kale

easy party appetizer: vegan rainbow black bean dip

Posted on by andrealeighcoadmin
easy party appetizer
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With 2018 quickly drawing to a close (how is that possible?!), I want to end the year on a high note with an easy party appetizer. Use it on New Year’s, for the Big Game, for Cinco de Mayo or just because. In fact, I often prepare it as a main meal.

 

That’s when I know I’ve hit on an especially good recipe… when I want to make – and eat – it over and over and over again!

 

It’s why I featured in my 28 Day Sugar Detox program. Plus it’s an example of how party foods can be fun and healthy. It’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser and you can make it ahead of time.

 

Because that’s my mission.

 

I want you to feel excited about foods that taste yummy, fuel your body to carry out your mission and are easy to prepare.

 

Here’s the breakdown in rainbow technicolor:

  • Red: Cherry tomatoes (antioxidants, vitamins A, C, K + potassium)
  • Orange: Peppers (antioxidants, vitamins A, C, E, K1 + potassium)
  • Yellow: Corn (vitamin C, folate, thiamin, phosphorus + magnesium)
  • Light Green: Cilantro (antioxidants, vitamins A, C, E, K, calcium, iron, potassium + magnesium_
  • Dark Green: Kale (antioxidants, vitamins A, B6, C, K, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium + potassium – did someone say superfood?)
  • “Blue:” Black beans (antioxidants, vitamin B1, copper, manganese, phosphorus, protein, magnesium + iron)
  • Purple: Red onion (antioxidants, vitamins B1, B6, C, copper, dietary fiber, manganese phosphorus, potassium, folate)
  • White: Garlic (vitamins B1, B6, C, manganese, copper, selenium, phosphorus, and calcium)

 

Serving suggestions

  • I love serving this with organic blue corn chips. Organic, because no GMO is the way to go. And blue because it complements the dip’s bright colors nicely.
  • Start by arranging the dip in a rainbow color wheel before setting it on the table as bright centerpiece. Then mix once most of the guests arrive.
  • Use a white bowl or platter to help the colors of the dip pop.
  • While you can mix the entire dip up to a day ahead of time, you also have the option of making the dressing separately and mixing it just before serving.

 

 

vegan rainbow black bean dip

 

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Easy Party Appetizer: Vegan Rainbow Black Bean Dip
Prep Time
20 mins
 

This vegan black bean dip is an easy party appetizer that is a crowd pleaser and can be made ahead of time.

Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: Andrea Anderson
Ingredients
  • 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup diced orange peppers
  • 1 cup organic corn
  • 3/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1.5 cups chopped kale
  • 3/4 cup diced red onion
  • 3 cup black beans
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2-3 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 3/4-1 tsp salt
Instructions

  1. Mix lime juice, cumin and salt in a small bowl or jar. Mix up remaining ingredients in a bowl. Either add dressing and mix immediately or store separately and mix just before serving.

    See post for serving suggestions.

 

Hunting for other easy party appetizers that are chock full of the nutrients your body needs to shine? Try these ones:

 

 

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rainbow plate with roasted chickpeas and citrus garlic tahini sauce (vegan, gluten free)

Posted on by andrealeighcoadmin

 

As a food blogger, I want to believe that everyone will absolutely love what I create and share. One hundred percent. All the time.

This, of course, is not realistic…as my family frequently reminds me.

Take this rainbow plate, for example. Yum, right?!

Except if you don’t like red peppers, sweet potato, chickpeas, kale and/or eggplant, roasted, seasoned or dressed but not disguised in a soup or sauce. Since I happen to love all these veggies, this is a plate I want to dive into on repeat. I was hoping my family would want to do the same.

My youngest, however, “didn’t like that dinner” and it was like pulling teeth to get my other three to finish (they ate their favorite veggies first, but that is different for each of them)). Even my husband didn’t give it glowing reviews, because, well, right now I’m the only die-hard veggie lover in my family.

But despite the ho-hum, yuck reviews from my dearest ones, I’m still sharing this rainbow plate because I loved it and I know there are other veggie-lovers out there that will love it too.

It’s simple to make and balanced with protein from the chickpeas plus it gives you all the vitamins and antioxidants your body is really craving. It’s simply dressed with a citrus garlic tahini sauce (more protein +tang) and the veggies could be roasted up on the weekend to prep for a busy week ahead.

If you absolutely dislike one or more of the veggies I’ve included on this plate, just switch it up for a different vegetable of the same color. Because that’s the beauty of cooking and recipe sharing.

 

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rainbow plate with roasted chickpeas
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 

An easy, delicious way to "eat all the colors," this rainbow plate combines roasted veggies with raw kale to give you all the nutrients and is dressed with a tangy garlic tahini sauce.

Course: Entree, Main Course
Servings: 2 people
Author: Andrea Anderson
Ingredients
For the Rainbow Plate
  • 1-2 red pepper, cut in strips
  • 2 large sweet potato, cubed
  • 2 15-oz can chickpeas
  • kale, rinsed and chopped
  • 1 medium eggplant, diced
  • 2 tsp avocado oil
  • 1/8 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • freshly ground pepper
For the Citrus Garlic-Tahini Dressing
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast
Instructions
For the veggies:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 as you prepare the veggies. Add sweet potato and eggplant cubes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.

  2. Meanwhile, prepare the chickpeas by combining them in a bowl with the seasonings and toss to coat well. Spread on a baking sheet.

  3. When the sweet potatoes have cooked for 15 minutes, remove from oven and rotate for even cooking. Add the eggplant and red peppers to the baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired and return to the oven for another 25-30 minutes or until all the veggies are tender and roasted.

  4. At the same time, add the pan of chickpeas to a different rack in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes or until they are slightly crispy. It's helpful to stir them a couple times during baking for even crisping.

For the dressing:

  1. While the veggies are roasting, mix all the dressing ingredients in a blender or small food processor, blending until thoroughly combined. Dressing can be stored in an air tight jar in the fridge for one week.

To assemble the rainbow plate:

  1. Add veggies and chickpeas in rainbow order to each plate, using as much kale as desired. Drizzle dressing over each serving.

 

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cheesy kale chips (vegan, oil free, gluten free, soy free, paleo)

Posted on by andrealeighcoadmin

 

Aren’t snack foods made from good-for-you ingredients the best? Like kale chips!

The first time I tried kale chips, it was love at first bite. Savory, salty, crunchy…yum! But the thing I wasn’t in love with was the price tag, especially for frequent snacking (keep in mind we have four hungry children to feed, three of which are boys).

So I turned to my own kitchen to try and re-create the ideal snacking experience.

 

 

Here are few things I’ve learned along the way:

  • The key to a good kale chip is the seasoning. Since kale is strongly flavored itself, if you’re too light with the seasonings, you have a chip that tastes just like dried kale. Not to exciting.
  • It’s also essential to get the moisture balance right. Too little and it’s hard to coat the kale, too much and they’re on the soggy side and take forever to dry out.
  • Ideally, kale chips are best made with a food dehydrator. But if you lack one of those, as I do, setting your oven at it’s lowest setting – usually about 200 degrees F – is an excellent runner up.
  • Unless you plan on eating your kale chips on the spot, you’ll want to be sure all the kale is completely dried out before storing them in an airtight container. Just a little bit of moisture and the chips loose their crispiness and become chewy. If this happens to you – and it has to me many times – trying popping them back in a 200 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes to dry them out again.

 

Pack these in ziplock bags if you’re traveling. Not only do they add zero weight to your luggage, but it can help you get your superfood fix if you’re not sure what snacking options you’ll have access to on the road. I brought these on a road trip with me this summer and will probably plan to do the same when I head to the Dominican Republic in February on a mission trip.

 

Last thing…if you’re new to vegan “cheese,” be prepared that it will not taste like the cheese you’ve been used to…if you go in expecting that, you’ll be disappointed every time. Or you’ll need to buy manufactured vegan cheeses. I’ve learned that the idea is try an approximate the flavors and textures of familiar foods and appreciate the plant-based version for what it is…healthier, lighter and fuel your body can use.

 

Print
cheesy kale chips
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

Savory, salty, crunchy, snack-y, yummy! That about sums up these cheesy kale chips that can be made in your oven or with a food dehydrator.

Course: Snack
Author: Andrea Anderson
Ingredients
  • 1/2 large bunch kale
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • dashes freshly ground pepper
  • water
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F

  2. Prepare kale by rinsing, patting completely dry then removing the stems. Chop into large pieces that are approximately 2" square. Add to a large mixing bowl.

  3. In a food processor or blender, add remaining ingredients except the water and blend until the cashews are very finely chopped - almost powdery. Add just enough water to create a thick paste (too much water = soggy chips). Massage the mixture into the kale until all the leaves are completely covered.

  4. Spread the kale in a single layer on a large baking sheet. For best results, make sure each kale leaf is spread out. Sprinkle on additional seasonings to taste.

  5. Put into the oven for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan. Bake for another 15 minutes and remove any completely dried chips. Place remaining chips back in the over for another 10 minutes or until all the chips are completely dried.

Recipe Notes

While the chips are best enjoyed immediately for ultimate crispiness, they can be stored in an airtight jar after cooling completely. If they're too soft and you have to have them crispy, pop them in a 200 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes.

 

(contains affiliate links which help fund this blog at no cost to you ? )

  • Click here for my favorite food processor
  • I found Trader Joe’s has the best price for cashews.
  • Nutritional yeast can be found in most health food stores or here. I get mine from the bulk section at Whole Foods.

 

 

 

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Leng’s salad (vegan, gluten-free, peanut free option)

Posted on by Andrea

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As promised, here’s the post I promised which features one of my favorite sauces that pairs well with many dishes. Although the National Day of Peanut Butter may have passed, peanut butter lovers know that any day is a good day to enjoy this nutty legume. (For those with allergies and non-peanut butter lovers, you can sub in almond butter).

I call this recipe Leng’s Salad in honor of a woman our family got to know a couple of years ago. She and her family were refugees we had the privilege mentoring for a short time. While they’ve since moved away, every time I make this salad, I think of how much they enjoyed it at our home. Given that they’re Asian and this is an Asian inspired recipe, I wasn’t sure if it would fly or flop. But it was a hit. 🙂

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As with most salads, this is a mix-and-match, add-what-you-like-best free for all. When I want a super quick version, I’m even content with two of these ingredients – usually kale and cabbage. This usually is a crowd pleaser (unless you have a picky crowd or your “crowd” includes humans under the age of “skeptical about most vegetables), so be brave and try it out at your next potluck.

CLICK HERE TO PRINT A PDF of the Leng’s Salad recipe

Leng’s Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes

 

Ingredients

    For the Salad

    • kale, destemmed, roughly chopped
    • red or green cabbage, roughly sliced or shredded
    • carrots,peeled into strips or shredded*
    • green onions, finely sliced
    • sunflower seeds

    Additional mix-in/combination options:

    • cauliflower, roughly chopped
    • sweet potato fries, diced*
    • rutabaga, diced
    • raw brussel sprouts, finely sliced or shredded
    • brown rice pasta*
    • red pepper, finely sliced

    621 Thai Dressing (makes 5-6 servings)

    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
    • 1 teaspoon red curry paste
    • 6 tablespoon coconut aminos
    • 5-8 tablespoon almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
    • 6 tablespoons peanut or almond butter

    Instructions

    For the Salad

    Chop all ingredients into bite-sized pieces. If using cabbage, slice thinly. Mix well.

    For the Dressing

    Add all ingredients to a jar and stir or shake until thoroughly mixed. Add more almond milk if needed or for desired consistency.

    Recipe Notes

    I didn’t list quantities with the salad ingredients because salads are so flexible. Just adjust your portions as needed. Generally, one full handful of combined ingredients = 1 side salad portion and two-three handfuls work for a main course salad portion.

    *Omit these options and sub in almond butter in the dressing for the strict portion of the candida diet and/or for a paleo-friendly salad

    I opted to create this dressing recipe using garlic and ginger powered because it’s quick and easy. Most days I would not have the patience to mince the garlic or ginger for the dressing. I recommend using organic powdered ginger or a brand that does not add sulfur.

    You might want to start with adding 5 T of your non-dairy milk to start and then add more until you get the desired pouring consistency. This dressing will thicken as it sits, so you may need to add a little more milk the next day. I’m not sure how another type of non-dairy milk will affect the taste or consistency.

    When I sub in almond butter, I usually use roasted almond butter, either chunky or smooth. Raw almond butter would work too, but it might affect the taste/consistency.

    The dressing keeps well for several days in the fridge. I often will make up a jar and then pour it over my salads all week.

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