Adapted from www.savvyvegetarian.com

• 2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1/2 medium sized onion, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped (white part)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• pinch cayenne
• 8 oz. unsalted tomato sauce
• 1 3/4 cups vegetable broth
• Pepper and salt to taste

Preparation

1. Saute the onion over medium heat until onion starts to become translucent.
2. Add the garlic to the onion and saute a few more minutes until the onion is translucent and garlic is turning golden.
3. Add pinch of cayenne.
   
4. Add quinoa and stir constantly for 3 - 4 minutes.
5. Add tomato sauce and vegetable broth stirring occasionally until mixture begins to boil.
6. Add salt if needed - veggie broth and tomato sauce may already be salted.
7. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes
8. Turn heat off and let sit for 5 - 10 minutes

Adapted from http://eatdrinkbetter.com

• 15 ounces white (canellini) beans
• 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped and steamed
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, mixed with equal part water
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon Thyme
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Combine all of your wet ingredients, mash slightly with a fork and set aside. In a food processor, grind up all of your dry ingredients until they all resemble breadcrumbs. Mix the dry in with the wet ingredients. Now for the fun part: dig your hands in and mash everything up. Form the mixture into 3 or 4 patties, depending how big you like them.
2. Coat your skillet with cooking oil and put the heat on high. Cook your patties two at a time, for about 3-6 minutes, depending how hot your oil is (and how “well done” you like them). Flip with a spatula and repeat on the other side. Once they’re nice and dark brown, set them aside on a paper towel to cool.
3. Serve on a whole wheat bun or in a pita.  If you like, you can spread warm marinara sauce on the bun.
   

From www.cookbooks101.com

• 2 cups white quinoa, rinsed well
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• a few splashes of extra virgin olive oil
• 3 - 4 medium/large potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 large yellow onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 cup toasted nuts
• 1-2 cups lightly cooked asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch segments
• another splash or two of good olive oil

Preparation

1. Bring the quinoa, water and salt to a boil in a large thick-bottomed pot. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the quinoa opens up revealing a little spiral and is soft and pleasant to chew. If there is any remaining liquid at this point, drain it off and set the quinoa aside.
2. Warm a splash of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the potatoes and a couple pinches of salt. Toss to coat the potatoes and cover for a few minutes to allow the insides of the potatoes to sweat and cook. Uncover, toss again, then cook a few minutes longer (uncovered) until the potatoes start to get some color. Continue tossing every few minutes to get more color and crispness. When they are cooked through and pleasantly crunchy, season to taste with salt and scoop out onto a plate. Set aside.
3. In the same skillet (no need to clean) warm another splash of oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes or until they soften up a bit.
4. Toss the quinoa with a splash of olive oil. Serve each bowl of quinoa topped with potatoes, onions, nuts and asparagus. Alternately, you can toss everything together in one big bowl and serve it up.

From www.101cookbooks.com

• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• fine grain sea salt
• 1 small onion or a couple shallots, sliced
• 1 cup chickpeas
• 8 ounces extra-firm tofu
• 1 cup of chopped kale
• 2 small zucchini, chopped
• zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil In a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in a big pinch of salt, the onion, and chickpeas. Saute until the chickpeas are deeply golden and crusty. Stir in the tofu and cook just until the tofu is heated through, just a minute or so. Stir in the kale and cook for one minute more.
   
2. Remove everything from the skillet onto a large plate and set aside. In the same skillet heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, add the zucchini and saute until it starts to take on a bit of color, two or three minutes. Add the chickpea mixture back to the skillet, and remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and zest, taste, and season with a bit more salt if needed.
   
3. Turn out onto a platter and serve family style.

From www.eatingwell.com

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 bone-in chicken breasts (about 12 ounces each), skin removed, trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, quartered
• 2 large carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 small onion, halved and sliced
• 1 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary
•  14-ounces reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry red wine, preferably Zinfandel
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Place flour in a shallow dish. Cut each chicken breast in half on the diagonal to get 4 portions about equal in weight. (Two will be smaller but thicker, the other two larger but thinner.) Sprinkle the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and dredge in the flour. Whisk water with 2 tablespoons of the leftover flour in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add the chicken. Cook, turning once or twice, until lightly browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan; reduce heat to medium-low. Add mushrooms, carrots, onion and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Add broth, wine, tomato paste and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir until the tomato paste is dissolved. Bring to a simmer.
4. Return the chicken and any accumulated juice to the pan. Cover, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring once or twice, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving plate.
5. Increase the heat under the sauce to medium-high. Stir the water-flour mixture, add it to the pan and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Serve the chicken with the sauce, sprinkled with parsley.

Adapted from www.eatingwell.com

• 1/2 cup Shao Hsing rice wine
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 pound water-packed seitan, drained, patted dry and broken into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 4 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced

Preparation

1. Whisk sherry (or rice wine), water, brown sugar, lime juice, hoisin, cornstarch and salt in a small bowl.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add seitan; cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, peanuts, and ginger. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots and bell peppers, and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
3. Whisk the sauce and add to the pan; stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the sauce is thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
   

From Grandma Joan (sh'e also provided information and serving suggestions)

• 1 container low sodium salsa/or 1 can low sodium diced tomatoes
• 1 onion/or one bunch green onions, chopped
• A lot of celery, chopped
• 5-7 kinds of beans, canned or frozen
• 2 handfuls of nuts
  

Preparation

1. Take a medium to large bowl and dump in a container of salsa or a can of diced tomatoes.
2. Cut up onions (green ones are especially yummy) and a lot of celery cut up in “squares”  Dump into bowl. (Celery is rumored to be the only food that burns more calories to digest than the calories it actually has.)
3. Pick out 5 or 7 or so types of beans either canned or frozen. (I look for cans that say 50% less sodium. I put them in a colander and rinse out the liquid and a lot more sodium.  I usually use frozen baby lima beans, Edamamie (soy) beans and green peas because you can buy a smaller amount at a time and the Edamamie beans are kind of expensive, but important because they are a complete protein.) Cook for a few minutes, drain and throw into the mix.
4. You can also add nuts (Yummy!   I like walnuts, but cashews are unbelievably delicious in there. Of course look for no salt added.)
   
5. This is already delicious, but you can add to the mix or individually add to your serving, raspberry vinaigrette (my favorite) or balsamic vinegar.

½ cup is a good serving size for me, but I always want more.  Any fresh veggies can of course be cut up and added. Also cranberries, blueberries or cut up mandarin oranges.

This concoction keeps well for several days in the fridge.

Green salad: Toss some in a green salad.

Soup: make a liquid of Vegetable broth, a little bit of golden cream of mushroom soup, water and a little bit of vinegar, or you could add more of the salsa or canned tomato.

Put it in a bowl and heat in the microwave. You could add pasta, rice or croutons. I haven’t done this yet, but you could make a casserole with pasta or rice added. You can take it to work or school in a small plastic container.

Bon appetite!

Adapted from www.allrecipes.com

• 1 butternut squash, halved and seeded
• 2 large onions, peeled and quartered
• 1 medium head garlic
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup coconut juice

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. Place squash halves and onion onto the prepared baking sheet. Wrap garlic in foil and set with other vegetables.
3. Roast in the center of the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until the squash is tender. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
4. Squeeze garlic cloves out of their skin like paste into a food processor. Scrape the flesh from the squash and place into the food processor along with the roasted onion. Puree until smooth. Add vegetable broth if necessary. Transfer the pureed mixture to a stockpot and stir in vegetable broth. Season with the bay leaf, brown sugar, curry powder, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt.
5. Remove bay leaf and serve hot.

From www.eatingwell.com

• 6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon five-spice powder, (see Note)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
• 3 oranges
• 12 cups mixed Asian or salad greens
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 cup slivered red onion
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine 1 teaspoon oil, five-spice powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Rub the mixture into both sides of the chicken breasts.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts; cook until browned on one side, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn them over and transfer the pan to the oven. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 165°F), 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board; let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, peel and segment two of the oranges, collecting segments and any juice in a large bowl. (Discard membranes, pith and skin.) Add the greens, bell pepper and onion to the bowl. Zest and juice the remaining orange. Place the zest and juice in a small bowl; whisk in vinegar, mustard, the remaining 4 teaspoons oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the salad; toss to combine. Slice the chicken and serve on the salad.

From www.eatingwell.com

• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup plain dry breadcrumbs, divided
• 2 cups finely chopped tomatoes
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon chili powder, hot if desired, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 avocado, diced

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mash black beans and cumin with a fork in a large bowl until no whole beans remain. Stir in corn and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs. Combine tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and salt in a medium bowl. Stir 1 cup of the tomato mixture into the black bean mixture.
3. Mix the remaining 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, oil and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon chili powder in a small bowl until the breadcrumbs are coated with oil. Divide the bean mixture into 8 scant 1/2-cup balls. Lightly press each bean ball into the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake the croquettes until heated through and the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir avocado into the remaining tomato mixture. Serve the salsa with the croquettes.