This technique makes creating a mid-day lunch or dinner snack easy. It also helps with creating a variety in your meals.
What I like to do is put various toppings together into containers and add the salad dressing too. Ideally, choose any ingredients that you would like to marinate in the salad dressing. For me, this is everything other than nuts and soft lettuces, but I will add kale and cabbages because they are tougher lettuces.
Toppings in this photo: beans – edamame and chickpeas, fresh sweet corn, zucchini, artichokes, bell peppers and olives.
There are so many vegetable toppings for you to choose from. For more ideas visit the FREE DOWNLOADS page to get access to the “Delicious – ‘No Fail’ Salads” Guide. Also, check out these delicious oil-free salad dressings.
Tex-Mex is my favorite without a doubt. I really enjoy corn tortillas, and my preference is organic corn tortillas. Yet, it’s so difficult to find organic corn tortillas or the right organic corn meal (masa) to make my own tortillas (still looking though). But this tortilla recipe is just as satisfying. It’s very mild tasting so it would make a good wrap for anything you wish to put inside.
The original recipe is from Elavegan, but when I didn’t have any chickpea flour I decided to try fresh, cooked chickpeas instead – and it worked!
As you may already know, I live in Texas. Houston has been my home for my entire life. (Actually now I live in Pearland, but if I just drive for 5 minutes I’m back in the Houston areas.) Therefore, it should be no surprise that my favorite dishes are “Tex-Mex” combinations which include lots of beans, rice, salsa, guacamole, corn, grilled onions, etc. Yeah, I know, you might be thinking…”What about the cheese?” Well I don’t eat cheese anymore, (gasp), and I don’t miss it one bit.
This is my chance to add a little nutrition/health info…so I’m going to do just that.
I grew up eating cheese and many dairy products (ever heard of Borden milk and Blue Bell ice cream?) I never imagined my life without cheese/dairy. But about a decade ago, when my allergies had become unbearable…I decided to test the theory that perhaps the milk and cheeses were causing most of my issues…and that was exactly the case.
But, since that’s the only change that I made during that time and the fact that I haven’t been bothered by seasonal allergies since then….well one thing is for sure – the milk and the cheeses didn’t agree with my body. I had these issues since a small child and they disappeared when I took milk and cheeses out of my diet. The relief that I now experience makes up for any losses I initially felt when I gave up dairy.
For you – Do you battle seasonal allergies? If so, I suggest that you try changing your diet by removing dairy from your diet. You will know in a matter of weeks whether it’s had a positive affect.
I won’t try to explain the science behind it all. Just some basic principles. I talk about this more in the online courses and in some of the nutrition blog posts too. Here is the recipe:
Polenta is a corn-meal porridge. You can top polenta with anything you like which makes it a delicious options for breakfast, lunch and even dinner.
Polenta is identified as a yellow corn-meal. The way it’s process produces a more whole form of what many know as grits and contains 6 g of fiber. ( The most popular form of grits only have .7 g – yet I believe there is a white corn that can be used to create white polenta “grits” which reserves the whole kernels.
If cooking on the stove-top it takes about 30 minutes. Use 1 cup of polenta to 6 cups of water.
But I prefer the much easier option of using an Instant Pot. This recipe makes 4 – 6 servings.
Ingredients:
1 cup polenta
6 cups water or broth
Vegetable Toppings: (in photo)
`1 bell pepper
2 stalks green onion
8 ounces mushrooms
4 ounces cherry tomatoes
4 cups spinach
Salt, pepper and crushed red pepper (optional)
Directions: (for Instant Pot)
Add polenta, water and sprinkle with a little salt (optional) into Instant Pot and stir.
Cook for 10 minutes (manually set or use ‘Rice’ button).
After time is up, Press ‘Cancel’ to switch to ‘Off’ and allow natural pressure release (usually 10/15 minutes).
Stir to combine water and corn-meal. Using a whisk makes this easier.
Cooking Vegetables:
Heat griddle or pan on stove-top.
Add 1 tsp of oil and/or 2 TBS water to the pan.
Add all vegetables except for spinach and stir-fry (stir-steam) until desired tenderness, sprinkle with seasonings of choice.
Remove vegetables to a plate, turn off heat, add spinach and allow to wilt. (Adding a bit of water to create steam will help spinach wilt.)
Serve by adding polenta to a dish and topping with the vegetables.
This is my go-to recipe for breakfast (in addition to a morning smoothie which I usually have while cooking pancakes). Notice there aren’t any sweeteners, gums or extra fillers in this gluten-free recipe. Just the basic ingredients and I enjoy them with unsulphured molasses, a touch of maple syrup and cold-pressed flax seed oil (an optional boost of Omega-3’s).
Ingredients: 1 cup buckwheat flour 1 cup millet flour 2 TBS ground flax seeds (can add up to 4 TBS) 2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice) 2 cups nut milk (or water will work just as well) 2 tsp baking powder
Directions:
Heat a hot griddle or skillet over low to medium heat.
Mix all ingredients together well, except for the baking powder
Allow to sit about 2 – 3 minutes for the flax seeds to help bind the mixture. (The ground flax seeds is a plant-based substitution for eggs.)
Add a bit more nut milk or water to attain the consistency needed to pour the pancake batter onto a griddle.
Add baking powder and mix slightly. ( You can add another tablespoon of water to help the powder dissolve easily.)
Add just a touch of oil if needed(I prefer coconut oil when needed) to your griddle or skillet.
Cook the pancakes. (They should be easy to pour from the bowl and form round circles on the cooking surface. If not, you can use a spoon to spread a bit or add more liquid).
Note: I make my own buckwheat and millet flours using a Vitamix grain container that has a specific blade for grinding grains.
Suggestion: Mix all the dry ingredients together and store in an airtight container. To use, add liquid of choice in 1:1 ratio of dry mix. Allow to sit for 1 minute. Then, if using, add lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Cook on hot griddle.
I needed a quick meal and this is what I came up with. It’s a one-dish meal that’s easy to prepare. See notes below for optional add-ins and suggestions.
Ingredients:
1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped and broken into small bits
1/2 cup frozen collard greens
1/4 medium onion
1/2 small green bellpepper
1 clove garlic
1 can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups of cooked rice (I used Basmati rice)
1/2 cup of frozen peas
Suggested seasonings: onion powder, garlic powder, dash of cumin, salt and pepper (to taste)
Add cauliflower, onion, bell pepper and garlic to a pot.
Saute using a bit of coconut oil or steam saute (using a bit of the coconut milk) until onions become translucent
Add all of the coconut milk and continue to cook vegetables until they are well-cooked. (I cooked in my Instant Pot for 5 minutes, 4 would have been enough.)
Add cooked rice, frozen peas, cashew cilantro cream sauce (if using) and other seasonings to your desired taste.
Notes:
I think next time I will add some mushrooms and perhaps a bit of wild rice too. Some celery might be a good addition too…and lentils/chickpeas (my favorites).
It’s a whole, plant-based dish that is easily adaptable to accommodate everyone in the family. In my family, vegetable dishes are the main meal and meats are side items.