30 Minute Meals: Sauteed Kale & Quinoa

As you may know, I am working hard to reduce the amount of animal products and processed foods my family consumes. I just bought a veggie spiralizer on Amazon to make sweet potato and zucchini noodles! It should be on my front stoop today! As part of the meat and carb reduction, I was roasting up all the veggies in my house last week, and I thought to myself, why stop now?! I'll cook everything in my fridge! A little spur of the moment? Maybe. A lot of flavor? Definitely!

Kale and quinoa may be the two trendiest ingredients on Pinterest right now, but for good reason. They are a powerhouse combo! Kale is one of the most nutrient dense foods out there full of calcium, magnesium, vitamin K, antioxidants, fiber out the wazoo... I mean the WORKS! For a vegetable that was once just a garnish for salad bar, it's a staple it in my family's dinner rotation.

Quinoa is one of my favorite foods EVER! It's so diverse and yummy. I make breakfasts with it, I make burritos with it, soup.... Sweet or savory, you name it, I put quinoa in it - the options are endless! These delicious little pebbles are full of iron, b-vitamins, magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamin e and has all the essential amino acids to make a complete protein. Quinoa is naturally gluten free if that's something you're concerned about. Did I mention toddler friendly too? (Although messy, very messy).

Organic Ingredients:

1 small yellow onion
4+ cloves of garlic
4 tbls olive oil (or coconut oil if you want the trendy trifecta!)
6 cups of ribbed curly kale torn into bite sized pieces
1 cup veggie stock
1/2 cup rinsed quinoa
1/4-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (or sprinkle on some "nooch" if you're vegan)
A few shakes of red pepper flakes - dependent on your heat preference

Instructions:

I chopped my onion, minced some garlic, and got that cooking in some olive oil. Once that was fragrant, and the onions were translucent (about 5 minutes), I threw in about 6 cups of curly kale with 2 tablespoons of water and covered until the kale had wilted and was tender (12 minutes or so), stirring on the reg.

While that was going, in a separate pot, I cooked up a half cup of the perfect protein, quinoa. To do that, get your stock boiling, dump in your quinoa, cover. Cook on LOW for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

Once the kale was tenderoni, I tossed in the red pepper flakes, some Parmesan cheese, the cooked quinoa, and tossed it all together!

Perfect.

I took the leftovers for lunch the next day and it warmed up VERY nicely. What do you take for lunch? Do you have any leftover go-tos?

Drink of the Summer: Sassy Water

The first time I had this refreshing beverage was Summer 2007. My goodness, it's been a decade! My mother had made it during one of my visits home and I was hooked. It may have been the name at the time. This was the beginning of this infused water craze! 

Now I crave it every year at the beginning of the summer. As soon as it heats up outside, and the nights are not nearly as cool, the ingredients start calling to me in the grocery store. The recipe came from the Flat Belly Diet, but I don't really adhere to it. I use what I have, and add fun things when the occasion calls for it! I just so happened to have ginger in my freezer - did you know you could freeze ginger?

Ingredients

• 1 Organic Cucumber, peeled & sliced
• 1 Lemon sliced (I peel mine because I don't like the bitter rind flavor - but that's totally your call)
• 1 Grip of Mint Leaves - try growing your own! Mint is like a weed! 
• 1 Tsp of Freshly Grated Ginger

Add that to a pitcher, add water, and let it soak overnight in the fridge. 

You are supposed to drink the whole pitcher in a day if you are looking for the flat belly. But, I just fill up my Nalgene and go! I continue to drink water throughout the day, not just the 32 oz of Sassy Water.

Now, you are curious about the additions, right? 

• Coconut water - extra potassium and hydration
• La Croix (Citrus flavor) - the fun fizzy bubbles make it a great poolside drink
• Apple Cider Vinegar - More digestive benefits 

This is a seriously refreshing drink. If you drink the whole pitcher in a day, you will absolutely be hydrated, which helps with bloating. Also, I use the concoction of ingredients twice. After I fill up my glass or Nalgene, I refill the pitcher and let it soak again throughout the day.

Do you infuse your water to make it more interesting or just go with old reliable? 

For more information on the actual Flat Belly Diet's Sassy Water, click here. 

Interview with "The Vegans"

I lovingly call these friends of mine "The Vegans," because they are the only friends of mine who have gone vegan and stayed vegan. The first time I attempted at the vegan lifestyle was after I read the book "SkinnyBitch" in 2009. Randi had gone vegan as well around the same time frame and I found a lot of comfort in having a friend who found the same things important as me. It's often a lifestyle change that brings about a lot of "concerns" from folks... ie "Where do you get your protein?" (Another post for another day). It is good to have community for support in the early days when you may not have the tool set to educate the people questioning your motives.

Since then, I have gone back and forth between vegetarianism to meat-eating, but I always found myself going back to vegetarianism. Recently, I have been inching closer and closer to vegan, but haven't quite made it. Randi and Kevin have been been vegan since forever. I think it is so amazing and admirable! Here is a quick Q & A with them. As my plant-based experts, you will likely see more from them down the line!

How long have you been vegan?

Randi: 8 years, almost exactly to the day.

Kevin: 6-ish years….I don’t know the exact date.

What inspired you to go vegan? (Reasons, resources, books, movies, etc.)

Randi: I was introduced to some undercover footage of animal agriculture and processing. It was enough to change me right then.

Kevin: My lovely wife [Randi]. Like anything positive in my life she was the catalyst for change. She came home one night with the book “The Engine 2 Diet” and it all clicked from there.

Have your reasons for being vegan changed? If yes, how so?

Randi: I originally started out vegan for animal rights. The more I dove into the lifestyle, the more I learned about the health and environmental benefits as well.

Kevin: I started out exclusively for health reasons. As the years go on, animal rights and the environmental side have become more important.

You have a son, has he been vegan since birth? How have you dealt with the haters?

Randi: In all technicality, Ira was given cow based formula during his first two days of life. Everything else has been vegan. I really try to avoid anyone who might have differing opinions towards raising children vegan. I usually take everything they say with a grain of salt because everyone has an opinion on the best way to raise your child.

Kevin: That is my absolute favorite thing. Raising our kiddo to be a compassionate person is an amazing feeling. We actually haven’t had to deal with too many “haters.” I’m a big believer in educating those that have differing or misinformed views. You don’t get anywhere by being defensive or attacking.

Have you found community in other vegans?

Randi: YES! We have met some amazing people in the vegan community. They have always been so welcoming.

Kevin: Absolutely. Some of our best friends have been a result of the vegan community (thanks Instagram).

How do you eat when you travel or visit family and friends?

Randi: We usually try to bring as many snacks as possible but also research through Happy Cow or other websites places to eat. We get really excited looking at food.

Kevin: We plan our trips around food so we rarely get stuck without anything to eat. I LOVE making “omni friendly” vegan dishes for friends to help show them that our way isn’t so bad.

How do you plan/prep your meals for the week?

Randi: We don't and it's really something we are trying to work on. Dinner is always decided on last minute so it's always a scramble putting it together. It usually ends up being a super simple recipe from Happy Herbivore.

Kevin: Simplest answer…..Rice, beans, and greens.

What changes have you noticed in your health?

Randi: I have always noticed I have felt “lighter” in my conscience. I also notice my energy levels are higher. Also, the more veggies we add, the better I feel.

Kevin: Quicker recovery time and a clear conscience. When you stick to a predominately whole foods diet you are giving your body the best fuel possible. When the food on your plate aligns with your values you really can’t go wrong.

Kevin, you said "quicker recovery time," what do you mean by that?

Kevin: After working out. Quicker recovery time equals little to no soreness. Ability to get back to it without taking any supplements.

What advice would you give to someone looking to start a vegan or plant-based life?

Randi: I always congratulate them on the conscious step. I say, every little bit counts. It can be a huge change and it does get easier.

Kevin: Jump in and get shit done, simply put. Go all in for 28 days (that’s how I started) and you will never go back. Also, stay positive and educate yourself at all times.

Will you share your favorite vegan recipe?

Randi: Cheater Pad Thai from Happy Herbivore.

Kevin: Black Beans and Rice from “The Engine 2 Diet.” We’ve been eating that once a week for the last 6 years and it NEVER gets old.

If you have any questions or need resources on a plant-based life, they Kevin and Randi are an excellent resource, they certainly have been for me! They will be visiting early in June and I cannot wait to share some of our plant-based food adventures!

Have you thought of going vegan, vegetarian, or pescatarian? What attracts you to that lifestyle? Or, what prevents you from making the change?