Real Girl Food Recipes

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, drain and reserve liquid 

2 T. roasted unsalted sunflower seeds

approx. ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)

½ tsp. sea salt

1. In blender, put in sunflower seeds and on highest setting, grind until fine. 
2. Add ⅓ can of chickpeas and about 2 T. of brine.  Puree.
3. Add salt and ⅓ of chickpeas, puree.  Add more brine if too dry.
4. Repeat with last of chickpeas and add brine to keep hummus creamy.
5. Add sun-dried tomatoes and blend until tomatoes are incorporated.

To make sandwich, toast whole grain bread.  Spread on hummus and top with thin red onion slices.  Pop under broiler until onions begin to soften.  Top with fresh tomatoes and carrot matchsticks and drizzle on balsamic glaze.

Left-overs Stuffed Tacos

Ingredients:

Corn tortillas

Leftover rice, beans, sloppy joe crumble, chili, tofu, etc.

Sweet corn, frozen

Fresh greens such as spinach

Tomato

Green onions

Tajin seasoning or chili powder

Garlic powder

1. In toaster oven, toast 3 tortillas until beginning to crisp.  Take out and using wire cooling rack or oven rack, curl tortillas into taco shape and place between the bars of rack to hold shape.  Allow to cool.  Repeat for each serving.
2. Chop your tomato, slice your onions and season with the Tajin about ¼ tsp. per ½ cup of veggies. Add some frozen sweet corn to your taste.  Add same ratio of garlic powder.  Stir well.
3. Reheat your leftovers and stuff your cooled tortillas.  Add in your fresh greens and top with fresh salsa.

If you do not have a toaster oven you can get the same results in your oven using the broiler.  Watch tortillas carefully to prevent burning.  

Spring Greens Salad Mix-Up

Ingredients:

Spring greens mix, best if purchased at your Farmer's Market.  This is generally one of the first things available locally in the spring.

Red onion, sliced very thin 

Granny Smith apple cut into thin slices

Red pepper cut in thin sticks

Tomato cut into wedges

Matchstick carrots

Cucumber, sliced thin

Frozen edamame, defrosted in microwave 

1. Lay on a dinner plate a layer of spring greens.
2. Add a layer of thin cucumber slices.
3. Red onion rings in a layer next.
4. Granny Smith slices, next.
5. Red pepper sticks.
6. Tomato wedges in a circle.
7. Carrot matchsticks in center.
8. Sprinkle edamame over the layered salad.

I blend together Maple Groves Fat-Free Raspberry vinaigrette and Trader Joe's Fat-Free Balsamic vinaigrette to make the dressing for this.  Ratio of 1 T. of each per serving.

Pea Hummus

Ingredients:

1 C. frozen peas, defrosted

¼ c. canned white beans, drained

2 T. fresh lemon juice

1 small clove garlic, minced

¼ tsp. cumin

1. Using a food processor, add all and pulse until creamy.
2. Taste and adjust seasonings.

I made mine in a blender just because I was lazy and didn't want to get out my processor.  To serve, I toasted slices of whole grain bread and then cut each slice into 4 sticks.  I spread on the hummus very thick and garnished with a thin slice of granny smith apple and 1 slice of pink pickled sushi ginger.  You could also garnish with peas shoots and pickled carrot.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:

Fresh brussel sprouts, washed, remove ends and halved

Balsamic vinegar

Bragg's Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper, aluminum foil or silpat sheet.
3. Lay Brussel sprouts cut side down on cookie sheet.
4. Pour over the sprouts ¼-⅓ cup balsamic vinegar.
5. Drizzle with 2 T. Bragg's or soy sauce.
6. Roast for 10-12 minutes then turn sprouts over.  Roast for an additional 10 minutes or until tender crisp.  This will depend on the size of your sprouts.

I like to baste the sprouts with juices or drizzle balsamic glaze on them at end.  You should have a nice toasted brown surface on the cut edge of the sprouts.