Don't shoot, I have recipes!

Please don’t shoot me. I really do have valid reasons for dropping off the face of the earth – my health has been acting up and my sleep mechanism has been absent, so I have spent the last two weeks in a state of complete zombification. On the bright side, I have plenty to show and tell, - I’m going cookbook-style this week.

First, I need to reflect on my experience at McMun in Montreal. It was amazingly uneducational fun – our model United Nations nuked Egypt on day three when the goal was to keep peace. It was incredibly refreshing for me to see people who strive in insane multitasking, like me – Venezuela, France and Harvard representatives were there. I would do it all over again…and I plan on it, next year.

In terms of food, Cora’s saved the day as it was conveniently located in our hotel lobby. I obstained from meat while we were in Montreal (I am not counting the burger I had on our WAY to Quebec, haha). My meat abstinence has made me realize I am irrevocably in love with falafels (fried chickpea patties), so I bought at mix and will let you know how it goes. My last breakfast at Cora’s – wholewheat crepes with granola, banana, honey and plain yogurt were probably my favorite eats outside of that.

Anyway, to recipes – my friend Rob Blom left for Mexico this week, and his student house (called the Veghouse – only vegans and vegetarians allowed) hosted a going-away party to which I brought delicious vegan red quinoa phyllo bundles. The entire thing, cooking included, takes about 1hour and 15 mins. Quinoa is amazing for having high protein, high iron, high fiber and low fat amounts. Here is a picture and recipe:




1 cup red or white quinoa, cooked (boil for 15 mins with a tablespoon of salt)
- Bulk Barn sells it, as do most grocery health food sections, its pricy but goes a looong way
1 cooked red potato, peeled and cut into squares, cooking like quinoa)
1/2 can black beans
1 pkg phyllo pastry ($2.99 in the freezer section of the grocer)

1 small jar roasted red peppers
3 tablespoons cooking oil, preferably olive oil
¼ cup of Vegan butter or Margarine, melted in microwave
3 tablespoons hot sauce, any kind
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice concentrate or juice of ½ lemon
optional – add 2 tablespoons of dried or fresh herb like oregano
optional – add ¼ cup of roasted cashews for a yummy crunch

1. Cook sweet potato in 2L salted water (1 tbsp salt) for 15 mins

2. Remove potato, put aside – cook quinoa in sweet potato water for 15 mins, drain water out

3. In a large bowl, mash red potato with cooked quinoa. Add the rest of ingredients and Mix.

4. Place ¾ cup of mixture in the middle of phyllo sheet, wrap and bake for 25 mins at 350 degrees.
- see the wrapping technique here, it’s easy – you just need to layer three phyllo sheets on top of one another, brushing butter slightly on each sheet, place the quinoa mixture in the middle, and bundle up the dough – takes about 30 seconds, seriously).

The beauty of this recipe is that it serves as a main course (protein component) for five people – you end up with five large-sized bundles that can be frozen, and conveniently baked in the over for 30 mins at 350 degrees when you don’t have time to cook (use within a month).

Also, here is my HOW HEALTH NUTS GO CRAZY wrap. It’s a delicious snack, even my mum says so and she’s a big fan of meat. The wrap is a Black Bean Mexican Wrap. It takes about 8 mins to make.





Ingredients:

1 tortilla wrap, any kind
3 tablespoons of canned black beans, mashed with teaspoon of olive oil or blended in processor
2 tablespoon Philidelphia cheese or Mozzarella cheese if you want the wrap warmed up
3 tablespoons salsa
hot peppers or hot sauce
Optional – shaved broccoli stems

1. If using Philadelphia cheese, spread it on half one side of the tortilla – stay away about an inch from the sides of the pita, and spread the salsa on half the other side. If not, spread salsa on the whole one side of the tortilla, put the cheese on top.

2. Arrange the mashed black beans, hot sauce, hot peppers and optional shaved broccoli stems on the pita, and roll it up.

3. Warm it up in the microwave, toast it in the oven or just eat it!


Finally, the Jiffy Guacamole – takes about 5 mins to make, awesome thing to have on toast in the morning. Avocados are full of fats that are good for you – something that is essential for health brain function! They are full of protein, too.

½ ripe avocado – scoop it out and mash it up!
½ chopped fresh tomato
3 tbsp of lemon juice concentrate or juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp salt

1. Peel half the avocado with a knife, cut the green part off the seed (will be a huge one in the middle), mash it up in a small bowl.

2. Add chopped tomato, lemon juice, pepper and salt.

3. Spread on toasted bread – best on foccacia bread, and enjoy!

I have a confession to make. Other than casual stretching at work, my physical activity levels have been accounting to zero, and I don’t even have an excuse! Most deep insight will arrive with the next post…I already know what it will be but I don’t want to spoil you with a looooooooooong post. Hopefully the recipes will drive you to forgive me for my absence >.<

P.S. Does anyone have any ideas for a memorable layout that would be wider than this?