asparagus quinoa with garden greens

if today's weather is any indication of what summer will be like, we're in for a rough one. it's almost 90 degrees and we haven't had substantial rain in so long that the lawn is burnt crispy! (so much for 'april showers bring may flowers'). in fact, farmer's almanac is predicting an unusually hot and dry summer for the eastern states. this is not what i wanted to hear.

on the brighter side, my greens from last season have started to bolt and the flower buds are delicious. they look and taste similar to broccoli and are perfect with a little lemon and olive oil. below you can see i added the buds to a side salad of spinach, arugula, kale and mushrooms.

asparagus quinoa is made often in our house, especially now that asparagus is in season. this dish is quick, easy, nutritious, and always well-received by friends and family. the recipe is susan voison's of fatfree vegan kitchen - it was originally posted in an article on susan sometime in 2009 that i can no longer find online.

asparagus quinoa
(makes 4-6 servings)

1 C quinoa, rinsed well
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 C vegetable broth
4 sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2 C sliced portobello mushrooms
1 bunch asparagus, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 can chickpeas, drained
2 tsp lemon juice
1 T red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste

rinse quinoa using a fine mesh strainer. toast quinoa in saucepan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. add garlic and cook another minute. add remaining ingredients except asparagus, chick peas, lemon juice, and red pepper. bring to boil, cover, and reduce heat. cook 10 minutes. add chick peas and asparagus. cover and cook 8 more minutes. stir in lemon juice and red pepper.

kelli's notes: water can be substituted for vegetable broth and button mushrooms for portobello. sometimes i omit red peppers and chickpeas - they taste great but aren't essential to the dish. other vegetables can also be used such as squash and peas. since i like my quinoa on the crunchier side, i use 1 1/4 cup quinoa or a little less than 2 cups water/broth. for a spicy kick add a bit of cayenne pepper.

my day...

began at 5:40 am when i was woken by a furry paw tapping my face for breakfast. she fell right back to sleep, but by the time i fell back asleep it was time to wake up.

after doing the usual morning stuff, i picked sugar snap peas and basil to go with my lunch. i'm amazed the peas are still producing with the heat we've been having.

something's eating my basil again this year...

breakfast was an apple and plantain tea. the tea helps ease the pain from a bladder condition i have called interstitial cystitis. coffee is one of the main agitators because of its acidity, so i haven't had any since the start of my flare-up about a month ago. grrr.

it was a hot one today... the temperature read 86° at 8 am! coming home it read 104° yowza!

there's my exit... (don't worry, i was very careful taking photos in my car - just pointed and clicked.)

(i like how these folks re-purposed automobile chairs.=)

oscar greeted me when i got to the porch. he's so sweet.

the kids and i played outside, took a walk around the neighborhood, painted, blew bubbles...

then made peanut butter and fruit sandwiches for lunch.

i had leftover raw pizza and salad. the pizza was so yummy, the kids kept asking me for more bites!

after babysitting, i made a pit-stop to pick up biggles' favorite coconut oil.

they were all out but i grabbed some other things on sale. i also had a 20 percent off coupon.=)

when i got home i found my csa newsletter in the mail. the season starts monday - woohoo!

using the roasted pepper hummus i had just picked up, i made john and myself a snack.

then i laid down in bed to unwind and fell asleep.

when i awoke from my nap it was time to water the thirsty plants.

our zucchini has taken off and is starting to produce fruit.

the echinacea will soon be blossoming, finally. i started the seeds in april of 2010!

john watered the home garden with the hose since our rain barrel has been empty for over a week now. we're supposed to get rain this weekend *fingers crossed*.

i rode my bike to water our plots at the community garden.

most plants are doing well, except the nasturtiums. this is my third year trying to grow nasturtium with no luck. hmph.

on the bright side, this is my first year with pole beans and they are starting to vine.

when all the watering was done i picked veggies to go with our dinner - sugar snap peas, kale and sweet peas.

din-din was a scrumptious stir-fry over quinoa. i don't like to use my stove often so i made enough quinoa for veggie sushi to have another night.

my day tomorrow will look pretty similar, except i'll be going swimming after babysitting. it's supposed to be even hotter. ugh. two heatwaves and it's not even summer yet!

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.

she's baaackkk

finally got my laptop back! bad news - they couldn't fix the 7h problem. good news - they gave me a little keyboard to use, free of charge! it's going to take some getting used to, but i'm just glad the old gateway is still up and running!

i hope you didn't mind my previous cut-and-paste posts. every day i visit peace village's thought for the day and receive insightful emails from the daily om. they write such gems that i feel the need to share.

today's thought from peace village:

Today is a day of new opportunities. Let me not lose them by dwelling on the past.

i'm three weeks behind on my csa updates and even further behind on food pics, but dwell i shall not!=) 

week 12

week 13

 week 14

today's dinner was a super yummy stir-fry with kabocha squash (the pumpkin-looking guy from week 12) bok choy and peppers from week 13, and broccoli and patty pan squash from 14 (this week). the veggies were chopped and steamed with sliced button mushrooms...

... then served over quinoa with chopped mango, cilantro and a variation of quinoa salad marinade:

2 T coconut oil
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp raw organic agave
1/2" piece of ginger (or more), grated
3 T shoyu or tamari

i added 1 T chunky peanut butter (any nut butter would be tasty) and a clove of garlic per john's recommendation. good call, johnny boy!

this was our first time trying kabocha squash and the verdict is - delicious! tomorrow i'd like to roast it with kale, maple syrup, pecans and shoyu for a sweet and savory seasonal dish.

how do you like to prepare winter squash?

stuffed acorn squash

i'd been dying to make this since my friend bonnie told me about it.

i (kind of) followed this recipe.

it was a bit overcooked but still delicious.

and the smell...mmmm...while i was cooking john texted me from upstairs to tell me that it smelled like a "delightful fall day down there!" =)

i added toasted pecans and fresh local cranberries, quartered and simmered in maple syrup.

this meal required the use of all 4 burners and the oven....yikes!

but that's ok, because the stove's going to have a little rest when Carmella and Don arrive!

*spots are still available for the Raw in a Flash class this Friday, Oct. 30th.

let me know if you want in!

Quinoa Queen

that's what i like to call myself.  (queenoa for short. and quinoa-tifa. =)

not really, but i do love it. once upon a time i ate it almost everyday! i felt like i had discovered gold the first time i tried it. for reals.

quinoa is extremely versatile, full of protein and nutrients and easy to digest. i get it for $2.99/lb from the bulk bin. it's one of the more expensive seeds/grains but well worth the price imo. (always be sure to rinse quinoa very well to wash away the bitter saponin coating.)
  

behold, my favorite marinade for quinoa (from Donna).

~*~
2 T coconut oil - if thick then heat to melt
1/4 t toasted sesame oil
1 t raw organic agave
1/2" piece of ginger (or more), grated
3 T (or less) wheat-free shoyu or tamari, to taste
~*~

the marinade goes very nicely with mango, banana, and coconut quinoa salad.  it's also great on steamed broccoli with almonds. yum!

asparagus quinoa is just as delish.

one of the many things i love about quinoa is it tastes great warm or cold. it actually gets tastier as it sits in the fridge.

and it's always a yummy addition to soups and salads.

i tried sprouting quinoa but it got really smelly and i had to compost it. maybe because it was midsummer and too warm in the kitch?

anywho, if you have any delicious raw or cooked quinoa recipes to share, please do! i'd love to try something new for fall.

(im thinking of stuffing it in baked acorn squash, kind of like what my friend Bonnie made...you know i'll be blogging about it if i do!)

banana quinoa salad

a re-creation of tuesday night's dinner with banana. yes, banana. it was delightful. "surprisingly delightful", says john.

served with a side of baked kale chips. tasty, but i like kale this way much better.

mango quinoa salad

this meal was so delicious i made obnoxious sounds the whole time i ate like What About Bob?. i got the quinoa recipe from Donna during the vegetarian retreat and decided to add mango and stuff it in baked portobello mushrooms.


of course we had to have a side of tater tots. the side of squash was a last minute idea - i baked the butternut squash being used for soup tomorrow with the mushrooms and tots in an effort to save electricity. when i smelled its goodness while i was plating the other heavenly items i decided to sneak a little taste tonight with earth balance (vegan butter), brown sugar and cinnamon.

here is donna's recipe for the quinoa salad. you can thank us later. =)

Mango Quinoa Salad

serves 4

1 C quinoa
1 small cucumber or 1/3 slice regular size - finely diced
kernels from 1 ear of fresh corn
1 1/2 wide sliced of red pepper - finely diced
2 leaves of basil finely chopped
1 sprig of mint - leaves finely chopped
1 T finely chopped cilantro
2 t lightly toasted sesame seeds

marinade:
2 T coconut oil - if thick then heat and melt
1/4 t toasted sesame oil
1 t raw organic agave
1/2" piece of ginger (or more), grated
3 T shoyu or tamari

directions:
cook quinoa with water in a 1:2 ratio (1 C quinoa, 2 C water). bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes. while quinoa is cooking, mix the marinade, then chop ingredients. (or get someone to chop the ingredients for you while you mix the marinade like i was lucky to have tonight). allow quinoa to cool slightly. add veggies, marinade, mix lightly, and enjoy!

john was proud and wanted to take a picture of his beautiful chopping. now he understands why i make him wait while i digitally capture my meal memories. :P

*kelli's variations:
i used a bit more red pepper, left out the basil, and added one chopped mango. (i learned an interesting way to cut a mango watching this video.) i did not have sesame oil and i added a lot more ginger to the marinade since i love it so much. the ginger/coconut oil/shoyu combination really make this dish. plus the sweetness of the agave and mango! yum!

Mediterranean Chickpea Quinoa

1 C quinoa, rinsed
2 C vegetable broth or water
1 C chick peas
1/2 C chopped kalamata olives (make sure you remove any pits!)
1 diced carrot (about 1/2 C)
1 chopped scallion
cilantro

sauce:
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 T water
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T ground cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
few pinches salt
cayenne pepper to taste (if you like it spicy)

rinse quinoa. in a large pan or pot, toast quinoa a few minutes.


add vegetable broth or water. bring to boil, cover tightly, and simmer for 15 mintues.

in a bowl, combine chick peas, olives, carrot, and cilantro. in another bowl, whisk sauce ingredients.

allow quinoa to cool slightly before combining all ingredients.

asparagus quinoa

this is one of my favorites!

(recipe from an article on Susan Voison, the creator of fatfreevegan.com)

Asparagus Quinoa
makes 6 servings

1 C quinoa - RINSED
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 C. veggie broth
4 sundried tomatoes
1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp smoked paprika (McCormick makes it and they sell it at Wegman's. It has a great flavor!)
2 C. sliced portobello mushrooms
1 bunch asparagus, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 can chickpeas, drained
2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp red bell pepper, chopped (optional)

Rinse quinoa using a fine mesh strainer. Toast quinoa in saucepan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add remaining ingredients except asparagus, chick peas, lemon juice, and red pepper. Bring to boil, cover, and reduce heat. Cook 10 minutes. Add chick peas and asparagus. Cover and cook 8 more minutes. Stir in lemon juice and red pepper.

quinoa pita with greens

this was so so good! i used leftover asparagus quinoa to fill a toasted whole wheat pita. the greens are a field mix topped with artichoke hearts, olives, and pine nuts, with sliced avocado and a drizzle of olive oil.

quick, easy, healthy, and DELICIOUS!