Quinoa Wild Rice Veggie Bowl

Can you tell that I like quinoa? Actually we all do and it's so stinkin good for ya, that we eat it often! It's great for alkaline meals, and quinoa is also a complete protein! For this dish, I used this stuff:

Sprouted rice & quinoa. Pretty good stuff! You can definitely boil separate pans of rice & quinoa if you can't find it or just don't want to. :)

Quinoa Wild Rice Veggie Bowl
2 1/2 c sprouted rice & quinoa blend
4 1/2 c filtered water (I add vegetable broth powder to this for added flavor)
Simmer 25 minutes, and then take off burner and let it steam for 10 more.

1 small onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, shredded
1 pepper, diced finely
coconut oil
Warm oil in pan and add onion and pepper. Saute about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds or so). Add carrots last. Mix and then turn off burner. Add 2 t cumin, a few dashes of cayenne pepper (or more), sea salt & pepper to taste. Mix well.

After quinoa blend has cooled some, add the above mixture to it. Add vegetables of your desire (I added 1 1/2 c diced raw broccoli). Then add 1 small bag of non-GMO frozen corn, juice of 3 limes, 1/2 c or more chopped cilantro leaves. Mix well. Taste and see if you need more sea salt. It can be eaten warm, cold and at room temp. This was a huge hit!

Quinoa & Veggies

Quinoa & Veggies
1 1/2 c quinoa, soaked for several hours and rinsed well
3 c filtered water
1-2 c frozen (non-GMO) corn
1 red pepper, diced
1 avocado, diced with a sprinkle of sea salt (if your fam loves avo, increase to 2. I had to hide this in my salad to I stuck with 1)
sprouts of your choice
herbs of yours choice (cilantro & dill are good. lemon thyme is a new one that would be very tasty!)
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1 T olive oil
2 T low sodium tamari
1 T brown rice vinegar

Bring water to boil and add quinoa (and 3/4 t vegetable broth powder if desired). Simmer about 10-15 minutes and drain. Set aside to cool a bit. Combine with all but last 4 ingredients in a bowl. Blend last 4 ingredients together and pour over quinoa mix. Stir until combined well. Yummy cold, at room temp, or with quinoa still warm.

Overnight Blueberry Oatmeal

Make the night before. We actually had it for dinner on a busy night, and then again for breakfast the next day.

Overnight Blueberry Oatmeal
1 1/2 c rinsed steel cut oats
1/2 t ginger
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t sea salt
1 t baking powder
dash of vanilla or almond extract
4 c unsweetened almond milk
2 c unsweetened coconut milk
(or just 6 cups of your favorite dairy-free milk)
sweetener of your choice. I added raw honey, about 1/4-1/2 c
1 1/2 c fresh blueberries
1/4 c dried blueberries
1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 pan and combine all ingredients except last 3. Carefully stir in remaining ingredients and pour into pan. Bake for 1 hour. Remove and let cool, then place in fridge overnight (mixture will thicken overnight).

Blueberry Sauce
2 c fresh blueberries
dash of water
Heat over medium high heat until it sizzles, and turn down the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, mashing blueberries against side of pan.

Serve oatmeal with a bit of milk and sauce. Add any other toppings you would like (i.e. nuts, chia seeds, coconut, etc.)

Raw Sauerkraut

I have never liked sauerkraut until I found this recipe, compliments of Beauty Detox Solution. It is so easy to make, and my 7 year old and 1 year old ask for it regularly. It is cram-packed with probiotics, and I eat it every day for easier digestion as well as other health benefits.
Now, I usually make 2-3 heads of cabbage at one time, but here is the basic recipe.

Raw Sauerkraut
1 head cabbage, reserving a couple outside leaves intact.
sea salt
caraway seeds
filtered water
1-2 quart jars, lids and rings

Put cabbage through food processor. (I've tried just chopping this, and we don't like it as much.) Toss with sea salt and caraway seeds, maybe 1/2 t each? Mix with hands. Dip jars, lids and rings in boiling water. Pack some cabbage in jar, push air out with fist and continue packing until there is about 2 inches from the top. ****MAKE SURE THERE IS AT LEAST 2 INCHES OR IT WON'T WORK!!
Fill with filtered water to the top of the cabbage. Take the outside cabbage leaves and roll up to fill up any air between cabbage and lid. Put lid and ring on and screw tight. Store in a dark cool place for 4-5 days until bubbly. Remove the large leaves, screw lid back on and place in fridge. This is good for 1 month. Eat 1/2 c daily before meal.

Here is a video with instructions. If you get Kimberly's new book, there are a few different renditions to this, for new flavors! :)

Summer Taco Salads

Becky's Taco Salad
1 LARGE bowl
2 large heads romaine
fill the rest up with spinach or another favorite green
1 large cucumber, diced
other salad veggies (peppers, tomatoes, radishes, etc...)
2-3 large handfuls non-GMO tortilla chips, crumbled
1-2 c black beans
chopped cilantro, to taste
1 small jar of salsa (or make your own!)
Mix all together and serve. If you like avocado, slice and put on the side.

Mexican Caesar Salad
1/4 c crumbled feta cheese
1/3 c roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3+ T lime juice
2 c crumbled organic blue tortilla chips
1 large avocado, diced
2 large heads romaine lettuce, rinsed & chopped (we put ours through a salad spinner
1/2 c sliced 365 Everyday Value Jumbo Pitted Black Olives, optional
Any other salad veggies you want to add.
Mix all together. Add lime juice as desired. We put a plate of lime quarters on the table and let the kids squeeze what they want on their salads. Fresh & nice on a hot day. :)

Mango Pancake Topping & NEW Salad Dressings

Do you see this???

This is the face of Dad and Daughter....fighting over our new favorite pancake topping: MANGO! Mangos are in season right now and so yummy when you cut open a ripe one. I put 2 or 3 in my blender, added less then 1/4 cup (maybe 1/8?) Sucanut (or a smidge of agave or honey would be good) and blended until smooth. Mango doesn't need much sweetener if it is ripe already. Such a great addition to our coconut pancakes!

We have also discovered a few new favorite salad dressings.

Homemade Ranch 

1 t parsley

3/4 t ground black pepper

1 t sea salt

1/2 t garlic powder

1/4 t onion powder

1/8 t thyme 

I actually quadrupled this and have the mix in my spice cabinet anytime I want to add a little ranch flavoring to something I am making....without the MSG and chemicals. 

Add to buttermilk or 1 c almond milk with 1 T fresh lemon juice, veganaise (if you want it thicker), or whatever else your little creative heart desires. :)

Basil is so easy to grow! We have 3 basil plants and use it every day in something! Try growing your own and save some money! :)

Basil Parmesan Dressing

3⁄4 c basil leaves
1 c oil (2 Tbsp. flaxseed, the remainder olive) 
1⁄2 c (or less) Parmesan cheese
1⁄4 c balsamic vinegar
3 T white wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic
1⁄4 t freshly ground pepper
1⁄4 t sea salt
Blend all ingredients in a high-power blender. Let flavors blend in fridge for a few hours, if desired.

Sweet Basil Dressing

Juice from 1 lime

1 c fresh basil leaves

4-5 leaves stevia (or a dash of powdered)

1 clove garlic

1 T water

2 T olive oil

1/4 t sea salt

Blend on high until smooth. This is pretty watery because it is lower in oil, but packed with flavor! I love how fresh it tastes!