La Costena Salsa Verde

My latest not-so-guilty pleasure. Cheap, spicy, and healthy. I could probably eat this stuff daily (and nearly do). I buy the little cans but it also comes in jars.

4/5

Bulgar Salad

Last night I had a bag of bulgar and the desire to experiment, and what I came up with was delicious. This bulgar salad is tabouli-esque, but had slightly different flavors.

Ingredients:
Water
2 cups of bulgar (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/3rd red onion, finely diced
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 a seedless cucumber, diced
3 shredded baby carrots
3/4 tbsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
1. Take the bulgar and soak it in 2 cups of water for an hour.
2. After the bulgar has been sitting for an hour, take the bulgar, vegetables, and spices and combine them in a glass or ceramic bowl.
3. Top with the lemon juice and stir well. Cover and r

Roasted Pepper and Olive Tapenade

Tapenade is a provencial dish, typically containing finely chopped olives, capers, and olive oil. It is popular in the South of France, spread on breads as an appetizer.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large red bell peppers, halved
2 large yellow bell peppers, halved
1/3rd cup roughly chopped black olives
1 tbsp capers, drained
Pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Toss the peppers with enough oil to coat and bake for 35 minutes. Peel the skins off the peppers and chop them.
2. Put the peppers, olives, capers, and pepper in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Let the tapenade come to room temp before serving with crostini.

Corn-Quinoa Salad

Packed with complete protein and healthy carbs, this tasty salad is a great light-yet-filling side option. Tip: try leftovers in lettuce wraps for a quick lunch.

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (equal to 2 ears)
1.5 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup finely chopped red cabbage
1 cup diced cucumber

Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon
juice
3tbs maple syrup
1tbs dijon mustard 1tsp salt

Directions:
1. Bring quinoa, salt, and 1.5 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to med-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Set aside, covered, for 10 minutes
2. Rinse and drain corn and stir together corn, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumber, and quinoa in a bowl.
To make the dressing just blend all dressing indredients until smooth and stir into the salad. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Perfect Pancakes

This recipe for Perfect Pancakes comes from the Vegan Brunch cookbook.

Ingredients:
1 and 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsps canola oil
1/3rd cup water
1 cup of plain soymilk
2 tbsp of maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Heat a skillet over medium heat
2. Mix the ingredients
3. Cook for 3 minutes on each side until bubbles form. Serve hot and top with syrup or fresh fruit.

Apple-Cinnamon Granola

The subtle spices in this granola bring to mind old-fashioned apple pie, making it a great snack for the transitioning weather.

Ingredients

1/4 cup plus 2 cups rolled oats
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup dried apples, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup Apple Syrup*
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. 1. Place 1/4 cup of oats in a food processor and pulse once. Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. 2. Combine liquid ingredients in a small bowl and then add to the dry ingredients. 3. Stir well and spread the mixture onto a lined baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes, mixing occasionally. Remove and let cool.

*Apple Syrup: In a heavy bottomed saucepan, bring 2 cups of apple juice to a simmer and then reduce to medium-low heat. Add 1 cinnamon stick, halved. Cook for 15 minutes and remove stick. Cook for 15 more minutes and let cool.