Tasty taters

photos by pwisenberg

Hello everyone and happy Thanksgiving! Since I finally have time to breathe and relax a bit this weekend, I thought I'd share a recent recipe. I made this mish-mash of a dish on a chilly Tuesday night and it wound up being so flavourful that I felt it deserved to be shared! The star ingredient were the baked sweet potatoes that I seasoned with oregano and paprika. These hearty tots are perfect when cut into thick wedges and served on a bed of bright quinoa salad.

Baked sweet potato wedges and quinoa salad
Serves 4

Baked Potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by preheating your oven to 450 degrees. Place 2 large sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and prick with a fork. Bake for about 45 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and slice into thick wedges. Sprinkle generously with oregano, paprika, sea salt and coarse black pepper.

Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup baby spinach

While the potatoes are cooking, add quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water to a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for around 15 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Sautee until soft and slightly golden. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, dijon and remaining olive oil. Add in the warm quinoa, cooked veggies, walnuts and tomatoes and toss it all together. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the potato wedges over a bed of  warm quinoa and baby spinach for a healthy meal that I guarantee will leave you with a very happy belly!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone xo

On the road

photos by pwisenberg & i

Hi all!

Today I am one happy birdie and here's why: Tonight, two of my very best girlfriends are coming to visit. There will be vodka spritzers, tear-inducing fits of laughter (there always are) and late-night whispering/giggling. Tomorrow, I get to enjoy dinner with my parents (it's been ages) and on Saturday, Paul and I leave with a friend for an epic cross-Canada road trip! We will be driving west for about 5 days until we end up in Vancouver where I hope to enjoy the scenery and scope-out some good vegan eats. Early next week, we're visiting family in Victoria, B.C. and then heading to Ottawa to hopefully find an apartment for the fall when I'll be starting law school (eek!). It's going to be a whirlwind but I cannot wait!

When we decided to do the road trip, I immediately wondered what the heck I would eat for 5 days in car, travelling through a lot of rural countryside, no less. So, I did what I always end up doing- I packed my own food! I made scrumptious "cheesy" Daiya bites, two types of quinoa salad, and an incredibly addictive trail mix. Hummus and veggies will also be along for the ride as will peanut butter (perhaps my biggest weakness), jam, whole grain bread, plenty of fresh fruit and, duh, potato chips!

I apologize in advance for the upcoming lack of posts and I hope you're all having a wonderful summer!

Robin xo

Cookie monster

photo by pwisenberg

If that's not an up-close and personal photo of a cookie, I don't know what is! But trust me when I say, if you're gonna get intimate with a cookie, this is the one to choose. They basically include everything you'd want in a dessert (heck, in a meal!) all in a couple of tasty bites. They are made from quinoa, coconut, banana and chocolate chips. Now, you all know I am quite the quinoa lover, but I never would have thought to use them in a cookie before. I adapted the recipe from this book by Peggy Kotsopoulos, a gift from my friend, and fellow-vegan, Lindsay. She raved about these cookies and yesterday morning's gloomy weather provided the perfect opportunity to finally bake up a batch. So that's it folks, a simple cookie that's just sweet enough to satisfy your cravings, and just nutritious enough to go back for another. Or two.

Quinoa cookies
Makes about 2 dozen 

4 ripe bananas
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup uncooked quinoa flakes
1 cup shaved coconut
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Begin by preheating your oven to 380 degrees. In a large bowl, add the bananas and mash them until smooth. Stir in the vanilla, quinoa, quinoa flakes, coconut and sugar until well combined. Add in the chocolate chips. Take a nibble, just cause. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add tablespoon-sized drops of the batter. Free-form is good, the more rustic, the better. Bake for about 14-18 minutes, until still soft, but crispy around the edges. Delish!

On another note, I am headed back to New York this weekend and I can't wait! We're doing another road trip with friends and so far plans include strolling through Central Park, checking out the Brooklyn Flea, trying my first ever vegan soft serve and, of course, going back here and here. Please let me know if you have suggestions for places to visit, shop or eat!

xo robin katherine

The Hot Plate

Guys- I'm on a cooking show! And not just any show, but The Hot Plate, a popular internet show hosted and produced by the two lovely ladies, Amanda and April. This was my first foray into cooking on camera, so excuse my sporadic shifty eyes and awkward smiles. But hey, I tried, right? AND this quinoa recipe of Amanda's is so delicious, I'll definitely be adding it to my repertoire.

Please have a look and share your thoughts!

Robin xo

Brighten up

photo by me

I have a slight obsession with both quinoa and hummus, so why did I never think to combine the two before? This was a little salad I came up with for lunch yesterday and it was as good as I had hoped. Be sure to add a touch of olive oil to the quinoa one it has cooked so it doesn't dry out. Other than that, add whatever veggies you have on hand and a generous dollop of delicious hummus! Almost too easy, right?

Easy-peasy quinoa salad with hummus
Serves 2

1 cup quinoa cooked with 1 1/2 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp hummus
1/4 cup each of cucumber, tomatoes and bell pepper
1 tsp fresh dill, chopped
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Add quinoa and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all of the liquid has absorbed. Toss quinoa with olive oil and fresh dill. Top with hummus and veggies. Lastly, season everything with salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Good eats!

Keen on quinoa

photos by pwisenberg

If you know me at all, you know I'm a huge fan of quinoa (today's veritable "it-girl" of health foods). This little gem of a recipe is a staple in my house and can be varied slightly by adding whatever fresh veggies you have on hand. For me, the red quinoa paired with the bright green soy beans creates the perfect combination of both texture and colour. Besides that, I usually go nuts with the other ingredients- the more colour the better! The lemony-dill dressing with a hint of garlic ties the whole thing together and the dish winds up light, crisp and totally tasty. And so, my little birdies, I'm thrilled to share the recipe for my super-fantastic-never-let-you-down rainbow quinoa salad.

Rainbow quinoa salad
Serves 4-6

2 cups red quinoa
2 cups frozen shelled soy beans (bring to a boil, simmer for 4 minutes, drain, season)
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 or 2 tomatoes, diced
1 large carrot, peeled into ribbons
1/4 red onion, finely chopped

Lemon-dill dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
1/2 clove garlic, grated
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
zest and juice from 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Add quinoa to 3 cups water and bring to a boil (tip: the best ratio for cooking perfect quinoa is 1 1/2 cups liquid for every 1 cup of quinoa). Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 17 minutes. Take off heat and let stand a couple minutes before adding additional ingredients. Meanwhile, prep soy beans and fresh veggies. Next, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing. Once quinoa has cooled, combine it with the beans, bell pepper, tomatoes and onion. Dress the salad and top each serving with a swirl of cheerful carrot ribbons. Can be enjoyed warm or cold, yum!

P.S. Don't be afraid to go back for seconds (read: thirds), because this baby is guilt-free!