Cranberry Quinoa Pilaf (with almonds)

I've kind of been on a Quinoa kick lately. I find that I like this dish better the next day after it has chilled in the fridge!


Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup uncooked organic Quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries (or cherries)
• 2/3 cup sliced almonds (or Pine Nuts), toasted

1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. 
2. Add the rinsed and drained quinoa and toast it with the onion, stir constantly for about 1 minute. (see photo below)
3. Stir in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium- low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the cranberries (or cherries), cover again and cook until all liquid is absorbed, about 7 minutes.
5. Throw in the toasted almonds (or pine nuts) and serve.

             * Recipe Source: Whole Foods Market

Step #2, toast the quinoa with onion.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I recently got a new cookbook: Flying Apron's Gluten-Free & Vegan Baking Book, and these cookies are the very first thing I've tried baking from it. They were a success! Probably the best gluten-free vegan cookie recipe I've tried thus far.

I added walnuts to mine and instead of the 1 cup of cane sugar that the recipe calls for, I used 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup Sucanat.

This recipe made a TON of cookies! The book says it yields about 25 cookies and that sounds about right.

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups Brown Rice Flour
• 1 1/2 cups Garbanzo Bean Flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup whole cane sugar (I used 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup Sucanat)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup rice milk (I didn't have rice milk, so used plain soymilk)
• 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional - I used walnuts)

Choco chippies.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine the brown rice flour garbanzo bean flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a large bowl (or if you have a standing mixer, set that baby up with the paddle attachment) mix together canola oil, sugar, and vanilla until well-mixed. 
4. With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and soy/rice milk a little at a time, alternating between the liquid and flour mix. Stir until smooth, ~a few minutes. *Note: I do not have a stand-up mixer, and this dough becomes REALLY TOUGH to stir by hand, so prepare for some sore delts the day after! *
5. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.
6. Scoop the dough onto a greased pan or a pan lined with parchment paper. Bake until golden-brown, about 17 minutes.

Coconut Curry Lentil Stew (with Quinoa)

All about QUINOA...

From WHFoods.com: "A recently rediscovered ancient "grain" native to South America, quinoa was once called "the gold of the Incas," who recognized its value in increasing the stamina of their warriors. Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Not only is quinoa's amino acid profile well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients."

A warm and filling dish full of protein!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil (or canola oil)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp. minced ginger root (or pureed)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14 oz.) of Muir Glen Fire Roasted tomatoes
• 1 extra cup of veggie broth or water
• 1 can (14 oz.) Lite coconut milk 
• 3 Tbsp. brown sugar (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp. curry powder
• 2 Tbsp. ground coriander
• pinch of cayenne (optional)
• 2 cups red lentils

Rinsing quinoa in fine mesh strainer.

Directions:

1. Soak the quinoa in a bowl with cold water for at least 5-10 minutes. Drain and rinse using a fine mesh strainer. Set aside.
2. Bring the 2 cups of veggie broth (or water) to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the quinoa and cover. Reduce the heat to med-low and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed (approx. 10-15 minutes). Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.
3. Melt the 2 Tbsp. coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is a bit translucent and has softened a bit (~5 minutes) being careful not to burn the garlic.
4. Stir in the can of tomatoes, the extra 1 cup of veggie broth (or water), and the can of coconut milk.
5. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, curry powder, and ground coriander. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then add in the lentils. Cook just until the lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir OFTEN so the lentils don't burn to the bottom of the pan.
6. Once the lentils are finished, serve the mixture over quinoa.