Tag Archives: quinoa

Rainy-Day 13 Bean and Quinoa Soup

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The rain poured quite heavily in our little town today.  It was also a bit chilly which was a perfect opportunity to have “rainy day” soup.  This soup is hearty and super healthy.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Ingredients:

(seves 4-6)

  • 3 cups of cooked quinoa
  • 3 and a half quarts of water *note: add more water toward the end if you like it more “soupy”
  • 1 can of organic coconut milk
  • 1/3 lb of Bob’s Red Mill Soup Mix, 13 Bean Soup Mix *I soaked the beans overnight with a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice *
  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 1 large red bell pepper
  • 7 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 2 inches of ginger (peeled)
  • Herbamare Original (500g=1.1LB) Brand: Vogel *note: you can buy pre-made herbamare from this link or the health food store, or you can save some money by googling “herbamare recipes” and making it yourself.   You will find many different recipes out there.  I made mine myself, but I didn’t measure (sorry…next time I will :) ), I just go by taste and it usually tastes similar to other herbamare recipes.

Directions:

  1. Cook your quinoa and set aside.
  2. Wash your soaked beans.
  3. In a large pot, boil 3 and a half quarts of water with your soaked beans, chopped onions, and minced garlic.
  4. Let it boil for about 1 hour or until the beans are cooked (stir occasionally).
  5. Blend coconut milk with your red bell pepper and ginger in a blender until smooth.  And, you will have a red gingery, coconutty, bell pepper soup.
  6. After the beans have cooked, add your coconut-bellpepper-ginger blend.
  7. Boil this together for another 20 minutes.
  8. Then add your cooked quinoa and herbamare (add herbamare a little bit at a time until you are satisfied with the taste).
  9. Simmer for 15 minutes or so.
  10. Pour in your favorite soup bowl and enjoy!

Aunt Ivy’s Everything Coconutty Salad

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My little sister Ivy introduced this salad to me in 2008 and I have loved it ever since.  Not only it wonderfully colorful, it is also packed with an explosion of flavors and a variety of textures.  It is so delicious that my 4-year-old child had 3 bowls full of it the other night!  She said, “I love Aunt Ivy’s salad!”

I am glad my sister made this for me years ago because I would have never thought of mixing coconut, onion, and raisins together.  But it totally works!

 

Coconut Vinaigrette dressing:

  • 1/2 cup of coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup of raw apple cider vinegar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of coconut nectar or agave (I usually just use a little less than 2, but adjust to your liking)
  • Juice of 1/2 of lemon
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped red onion
  • a few dashes of mesquite powder (optional)
  • salt to taste

Directions:

Place everything in the blender and blend.  Add salt little by little and adjust to your liking.

For the Salad:

  • Mixed greens
  • Red onions (sliced)
  • Apples (chopped)
  • Shredded coconut
  • Cooked quinoa
  • Choice of nuts (I used raw pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds)
  • Raisins

Aloo Gobi with Tempeh and Quinoa

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Today, I was craving some kind of Indian dish.  So, I looked through my pantry, fridge, and freezer to see what I can throw together.  Then, I remembered a dish that I had a few months ago at an Indian restaurant called “aloo gobi”.  It is a dish made of cauliflower, potatoes, tomatoes, and spices.   Fortunately, I had some cauliflower and potatoes sitting in my fridge, cayenne peppers in my backyard, and a pantry full of spices.

So, I looked at different recipe sites to see exactly what kind of spices was needed for this dish and apparently there are different ways of cooking it.  So, I kinda just threw in different spices, measured how much I put in, and just taste-tested it to see what I thought tasted good.  I also added some delicious tempeh for texture and extra protein.  (Note: quinoa already has a ton of protein.)

The end result; a very flavorful and healthy meal for my family, aloo gobi served over quinoa.

*My husband and I love hot peppers, so we topped off our aloo gobi with freshly diced cayenne and jalapeno peppers.*

Ingredients:

  • 1 large head of cauliflower (cut into florets)
  • 1 large potato (sliced into cubes)
  • 1 12 oz. can of organic diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 1 block of tempeh (sliced into small cubes)
  • 3 tablespoons of fresh ginger (minced)
  • 5 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 3 teaspoons of garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
  • 1 bunch of cilantro (chopped)
  • 1.5 teaspoons of turmeric
  • sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 cayenne pepper (finely diced) or you can use 1 teaspoon of chili flakes or chili powder (optional)

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil, then add chopped onions and cumin.
  2. Cook until the onions are transparent, and then add garlic and ginger.
  3. Cook for a minute, then add water, hot pepper/chili flakes, turmeric, cilantro, diced tomatoes, tempeh, cauliflower and potatoes.
  4. Cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes (until potatoes are cooked), then add a little bit of salt based on your taste preference.
  5. Enjoy with rice, quinoa, flat bread, etc.

Coconutty Tofu and Egglant with Basil

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I just love the summer produce here in Georgia!  Berries, basil, eggplant, melons, black-eyed peas, figs, corn, peppers, jalapenos, squash, okra, and so much more!

I just purchased a bunch of long, skinny eggplants (Asian eggplants), garlic, and red onions along with other delicious items from the farmers market.  And, I decided to experiment with it.  I was inspired by an eggplant/tofu/basil dish I had in the past, at a  Vietnamese restaurant here in town.  I already had the tofu in my fridge and the basil in my backyard, so I gave it a shot.

I experimented with the ingredients until it tasted delicious.  So, now here it is.

This dish is easy, quick, delicious, filling, and pretty healthy.  It goes very well with both quinoa and brown rice.  Today, I served it with quinoa.

Ingredients:

  • 1 block of extra firm tofu (sliced in 1 inch blocks)
  • 1/2 cup of vegetable broth
  • 1 large red onion (sliced lengthwise)
  • 4 large cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 2/3 cup of fresh basil (chopped)
  • 3 medium-sized long eggplant (sliced 1 to 1.5 inches in length)
  • 3 tablespoons of coconut oil
  • 4 tablespoons of shredded coconut
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of sriracha hot sauce (optional)
  • liquid aminos to taste

Directions:

  1. Prepare your veggies.
  2. Cook rice or quinoa.
  3. Heat up your pan/skillet.
  4. Add coconut oil.
  5. Add garlic and saute for less than a minute.
  6. Then add tofu, onions, eggplant, and broth.
  7. Cook for 10 minutes.
  8. Add liquid aminos to taste (I use this instead of salt)
  9. Cook for a bit longer until the liquid is gone.
  10. Then add basil and the shredded coconut.
  11. Cook for another minute or two.
  12. Serve over rice or quinoa.
  13. Enjoy!

Almond Ginger Green Bean Quinoa

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This afternoon, my 3-year-old requested a dish with green beans and quinoa.  Fortunately, I had just purchased some green beans from the farmers market and my pantry is always stocked with quinoa.  So, I came up with this quick and easy dish.

The ginger, soy sauce/liquid aminos, and sesame oil gives it an Asian flare.  It is so delicious and filling.  This meal is packed with protein and a ton of goodness.  I think this is one of my favorite quinoa dishes right now.  I am sure you will like this as much as we do!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups of cooked quinoa
  • 2 cups of fresh chopped green beans (less than 1 inch in length)
  • 1 cup of chopped toasted almonds
  • 1 shredded carrot
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 3 cloves of minced garlic
  • 1/3 cup green onions (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Ingredients for sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons of liquid aminos (natural soy sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seed oil
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger

Directions for sauce: mix liquid aminos, sesame oil, and ginger together, then set aside.

Directions

  1. In a large pan or wok, heat oil.
  2. Then, add onions and garlic.  Cook until onions are transparent.
  3. Add green beans and cook for 4 minutes in medium to high heat.
  4. Turn of heat, then add cooked quinoa, shredded carrot, sauce, and stir it all together.
  5. Plate it and top it off with chopped green onions.
  6. Enjoy!

Sprouted Beans and Quinoa Tacos and Tostadas

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I have been craving tacos and tostadas lately but I haven’t been able to make them because good quality tortillas are hard to find out here.  Most of tortillas I have found contained preservatives and a bunch of other ingredients that I am not able pronounce.   I think I am just missing the delicious taste of Mexican food I used to have all the time back when I lived California.  Fortunately, I found some sprouted corn tortillas at the health food store last week hiding in the freezer section!  I was so glad  to have stumbled upon them because they are all-natural, vegan, sprouted, and yummy!

You may notice that I have improvised the traditional way of making tostadas and tacos.  The reason is because I wanted to make it more nutritious for my family.  I must say my family and I were very happy about how everything turned out.  Dinner was delicious, flavorful, filling and best of all,  healthy.

So tonight, I am sharing with you this healthy taco/tostada recipe idea.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups of Sprouted Bean Trio
  • 1/2 cup of quinoa
  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 1 large tomato (chopped)
  • 4 large cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
  • 3 tablespoons of fresh lime or lemon juice
  • 5 tablespoons of liquid aminos
  • Sprouted corn tortillas
  • 2 tablespoons grape seed oil or olive oil
  • 1 box of store-bought all-natural-vegan guacamole
  • 1 cup of cilantro (chopped)
  • Daiya vegan cheese (optional)
  • Salsa  or hot sauce (optional)

Directions:

  1. Soak the beans for an hour (optional but not required….I just liked them with more moisture).
  2. Rinse quinoa.
  3. Boil water in a medium-sized saucepan.
  4. Add quinoa and beans in the boiling water, simmer for about 10 minutes (med-high heat), and then turn off heat and set aside for another 10 minutes.
  5. In a saute pan or wok, heat oil and then add onions, garlic and tomatoes.
  6. Drain water from the beans and quinoa.
  7. When the onions are transparent, add the beans and quinoa.
  8. Add cumin, oregano, lemon juice or lime juice, and liquid aminos.  Note: if you don’t have liquid aminos, use celtic sea salt and adjust to saltiness preference.
  9. Cook together for another 5 minutes.
  10. While you are finishing up with the beans and quinoa, prepare your sprouted corn tortillas.  If you want to make crunchy tostadas, spray each side with olive oil spray, put them on your griddle, and smash it with a pan.  LOL this is the only way I got it to cook evenly (see below).   Cook on low-medium heat for a couple of minutes on each side until it is crunchy.
  11. If you want a softer shell for your taco, just spray the griddle and heat the tortilla for a 30 seconds or so. 
  12. When you are done with the tortillas, put your tostadas and tacos together.
  13. Top it off with vegan Daiya “cheese”, cilantro, guacamole, and/or salsa.
  14. Serve with lemon or lime slices.
  15. Enjoy!

Cheesy Broccoli and Quinoa Bites (Vegan)

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This post is dedicated to my friend, Scarlett, who asked me about “veganizing” some broccoli cheddar bites that she saw on Staceysnacksonline.com.  So here it is!

I veganized it and made a few adjustments.  For these “bites” I am using fresh broccoli instead of steamed (less cooked, more nutrients).  I have added quinoa and a few other things for taste and nutritional purposes.  I am also cooking it on a griddle instead of baking it.  But, you can cook it either way.  To bake: 325 degrees for 25 minutes turning over after 15 minutes (per staceysnacksonline.com).

****Reasons why we “veganize”:

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of fresh broccoli
  • 1 cup of DAIYA vegan “cheese”
  • 1/5 cup of red onions
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 to 2 tablespoon of nutritional yeast (optional)
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 3 eggs worth of ENER-G eggless egg replacer
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon of oregano
  • 1 tablespoon of liquid aminos (for salt)
  • olive oil spray (a tiny bit to grease your griddle)

Note: if you don’t have cumin or oregano, you can try adding curry powder and dried cilantro.

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in food processor (except oil).
  2. Blend.
  3. Mold into small patties.
  4. Place onto greased griddle (low heat).
  5. Cook in low heat for up to 8 minutes on each side (until golden on each side).
  6. Serve and enjoy.

Quinoa Veggies and Tofu Burrito

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Lunch today was pretty delicious and very filling.  We had a super healthy burrito stuffed with quinoa, veggies, tofu, and avocado packed with protein, and all kinds of vitamins and minerals.

It was pretty much a shorter version of my Tofu, Mushroom, Beans and Spanish-rice-style Quinoa Burrito recipe.  I cut some corners, because I just didn’t want to spend too much time on cooking today,  but it still turned out really good.

Ingredients:

  • Cooked quinoa
  • Spinach wrap/tortilla (I used my favorite, which are Maria and Ricardo’s Tortillas)
  • 1 package of cubed firm tofu (drained)
  • 1 package of sliced organic mushrooms (8 oz.)
  • 1 green bell pepper sliced
  • 1 red onion sliced (medium to large)
  • 1/4 cup of cilantro (chopped)
  • 4 cloves of garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon of oil (I use grape seed, olive, or coconut oil)
  • 1 tablespoon of oregano
  • 1.5 tablespoons of vegan bouillon (Better Than Bouillon, No Chicken Base, Vegetarian)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1.5 teaspoons of ground cumin
  • 2/3 teaspoon of chili powder
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
  • Sliced avocados (2-3 avocados)

Directions:

  1. Heat oil and then add minced garlic.
  2. After about a minute, add the tofu.
  3. Cook the garlic tofu for 5 minutes, then add sliced onions.
  4. Cook for another 5 minutes and then add vegan bouillon, chili powder, oregano, cumin,  sliced mushrooms, and sliced bell pepper.
  5. Cook for another 5 minutes, then add lime juice, salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Heat tortilla.
  7. Spoon quinoa into the tortilla.
  8. Add sautéed veggies/tofu into the tortilla.
  9. Top it off with some slices of avocado and then roll into a burrito.
  10. Serve with salsa, hot sauce, or both.
  11. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Vegan Rhubarb Zucchini Quinoa Pancakes with Blueberry Banana “syrup”

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My child loved these!

Are you looking fora high energy, high protein, high fiber, vegan, and gluten-free breakfast with lots of vitamins and minerals?…well, here it is!

This is a wonderful combination of grains, vegetables, and fruits!

Zucchini is awesome in many ways (magnesium and potassium for better heart health).  It is high in antioxidants (vitamin c and a) and carries cancer preventing properties.  It is high in manganese (for healthier skin).  Also, it helps your body absorb iron more efficiently.

Rhubarb is a good source of calcium and vitamin c (helps your body absorb iron better as well).

Quinoa is known for its protein packed with protein, antioxidants, fiber, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals.

Oatmeal contains lignans, which help protect you from heart disease.  It is low-calorie, high fiber, high in antioxidants, and delicious.

Corn is also packed with thiamin (B1), vitamin B5, folate, fiber and vitamin c.

Blueberries are just plain awesome.  It is known to help reduce belly fat, improve memory loss, and it even helps aid digestion.  Blueberries are high in vitamins and antioxidants and is also known to have cancer/disease fighting properties.

Bananas are high in potassium, vitamin B6, fiber, and vitamin c.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups of blended rhubarb and zucchini (1 zucchini and 2/3 cup of rhubarb)
  • 1/3 cup of organic quinoa flour
  • 1/3 cup of organic corn meal
  • 1/3 cup of organic rolled oats
  • 2/3 cup of non dairy milk (soy, almond, hemp, etc.) Note: for thinner pancakes, add 1 cup instead of 2/3 cup of milk
  • 3 tablespoons of canola oil
  • 2 Ener-G egg replacer
  • 2 tablespoons of organic sucanat (sugar)
  • 1/6 cup of coconut cream (note: if you can’t find these, you can just add 3 tablespoons of cold pressed coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of raw agave)
  • 1 tablespoon of almond extract
  • 1 tablespoon of baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon of molasses (for added iron)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ancient sea salt

Ingredients for Blueberry Banana “syrup”:

  • 1 cup of blueberries
  • 1 banana
  • 1/4 cup of raw agave (add more agave if you want it thinner)

Directions for syrup: blend all ingredients together until there are no lumps.

Directions for Pancakes:

  1. Make “syrup”.
  2. In a food processor, blend zucchini and rhubab together.
  3. Pour rhubarb and zucchini into a bowl.
  4. Add milk, sugar, molasses, cream of coconut, canola oil, almond extract and salt into the bowl.
  5. Mix it well.
  6. Add quinoa flour, corn meal, oats, baking soda, and baking powder.
  7. Mix well.
  8. Heat griddle (low to medium).
  9. Spray griddle with olive oil or coconut oil.
  10. Pour batter and cook pancakes for a few minutes on each side.
  11. Stack pancakes on a plate and serve with syrup.
  12. Enjoy!

A Healthy Fall Breakfast: Quinoa, Sweet Potato, Apple Pudding

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Ahhhhh, fall!  I love this time of year!…cool weather, multicolored trees, Halloween, scary stories, costumes, etc.  I also love fall produce!….apples, turnips, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, squash, pomegranates, etc.

This morning I decided to use the produce I received from my CSA (community supported agriculture).  I was craving something with sweet potatoes, cinnamon, apples, and nuts.  And, we love quionoa in this family.  So, I threw it all together and made pudding.

Why I love this dish: packed with vitamins and minerals (vitamin A, C, omega 3s, etc), protein, and fiber.  Click here to get a little info on sweet potatoes: Reasons to love sweet potatoes.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of organic cooked quinoa
  • 1 med-large organic sweet potato
  • 2/3 cup of organic applesauce
  • 5 to 6 tablespoons of organic sucanat sugar or raw agave
  • 1/2 cup of hemp milk
  • 1/4 cup of organic raisins
  • 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
  • 2 pinches of nutmeg
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • Walnuts for topping

  Directions:

  1. Cook quinoa and set aside.
  2. Chop and cook sweet potato.  I just covered it in water and boiled for about 10 minutes or so.
  3. After sweet potato is cooked, blend it with applesauce.
  4. Place blended sweet potato and apple back into pan.
  5. Add milk, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, raisins, and sugar.
  6. Mix it all together.
  7. Add quinoa.
  8. Cook together for a few minutes.
  9. Place in a bowl and top it off with walnuts (or pecans).
  10. Enjoy!