Category: Meals

Posted on

Lentil, Barley, and Kale Soup (Meatless Monday)

Lentils, a member of the legume family, should be a staple in everyone’s cupboard–especially for you vegans and vegetarians. These little earthy pillows are an excellent source of plant-based protein and have a lot of the vitamins and minerals that meat-abstainers often miss in their diet. A one-cup serving of lentils has only 230 calories, 16g of dietary fiber, 18g of protein, and 37% of the recommended daily intake for iron. This high soluble fiber content helps lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar levels.

image_2

Beyond the vast health benefits, lentils are cheap, easy to cook, and store forever. If you’re at a loss for what to do with them (aside from this recipe), check out the New York Times’ Martha Rose Shulman for some great ideas .

photo

Lentil, Barley, and Kale Soup

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 tbs vegan buttery spread (I like Earth Balance’s Soy-Free Buttery Spread)
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tbs toasted sesame seeds
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup French lentils
  • 1 cup pearled barley
  • Juice of 1 lemon, plus 4 long strips of the peel
  • 2 1/2 cartons of reduced sodium vegetable broth
  • 3 cups kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (or parmesan cheese if you opting for a non-vegan version)
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill

How to Make It:

  1. Add buttery spread (or real butter if you aren’t vegan), olive oil, onions and a pinch of salt to a slow-cooker and cover on high for 45min.
  2. Add garlic, turmeric, pepper, cayenne, and toasted sesame seeds (crushing them between your fingers as you sprinkle them in) and cook for another 15min on high.
  3. Add lentils, pearled barley, broth, lemon juice and strips of peel (you’ll remove these at the end).
  4. Layer 3 cups of chopped kale on top but don’t mix it in. Cover and turn to Low for 3-5 more hours.
  5. Turn off your slow-cooker. Remove lemon peels and adjust for seasoning to taste. Stop here if you plan to freeze half and save for later.
  6. When you are ready to serve, add nutritional yeast (or parmesan) and fresh dill to taste.

Serve this with a slice of my Saffron Fennel Bread for a hearty weeknight supper or an easy-to-pack work lunch.

Posted on

Welcome to MOARfit!

Pages from MOAR_card-v11-2

Welcome to MOARfit!

Thank you so much to those of you who have followed along with me on MOARyoga over the last year. As with all things in life, the MOAR mission is dynamic and growing. What started as a blog dedicated to yoga and nutrition around this time last fall, has evolved and will continue to transform into more–well MOARfit to be exact.

This next phase is a reflection of my foray into a more inclusive definition of mind-body wellness. MOARfit came to me in late summer as I realized that I want to offer my students, clients, and readers advice and feasible steps to become functionally fit in their daily lives–both mentally and physically. For some people that might mean yoga three days a week and a vegan diet. For others, a fusion of HIIT (high-intensity interval training), outdoor activities like biking and running, and yoga combined with a flexitarian or compassionate carnivore diet might be the best path to the best you. Whatever course you choose to to follow, MOARfit will be a valuable resource for you along the way.

I have transferred all of my old content over from MOARyoga to this new platform–MOARfit–and hope you will join me in this new and exciting manifestation of my vision for helping people be the happiest, healthiest versions of themselves.

Sign up by clicking “Follow MOARfit” on the right sidebar and live life to the fullest by becoming functionally fit in both mind and body.

With gratitude and excitement for what’s to come!

Amy

Posted on

Sweet Potato Bean Burgers w/ Maple Chipotle Mayo (Meatless Monday) (GF)

As a flexitarian (aka a conscious and informed omnivore), I am a big believer in avoiding absolutes when it comes to diet choices. I eat meat on occasion. I eat gluten with regularity. And I sometimes even eat dairy (though my system would rather I not). I’ve tried out a lot of different food lifestyles, but I always come back to moderation. In the words of Oscar Wilde, everything in moderation, even moderation. Afterall, who wants to miss out on their mom’s classic sugar cookies at Christmas time, or the sensational experience of sharing pâté and red wine with good friends? The good news is, small dietary tweaks can make an enormous impact, not only on your personal health but on the well-being of our shared environment.

One of these manageable steps stems from a movement called Meatless Monday (#meatlessmonday). According to their website:

Meatless Monday is a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns, in association with the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. We provide the information and recipes you need to start each week with healthy, environmentally friendly meat-free alternatives. Our goal is to help you reduce your meat consumption by 15% in order to improve your personal health and the health of the planet. Presidents Wilson, Truman and Roosevelt galvanized the nation with voluntary meatless days during both world wars. Our intention is to revitalize this American tradition. We’re spearheading a broad-based, grassroots movement that spans all borders and demographic groups. By cutting out meat once a week, we can improve our health, reduce our carbon footprint and lead the world in the race to reduce climate change.

Sign me up! I’m already more like a Meatless Monday-through-Friday kind of gal, but if you aren’t this is one small change anyone can make. To jump-start your commitment to being healthier and helping the planet, try out this recipe for Sweet Potato Bean Burgers, or check out my Quinoa Black Bean Zucchini Burgers from last fall.

image

Sweet Potato Bean Burgers

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 large sweet potatoes
  • 1 can white cannellini beans
  • 1/4 cup gluten-free oats
  • 1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1/2 sweet onion
  • 4 small or 2-3 large cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbs chives
  • 2 tbs sauce from a Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce can
  • salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Them:

  1. Polk holes into sweet potatoes with a fork and microwave each individually on high for 5 min. Remove and let cool for 10 min before attempting to peel.
  2. While  the potatoes cool. in a large pan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute for about 5 min until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and spices cooking until fragrant (another 2 min).
  3. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1″ or smaller cubes. Add to pan and cook another 5 min until tender. Remove mixture from heat.
  4. In a separate bowl, beat two eggs until smooth.
  5. In a food processor, combine sweet potato mixture, white beans (drained and rinsed), oats, garbanzo bean flour, adobo sauce, finely chopped chives, and salt and pepper to taste with egg mix.
  6. Chill mixture in refrigerator for 30 min then remove and form into 6 burger patties. And pre-heat oven to 350ºF.
  7. In the same large pan used earlier, sear your burgers on both sides for 2-3 min over medium-high heat in a little more olive oil. Then bake in a pre-heated 350ºF oven for 30 min (flipping once).

Maple Chipotle Mayo

What You’ll Need

  • 3/4 cup light organic mayo
  • 1 tbs pure maple syrup
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

How to Make It: Blend all ingredients together in a mini food processor (or Magic Bullet!) until combined. Chill until ready to use.

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

Posted on

Saffron Fennel Bread

For the past 6 months, I have had a little golden packet of a special spice called saffron staring back at me from my kitchen cabinet. Saffron has a complex flavor that is often used in French bouillabaisse, Spanish paella, Milanese risotto, and many Middle Eastern dishes. I called it a “special” spice because not only is it quite pricey, but a little goes a long way when it comes to Saffron’s audacious effects on the palette.

image_1

Good news for all you natural remedy lovers out there! According to my girl Oprah, a 2008 study found that 76% of women who took daily saffron supplements reported a 50% drop in PMS symptoms like mood swings and fatigue (your welcome, in advance to the men in our lives). The spice has also been linked to the alleviation of mild to moderate depression. According to another study, saffron supplements were as effective as a common antidepressant in reducing symptoms related to depression.

This taste tantalizing and feel-good spice met its maker last weekend when I decided to dust off my dutch oven and get back to my bread baking roots. It all started because I realized I was in need of some bread to accompany two upcoming recipes–my meatless Monday Sweet Potato Bean Burgers with Maple Chipotle Mayo, and my slow-cooker Tuscan Lentil, Barley, and Kale Soup. Rather than running out to the store for a pre-made loaf, I got out my flours and yeast and got to cooking. I’ve been enjoying the bread for the last week and saved half in the freezer for when my schedule gets hectic with work travel. Give it a go and add a little something “special” to your sandwich or soup entree.

Saffrom Fennel Bread

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 1/4 cups warm water
  • 1 tbs active dry yeast (or one packet)
  • 1 tablespoon raw cane or coconut sugar
  • 2 cups unbleached, bread flour (plus a little more for kneading)
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 tbs kosher salt
  • 1 tbs whole fennel seeds
  • 1/8 tsp ground saffron
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal (for coating)

How to Make It:

  1. In a large bowl, mix water, yeast, and sugar. Add 1 cup of bread flour and stir until blended.  Wait 5 minutes.
  2. Once the mixture is slightly foamy, add salt, fennel seeds (crushing them lightly in your hand as you sprinkle them in), and saffron, and stir to blend. Add remaining cup of bread flour and all the whole wheat flour, little by little.  Mix the dough until it is too stiff to stir with a spoon.
  3. Place your dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead with your hands, adding additional bread flour when the dough gets too sticky. Knead until dough is smooth and consistent in texture, about 8-10 minutes.
  4. Place dough in a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size (approx. 1 hour).
  5. Dust a baking sheet with cornmeal. Punch down the dough while still in its bowl, then form it into a firm ball and set on baking sheet. Cover with a dry cloth and let rise again until doubled in size (approx. 1 hour).
  6. About 40 minutes into the second hour, preheat the oven to 400°F with your dutch oven inside.
  7. 20 minutes after preheating, give your dough a good coating of cornmeal allover, then place it in the center of your (hot!) dutch oven. Bake bread covered for about 35 minutes, then uncovered for an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown. Set on a rack to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Posted on

Cherry-Goji Overnight Oats

With all the buzz overnight oats have been getting these days, I felt obliged to give them a whirl. I also wanted to use this as an opportunity to test out how my gut would react to a little Greek yogurt. It’s been nearly two years since I’ve had any dairy but the health benefits of Greek yogurt in particular have left me constantly lusting for its low-cal, high-protein, calcium-and-B Vitamins-packed goodness. I’m happy to report that it did not upset my stomach in the least–must be all those gut-friendly probiotics in there, which not only help regulate digestion but also strengthen your immune system.

IMG_4701

While Greek yogurt was the most exciting ingredient for me, the real spotlight ought to be shined on the oats. According to the FDA, all that soluble fiber found in oats lowers LDL cholesterol (aka the bad kind). The antioxidants found in the goji berries, dried cherries and oats themselves have anti-inflammatory properties, making them an excellent choice for athletic, active folks like you and me. Muscle soreness, see ya later! 

When you add nutritional rockstar chia seeds into the mix you’re getting a higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids than salmon. Omega-3s have been linked to health benefits related to conditions including cancer, IBS, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. One tablespoon contains 18% of your RDA for calcium, tons of fiber and potassium and 4 g of protein. What can I say? Good things come in small packages.

Finally, I can’t let you get to the recipe without a quick reminder of how great maca powder is. If you haven’t hopped on the bandwagon yet, it’s time. Maca is rich in B-vitamins and minerals like calcium, zinc and iron, all of which are essential to proper muscle and energy metabolism function. Ladies suffering from PMS or menopause, this should be your go-to for holistic health. And let’s not leave out the men. Maca powder is said to increase testosterone, boosting your libido and endurance…The list of benefits goes on and on. For more ways to incorporate this Peruvian delight, check out my Top Five Greenies post for some go-to smoothies that’ll jumpstart your morning.

Cherry-Goji Overnight Oats

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
  • 6 oz nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 8 oz unsweetened vanilla hemp milk
  • 2 tbs raw honey
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tsp maca powder
  • 3 tbs chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup goji berries
  • 1/4 cup tart dried cherries (unsulphured)

How to Make Them:

  1. Mix all ingredients together in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
  2. Enjoy with your tea or coffee the next morning!

Makes 4 servings and will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Posted on

Raspberry Rose Water Popsicles

Many moons ago, I was having afternoon tea in Paris with one of my dearest friends. This particular cafe was known for its incredible desserts so who was I to turn down a golden opportunity for indulgence? The treat I selected was an oversized raspberry macaroon filled with rose water cream and adorned with fresh ripe raspberries. It has lingered on my palette in some small way ever since, bubbling up into my memory from time to time and bringing a smile to my face and hankering to my stomach.

IMG_4631

Years later I am finally honoring that moment of gastronomic bliss with a healthier nod to my all-time favorite. My Raspberry Rose Water Popsicles are packed with antioxidant-rich raspberries and are gluten and dairy-free. Summer is winding down so enjoy these chilled delicacies before fall settles in!

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 tbs rosewater
  • 6 oz plain unsweetened coconut yogurt
  • 4 oz coconut milk
  • 1 heaping cup frozen rasberrries
  • 1 really ripe banana

How to Make Them:

Blend all ingredients together and pour into popsicle molds. Leave in your freezer overnight and enjoy!

Posted on

Picnic in the Park: Two Healthy Brunch Salads to Share

We like to brunch here in Washington, DC. Whether you live in Eastern Market, Mt. Pleasant or anywhere in between you’ve got at least a dozen solid options any given Saturday/Sunday. While I’m all for brunch, it makes it way too easy to blow your healthy eating habits—especially after your third (or was it fifth?) bottomless mimosa. And when it becomes more of a ritual than a splurge it can have a negative ripple effect on your overall diet. If you’re a habitual bruncher, why not try a picnic lunch in your favorite city park? When you’re the chef you have control over the menu and can ensure it’s bettering your wellness goals rather than bulldozing them.

Last weekend I went to one of my favorite District parks with three of my favorite people. My friend Jeanine is an amazing cook and is all about healthy eating and fitness. We divvied up the dishes and came up with a delicious gluten-free, dairy-free  menu that seemed to please not only us wellness wackos but the men in our lives too. You know you’re doing nutritious the delicious way when your self-proclaimed meathead mates are going back for thirds. J took the lead on the heartier fare with crustless, dairy-free baby quiche and potato pancakes. They were both so light and super tasty. Perfect for a steamy summer morning.

Perhaps not surprisingly, I decided to tackle the fruits and veggies. Dressing up a fruit or veggie salad is all about the quality of the ingredients. To give these simple salads a little boost I went to Whole Foods and picked up ripe, organic and mostly in-season fruits and veggies. The watermelon and heirloom tomatoes (both packed with lycopene as discussed in my Gazpacho post and Active Life DC Watermelon Popsicle article) were calling my name as soon as I walked through those sliding doors. Everything else followed suit.

I like to add a little je ne sais quoi to my recipes—you know, a taste that pleasantly lingers on the palette and makes you immediately ask for the recipe. The wow factor on my Favorite Fruits Salad is in the Ginger Lime Dressing and chia seeds. The acidic bite of fresh lime combined with ginger’s subtle spice and agave’s earthy sweetness bring continuity to the diversity of fruits I selected. And I’m all for texture, so the chia seeds add not only heart-healthy omega-3s but a nice crunch. When it came down to veggie selection time I wanted the tomatoes to steal the show so I balanced them with creamy, ripe avocados (which increase HDL cholesterol and lower the bad LDL kind) and organic basil leaves. After adding a drizzle of delicious Le Roux’s fig balsamic vinegar and a couple cranks of ground sea salt and black pepper, the minimalist in me screamed stop! In both dishes, the beauty of whole, real foods speaks for itself. It doesn’t take much doing when you let the food dictate the menu.

Favorite Fruits Salad with Ginger Lime Dressing

SONY DSC

What You’ll Need:

  • 1/4  watermelon, cubed
  • 1/2 fresh pineapple, cubed
  • 1 kiwi, diced,
  • 1 ripe mango, diced
  • 1 white peach, diced
  • 1/2 pint blueberries
  • 2 tbs mint, cut into ribbons
  • 1 tbs chia seeds

For the Ginger Lime Dressing:

  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tbs agave
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grater

How to Make It:

  1. Chop all your fruits and mix together in a big bowl (feel free to substitute ingredients for your favorites or what’s in season).
  2. In a separate smaller bowl, mixing together the ingredients for your dressing until combined.
  3. Pour dressing over fruit, sprinkle in chia seeds and mint, and toss to combine.
  4. Chill, serve and enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato, Avocado and Basil Salad with Fig Balsamic

SONY DSC

What You’ll Need:

  • 3 heirloom tomatoes
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves, whole
  • Fig balsamic vinegar (or your favorite flavored vinegar)

How to Make It:

  1. Thinly slice tomatoes crosswise into rounds
  2. Thinly slice avocado crosswise into rounds
  3. Take a platter and create a bed of basil leaves as your base. Layer different colored tomatoes and avocados until the plate is covered
  4. Drizzle with balsamic and garnish with basil chiffonade
Posted on

Dairy-Free Banana Bread Muffins

If you liked my Banana Bran Muffins and Blueberry Banana Muffins, you’ll definitely dig my healthy Banana Bread Muffins. Like both of those recipes, this one is made dairy-free by using banana, vegan butter, rice milk and apple sauce. They are soft, moist and a much healthier alternative to most bakery muffins which can pack a serious caloric punch at an average of 450 calories a pop. My version come in at under half that number.

IMG_4303

Above being waistline-friendly, these muffins feature folate-full garbanzo bean flour, potassium-packed bananas and nature’s own multivitamin, raw honey. Raw honey contains Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and C, as well as minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, sulphur, and phosphate.

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup raw honey
  • 1/4 cup cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil or Earth Balance “butter”
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 very ripe bananas
  • 8 oz unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/2 cup rice milk (or almond/coconut)
  • 1 tbs vanilla extract
  • Optional: 1/2 cup of any of the following–dark chocolate bits, walnuts, dates

How to Make Them:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F; spray 12-muffin pan with oil or line with fun paper liners
  2. In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients (flours, baking soda and powder, spices and salt)
  3. In a separate, large bowl (or KitchenAid mixer if you have one), vigorously whisk together sugar, honey and vegan butter until smooth. Add eggs and whisk again on high until mixture stiffens. Add in your mashed banana, apple sauce,  rice milk, and vanilla extract.
  4. Slowly fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
  5. Once combined, gently mix in optional treats (dark chocolate bits, walnuts, dates)
  6. Evenly distribute batter across muffin pan; bake for 45 min (or until a toothpick comes out clean)
Posted on

Post-Workout Recovery Fuel: The Golden Rule

Diet crazes may come and go, but one macronutrient has always remained largely unscathed by the mainstream fitness and nutrition media.

Protein is an essential part of our daily diet, forming the structural basis of our muscles, skin, nails and hair, amongst other functions. True, this macronutrient is mighty important, but the hype it gets and the marketing power that is thrown behind protein powders and other supplements could make you think the entire American population is suffering from protein deficiency.

That is just not the case. In fact, most of us get more than enough protein through our regular daily food intake—including vegetarians and savvy vegans.

For most people, the RDA for protein intake is 0.8-1.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (2.2kg/1lb). If you’re an athlete or someone performing high-intensity physical activity (e.g. training for a marathon), you should bump that RDA up a few notches to 1.1-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (Williams 2006).  In other words, a 135 lb woman should consume between 68 to 86 grams of protein, while a 180 lb man should target 90 to 195 grams. When we get too much protein, excess is converted into carbohydrates or fat and can stress the liver and kidneys. Eventually excess protein substrate is doomed to be a waste, excreted through urination.

 Clif_Amy Rizzotto 1

The ideal food intake breakdown for athletes is to get 25-35% of your calories from fat, 15-20% from protein, and 55-60% from carbohydrates. For the sake of comparison, the once very popular ZONE Diet encourages a 30:40:30 ratio, or double the amount of protein according to RDA standards and not nearly enough carbohydrates to fuel your muscles’ glycogen stores for exercise. While these ratios are helpful for me as a nutrition coach, most people just want to be told how much protein they need after a workout.

This question always prompts my Golden Rule for Post-Workout Recovery Fuel: consume 10 grams of protein within one hour of intense physical activity for improved muscle repair.

Ideally, your post-workout snack or meal would fit into that 25-35%:15-20%:%55-60% ratio of fats:proteins:carbs. Most Clif bars fit the bill when you’re on the go with 45g carbs (5g of which are dietary fiber), 10g protein, 5g fat, and only 250 calories. And if you’re looking for something lighter—maybe saving room for that brunch in a couple hours—Clif Builder’s Snack Size are my go-to. The still have that 10g grams of protein your body needs, are a mere 130 calories, and provide a good source of iron, magnesium, zinc and calcium, as well as vitamins A, C, E and K and many of the B vitamins that are so essential to our metabolism.

I’m a big fan of Clif bars not only for their impressive nutritional profiles but also because of the company’s ethos. Clif is a 1% for the Planet member, they use 100% recycled materials for their packaging, and their bars never contain ingredients like artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols, or trans fats.

Please keep in mind that these kind of bars should not be viewed as a regular meal replacement. Whole grains, fruits and veggies, beans and other sources of lean protein are essential to a well-balanced, healthy diet. That said, they are definitely a MOARyoga-approved, convenient way to fulfill the protein needs of your muscles in that one-hour post-workout window.

References:
Williams, Melvin H. Nutrition for Health, Fitness and Sport: 8th Edition. McGraw-Hill. May 2006.
Posted on

Zucchini Flower Fritters (Dairy-Free)(Gluten-Free)

With summer in full swing, farmers markets are overflowing with delicious produce and fresh cut flowers. What could be better than a farmers market find that is both food and flower? Nothing, clearly. So when I locked eyes on the beautiful and edible zucchini flowers last weekend, I knew immediately I had to have them. These vibrant orange blossoms can be eaten raw or cooked and are a favorite in Mediterranean cuisine. Into the tote they went, merrily whisked back to the MOARyoga shoebox test kitchen. Equipped with the best of nature’s bounty, I set out to prepare a fun finger-food hearty enough for a meal but still light enough on the palette for a hot summer night.

…the result…

IMG_4430

Zucchini Flower Fritters

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1/2 roasted poblano, finely chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1/3 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 3 tbs nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp adobe chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • Lemon wedges (for garnish)

For the Beer Batter:

  • 1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 1tsp salt
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1/3 cup chilled gluten-free beer
  • 1 egg
  • Canola or grapeseed oil for frying

IMG_4443

How to Make Them:
  1. In a medium frying pan, saute shallots in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic, red pepper, poblano and jalapeño. Saute another 3-5 min. Remove from heat and let cool.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix cooked quinoa with nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, chili powder and garbanzo bean flour.
  3. Add cooled veggie mix to your dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add eggs (whipped up in a separate bowl first) until everything comes together.
  4. Take zucchini flowers and use your fingers to remove any stamens from the inside of the blossoms. Rinse the flowers and pat dry.
  5. Using your fingers and/or a teaspoon to work a dollop of the quinoa mixture inside the blossom. Leave enough room at the top to twist the petals together, creating a neat little package with the flowers.
  6. Chill stuffed zucchini flowers in the fridge for at least 30 min.
  7. While that’s happening, prepare your batter. Mix garbanzo bean flour, salt, oil and gluten-free beer together in one bowl. In a separate bowl whip your egg vigorously until frothy. Combine the contents of the two bowls and stir until smooth.
  8. Remove flowers from fridge. Line a tray with paper towels.
  9. Fill a deep saucepan 1/3 of the way with canola or grapeseed oil, then heat on medium-high until a drop of water makes the oil hiss and spit (stand back!).
  10. Working in batches of four, slide the flowers one-by-one into batter. Allow any excess batter to drip off, then deep-fry for 4 min (flipping once) or until golden. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer to paper towel-lined tray. Repeat until all flowers are frittered!
  11. Scatter with salt and serve with lemon wedges.
These fritters are light, gluten-free, dairy-free and delicious. Try dipping them in my Tomatillo Spicy Green Salsa for some added kick!