Quinoa with Roasted Broccoli & Avocado Sauce

A super simple and healthy main or side. Makes 2-4 servings.

Puree in food processor:
1 avocado
1/2-1 cup fresh cilantro
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp ginger
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4-1/2 cup water, depending on preferred consistency
Add salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350F
Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper:
4-5 cups broccoli florets
1 onion, chopped in relatively large pieces
Spread broccoli on roasting pan and roast for about 20 minutes until cooked

While broccoli is roasting, cook 1 cup quinoa
I like to rinse and soak quinoa for at least 15 minutes before cooking
Use ratio of 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water
Should cook in about 15-20 minutes

Mix together cooked quinoa,roasted broccoli + onions, and avocado sauce and serve

Sweet Potato & Lentil Stew

(Serves 4-6 as main dish or 6-8 as a starter or side dish)

2 -3 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes or so

1 cup red lentils (look for the small, quick cooking kind; I usually buy mine at Trader Joe's)
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups of water or vegetable stock
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ginger
    (you can substitute 3 tsp curry powder for all the above spices)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil (or other oil)

Preheat oven to 400F.
Toss cubed sweet potatoes in oil and salt and pepper and spread on baking tray.
Bake for about 20-25 mins until cooked through (toss once to cook evenly).

In the meantime, in large pot, saute onions until soft and slightly browned.
Add garlic and spices and saute for 1-2 mins to release aroma.
Add lentils and stock and simmer for about 15-20 mins until lentils are tender (may take longer if you have a different kind of lentils).
Add roasted sweet potatoes and serve.

Note: I often use a mix of lentils and quinoa in this recipe, substituting directly for the 1 cup of lentils. A 50-50 mix works well. If you have the quick-cooking red lentils, both the lentils and quinoa will cook in about the same amount of time, so it's an easy substitution. I like to soak the quinoa in water for 15 mins and then drain before adding to the stew to remove bitterness and make it easier to digest.

Zucchini Fritters w/ Green Tomato Salsa

Combine:
1 Shredded Zucchini
1/2 cup Flour (I used half whole wheat flour and half ground quinoa)
1 Egg
~1/2 cup Milk (enough to make a batter)
1/8 tsp Cumin
1/8 tsp Coriander
Salt
Pepper

Drop spoonfuls of batter into hot frying pan with a bit of oil. Cook each side until it is browned.


Green Tomato Salsa

Combine:
1 Chopped Green Tomato
Kernels from 1 Cooked Cob of Corn
1/2 Diced Jalapeno

Combine and puree:
1/4 cup Lime Juice or Vinegar
2 tbsp Fresh Cilantro
1 tbsp Agave Syrup
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt

Combine vegetables and dressing a let sit for a while.

Quinoa with Mushrooms

 



Saute until tender:
Sliced mushrooms (try a mixture of Crimini, Shitake, and Oyster)

Add to taste:
Sliced Scallions
Salt
Pepper
Sage
and cook a couple more minutes. Set aside.

Saute:
1 cup Quinoa (rinsed and drained)
1 clove Minced Garlic
for 5 mins.

Add
1/2 cup White Wine
and continue to cook for 2 mins.

Add
Hot Vegetable Stock
about 1/2 cup at a time every few minutes stirring occasionally until quinoa is cooked (will need about 1 1/2 cups).

Stir in mushroom mixture.

Top with:
Shredded Parmesan

(Serves 2-3)

Chewy Snack Bars with Quinoa and Flax

(Adapted from "My Favorite Breakfast Bar" on www.veggiemealplans.com)

Preheat oven to 350degF.

Combine in a pan:
1/2 cup diced dried dates
1/2 cup water
and simmer on the stove for about 5 minutes until the mixture thickens. Let it cool for a few minutes.

Combine:
5 teaspoons ground flaxseed (whole flaxseed can be ground in coffee grinder)
1/2 cup water
and let sit for 5 minutes.

Combine the date and flax mixtures.

Mix together:
2/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup roasted and ground quinoa (roasted in a dry pan for a few minutes and ground in coffee grinder)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup raisins

Combine wet and dry ingredients.

Coat a 9x9 baking pan with cooking spray and press in the mixture into the bottom of the pan. (Lining the pan with a sheet of wax paper makes it easier to get the cooked bars out of the pan.)

Bake for about 25 minutes and then let cool before removing from pan and cutting.