Spiced Lentil and Quinoa Stew

from washingtonpost.com/recipes  Wellness section 12/19/2013
Excellent article titled Lentils and quinoa are stew's one-two punch by Elaine Gordon:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/healthful-comfort-food-spiced-lentil-and-quinoa-stew/2013/12/17/cb9cd286-60ee-11e3-94ad-004fefa61ee6_story.html

EatingbyElaine.com

Interesting recipe because you cook the quinoa and lentils dry - toasting them - then add the broth and come back 30 minutes later and you have a hearty wholesome stew.  One pot meals - I love em!

Tested size: 8-10 servings; 10 cups

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (or 2) medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes (2 cups)
2 medium onion, cut into small dice (2 cups)
2 cups uncooked red and green lentils, rinsed (comments that red lentils turned gloppy)
1 cup baby-cut carrots, cut crosswise into thick rounds (1/3-inch)
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 large (2 ounces) shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
1/2 to 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed
6 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth, or more as needed
1/2 teaspoon mild curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Flesh of 2 avocados, cut into small dice, for garnish (optional) Used TJs Avocado's Number Guacamole

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in a large, wide pot over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the sweet potato, onions, lentils, carrots, quinoa, shallot and garlic, stirring to coat. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and all the pepper.

Stir in the broth; increase the heat to medium-high. Once the liquid comes to a boil, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Uncover and stir in the curry powder, cumin, turmeric, ginger and allspice until well incorporated. Reduce the heat to low; cover and cook for 35 minutes.

Taste, and add some or all the remaining salt, as needed.

Serve warm, topped with the avocado, if desired.


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RECIPE SOURCE

From Elaine Gordon, a master of public health professional and a master certified health education specialist. Her Web site is EatingbyElaine.com.

many entree salads and dressings to try

From Nutrition Action 10/3/14

Seafood Salad
Pearl barley or white beans
Salmon, tuna, or shrimp
Roasted peppers
Steamed green beans
Mixed salad greens

Serve with mustard vinaigrette:
2 Tbs. whole-grain mustard
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
½ tsp. honey
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Whisk ingredients in a bowl.
Yields 10 Tbs.

Nutrition Information:
Per person—
Calories: 530
Total fat: 31 g
Saturated fat: 4.5 g
Sodium: 400 mg
Carbs: 35 g
Fiber: 8 g
Protein: 27 g

Tofu Salad
Brown rice and edamame
Tofu
Roasted scallions
Shredded carrot
Steamed kale

Serve with sesame dressing:
2 Tbs. rice or cider vinegar
¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 Tbs. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
3 Tbs. canola oil
Whisk ingredients in a bowl.
Yields 12 Tbs.

Nutrition Information:
Per person—
Calories: 400
Total fat: 19 g
Saturated fat: 1.5 g
Sodium: 330 mg
Carbs: 41 g
Fiber: 8 g
Protein: 19 g

Chicken Salad
Quinoa
Sautéed or roasted chicken
Roasted broccoli
Cherry tomatoes
Arugula

Serve with basil vinaigrette:
2 cups basil leaves
1 small clove garlic
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
¼ cup grated parmesan
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Combine ingredients in a blender.
Yields 10 Tbs.

Nutrition Information:
Per person—
Calories: 410
Total fat: 20 g
Saturated fat: 4 g
Sodium: 400 mg
Carbs: 4 g
Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 30 g

Mexican Quinoa Bean Salad

Hello Marsha
Since most is my apps I improve and put together without measurements,
I finally made the salad with my girls helping me so that they can slow me down in order to take exact measurements to create this recipe !

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, dry
1/2 cup green bell pepper
1/2 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup fresh coriander
1/4 cup carrots
Jalapeños  (1 tbsp to 1/4 cup based on how spicy u want it !)

15 oz cans each of red kidney beans ,
White beans (kidney or cannilini or navy )
black beans
corn

The spices to add into bowl are :
Juice of 1 medium/large lime
1 packet of dry vegetable seasoning dip mix ( I use knorrs brand but any brand will do)
1/2 to 1 pkg  of Old  El Paso taco seasoning mix ( to taste)
1/2 tsp ground cumin powder

Directions: 
1) Cook one cup quinoa as per package directions.  You can use all water or 1/2 water and 1/2 vegetable broth. Let cool and fluff with a fork so that the quinoa is loosened

2) Fold into same large bowl the beans and corn after you have drained and rinsed and removed most of the water.  Add the cooled cooked quinoa to the bowl.

3) Add the spices as above, or see variations below.  All ingredients are mixed gently together and then served either room temperature or cold ( your preference).

It's great made ahead of time  and chilled before a summer gathering !

Bon appetit !

Bhavana

Instead of the cumin, and both seasoning mixes, use Mexican spice blend from food network.com (entry on bootcamp chef)

Fruited Breakfast Quinoa

Adapted from The Cancer Survivor's Guide: Foods that help you fight back by Neal Barnard, MD and Jennifer Reilly, RD

Quinoa is technically a seed, but used as a grain.  It has a bitter resin-like coating, saponin, that must be rinsed off thoroughly before cooking.  I use a very fine mesh strainer to do this. Barnard's book suggests covering the quinoa with water in a mixing bowl and rub it between the palms of your hands.  Pour off the cloudy liquid through a strainer.  Repeat two or three more times until the rinse water remains clear.

I used the basic idea of this recipe, but mixed the non-dairy milk with water.

Ingredients:

1 cup vanilla rice or soy milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

mixture of raisins, dried cranberries, apricots and/or
 mango, to taste
1/4 tsp vanilla extract


Directions:

1) Combine the rice or soy milk and quinoa in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a gentle simmer.  COver and cook for about 15 minutes, until the quinoa is tender.  I like to leave it just a little crunchy.

2) Stir in the fruit and vanilla extract.  Cover and cook for 2 more minutes.  Serve warm or chilled.

3) Stored in a covered container in the refrigerator, leftover fruited quinoa will keep for up to 3 days.

Warm Couscous Salad with Apricot Vinaigrette

This is adapted from one of my favorite recipe websites: onceuponachef.com.  It's very quick to put together and very tasty.  I think it's even better with quinoa.

Servings: 4-6

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth (such as Swanson)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups couscous (I've used regular or whole wheat)

Adapted for my mother-in-law who has many allergies, I used quinoa as noted, then mixed with the dressing ingredients in parentheses below, and I think it was even better than the original recipe.

2 cups quinoa
4 cups water
1 Tbsp olive oil

6 tablespoons apricot preserves (best quality such as Bonne Maman)
4-1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (or 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice)
1/4 tsp salt (if desired)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped (or 3 Tbsp onion)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley or mint (optional)
1/3 cup sliced almonds (walnuts)

Directions:

1) Bring the broth and oil to a boil in a medium pot. Add the couscous and stir. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and remove from the heat. Let sit 5 minutes, then fluff the couscous immediately with a fork so it doesn't clump together.

2) In a small bowl, whisk together the apricot preserves, olive oil, white wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Add about three-quarters of the vinaigrette to the couscous and stir to combine. Taste and add the remaining vinaigrette, little by little, if necessary (you may not need it all). Be sure to add all the little chunks of apricot from the vinaigrette, as they tend to settle at the bottom of the bowl (just use a fork to fish them out).

3) Stir in the scallions, herbs and sliced almonds. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve warm or room temperature.

Lemon Herb Quinoa

Adapted from Shine from Yahoo

This is a light refreshing side dish - good choice for a BBQ.  The measurements for the dressing are doubled from the original recipe because I wanted more taste, but be cautious not to over-dress the quinoa and make it soggy.  Save the leftover dressing to add as needed when you serve it, or to use with other raw or cooked veggies.

This is the first time I've used shelled hemp seeds (available at Whole Foods in the vitamin aisle).  It has a soft, fine texture and a nutty taste.  Since I discovered it with this recipe, I've been experimenting with it and found that it's very good on yogurt.  It can be used in baking and cooking as well, but its nutritional value is highest in its raw state.

What are hemp seeds, you might ask?  While the hemp plant is high in fiber, the seeds or nuts are an ideal protein source with all of the essential amino acids in a ratio that is beneficial for humans, in addition to magnesium, iron, potassium and vitamin E.  Hemp comes from a variety of Cannabis plants, but the level of THC (for all you kids of the '60's and '70's) is negligible or non-existent.  It's equivalent to the level of opium in poppy seeds.  It is actually illegal to grow it in the US, so the product I have, and evidently most of what is sold in the US, is grown in Canada.

So now on to the important stuff:

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, dry (I like to mix plain and red quinoa for the visual effect)
2 cups water (or 1 cup water, 1 cup low salt vegetable broth)
1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
1/4- 1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 cup shelled hemp seeds
4 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp sea salt, adjust to taste
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper, adjust to taste

Directions:

1.  Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer with cold water.  Transfer to a pot and add 2 cups of liquid.  Bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat to a simmer, and leave the lid slightly ajar.  Simmer for  about 15 minutes or until quinoa is plump and the water is absorbed.  The texture should be soft, but not mushy.

3. Remove quinoa from heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and set aside.

4. Boil fresh peas until warm and tender or run frozen peas under warm water.  Drain and set aside.

5. Mix quinoa, peas, basil, and hemp seeds in a large bowl.  Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon, sea salt and pepper.  Pour about 1/2 to 2/3 over the quinoa, checking for taste and avoiding too much moisture.  Serve warm or cold.  The dish will keep for 3 days (not in my house!), except the basil might turn a little dark)