Tag: quinoa

Power Bowl~ Quinoa Power

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In my haste, I bought dates instead of dried prunes. My mind must have been a million miles away. However, I like dates and they were labeled organic. This was a gigantic bag. I surfed the Internet and found a Moroccan power bowl salad recipe with dates. What a find! Even better, this recipe calls for pistachio nuts, which I have a huge bag of fresh pistachio nuts. I really like Moroccan food. I can’t wait to make this salad. Another step towards healthy eating with pizzazz!

Quinoa Power Salad: We’ve got cooked quinoa, shredded carrots, hydrated or canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), tons of chopped parsley, golden raisins, scallions, dates, and one handful of chopped pistachios. A bowl of delicious Moroccan salad goodness. Toss that all up and drizzle with the honey lemon dressing. [or, your favorite dressing – oil & vinegar with lemon juice, salt, pepper and one minced garlic clove + cumin -my choice]. Just look at all that beautiful color!

Power Bowl

  • Servings: 2-3
  • Difficulty: easy
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INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups cooked quinoa
1 cup matchstick carrots
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 (15 ounce)can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 2 cups(hydrated)chick peas
⅓ cup chopped dates (add more dates if omitting raisins)
¼ cup chopped pistachios (or walnuts
⅓ cup golden raisins (optional)

honey-lemon dressing:

½ teaspoon cumin powder
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey (maple syrup or brown sugar for vegans)
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon chili powder

INSTRUCTIONS

POWER SALAD: Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Allow the quinoa to cool completely before tossing with the salad ingredients. Toss ingredients together.
HONEY-LEMON DRESSING: Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a small mason jar and give it a few good shakes until the dressing mixes through. Drizzle the dressing into the salad and toss the salad to combine everything. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for later!

I know that golden raisins would have been a bit too sweet for me. I opted out and no honey in the dressing. The raw, minced garlic in my dressing adds a very slight tang to the salad. You do not taste it. Add more garlic if you want to experiment. I would add two garlic cloves. We all know how good quinoa is for you. This high protein packed, gluten-free grain is the world’s super food. I have red quinoa and was happy to use it. Add mint or cilantro. You can have a medley of herbs.

After 2 days of soaking, chick peas will break down (get mushy) and start fermenting.

Chick Peas

I soak my dried chick peas overnight in cold water for 8 hours. As a guideline, don’t go over 12 hours. The peas are ready when you test one and it is no longer hard and really tastes similar to a ‘green pea’ – wonderful! Also, you do not have to boil dried chick peas to get them ready for cooking or eating, or, when making hummus. Boiling hardens the chick peas. I have had both and prefer the softer version using my method. TIP: when cooking chick peas add them at the end. The last 5-10 minutes of cooking. Similar to potatoes. Add potatoes at the end of a stew so they stay soft and eatable. NOTE: I also found that preparing chick peas from scratch produces the best, tender chickpeas with a creamy mouthfeel that the canned variety just can not compare. One pound of dried beans = About 2 cups hydrated chick peas. Re-hydrating chick peas is determined by taste. You do not know if your chick peas (dried or canned) have been on the shelf for months or years.

Healthy Power Bowl

Crunchy carrots add the right amount of color to this recipe. You can add cilantro or green bell peppers or any other vegetables that may be almost ready for a toss. The POWER IS YOURS!

The POWER IS IN YOU!

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Mushroom Soup – Boosts Immune System

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This mushroom soup is my very favorite soup! If you want a healthy life, mushrooms will elevate you! Skip the supplement aisle and pick up some mushrooms. An all-natural multivitamin and an antioxidant to fight viruses and a plethora of other age related ailments makes mushrooms a super food. A good reason to add mushrooms to your daily diet. The earthy, beef flavour of mushrooms is a favorite for vegans and an addition to Keto diets. Why is this mushroom soup so splendid? The answer is the porcini mushroom.
Porcini mushrooms are tops in — F-L-A-V-O-R 🌶️ T-O-W-N .

Lady Kathy


Lady Kathy spent summers in Italy eating fresh fish & olives. She helped pick the large porcini mushrooms in the Italian alps for various dishes. Reminiscent of her childhood, Lady Kathy’s Porcini/ Mushroom Soup is a little bit of Heaven on earth!

LADY KATHY'S Mushroom Soup

  • Servings: 5-6
  • Difficulty: medium
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INGREDIENTS
DEHYDRATED Porcini mushrooms: 10 pieces (a handful) of dried porcini mushroom

FOR THE SOUP:
500 gm ( 2 cups) brown (cremini) mushrooms, washed and quartered
10 parsley (half bunch)
10 cilantro (half bunch)
1 red onion chopped
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp. quinoa (heaping)
3 tbsp. Olive oil
Salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
REHYDRATE Porcini Mushrooms
In a 500 ml (2 cups) measuring cup add the dried porcini and pour 400 ml (14 oz.) boiling water over the mushrooms. Let it stand for 30 mins. The porcini will relax and the trapped sand will fall to the bottom of the cup. After the porcini has cooled, take the porcini slices out of the measuring cup and place them in a 15/20 cm (6″ – 8″) diameter sieve. Rinse them under gently running water to make sure no sand is present on the slices -if needed.

SOUP:

  1. In a medium size sauce pot put olive oil, onion, clove garlic, and sauté until onion turns golden.
  2. Add cremini mushrooms, parsley, cilantro, and 700 ml ( 3 cups) water. Get it to a light boil. Throw out the clove of garlic.
  3. Add 1 tbsp. quinoa, salt and pepper, continue simmering.
  4. Throw the rinsed porcini slices into the simmering soup.
  5. Line the sieve with cheesecloth or 2 sheets of paper towel. Hold it above the pot. Pour the porcini water slowly into the lined sieve so it drips into the soup. Leave the last half inch of water with the debris (if any) in the measuring cup and discard it.
  6. Simmer for 15 mins
  7. With a smaller sieve -or slotted spoon- take out the vegetables etc. and put into a food processor with bit of soup and purée.
  8. Pour purée back into the rest of the soup and stir.

What are Porcini Mushrooms?

A rich, heady, meaty mushroom with a deeper and nuttier flavor than white, button mushrooms. Sold both fresh and dried, porcini mushrooms are prized in Italian and French cuisine. They vary in size from a medium to jumbo sizes – depending on the richness of the soil. These popular mushrooms (also known as king bolete or cèpe in French) are grown naturally in pine forests at the base of trees. Some of the porcini mushrooms may have white spots on them. That is a natural coloring from the skins of the mushrooms. It is not mold and is perfectly safe to eat. Note: Porcini, meaning “piglet” in Italian. Are you thinking truffles? I did not know that porcini mushrooms are regulated by the Italian gov’t, the same as truffles.

Cremini Mushrooms

Cremini mushrooms are small- to medium-sized brown mushrooms that have an earthy, mild taste. While the difference in taste between white button mushrooms and creminis is small, some people find the flavor of creminis to be richer and more appealing.

Mushroom BENEFITS:

Bonus: Aid In Weight Loss Programs! Mushrooms keep a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut and is associated with a strong immune system. Research suggests that turkey tail mushrooms may enhance gut health as it contains prebiotics that feed and nourish the good bacteria in your gut .

FOOD TIP: Shiitake mushrooms are a good substitute for porcini mushrooms.(less earthy but similar meaty texture). A garlic farmer once told me that fresh is best-dried is second best. Microwaving and grilling are the best ways to cook mushrooms without slashing their antioxidant power. Complimentary additions to the soup are garlic, shallots, celery and roasted chestnuts.

Dried Mushrooms

Freezer friendly Mushroom soup is loaded with protein and fiber. Low in saturated fat, gluten free and easy to digest. Make a batch and freeze a few individual servings for an easy cup of soup!!

Healthy Quinoa Burger

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The world has changed from our North American meat and potatoes society.
It is now meat and couscous (North Africa) or quinoa [KEEN-wah] (Peru) in South America. You may also try bulgur (durum wheat) from Turkey, a cousin to couscous. Wild quinoa has its roots from the Spanish (Peruvian) area. Merging cultures helps us to add healthy variety to our meals.
I prefer quinoa as a side to my meal or on its own.

quinoa-burgers

Tasty Quinoa Burgers

QUINOA (pseudocereal grain)
It is not a member of the true grass family like wheat. Quinoa has powerful health benefits. It is high in protein – more protein than rice or wheat and tastes great. Since it is not related to wheat or grain quinoa is gluten-free.. Quinoa recipes can be sweet or savory. Marathon runners load up on cinnamon scented quinoa with walnuts, honey and coconut milk. Is quinoa the new breakfast of champions?

Quinoa Burgers Recipe with Beet Greens

Ingredients
1 bunch of BEET GREENS, stemmed and washed (1/2 to 3/4 pound)
2 cups cooked quinoa, preferably rainbow quinoa
2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, as needed
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
⅔ cup finely chopped carrot
⅔ cup finely chopped onion
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and crushed in a mortar and pestle or spice mill
2 garlic cloves
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (to taste)
1 egg (optional)
Freshly ground pepper

quinoa-patties22Direction
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Either steam the beet greens for 2 minutes above 1 inch boiling water, or blanch in salted boiling water for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain, squeeze out excess water, and chop medium-fine. Place in a large bowl with the cooked quinoa.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet and add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are just about tender, about 3 minutes, and add the ginger and a pinch of salt. Cook for another 3 minutes or so, until the vegetables are tender and fragrant, and add the cumin and the garlic. Cook, stirring, for another minute, and remove from the heat. Stir into the quinoa mixture.
3. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, or in a bowl using a fork or a potato masher, purée the chickpeas with the lemon juice and, if using, the egg. Add to the quinoa mixture and stir everything together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Begin heating a heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Seasoned cast iron is good, and so is a heavy nonstick pan that can go into the oven. Moisten your hands lightly and shape 4 large or 6 smaller patties. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and, working in batches if necessary, cook the patties for 1 to 2 minutes on one side, until nicely browned. Carefully turn the patties over and place the pan in the oven.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until the patties are lightly browned; if they fall apart you can patch them together with some pressure from the spatula. Remove from the heat and serve, with or without buns, ketchup and the works.