Mediterranean Quinoa

Yesterday was one of those days of overscheduling and packing too much in, and by the time my tummy was signaling it was ready for me to call it quits for the night and get something on the table, I realized I was at a loss for what to make that would satisfy the hunger.  I had a craving for something salty, so I was thinking maybe olives would do the trick. With salt as my guide, I rummaged around the kitchen for what I could pull together into a quick meal.

The default option would've been pasta, but on this rare occasion I didn't have any on hand.  I didn't want to wait for rice to cook, and even though I've made an awesome lentil and olive pilaf in the past,  I wasn't in the mood for something that heavy.  So I decided that quick cooking quinoa would provide the backdrop for the meal.

I combined the cooked quinoa with a contrasting color palette of red and green:  chopped kale, roasted red peppers, capers, kalamata olives, and sundried tomatoes.  To round out the pilaf and add some substance, I tossed in a can of red beans.  Of course, everything was doused liberally with olive oil and garlic, and seasoned with salt and pepper, dried oregano, and fresh basil from the garden.

Pretty good result considering the theme of the evening began with the mantra "Just Get It on the Table."

This Week's Menu

I've recently been playing around with various combinations of colorful quinoa after discovering a box of black quinoa at my local health food store recently.  The black quinoa look similar in size and color to poppy seeds, which is slightly smaller than the more common white quinoa.  They take a little longer to cook (otherwise, you end up with a slightly crunchy pop when you bite into them).... but I'm liking them.  This week I decided to try mixing black and white quinoa for a paella.

I sauteed some sliced Tofurky Italian sausage in a pan, then added chopped onion, carrots, and mushrooms.  I finished it off with a can of Muir Glen fire-roasted tomatoes, some sliced kalamata olives, green peas, and a squeeze of lemon.  The flavor combination was slightly smoky and savory.  I topped the dish with a fan of steamed asparagus which made a nice color contrast.

The second meal this week was Black Bean and Garnet Yam Enchiladas since a client requested something Mexican.  I topped the enchilada with some homemade sauce spiced with chili powder, paprika, onion powder and cayenne pepper, and paired it with Cumin Spiced Zucchini which had been broiled in the oven.

The final entree was a simple tofu tir-fry since I found some baby bok choy at my health food store and thought it would be perfect with the plump snap peas that are coming into season soon.  Sesame seeds make a nice garnish for this dish.
 

Gluten-free Black Bean and Quinoa Cakes

We were in the mood for some Mexican food last night and I wanted to experiment with something beyond the usual burrito/enchilada/taco fare.  Not that there's anything wrong with these... but for someone like me who has a wheat and corn sensitivity, I wanted to create something a little different that wouldn't compromise my health.

I found a luscious looking recipe on VegWeb.com for Black Bean Chipotle Cakes that was made with polenta as a base, and so I thought to myself, I wonder if quinoa would work as a substitute? I decided to give it a try.

The key to making the recipe a success was to add a little more cooking water than usual to the quinoa so that it would come out slightly softer than normal and clump up after cooking.  [Note:  This is normally referred to as "a mistake."]  Then, after mixing and mashing the cooked quinoa with all of the other ingredients, I let the mixture cool in the fridge for about an hour.  This made it easy to form into balls that could be flattened into thick cakes, then dipped in tapioca flour before frying.  They held together nicely in a non-stick pan coated with a tablespoon or so of olive oil.  The key was to cook them on medium heat until the got a golden crust before flipping them.  Don't rush the process, or you'll end up with a messy pan of black bean and quinoa hash!

These came out crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.  They held together well with a mix of rice flour and Daiya cheese that melted from the heat of the cooked quinoa, and then again from cooking in the frying pan.   I topped them with guacamole and fresh salsa, and accompanied the cakes with a bed of mesclun greens tossed in dijon agave vinaigrette.  Pretty brilliant I'd say.

The next day's leftovers went really well with crispy oven roasted chili pepper fries drizzled with Sriracha and some steamed broccoli on the side.  Yum!

GF Black Bean and Quinoa Cakes
1/2 cup of quinoa, rinsed
1 cup of water

1-2 tsp cumin

1-2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup shallots, chopped fine

1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup Daiya pepper jack vegan cheese
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour for dredging
2-3 Tbl olive oil for frying

In a medium sauce pot, combine quinoa, water, cumin, chili powder, sea salt, 1 clove minced garlic and 1/4 cup shallots.  Cover, bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer 15 minutes or until quinoa is tender.  Pour cooked quinoa into bowl on top of shredded cheese and black beans, then add green onions, remaining minced garlic and shallots, and rice flour.  Stir together, mashing ingredients as you mix.  When everything has been combined, place bowl in refrigerator to cool for approximately one hour.  Remove cooled quinoa mixture and form into patties using a 1/2 cup measuring cup to scoop out equal portions.  Flatten to about an inch thick, then lightly dredge in tapioca flour.  Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and test with a drop of water to be sure it sizzles before adding oil.  Then add enough oil to thinly coat bottom of pan and fry quinoa cakes for 10-15 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned and crisp.  Serve immediately topped with salsa and guacamole.

Pesto Quinoa with Stringbeans and Heirloom Tomatoes

The other day I went strolling through my garden and picked a colander full of veggies that presented me with a challenge.  I felt like I was on an episode of the vegan version of Food Network's "Chopped" as I pondered what to create for lunch from the ingredients in my basket.

With stringbeans, basil, and a tomato, the logical solution would've been some kind of pasta primavera, and even though I would probably eat that every day if I could, I wanted something a little different.  I decided to make quinoa the centerpiece grain since it's high in protein and I didn't want to open a can of beans for one serving.  And I also decided I wanted something cool, so "quinoa salad" was the operative term for my lunch mission.

When I looked in my fridge I found a half of a lemon, fresh parsley, scallions, and some walnuts, so instantly I decided I'd turn the basil into a pesto.  Then it all came together almost as instantly as the quinoa cooked.  I blanched my stringbeans, cut up the tomato and scallions, and piled them on top of the quinoa.

Then I tossed everything together into a lovely red-green-white confetti-like concoction.  Not only were the colors complimentary, but so were the tastes.  The sweet, creamy tomato and the sharp garlicky pesto melded and mellowed nicely when tossed with the quinoa.

In about 20 minutes I had a perfectly delicious and satisfying lunch to enjoy while sitting in the hot sun out on my back deck.

And here's a closeup (cause we foodies adore our closeups):

Kitchen Challenge

In my 6 years as a private vegan chef and cooking instructor, I think last night I faced my greatest challenge ever. All of the ingredients were present to create a recipe for disaster:  a kitchen with no lighting or countertops, a limited pantry, and a lonely little stove.  And yet, somehow, some magical alchemy occurred and a delicious meal resulted.  It helped that my student had a sense of humor about the situation and was happy to have some guidance.

For anyone who thinks you need granite this and stainless steel that and every fancy whirring gadget from the Williams-Sonoma catalogue before you can learn to cook vegan, last night's lesson would prove otherwise.  What is most important is a willingness to experiment with new flavor combinations, tastes and textures, and also the ability to be accepting of what you have and where you are in the journey.  If there's anything holding you back, it's all in your mind.

Still, it was indeed a challenge, so we kept the Menu basic and uncomplicated:  Romaine Lettuce Salad with Granny Smith Apple, Pecans and Dried Cranberries Tossed with Balsamic Vinaigrette; Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts; and Quinoa with Toasted Almonds.  Light, energizing, and grounding.  And perfect for a Tapas party!

So my advice for all budding vegans out there is:  keep it simple.  Focus on your favorite vegetables and flavors and build a menu around them.  Or just pick one.  In this case, it was Brussels Sprouts.  When they're roasted in the oven with a dressing of balsamic vinegar and olive oil, they develop a rich, caramelized sweetness.  We used the same dressing to toss with our salad, which also simplified the menu.  To balance out the sweet tanginess, I thought quinoa with toasted almonds would add some depth and richness.

Planning out the time for each recipe and choreographing each step to allow for multi-tasking is my second piece of advice.  The quinoa cooked in the same amount of time as the Brussels Sprouts, and as they cooked we prepared the salad, so everything came together at once.  In about a half an hour, dinner was on the table.

Any challenge can be overcome with a little creativity.  And if you have some challenges of your own that have been holding you back, I hope you'll see them in a new light - not as limitations, but as rungs in a ladder that will take you to higher places.