Sunday, January 30, 2011

luscious lemon cupcakes and three legume quinoa

delightful. i enjoyed making these cupcakes as much as i did eating them.


lemon in the midst of winter is a great pick-me-up.

 

the vibrant color and citrus scent tickle me pink and inspired me to add raspberries to the icing. raspberry and lemon - need i say more?


many thanks to the lovely candice of chia seed me for sharing the recipe, and ms. isa, author of vegan with a vengeance for creating animal-free gems.


above is a quick quinoa i threw together with ingredients i had on hand. it went over with our friends just as well as the cupcakes and was really simple to make.


three legume quinoa

1 C quinoa, rinsed well
2 C filtered water
1 C cooked kidney beans
1/2 C fresh or frozen shelled organic edamame 
1/4 C fresh or frozen peas
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
italian seasonings, to taste
salt, to taste
olive oil

in a large saucepan over medium, heat 1-2 tsp olive oil and garlic a minute or two, stirring often.

add rinsed quinoa and toast about 5 minutes, stirring often.

add water and bring to a boil. cover, reduce heat and simmer 12 minutes.

add seasonings and legumes. cover and simmer 3-5 more minutes. quinoa is ready when all water has been absorbed and grain is "fluffy".


this salad is delicious served warm or chilled.

note: for a "crunchier" quinoa, use a bit less water. i usually cut back a tablespoon or two.

optional: add olive oil and/or balsamic vinegar. top with raw or toasted almonds or pepitas before serving.


+ highlighted hearts under an image indicate photos not taken by me. click for the source.

19 comments:

  1. yuummm, that salad looks amazing! Quinoa is so versatile :)

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  2. i love quinoa and those cupcakes look delicious!

    Those were the first of Carmella's pizza crusts I've tried but I'm certainly convinced :-)

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  3. Beautiful shots and very tempting!

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  4. Those cupcakes are gorgeous! Yummy quinoa dish!

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  5. the pink cupcake would be perfect for valentine's day. pretty in pink.

    i want to get appetite for reduction. would love to know how you like the book.

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  6. love both the cupcake and the quinoa salad, the kidney beans look like a lovely combination with quinoa, definitely going to try it!!! xox

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  7. i'm making lemon cookies right now from the sweet gratitude cookbook, good minds think alike ;)

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  8. Oh, how I adore lemon desserts and edamame! Edamame is rather difficult to find where I am, though. I shall have to check out my local Asian grocery stores!

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  9. hey! those cupcakes look fab! i love lemony things :-) fab photos too!

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  10. I loved making and baking fairy cakes as a child in England, it's funny and a shame how we've adopted the US generic name!

    x

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  11. I love these cupcakes! Beautiful colours! I have been wanting to make cupcakes for a long time. But it's hard if you don't have a muffin pan.

    This salad was definitely delicious!

    Love,
    Lela

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  12. Those cupcakes look so cute! I'm a sucker for cupcakes so I'd snarf these. ;) And the quinoa salad looks great too.

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  13. cupcakes brighten wintery days for sure..love that raspberry and lemon flavor..yum!

    Love that quinoa concoction..so many goodies in there:)

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  14. Hi Kelli, lost 5 lbs and as soon as I reach my goal, one of those cupcakes will be my reward!

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  15. yum, i love kidney beans. and peas ;)

    those cupcakes look so delicious. i'm a big fan of lemon anything really.

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  16. thanks, friends!=)

    bitt - i'd never seen the book.

    rick - those cookies sound yum. i'm using the lemon meringue recipe to make tarts tomorrow.=)

    cosmic - fairy cakes? i like it!

    judy - congrats! i may be posting a healthier lemon treat soon, if all goes as planned.

    xoxoxo

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  17. ok, your legume quinoa bowl looks amazing!!
    Peace & Raw Health,
    Elizabeth

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  18. WHATS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
    Look for the @ sign by spurious ingredients
    Hope that the flour et all are organic and I won't comment on the sugar except that you can make your own powdered sugar and rice or almond milk w/o thickeners.Margarine is just plain bad regardless of its type. Palm is endangered, soy is toxic, canola is toxic the liver, olive is ok, what about using coconut oil

    CUPCAKE Ingredients

    1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    3/4 teaspoon baking soda
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/4 cup canola oil @@@
    2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar – I used organic cane sugar
    1 cup rice milk – I used almond milk, but I think these would turn out fluffier with rice milk
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1/4 cup lemon juice
    1 tablespoon lemon zest
    Icing
    1/4 cup Earth Balance@@@
    1/4 cup almond/soy milk@@@, especially soy, but if carrageenan is in this then it makes it more toxic
    2 tablespoons lemon juice
    2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
    Enough water to achieve desired consistency

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