Impromptu Tostadas with a Vegan Chipotle Aioli

After a wonderful and exciting weekend filled with friends and family, a half marathon, and a delicious brunch with a celebratory toast, I welcome the busy week ahead of me. Midterms are in full force, and projects are slowly swooping in. All the while the bright colors of poppies in the garden and the warm breeze of late spring entice me to play....."strong and steady, strong and steady." This is my mantra for life. Not only when I am racing up another steep hill, but also when I need to start charging through my growing to-do list. "Don't lose focus." It helps me accomplish one hour at a time and one day at a time until I get to break!

Break time means either running or cooking during the week. After a long race yesterday, I decided to give my legs a rest and enjoy the quiet kitchen all to myself. With a glimpse into the refrigerator, I quickly decided what would hit the spot...something savory, spicy, but not too heavy...tostadas!

I love tostadas. I probably make them once or twice a week. They are incredibly delicious and very versatile. You can use whatever you have in the fridge and load them up with a ton of fresh goodies. Also, tostadas are one of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to make an impressive gluten-free meal. Since corn tortillas are gluten-free, as well are beans, veggies, your homemade chipotle aioli, and pan-fried eggs, within minutes you can have yourself a balanced nutrient dense and gluten-free meal! 

So if you have a busy week ahead and are craving some Mexican flavors, try these healthy and fresh gluten-free and dairy-free tostadas!

Impromptu Tostadas with a Vegan Chipotle Aioli

Tostadas are refreshing and delicious, especially when it is 80 degrees outside. They are easily assembled, and can be put together with whatever you have in your refrigerator. Don’t be frightened by the long recipe, it is really easy and quick to make. Just get creative and have fun!

Serves two

For the vegan chipotle aioli:

¼ cup coconut milk (full fat)

½ lime

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon chipotle powder

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon nutritional yeast powder

For the corn tortillas:

4 corn tortillas (I used Mission “extra thin”)

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

For the toppings:

10 small mushrooms, sliced

½ small yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and pepper

½ mango, peeled and diced

½ avocado, diced

1 tomato, diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Squeeze of lime

1 carrot, shredded

½ cup shredded cabbage

2 cups mixed salad greens

4 eggs

½ cup refried beans

To prepare the chipotle sauce: Mix all the ingredients together in a small mason jar and set aside for flavors to develop.

To prepare the corn tortillas: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place corn tortillas on to a baking sheet and brush each side with olive oil. Sprinkle each with a little sea salt and place into oven. Set timer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes have passed flip the tortillas and return to oven for 5 minutes. They should be crisp like a corn chip. Remove from baking sheet and allow to cool.

To prepare toppings: Meanwhile, heat a small frying pan to medium heat. Add 1 tsp olive oil, the onions, and the mushrooms, and sauté until onions and mushrooms are golden brown. Season with a pinch of sea salt and pepper.

In a small bowl add the mango, avocado, tomato, cilantro and lime juice. Season with a pinch of sea salt. Set aside. In a separate small bowl, mix together the shredded carrot and cabbage. Place mixed greens into a small bowl as well.

Finally, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat in a small frying pan. Add the 4 eggs and reduce heat to medium low. Season with salt and pepper. To heat the refried beans place into a small saucepan or cover them and microwave for a minute.

To assemble the tostadas: Either offer the toppings individually and allow people to pick and chose what they like or assemble yourself. First spread the refried beans onto the baked corn tortillas. Then add the sautéed onions and mushrooms, and spoon 1 teaspoon of the aioli over top. Continue to top with mixed salad greens, shredded carrot and cabbage, and once again top with chipotle aioli. Finally add the mango avocado salsa and top each tostada with a freshly fried egg. Serve immediately. Offer more chipotle aioli or your favorite hot sauce.

Note: To mix it up replace eggs with: sauteed turmeric tofu, pan-seared and sliced pasture-raised beef, or some garlic prawns.

For another great gluten-free recipe and tips on how to have a gluten-free kitchen check out the Zing Bars Blog.

Cravin' Me Some Quinoa

What a gorgeous day in the Pacific Northwest! Blue bird skies and temperatures up into the 80's have us reaching for last years bathing suits that are patiently waiting in the back of our dressers. Our white arms and legs are now free to the warmth of the sunshine and the cool tickle of the warm afternoon breeze. Break out the skin and let the vitamin D absorb into our much deficient bodies! 

Vitamin D is essential for overall health and well-being. Almost every day a new study reports another important role vitamin D plays in our bodies. Everything from bone health to immunity relies on vitamin D, a vitamin so precious for it is unavailable to us in the Pacific Northwest between the months of October to March. However, there is a trick, one that many do not know. Sunscreen blocks out vitamin D absorption. Therefore, let those warm sun rays tickle your skin for 20-30 minutes (in a bathing suit) to achieve your days worth of vitamin D, and then apply the sunscreen.

Well in celebration of the lovely weather, today I share with you my sunshine quinoa salad, stock full of good nutritious grains, veggies, and fats. It doesn't provide any dietary vitamin D, but while eating this outdoors on the patio, you will get your added D3! The salad is however, full of fiber, vitamin C, good healthy fats, and bioactive compounds, vegetarian protein, and lots of happy vibes. So enjoy!

Quinoa:

Many grains are incomplete protein sources, lacking significant amounts of lysine and isoleucine, and lack a natural source of fat.  Quinoa, on the other hand, is note worthy grain offering significant amounts of lysine and isoleucine making it a complete vegetarian protein. It is also rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat oleic acid, as well as alpha linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3. Also on the plus side, because quinoa is a whole grain, its sugars are broken down slowly in our gut, allowing us to manage blood sugar levels and maintain a steady source of energy. Yaay!

So go out play in the sun, and eat yourself some energy and nutrient dense Sunshine Quinoa Salad!!

Sunshine Quinoa Salad

Preparation Time: 35 minutes

This refreshing summer salad can be a great lunch entrée or a side for an outdoor barbeque. Accompanied by fresh strawberries and sparkling lemon water this sunshine quinoa salad can change from side to main course in no time.

Makes 4 large servings

For the quinoa:

2 cups quinoa

4 cups water

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon turmeric

For the vinaigrette:

Juice of 1 large lemon

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

For the salad:

½ cup pine nuts

½ cup craisins

1/3 cup chopped mint

1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

2 cups finely shredded green cabbage

10 radishes, thinly sliced

To prepare the quinoa: Place quinoa, water, turmeric, and sea salt in a 2-quart saucepan and cover with lid. Bring to a boil, stir, and immediately turn off heat, leaving the pan on the hot burner. Keep covered and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes. Uncover and fluff with fork.

To prepare the citrus vinaigrette: Meanwhile, using a citrus juicer juice the lemon and pour into a large serving bowl. Add extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, and sea salt. Stir until honey and sea salt are dissolved. Add fresh ground pepper to taste.

To prepare the salad: In a skillet over medium heat, toast pine nuts until golden. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Set aside and allow to cool. Add the mint, parsley, cabbage, radishes, and cooled pine nuts to the vinaigrette. Mix well. Slowly fold the cooled quinoa into the vinaigrette mixture making sure to break up any quinoa clumps. Mix well.

Whole Foods Dessert: Blueberry Kiwi Tartlets

This dessert is not only fun and easy to make but is also vegan, gluten-free and sugar free. The wonderful thing about making raw desserts is the quick clean up and minimal use of tools. All you need is a food processor, a spatula, a muffin tin or tart form, and some bowls for soaking. However, the most satisfying aspect of raw desserts is the ability to make something super delicious and satisfying that is made out of whole food ingredients--ingredients that not only provide you with energy but also contain a whole host of additional nutrients. You alone are the sole processor of the dessert from start to finish.

So you might be asking yourself, what is a whole food? And what is a whole foods diet? Here are some great questions to ask yourself in order to understand if the foods you are eating are in fact “whole foods” (1).

1.  Can you imagine it growing?
2.  How many ingredients does it have?
3. Have any of the original parts been removed?
4. What has been done to the food since it was harvested?
5.  How long has this food been known to nourish humans?

Example: Blueberry

1.  Yes I can imagine growing.
2.  Only 1 ingredients, itself.
3. Nope, the whole blueberry is still there.
4. The blueberry is stored either fresh or frozen.
5. Blueberry has been around a very long time.

If you can answer all these questions about your food with the same answers, then YES, it is a whole food and it is apart of a whole foods diet.

However, there are also some whole foods that may have been processed or refined prior to your consumption. In reality there are only minimal foods that require zero processing or refining prior to eating, for instance an apple.  An apple is usually eaten just as is with the skin and all. However, an orange does need a little bit of refining. We peel the thick skin in order to eat the juicy, sweet orange flesh. However, the orange itself is still considered a whole food.

In order to understand processed vs. refined I will define the words for you below.

Processed: When a food is changed from its original form. For instance steaming asparagus, baking a potato, or chopping an onion (1).

Refined: When one or more original parts of the food is removed and discarded. For example juicing an orange or extracting oil from an olive (1).

The examples listed above are simple processes or refinements, ones that you yourself could do in your own home. However, today most foods we consume have been processed and refined multiple times over prior to its consumption in your meal. Food items sometimes no longer even resemble their natural form, losing their natural color, taste, texture, and aroma and not to mention their nutrients and phytochemicals. Instead additives, such as starch, sugar, salt, or fat, replace what has been removed from the initial whole food. Meanwhile the physical properties of the foods are altered, causing potential health problems.

So today I made tropical blueberry kiwi tartlets out of 90% whole food ingredients, which were processed or refined only by myself.

Blueberry Kiwi Tartlets

Serves 14

Whole Food Ingredients:

2/3 cup Almonds (raw)

1 cup Cashews (raw)

1/3 cup Sunflower Seeds (raw)

1 Tbsp Whole Flax Seeds (raw)

6 Medjool Dates

2 Kiwis

1 cup Frozen Wild Blueberries (Trader Joes)

1 Lemon

1 Vanilla bean

¾ tsp Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

Minimally Processed or Refined:

2 Tbsp Coconut Milk (without added guar gum, Natural Value is a good brand)

1/4 cup Almond Milk (homemade)

1 ½ Tbsp Organic Maple Syrup

1 tsp Ginger Powder (could use freshly grated ginger to taste)

Directions: 

Don't let the long list scare you from trying to make this recipe. I just tried to be very clear with each step. Also, this recipe can be tailored to your liking. Its easy to swap nuts or use what you have on hand. Feel free to get creative and use what you have available at home!

Getting Ready:

1.  Pit the Medjool dates and coarsely chop them. If they seem really dry you may want to soak them for 5 minutes. However, if they seem fresh and gooey then toss them into the food blender and skip the soaking.
2. Use a coffee grinder and grind the 1 Tbsp of flax seeds. Place the ground flax seeds into a bowl and mix with 3 Tbsp fresh water.
3.  Place cashews in separate bowl and cover with fresh water.

Making The Crust:

1. If dates needed to be soaked, drain the water, and place the dates into a food processor along with the almonds and sunflower seeds. Add ½ tsp of pink sea salt and zest of 1 lemon. Process until mixture resembles a coarse dough. It will naturally form a ball.
2. If making individual tartlets, form 14 individual small balls and place 1 into each mini cupcake form. Using your thumb and finger tips press the ball down into the tin and up the walls to form a “crust”. If making a single large tart, use all the “dough” and form a crust bottom and wall.
3. After pressing the “dough” into your cupcake tin or tart form place it into the freezer while making the “blueberry mousse”.

Making the Mousse:

1. Drain the water from the cashews and place the cashews into the processor. Peel the kiwis and add into the processor. Finally add the ground flax mixture, the 1 cup of frozen wild blueberries, juice of 1 lemon, 1 vanilla bean (scraped inside only), 2 Tbsp coconut milk/cream, ¼ cup almond milk, ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp ginger, and 1 ½ Tbsp maple syrup.
2. Process until smooth. Taste and adjust flavors if needed. Here you can have some creativity. If you like things very gingery, add more ginger, if you want to have more lemon, add more lemon….you get the idea. If you like it as is, great!
3. Transfer the “mousse” into a 2 cup liquid measuring cup. Pull out your frozen crust and slowly pour enough mousse into each crust until they are very full. You should have about 1 cup of mousse left over. Pour the remaining mousse into a mason jar and seal for later use. Place into refrigerator.
4. Put the dessert tins back into the freezer. Allow the dessert to freeze at least an hour

Assembly:

1. If making tartlets remove the cupcake tins from the freezer and allow to unthaw about 5-10 minutes. Then using a butter knife cut the sides loose of each mini tart and scoop out the mass with a small spatula. Place all the mini tarts into a an airtight container and return to freezer.
2. If making a whole tart, place into an airtight container or into a plastic bag until you are ready to serve.
3. When serving, pull the dessert out of the freezer and allow to sit at room temp 5-10 minutes to soften the texture.  Use the remaining mousse as pretty “glue” by placing a spoonful onto each plate where you plan on plating the tartlets or tart slices. Enjoy!

References: 

1. Lair, C. Whole Foods Production. 12 April 2012.