February | 2013 | ~Vegan Mommy Dee~

Here at my house I have a bit of a obsession with making apple oat bakes. I always have organic gala apples and oats in the house! Those are staple food items in my home. My kids are obsessed with gala apples so that’s why I stick to buying that type. Apple bakes are great when you wanna put together something quickly. The beauty of a bake is that you throw it into the oven and you don’t have to fuss over it. I wanted another option that was even healthier so I decided to use quinoa flakes in my recipe. It’s also a wheat-free/gluten-free grain option! There are so many benefits to including quinoa to your diet! It’s packed with a protein, super low in calories, antioxidants, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and has anti inflammatory benefits as well. Here is the incredibly easy recipe for my organic apple quinoa bake …

ORGANIC APPLE QUINOA BAKE

Ingredients:

2 large organic apples, chopped up and leave the skin on. Everyone needs more fiber in their diet!
1 1/4 cup organic quinoa flakes
1 heaping TBSP of cinnamon … another obsession of mine 🙂
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4-1/3 cup pure maple syrup (1/4 cup is what I use)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Notes:

* You will need a medium-sized baking dish*

*You can add more quinoa flakes to your bake if you desire. I don’t because I like to keep apples as the star of the show.

*Makes 4 servings*

Method:

Add the quinoa and cinnamon into the baking dish, mix
Chop up the apples and add them into the baking dish
Pour the apple cider vinegar to the mixture and give it a good mix.
Pour the coconut oil on the mixture and combine.
Next add the maple syrup. Depending on how sweet you want your apple bake to be you can add between 1/4 – 1/3 cup maple syrup.
Toss in the raw pumpkin seeds
Even out in the baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 F

Easy, Easy, Easy! Enjoy as a dessert or snack! You could even spoon this bake on top of coconut ice cream with a little drizzle of maple syrup and top with walnuts or pecans. YUM!

Simple Apple Quinoa Bake

Are you looking for a fast and easy recipe for lunch or dinner? This is one of my favourite recipes to make! I love it because I can throw in whatever veggies I have on hand and the recipe still turns out great! The trick to this recipe is that you gotta marinate the tofu for a least a couple hours in teriyaki sauce and minced garlic. I just marinate the tofu the night before or you can marinate it before you head out the door in the morning. The tofu will be so flavourful with a great garlic kick to it! YUM!

Here’s my recipe …

Teriyaki Tofu with Chickpeas and Veggies

Ingredients:

* 1 can of chickpeas
* 1 package of sprouted firm tofu, cut into small cubes
* 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, chopped
* 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
* 2 bell peppers, chopped
* 1 small zucchini, cut up in medallions
* 5 cloves of garlic, minced
* 1/3 cup chopped up onion
* paprika & black pepper (add desired amount)
* 1/3 cup chopped up fresh flat leaf parsley, optional
* 3 TBSP Teriyaki sauce
* 1 TBSP naturally brewed soya sauce, optional
* 1 extra tsp of teriyaki sauce to finish off the dish
* Frying pan or wok
* 1-2 TBSP olive oil

Method:

1. Place your chopped up tofu in a bowl and add teriyaki sauce and garlic. Mix well and throw it into the fridge for at least a couple of hours. If possible give it a mix a couple times.

2. Grab a large frying pan or wok and heat the oil in it. Add the tofu and garlic. Saute for a few minutes until browned.

3. Rince chickpeas very well!

4. Add onion to the tofu and cook until softened. Add broccoli and cook for about 2 minutes or so. Throw in the chopped up bell peppers, zucchini and mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes but be careful not to over cook. Keep your veggies on the crisp side!

5. Add in the chickpeas and season with paprika and black pepper to taste.

6. Add 1 TBSP of soya sauce and 1 tsp of teriyaki sauce and combine. Add in the parsley to the dish and mix well.

7. Transfer the tofu and veggies to a serving dish. Serve on a bed of brown rice.

ENJOY!