Supporting Character: Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts

I’ve been on a quinoa kick, and while my other quinoa recipes have all been "stars" (main courses), this quinoa is a supporting character. I found this recipe in Ellie Krieger’s new cookbook. She paired it with salmon, and I think it would pair well with any protein. I actually served this with my Creamy Carrot Soup. It is quick, easy, and tasty. I even ate mine with a little freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano sprinkled on top!

Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts
(From Ellie Krieger’s So Easy)
Ingredients
2 cups of low sodium chicken broth (Kate uses vegetable broth)
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
¼ cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ large onion, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
If desired, Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Put the broth and quinoa in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and grain is tender.

Meanwhile, toast the nuts in a large dry skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove nuts from pan and set aside. Heat the oil in the same skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and begin to brown, about 6 minutes.

When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir in the pine nuts, onions, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Check Out Quinoa: Quinoa with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

We had a great weekend hosting our cousins who were in town for a post-holiday visit. These newlyweds were unable to make it for Christmas, as the snowy roads weren’t safe for them to drive here. But they had a whirlwind weekend trying to stop by and visit with every family member who was available. We were lucky enough to have them overnight, which meant we went out for a great Creole dinner on Saturday (followed by some live Irish music at a nearby pub), and had a homemade brunch on Sunday morning.

My sister and her family joined us for brunch and I made one of our cousins’ favorites, and my mom provided some pumpkin bread for us to serve them. While the men tinkered outside with an unfortunate flat tire, the women sipped mimosas inside and looked after the kids. (My nephew is always entertained at his “Auntie” and “Unc”’s house with our one and only "toy", the “Big Red Ball”.)

Prior to our guests arriving on Saturday, I spent the day stocking up on the necessary groceries. While in the checkout line at Trader Joe’s (home of ever-friendly employees), my cashier commented on the quinoa I was buying like it was being discontinued in bulk. She mentioned that she liked quinoa but didn’t know what to do with it. I started rattling off several recipe ideas, and as her eyes widened, I tore off some paper from my grocery list, and scribbled down the URL for my blog. This is one of the recipes I mentioned to her, and while I made it a week ago, in the event that she is joining us here online looking for ways to use her quinoa, I must deliver!

I love tomatoes (in any form) and quinoa. I recently did a search for some ideas of how to incorporate sun-dried tomatoes, and found a recipe which I then slightly adapted. This is delicious, and also has a spicy kick! (You could avoid the spice by substituting the Jalapeño with a green bell pepper, and omitting the cayenne.)

Quinoa with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
(Adapted from Lisa's Kitchen)
Ingredients
1 cup of quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 large Jalapeño pepper, chopped
1 cup of corn
½ teaspoon of ground cumin
½ teaspoon of ground coriander
½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Directions
Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. When hot, add the shallots and garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and Jalapeño to the pot, and stir cook for 4-5 minutes.

Add spices, corn, quinoa, and vegetable sock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Add parsley and Parmigiano Reggiano, stir, and serve.

Best Chili Ever: Quinoa Chili

Are you sick of quinoa yet? Because I am certainly not! I keep trying out new recipes of this wonder-grain, and I can’t seem to get enough of it. Just the other week my friend, Beth, forwarded me a recipe for Quinoa Chili. I was rather anxious to try it, because I’ve eaten at Beth’s place before, and I know that she is an excellent cook. At a mid-summer dinner that she and her husband hosted me and my husband for, she prepared our entire scrumptious meal from scratch, including the corn tortillas!

The Quinoa Chili goes together easily, and it is delicious! This is the best vegetarian version of chili that I have ever had. It is hearty yet healthy, and I am so thankful that Beth sent this one my way! You can gave fun with the garnishes, and add whatever you like.

Quinoa Chili
Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green pepper, diced
2 teaspoon cumin
1-2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed in warm water and drained
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
2 (14 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 (14 oz.) can small diced tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth or water
1 (14 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I sometimes substitute with black beans)

Directions
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large skillet on medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt, garlic, green pepper and spices; sauté 5 to 10 minutes. Add rinsed uncooked quinoa and stir in. Add corn, tomatoes, tomato sauce and vegetable broth/water to onion and quinoa mixture. Cover and simmer together 20 minutes. Add kidney beans; simmer another 10 minutes.

If chili is too thick, just add water or more vegetable broth until it is to your liking.

Toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, corn chips, green onions.

Celebration in Oaktown: Quinoa, Wild Shrimp & Roasted Beet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

During our recent trip out to the Bay, we were graciously welcomed by our friends, Amy and Chris. We spent a few days with them in Oakland, along with a fun-filled excursion to Napa. The four of us decided to venture to an area of wine country that was previously unexplored to us all – northern Napa county. We did the drive north past Napa and Oakville, and found ourselves driving through the rolling hills of northern Napa county and quaint towns of St. Helena and Calistoga. St. Helena had buildings with Victorian charm, while Calistoga reminded us of the wild west. The first stop on our wine tour took us to Chateau Montelena Winery, where we marveled at the stone castle, as well as their orange and lemon trees (the wines were good too, particularly their Riesling).




We next ventured to Sterling Vineyards, where a aerial tram takes visitors up to the winery and tasting rooms at the top of the hill.



Our last stop was Cuvaison Estate, where we had a sample of a special Cab, and the sommelier tried to show my husband a thing or two with our camera. After a wonderful meal at Tra Vigne, Chris and Amy gave us a lift to the airport, and we barely made our red-eye flight back home.



Earlier that week, Amy had been scheduled to take a graduate exam that she had long been studying for. While she was off at her exam, I went into San Francisco in search of the Painted Ladies. After an uncalculated walk through the Tenderloin, I finally found the famous row houses and had enough time to snap some pictures before heading back to Oakland to meet Amy.


She had aced the exam and a celebration was in order. Amy, Chris, and I went to a celebratory lunch at Bocanova in Jack London Square. After debating over several options on the menu, Amy and I both ordered the Quinoa, Wild Shrimp & Roasted Beet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette. It was delicious - so refreshing, light, and flavorful! As a fellow cook and foodie, Amy and I spent most of the meal trying to determine how it was prepared.


With the sun shining and a pleasant breeze blowing, Amy and I continued the celebration with a little wine tasting. And on this day, we did not have to hop in a car and drive north of the city to get to wine country. We instead only had to walk a few blocks to get to a couple of Oakland’s wineries. The tasting rooms of JC Cellars and Dashe Cellars are both in Oakland, and share the same location. You can taste flights of wine from each winery for $5, respectively (much cheaper than wineries in wine country!). Amy and I spent the afternoon sampling wines from JC and Dashe, and it was the perfect afternoon to follow up our delectable lunch.


I couldn’t get that quinoa out of my mind, and once I returned home and had a chance to spend time in the kitchen, I made an attempt to recreate our lunch (less the wine tasting). I was pleased that my version was pretty comparable to the dish that we had! I was only able to find a purple beet at my grocery store, but I recommend using a golden beet if you can find it. (The purple beet will color the whole dish, and if you are using one, I recommend adding it at the last minute to try to avoid coloring the rest of the ingredients purple.) You can omit the shrimp for a vegetarian version. Amy and I were contemplating adding some crumbled feta, which I did try, but found it to be too much. This is good as it is, and a lunch that I’ll forever remember!

Kate's Quinoa, Wild Shrimp & Roasted Beet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Ingredients
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp champagne vinegar
1 medium-size golden beet
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup carrots, shredded
10 oz. cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 orange, segmented
½ cup cilantro, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 tbsp. watercress or microgreens, for garnish

Directions
Wisk together olive oil, orange juice, mustard, champagne vinegar, and a dash of salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 400 °F. Cut off beet greens, wash beets, and gently scrub to remove any dirt. Wrap beet in aluminum foil and place in the middle rack of the oven. Bake until beet is thoroughly cooked (approximately 1 hour). Unwrap beet and allow to cool. Using a paper towel, rub off the beet’s skin. Cut beet into small cubes.

Place quinoa and vegetable broth in a 1 ½ quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until all broth is absorbed (10-15 minutes). Allow quinoa to cool.

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, shrimp, orange segments, carrots, cilantro, beets, and salt and pepper. Toss with vinaigrette mixture until lightly coated (you may not use all of the vinaigrette). Top with watercress or microgreens to garnish and serve.

Fakin' the Bacon: Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Bacon and Walnuts

I’d like to welcome November with a hearty seasonal dish. I tried another recipe from the Raley’s magazine. This was another opportunity for me to use a fall-favorite ingredient (butternut squash) and quinoa.

Wow – this was great! When we tasted it, my husband and I found it to be very hearty and rustic. A delectable fall meal. The original recipe calls for bacon, but I used soy bacon (which my husband has coined “Fakin’ ”). This made it healthier and allowed me to enjoy it as well! (The soy bacon keeps the smokey flavor that you'd achieve with real bacon, but cuts out the cholesterol and saturated fat.) I used more squash and onion that the original recipe called for, and also used a clove of garlic instead of garlic salt (all changes noted below).

Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Bacon and Walnuts
(Adapted from Raley’s "Something Extra", Holiday, 2009)
Ingredients
* 2 cups vegetable broth
* 1 cup rinsed and drained quinoa
* 4 strips chopped bacon (or “Fakin’”)
* 1 tbsp. olive oil
* 2 cups diced butternut squash
* 1 medium-size onion, chopped
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* ¼ cup walnuts, toasted
* Top with chopped fresh sage or thyme and chopped

Directions
Bring 2 cups vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in 1 cup rinsed and drained quinoa; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Cook 4 strips chopped bacon (or soy bacon) in a large skillet until very crisp. Remove and set aside. (If using real bacon, drain off all fat.) Add 1 tbsp. olive oil and stir in chopped onion, diced butternut squash, and minced garlic. Cook and stir over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Stir vegetables and bacon into quinoa and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Top with chopped fresh sage or thyme, and chopped toasted walnuts.

Eat Your Veggies: Roasted Vegetables and Quinoa Salad

I would like to thank Christina for another great recipe! I tried her Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa Salad recipe the other day. I loved it, and my husband - the carnivore - really liked it as well. (I packed it in his lunch and he called me to tell me how much he enjoyed it!) This is a great way to get a lot of veggies in a really healthy dish, and the feta cheese adds a nice salty bite.

With it's balanced set of essential amino acids, quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah") contains more protein than any other grain. It also has additional nutritional value with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. You could substitute with couscous if you can't find quinoa, but if you haven't tried quinoa before, I encourage you to do so!

Roasted Vegetables and Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
1 red bell pepper
3 cups vegetable stock
1 ½ cups uncooked quinoa
¼ cup balsamic blend seasoned rice vinegar (Nakano)
2 tsp olive oil
¼ tsp black pepper
2 cups chopped carrot
Cooking spray
1 3/4 cups chopped yellow squash
3 ½ cups zucchini chopped
1 cup (4 oz) crumbled reduced fat feta cheese
1 garlic clove

Directions
Preheat broiler.
Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place in a sip-top bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and cut bell pepper into strips.

Reduce over temperature to 500ºF.

Bring 3 cups of vegetable stock to a boil in a medium saucepan and stir in quinoa. Cover, reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Combine vinegar, oil and black pepper in medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add carrot to vinegar mixture; toss to coat. Drain carrot through a fine sieve over a bowl, reserving carrot and vinegar mixture. Place carrot on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 500º for 10 minutes. Add zucchini and yellow squash to reserved vinegar mixture in bowl; toss well to coat. Drain zucchini mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl, reserving zucchini and vinegar mixture. Add zucchini mixture to carrot on baking sheet in a single layer. Bake an additional 20 minutes or until vegetables are browned. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Combine quinoa, roasted vegetables, reserved vinegar mixture, cheese and garlic in a large bowl; stir well to combine. Cover and chill. Yield 8 servings (1 cup servings).