Quinoa, Leek, and Corn Chowder

Today was the first day that really felt like autumn was here. There seemed to be a lot more leaves on the ground than yesterday and a jacket was necessary. This put me in the mood for some thick and hearty soup. I found this recipe in my much loved Quinoa 365 cookbook:

Quinoa, Leek, and Corn Chowder

Ingredients
1 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced leek (white part only)
1/2 cup qunioa
3 cups frozen corn
2 cups vegetable broth
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of ground pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
5 saffron threads

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the onion and leek until the onion is tender and opaque, about 7 minutes. Add the quinoa and 2 cups of the corn; set aside the remaining corn to thaw. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, until the corn partially thaws. Add a few drops of the broth to keep it from sticking to the saucepan, if necessary.

Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the quinoa is completely cooked. Remove from the heat. Puree the cooked mixture with a hand blender or cool slightly and puree in 2 batches in a blender or food processor.

Return the mixture to low heat. Add the remaining 1 cup of corn and the red pepper, black pepper, cayenne, saffron and salt. Reheat and stir. Serve immediately. The soup can be stored in a seal container in the refrigerator for 2 days.

REVIEW: This was so filling! I followed the recipe exactly as shown, apart from the fresh chives sprinkled on top.  I would make this again and it's very simple to make. Nothing fancy but a really great flavor with a hint of spice.

Quinoa Salad, Falafel & Aero Garden

Although I have been cooking lots of great things lately, this week has just been so busy! Classes for work, doctors appointments and a leaky roof are just some of the things that have been occupying my time. Extra effort was put into making sure we had a healthy dinner every night however and I've got some great new recipes to share.

First of all - check out the Aero Garden on day 14:

It's a kitchen jungle! I still have not sampled anything but I've got my eye on that basil...

Now onto the recipes. Last week we had a little family get together and I brought a salad to share. Surprise, surprise - it was from my Quinoa 365 book! It's good for vegetarians, celiacs and those with lactose intolerance (all of whom were at this particular family get together):

Quinoa Chickpea Salad

2cups vegetable stock

1cup quinoa

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1cup diced red bell pepper (about 1 pepper)

1/3cup dried cranberries

1/3cup chopped walnuts

3tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Bring the stock and quinoa to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the covered saucepan on the burner for 4 more minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow the quinoa to cool.

Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and mix in the chickpeas, red pepper, cranberries, walnuts and parsley. Chill before serving. Stays fresh in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

The next recipe I wanted to share came from a book a co-worker brought to my attention called "The Gluten Free Bible":

While I have enjoyed the odd falafel pita in the past, I had never attempted to make them. This particular recipe also included a recipe for a tomato sauce to be served on top but I chose to just make the falafel:

Falafel Nuggets

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2cup rice flour

1/2cup chopped parsley

1 egg

Juice of 1 lemon (or squirt of lemon juice)

1/4cup minced onion

2tbsp minced garlic

2tsp ground cumin

1/2tsp salt

1/2tsp ground red pepper or red pepper flakes

1/2cup canola oil (*I did not use this as I used the "variation" method to reduce fat content. I will write both methods however)

Preheat oven to 400F. Coat baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray (or parchment paper).

Combine chickpeas, rice flour, parsley, egg, lemon juice, minced onion, garlic, cumin, salt and red pepper in food processor or blender; process until well blended. Shape mixture into 1 inch balls.

(This is not the method I used) Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry falafel in batches until browned. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet; bake 8-10 minutes. 

*Variation Cooking Method - Falafel can also be baked completely to reduce the fat content. Spray the falafel lightly with nonstick cooking spray and bake 15-20 minutes, turning once. 

Once I had made these, I wasn't too sure what to do with them. Apparently they're good in salads or even as a sandwich filler. I enjoyed just eating them as is for a quick snack. 

For one meal this week, I threw them in the wok for some protein with my veggies. Expecting them to just crumble, I was happily surprised when they held their shape and acted like a little meatball! There is such great flavor in these little things and they are a wonderful source of protein for those of us who don't get enough of it from meat. 

MY REVIEW: Two good recipes I know I will make again. 

JASON'S REVIEW: Jason is currently removing the iceberg featured in the major motion picture "Titanic" from our roof. Perhaps you've seen it? It's safe to say he liked both meals as they were both happily consumed. 

Tasty Tuna Casserole

Here's another recipe from my much loved Quinoa 365 cookbook:

Tasty Tuna Casserole
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
3tbsp butter
3/4 cup finely diced celery
3/4 cup finely diced white onion
2 cups chopped white button mushrooms
1/2tsp minced fresh garlic
2 cups milk
1/4 cup quinoa flour
1/4tsp salt
pinch ground pepper
two cans flaked light tuna, drained
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (the one ingredient I forgot to purchase!)

Bring the water & quinoa to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the head off and leave the covered saucepan on the burner for another 6 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow the quinoa to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly spray cooking oil in a 3.5L casserole dish.

Melt 1tbsp of the butter in a large saucepan. Saute the white onion and celery until the onion becomes translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and continue to saute until the vegetables are tender, another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Combine the remaining 2tbsp butter, milk, flour, salt & pepper in a medium saucepan. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Add the quinoa to the vegetable mixture in the large saucepan, along with the sauce, tuna, peas & 1 cup of the cheese. Stir to combine well and pour the mixture into the casserole dish. Top with the remaining 1/4cup of cheese and green onion. Place on the center rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes, until bubbling hot.

MY REVIEW: This recipe dirties a whole lot of dishes so be prepared! It's also fast paced and you might require assistance getting things out of the fridge and chopped if you're not ready. In the end, it was worth it. I've been craving tuna casserole for quite a while now and this was delicious AND nutritious.

JASON'S REVIEW: It's the casserole that keeps on giving.

New Years Day Breakfast

Happy New Years to everyone reading this! Hope you all had a fun evening and are looking forward to the year ahead. Jason took me to The Creperie last night - a first for both of us. They take their gluten free foods very seriously there and I felt pretty relaxed eating there. I had my own bread basket with gluten free bread that they bake in-house! We were even able to share a sweet crepe for dessert.

Now on to this morning... I wanted to start off the New Year with something both healthy and delicious. This is the very first recipe in Quinoa 365:

(This photo was taken by Jason - he's got a new camera and was looking for subjects)

Apple Strudel Breakfast Cereal
1/4 slivered almonds
1cup quinoa
2 1/2cups water
1/2cup diced dried apple slices (You can find these at the Italian Market)
1/4cup raisins
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp pure vanilla extract
1tbsp brown sugar
1 cup vanilla yogurt (We used locally made Bles-Wold)

Place the almonds in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Stir frequently until the almonds are toasted and fragrant - about 3 to 4 minutes. Set the almonds aside in a small bowl.

Combine the quinoa, water, apples, raisins and cinnamon in the same saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for 17 minutes. Stir in vanilla and brown sugar.

To serve: divide between bowls, top with yogurt and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

MY REVIEW: I used half the amount of water and quinoa listed and it made the perfect amount for the 2 of us. When looking at recipes you have to keep in mind quinoa triples in size when it's cooked.  This was such a great breakfast! Jason requested it again tomorrow so I know it was a hit. It doesn't sit as heavy in your belly as a bacon and egg meal but it left me feeling just as full.

JASON'S REVIEW: It was a delicious way to start my day. Would eat again. A+ ... 5 stars ... 2 thumbs up.

Leek and Potato Soup

This year Santa made a fantastic book selection. He/she gets me a book each year and this year it was Quinoa 365:

Revolutionize your nutrition with Quinoa 365!

Keen what?

Pronounced 'keen wah', Quinoa is a frequently neglected and relatively unknown superfood - containing a perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids. It is gluten-free and a great source of protein. Nothing else packs a punch of nutrition quite like quinoa. Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood shows you how to add quinoa to all your favorite foods!

"We eat it because it's so nutritious and works with all of our favorite recipes!"

As you can see, I have bookmarked essentially every recipe in the book and also purchased a 3lb bag of quinoa. If you have not tried quinoa and are interested in following along with some of those bookmarked recipes then I do recommend picking up a sack at Costco. That 3lb bag of pre-rinsed quinoa cost $8.49 which is a pretty fine deal.  I promise you it's easier to make than rice!

My very first recipe from this book was the Leek & Potato Soup:

3tbsp butter (I used 1tbsp)
2 cups sliced leeks, white parts only
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 1/2 cups peeled and diced Yukon gold potatoes (I used whatever was in the pantry.. not yukon gold)
1/2 cup quinoa
2 cups milk or soy milk
salt to taste

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and saute the leeks until tender, about 8 minutes. Remove 1/2cup of the sauteed leeks and set aside.

Add the broth, potatoes and quinoa to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a summer and cook until the potatoes and quinoa are tender, about 18 minutes. Puree the cooked mixture with a hand blender or cool slightly and puree in 2 batches in a blender or food processor. Return the puree to the saucepan and stir in the milk and reserved leeks. Heat on medium but do not boil. Season with salt. Remove from the heat and serve.

MY REVIEW: What a great soup! It was so thick and filling. If you're intimidated by the idea of cooking quinoa then this is a good starting recipe. There's no rinsing or straining involved - the quinoa simply goes from the bag to the pot.

JASON'S REVIEW: It was good.

Bean & Quinoa Chili with Corn Souffle

I have 2 brand new, vegetarian and gluten free recipes to share today! With Jason's help chopping tonight, we were able to whip this healthy meal up in about an hour. Here's me seriously whipping:

From the June/July edition of "Living Without", I made Bean and Quinoa Chili:

Bean & Quinoa Chili
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 stalks celery, washed and sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2tsp chili powder
1 can Italian tomatoes, crushed
1tsp salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1cup quinoa, thoroughly tinsed
1 can navy beans
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
3tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Put onion, garlic and celery in a saucepan with the olive oil. Cook gently for 10 minutes or until vegetables soften. Stir in the chili powder and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, saly and pepper and bring to a coil. Cook sauce gently for 25 minutes or until pulpy.
2. Cook quinoa
3. Add drained beans to the tomato sauce and cook for a minute or two. Stir in parsley.
4. Divide quinoa into individual serving bowls and spoon chili on top of quinoa.

Our second dish of the night was from the same library book I've been using lately....

 Corn Souffle
1 17ounce can whole kernel corn
3/4cup (approx.) milk or non dairy liquid
1/4cup butter or margerine (I used just a teeny square)
1/3cup cornmeal
3 eggs, seperated
1/2tsp baking powder
1/4tsp salt
dash cayenne pepper
1 to 3 tablespoons bell pepper (I used orange)
3 to 4 sliced green onions

Preheat the oven to 375.
Drain the corn, saving the liqiod. Add the milk to the liquid to measure 1 1/2cups. In a saucepan combine the milk mixture and margerine and bring to a boil. Slowly stir in the cornmeal. Bring back to a boil and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Beat the egg whites until stiff.
To the egg yolks, add the baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, bell pepper, onions, and corn. Stir the corn mixture into the cooked meal. Fold in the egg whites (As I type this, I realize we reversed the egg whites and yolks in this step and it worked out just fine). Pour into a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and set.

MY REVIEW: Both dishes were great. The corn souffle tasted more like a breakfast or brunch item than a replacement for corn bread, but still good! You may notice we used red quinoa today inside of the regular stuff.... you prepare it the same and I couldn't taste much of a difference

JASON'S REVIEW: Everything was delicious and I feel 5 years younger.

Quinoa Salad & Carrot Soup

Wow, it's been a while! I can't really come up with any clever excuses... I've been cooking a lot of the same recipes lately I guess. This whole gluten free thing is here to stay it seems. I found a new magazine at the library called "Living Without" and it's a gluten free magazine believe it or not! There are lots of dairy free recipes as well, in addition to articles on celiacs, allergies and food sensitivities. Not for everyone, but I found it damn interesting. It was in that very magazine that I found the recipe for this quinoa salad. It originally was called "Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas and Mint" but I made it without the chickpeas and mint due to lack of ingredients. Here it is, as written:

Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas & Mint
1 cup quinoa, thoroughly rinsed
4 small tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4cup kalamata olives
2 cans chickpeas or white beans, rinsed and drained (I wish I had some of these and I usually do! I will add them next time)
1/2cup fresh mint leaves (didn't have any mint leaves)
3 ounces goats feta cheese or dairy-free cheese replacement, optional (I had cow feta)

1. Cook quinoa in plently of gently boiling water for about 12 to 15 minutes or until it softens. Tip quinoa into fine sieve, make several steam holes through it with a skewer and let it drain.
2. Cut the tomatoes in half. Remove the cores and seeds. Chop flesh coarsley. Set aside.
3. Mix the oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt & pepper in a large bowl. Add the cooked quinoa, black olives and chickpeas.
4. Just before serving, add the tomatoes and mint. Crumble the feta, if using, into the salad. Toss gently and serve.

Next... carrot soup!

I did a quick internet search and this was the first carrot soup recipe that popped up. Here's where I found the original recipe and here is the recipe:

Laura's Carrot Soup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups) (I only had half)
1 rib celery, chopped
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large potato, skin on, chopped
4 cups hot water
4 teaspoons instant bouillon (or 1 bouillon cube)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground dill
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 cups skim milk (I only had about 1 cup)

Sauté garlic, onion and celery in butter until tender in a Dutch oven (or a big old pot). Add remaining ingredients except milk. Bring to a boil and cook until carrots are tender, 30 – 40 minutes.

Purée in small batches in a blender or food processor (I used the immersion blender). Return mixture to the cooking pan. Add milk, heat through and serve immediately.

MY REVIEW: It feels good to try something new and share it with you guys! Both of these recipes were great. I would most definitely make the quinoa salad again but this time adding the chickpeas - I'm not sold on the mint though.  The soup was fantastic and easy to make. Give it a try.

JASON'S REVIEW: It tasted like a garlicy fairy was dancing and my tongue and it was very delicious.

Red Curry Quinoa with Tomatoes & Shrimp

So last night I had some left-over, cooked, plain quinoa to use up. As I had used it the previous night for a cold salad, I wanted to try a hot dish this time. Here's what I came up with:

olive oil
cooked shrimp
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
cooked quinoa (you can read about how to cook quinoa here - do not be intimidated! It's not as crazy as it sounds/looks and it's as versatile as rice but better for you!)
red curry paste - add more if you like it spicy (you can read more about this paste here)

First I heated up the olive oil in my skillet and then added the shrimp. I sauteed them for a bit  and then added the chopped tomatoes and sauteed for another few minutes. At this point I added my red curry paste and stirred it in until it had coated everything. Then came the quinoa and a little salt to taste. You may want to add some water as the quinoa really sucks up moisture and you don't want it to get dry.

To accompany this, I chopped up this precious purple onion from the garden and sauteed it in BUTTER with green beans. That's right - I purchased butter and it's not for Christmas baking. I've been doing a lot of reading lately that suggests butter is healthier in the long run than margarine. I'm not fully convinced yet and I'm honestly not even convinced that there's a huge taste difference (Jason seems to think so) but I'm giving it a try. The list of ingredients is longer on the margarine than the butter as well so for a lazy celiac, it's easier. The less ingredients, the less chance there is for me to eat something that disagrees with me.

JASON'S REVIEW: *Jason had a special meal that did not include shrimp*. As for the green beans ... "mmm I love butter".

MY REVIEW: I loved my quinoa! Lately my lunches have been drawing quite a bit of attention at work because they smell so damn good. This one was no different.

Also, you CANNOT eat too much quinoa. I had to look this up on the internet today because I was concerned I ate too much of it in the past 3 days. What a relief.

Quinoa Salad

This evening I had my mom and dad over for supper. We made some turkey burgers... basically the same ingredients as my Feta Stuffed Meatloaf but I just mixed the feta right in with everything. I was a little concerned that they wouldn't stay together on the grill but the cornmeal did bind it together very well.

To go with our burgers I made the same Caesar Salad Dressing from last night - this time Jason BBQ'd some bacon to sprinkle on top for those of us who could indulge.

Although it's nice to stick with recipes you know when someone is coming over for dinner, I really wanted to try making a quinoa salad. It seems to be the ultimate food for a celiac/vegetarian and I happened to have a bag of it in the pantry. As I'm finding with most recipes lately, there's always something I can't have so I just end up making my own creation. Here's my quinoa salad creation:

Quinoa Salad
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
3 cups water
chopped english cucumber
2 chopped roma tomatoes
1/4 of an avocado (you can use more assuming you'll actually have a ripe one! I cut up a bit of mine but it sadly, it was pretty hard still so I put the rest in the fridge)

half a can of chickpeas, rinsed 

chopped dill

chopped parsley

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

splash of olive oil

a couple squirts of lime juice 

To cook the quinoa, put it in a pot with the water and bring to a boil on the stove. Once it reaches a boil turn the heat to low, cover and let rest for about 20 minutes. When you take the lid off you will be SHOCKED to find it has doubled in size and it will need to be fluffed with a fork. Let it cool before adding all of your chopped veggies, chickpeas, spices and oil. I do apologize for the lack of measurements. I just kept adding things and tasting until it was good so you will have to do the same!

This made a whole lot of quinoa.... like we're talking it could have fed probably 8 people. So cut it down if you're not feeding that many people but I do think the leftovers are going to make a fabulous lunch. I also left some of the quinoa aside so I could make another cold salad this week. In case you're wondering what that dark pupley blue thing is in the corner - we roasted some blue bird peppers and had a piece left over so I threw it in the mix for our lunches.

MY REVIEW: This was delicious! Things have been turning out lately when I just trust my instinct and go with the flow.  Eating gluten free forces you to create your own recipes and improvise and it's been kind of fun. I was happy to share a new seed with my family tonight!

JASON'S REVIEW: A tasty melange. 

Yellow Pepper Stuffed with Quinoa & Humus Melt

*I wrote this yesterday but forgot to post it!

I made 2 original recipes tonight! Jason is back into cycling pretty much every evening again which means he's STARVING when he comes home and I can cook just about anything and it will get eaten. It's very inspiring and a great way to clean out the fridge. You can rarely see the white of his plate on these nights:

So I stuffed 2 tiny yellow peppers tonight! I didn't follow a recipe and I didn't really measure anything but I can give you some tips: once you cut the top off the pepper and clean it out, boil it in water for about 4 minutes. I cooked mine at 350 for about 30 minutes and added shredded cheese to the top for the last 5 minutes. There was too much filling so I just put it around the bottom of my peppers as they sat in the dish. Now for the good part - inside my peppers was a mixture of quinoa, chopped onion, matchstick carrots, salsa and garlic. The options for the insides are basically endless - any kind of sauce or spices as well. It turned out pretty good! I also found that when you bake a pepper you can remove the outer fine layer and it improves the taste of the pepper big time. I wonder if I could finally eat a green pepper in this fashion?

For Jason I made some melts with turkey, tomatoes and cheese but I was not in the mood for that myself. I decided to try something different....

I put roasted garlic humus, tomatoes and basil on my bread before going under the broiler. Please try this! You'll love it.

MY REVIEW: You already know how I feel.

JASON'S REVIEW: Absolutely hit the spot.  I couldn't get enough of this dish.  I am really diggin' the roma tomatoes and the spicy quinoa.  Compliments to the chef!

Quinoa With Toasted Almonds and Dried Cranberries

I always see quinoa in my vegeratian cookbooks but today was the first time I cooked it AND the first time I've eatten it! I tried this recipe found on the Savvy Vegetarian website:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds
• 1 veggie cube
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Soak the quinoa 1/2 - 1 hour in cold water
2. Rinse very thoroughly in water several times. For each rinse, pour off most of the water and finish draining through a large fine mesh strainer
3. Shake dry in the strainer
4. On medium heat, stir and toast the sliced almonds until golden
5. Remove from pan
6. Stir and toast the quinoa until dry and turning color
7. Transfer toasted quinoa, toasted almonds, and cranberries to 2 qt saucepan
8. Add boiling water, veggie cube, salt, bay leaf and cinnamon stick
9. Bring back to boil
10. Cover, turn the heat to simmer, cook for 20 minutes
11. Remove from heat and allow to sit five minutes with lid on
12. Fluff gently with a fork and serve.

I followed it to a tee. After doing some research on the stuff, looks like I'll be cooking a lot more of it! It's really high in protein - good for the vegetarian diet.

Everything I read stresses the importance of rinsing it really well. The saponins that it's soaked in is really bitter and not a good thing to eat. One person said they use the water they soak the quinoa in as a spray to prevent bugs from wrecking flowers. Not something you want in your belly.

MY REVIEW: This was really really good. It was nutty and crunchy.. I'd say I like it more than cous cous for that reason. It didn't get mushy at all. It looks to be very versatile so I look forward to trying some other methods of preparing it.

JASON'S REVIEW: It was very good and filling and had great flavor.