Vegan Rice Bowls with Hummus, Broccoli, and Onions:

Though I'm generally a bigger fan of pasta, every once in awhile, I just love rice bowls. They're so simple and can be combined with so many different ingredients. I don't think that I've ever eaten the same rice bowl. In this recipe, I combined slightly caramelized onions with charred broccoli, white rice, and creamy hummus. I also added touches of sesame oil, lime juice, and cayenne pepper in order to gain a few more layers of flavor. This hummus recipe is nice because it has a few ingredients and ends up being super creamy and light, with just enough flavor.

Ingredients:

For the Hummus:

1 can chickpeas (19oz.) - reserve most of the liquid

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. tahini

1 to 2 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

Dash of cumin

Instructions: Hummus:

Add all of the ingredients to your food processor (or blender). 

Pulse until smooth, adding any other ingredients to taste. 

For the Rice Bowls:

1 cup rice, cooked according to package directions

1 cup broccoli, cut into medium-sized florets

2/3 cup white onion, sliced

1 tbsp. sesame oil (or olive oil)

1 tsp. lime juice

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. + dash of salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

Serves 2.

Total Cook Time: 20 to 30 minutes. 

Instructions:

1. Cook the rice and set it aside.
2. Add the sesame oil, sliced onion,  1/4 tsp. salt, and garlic powder to a medium skillet. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
3. Stir the broccoli into the skillet with the onions, and add the lime juice and the dash of salt and cayenne. Cook for another 5 minutes or so on medium heat. If you'd like your veggies to be charred, turn the heat up after the 5 minutes, and cook them on medium-high to high heat for another 3 minutes (or until charred).
5. Serve the veggies and hummus on top of the rice.

Vegan White Bean and Grape Tomato Summer Salad:

I just love bean salad recipes because they're healthy and can be made in less than 10 minutes. Plus, there's always a different dressing, seasoning, or other ingredient around to change it up a bit. (Note how many 

"to taste's" there are in this recipe).  Add some cayenne pepper for a little kick. You can also swap Italian dressing for the red wine vinegar and olive oil. Feel free to get creative and throw in any other veggies you may have on hand as well. 

In this recipe, I really liked the crunch of the diced cucumber with the sweetness of the grape tomatoes and basil. The red wine vinegar lent a touch of acidity, which pairs perfectly with the olive oil. (Hint: if you double this recipe, it may just be perfect for any Labor Day barbecues that you're planning on crashing). 

Ingredients:

1 large can small white beans, drained and rinsed

1 package grape tomatoes, halved

1 medium cucumber, diced

1 small yellow onion, thinly diced

1/2 to 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar (or to taste)

1/2 to 1 tbsp. olive oil (to taste)

1/2 tsp. dried basil (or 1 tsp. fresh)

1/4 tsp. sea salt (to taste)

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Serves 4.

Total Cook Time: 10 minutes.

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a medium bowl. Toss to coat. Add any other seasonings or dressings to taste.

A Simple Summer Snack:

Hey everyone! Here's a simple and healthy recipe for a snack or light lunch. I utilized some of the season's best ingredients here. (I think by now, it's pretty apparent that I love tomatoes and avocados). If you love these veggies as much as I do, this recipe's for you. Add a little sriracha to the mix, and you've got yourself a little snack party. 

Ingredients:

1 large yellow tomato, diced

1 small white onion, thinly diced

1/2 an avocado, sliced 

2 tbsp. hummus

2 tsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. Sea Salt

1/4 tsp. dried cilantro (1 tsp. fresh)

Dash of cayenne pepper

Serves 2.

Total Cook Time: 5 minutes. 

Instructions:

1. Add the diced tomatoes and onion to a bowl. Stir in the olive oil, sea salt, cilantro, and cayenne. Toss to coat.

2. Split the tomato mixture into two servings, top each with half of the avocado slices and 1 scoop of hummus. Serve with tortilla chips (optional). 

Vegan Leftover Rice Bowls:

This is pretty much just a combination of ingredients that I had leftover from making tacos and fajitas the other night, but it's delicious all the same. Feel free to experiment with leftover veggies, beans, or rice that you may have in the fridge as well.

I have intended to post more often, but I've been experiencing technical troubles.  Every time I want to upload pictures to Blogger, I have to restart my computer. It's been a pain, especially considering the fact that, as of late, there are generally 10 Word documents and 12 Firefox tabs open on my computer, all of which are usually things that I'm actually working on at the moment. Oh well. Life goes on. :)

Another reason is that I've been enjoying leftovers a lot more. They're so convenient. I threw this together for lunch, and I loved every bite. Hope you like it as well.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1  yellow bell pepper, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 white or red onion, sliced

1 portobello mushroom cap, sliced

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup salsa  

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. olive oil (divided + more if necessary)

2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

A few dashes of Kosher salt

A few dashes of cayenne pepper

Sriracha (optional, to taste)
A few slices of avocado

Serves 6.

Total Cook Time: About 25 minutes. 

Instructions:

1. While your cooked rice is still in the pot, add 1/2 tbsp. of the olive oil, a dash or two of salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Mix well. Stir in the 1/2 cup of salsa and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring to coat.

2. Next, add the remaining 1/2 tbsp. of the olive oil, to a large skillet. Stir in the peppers, onion, and garlic. Season with another dash of salt, paprika, cayenne, and lemon juice. Cook on medium-high heat until the veggies start to get tender, about 7 minutes.

3. Stir in the mushrooms and add any extra seasonings to taste. Continue cooking on medium-high heat until the veggies are cooked through and a little charred, about another 3 minutes.

4. Serve the rice in bowls topped with the cooked vegetables,chickpeas, and avocado. Drizzle the sriracha over top.

Enjoy :)

Summer Chickpea Salad with Bell Peppers & Citrus:

It has been particularly rainy here in Florida over the past week or so. I'm convinced that I brought it back from home with me.

On my last day home, we went to my little brother's flag football game, where the rain was coming down sideways, and the temperature neared freezing. All in all, though, I love going to his flag football games.

There's something amusing about watching seven year-olds running back and forth down the football field, the overly-enthusiastic parents' yelling, and the excited look that my little brother gives me right before the play's about to start.

The rain is okay with me, but only because it reminds me of spending time with my family that day. I obviously picked the wrong week to go home because my family keeps bragging about how beautiful the weather has been all this week. They deserve it though, they've made it through the long, cold winter, and, believe me, that is a pretty tough thing to do.

Anyways, I'm sitting out here, on my patio, in the rain, with my squirrel and duck friends. It's cloudy and grey, but I'm a little thankful for the excuse to not feel obligated to be at the beach or the pool (though the beach sounds pretty awesome right about now).

Yesterday was a much nicer day, and I made this summery chickpea salad. It's so easy to make, and you can easily double it. The lemon and lime go so well with this dish. Cilantro would also be a nice addition, though I forgot to use it.

Fortunately, the outlook for the week ahead is sunny and hot, and it better be because I graduate from law school next weekend! I'm pretty sure that I deserve a pool day with lots of piña coladas and sun.

Ingredients:

1 15oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. lime juice

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

Serves 4.

Total Cook Time: 10 minutes.

Instructions:

Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl. Toss to coat, adding more salt/vinegar/seasonings to taste.  Serve wrapped in flour tortillas (optional).

Vegan Sweet Potato and Basil Pesto Paninis:

Unfortunately life sometimes gets in the way of this blog. The past month has been a whirlwind for me, and as a result, there are many reasons for my recent but short hiatus from blogging. Not only did I start a new job a little over a month ago, I've been writing papers, doing presentations, working on Bar Prep, taking exams, and traveling. I traveled home to celebrate my 25th birthday and my best friend's wedding, and then I had one last final to finish up last night after I got back. (More on that in my next post). I also had problems at the DMV (this always seems to happen to me), and some of my best friends decided to throw me a surprise party when I got back on Sunday night, which was very sweet of them. Consequently, I have been one busy lady!

This recipe was kind of a crazy, throw-together-type-of-thing, but it turned out delicious. I knew that I wanted to make some sort of panini, but since I've used tomatoes in my, I don't know, last 5 posts or so, I felt the need to use something different. I picked up some fresh basil last night, and I've had a can of yams in my pantry for awhile now, so I figured I'd go for it. It's delicious yet whimsical, and it's pretty in its own way.

Ingredients:

1 can yams, drained - 29oz.

1 medium white onion, sliced

1/4 cup water

Salt

Dash of cayenne

2 tsp. olive oil

For the pesto:

1 1/2 cups fresh basil

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp. olive oil

Salt

You'll also need:

4 flat breads, naan, or 8 slices of your choice of bread

4 tsp. balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions:

1. First, add the basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and salt to a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
 2. Next, in a large skillet, and the onions, salt, olive oil, and 1/4 cup water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and continue cooking until the onions are soft and tender, and the water has evaporated.
3. Stir in the yams, and mash down a little. Add a little more salt and of dash a cayenne. Cook on medium to medium-high heat for another 7 minutes. 
4. Heat one side of your grill to high, and the other side to medium or medium-low.
 5. Next, spoon 1/4 of the pesto mixture onto one-half of each flat bread, and then drizzle each half with 1 tsp. balsamic vinaigrette. Cover each half with approximately 1/4 of the yam mixture, and then fold the top half of the flat breads over each sandwich.
6. Once the grill is heated, place each panini on the side heated with high heat. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, pressing down on the paninis with a spatula a little, and then transfer the paninis to the side that's heated to medium, and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.

Notes: You can also use a panini press, Foreman Grill, or skillet to cook the paninis. Walnuts or pecans would also add a nice touch to the pesto.

Sriracha and Spicy Brown Mustard Boca Burgers + How to Season a Boca Burger:

I hope that everyone had an awesome weekend. I sure did. It was beautiful here in Orlando, and I was able to spend time with lots of friends.

Anyways, I figured I'd share this recipe because it's quick and easy, and I just loved the way the seasonings came together on these burgers. Feel free to omit the sriracha if you're not a fan of spicy. I just figured that it was a nice change from ketchup (and I just picked the sriracha up the other day and wanted to use it).

Ingredients:

4 Boca Burgers

Sriracha, to taste

Spicy Brown Mustard, to taste

1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

Dash of Cayenne Pepper

1/4 tsp. Paprika

1/4 tsp. Seasoned Salt

2 tsp. olive or canola oil

You'll Also Need:

4 burger buns

1 tomato, sliced

1 cup spinach

Serves 4. 

Total Cook Time: 15 minutes.

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the Boca burgers, and sprinkle the salt, garlic powder, cayenne, paprika, and seasoned salt over them. Flip burgers so that they have the seasonings and oil on each side.

2. Reduce heat to medium, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, flipping occasionally.

3. Serve on buns with spinach, tomatoes, sriracha, and brown mustard. (I put my sriracha and brown mustard on the side, just in case I wasn't feeling the heat of the sriracha). 

Vegan Red Pepper and Lentil Sloppy Joes:

I know. I know. Lentil Sloppy Joes have been done a million times over, but these are the real deal. Sweet and spicy, with a little kick and a nice hint of garlic. They're perfect for any day, and they're super healthy for you.

Add whatever spices to taste. The cumin and paprika add different layers of flavor to this recipe, keeping it interesting and delicious. If you want a spicier sauce, add more hot sauce and cayenne. For a sweeter sauce, add more brown sugar. Also, I estimated on the salt, so feel free to add more if need-be.

Though this recipe has a lot of ingredients, you should have most of them on-hand. You can sub the Dijon mustard for regular mustard if necessary, and you can probably omit the cumin (though I highly recommend using it).

Other than that, I hope that everyone is having a great Monday. I'm pretty behind and probably should've waited to post this, but I'm procrastinating a little. Looks like school work is next for me. I have to finish a Professional Responsibility and a Torts outline for one of my classes, and I really should get started on my paper. I also need to clean my room. It's a cluttered mess at the moment (which is also hindering my productivity). Oh, and my resume. I really need to polish my resume a bit, but I just don't know what I want to do with it.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked lentils, soaked and rinsed (about 2 1/2 cups soaked/cooked lentils)

1 cup water

1 white onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup red pepper, finely chopped

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

2/3 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar (or more, to taste)

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. non-dairy buttery spread

3 cloves garlic  

3 tsp. olive oil, divided

2 tsp. salt, divided

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. white or apple cider vinegar

1 to 2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. paprika

Dash of hot sauce (to taste)

Dash of cayenne pepper

Makes about 6 Sloppy Joes. 

Total Cook Time: about an hour, plus time for soaking the lentils.

You'll Also Need:

6 burger buns 

Instructions:

1. Soak the lentils in water for at least an hour.  Drain and rinse.

2. In a large saucepan, bring about 6 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the lentils to a boil. Continue cooking the lentils until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

3. While the lentils are cooking, add the onions, red pepper, garlic, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt to a large skillet. Cook on medium-high heat until tender. Stir in the tomato paste, water, lemon juice,  vinegar, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and hot sauce. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes or so.

4. Stir in the ketchup, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, buttery spread, and the parsley. Cook on medium-high heat until most of the water has reduced, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for another 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

5. Scoop about 1/2 cup of the lentil mixture onto each burger bun, and serve with a nice, big salad or fries. 

Melty Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches:

There's just something about banana and peanut butter sandwiches. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the subtle banana flavor combined with the salty, savory, and creaminess of peanut butter or the way the combination melts in your mouth so easily. Either way, it's delicious.

I often eat peanut butter and banana sandwiches for a filling breakfast before school. It keeps me full and gives me a pretty good protein fix to start the day. Today, I was feeling like getting a little more fancy with it, so I decided to grill the sandwiches in a skillet in order to achieve that melty, gooey effect. It worked. This is perfect for a filling, healthy start to your day or as a hangover tamer. Obviously a recipe isn't really necessary for this, but here it is just in case:

Ingredients:

2 bananas, sliced

1/2 cup peanut butter, divided

4 slices of whole wheat bread

1 tsp. non-dairy butter spread, divided

Makes 2 sandwiches. 

Total Cook Time: less than 10 minutes.

Instructions:

1. Spread 1/4 cup of peanut butter out on 2 slices of bread. Cover each slice with one banana's worth of banana slices. Next, assemble the sandwiches: top each peanut butter and banana-covered slice of bread with a plain slice of bread. (You can add more peanut butter if you want)

2. Heat 1 tsp. of buttery spread on medium-high heat in a  medium skillet. Add the sandwiches, and flip them so that both sides have butter on them. Cook each sandwich until both sides are browned, about 3 minutes on each side.

3. Slice in half, and revel in the melty glory.

Barley Citrus and Tomato Salad:

Sorry for the lack of posts. I was out of town over the weekend, and today, I have been dealing with a cluster headache or migraine for the entire day (not sure which it is, but it sure does hurt). As a result, I am much farther behind than I anticipated. I've tried everything to get rid of this thing: Motrin, ginger water, hot tea, ice, ear drops, a hot shower, sleep, TV (Yes, The Bachelor), vitamin b2...I even ate raw garlic, all to no avail. Oh well. You know what they say, tomorrow's another day. I'm finally starting to feel a bit better, so I couldn't help but post. (It's better than starting school work).

Anyways, this salad has a crisp, refreshing citrus flavor, with the surprising comfort of barley and garlic hidden in there. The pumpkin seeds add a nice crunch, while the cumin lends a hint of Mediterranean flavors. It's a nice and fresh meal that will definitely keep you feeling satisfied and healthy. Hope you like it.

Ingredients:

2 cups water 

1 cup barley, uncooked

1 tomato, diced

1 orange, peeled, seeded, and diced

1/2 cup yellow or red onion, thinly diced

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Dash of fresh basil, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1/8 tsp. lemon zest 

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt, divided (or to taste)

Dash of cayenne pepper

Dash of paprika

Dash of cumin

Serves 2.

Total Cook Time: 20 minutes. 

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the barley, 1/4 tsp. of salt, and fresh garlic. Continue cooking until the water is absorbed, about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. While the barley is cooking, chop up your veggies. Add the diced tomato, orange, onion, parsley, and basil to a medium bowl. Mix together. Add in the lemon juice, lemon zest, pumpkin seeds, 1/4 tsp. salt, cayenne, paprika, and cumin. Toss to coat.

3. Once the barley is cooked, stir it in with the salad, or you can just serve the salad on top of the barley.

Does anyone know of any good (and easily-accessible) home remedies for cluster headaches or migraines? Though I rarely have to deal with headaches like this, it would be nice to have something on-hand to help on days like today. I'm sure it would also be helpful to share with those who have to deal with these crippling headaches on a daily basis.