In the Morning

Quinoa may not come to mind as an obvious choice for breakfast food, but it's a protein-packed grain to fuel you with energy in the morning, and a neutral flavor - a blank canvas - to season savory or sweet as you please.

Quinoa simmered in almond milk (or soy or dairy milk) with maple syrup or brown sugar, 

topped with sliced banana, crunchy almonds, and dried or fresh berries

Greek yogurt is another breakfast favorite of mine. Here are some different ways I recommend plain non-fat Greek yogurt:

• drizzled with agave and topped with slivered almonds
• honey, banana slices, and walnuts
• maple syrup, pecans, and blueberries
• with a spoonful of jam (raspberry or apricot for fiber)
• berries (strawberries or raspberries are my favorite) and a few dark chocolate chips - a great dessert!

Quinoa Two More Ways

A while ago I posted two recipes for quinoa: pesto quinoa with spinach and grape tomatoes and Indian-spiced quinoa with tofu and dried cherries - http://princess-peach-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/quinoa-two-ways.html

Needless to say, I really love quinoa. Here are two more ways to serve this great protein:

Orange-scented Quinoa Topped with Seared Sea Scallops

1) Cook 1 cup quinoa and sear sea scallops in a pan with olive oil and butter (or preferred vegan substitute.) Season scallops with granted pink fleur de sel to develop a nice golden-brown crust on them.
2) Mix cooked quinoa with a dressing of the fresh orange juice and zest of two oranges, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir in a handful of garbanzo beans and chopped fresh parsley. Let the warm quinoa absorb the dressing.
3) Top the warm quinoa with the sea scallops and serve!

Ginger-Lime Quinoa with Grilled Shrimp

1) While 1 cup quinoa cooks, grill at least a dozen shrimp seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced fresh ginger. (Add red pepper flakes for heat if desired.)
2) Mix into cooked quinoa the juice and zest of two limes with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and a pinch of yellow curry, stirring to coat the quinoa evenly.
3) Pour grilled shrimp, along with the juices and ginger, into the quinoa, tossing to disperse. Scrape any pan drippings into the quinoa - that's all the best flavor. Chop about half a cucumber or so into small dice and mix cucumbers into the quinoa and shrimp dish. Serve warm.
*Note: the quinoa is also good at room temperature or even cold, so it makes for great leftovers.

Quinoa Two Ways

Quinoa, as my readers know, is one of my favorite superfoods to use in my kitchen. A grain from the South American Andes, quinoa is a complete protein and filled with fiber - it's really fantastic. So I decided to play the culinary experimentation game and make two very different quinoa dishes with the same base grain, to show the great range you can do with this soon-to-be staple. Here were my two dishes:

1) Indian-spiced quinoa with fresh mango, chickpeas, bell peppers, tofu, and dried cherries: toast Indian spices in a dry pan on low heat (I used tumeric, cumin, chili, tandoori spice, mustard, ground ginger, and curry) while quinoa cooks, sauteeing chopped bell peppers and tofu in skillet. Add a cup of water into the toasted spice pan and pour into the quinoa, stirring to coat the grains in the spice mixture - this will give it a vibrant yellow color. Mix in the chopped fresh mango, chickpeas, peppers, tofu, and dried cherries - the sweet fresh mango and tart dried cherries will pop in your mouth with the savory Indian spices, creating an unexpected harmony of strong flavors.

2) Pesto quinoa with sauteed mushrooms, roasted grape tomatoes, and spinach: this quinoa dish uses classically Mediterranean elements with the South American grain - such international fusion in these dishes, I love it - that works incredibly well. Make pesto while the quinoa cooks, roasting the grape tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and a pinch of salt, until they burst. Heat the pesto on the stove in a pan and saute the mushrooms with olive oil and minced garlic, seasoning with pepper and thyme. Wilt the baby spinach into the warmed pesto and pour the quinoa in the pot, stirring to cover the quinoa in pesto - this should give it an earthy green tinge. Stir in the tomatoes and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper to taste - you won't believe how well quinoa and pesto work together!

The Great Pumpkin

Halloween time evokes thoughts of sweets, of course, candy and and clever cupcakes and candied apples, sugar galore! Pumpkins turn into sweet breads, muffins and pies; it's a time for decadence. But October can also be a time for savory foods as well, such as the roasted acorn squash with sage brown butter I made this week, or my experimentation with the classic Halloween favorite: the pumpkin. Now I might not be Charlie, but this was a Great Pumpkin!

Here's the pumpkin process:

1) I carved out the pumpkin, scooping out and reserving the seeds. I toasted the seeds on a sheet pan at 350 degrees, sprinkled with salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to taste, shaking the seeds every few minutes to toast them evenly. I added pine nuts and almonds for an extra nutty crunch.

2) I put half the pumpkin seeds and nuts in a serving dish with extra salt for a savory snack (note pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of iron!) and spread the other half on the pan with a bit of maple oat granola. I melted caramel and poured it over the pumpkin seed mixture, letting cool for 5 minutes. Then I broke the hardened mixture into pieces: pumpkin seed brittle!

3) The next night I decided to use the hollowed pumpkin as a vessel for a hearty vegetarian dinner, my stuffed pumpkin creation. I started by cooking a cup of quinoa, grain-like seeds originating from the Andes, pairing the pumpkin flavor with an Incan staple to build a truly "New World" flavored dish. While the quinoa cooked I stirred in ground cumin, smoked paprika, and a pinch of curry to spice up the mild, nutty flavor. Once the water had boiled off I stirred in a spoonful of pumpkin butter to mirror the visual with the flavor, combining the spicy with a hint of sweet. I added diced hot red pepper and green onions and a bit of olive oil as I fluffed the quinoa with a fork. Then I added a dash of salt and squeezed half a lemon's fresh juice over top.

While cooking the quinoa I heated some olive oil in a heavy skillet on medium high and sauteed about half a diced onion until tender, adding minced garlic and drained garbanzo beans to the skillet. I added a little more cumin and a generous palmful of smoked paprika, stirring around to evenly distribute the spices. I tossed in crumbled walnuts to release their natural nut oils into the mixture and then a bag of baby spinach leaves, stirring to wilt the dark leafy greens into the spiced oil and proteins. *Fun fact: quinoa and spinach are both chenopods and thus closely related plant species. So are beets! (some of my personal veggie favorites) so they work well together in this dish.

For the pumpkin stuffing: I set the broiler on low and moved the oven rack down to the bottom third of the oven. Then I set the hollowed pumpkin in a shallow glass baking dish and filled it about half to 2/3 full with the spiced quinoa and topped it with the spinach mixture, surrounding the pumpkin with excess filling on the dish to create a nice presentation. I put the stuffed pumpkin in the oven about ten minutes, just to warm it through (note to not leave it in too long or the spinach becomes too crispy) and before serving I crumbled fresh feta cheese and a few parsley sprigs on top for garnish.


Not your typical ghoulish gourd ... but wonderfully delicious.

As quinoa is a complete protein and full of fiber, this is an incredibly nutritious meal. With the chickpeas and nuts this meal is filled with protein and vegetables, leaving you feeling nourished and satisfied (before the candy to come!)

Culinary World Tour: American Indian Food

Chayote and summer vegetables

Green quinoa: healthy grains with herb flavors

* Chayote and quinoa are both tasty and nutritious yet underused foods to experiment with!