Not the most appetizing photograph, I know. But, I try — with my wee little toddler-smudged digital…. This dish was, totally, much better than it looks in the photo. And, hey? Vegans out there? Or, ye peeps who want to eat vegan meals or healthier whole-food meals that will nourish not just your body but your SOUL, more often? Check it.

I would say that the wheatberry is my favourite grain. It’s a “meaty” grain with lots of chew and lots of crunch. And, it’s got a rich and nutty flavour. It’s perfect mixed with a lemon, olive oil, and dill dressing, as in the following recipe. CHECK IT!

WHEATBERRIES WITH LEMON-DILL DRESSING

Ingredients
(Serves 1-2)

1/2 cup wheatberries
1 1/2 cup water
1 garlic clove (minced)
1/4 onion (chopped)
2 tsp olive oil (add 1 tsp flax oil for omega 3s)
Lemon juice (to taste)
Dried dill (to taste)
Handful pine nuts
1/2 cup cooked/canned chick peas (for protein) (optional)
Any combo of veggies (I recommend portobello mushrooms and spinach because they’re great for vegans and because they taste great with pine nuts; I used broccoli because I had some leftover steamed broccoli in the fridge.)

Instructions

1. Cook wheatberries: Place wheatberries and water in a pot. Bring to a boil and let sit, at low heat, for an hour or so (until they look puffed up — maybe taste one just to be sure). Once ready, gently pour out the excess water.

2. Meanwhile, spray a pan with light (organic, if possible) cooking spray. Stir fry the garlic and onions until onions are soft. Then add mushrooms, spinach, etc..

3. When the wheatberries and veggies are done, mix them together.

4. Mix in the chickpeas.

5. Drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice.

6. Divide into bowls. Sprinkle with dill and pine nuts. Enjoy!

If this really doesn’t float your boat, just add 1/2 cup of your favourite tomato sauce. You’ll LOVE it!

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INGREDIENTS:
(Serves 6-8; Cooking time approx. 45 mins)

6 cups cooked rice noodles, quinoa, OR brown rice
1 six-ounce package of firm tofu, drained and cubed
2 tbsp sesame oil or canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
Bunch mushrooms (if desired — I love portobello)
2 cups broccoli florets
1 medium red pepper, chopped
2 green onions, sliced

THE SAUCE
1/2 cup natural peanut or almond butter
3/4 cup orange juice
2 tbs tamari / soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
(water, if consistency is too thick — which it shouldn’t be…)

1/4 cups chopped peanuts

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook the noodles, if using, by following package instructions. To cook brown rice or quinoa, place 2 cups of grain in 4 cups of watter, bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat, cover, and simmer (15 minutes for quinoa or 30 minutes for brown rice). Toward the end of the cooking time, make sure all water is absorbed. Turn off the heat and let stand for 10-15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add tofu and brown each side — gently turning over the cubes. Remove from heat, and set aside on a separate plate.

3. Heat remaining 1 tbsp of oil. Add garlic, carrots and onion (and mushrooms would be great!). Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes.

4. Add broccoli and stir-fry for another 3-4 minutes.

5. Add bell peppers, green onions and whatever other veggies you want (green/purple cabbage would be great), and stir fry for 2-3 more minutes.

6. Combine the veggies, tofu and grains/noodles in big bowl.

7. TO MAKE THE SAUCE: Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork until smooth. Add water if sauce needs thinning out (or orange juice for more sweet; tamari for more salty). Let it sit for an hour before serving, if possible.

8. If you want, sprinkle with cilantro.

9. DEFINITELY sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

10. Enjoy! And, let us know how you like it!

Recipe adapted from the brillers book Enlightened Eating: Nourishment for Body and Soul, by Caroline Dupont.

I actually had the pleasure of meeting Caroline and receiving nutrition counseling, energy work and meditation guidance from her. She’s extremely gifted and a lovely person.

To contact Caroline and/or to book a consultation with her, please visit her website http://carolinedupont.com.

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I just wasn’t in the mood for chicken…. I’d just had the most LOVELY yoga class I’d had in a while, and I KNEW my body wanted a wholesome, cleansing vegetarian dish. So, I looked through ALL my cookbooks for the yummiest looking recipe — WITH the right balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats, of course — and found nothing. Then, I decided to put in a google, and I found THIS. FABULOUS. FILLING. FLAVOURFUL. dish. Total YUM. CHECK IT!!!

It’s really supposed to be more colourful than this picture shows…. But, I didn’t have any leeks or green or red peppers on hand — only yellow peppers and yellow onions. So, yellow, yellow, YELLOW it is. But, still DELISH and HEALTHY and PROTEIN-PACKED beyond!

Okay, so here we go….

INGREDIENTS:

(Makes 8 Servings)

2 tsp. olive oil
1 medium leek, white and pale green parts halved and sliced (1 cup)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
2 large eggs
1 cup nonfat milk
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese (4 oz.), plus more for sprinkling, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and bell peppers; cover, and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender.

3. Stir in quinoa and garlic, and cook, uncovered, 3 to 4 minutes, or until quinoa grains begin to turn opaque.

4. Add 3 cups of water, and season with salt (if desired — I always skip the salt). Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes more, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes.

5. Spray 13- x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk together eggs and milk in large bowl. Fold in quinoa mixture and cheese. Transfer to prepared baking dish, and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until browned around the edges and on top.

ENJOY!!!

NUTRITIONAL INFO
Amount Per SERVING (serves 8):

Calories 241
Protein 12g
Total fat 10g
Carbs 27g
Cholesterol 72mg
Sodium 295mg
Fiber 2g
Sugars 3g

SOURCE: Vegetarian Times Issue: April 1, 2008 p.78

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WELL, I can TELL YOU. Because I make the BEST QUINOA. And, it’s SO easy. It’s as easy as couscous and BETTER FOR YOU. I make it all the time. It’s SO good for you — one of the HEALTHIEST “grains” (apparently, it’s not even a grain) you can eat because it’s packed with PROTEIN and loads of nutrients. So, check it, Gorgeouses….

HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT QUINOA

1. Place 250 mL (1 cup) of quinoa and 500 mL (2 cups) of water in a pot (I use Corningware).

2. Bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to simmer (low).

4. Cover, and cook until all the water is absorbed (10-15 mins).

5. When it’s done, you’ll be able to see the germ ring, and the grain part in the centre will be translucent. You’ll know!

CHEATY’S QUINOA RECIPE

This really is the easiest recipe. And, it’s delicious. Even Josh-O loved it — to both our surprise — when I served it the other night with a garden salad.

Ingredients:

1 cup Quinoa
1/2 cup Chopped Hazelnuts (or pine nuts, or slivered almonds)
1/2 cup Raisins
1/4-1/2 cup Feta or Goat cheese (crumbled)
Pinch Turmeric (only because it’s SUPER healthy for you)
Pepper, to taste
Black Beans (optional)

Serves 5.

I don’t know why I indicated amounts for the ingredients because this dish really is anything goes. You could use more or less of ANY of these ingredients, depending on how you like it.

I suggested black beans as an option for those of us who want more protein and fibre in the meal. It’s not necessary, though, because quinoa has plenty of that, and the cheese adds good protein.

All you do is cook the quinoa (as above), then add in all the ingredients, mix it up, ET VOILA!

So easy!

ENJOY!

Thank you for the great question, Multi-Tasking Mommy!

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