Teriyaki Lentil Loaf

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked lentils (I used 1 cup red, 1 cup green)
1 small container apple sauce (I used natural, no sugar added)
1 bag steamed veggies (I used mixed! green beans, corn, carrots)
1 cup crushed crackers (I used wheat saltines)
Teriyaki Sauce, amount your preference
Salt, Pepper to taste

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

1. Cook your lentils!
2. Steam your bag of veggies!
3. Add all ingredients together, including some Teriyaki and other spices you may desire.
*I mixed it all right in the pan I was baking it in
4. Smooth it out. Add Teriyaki to the top
5. Bake for 45 minutes
6. Eat your heart out!

I've made it into a sandwich on a whole wheat roll or kept it as the main attraction with a side dish.

Side note: Cosmo couldn't get enough of it.

*Lazy tip: Great for freezing and reheating. Instead of baking, form patties and grill for a burger! I used some of the water I boiled Yucca in to cook the lentils, adding vitamins I had lost.

Cauliflower Puree with Gravy

Ingredients:

Cauliflower Puree:
1 head of cauliflower
1 tsp paprika
1 clove garlic - smashed
1 cup canned beans, white or chick pea
Salt, Pepper to taste

Gravy:
Veggie broth
Whole wheat flour
1 clove garlic - smashed
Any veggies you may want (I used mushrooms & white onions)


Directions:
1. Thoroughly wash cauliflower
2. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes
3. Break apart, put in food processor with salt, pepper, paprika, beans, and a smashed garlic clove
4. Process until at desired texture

Gravy:
1. Put all ingredients, except flour, and simmer 10 minutes.
2. Turn off heat and add flour until desired thickness is achieved

Eat your heart out!!!!

Great with Seitan as a faux meat & potatoes dinner

*Lazy tip - start your gravy after you put the cauliflower head in the oven. Double duty saves time! While it roasts, get your simmer on. Add flour and let gravy thicken as you process the puree. The two will be ready at the same time for you to enjoy!

Quinoa with Pineapple

Ingredients:
Quinoa - cook to recipe
Red onions, chopped
Pineapple, chopped into small pieces
Cilantro to taste
Lime juice to taste

Directions:
1. Cook the amount of Quinoa you would like. I cooked a big enough batch to keep for a side for lunches & dinners throughout the week
2. Once cooled, mix in the other ingredients to taste.
*I love red onion and cilantro, so I added more than some may like!
3. Eat your heart out!

For dinner, I had it as a side to faux honey bbq wings. The mix of the bbq sauce with the sweet, island pineapple and cilantro was a great mix!

My Nonna said she read somewhere to toast the Quinoa before cooking, to keep it from going soggy.
I researched and found some great info on it here:
*Dry roasting quinoa in a pan or in the oven, before cooking will give a toasted flavor
*Before cooking, the seeds must be rinsed to remove their bitter resin-like coating, which is called saponin. Quinoa is rinsed before it is packaged and sold, but it is best to rinse again at home before use to remove any of the powdery residue that may remain on the seeds.

Lazy tip: Cook a big batch of plain Quinoa on Sunday to store for the week. Then, add whatever you like when you're ready to eat!