Comfort in Quinoa

I didnt intend this blog to keep track of my mood but it turns out it does without my intention.   When life gets crazy I tend not to post.  Only when my mind settles again do I think 'ok food yeah i should talk about food'.  The moral is if I dont post for 2-3 weeks I am either out of town or my life is going nuts!

only thing to do when life gets nuts?  eat quinoa!  This is one of those modern day 'super foods ( a term I really dont like) because it is a plant based complete protein, yeah they exist.  NASA started using it on flights because of the way it balances fiber and protein without fat or cholesterol (though I like fat).  It is also my go to grain when I need something to eat and my mind is blank.  The great thign about quinoa is it cooks just like rice in a quarter of the time!  1 cup Quinoa 1 1/2 C broth (though just water is fine too) bring ti to a boil then let it simmer for 15-20 min.  The quinoa in this lunch was slightly toasted before I cooked it and had sauteed onions and garlic added.  I balanced the meal with a broccoli carrot teriyaki and boy did the sweet/savory hit the spot!   

A Dinner for Fun!

If you are eating seasonally sometimes it is hard to keep the meals interesting. I have to admit that for the last three weeks I have eaten some version of tomato/eggplant/okra for lunch and part of the reason I have not gotten tired of it is because I keep playing with flavors on top of the base.  

The meal featured here starts with a savory quinoa where I pre-toasted the quinoa (simmered it in oil until it popped a bit, giving it a more nutty taste)cooked it in vegetable broth and added sungold tomatoes for the last 3-5 minutes of cooking so they stayed firm.  

We have too much cucumber coming out of our garden and I am kind of sick of it but there are still ways to make it seem new.  These are thick cucumber slices tossed in a sauce of lemon juice agave and mint (about a teaspoon or two of each) then chilled while the rest is cooked.  It comes out sweet with a cool zing that is very refreshing.  

Usually I make this succotash type meal i use balsamic vinegar and try to accent the summer flavors.  In an effort to do something new I sauteed in coconut oil and added shredded coconut.  In place of the balsamic I went with rice vinegar and added in powdered ginger to go for a more Asian flavor.  First brown together the onions, bell pepper and okra then toss in thinly sliced Japanese eggplant (thin makes it cook faster).  Chopped tomatoes go in last with an extra dash of olive oil (1 Tbs), minced basil and garlic and get put on lower heat until it becomes saucy and delicious.  

Summer time and the lunching's easy

It is beginning to be a challenge. . .cooking zucchini in new ways but brazed is usually a good idea.  By using a VERY hot skillet with a minimal amount of oil you can get the natural sugars in zucchini to brown . . .of course take it too far and you are just burning it.  To help you can splash a bit of soy sauce or balsamic vinegar ti give the appearance of browning while kicking in some extra flavor.  Above is zucchini brazed in balsamic vinegar with garlic to accompany my side of rainbow chard sauteed in lemon juice garlic and butter (earth balance but do I really need to say it every time?  just assume it is some vegan butter, even better assume it is earth balance). with tomato and green beans.  The quinoa is tossed with tomato and oregano and dashed with olive oil and topped with avocado and pepper.  Yeah I can keep eating Zucchini.

This was my Lunch yesterday

Mondays are a particularly yummy lunch day for me.  Fresh food comes in from a local farm (sometimes picked by me! ) and I have enough time to do something with it.  Above is this weeks lunch which I was particularly happy with.  On the left is a green saute which started with onions, green garlic, mustard seeds and carrots.  I originally planned on putting the asparagus in that but after adding the collards stems and some thinly sliced potatoes it took on a life of its own.  The collards went in last and the dish was seasoned with oregano salt pepper and a touch of brags.

The quiona with fresh sliced radish (center) I did a bit weird.  See I wanted to have plain quiona this morning for my quiona pancakes (coming soon) so i did not cook it in broth, just water.  After separation out about a cup of cooked quiona I tossed in Spike (my favorite powdered vegetable broth) some olive oil, garlic powder, pepper and paprika (for color contrast to all the green).  A couple quick stirs and onto the plate it goes with the radish and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast.

The asparagus . . .lemon pepper in coconut oil. I brazed it in a hot cast iron with a bit of onion and garlic after it browned and was tender (though young fresh asparagus can be eaten raw and is already tender) I turned off the fire and added a teaspoon of coconut oil and a squeeze of half a lemon (probably only 2 tsp of juice) and let it simmer in the cooling pan.

A very happy lunch I had :)