she used raspberries but my grocery store had fresh blackberries on sale for 99 cents!  Oh so delicious.  There are other variations you could do with this recipe.  Just check it out on My New Roots.  Enjoy!


*A friend of mine made these in mini-muffin tins instead of the springform pan for individual servings.  She just stores them in the freezer and pulls out what she needs.  Perfect for snacking.  I've been making them like this lately, too, and I actually prefer it this way.  So easy to put together.  You don't even have to make the layers if you don't want to (althought I really like doing it with layers.  Makes them so pretty!)  Just blend the berries in with the main batch.  That makes it even quicker to throw these together.  Save the springform pan for when you need it to look like a fancy dessert. :)  Thanks for the great idea, Jen!  

Raw Cashew Dreamcake

Crust:
1/2 cup raw almonds (pecan or walnuts will also work)
1/2 cup soft Medjool dates (about 6-8 depending on size)
¼ tsp. sea salt

Filling:
1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours, overnight is best
juice of 2 lemons
the seeds of 1 whole vanilla bean (or 1 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla extract)
1/3 cup raw coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup raw honey (solid or liquid.)(Vegans use agave nectar.)
1 cup raspberries (thaw completely if using frozen)

Directions:

1. Place nuts and dates in a food processor with sea salt and pulse to chop until they are to your desired fineness (process a finer crust longer than a chunky one). Test the crust by spooning out a small amount of mixture and rolling it in your hands. If the ingredients hold together, your crust is perfect. Scoop out crust mixture in a 9” spring-form pan (if you don’t have a spring-form pan, use a pie plate lined with saran wrap, or use mini muffin tins or regular muffin tins), and press firmly, making sure that the edges are well packed and that the base is relatively even throughout. Rinse food processor well.

2. Warm coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan on low heat until liquid. Whisk to combine.

3. In the most powerful food processor / blender you own (you decide which one has the most torque) place all filling ingredients (except raspberries) and blend on high until very smooth (this make take a couple minutes so be patient). If you have a Vita-Mix, absolutely use it.

4. Pour about 2/3 (just eyeball it, you can’t make a mistake!) of the mixture out onto the crust and smooth with a spatula. Add the raspberries to the remaining filling and blend on high until smooth. Pour onto the first layer of filling. Place in freezer until solid.

5. To serve, remove from freezer 30 minutes prior to eating. Run a smooth, sharp knife under hot water and cut into slices. Serve on its own, or with fresh fruit. Store leftovers in the freezer (what leftovers?).

Quinoa Salad

I LOVE this salad.  It is so refreshing.  I got the recipe from a friend of mine.  She just mentioned that she was making Quinoa Salad one day as we were picking up kids from Cub Scouts.  Just from the name alone I had to have the recipe...and she delivered a few days later.  Then we had a recipe exchange and guess what she made?!  Quinoa Salad!  It was as heavenly as I thought it would be and I was only sorry that I had to share with six other people in my family.  Yes, even my little one-year old loved it.  So I made up a double batch for us!  I told the kids they better get used to this recipe because it's going to be a main attraction this summer!  Go ahead, make yourself up a batch!  I think it's best to make it ahead of time so the flavors have a chance to really mix.  Serve cold!

Quinoa Salad

1/2 cup uncooked Quinoa
1 cup water or broth
1 cup diced red peppers
1 cup frozen corn, partially cooked
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
juice and zest of one lime
1/4 tsp. cumin
3 Tbsp. olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Rinse quinoa well under water.  Add quinoa to 1 cup water or broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 min. or until tender.  Chill in the refrigerator.  Add peppers, corn and cilantro.  Whisk lime juice, zest, cumin and oil and pour over the top.  Mix.

Beanball Subs

I apologize to those of you who already have this recipe from my friend Jen's blog, Belly Bites.  (And I think at least half of my readers link to me from her blog!  Thanks, Jen!)  But I must post this recipe so that I can make it again and again.  It was soo good!  Even with all of my mess-ups.  And believe me, there were a few.  It took me while to make sure I had all of the ingredients at the same time.  When I finally thought I was ready and began to make the beanballs I went to get my kidney beans out of my pantry and...I was OUT!  I'm NEVER out of kidney beans.  But after making 7 Shepherd's Pies in one day (for a frozen dinner exchange) I used them all up and forgot to replenish my stash.  Bummer!  I decided to use black beans instead.  They worked great so if you're ever out of kidney beans...black beans make a great substitute.  Just so you know.  I also forgot to put the olive oil in the beanball mixture.  Oops!  Didn't seem to make a difference so I might leave that out again.  I also just used marinara sauce from a jar instead of making the gourmet, and much more delicious I'm sure, recipe that goes with this.  I know this looks like a lot of steps and work but it really comes together quickly.  Jen says she always doubles her beanball recipe and freezes them for another time.  That would really speed the process up!  OK...here's the recipe!

Beanball Subs

1 recipe Beanballs {below}
1 recipe (4 cups) Marinara Sauce {below}
1 recipe Pine Nut Cream {below}
4 hoagie rolls, split open
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, well washed

Prepare the recipes of the first three components. (And yes, that means cook the beanballs as directed in the beanball recipe.  I had a question about that.)  Preheat oven to 350*F. Place (precooked) Beanballs in a casserole dish and top with about 1 cup of marinara and all of the pine nut cream. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until pine nut cream is lightly browned.

Spread more marinara sauce on one side of each roll and distribute the Beanballs evenly among the sammiches, layering the spinach leaves over them - it'll wilt some. Top liberally with more marinara sauce. Close your sammiches, slice in half on the diagonal, and serve.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Beanballs
1 (20-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons steak sauce or tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for frying or baking
2 garlic cloves, grated or minced finely
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat oven to 375*F.

Mash the kidney beans in a mixing bowl until no whole beans are left. You don't want them to be completely smooth, you should still be able to recognize that they are kidney beans. Add the soy sauce, steak sauce/tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the garlic, lemon zest, bread crumbs, wheat gluten, and herbs, and use a fork to mix everything together. Use your hands to kneed the mixture for about a minute, until everything is really well combined and firm.

Roll the bean mixture into walnut-size balls (I use a cookie scoop so they're all uniform). But don't make them too big; smaller makes for the best texture.

Grease a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil {i spray}. Place the balls on the sheet and then drizzle them with a little more oil, to coat {i spray a liberal coat}. Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom, then flip them and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven.

Time Saver: Double this up, freeze what you don't use. And have them quick and ready for another time.

Marinara Sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
a whole bulb of peeled roasted garlic, smooshed
roasted red pepper, chopped

Preheat saucepan over medium-low heat. Add water and garlic to steam-fry for about a minute until fragrant, being careful not to let it burn. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and raise the heat a bit to bring to a simmer. Add the roasted garlic. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the roasted red pepper and warm through.

Pine Nut Cream
1 pound soft silken tofu
1/2 cup pine nuts
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
1 garlic clove
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
white pepper

In a food processor, blend the pine nuts and lemon juice, scraping the sides with a rubber spatula, until a cream paste forms. Add the tofu, garlic, arrowroot, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Blend until creamy and smooth.

Wheat Berry and Navy Bean Salad

I love this salad!  So fresh and filled with yummy textures.  Wheat berries take a long time to cook and have to soak overnight so plan ahead!  I usually cook plenty of extra wheat berries so that I can use them for hot cereal the next morning.  You can just store them in a sealed container in the fridge and reheat in the morning.  Did you know that when mixed with legumes, wheat berries make a complete protein?  Cool!  You can find wheat berries at most health food stores.

Wheat Berry and Navy Bean Salad

Salad

1 cup dry wheat berries
2 cups canned white navy beans, drained 
1 long English cucumber, diced
1 large red pepper, seeded and diced
4 green onions, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing

2 Tbsp cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil (original recipe calls for 1/4 cup)
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp tamari
2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp hot mustard

In medium bowl soak wheat berries overnight in cold water. Drain wheat berries and place in saucepan; cover with 2 in. cold water. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, about 1 hour. Drain and cool. 

In large bowl, combine cooled wheat berries with beans, cucumber, red pepper, tomato, green onion, garlic, and parsley; season with salt and pepper to taste.

In small bowl make dressing by whisking together olive oil, vinegar, tamari, lemon juice, and hot mustard until well combined.

Toss salad with dressing just before serving. Serves 6.

Each serving contains: 400 calories; 20 g protein; 10 g total fat (1.4 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 65 g carbohydrates; 16 g fibre; 23 mg sodium

Source:  Alive   (Also called Back On Track Wheat Berry and Bean Salad on Oh She Glows)