Thai Peanut Quinoa Bowls

Thai Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

1c. peanut butter

1c. coconut milk

1/2c. fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)

1/4c. + 1Tbsp soy sauce

1/2c. agave nectar

garlic powder (to taste)

Sriracha (to taste)

Directions: 

Combine peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce and agave nectar. Whisk until smooth. Add garlic powder and Sriracha to desired taste. Serve however you desire. If you would like to know how I used it-continue reading. :)

Thai Peanut Quinoa Veggie Bowls

So, I went to visit some good friends in Atlanta this past weekend, and was lucky enough to enjoy some great food while I was there (enjoying the great company too of course!). The first place we went to was a place called R. Thomas http://www.rthomasdeluxegrill.net/ which had so much stuff on the menu that I wanted to try, that I thought my brain might explode. Luckily for me, that did not happen. I finally decided on their Thai Express bowl with tempeh, at the suggestion of my friend which he based on several yelp reviews he remembered stating that the Thai Express Bowl was delicious http://www.yelp.com/biz/r-thomas-deluxe-grill-atlanta. It was delicious! We also got the banana chocolate chip cake which was phenomenal as well!! How I now wish I was back there enjoying a piece of that cake right now... Ah well, back to my recreation. Well I got back late last night and I have been craving that bowl ever since I ate it on Saturday, so I decided I would make my own version, and hopefully it would tie me over until the next time I visit. So, here you go! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Ingredients:

1c. quinoa

2c. vegetable broth

about 1/2 c. thai peanut sauce for sauteing the vegetables (see recipe above) + additional amounts for each serving to be added by lucky eater to their own taste preferences (amount differs by taste level).

1 1/2c cauliflower florets (cut into small pieces)

1c. broccoli florets (cut up into small pieces)

2c. mushrooms (cut up into small pieces)

1c. snow peas (cut up into small pieces)

1/2c. red bell pepper

1c. carrots - julienned

1-2Tbsp H2o

salt and pepper to taste

Garnishments:

fresh lime juice

cilantro

green onion

Sriracha

peanuts

thai peanut sauce

Optional Ingredients:

tempeh

tofu

Beyond Meat chicken 

cabbage

onion
corn

Directions:

Rinse quinoa. Place in saucepan with vegetable broth and cook according to directions listed on the quinoa packaging.

Once the quinoa is cooked, set it aside. Steam the cauliflower and broccoli (separately) for a few minutes just to lightly soften them up a bit. Get a saute pan and place about 1-2Tbsps water and heat the pan on medium high heat. Once the water starts boiling in the pan, add the cauliflower and carrots. Saute for about 2-3 minutes. Add the broccoli, mushrooms and red bell pepper to the pan and continue to saute for about 2 minutes. Add the snow peas. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add thai peanut sauce to the pan and continue to saute for just a minute or so longer. Turn off the burner and take the quinoa you cooked earlier and add it to the vegetables. Mix well. Serve immediately with the garnishments listed above. Enjoy!

Mixed Berry Dump Cake

Mixed Berry Dump Cake

So...Dan said this was one of his favorite desserts of all time. He tends to make those statements a lot, so I am not so sure about the validity of that claim, but I gotta say I loved it as well. It was everything I wanted it to be. 

Most recipes online for dump cakes call for butter and pre made canned pie filling. In fact, the first time I tried it, it was made with canned cherry pie filling. It was good. But I thought using fresh or frozen berries would make it even better. Plus, I wanted to make it vegan so I found a substitute for the butter. I think you could make this will all sorts of fruit options, from cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, apples etc. Try different options.

I kind of forgot to get an after picture because we started devouring it immediately. Maybe when I make it again I can get an after shot-if we have more patience. :)

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix ( I didn't use the whole thing, but other similar recipes called for the entire box. I might try the entire box next time around)

1/3c.-1/2c. coconut oil or grape seed oil

4c. mixed berries of choice (I used strawberries and blackberries) 

2Tbsp sweetener of choice (sugar, agave nectar etc.) **Adjust level if needed for desired sweetness

Directions:

Cut up strawberries and blackberries, and place in a bowl. Toss in the sweetener and stir, and let it sit for 15-30 minutes to bring out their juices.

In a separate bowl combine the box of cake mix and the oil by hand or fork until you have clumps of batter. You could probably do this in your food processor as well, and just pulse it with the oil until you get the consistency of loose clumps. Start with 1/3 cup of oil and add more if necessary to get to 1/2 cup (reason I say this is I am substituting the oil for butter, and some people say it is 1:1 ratio, others say less) I used a little over 1/3 of a cup.

Lightly grease your crockpot. Place berries on the bottom. Dump cake mixture on top. Cover and cook on high for 2hours or low for 4hours.

Serve with ice cream if your heart desires.