Ancient Grains with Veggies Pilaf

This was really tasty but a bit of a pain to make... probably due to the fact that you have to cook each grain separately and I only own two saucepans. LOL.. I used to have a bunch but purged all the old crappy Teflon ones so now I'm down to two non-huge stainless steel ones. Plus, I needed one for DH's dinner.. The time it takes is worth it just for the amazing amount of protein in this dish!
At least I know for next time to make them all in advance!

You could really use any combination of grains and veggies that you have on hand. Rice would also work. In fact, the original version of this recipe called for brown rice; I chose to use quinoa instead in an attempt to cut back on cooking time.

The pilaf is really filling so I'd say this amount would feed 2; 4 as a side-dish.

**Note: Soak the spelt for at least 6 hours prior to cooking.**

Ingredients:
1/8 cup whole spelt grain
1/2 cup water

1/8 cup bulgur
3/4 cup water

1/8 cup quinoa
1/4 cup water

1/6 cup couscous
1/4 cup water

1-2 tbsp. olive oil
1/8 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 stalk celery, diced
1/8 cup carrots, finely diced
1/8 cup sweet potato, finely diced
1/8 cup parsnip, finely diced
1/8 cup mushroom, diced (I used portobello; any mushroom would work)
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/8 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 green onion, sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh ginger (as much as you like; I think I used 1/2 tbsp.)

Method:
1. Start with the spelt. Drain the soaked spelt then add it to 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and let it simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until it is cooked through. Spelt will not get too soft/it remains quite firm.

2. Cook the bulgur by bringing 3/4 cup of water to a boil. Add the bulgur grains and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until cooked through.

3. Cook the quinoa by boiling 1/4 cup water. Add the quinoa grains and then lower the heat and cover. Simmer 10-15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the white "germ" is visible.

4. Cook the couscous. Bring 1/4 cup water to a boil. Add in the couscous, cover, and remove from the heat. Let the pan sit for 5 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.

After each grain is cooked, set it aside while the other grains and the veggies cook (you can combine them in one bowl).

5. Heat 1-2 tbsp. olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, carrot, parsnip, mushroom, celery, and sweet potato until tender. Add the grains then add the soy sauce, green onion, ginger, and parsley. Cook and stir until everything is warmed through.

Reference:
This is based on the recipe "Ancient Grain Pilaf" from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.
My Changes:
I added the parsnip, sweet potato, ginger, and mushroom. I used green onions in place of scallions and used quinoa in place of brown rice.

Who needs salt?

This is a really great roasted veggie recipe. It's fairly low-fat (11g total; 1.5g sat. fat. - at least according to the original recipe) in addition to being low-sodium, vegan, and gluten-free. Oh yeah, and fricking delicious! ;)

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup cauliflower florets, cut up into bite-sized pieces
1 cup halved Brussels sprouts
1 cup broccoli (I'm not sure that's such a "winter vegetable" but DH went with all the carrots and I needed something to add in!)
1/2 medium sweet potato, diced
1/2 cup onion, cut up into large dice
1/2 parsnip, cut into sticks
5 or 6 small mushrooms (button, cremini, or baby bellas), halved
1 clove garlic
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, stripped from stem
1 tsp. fresh thyme, stripped from stem
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Pinch dried lavender
Pinch dried tarragon
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1-2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

Method:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

1. Toss the Brussels sprouts, broccoli, parsnip, sweet potato, cauliflower, and mushrooms in a large bowl along with 1 1/2 tbsp. oil, the garlic clove, rosemary, thyme, lavender, tarragon, and a couple grinds of fresh black pepper.

2. Spread the veggies out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes at 450, turning 3 times with spatulas. Save the bowl! You'll need it in step 4.

3. Turn up the heat to 475 or 500 (I left mine at 475) and roast for an additional 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. You can add the sliced green onions at this point if you like.

4. Grab the bowl you used earlier and add the parsley, lemon juice, and the remaining olive oil. Throw in the roasted veggies and toss it all together. Serve hot on a bed of rice, quinoa, couscous, or pasta (rice or quinoa would be gluten-free; couscous and pasta are wheat-based so they would cancel out that but you can find GF pastas if necessary).

Reference:
Based on the recipe "Herb-Roasted Winter Veggies" from the January 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine.

How I made it my own:
I added in the 'shrooms, parsnip, onion, green onion, lavender, and tarragon. I also used plain olive oil mixed with a clove of garlic in place of garlic-infused olive oil (which I'm sure is fantastic but in this economy [and on my teacher salary], I'm using what I have already! lol)
Oh yes, due to an unexpected lack of carrots, I also subbed in broccoli :)

Pineapple-Cashew Quinoa Stir-Fry

Yum! This is wonderful!
I really recommend cooking the quinoa in the pineapple juice, but you can use leftover quinoa if you have any sitting around. I'd really like to try adding other veggies to this next time - mushrooms, broccoli, julienned carrots, maybe some zucchini or eggplant...

This is a great source of vegetarian protein. Quinoa is also a decent source of iron which makes it even more fabulous!


Serves 2

Ingredients:
For the Quinoa:
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup cold water
1/8 tsp. soy sauce

For the Stir-Fry:
2 ounces raw, unsalted cashews; chopped up
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Small piece of ginger (about 1/4-inch), peeled and minced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup frozen peas or cooked edamame
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced into thin shreds
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint
5 ounces pineapple, chopped up into bite-size pieces (I actually cheated and used crushed pineapple)
1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. low-sodium vegetable broth

Method:
1. Prepare the quinoa first. Combine the quinoa, pineapple juice, water, and 1/8 tsp. soy sauce in a saucepan. Cover and place over high heat. Bring to a boil. Stir and then lower the heat to low. Cover and cook 10-14 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa appears translucent. Uncover, fluff, and let cool. Chill the quinoa for at least an hour in the fridge.

2. Use a large nonstick skillet or wok. Have all ingredients chopped and ready to go before you start! Place the chopped cashews in the dry pan and heat over low, stirring constantly until lightly toasted, 4-5 minutes.

3. Remove the cashews from the pan and set them aside. Raise the heat to medium and add the oil, onions, and garlic. When the garlic sizzles, add the ginger and stir-fry around 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper and peas. Stir-fry another 3-4 minutes, until the bell pepper is softened and the peas are bright green. Add the basil and mint, and stir another minute before adding the pineapple and quinoa.

4. In a measuring cup, mix together the soy sauce and vegetable broth. Pour over the quinoa and then stir to incorporate completely. Add in the cashews and continue to stir-fry 10-14 minutes or until the quinoa is very hot (use two spoons or a spoon and a spatula to help you scoop it up and stir).

Reference:
Based on the Pineapple-Cashew Quinoa Stir-Fry recipe from Veganomicon.

Black Bean-Quinoa Pilaf

This was so basic and easy (not to mention fast!) but so tasty!

The original recipe that I worked from actually called for chickpeas to go with the quinoa but I decided black beans would be great. Besides, I had half a can of black beans that needed to be used. ;) I also added a little cilantro which was fantastic.

Here's another funny quote from Veganomicon:
"Don't forget that cooking with quinoa at least once a week will elevate you to Level 7 Vegan in no time!" Heh... I'm not even vegan but I think I qualify for that. ;) In my opinion, quinoa is quite possibly the world's most perfect food. Well, after avocado, of course!

This could be used as a side dish alongside just about whatever (and not just vegetarian stuff). I just had mine with a side of broccoli, sweet corn, and some chopped bell peppers that I just steamed together.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tbsp. ground coriander seeds
Several pinches freshly ground black pepper
A little sea salt
1/2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 cup (1/2 of a 15-ounce can) of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup vegetable broth
2-4 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Method:
1. Saute the onion in olive oil over medium heat in a small stockpot until softened. Add the garlic and saute about 2 more minutes.

2. Add the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, black pepper, and salt. Saute about 1 more minute.

3. Add the quinoa and saute for 2 minutes.

4. Add the beans and broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to very low. Add the cilantro, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes until the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid. Stir occasionally during this phase.

Reference:
Based on the Chickpea-Quinoa Pilaf recipe from the book Veganomicon.

Breakfast Quinoa!

Further proof I could eat quinoa three meals a day... as if we needed further proof of that! This was a delicious, protein-packed breakfast! Add even more protein by sprinkling on some chopped nuts (about 1/4 cup for 2 servings).

Please note, I marked this as vegan. However, I then went ahead and made it with cow's milk! Not exactly vegan (unless, of course, you are a calf..)
To make it vegan, please make sure you use non-dairy milk (rice, almond, soy, hemp).

OK, I added the fake daisies to attempt to make the photo a little more interesting... I think all they achieved was making it cheesy! Sigh... I am just not cut out for fun food photography! lol

Creamy Quinoa with Dried Cranberries

Serves 2

Ingredients:
3/4 cup vanilla soymilk (plus a little more for serving)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tbsp. raw sugar (turbinado sugar)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
Optional: 1/4 cup chopped nuts

Method:
1. Bring the soy milk, salt, and water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the quinoa and cranberries, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer 15-20 minutes (until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender, stirring occasionally).

2. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg. Serve warm with additional milk and optional nuts.

Reference:
From the May 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine.

Protein Pilaf

If you read this blog, you'll know I've become a HUGE fan of quinoa in the last couple months! It's the whole package - natural, nutrient-dense, tasty! :)
Quinoa is an amazing source of protein so I've been using it more and more in place of rice or couscous. Here is a great recipe for a quinoa pilaf - I served this last night for dinner along with some roasted veggies (Mixed Vegetables al Forno). I should add that I updated the mixed veggie dish a bit by using 1 whole portobello cap in place of the button mushrooms. I also added in a little fennel (1/2 tsp. dried) and 1 tbsp. fresh basil (at the last minute).
It was a yummy combination!

Quinoa Pine Nut Pilaf


Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/2 large onion, chopped (superfood!)
2 garlic cloves, minced (superfood!)
1/2 tbsp. olive oil (superfood!)
1/2 cup bell peppers, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 cup quinoa (superfood!)
5/6 cup of water (or 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. toasted pine nuts (to toast - spread in a single layer on an un-oiled baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes at 350 degrees).

Method:
1. In a heavy saucepan, saute the onions and garlic in the oil for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the bell peppers, cumin, and coriander and continue to saute for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. While the veggies cook, rinse the quinoa under cold water for a couple minutes. Add the rinsed quinoa and water to the saucepan, cover tightly, and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Stir in the basil and corn and cook 5-10 minutes longer or until the quinoa is tender.

3. Stir the pilaf to fluff it, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with toasted pine nuts.

Reference:
From the Moosewood Collective's Low-Fat Favourites Cookbook.

Peruvian Baked Quinoa and Cheese

It's like a great familiar outfit with a fabulous new pair of shoes. :) Mmmm... this was a nice change from regular mac and cheese and it's gluten-free for those who are on GF diets. And if that's not enough to win your heart, check out all the superfoods!

I just read a little blurb in Vegetarian Times that gave me another reason to love quinoa! It has 8 essential amino acids and is a complete protein all by itself! I did also just read that vegetarians really don't have to worry about "complete proteins" but whatever.. This same blurb also stated that quinoa is high in antioxidant activity. Yeay for super foods! :)

I changed a few things from the original recipe so I'll mark those in purple.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil (superfood!)
1/2 cup sliced green onions (original recipe called for 1/2 a medium leek, white and green parts, halved and sliced)
1/8 cup red onion (superfood!)
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced (I used a mix of red, green, and yellow peppers)
3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained (I think of quinoa as a superfood!)
1 garlic clove, minced (superfood!)
1 1/2 cups water
1 large egg (some, myself included, would say eggs are a superfood!)
1/2 cup nonfat milk
3/4 cup grated cheese (I used sharp 1/2 C Cheddar, 1/8 C Parmesan, and 1/8 C mozzarella; original only called for Cheddar)
1 tomato, seeded and chopped (superfood!)

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the green onion, red onion, and bell peppers. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the quinoa and garlic. Cook, uncovered 3-4 minutes or until the quinoa grains turn opaque (pretty sure mine took a bit longer than that but I wasn't paying attention - trying to get DH's food done at the same time!)

2. Add 1 1/2 cups water, season with salt if desired. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 3-4 minutes more or until most of the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray (the one I used is about 9-inch x 6.5-inch - it's a ceramic Le Creuset thing/not marked!)
Whisk the egg and milk together in a large bowl. Fold in the quinoa mixture, tomatoes, and cheese. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, and bake 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges and on top.

Reference: From the April 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine.

Stuffed Tomatoes with Quinoa, Black Beans, and Corn

I love stuffed tomatoes so I'm always excited to find a new way to fix them. This is quite possibly the best one I've found so far! They incorporate a lot of my favourite flavours. Plus, they are fairly low-fat (well, 11 grams per serving according to the original recipe but it's mostly mono- and poly-unsaturated), cholesterol-free (yippee!), and pack quite the protein punch. Plus, they are full of superfoods!

This recipe would probably make enough for 2 or 3 tomatoes - I only made one tomato but the stuffing was so yummy that I ate it as a "side dish." :)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed well (superfood!)
1/2 cup water
2-3 tomatoes (superfood!)
1/3 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed (superfood!)
1/4 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1/4 cup fresh salsa (tomatoes and hot peppers are superfoods!)
1/2 tbsp. olive oil (superfood!)
1 tbsp. finely chopped red onion (superfood!)
1/4 tsp. sea salt or other coarse salt
Freshly squeezed lime juice

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the quinoa in 1/2 cup water according to package directions (I usually give mine 15 minutes. You'll know when it's done - it goes transparent and you can see the white "germ" [I think it is] of the grain). Drain if necessary and return to the saucepan.

2. Add all the remaining ingredients to the quinoa (except the lime juice); cook and stir for 2 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the lime juice. Fill the tomatoes with the quinoa mixture and place in a baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with additional fresh lime juice.

Reference:
Based on the Bell Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa, Black Beans, and Corn recipe from the February/March 2008 issue of Cooking Pleasures magazine.

The New (Food) Love of my Life

Oh quinoa, where have you been all my life?! ;) Dang, I had it for the first time last night and LOVE it! Yummy! I made some taboulleh salad thing with it - so tasty! Believe me, you will not miss any additional salad dressing - I thought I might need some oil and vinegar or something but the lemon juice/quinoa/veggie mixture does the trick much better than any dressing (and it's a gazillion times healthier!)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa (superfood!)
1 cup water
2 cups chopped tomatoes (superfood!)
2 cups chopped parsley
1 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup chopped green onions (superfood!)
1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice (I also grated a bit of lemon rind and tossed that in, too)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Freshly ground black pepper
A little sea salt
1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes (superfood!)

Method:
1. Boil quinoa in 1 cup water for 15 minutes (same as you would cook rice). Drain.

2. Combine all ingredients and serve over a bed of mixed green lettuce.

Reference:
This came from the Fresh Mama's cookbook that I got from a wonderful parent from work. :)