There comes a time in every vegan’s life, I’m learning, that s/he has to get off her arse and cook — and start bringing her own food to Friday night dinner at it’sgrandma’s because it’sgrandma has enough individual palettes to satisfy.

So, I’m cooking for myself. Even if I have Rascal at my feet, tugging at my lululemons, I’m cooking for myself — not just rice and beans — but FANCY stuff. Well, I’ve made one meal. But, it’s served me well for THREE DAYS, and the monkeys enjoyed it, too (sort of — they only REALLY like “treats”). The apple in this dish DOES taste like APPLE PIE, though!

As a vegan dish, this is wonderfully nutritious and convenient: a mixture of grains and legumes makes it a good source of protein; the sweetness of the light coconut milk helps satisfy sugar cravings, and it’s oh-so-nutritious; the dish is loaded with fiber, beta carotene; and, finally, it’s LIGHT, one-pot, easy-peasy.

I adapted the recipe from Dreena Burton’s wonderful cookbook Vive le Vegan!

Check it….

INGREDIENTS
(Serves 4-6)

2-3 cups cooked/canned chick peas (and/or kidney/aduki beans)
1 (400 ml) can of light coconut milk (I’m sure you could try this with vegetable stock instead — let me know, if you try that)
1/2 onion (chopped)
1-2 sweet potatoes (chopped)
2 parsnips (sliced) (optional, but nice because adds more variety with each bite)
1 cup celery (sliced) (optional)
1-2 apples (peeled, cubed)
1-2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tbsp curry paste (optional) (I didn’t have any on hand….)
1.5 tbsp grated fresh ginger (or around 1/2 teaspoon dried)
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric (for orange glow…, and more importantly for its HEALTHY properties)
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp allspice

2 cups cooked quinoa (or other grain)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Place all the ingredients in a large pot or casserole dish.

3. Stir it up ’till nice and combined.

4. Bake for 60-70 minutes, stopping midway to give it a stir.

5. Let it sit for a bit, and then serve in individual bowls with quinoa (or other grain)!

6. ENJOY!

(By the way, check author Dreena Burton’s food blog HERE!)

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I got the recipe from a cookbook I am LOVING….

This cookbook is so deliciously healthy. I love it. It focuses on whole foods — which I am ALL ABOUT — and encourages a sensible balance of proteins, complex carbohydrates and fat. Author Tosca Reno suggests simply that each meal should contain a moderate amount of healthy protein. There’s no counting or weighing. It’s all common sense. A VERY DOABLE program. I did own her diet book at one point, but I sold it, because I found all the information and RECIPES I needed in the cookbook AND in her AWESOME NEW RELEASE (which I bought, of course), The Eat-Clean Diet for Family & Kids:

I’ll talk more about this ULTIMATE family cookbook SHOON. For now, back to Reno’s fab quinoa recipe WHICH I adapted, as I always do, to make it just a WEE bit yummier and even more filling. Check it:

QUINOA WITH SUNDRIED TOMATOES

Look how fluffy that quinoa turned out!

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6):

1 tsp best-quality olive oil
8 sundried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
2 minced shallots (I used green onions — is that the same thing?)
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium, low-fat chicken or vegetable stock (OPTIONAL)
1 cup dry quinoa
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (OPTIONAL)
1 tsp sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper

About 1 cup of CASHEWS!!!

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Rinse quinoa grains in fine mesh sieve (to remove the bitter saponin layer) until water runs clear (about 1 minute).

2. Heat oil in large saucepan. Add tomatoes, shallots, and garlic. Sauté until shallots are softened. (I used green onions, by the way, so this took very little time).

3. Add stock OR water and bring to a boil.

4. Stir in quinoa and cayenne pepper. Return to boil.

5. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

6. Let stand for 5 minutes, and fluff with a fork.

7. Mix in the seasonings!

8. CHEATY SUGGESTION: Place small handful of cashew pieces (you can break them up individually — very easy) in each dish for an extra CRUNCH and an extra filling PROTEIN PUNCH. YUMMMM!

9. Enjoy! And, let us know how you liked it in the comments (which are now working again thanks to my GORG designer — YAY!).

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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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