Shredded Kale & Quinoa Salad with Tahini Dressing

from Foodess 
This time served with some roasted halibut fillets sprinkled with a drizzle of olive oil, aleppo pepper, dried oregano and a squeeze of lemon juice. 

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5-30 minutes (5 if you have cooked quinoa in the fridge - 30 if you need to prepare some and allow it to cool)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2-3 cups cooked quinoa (3/4 cup quinoa + 1 1/2 cup water or broth)
1 bunch Russian Kale (or whatever kale you prefer), stems removed and leaves thinly sliced across - chiffonade
Dressing:
1/4 cup tahini, well stirred
2 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup dried currants
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds


Directions:
1. If need be cook quinoa - I use a little less than double the quantity of broth (or water) to dried quinoa.  MOST IMPORTANT: since the quinoa has a very bitter coating, it is critical to rinse the quinoa well.  Place in a strainer and run cold water over for several minutes, stirring to ensure the bitterness is gone before adding the quinoa to boiling broth.  Stir quinoa into broth, bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook until the liquid is absorbed - about 15 minutes or so.   Allow to cool before preparing the salad.

2. In a serving bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients well.  Add the shredded kale and 2 cups, cooked quinoa (save the rest in the fridge for another dish) and toss well.  Taste for seasoning.   I actually added the currants and sesame seeds at the same time, but the original recipe suggests you sprinkle them on top.  I'm sure it would look prettier, but the taste factor was quite delicious with my goof.

A perfect side for grilled fish, meat or chicken or as a simple vegetarian main course.

Quinoa Breakfast Bites

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats via Pinterest

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes (plus time to cook the quinoa - and a reason I always have some ready in the fridge)

Baking time: 20 minutes

Cooling time: 5 minutes - be patient!

Makes 2 doz mini muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa

2 eggs

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar, or crumbled feta, or shredded...whatever your favorite flavorful cheese is

1/2 cup diced smoked turkey, or chicken, or chorizo, or ... whatever your favorite cooked meat.  Vegetarians, I'm sure you can find something to substitute - shredded zucchini or chopped broccoli come to mind

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped ( cilantro would be wonderful)

1/4 small red onion, finely diced

1/2 - 1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced

2 tbsp grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F/175C (convection oven - 325F/165C)

2. Prepare muffin tins (I use Pam non-stick spray with Olive Oil)

3. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well.  Fill mini-muffin cups to the top (I use a small ice cream scoop for consistency.)

4.  Bake until edges are golden (about 15-25 minutes - depending on your oven)

5.  Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tins.

My New Fave Basic Quinoa

From The Vegetarian's Complete Quinoa Cookbook

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 3 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes: 4 1/2 - 5 cups cooked quinoa

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c quinoa, rinsed well and drained
2 c vegetable or chicken broth (water will do in a pinch, but not be nearly as flavourful)
1 bay leaf

Directions:
1. Most important:  RINSE WELL AND DRAIN BEFORE COOKING

2, Combine the quinoa with the broth and bay leaf in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil.   

3. Stir and reduce heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes, covered.  When the quinoa is ready, the grains will be soft and the liquid absorbed.  

4. Remove from the heat, remove the bay leaf, fluff the quinoa and let stand, covered for 5-10 minutes

Best Quinoa & Bean Bake Ever

Adapted from The Vegetarian's Complete Quinoa Cookbook

Printable Recipe 

Prep time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 25-30 minutes Note:  I used my new convection toaster oven so the baking time was only 15 minutes!
Serves 4-6  (I'm going to try to freeze some, so I'll let you know how that goes)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained

1 1/4 cup vegetable broth, I used my own roasted vegetable broth, frozen in 2 cup portions for moments such as this.
1 bay leaf

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (I used 2 giant cloves)

1 medium  onion, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp dried oregano (I used 2 heaping tbsp fresh oregano, chopped)

1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes (or as much as you like)

1 sweet red pepper, seeds removed and coarsely chopped

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes  (they used 28oz/796ml but I used 14oz/398ml which was perfect for us) with juice

1 can (19oz/540ml) black beans (I was out, so I used pinto beans), rinsed and drained

1-2 cup Swiss chard leaves,  stems removed and leaves finely sliced (chiffonade) (optional, but great)

2-3 roasted beets, diced (optional, but delicious)

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped & divided in half

2 slices whole wheat or multi grain bread

1 cup feta goat cheese, finely crumbled

Directions:
1. Prepare the quinoa:
Combine the quinoa with the broth and bay leaf in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil.   Stir and reduce heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes, covered.  When the quinoa is ready, the grains will be soft and the liquid absorbed.  Remove from the heat, remove the bay leaf, fluff the quinoa and let stand, covered for 5-10 minutes

2. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C (for convection ovens - 350°F/175°C) and prepare baking dish (should hold 8 cups, I used a medium lasagna dish 11 1/2" x 7 1/2" x 1 1/2") I used a little olive oil to grease the dish.

3. While the quinoa is cooking and the oven is preheating, heat the olive oil a large skillet over medium-high  Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, oregano and red chili pepper flakes.  Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent and the pan smells divine. (about 5 minutes)

4. Add the chopped red pepper for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften.  If using Swiss chard, or spinach or kale... add it now along with roasted beets or other roasted vegetables if you have them.   Toss and continue to cook for another minute or two, to heat the new additions and combine all the flavors.

5. Add the canned tomatoes with the juice and the drained beans.  Stir well and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and  simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

6. Remove from heat and add the cooked quinoa with 1/4 cup of chopped parsley and toss to combine.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. 

7. Pulse bread (broken into a few chunks) in a food processor until soft small crumbs form.  

8. In a small bowl, combine the crumbled feta with 1/4 cup parsley and bread crumbs and toss well to combine.  Sprinkle over the quinoa mixture, covering the entire top.

9.  Bake in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes (15-20 minutes in a convection oven)

Savory Cornmeal & Quinoa Muffins

From Mairlyn Smith's The Vegetarian's Complete Quinoa Cookbook  

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 20-25 minutes (or until the toothpick comes out clean)
Resting time: 10 minutes or so
Makes 12-15 muffins (depending on the size of the muffin pans)

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup whole-grain medium grind corn meal
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2  large eggs
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup grated Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup finely diced red pepper (I didn't have any so I used a seeded, finely chopped jalapeno pepper instead)

Directions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F/200°C and spray muffin tins with cooking spray or line with muffin papers.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat and quinoa flours, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and pepper.

3. In a medium bowl whisk together, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and oil.  Stir in the green onions, cheese and red or jalapeno pepper.

4.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until combined.

5. Divide the batter into the prepared muffin tins (I like to use a spring-loaded ice cream scoop for ease and consistency).  The recipe said 12, I made 15.

6. Bake for in the center of the oven for 20-24 minutes and test for doneness by sticking a wooden toothpick in the center. If it comes out dry, they’re done.

4. Cool on a cake rack in the muffin tin for 5 minutes and then remove from tin and allow to  cool completely. 

Blueberry Plus Muffins

From Mairlyn Smith's The Vegetarian's Complete Quinoa Cookbook  

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 20-25 minutes (or until the toothpick comes out clean)
Resting time: 10 minutes or so
Makes 12-15 muffins (depending on the size of the muffin pans)

Ingredients:
½ cup quinoa, rinsed & drained
3/4 cup 1% milk
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/3 cup non-hydrogenated margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (do not defrost)

Directions:
1. Pre heat the oven to 400°F/200°C and spray muffin tins with cooking spray or line with muffin papers.

2.  In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa and milk, stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce to low and simmer, covered for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes or until the liquid has all been absorbed.

3. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cardamom.

4.  In a large bowl, using a wire whisk or electric hand mixer,beat margarine and brown sugar until fluffy.   Beat in the egg, lemon zest and juice until well combined. Stir in the cooked quinoa.  Add the flour mixture and stir just until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated.  Gently fold in the blueberries.

5. Divide the batter into the prepared muffin tins (I like to use a spring-loaded ice cream scoop for ease and consistency).  The recipe said 9, I made 10.

6. Bake for in the center of the oven for 20-24 minutes and test for doneness by sticking a wooden toothpick in the center. If it comes out dry, they’re done.

4. Cool on a cake rack in the muffin tin for 5 minutes and then remove from tin and allow to  cool completely. 

Hearty Kale, Lentil & Quinoa Soup

From Mairlyn Smith's The Vegetarian's Complete Quinoa Cookbook 

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30-40 minutes
Serves 8
Freezes well

Ingredients:
1 tbsp canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium carrots, scrubbed and sliced into 1/2" coins (I chopped all my vegetables in the food processor to fool my family... good thing they like thick puree soups)
2 small parsnips (I had a couple just sitting in my vegetable bin)
1 celery stalk, diced
2 tsp garam masala (I used Epices de Cru Masala Grill Blend)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
5 cups water
1 can (28 oz/794 g) diced tomatoes (but since my family has tomato issues I used Muir Glen Crushed Fire Roasted tomatoes)
1 cup dry brown lentils (since I didn't have any on hand, I used split green dal - or ... lentils), well rinsed and drained
1/2 cup quinoa, well rinsed and drained
2 cups fresh Kale, thick stalks removed and leaves chiffonade
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1. Prepare all the ingredients to simplify the actual cooking.

2. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic carrots and celery (and in my case parsnips) and saute until slightly softened (about 5-10 minutes).

3.  Stir in the garam masala, cayenne pepper and bay leaves.  Mairlyn suggests rubbing the thyme and oregano between your fingers to let all the fragrant oils escape.  I, of course didn't read well and just threw them in with the garam masala and let them cook for another minute or two.

4.  Add the water, tomatoes, lentils and quinoa and bring the soup to a boil.   Then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for at least 20 minutes... time for the quinoa and lentils to absorb lots of broth.

Just before serving, stir in the kale and toss for a minute or two until the kale has wilted.  Season with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and serve.

Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

From Food & Drink, Summer 2011 


Prep time: 15 minutes 
Cooking time: 20 minutes 
Serves 4-6 

Printable Recipe


Ingredients: 
 ½ cup dried mushrooms (I used mixed, but porcini is what F&D used) 
2 cups vegetable broth or water, heated 
1 cup quinoa (F&D used ½ cup red & ½ cup white), rinsed well 
2 tbsp olive oil ½ cup onion, coarsely chopped 
8oz/250g fresh mushrooms, (coarsely chopped, quartered or thickly sliced – I used cremini, but shitake, and any other of your fave works too) 
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped 
2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
2-3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped 


  Directions: 
1. In a small bowl soak the dried mushrooms for 15 minutes in hot broth/water. Use a slotted spoon to remove mushrooms but transfer the broth to a medium pot. 


2. Bring broth (might need topping up with water to reach 2 cups needed) to a boil, sprinkle with rinsed quinoa (rinse well to eliminate any bitterness), lower heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes or until almost tender. Drain quinoa, but reserve any liquid to add later. 


3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft (2-3 minutes). Add the mushrooms (fresh and rehydrated dried) and sauté until mushrooms are browned and juicy (you might want to add a little more oil or butter) (another 3-4 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown or it will taste bitter.


 4. Add the balsamic vinegar, allow to come to a boil (just a minute or so) and stir in the quinoa. If it seems too dry, add the reserved broth. Fluff, taste and add the chopped mint before serving.