Quinoa with Sweet Peppers and Pineapple

This is a wonderful high protein recipe that my 10 year old nephew, Alex, adapted from one of Jamie's 15 minute meal TV programs.  Yes, he did take notes while watching the show.  He is an amazingly enthusiastic young cook.

 Spinach, spring onions, coriander leaves, mint and bell peppers

 Alex

 Alex chopping Peppers into bite size pieces

 Fresh Pineapple

 Chopping done.

 Fry together with Paprika and All Spice

 Blended greens mixed with Quinoa

Voila!

Ingredients:

250g Quinoa

2 -3 Cups of roughly shredded Spinach

3 Spring Onions

1 green Chili

1 handful of fresh Coriander leaves

½ Cup of fresh Mint leaves

For the Topping:

2 tbsp Coconut Oil

2 x large red and yellow sweet Peppers cut into bite size pieces

1 x Pineapple cut into bite size pieces

300g Vegan Chicken Strips or Vegan Chicken Julienne

1 tbs Paprika

1 tsp All Spice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

• Cook the Quinoa according to the instructions on the packet. (Rinse before cooking)
• Blend the Spinach, Spring Onion, Chili, Coriander leaves and Mint leaves in a food processor until finely shredded.
• Add green mixture to cooked Quinoa.
• Fry the Sweet Peppers, Pineapple, Paprika and All Spice in the Coconut oil. When it starts to brown (about 6 to 8 minutes) add the Vegan Chicken Strips or Vegan Chicken Julienne. Cook until done. 
• Add Salt and Pepper to taste.
• Dish the fried ingredients on top of the Quinoa on a large platter.
• Decorate with Balsamic Glaze. 

Serves 6

Earth Day - 22 April (2013)

                                                                                                        Source: Being Vegan                                               

                                 What better way to celebrate Earth Day than to live a vegan lifestyle!


As a species, we can help save our planet from depletion through a method as ridiculously simple as eating a plant based diet. Yes - if you are vegan, you are already contributing to this effort - whatever the reason for your decision to abstain from using any animal products. But if you knew the facts, which by the way have been distorted and completely twisted by the global giants of the Animal Industry, you would take the truth as a responsibility and contribute even more to the healing of our precious Earth.

Dr Richard A. Oppenlander in his book 'Comfortably Unaware' captures the whole scope of Global Depletion. Instead of focusing on issues that branch off from the actual problem, this book reveals and lays on the table the issue society seems to be avoiding - the fact that global warming is only a small piece in the growing puzzle of Global Depletion of renewable and non-renewable resources. He states:

"Meat and dairy industries are responsible for using 45% of Earth's entire landmass and 29% of all fresh water withdrawals, they produce over 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for 80% of all rainforest loss, cause over 50% of all modern day extinctions, eating up 77% of all coarse grain produced in the world, and causing more water and land pollution in the U.S. than all other industries combined. Our demand to eat fish has caused the collapse of 85% of the world's fisheries with more than 1,000 fish species now endangered--on the verge of extinction." 

So take the chance to learn what everyone should have been taught a long time ago, share the facts and tell them why every environmentalist should be vegan. Make a difference in your immediate environment. 

After all - the Earth is what we all have in common.

Choc Chip Muffins

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, and to celebrate I baked some vegan, gluten-free muffins.

Although, calling it baking might be a bit of an exaggeration because these muffins are so easy!

Ingredients:

-Glutagon Choc Chip Mix (Found at Dis-chem)

-240ml Soy Milk (You can use rice milk or almond milk too)

-60g vegan margarine (I use Cardin but find other alternatives here )
-Icing (I used Nicoletta Glitter Writing Icing but later saw that the red/pink contains cochineal derived from an insect so only buy the purple, white or blue)

Method:

Mix the first 3 ingredients together, spoon into a 6 tray muffin pan and bake for 21-23 minutes at 180'C

I told you it's too easy to be called baking!

Now the fun begins... decorate!