Your new go to salad when you're not too sure what you want for dinner at night, or if you need a make ahead lunch for a work or school day. A tip I want to share with you is that you can actually make double or triple the amounts of quinoa and lentils and freeze the extra. They honestly don't take long to make at all, but I have found that at times a frozen stash comes in handy. Plus, when you thaw them, you can add them to practically anything, and season them differently each time as well. These two ingredients are extremely versatile. I have even seen them in breakfasts, sweets, baked goods and breads, etc.
Quinoa / Did you know that it is actually a seed? But even though not technically a grain, it is still considered a “whole grain” food. There are several varieties of quinoa {red, black, and white}, and you can sometimes buy a "mixed" bag at the market, which gets you a mixture of the varying nutrient values in each. White is the most popular and commonly found variety found in stores. It is gluten-free, low on the glycemic index, high in fiber, antioxidants, and protein, containing all of the essential amino acids that we need. Click
here for more recipes with quinoa.
Lentils / Nutty and earthy in flavor, lentils are a great addition of nutrition into your diet. There are several varieties of lentils {green, red and brown}, with brown being the most commonly used. Lentils are low in cholesterol, are good source of protein, folate, and iron, and promote digestive health with their fiber content. Enjoy them in soups, salad, spreads, dips for vegetables, or even baked into sweet or savory goodies.
Arugula / Also known as Salad Rocket, arugula and its peppery-kick are the perfect flavor to fulfill that "umph" I am sometimes missing in my meals. Arugula is a rich source of phytochemicals, a great source of folic acid and Vitamins A and C, and is one of the best vegetable sources of Vitamin K. Arugula is great both raw and cooked. Plop it atop {vegan} pizzas, mix it into your salads, create an
arugula pesto with it, or even add it into your next soup.
Root Beer and Coca Cola ice cream floats were where it was at when growing up. I used to attend a day care program after school and we had ice cream floats almost every Friday. I used to think it was the best thing ever...until I had this.
Having had learned of the {horrible} effects soda could have on our bodies, I vowed to never again have one. But, when they are served around me, I can't lie...I do tend to miss the floats quite a bit! Especially because I start to reminisce on my childhood. So in order to fullfill these cravings, what is there to do? What there always is to do in cases like this, veganize it. That term has been frequent for the past 3 years of my life, and forever will be. I love being able to veganize old favorites of mine. Not only do I have fun experimenting in the kitchen, but I love sharing my recipes with my family in hopes of bringing them one step closer to considering a plant-based diet.
Without further or do, I present to you my RAW and VEGAN Fruit Beer Float xx
