GRAND PRIZE: Deer Lake Lodge & Spa Getaway

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We’re wrapping up Week 2 of the 2014 VegOut! Challenge… how are you doing? Need a little boost? Let us tell you about one of the prizes YOU could win, just by eating all 30 of those veggies…

Deer Lake Lodge & Spa-Juice

Deer Lake Lodge & Spa, an exclusive destination health spa and wellness resort, promotes enhanced living through holistic cleansing and other therapeutic approaches in a relaxing, secluded environment. Located on a 50-acre rustic-chic oasis, only 40 minutes from central Houston and 15 minutes from The Woodlands, the green-constructed health haven is a country mile away from stress. Deer Lake Lodge & Spa’s ideology is to rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit through organic spa treatments, juice-fasting programs, raw foods classes, yoga and spiritual enrichment workshops. Through these holistic services and treatments, guests will return home not only feeling cleansed and relaxed, but energized and educated about living enhanced and healthier lives.

Deer Lake Lodge & Spa-2

THE GRAND PRIZE: Experience wellness, pure and simple, with a 3 day/2 night stay at Deer Lake Lodge Spa & Resort.  The package includes a suite for two, plus a range of feel-good activities, from juicing and raw foods class, yoga and life enhancement classes and use of the salt water pool and hot tub and hiking trails.

Guests can also indulge in the resort’s array of refreshing spa treatments.

Sounds pretty dreamy, right? How do you qualify for a chance to win? Simply finish the 30-Day challenge and submit your completed Veggie Log by April 4, and you’ll be entered into the drawing for a host of fantastic prizes.

Learn more about Deer Lake Lodge & Spa on their website, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

FLASH CONTEST: #vegoutjicama

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Guess what? It’s time for another chance to win an awesome prize. In other words, it’s FLASH CONTEST TIME!

jicama

A more common siting in Houston, jicama has remained relatively under the radar. Frequently used in Latin American cuisine, the root veg is appreciated for its crunchy, slightly sweet starchy flesh, reminiscent of an apple. It’s crisp texture and ability to absorb dressing beautifully makes it a great addition to salad. Or simply peel, cut into matchsticks, and toss with a bit of lime juice and chile powder for a satisfying snack.

Starting TODAY, share your BEST JICAMA DISH with us. From a homemade dish to to one you order at a VegOut! HERE restaurant, the photo of the most inspired dish will be our victor.

Use the social media site of your choice (Facebook, Twitter or Instagram) to post your dish and be sure to include the hashtags: #vegoutjicama and #vegoutrfs. Submissions are due by March 19 at 11:59 a.m.

THE PRIZE? A $50 gift certificate to any Cyclone Anaya’s location. Yum, yum. Chef Jason Gould of Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen will review submissions and select a winner. Get ready to wow him!

And the winner is… Erika Kwee!

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Congratulations to VegOut! challenger Erika Kwee for winning our  Most Veg Recipe Flash Contest! Also known on Instagram and her blog as The Pancake Princess, Erika’s winning veggie concoction included a whopping 15 vegetables. In addition to the veggie count, we were also impressed by the creativity she displayed in getting so many veggies into one meal. Check it out!

MostVegRecipeDish

15-Veggie Burger on Carrot Buns

Ingredients
For the carrot buns:
6 medium carrots, shaved using a vegetable peeler
2 tablespoons flour
Dash of salt and pepper
Dried herbs of choice (basil, parsley, dill, tarragon, rosemary, etc.), optional
Olive oil

For the veggie burger patties:
2 medium sweet potatoes, steamed, baked or microwaved until tender
½ small onion, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
spices of choice: I used ½ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary, salt and pepper
1 ½ cups mixed vegetables of choice: I used ½ cup broccoli, 1/3 cup frozen butternut squash, a handful of kale, and 2 tablespoons each: frozen peas, frozen edamame, corn, bell pepper
2 green onions, sliced
3 tablespoons hummus

For garnish: fresh cilantro, spinach and cucumber slices

Directions
To make the carrot buns:

  • Toss the carrot shavings with the flour, salt, pepper and dried herbs until evenly coated.
  • Heat 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Use a fork to twirl the carrot strands into a large clump, then pull the clump off your fork and flatten to form a rough circle—this will serve as the bun for your burger.
  • Fry carrot “buns” for several minutes on each side, or until golden with a slight crust.

To make the veggie burgers:

  • Steam, bake or microwave your sweet potatoes until tender. A medium sweet potato will take about 45 minutes to bake in a 375 degree oven or 5 minutes in a microwave. Once cooked, set aside to cool before peeling off the skin.
  • Sauté the onion in 1-2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and spices and cook for another minute. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the green onion and hummus to the pan with a splash of water and cover. Steam for several minutes until any frozen vegetables are warmed through. Remove from heat.
  • In a bowl, mash the cooked sweet potato, sautéed vegetables, green onions and hummus together (add more hummus if needed). Form patties 1/3 cup at a time and fry over medium heat in a few teaspoons of olive oil, about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until browned.
  • Serve on top of carrot buns with cucumber, cilantro and spinach.

 For more tasty recipes by Erika, visit her blog, The Pancake Princess.

Radish Day at MacGregor Elementary!

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MacG-123Salad-Smiles

A recipe favorite around our Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™ classes is our 1-2-3 Salad, which comes together as simply as it sounds and lends itself to endless customization, depending on your taste and what’s in the garden, at the farmers market, or in your fridge.

In honor of RADISH being yesterday’s VegOut! Veggie of the Day, Seed-to-Plate students at MacGregor Elementary used radishes from their Recipe Garden in the 1-2-3 Salad.

What did they have do say?

MacG-123Salad-Table-Edit

“I don’t like it… I love it!”

Make your own, then share the results and tell us what you thought! Read a Seed-to-Plate volunteer and 1-2-3 Salad believer’s testimony on the awesomeness of this salad here.

1-2-3 Salad

Yield: 4-6 Tastings
From Chef Monica Pope for Recipe for Success

Igredients
For the salad:
2 large handfuls of mixed lettuce
¼ cup seasonal vegetables (choose a mixture for color, texture and flavor)
¼ cup nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.)
¼ cup fruit (dried or fresh)
¼ cup grains (quinoa, orzo, couscous, etc.)
¼ cup cheese (Parmesan, feta, blue cheese, etc.)

For the dressing:
½ cup extra virgin olive oil or grape seed oil
1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
1/8 cup balsamic or sherry vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Optional: lemon juice, soy sauce, and/or citrus zest in place of the balsamic or sherry vinegar.

Directions
Make a simple dressing:

  • Measure the vinegar, honey, salt and pepper and add to a mixing bowl.
  • Whisk lightly until the ingredients come together. Taste. Adjust if necessary.
  • Measure the oil. Slowly pour the oil into the vinegar mixture while whisking.
  • The oil and vinegar has come together or “emulsified” when you notice the consistency thicken and color become cloudy. Set aside.

Prepare the salad ingredients:

  • Tear lettuce with your hands. Avoid using a knife to cut lettuce, it may turn it brown. Add to a bowl.
  • Chop seasonal vegetables into small pieces and add to the bowl with the lettuce.
  • Select additional ingredients: a nut, a fruit (dried or fresh), a cooked grain and a cheese. Measure and sprinkle into the bowl with the lettuce and vegetables.

Dress the salad:

  • Add dressing ¼ cup at a time. You want to make sure that you do not put too much!
  • Toss ingredients together with your clean hands or a set of tongs. Make sure to coat each leaf well.
  • Taste. Add more dressing if needed.
  • Add salt and pepper if needed.

VegOut! with Great Day Houston

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GreatDayHouston-VegOut2014

This morning, we shared some VegOut! fun with Great Day Houston viewers. With the help of VegOut! HERE partner and long-time Recipe for Success Chefs Advisory Board member, Kiran Verma of Kiran’s Restaurant, we joined Deborah Duncan in the studio kitchen to enlighten folks about an unusual veg – JICAMA!

Kiran showed how easy it is to toss together a unique and delicious salad of fresh vegetables, amped up by a tasty dressing. Deborah was a fan. We think you will be, too, so we’ve provided Kiran’s recipe below.

OR, stop by Kiran’s on Jan 17 (Jicama Day) – or any day in March – to try the chef’s daily specials, featuring our Veggie of the Day. Getting your veggies couldn’t be simpler!

Jicama Salad with Mango and Champagne Vinaigrette

Ingredients

By Kiran Verma, Kiran’s Restaurant

For salad:

1 large jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 small red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks

1 large firm mango, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1/2 red onion, cut into matchsticks

1 cup Baby Arugula

¼ tea spoon roasted Cumin

¼ cup Pomegranate seeds

For dressing:

1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

2 limes, juiced

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoon of Champagne Vinegar

2 teaspoon Mango Pulp

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon of pepper mélange

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste

1/8 teaspoon chaat masala

Directions

  • Toss jicama, red pepper, mango, and red onion together in a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Stir cilantro, lime juice, honey, mango pulp, vinegar, Pepper Mélange, salt, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl.
  • Pour the dressing over the jicama mixture and toss to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
  • Lightly toss Baby Arugula in olive oil.
  • Garnish the salad with pomegranate seeds and roasted cumin.