"Heavenly'' Egg Salad

Before my pescetarian days, I used to frequent the Green Chef Deli in Sewickley ...no longer in business :( and always loved their ''Heavenly'' Chicken Salad which had a yellow curry base with chicken and red grapes. Here is my spin using eggs instead of meat, vegan mayo and apples.

(Makes 6 servings)

What you'll need:

- 8 Eggs

- Celery Stalk

- 1/2 Vidalia or red Onion

- 1/2 Apple

- Yellow Curry paste

- Mayonnaise (I use Earth Balance which is Vegan)

- Black Pepper

Place eggs in boiling water for 8-10 minutes. Peel off shell and cut into small cubes. Chop the apple, onion and celery finely. Place in bowl and mix with mayonnaise and a tablespoon or yellow curry (to taste), adding black pepper and salt as desired. 

Serve on top of salad or between toasted bread, adding spinach/ greens for an easy, flavorful lunch.

New Toy: Juicer

Organic Avenue, Juice Press, Liquiteria...juice bars have been continuously popping up all over New York City. I've become a huge fan of these places on mornings when I want an extra "kick" or to easily incorporate fruits, veggies and essential vitamins into my diet. With such common, natural, every day ingredients in the drinks, I decided to buy a personal juicer and give it a try.

First juice experiment: kale, spinach, celery, cucumber, parsley, pear, and lemon.  Essentially, I tried to recreate Organic Avenue's Green Love.

The result: A refreshing, healthy, delicious drink packed with vitamins and minerals! 

xx

Laura

Quick Vegetarian Pho & Fresh Spring Rolls

Dave and I always crave Pho and there are not many places near us that we can head to on a whim. Here is our at-home version.

Since making this we've found pho bases (just the seasoning) at a specialty grocery store compared to the pre-made base from Whole Foods which I prefer. You can add seafood, meat, additional vegetables and spice as needed to this delicious noodle dish.

What you'll need:

- Large pot, Saute pan, olive oil
- Soup base (powder or Pacific Vegetarian pho base found at Whole Foods) 
- Tofu, meat or seafood
- Vegetables and herbs (carrots, green onion, basil, cilantro, bean sprouts
- Rice noodles
- Sriracha hot sauce (great if you have a cold!)
- Rice paper (optional)

Bring water to a boil in saucepan and turn to low.

Add rice noodles and let soak to soften. Saute Tofu, Shrimp, Beef or Chicken, adding green onions and vegetables as desired.

In a large pot, heat the broth, then add sauteed ingredients and spice of choice. Cilantro, basil and bean sprouts are traditional toppings.

For a healthy appetizer or next-day snack, combine spring greens, extra tofu, carrots, basil and crushed peanuts. Soften rice sheets in water, wrap and chill. Dip in sauce of choice or wrap sauce in rice paper while rolling for convenience.

Christine

Avocado Corn Salad

Avocados are healthy and delicious - providing nearly 20 essential nutrients. Instead of grabbing a bag of chips and quacamole (which occasionally happens), I decided to incorporate the nutritious ingredient into something else. This avocado corn salad is a great addition to any meal - and guilt free!

You'll need:

2 avocados

1 can of black beans

2 cups of sweet yellow corn

1 lime

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red onion

1 ripe tomato

1 red pepper

4 tablespoons cilantro

Parsley (to taste)

Cut the avocado into cubes and add to the beans and yellow corn.  Dice the onion, pepper and tomato and mix in. In a separate bowl, combine olive oil, cilantro, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix into the avocado, beans and corn. Enjoy!

xx

Laura

Light and Healthy Quinoa Salad

I have been cooking more and more with quinoa and this recipe is my FAVORITE! Eat is as a meal, side dish, or even stuff it in your homemade fajitas!

Ingredients for the dressing: 
- 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil (I substitute using Grape Seed oil - particularly a zesty lemon infused Grape Seed oil).
- 2 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 Tsps grated lime zest
- Fresh lime juice ( I squeeze all the juice I can from 2 limes)
- 1 Teaspoon Sugar

Ingredients for the Salad: 
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 large tomato
- 1 15.5 oz can of blackbeans (be sure to drain them)
- 4-5 chopped scallions
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (I love cilantro and always add more)!

Directions:
- Thoroughly wash and drain quinoa
- Cook 1 cup quinoa according to package, then side aside to cool

- Whisk together all ingredients for dressing and set aside.

-Drain your black beans and chop the tomatoe, scallions and cilantro. Mix all together.

-Pour dressing over salad and lightly mix. Then add in the goodies and toss salad. Serve cold. Enjoy!

Zucchini "Pasta"

Summer is right around the corner, and I have beach trips planned!  With the nights getting warmer and the trips to get ice cream becoming (much) more frequent, I seem to be substituting out my warm pasta dinners for cold, refreshing sweets. 

Last week, I came across a recipe for "Zucchini Pasta" and decided to put my own spin on it.  It's a healthy alternative to carb-filled noodles and still left me feeling satisfied.

You'll need:
3 medium zucchini or yellow squash (mix and match)
8 oz. grape tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese to taste
Serves 2

First, mix a bowl of two tablespoons olive oil and one tablespoon balsamic vinegar.  Add in the grape tomatoes and salt and pepper, stir and let sit while cooking the zucchini. 

Use a vegetable peeler to get thin "noodles" of the zucchini. Peel around the vegetable and stop once you reach the core.  Heat a medium sized saucepan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the zucchini, stirring gently for three minutes (be careful so that it doesn't get too translucent or overcooked!).  Mix the zucchini with the olive oiil/tomatoes and drizzle the balsamic vinegar.  Add parmesan cheese to taste  and serve with a side of quinoa - voila!

xx
Laura

Light Quiche

I love quiche but sometimes a break from the cream, heavy cheese and butter-rich crust is in order. By making a crust at home with wheat flour, using almond milk instead of regular, using olive oil instead of butter and reducing the amount of egg yokes this easy, versatile dish becomes a bit lighter.

You'll need:
Whole wheat flour (or spelt, your choice)
Salt
Eggs (organic/local preferable of course!)
Vegetables of choice---I chose tomatoes, mushroom and garlic
Almond milk
Shredded Cheese (cheddar, mozzarella)
Olive oil




Directions: Combine flour, salt and water together in a bowl and mix until it becomes a dough texture, adding water and flour as needed. Brush a pie dish with olive oil and start setting in crust, working from the center of the pie dish, out to the sides. Set aside.



In a sauté pan, combine olive oil, chopped garlic, tomatoes and mushroom. Crack 8 eggs (and throw away 4 yolks if preferable) and whisk together. After vegetables have cooked ad them to eggs and stir together. Pour egg/vegetable mix on top of quiche crust and then sprinkle cheese, salt and pepper on the top.



Bake for +/- 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.