Lentil Salad with Dried Cranberries

“Saskatchewan is the world’s largest exporter of green lentils and the world’s second largest producer” (http://www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/lentil): that is just one of the reasons I like them. They have a subtle flavour, are inexpensive (less than $1 a can!), only 170 calories per cup, and are a good source of vegetable protein, making them a very appealing food.

I am a big fan of mom blogger Catherine McCord (read her blog at http://www.weelicious.com) and the recipes she shares on her site. The latest one I have tried is called Cranberry Lentil Salad (http://weelicious.com/2010/01/19/cranberry-lentil-salad/). One look at her recipe will tell you exactly where mine is derived from. I have made only a few changes to her master recipe to suit my tastes, the most notable being making the salad bigger so that I could use a whole can of lentils and enjoy about 5 days worth of lunches from it. This recipe suits all kinds of diets, including low cholesterol, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, and can be made nut free by substituting shelled, raw pumpkin seeds for walnuts. My recipe makes 5 meal sized salads.

1-19 oz. can lentils, drained and rinsed

1cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

salt to taste

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped (or shelled, raw pumpkin seeds)

1/2 cup lemon juice

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

15 cups tender salad greens or spinach leaves

1. Mix all of the ingredients, except the salad greens/spinach leaves together in a medium-sized bowl.

2. To make an individual salad, serve 1 cup of lentil salad over 3 loosely packed cups of tender salad greens or spinach leaves.

Easy Salsa

Next to hummus, salsa is my favourite condiment. It’s fat free and low calorie (whether store bought or homemade) and is great on everything: eggs, as salad dressing, on chicken, instead of pizza sauce, on rice, on corn chips…

I will eat salsa from a jar, but the best way to enjoy it is fresh. Jarred salsas more closely resemble pasta sauce and are often very salty. Homemade salsa is always best when tomatoes are in season and reach their peaks in flavour. This recipe makes 3 cups of salsa in about as much time as it takes you to crack open a jar.

2 cups chopped tomato (I prefer to use firm varieties)

1/2 onion, chopped (sweet or hot, take your pick!)

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground sea salt

1. Stir all of the ingredients together.

2. For best results, refrigerate for 1 hour before serving to allow flavours to develop. If you can’t wait, dig in.

For a little variation, try adding 1/4 cup of cooked black beans or 1/4 cup corn kernels (frozen or canned). Add your favourite hot sauce for added kick (mine is Tabasco Chipotle).

Black Bean, Corn and Rice Salad

Back in university I was always looking for a quick and easy lunch that I could just make ahead and eat for the entire school week. My roommate, Kyla, got this great recipe from her mom, along with one for Couscous Greek Salad  (http://morselsminus.com/2011/03/06/couscous-greek-salad) both of which we made frequently and enjoyed. This recipe is simple to make, inexpensive, and uses a homemade dressing with no dairy products or eggs. Of course, if you wanted to cheese it up, it would be excellent with some freshly grated parmesan added just before serving. This salad really is a meal unto itself, and if you eat it as a meal, it serves 5-6. As a side, it makes about 8-10 servings (1 cup each).

2 cups cooked black beans (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)

1 cup white or brown rice, cooked

2 cups corn kernels (frozen or canned)

2 red peppers, chopped

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

2 tbsp green onions, chopped

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp pepper

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

2 tsp olive oil

1. Combine black beans and rice. Add corm, peppers, cilantro, parsley, basil, and green onions.

2. Whisk red wine vinegar, pepper, garlic, and olive oil to make the dressing.

3. Toss dressing and salad together.

Marvelous Minestrone Soup

You can’t compare soup from a can with homemade soup; fresh ingredients just can’t be beat! For people with food allergies, canned soups (especially ones that are “creamy” or contain pasta/noodles) without allergens can be hard to find. To top it off, canned soups are typically loaded with salt.

When I was a kid I remember loving a certain canned variety of minestrone soup that had seashell pasta in it. However, if you are on a gluten free diet, a good substitute for pasta is a cup of cooked rice.

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and mashed

4 cups low sodium beef or vegetable stock

2 cups cooked kidney beans

1 cup dry seashell pasta

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1-14 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 package frozen chopped spinach

salt and pepper to taste

 

1. Saute the onion and celery in 1/4 cup of the soup stock on medium heat until the onions are transparent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring the stock to a boil. Once the spinach is thoroughly defrosted, simmer for about 10 minutes.

3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Allergy Alert!: Be sure to read the ingredients on any packaged goods used to ensure that they do not contain any allergens you are concerned with.

Best Hummus Ever

I have been making hummus for years and have tried a number of different recipes. My former favourite recipe called for yogurt, but when I became the mom of two kids with dairy allergies, I was not able to modify the recipe while preserving the flavours I loved. That’s when I pulled out my staple vegan cookbook, How it all Vegan!: Irresistible Recipes for an Animal-Free Diet, by Tanaya Barnard and Sarah Kramer. I must make a huge shout out to an old friend from my university days, Christina, for recommending this book: it provides me with lots of great recipes for my egg and dairy free meals, enables me to eat cruelty free more often, and has a recipe that I was able to use as a base to create my own recipe for the best hummus ever.

How it all Vegan! is available on Amazon at http://www.amazon.ca/Vegan-Irresistible-Recipes-Animal-Free-Diet/dp/1551520672

Put all of your pre-conceived notions about hummus aside. This is a truly wonderful Mediterranean condiment. A good hummus is smooth, savory, and has a wonderful garlic fragrance. You’ve probably had it on a pita at some point, but it has many more uses than that! Hummus, compared to the dips we love in North America (sorry, Ranch), is relatively low calorie and low fat. It is also loaded with protein. I enjoy it in many ways. It is excellent as a dip for vegetables, a spread on crackers or crusty bread, mixed with tuna for sandwiches, on pizza instead of (or in addition to) tomato sauce, as well as on wraps and pita. It is traditionally made with chickpeas, but you can use other beans to create variety. Black beans and fava beans substitute well. Get creative with your hummus. It’s a wonderful staple and has helped me eat a lot more fresh vegetables! Makes 2 cups.

1 small sweet onion, chopped

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 5 garlic cloves, minced)

2 cups chickpeas (cooked or canned)

1/2 cup tahini*

1 1/2 tbsp Bragg’s** (or low sodium soy sauce)

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp salt

 

1. Saute the onions in the vegetable oil on medium heat until they are transparent (about 5 minutes).

2. Put the sauteed onions and the rest of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend them until no big chunks remain.

3. Refrigerate two hours to allow the flavours to blend before serving.

 

Fun Substitutions: Try using raw onions instead of cooked. I do this regularly to change up this recipe. Another great substitution is using 1 cup of canned artichoke hearts (drained) in place of onions. Want to spice it up? Try adding your favourite hot sauce, a diced chipotle pepper, or a few chopped pepper rings.

*A note on tahini: Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. Many brands of tahini are processed in facilities that also process nuts. Be sure to read the ingredient labels to find one that suits your needs. Also, some natural separation occurs in the jar, so every time you use your tahini, stir it thoroughly to mix the oil with the paste and always store it in the refrigerator.

**A note on Bragg’s: Bragg’s Liquid Aminos is a condiment that is made out of soy beans. It functions and looks like soy sauce, but get this: it has no added salt or preservatives. Bragg’s still has a wonderfully salty taste. There is some naturally occurring salt in the soybeans, 160 mg per 1/2 teaspoon. If you still aren’t sold, this product is made wtith 100% non- GMO soybeans. That means there is no Roundup in your Bragg’s.

Three Bean Chili

This week we experienced the very definition of cold, Canadian winter. Temperatures dipped to the -40s at night with the windchill making it feel like -52. On days like these I feel like wearing polar fleece and slippers and staying indoors. Everyone has a favourite comfort food that they like to enjoy when the temperatures are frigid; mine is chili. I love the smell of chili as it simmers on the stove and I love how the spices warm your throat. There are so many variations of chili and it is fun to make it a little different every time. To me, a good chili starts with a few things: at least two varieties of beans, meat (extra lean ground beef, ground turkey, Italian sausage), diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, chili powder, and cumin. I like to use crushed tomatoes in chili and pasta instead of tomato sauce. Tomato sauces can be very high in sodium. I also favour using reconstituted dried beans instead of canned ones as there is no added salt in them (plus, they are far cheaper!). This recipe can easily be made into a tasty vegetarian entree by omitting the meat, and adding about 25 sliced baby carrots and 12 sliced fresh mushrooms with the onions when sauteing and and stirring in 4 cups of chopped fresh spinach about 5 minutes before serving. I like to serve this with a slice of homemade bread (Many bread recipes are coming! I have several in my repetoire!). Comfort at its best.

1/4 cup beef or vegetable stock

1 cup sweet onion, finely chopped

1/2 lb. extra lean ground beef

1 clove garlic

1-14 oz. can diced tomatoes with spices

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1 cup red beans

1 cup black beans

1 cup chickpeas

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp liquid smoke

1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)

On medium-high heat, saute the onions in the broth until transparent (about 5 minutes). Add the ground beef and scramble fry until it is thoroughly cooked and no pink colouration remains in the meat. Add the remainder of the ingredients. When the chili starts to boil, reduce heat and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Serves 6.

Garnishing:

If you have allergies to dairy products, are watching your fat/cholesterol intake, or are vegan, shredded cheese or a big dollop of ranch dressing or sour cream probably wont be your garnishes of choice. Instead, try topping with chopped chives, green onions, salsa, or guacamole just before serving.

Welcome to Morsels Minus!

Morsels Minus is my new creation. As a parent of two small children with food allergies, I have been testing, substituting, and modifying my way through countless recipes to create dishes that my whole family can enjoy. My love for experimenting in the kitchen is no match for my disdain for short order cooking, so each of the recipes I have posted have been tried and tested so that no one will miss the ingredients that have been avoided.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency identifies peanuts, eggs, dairy products, tree nuts, wheat, soy, sesame seeds, seafood (fish, crustaceans, and shellfish), sulphites, and mustard as food allergens with the highest priority. My children are allergic to the top three: peanuts, eggs, and dairy products. Most of the recipes shared on my blog have been designed with the strict avoidance of peanuts, eggs, and dairy products in mind. However, I will occasionally post links to other websites that share recipes using substitutions that I am not experienced in using.

Most people avoid one aspect or another of food consumption. Whether you are watching your waistline, eating on a budget, improving your heart health, eco-conscious, living cruelty free, etc. you will find recipes on Morsels Minus that will suit your lifestyle and taste buds. Please feel free to comment, ask questions, and interact with other subscribers. I look forward to reading what you have to say!

Watch for new recipes on a near-daily basis!