Southwest Quinoa Salad

I have two recipes for southwest quinoa salad...no surprise, since it has many of my favorite foods. Yum. I went a little overboard with the herbs when I made this since I hate throwing away extra food, but, I'm going to tone it down a notch next time.

1 cup quinoa
1 3/4 cups water
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup mint, roughly chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or a 15 ounce can of beans, drained and rinsed)
1 cup corn kernels (fresh or canned)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1-2 juicy limes
1 tablespoon olive oil

Combine the quinoa, water, cumin, salt and pepper in a medium sized sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and lower the heat to a simmer. Let cook until the quinoa is soft and water is absorbed, about 13-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep covered for 5 minutes. Uncover and let cool. The quinoa can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.

Place the quinoa in a large serving bowl. Add the mint, cilantro, onions, red pepper, beans, corn and garlic. Squeeze the juice of one lime in and drizzle in the olive oil. Stir gently, taste for additional lime juice, salt and pepper and add more if needed. Serve at room temperature.

Original recipe here

Alternate Southwest Quinoa Salad recipe

Maple-Miso Glazed Tofu with Winter Squash and Broccoli

This one you need some lead time with (1-4 hours to marinate), but a very easy and TASTY recipe! I'd say this only makes about 2 meal-sized servings, so I made some quinoa with it and that went with the sauce nicely. I think probably most any grain would work here.

1/4 cup white miso
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 block of tofu, pressed and cut into dice
1 small winter squash, diced
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
1 cup quinoa, uncooked

Combine the miso, maple syrup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add in the tofu chunks, mixing so that they are all coated. Let marinate in the fridge for 1 to 4 hours.

Heat oven to 450. Roast winter squash for 30-40 minutes or until tender.

Combine 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until all liquid is gone. 

Spray a large pan with cooking spray and heat on medium heat. Using a slotted spoon, add the tofu to the pan, leaving the marinade in the bowl. Cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes per side and then flip over. Repeat until all sides are browned and crisp. Add broccoli chunks to the pan. Mix to combine and then cover the pan, steaming for 2-4 minutes or until broccoli is cooked but not mushy.

Combine the tofu/broccoli mix, quinoa, and squash in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Add in the reserved marinade and mix until evenly distributed.


Original recipe here 

Quinoa and Sweet Potatoes

I unfortunately only got a blurry picture of this one, but it still looks pretty all the same. I used a quinoa mix I got at Trader Joe's - that's why there's some multi-colored grains going on in there. I didn't have currants or scallions, so I left those out, but they would probably be a nice for additional flavor (without them, I felt like I was lacking a spice or something). Definitely an easy recipe and good for lunches! I'm beginning to think I need to cook through the Moosewood cookbook, since every recipe I've made from it has been awesome....


Basic recipe:
3/4 cup quinoa
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups diced, peeled sweet potatoes
1 2/3 cups water

Moosewood's favorite elaboration:
2 cups lightly packed finely chopped fresh spinach
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup currants
1 tbsp minced scallions
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and ground black pepper


Rinse and drain the quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer to remove any residue of the grains' bitter coating.

Warm the oil in a covered saucepan. Add the onions and salt and cook on low heat, stirring now and then, until the onions are transparent, about 8 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, water, and drained quinoa, cover, and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat. Stir well and add salt and pepper to taste.

To prepare Moosewood's favorite elaboration, just before removing from the heat, stir in the spinach, pine nuts, currants, scallions, and lemon juice. Let sit for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Superfood Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

This may be the prettiest salad I have ever seen. And perhaps the most delicious. It took a bit of time to make (longer than expected), but it was more than 100% worth it. I was put off by the amount of oil in the dressing - 6 tablespoons - but it is really quite tasty. I had never fully seeded a pomegranate before, but I used the water method (breaking it open under water and letting the seeds fall to the bottom) and it worked really well. Does take some time though. Anyway, JUST MAKE THIS! It will be well worth your time.
(Note: this recipe says that it serves 5, but I would say about 3 meal-sized servings. For me anyway.)

Salad:
1/2 cup dry quinoa
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1 orange, peeled and segments chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup pomegranate arils (about 1 pomegranate worth)
1 cup corn (thawed if frozen, can also use canned)
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
salt & pepper

Lemon Vinaigrette:
2 lemons, juiced (need 1/4 cup juice)
2 garlic cloves, microplaned or finely minced
dash of sweetener (agave nectar, stevia or white sugar)
salt & pepper
6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil


1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Set aside to cool.

2. For the Lemon Vinaigrette: combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid, and shake to combine. Or, add lemon juice, garlic, sweetener, salt and pepper into a small bowl and whisk in oil.

3. Combine cooled quinoa with red onion, orange segments, avocado, beans, pomegranate arils, corn, cilantro, salt and pepper. Pour Lemon Vinaigrette over the salad and stir to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature.


Original recipe here 

Baked Quinoa with Spinach and Cheese

Easy, and delicious!! I added a bit more cheese than was called for, so it wasn't quite a "recipe for health" as written :). Also tastes great re-heated!
(I skipped the step of drizzling olive oil on the top, and it still tasted great!)


1 6-ounce bag baby spinach
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 plump garlic cloves, minced
4 cups cooked quinoa, (1 cup uncooked)
2 large eggs
3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (3/4 cup)
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/4 cup)

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish.

2. Heat a medium frying pan or a wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Wash the spinach and without spinning dry, add to the pan and wilt in the liquid left on the leaves after washing. You may have to do this in 2 batches. As soon as the spinach wilts, remove from the heat and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry and chop. Set aside.

3. Wipe the pan dry and heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in it over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir with the onion until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the spinach and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

4. Beat the eggs in a large bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in the quinoa, the onion and spinach mixture, the Gruyère, and the rosemary. Add freshly ground pepper and stir the mixture together. Scrape into the gratin dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top and drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place in the oven and bake until nicely browned on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to sit for about 5 minutes, and serve.


Original recipe here 

Black Quinoa with Vegetables and Feta

My friend Julie sent me this recipe the other day, and it was pretty intriguing so I had to try it. Both the black quinoa and the strange array of spices really piqued my interest. I would have made this sooner but I knew I would have to venture into Whole Foods to find the black quinoa. And that I did. A bag of black quinoa (about 2 cups, I think) was $7.99!! Outrageous. Maybe worth it about once a year. I need to read up on the health benefits of it and see if it's actually better for you than regular quinoa...

Anyway, this was a fun and easy to make recipe. I never cook with leeks, and I'm pretty sure I chopped them incorrectly, but oh well - tastes the same. I found a video on youtube that shows you how to chop leeks - if you're as unfamiliar as I am and would like to try this recipe, just type "chopping leeks" into a Google search.

Quinoa Ingredients:
1 cup black quinoa (uncooked)
2 cups vegetable stock
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. coriander
1/8 tsp. cumin
pinch cloves
pinch allspice

Quinoa Directions:
Place all items in 1 quart sauce pan, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes.
Let sit covered 10 minutes.

Vegetables & Feta Ingredients:
2 tsp. pure olive oil
1 ½ cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed well (1 small can of garbanzo beans works)
½ cup asparagus, cut ¾ inches
½ cup leeks, sliced ¼ inch
½ cup roasted red bell peppers
½ cup roasted yellow bell peppers, diced ½ inch
(* I found a jar of yellow and red roasted peppers at Trader Joe's, which worked perfectly)
½ cup vegetable stock
3 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese

Vegetables & Feta Directions:
Heat olive oil to the smoke point.
Add garbanzo beans, asparagus and leeks, saute until asparagus softens. (about 5 minutes)
Add red and yellow bell peppers with vegetable stock and heat well. (about 5 minutes)
Add feta cheese, toss and serve over hot quinoa.

(* Note: in my experience, it's very hard to buy a small amount of leeks or asparagus. After making this once, it definitely wouldn't have hurt to add some more vegetables. So, feel free to add at least a cup or so of each!)

Dave's Cooking Debut

Last weekend I tried to buy food for too many recipes...since Dave and I are going to Acadia this weekend, I didn't need much (and I already had a bunch of food from the week before). So, last minute at the grocery store, I tried to eliminate items for one of my recipes I was planning to make. I mixed up two things - bought dill that I didn't need, and didn't buy jicama, which I did need. However, Dave came to the rescue! I was just going to make this recipe without the jicama, but Dave is very resourceful and helped me use up the extra food I had lying in my fridge. We added some leftover quinoa (that I had made when making Quinoa Pancakes, see below) and two plum tomatoes that I was planning to use for caprese salads (...and failed. I have too much basil and was trying to use it). This may not be the prettiest dish you've ever seen, but it's quite tasty. There's a lot of cumin, but you can barely taste it with all the lime juice flavor. Dave also chose to add some Kashi Country Cheddar crackers (you can see in the photo) - I chose to keep those separate.

Anyway - this is a super simple recipe, and very versatile as I now know :)


Cumin-Lime Black Bean, Jicama, and Corn Salad

1 can corn, drained
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced jicama
1 avocado, diced
Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 tsp cumin
Dash of salt and pepper
(OR in lieu of jicama: 2 tomatoes, 1-2 cups of quinoa, or whatever you have in your fridge.)

In a medium sized bowl combine corn, black beans, jicama, and avocado. In a separate bowl, whisk together lime juice and cumin. Pour juice over bean and corn mixture. Season with just a dash of salt and pepper. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour (or not...still delicious) before serving.

Original recipe here 

NOTE: This does not keep well. The lime juice causes the avocado to taste acidic after a day or so. Next time I make this, I'm going to keep the dressing separate until ready to eat.

Quinoa Pancakes

 

I found this recipe in the New York Times a few months ago (May 24, to be exact, from the publishing date). I've been wanting to try it since then, but have gone through forgetting and then remembering and asking Dave if he would eat them and getting refusals. So, this past Saturday, I again asked Dave if he would eat quinoa pancakes for breakfast and received the expected "no" in return. But this time was different - I was on a mission to make pancakes. So I made em. And they were delicious. (Beware - this recipe makes quite a few pancakes - for 4 or 5 people - so if you're cooking for one, save some batter for later!)


1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup cooked quinoa (any type)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries or other fruit, like sliced bananas, strawberries or raisins (optional)

1. Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.

2. In another bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the buttermilk and whisk together, then whisk in the vanilla extract and the oil.

3. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and quickly whisk together. Do not overbeat; a few lumps are fine. Fold in the quinoa.

4. Heat a griddle over medium-hot heat. If necessary, brush with butter or oil. Drop 3 to 4 tablespoons onto the hot griddle. Place six to eight blueberries (or several slices of banana or strawberries) on each pancake. Cook until bubbles begin to break through, two to three minutes. Turn and cook on the other side for about a minute or until nicely browned. Remove from the heat, and continue cooking until all of the batter is used up.

5. Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.

Yield: 15 pancakes (five servings).


Original recipe here 

Mango Blueberry Quinoa Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing

I tried this recipe last week, and it's a pretty good summer salad recipe. Not too hard - unless you get bad mangoes! I bought 2 mangoes for this, and both were stringy and bitter. So, I had my Mango Blueberry Quinoa Salad sans mango. I didn't take a photo of this one (I was probably too angry about the mango), but the photo on the Veggie Belly blog should serve the purpose. I just realized a minute ago that the name of the blog was Veggie Belly....I may have to look into that one further...


For the quinoa
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water

For the fruits and veggies
½ cup fresh blueberries
½ cup cubed ripe mangoes
½ cup cubed cucumbers
1/2 tablespoon dried cranberries

For the lemon basil dressing
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
10 Basil leaves, chopped finely
Salt and pepper

Place the quinoa and water in a medium skillet and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat, and simmer covered for about 15 minutes or till the quinoa is cooked. Remove the lid, and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Let it cool to room temperature.

While the quinoa is cooking, combine the fruits in a bowl and refrigerate till you are ready to serve the salad.

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients, except the chopped basil. Refrigerate till you are ready to serve. Chop and add the basil to the dressing just before serving. If you add it earlier, it will go black.

Add half the dressing to the quinoa and mix gently.

Assemble the salad just before serving – toss the quinoa, fruits and cucumbers together. Serve other half of the dressing on the side. Serve immediately.

(I ate mine in a few batches, and mixed everything together except the basil until I was ready to eat.)


Original recipe here (and Veggie Belly blog!)

Quinoa Salad with Smoky Lime Dressing

 

Another quinoa recipe! I make quinoa pretty often because I like it a lot more than rice and it is packed with protein (which I am generally lacking since I am a vegetarian). This recipe is even easier than the one I posted previously with black beans and corn - and it only takes about 20 minutes to make!

1 cup quinoa
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium teriyaki sauce or soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped 

Place the quinoa and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.
Lower heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in the green onions, black-eyed peas, and cilantro.

Puree the remaining ingredients together in a food processor; pour over quinoa and stir to coat with dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Original recipe here 

Vegan Quinoa and Black Beans

I have made this recipe a few times now, because it's really easy, and has all of my favorite ingredients: quinoa, black beans, corn, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic. It is also great with avocado on top - I've just found it difficult lately to get my avocados ripe at the same time that I'm making this recipe. Another reason this is one of my favorites is because most of the ingredients you can keep on-hand for a while and they tend to be ingredients that I have around for other recipes. Bottom line: this dish is easy and delicious, and perfect for making after a long day at work. 

Original recipe here