Another for the Wee-Ones

I found another crowd-pleasing quinoa mixture for the little ones this weekend. It even got rave reviews from a certain difficult-to-please-little-peanut of ours:



In a food processor, I mixed together a cup or so of cooked quinoa, a baked sweet potato (skin removed) and a ripe banana along with a teaspoon of cinnamon. Voila, dinner was served ... and even enjoyed.



This, along with the quinoa, black bean and banana puree, freezes well so don't be afraid to make a big batch and then store in smaller containers in the freezer. We do and it definitely makes the age-old question, 'what's for dinner mom?' an easy one to answer.

Bon appetite!

Quinoa & Roasted Vegetables

Quinoa with Roasted vegetables

Ingredients:
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 red onions
2 zucchinis
2 large mushrooms
10 cherry tomatoes
8 cloves garlic
olive oil
fresh thyme
ground black pepper

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water


Directions:
Wash and slice all the vegetables except the tomatoes and garlic.

Leave the tomatoes whole and the garlic cloves in their skins.

Toss all the vegetables together in a large roasting tin with olive oil and the thyme.

Season with ground black pepper and a little salt.

Roast at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile, combine quinoa and water and bring to the boil; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until it is cooked.

Serve roasted vegetables over quinoa and enjoy.

Quinoa for Breakfast

Quinoa with Plant Milk and Berries



Add some plant milk (soy, rice, almond, coconut) to cooked quinoa and warm in the microwave. Sprinkle with cinnamon, add a drizzle of agave nectar and top with fresh berries or your favorite fruit. Enjoy!

You can also puree cooked quinoa, plant milk, a ripe banana and a sprinkle of cinnamon together for a healthy breakfast for your favorite baby or tot. Yummy and nutritious!

Quin-What's for Dinner?

Spicy Spinach & Butternut Curry over Quinoa
Chicken or extra firm tofu works well in this recipe as an addition



Ingredients:
2 TBLS sesame oil
1 TBLS mustard seed
1 lb. butternut or pumpkin, peeled, seeded & cut into 1 inch cubes
1 onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 inch fresh ground ginger, peeled & grated
1 tsp turmeric
2 TBLS curry powder
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, drained
1 ½ cups unsweetened or plain So Delicious brand coconut milk, (typically found in refrigerator section next to other plant milks)
1 16 oz package of fresh baby spinach
Pinch of cumin
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste


Directions:
Heat oil in a non-stick skillet or wok, add mustard seeds, and stir-fry until they pop. Add ½ the butternut squash or pumpkin and all the onions & stir-fry gently until the onions are softened & translucent. Add chicken or tofu if using. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, curry powder, salt & pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, remaining butternut or pumpkin and the coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer, covered for 20 minutes, or until tender.

Add cumin and spinach, cover with lid, and steam for 2 minutes until the leaves collapse. Serve over Quinoa.

Quinoa: Add 1cup quinoa to 2 cups boiling water. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat & simmer 12 minutes. Turn off heat & let set covered 15 minutes. Serve spinach and butternut curry over quinoa.

Keen-What?

Hello Friends. I've missed you.

And I've missed sharing recipes and ideas for living healthier with you as well. It would seem that when I'm not sharing these things with you and being inspired by your tips, tricks and efforts that I'm less inclined to make the best choices myself.

So, without further ado, I offer you a week long series on quinoa. Quin-WHAT you may ask? I will tell you.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is actually not a grain; it is a seed. It is closely related to the spinach family but when cooked, it is light, fluffy, and slightly nutty in flavor. It is a complete protein, meaning it contains all essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles. It also contains high levels of magnesium which helps relax your muscles and blood vessels, helping to lower blood pressure. Quinoa is also packed with fiber, manganese and copper which act as antioxidants in your body to get rid of dangerous cancer and disease-causing substances. It is also non-allergic and can be used in a wheat-free or gluten-free diet. ‘Nuf said.

Quinoa cooks and tastes like a grain so you can use it anywhere you would use rice or couscous. However, it cooks much FASTER than brown rice and really is a snap to make:

Combine 2 parts water (or broth) to 1 part quinoa (e.g., 2 cups water with 1 cup quinoa) and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the water is combined.

How easy is that?

For a super simple lunch or light weeknight dinner, toss together baby spinach leaves with sliced strawberries, toasted pecans, cooked quinoa and a sprinkle of goat cheese. Dress the salad with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Yum.



Mel’s variation of this includes baby spinach, cooked quinoa, sliced cherry tomatoes, pecans and kalamata olives.

Experiment with your favorite ingredients and let us know what you discover!

Something Sweet

I have received several questions and emails about the use of Agave nectar and the recent controversy surrounding it.

For the record, we do use agave nectar, sparingly, but we use the raw blue agave which is heated at a lower temperature. (Click on the above link for a full explanation of the process). And the fact that agave is sweeter than HFCS, honey and refined sugar means you can use less of it to achieve the same sweetness.

However, real maple syrup is not processed and is my sweetener of choice. I also use sucanat, primarily for baking, which is processed twice versus white sugar that is processed up to 20 times.

I think the real issue is not that agave nectar should be avoided at all cost but rather that we should all be trying to eat more whole foods and less refined, processed and fast foods. Processed sweeteners are just one culprit in the larger health epidemic that essentially boils down to the fact that we no longer know what real food is. Fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts and legumes are no longer the staple of the American diet and that, in my opinion, is the real problem.

So, in your quest for better health I urge you to look at the whole picture – the totality of your diet and whether it is one that promotes health – rather than getting hung up on one particular aspect. Any sweetener, whether refined or raw, should be used sparingly.

The good news is that the less refined, processed foods we consume the more we are actually able to enjoy the natural sweetness found in fruits and vegetables.

Greatest Achievement

I believe my greatest achievement occurred last night when I served my dad a black bean burger ... and he ate it. My dad. The man who would eat cow at every meal if given the opportunity. Yeah, him. He ate a black bean burger. With mild protest, sure, but he ate it so I am chalking it up in the win column.

If you haven't tried a meatless burger yet, try these and let me know what you think. Scroll down towards the end of the page for the black bean burger recipe.

Have a great weekend!