Quick recipes for shorter days
Why is it that I love to cook and yet find myself writing about “quick” recipes? Because I know that not everyone shares my crazy passion about handling fresh produce and standing for hours in the kitchen preparing meals that are consumed in a matter of minutes, and that’s OK. My larger passion is about aiding people in the direction of eating more fresh local fruits and vegetables, so if supplying quick nutritious recipes supports that passion, I am in.
I have just finished cleaning up after tonight’s dinner and it was a simple and fast one. It is Sunday. Sundays are busy days here as we have two of our young grandchildren all day and not a lot of time for food prep. I have been eating gluten-free for the past 10 months and tonight’s dinner had gluten-free noodles made from mung beans. Interesting texture and a very mild, non-beany flavor. I sauteed a whole bunch of chopped garlic (two whole heads, to be exact) in olive oil, added a bag of organic frozen broccoli and cauliflower and then added some leftover sauteed mache and mustard greens with garlic. When the noodles were tender I tossed it all together. Lots of protein, gluten-free, nutritious and easy. We also had corn on the cob. Because it is in season and we must have it every day in some fashion when it is in season. It is not worth eating out of season. Period.
So, here are a couple of other favorite meals for those in a hurry to get out of the kitchen. The ingredient amounts are approximate because when I am preparing something with speed in mind I am not measuring, necessarily, but tasting and adjusting as I go along.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
serves two to four
1 or 2 medium-to-large sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks about 1/2-inch square
2C cooked black beans (or one 15-ounce can)
1/2C finely chopped red onion
2C chopped lettuce greens
1C of your favorite salsa
Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce
corn tortillas or wraps
non-dairy shredded cheese or sour cream (optional)
Steam the sweet potato in a small amount of water until almost tender, drain and add the beans to the pot and heat just until warmed through. You want the potato to maintain its cube shapes and not get mushy so don’t overdo this part. Add the onions.
Heat the tortilla in a dry hot skillet. Place some of the potato-bean mixture on it with some lettuce and salsa. Add hot sauce to taste. Top it with some non-dairy cheese or sour cream if you like. Wrap it up and enjoy.
Peanut Noodles
8 ounces soba noodles, cooked according to package directions
1-2C frozen shelled edamame, sweet peas or broccoli florets
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/4-inch slice fresh ginger, peeled
1/2C peanut butter, smooth or chunky
1-2 T tamari (soy sauce)
1T brown rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar if you don’t have rice vinegar)
1-2 squirts of Sriracha or another hot sauce
1T toasted sesame oil
hot water to blend
While the noodles are cooking, place the garlic and ginger in a blender and process until finely chopped. Add peanut butter, tamari, vinegar and sesame oil with about 1/2C of hot water and blend until smooth. Add a little hot sauce and taste to see if you want to add more. If the sauce is too thick, blend in more hot water. It will thicken as it sits.
Place the frozen vegetables of your choice in your strainer and when the noodles are cooked, pour them into the strainer over the frozen veggies. This will thaw them enough to use. Place noodles and veggies in a bowl and pour the peanut sauce over and toss to combine. This is a meal in a bowl and is a great leftover. You don’t even have to reheat it! It’s a perfect candidate for the next day’s lunch bag.
Betsy Naselli owns The Holistic Lifestyle Company in the Syracuse area. www.TheHolisticLifestyleCompany.com
The Atlantic Chapter encourages you to move toward a plant-based diet to protect the environment, human health and wildlife, and to make better use of natural resources. To learn more and receive more recipes, contact the Biodiversity/Vegetarian Outreach Committee at LDESTEFANO3@twcny.rr.com, (315) 488-2140 , 5031 Onondaga Rd., Syracuse, NY 13215-1403; or go to www.newyork2.sierraclub.org/conservation/biodiversity.