Big Bowl of Happiness for Catherine

Dear Readers,

My BFF Catherine and I were talking about her recent travels and how we sometimes find ourselves without healthy vegetarian food. This is especially complicated if one is gluten-free, or has food allergies such as eggs or dairy. When returning from such trips cooking and enjoying nourishing food is vital. It is in this spirit that I whipped up tonight's recipe.



It's just a big bowl of happiness and health. Looks great and tastes delicious. Big bowl recipes are simple and improvisational. I got the idea originally from Heidi at 101 cookbooks. 2 years ago I was inspired by her recipe and created my own "Quinoa Big Bowl with Garlic Spinach & Roasted Yams" recipe. What's funny, is now when I went back and checked out Heidi's original recipe she talked about traveling and how much she craved healthy earthy quinoa and cooking for herself as soon as her plane landed. Whoa. Seriously, I did not read that before coming up with tonight's recipe. I guess it's a universal experience for healthy eating foodie cooks.

For a Big Bowl, start with a tasty whole grain. Usually I choose quinoa, but tonight it's short grain brown rice. Followed by delicious sauteed potatoes, wilted spinach & chard with garlic, sauteed fresh local asparagus, rounded out with garbanzo beans, and finished with toasted walnuts. Mix. Devour. Yum. In my photos it looks very composed. But, when I eat it, I just mix it all together.

This kind of meal helps me feel so nourished. It's gluten-free, vegan, and loaded with fiber, protein and fresh vegetables. Olive oil and walnuts give a boost of omega fatty acids. Trust me, this big bowl is all around goodness. And I hope it makes my Catherine very happy. It's making me happy right now.

In Health,
Miss Jolie Ann



Big Bowl of Happiness Recipe
Makes 4 large servings

1 cup short grain brown rice
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 yukon gold potatoes, diced
1/4 tsp tumeric
sea salt & black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch spinach, washed & chopped
1 bunch chard, washed & chopped
1 bunch asparagus, washed, tough ends cut off, sliced
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. Put the brown rice with 2 cups water in a pot and cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 50 minutes. Set aside.
2. While the brown rice is cooking, prepare the rest of the recipe. In a skillet warm a splash of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and the tumeric. Cover and cook over medium heat about 15 minutes. Potatoes should be tender and browned. Set aside.
3. In the now empty skillet, add another splash of olive oil. Add the garlic, spinach, and chard. Ad a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook uncovered over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Greens should be wilted, still bright green, and the garlic should be fragrant. Set aside.
4. In the now empty skillet, add another splash of olive oil . Add the asparagus and another pinch of salt. Cook uncovered for about 5 minutes. Asparagus should be bright green and still firm. Set aside.
5. In the now empty skillet, add the walnuts. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until they are starting to brown and have released their fragrant oils.
6. Assemble the brown rice, potatoes, greens, asparagus, and garbanzo how you would like in individual bowls or family style on a large platter. Top with the toasted walnuts.

Spring Pasta Primavera with Garbanzo Beans & Walnuts

Dear Readers,

I don't often post recipes featuring pasta. Honestly, I think it's overdone. But, gluten-free brown rice pasta makes a nice platform for the first of Spring's beautiful vegetables. That's all Pasta Primavera is--fresh Spring vegetables. If you planted a year-round edible garden your overwintering varieties of cauliflower, cabbage & carrots should be ready to harvest. This Winter was pretty mild and the Spring unseasonably warm which means your hardy greens like kale, chard and mustards should all be doing great and producing a nice harvest. Fall planted garlic should be producing nice green shoots or "scapes" to add to your stir-fry dishes. There's not a lot in the edible garden this time of year. But, with some planning it can produce in early Spring.

Pasta Primavera has endless variations. Mine lacks the standard issue bland cream sauce. The vegetables and their fresh tastes headline this dish. The recipe co-stars garbanzo beans, walnuts, garlic and some fresh lemon zest. It's gluten & dairy free. Loaded with vitamins, fiber, and protein. Whole foods goodness. Plus once the chopping prep is done this dish is completely cooked in under 30 minutes. And it's easy on the budget as well with simple ingredients. Filling, delicious and pretty. What more could you ask for. It's virtually a perfect dish. Please send me your comments. I appreciate the feedback.


In Health,
Miss Jolie Ann

Pasta Primavera with Garbanzo Beans & Walnuts
Serves 4

1/2 of a 16oz package brown rice spaghetti or linguine
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 of a medium yellow onion, minced
2 cups cauliflower florets
3 thin young carrots, thinly sliced
sea salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 cup chopped walnuts
14 oz can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups thinly sliced mixed greens-kale, chard mustard
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1. Bring a stockpot of water to boil and prepare pasta according to package directions. Do not overcook. It should take about 8-10 minutes. Brown rice pasta quickly becomes mushy if overcooked by a minute. Drain pasta and return to the pot off the heat. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt and black pepper and a splash of olive oil on the pasta. Add the nutritional yeast. Stir well. Cover pot and set aside while you prepare the veggies.
2. Warm 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and continue to saute for another 5 minutes. Add the carrots and continue to saute for another 5 minutes. Add a pinch of sea salt & black pepper, and the walnuts. Saute for another 5 minutes. You want the spices to become fragrant and the walnuts to become slightly toasted. Add the garbanzo beans and the garlic. Stir well to combine. Add the greens and cook for approximately 5 minutes. You want the greens to just begin to wilt but remain bright green. They will be slightly crunchy. Overcooked veggies=no bueno. Remove pan from heat.
3. Add the vegetables to the pasta. Add the lemon zest. Check the flavor and add more sea salt if desired. Eat. You be sure to thank me later.

Quinoa-Lentil Salad with Greek Flavors

Quinoa-Lentil Salad with Greek Flavors

Hello! This main dish salad is packed with protein, fiber, and all kinds of colors, textures and flavors. The quinoa and lentils are combined with sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, walnuts, and herbs used in Greek cuisine. You can add feta cheese or leave it vegan. It's delicious either way. Think taboulli without the wheat or summer veggies. This salad also keeps well all week, so I make a big batch on the weekend and take it to work for lunch each day. It would be perfect on a picnic. It's one of my favorite recipes and a staple for me during the Winter. While the quinoa and lentils cook (in under 30 minutes) you chop and prepare all the other ingredients. This meal is done & in your happy belly in a flash! Enjoy!

In Health & Love,
Miss Jolie Ann

Quinoa-Lentil Salad with Greek Flavors
Original Recipe by Miss Jolie Ann
makes 5-6 servings

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 cup dry brown lentils
2 cups water
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons, juiced
1 tsp sea salt
pinch of black pepper
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp chopped fresh dill
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
1/4 cup minced red onion
4 stalks celery, minced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup julienned sundried tomatoes (packed in olive oil)
1 cup whole pitted kalamata olives
Optional: 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Place the quinoa and water in a sauce pan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Let cool to room temperature.
2. Place lentils and water in a sauce pan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let cook for about 20 minutes. You want the lentils to be cooked, but not mushy. They should still be firm and hold their shape. Drain water from lentils and set aside. Let cool to room temperature.
3. In a large bowl combine the quinoa and lentils with all the remaining ingredients. Stir until well combined. Serve at room temperature.

Banana Nut Muffins

Happy Valentine's Day! This morning my 2 1/2 year old friend, Jasper, and I enjoyed baking these muffins together. Baking is a great activity to share with young children-it teaches them math, how to follow directions, & develops their fine motor skils and eye-hand coordination. (Yes, in my other life I am a Child Development Specialist!) We had a great time together and the baking muffins made the house smell yummy delicious.

I try to bake a batch of muffins every week to enjoy as a snack. I bake this recipe when I have a few bananas turning brown and really ripe. Today I was using all ingredients that I already had on hand, so the entire muffin recipe cost me nothing out of this week's food budget. You can't beat that! I like to make large muffins, so this recipe yields 6 large muffins or 10-12 smaller muffins. 6 muffins is a perfect amount for me. I can eat one a day for the week before they start going hard and stale. ( I store my muffins in a sealed container in the fridge) If you are preparing banana nut muffins for a family or a brunch just double the recipe to make a dozen.

In health,
Miss Jolie Ann

Banana Nut Muffins
This recipe makes 6 large muffins or 10-12 small muffins

2 very ripe organic bananas
1/3 cup organic canola oil or organic melted butter
¼ cup organic honey
2 organic brown eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon alcohol-free pure vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 cups organic whole wheat flour
1 cup organic walnuts, chopped
organic canola oil spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Peel and mash bananas in a large mixing bowl.

2. Mix in the canola oil or melted butter, beaten eggs, honey and vanilla.

3. In another bowl combine the baking soda, sea salt and flour and mix well.

4. Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and stir until it is just incorporated.

5. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

6. Spray the muffin pan with canola oil until very lightly greased.

7. Pour mixture into prepared muffin pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. You'll know they are done with they are lightly browned, big and fluffy, and when you insert a toothpick into the center of one it comes out clean. Let cool (or not) and then devour!