Power Up!

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you, I'm seriously about to burst. We're talking Energy Balls, friends--and darn good ones at that.

These little treats may be smaller than a golfball, but they sure pack a powerful punch. Forget your Lara Bars. Toss that granola out the window. Today's recipe will give new meaning to your mid-morning snack.

I discovered these little gems on Kat's blog--a mere week after I tested (and devoured) her Peanut Butter Cups. I call 'em Energy Balls because they're the perfect post-workout fuel and they definitely give you the energy needed to power through work until your lunch break.

Best of all, with only 1 tablespoon of honey, they're short on added sugar. Yet, miraculously, they also satiate my sweet tooth. Bonus points!

Enough talk. You need some energy, and I've got just the solution...

Energy Balls

(recipe adapted from Kat's at Keep n' the Faith)

These bite-size energy treats will give you just the pre- or post-workout fuel you need. They also serve as the perfect after-work snack...or crumbled on top of banana soft serve.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted (unsalted)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 1/3 cup cooked quinoa
• 2 - 3 TBSP ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup almond or peanut butter (I actually used 1/4 cup almond butter and 1/4 cup peanut butter)
• 1 TBSP honey
• splash of vanilla extract

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. Add more dry or wet ingredients if needed to reach your desired consistency. Roll into balls and eat up :)

Throw-it-in-the-Pot Dinner

Have you had a crazy day lately? A crazy week perhaps?

Home late in the evenings? Brain completely drained, and your cooking creativity out the window?

It's weeks like this that I dream of collapsing on the couch with sweatpants, banana soft serve, and my Glee re-runs on Hulu. Unfortunately, by the time I made it to this point last night, I was fast asleep before the first Gwyneth Paltrow song had been sung.

*Sigh*

But wait! There's good to come of it all...

During these times, I'm uber-grateful for throw-it-all-in-the-soup-pot dinners. Adam cleaned our cabinets of quinoa, jarred tomatoes, veggie broth, and some frozen veggies. He seasoned the pot with curry and fresh ginger, and placed a steaming bowl in front of my bags-under-my-eyes face.

Boy, do I love that man.

Eat up friends. Maybe tonight I'll make it to the first Glee ballad.

Throw-it-in-the-Pot Curried Quinoa Dinner
(an Adam original)

Since this was a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of recipe, I urge you to get creative and use whatever YOU have in YOUR cabinets. Stick with the quinoa-curry base though...it's oh so very good.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups veggie broth
• 1/2 cup raw cashews, toasted
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 inch ginger, minced
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 TBSP mustard seed
• 2 cans (15 oz. each) stewed tomatoes
• 2 cups frozen edamame or peas

Directions:

1) In a small saucepan, combine quinoa and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce head to low and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed.

2) Meanwhile, saute the onion, garlic, and ginger with a dash of olive oil--over medium heat--until softened.

3) In a large soup pot, combine the cooked quinoa, the onion mixture, and all of the remaining ingredients. Allow to simmer until the liquid has been cooked down and absorbed--about 20 minutes.

Time Travel to Summer

Citrus flavors remind me of summer: picnics, sunshine, and eating on the porch. Pass me some lemonade and sunscreen, and rev up the lawn mower. The sweet senses of summer are just around the corner.

What, you may ask, brings summer (and citrus) to mind in the dead of winter? Why would I write about a summer-time dish...while I'm buried under a blanket on the couch, wearing my snowflake pajama pants?

Try Citrus Quinoa Salad. This big salad rocked my summer-loving world--I found myself mentally time-traveling to July with every bite.

This summer-in-the-winter dinner dish pairs sweet clementines with savory seasonings like cumin, coriander and cilantro. And don't forget the avocado. Oh, the creamy, buttery avocado (did you ever taste a more buttery vegetable?).

With this salad, enjoy the taste of summer in the dead of winter. Time-traveling to July is just what we need when snow covers the ground.

Citrus Quinoa Salad

(recipe adapted from Cooking Light)

The dressing for this salad is truly a show-stopper--it makes the dish, so don't even think about substituting with a store-bought variation. Try adding toasted nuts for an additional punch of protein.

Dressing Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. grated orange rind
• Grated lemon rind from one lemon
• 3 TBSP fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1 TBSP fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• sprinkling of paprika
• A drizzle of olive oil (about 1 TBSP)

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1 - 3/4 cup water
• 3 - 4 clementines, coursely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 firm avocado, chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

Directions:

1) Whisk together dressing ingredients until well-combined; set aside.

2) Place quinoa and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa is fully cooked (about 10 - 15 minutes).

3) Combine quinoa with vegetables. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture and stir to coat. Close your eyes and imagine it's July...and you're sipping a margarita with your bowl of Citrus Quinoa Salad...on the beach.

Quinoa Burgers

Quinoa + Garlicky White Bean Dip = Extraordinary Veggie Burger Awesomeness...times ten.

I kind of went over the top with that one, didn't I?

These little patties just blew my mind though. I loved the surprising addition of quinoa, which kicked up the protein content supremely. And using Garlicky White Bean Dip as a binding agent? Pure brilliance, I tell you.

Tonight, we devoured these patties burger-style: loaded up with all the fixins' on a whole wheat sandwich thin (don't forget the avocado slices). And to top off the vegan-licious-ness of this dish, we used leftover Garlicky White Bean Dip as a spread for the buns. Tomorrow, these babies will transform into a crumbly mix-in for my lunch salad.

And yes, I'm one of those people whose office perpetually smells like garlic. I practically wear the stuff as perfume.

These burgers are dairy-free and vegan-happy, but if you're craving some cheesy goodness, a slice of white sharp cheddar melted on top would suit just fine.

(Psssst...If you're looking for more meat-less burger ideas, check out my Greek White Bean Burgers or Vegan Veggie Burgers).

Quinoa Vegan Burgers
(adapted from this recipe from the Savvy Vegetarian; makes about 6 patties)

These burgers are "soft" in nature, meaning they don't form a firm patty as you may be used to with other veggie burgers. Feel free to up the "filler" content (e.g., whole wheat flour perhaps) to make a firmer patty.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa (we used red quinoa)
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup Garlicky White Bean and Pine Nut Spread (or about 1/2 cup of your favorite hummus)
• 1 TBSP tomato paste
• 2 TBSP ground flaxseed
• 1 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• Optional: a dash of whole wheat flour to bind/firm the mixture
• Burger fixins' (tomato, spinach leaves, avocado slices, pickle, and extra white bean dip)

Directions:

1) Super Easy! Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mash/mix until thoroughly combined and you are able to form patties. Refrigerate for about 1 hour (if you have time. I didn't, so I skipped this step)

2) Form into 6 patties. Heat a dash of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook patties for about 3 - 4 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Serve with your burger fixins' or over a spinach salad.

The Moose is Always Right

Well, the Moosewood is always right.

I do believe the Moosewood Collective compiles some of the most creative, classic, and fantastic vegetarian recipes out there. Unfortunately, their cookbooks have been collecting a little dust on my shelf for the past few months, and they've been feeling a bit neglected. As such, I decided to salute the Moosewood Collective this week with a week's worth of dinners from their cookbooks. Neglected no more!

Tonight's recipe, "Quinoa Pine Nut Pilaf," comes from my favorite of their cookbooks: "Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites." This was my first purchase amongst their cookbooks (a solid 3 years ago), and it boasts over 300 recipes for unique and healthy breads, soups, sandwiches, pastas, entrees, desserts, and much more. Needless to say, the pages are covered with smudges, stains, and other evidence of my somewhat messy cooking skills. If you're looking for a starter Moosewood with especially healthy options, try this baby first :)

As for tonight's recipe, who doesn't love quinoa? With pine nuts? And veggies? Holy yum. We served ours with Herb and Cheese Muffins (recipe, of course, also hailing from the Moosewood).

Geez. I'm starting to sound like a sales-woman.

Rock on, Moosewood. I promise to keep you at the front of the cookbook stack from now on.

What's your favorite cookbook right now?

Quinoa Pine Nut Pilaf

(adapted from a recipe found in the Moosewood Restaurant's Low-Fat Favorites)

This recipe is just fine and dandy on its own, but if you require some sort of vinaigrette on your grain salads, try a simple mix of red wine vinegar, olive oil, honey, and a pinch of salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 yellow or red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 cup quinoa (we used red quinoa tonight)
• 1 - 2/3 cup broth (veggie or chicken)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 - 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 cup frozen edamame
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Directions:

1) In a heavy saucepan, saute the onions and garlic in the oil over medium heat until softened (about 4 -5 minutes). Add the bell peppers, cumin, and coriander, and saute for an additional 5 minutes until softened. Add the quinoa and broth to the saucepan, cover tightly, reduce heat, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Stir in basil, corn, and edamame, and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until quinoa is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed.

2) Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in pine nuts.