Marsala Mushroom and Quinoa Soup

I have been eating out so often over the past year. I'm actually quite tired of paying the prices, adding the calories and feeling sluggish. I'm recommitting to my love of cooking and hopefully blogging more often.

While I've been on this eating out tear, I have still been shopping in hopes that I would get by butt back in the kitchen. Fresh foods were rotting in my veggie bins and it was really bugging me that I was being so wasteful.

This particular week I had some beautiful cremini mushrooms teetering on the brink of going bad and I had some leftover cooked quinoa. It's almost the end of cool weather here, so I thought soup should be on the menu. I've always been a fan of Marsala sauces and I happened to have some in my pantry. I looked around to see what else I had in the kitchen so I didn't have to run to the store. I think you'll like the results.

Masala Mushroom and Quinoa Soup

Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons avocado oil (or other neutral flavored oil), separated
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, small dice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons marsala wine
3 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons Braggs Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish.

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat add 1 tablespoon oil, carrots, onions and brown sugar. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes until onions are caramelized and soft. Add remaining tablespoon of oil and mushrooms. Saute until mushrooms release their liquid. Add thyme, black pepper and salt. Increase heat to medium. Saute until liquid is just about gone, approximate 7 minutes. Deglaze with marsala wine. Saute until liquid is about gone again, about 5 minutes.

Add vegetable broth, Braggs and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes. Add cooked quinoa and heat through. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Heat Advisory Fajita Bowl

Heat Advisory Fajita Bowl

4 servings as an entree, 6-8 as a side dish

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
2 cups tightly packed fresh spinach, stems removed, chopped after measuring
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, halved and sliced thinly
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved and sliced thinly*
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 recipe Creamy Chipotle-Lime Dressing (see recipe below)
1/3 cup pepitas
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
Avocado and chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

In a large bowl, stir together black beans and quinoa. Top with spinach but do not stir in.

In a 12 inch iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onions, jalapeños and brown sugar and saute, stirring occasionally until onions become caramelized, about 10 minutes. Place hot onion mixture on top of spinach to wilt it slightly. While spinach is wilting, make dressing.

Add dressing and pepitas to the bowl and stir well to combine. Gently toss in cherry tomatoes. Serve over more spinach leaves if you like or just as it is in a bowl. You can serve immediately, but I recommend refrigerating for a few hours to let the flavors develop. I prefer this one room temperature. Garnish with avocado and cilantro if you like.

Creamy Chipotle-Lime Dressing

Makes about 1/2 cup

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup vegan mayo
2 chipotles in adobo sauce*
1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon granulated onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch ground coriander

Place all ingredients in small food processor or magic bullet and blend until smooth.

* If you are a little heat sensitive, halve the amount and remove seeds.

Colonel Mustard in the Kitchen with a Giant Portobello

I have to admit, my time in the kitchen over the last year has been pretty minimal. My body and my wallet can attest to the fact that eating out has been the norm. Today I vowed to myself that I would work very hard to cook and eat at home far more often. It really doesn't take that much more time than going out if you make simple stuff, it sure costs less and I like having control over what goes in my belly. Ah kitchen of loveliness, how I have missed you so.

Fred has been a mustard fiend the past several months. He craves it and can't get enough. I thought it would be nice to make something I knew would help him get his mustard on while using up some leftover quinoa I had in the fridge. 

I don't know why, but while I was shopping yesterday, for no reason in particular, I picked up a package of Tofurkey Kielbasa. Food in the shape of links and mustard go together like peanut butter and jelly. Oh and let us not forget the perfect accompianament of caramelized onions. 

Normally I would fire up the grill and pop all of it on a bun. However, I'm trying to cut back on the bread intake, so instead of doing the bun thing, I decided to get a little more creative and use portobellos for the vessel of my creation. It took less than 30 minutes from start to finish, so this would be a great weeknight dinner. The tang and spice of the mustard is a tasty compliment to the meaty kielbasa and portobello. The caramelized onions lend a welcome hint of sweetness. 

Try this one out on your hard core tailgaters and grillers. It is a fun departure from the typical grilled sausages. I'm betting this will be a hit during football season!

Kielbasa and Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Mustard Sauce

Makes 4 Mushrooms

4 large portobello mushrooms, fins and stems removed (dice stems and set aside)

2 teaspoons tamari

2 teaspoons olive oil

pinch of salt and pepper

2 vegan Kielasa, sliced in 1/4 inch half moons

1 tablespoon olive oil divided

1/2 cup yellow onions, medium dice

1 large clove garlic minced

1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 vegetable stock

2 tablespoons yellow mustard*

1/4 cup tightly packed fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1 cup cooked quinoa.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Spray a  9 x 13 baking dish lightly with olive oil. In a small bowl, combine tamari and olive oil. Brush thin coating of mixture on mushrooms. Place mushrooms in baking dish with a small amount of water. Cover with foil and bake for 12 minutes. Remove mushrooms from oven. Let cool enough to handle. Pour out extra liquid. 

While the mushrooms are baking, to a 10 inch non-stick or iron skillet over medium hight heat, add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and kielbasa. Sauté until nicely browned, turning over one or twice to prevent burning. Set aside on a small plate. 

In the same pan over medium low heat add 1/2 tablespoon oil . Add diced mushrooms and onions and sauté until onions start to caramelize/brown slightly. Add garlic, sage, black pepper and salt. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. whisk in vegetable stock and mustard until mustard is dissolved. Add parsley and sauté for about 30 more seconds. Stir in browned kielbasa and quinoa and cook until heated through. 

Gently spoon 1/4 of the mixture into each warm portobello cap. Serve immediately or if you like a slight crunch on top, return to the oven uncovered for 5-7 minutes. Garnish with parsley leaf if desired.

It is important to note that the filling is more like a pilaf than a stuffing. 

*The quinoa filling is delicious on its own. If you decide to forgo the mushrooms, reduce the mustard to 1 tablespoon. Feel free to use spicy mustard if you are a spicy food fan. 

Book Review and Giveaway! Robin Robertson's One-Dish Vegan

I'm always excited when I get a new cookbook in the mail. The arrival of Robin Robertson's One-Dish Vegan was no exception. When I was asked to participate in the BLOG TOUR I was more than happy to say yes. One-dish is like Fred's dream come true for me in the kitchen. I have a serious kitchen hurricane issue when it comes to dishes. Any option to minimize mess is highly desirable in my kitchen.

I have several of Robin's books. I have always enjoyed her no-nonsense, fairly simple recipes. I do find that many of her books contain recipes where similar versions can be found in her other cookbooks. Sometimes there is a slight variation: lower fat content, variations for more common food allergies, etc. If you have a lot of her books, you may want to peruse the index before you decide to add this one to your collection.  There are still enough new recipes to make a long-time fan happy.

Speaking of the index, this one is well organized. It makes it very easy to find what you desire by recipe name or main ingredient. Simple cooking charts for grains and beans are included. Even though I have many cookbooks that include these charts, I love having it available in the book I am using. Some I know by heart, but I don't always remember all of them. There are also recipes for basic veggie broth and seitan for those who don't already have their own favorite.

Early in the book, Robin explains what One-Dish means to her. I originally thought it to meant you would only be using one dish to cook and prep the entire recipe. This will indeed happen for many of the recipes, but the One-Dish designation actually means the meal will be served in one dish. The beauty of many of the recipes is that they can be made ahead of time and quickly reheated. We are ridiculously busy so much of the time, this is a great option for us.

The recipes I tried were all very hearty and filling. She successfully combines proteins, grains and veggies into just about every recipe. I like the fact that a lot of the recipes can also be frozen for future use as well. I tried four recipes, three successfully.

Jamaican Jerk Tempeh with Vegetables (page 74). This was truly made in one skillet, which I loved. The ingredients were all simple and easy to find. Most I had in my pantry. It came together in about 45 minutes total. I served it over some cooked quinoa I had on hand. The Jamaican spices with the hint of rum were very nice, although I will probably up the amounts of spices a touch next time. I do wish I would have had the suggested mango chutney on hand. I think the dish needed that little extra brightness. Fred liked it which is saying something as he is not a lover of tempeh.

 

Quinoa and Lentils with Butternut Squash and Rapini (page 75). This was another one pot deal (yay!). This homey dish was really quite easy to assemble. The most time consuming part was peeling and dicing the butternut squash. I usually buy mine whole, but if you really want to save some prep time, some stores sell the fresh stuff already peeled and diced. I substituted broccoli for the rapini. That is another great thing about Robin. She often provides suggestions for substitutions to suit your tastes or what you might have in the pantry. Now this one is very subtle and yummy, but not POW flavorful. To me this is the kind of stick to your ribs dish you would eat after a long day playing in the snow (or in our case here in AZ, playing in the desert).

Recipe © 2013 by Robin Robertson and used by permission of The Harvard Common Press

Gluten-free | Soy-free | Serves 4
Hearty, healthful, and delicious, this simmer of lentils, quinoa, and squash also includes rapini (aka broccoli rabe) and walnuts for a wide variety of textures and flavors. If rapini is unavailable, substitute 8 ounces of your favorite green vegetable.
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1/4 cup water
• 1 medium-size red onion, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup dried brown or green lentils
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (about 3 cups)
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces rapini, thick stems removed, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces

Directions:
1. Heat the oil or water in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Stir in the lentils and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
2. Add the squash, quinoa, thyme, red pepper flakes (if using), and salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and cook for 15 minutes longer.
3. Stir in the rapini and cook on low heat until the ingredients are tender and the flavors are well blended, about 15 minutes longer.  Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Sprinkle with the walnuts and serve hot.

Louisiana Red Beans and Rice (page 68). The other day I asked Fred to pick a recipe he wanted to try (eating not cooking this time). Fred loves Cajun food. Honestly, he likes anything that makes any reference to being at being spicy. He was on the fence deciding between this recipe and the Jambalaya. I didn't have time to make the sausages, so this one won. Another truly one pot meal, this one left little to clean up after prepping. I used canned beans for convenience (as I often do). A quick chopping of the veggies and this was another snap to prepare. We like a lot of spice and heat, so I think the next time I make this one, I will add some fresh chopped jalapeno and a touch more of the smoked paprika and cayenne. Slathered with the Louisiana hot sauce, Fred at three, yes that's right, three bowls!!! We have plenty left over for the week as well. 

I attempted the Butternut and Cremini Lasagne (page 172). I had high hopes as the ingredient list contained a lot of things I adore: butternut squash, cremini mushrooms pecans, greens and white beans. Sadly, I found it pretty bland and flavorless. I served it to a group of starving 20 year-olds who concurred. It just seemed to need more seasonings. It looked pretty though!

There is a whole chapter dedicated to chilis. I am looking forward to trying some of them out as it is perfect chili weather. The Bahn Mizza recipe (page 186) is on my radar as it looks so yummy and unusual. I haven't even delved into the salads or soups yet. 

Pro's:

Hearty, filling recipes

Easy to find ingredients

Convenience

Healthy meal options

Food allergy friendly

Cons:

No pictures except for front and back covers

Similar recipes to some of her other book

Uses spices sparingly, may need to adjust to your tastes

As you can see, the pro's far out weigh the con's. If you are looking for a great cookbook for a busy lifestyle, this is one you will want in your collection. If you want minimally processed healthy meals for you and your loved ones, this one is a keeper.

The fine folks at Harvard Common Press have generously offered to send a free copy of One-dish Vegan to one of you lucky readers (US only this time please). Leave a comment on this post about your favorite one-dish meal or how one-dish meals will make your life better or easier by midnight MST on Wednesday, November 20th, 2013. Winner will be announced on Thursday, November 21st. Good luck and good eating!!!

Side Note: Robin's 30 Days of Vegan Cooking campaign is currently live on her blog (http://robinrobertson.com/) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/VeganPlanetbyRobinRobertson). She's sharing one recipe from the revised edition of her Vegan Planet cookbook each day in November to promote World Vegan Month, and to help people incorporate more vegan recipes into their lives-- whether they've embraced an entire vegan lifestyle, or are just trying to work more vegan meals into their routine, even if it's just once a week 

Thanks to all of the commenters who dropped by to play. The winner of the giveaway is...drumroll....#7 - NICOLE!! Congrats Nicole, please contact me at vegintraining at g mail dot com and we'll get that yummy book on its way to you!

MoFo 2013 - Day 18 - Q is for Quinoa

2013 has been declared the International Year of Quinoa by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization. Often mistaken for a grain, this versatile and nutrient rich seed couldn't be more well suited for this honor. It's a complete protein, has lots of fiber, iron, magnesium and B-6. It's so quick cooking and can easily stand in for longer cooking rice in lots of dishes.

Quinoa is super easy to prepare. There are a few important tips to remember when preparing quinoa. This will ensure fluffy awesomeness.

1 - Make sure to rinse. Quinoa has a substance called saponin that can make if very bitter. Place quinoa in fine meshed strainer and rinse in cold water until it runs clear.

2 - Many people swear by a 2-1 water to quinoa ratio. I end up putting a little bit less water in to account for the water left from the rinse (for 1 cup dried quinoa, I use 1 7/8 cup water)

3 - Be patient - cook for 15 quick minutes. Turn heat off and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then lift the lid and fluff with a fork.

That's it.

When I am being semi-organized, I try to prep some stuff on the weekend for quick weekday meals. Bowls are a great way to do one dish meals and quinoa is the perfect grain for them. Heat up your favorite grains (quinoa, rice, millet, etc), add a protien (nuts, beans, tofu, tempeh, seitan), throw in your favorite sauteed veggies and a sassy sauce and you are good to go. You can get creative by using lots of different profiles from all over the globe for your own quinoa bowls: Asian, Mediterranean, Indian, you name it.

Not surprisingly, I did a little Southwestern twist on my bowl. You can re-heat leftover quinoa or make fresh.

Texas Quinoa Bowl

Makes 4 servings

2 cups cooked quinoa, heated
2 cups home made or store bought vegan chili
1 cup vegan queso
chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
tortilla strips for garnish (optional)

Heat chili and queso. In a bowl layer with 1/2 cup warmed quinoa, 1/2 cup chili, 1/4 cup queso. Garnish with cilantro and tortilla strips.

Eat hearty!

Quinoa Tabbouleh Recipe and Giveaway Winner!

Thankfully some foods are naturally gluten-free: vegetables, fruits, nuts and even some grains. One of my favorite grains is quinoa. It is super quick and easy to make. It takes on flavors so easily and it's a complete protein to boot.

Here is a very simple and flavorful way to use this super grain (which is actually a seed). Use some leftover quinoa (2 cups cooked) for a very quick salad.

Instead of the traditional tabbouleh made with bulgur wheat, quinoa is used in this salad to make a gluten-free equivalent of the popular Lebanese dish.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Yield 6 Servings

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups water
1/4 cup high-quality extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups finely minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup finely minced fresh mint
3 medium sized tomatoes, seeded and diced
zest and juice of one large lemon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 scallions, minced

Combine the quinoa and water in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to a simmer, stir gently, and cover. Let simmer for about 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Chill the quinoa in the fridge until cold, about 1 hour.

Stir in the olive oil and salt and then gently fold in the parsley, mint, tomatoes, lemon juice and zest, black pepper, and scallions until well combined. Let rest for at least 1 hour in the fridge until well chilled. Serve cold.

Excerpted from Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats, Allyson Kramer, Fair Winds Press, 2012

I'm happy to share this one recipe with all of you. But only one lucky commenter gets to win the whole book. That commenter is....

#2 - Anonymous (Karen)

Karen - I tried to email you and your email address bounced back undeliverable. Please contact me at vegintraining at g mail dot com with your shipping info

MOFO - Day 14 - Iron Chef - Quinoa

The iron chef ingredient this week is quinoa. Now I love quinoa in so many ways. I wanted to do something reflecting fall and Thanksgiving. I also managed to make it gluten free for my sensitive friends and readers. Quinoa is an amazing seed (it is not actually a grain). It is a complete protein all on its own which makes me love this cute little nutritionally packed ingredient even more.

I thought about making something very healthy, but seeing as I just acquired a brand new deep fryer, my inner fried food loving fiend won out. I was very pleased to discover that quinoa makes an incredibly crunchy coating for fried treats. To keep with the chile theme, I used two types of chiles in today's dish: hatch green chiles and serrano chiles.

Red Inca Quinoa Crusted Hatch Green Chile Croquettes with Serrano - Lime Cranberry Sauce

Serrano Cranberry Sauce

Makes just under 1 cup

1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup water
8 oz fresh cranberries
1 teaspoon tequila
1 tablespoon lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
1 serrano chili pepper, seeded and finely minced

In a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat. place all ingredients in pan and simmer until thickened, stirring frequently. This should take between 15-20 minutes. Cranberries will pop as they cook. Be careful of splattering. Once thickened, remove from heat.

Red Inca Quinoa Crusted Hatch Green Chile Croquettes

Makes 20 croquettes

3 large cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons red onion, finely minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons minced roasted Hatch chiles (you can sub any type of roasted green chiles)
1 1/2 cups roasted mashed sweet potatoes
3/4 cup corn flour
3/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon teaspoon salt (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 cups cooked red inca quinoa

Preheat deep fryer or oil in deep pan (with enough oil to be 2 inches deep in pan).

In small saute pan over medium heat, saute garlic and onion in olive oil until onion is just soft, about 2-3 minutes. In large bowl, combine garlic, onion, chiles, sweet potatoes, corn flour and dry spices until well combined. Form 1 tablespoon of mixture into a ball.  Roll ball into cooked quinoa, coating evenly. You may have to press quinoa into ball. Carefully drop balls into oil. Do not crowd. Fry for 3-4 minutes until croquette is golden dark brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with toothpicks and side of cranberry sauce.

Vegan Bridal Shower Brunch and Hawaiian Quinoa Salad

I had the pleasure of coming out of catering retirement and catering a lovely bridal shower this weekend. The hostess (and a very dear friend) agreed to keep the fact that it was all vegan a secret from most of the guests until after everyone had a chance to try the goods. It was a great success. There were many happy tummies and requests for recipes. It was fun to serve food to such a nice bunch of people, who were very open minded about the vegan menu. The lovely bride seemed to enjoy the food too, which is the most important thing!! So for those of you who asked for the Hawaiian Quinoa Salad recipe, I am posting it here for you.

Hawaiian Quinoa Salad

Makes 8-10 Servings

1/2 medium white or yellow onion, diced small
2 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 cup red inca quinoa (if you can't find red use regular)
1 1/4 cup quinoa
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup light coconut milk

1 1/2 cup large red bell pepper, diced approx 1/4 inch
1 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced approx 1/4 inc (can sub canned but fresh is much better)
1 cup toasted macadamia nuts, coarsely choppped
6 green onions, sliced thinly

Dressing ingredients

1 1/2 Tablespoons white mellow miso
1 1/2 Tablespoons low sodium tamari or soy sauce
3 Tablespoons pineapple juice
1 1/2 teaspoons mirin
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned rice or sushi vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil

In medium size saucepan saute onion and garlic in sesame oil until onions are softened (about 5 minutes). Add quinoa and saute until just toated. Add vegetable broth and coconut milk. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until all liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked through (about 25 minutes). Make sure all liquid is absorbed or the salad will have quite a bit of liquid at the bottom. Let quinoa cool completely. While it is cooling dice the red pepper and pineapple. Chop the macadamia nuts. Slice the green onions. They look very pretty if you slice them at an angle. Fold these into the cooled quinoa until evenly distributed.

Stir together all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour dressing slowly into the salad Let chill in the refrigerator at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

Just a little FYI: The Coffee Chip Muffins, Toasted Coconut Mango Muffins, East Coast Blueberry Coffee Cake and both the Broccoli and Cauliflower Quiches were from the Vegan Brunch cookbook. The Mushroom and Leek tart was a recipe from the Voluptuous Vegan cookbook.

Mediterannean Quinoa Stuffed Portobellos

I've been meaning to post this since February. Sorry for the delay for those of you who asked for the recipe. I was beyond busy with the 3rd Annual Joanne Wood March Madness for Mammaries Hike that I put on each year to benefit the Breast Cancer Fund and the Wellness Community - Arizona. The hike was a great success, raising over $27,000 for the two charities. Woot!!

On to to the food. For Valentine's Day I created a tasty delicious side dish that ended up being more like a main dish really. It is very tasty and packs a pretty good protein punch from the quinoa.

Mediterannean Quinoa Stuffed Portobellos

4 servings

4 medium sized portobello mushrooms

Marinade

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon tamari
2 cloves garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste

Filling

1 Cup Quinoa
2 Cups Vegetable Broth
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large red onion or 1 small, diced small
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in olive oil choppped

1/2 cup coarsley chopped kalamata olives
2 teaspoons capers

Mix marinade ingredients in shallow baking pan. Add mushrooms and marinade for at least an hour turning once.

Preheat oven to 350.

Bake or grill portobellos for about 5 minutes until they just barely start giving up their liquid. Remove from oven or grill.

Prepare filling. In medium saucepan add quinoa to cold veggie broth. Bring to a boil cover and cook for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes. Remove cover and fluff. While quinoa is cooking heat oil in iron skillet or saute pan. Add onions and garlic and saute until onions are transluscent. Add oregano, red pepper flakes and salt. Saute for 3 minutes. Add sun dried tomatoes, olives, and capers and saute for another 3 minutes. In mixing bowl toss this mixture with quinoa. Salt and pepper to taste. Stuff each portobello cap with approximately 1/2 cup of mixture. Bake mushrooms in covered pyrex dish for 20 minutes.

As you can see, I garnished mine with a roasted pepper cut in a heart shape. You can also garnish with chopped fresh italian parsley.

Vegan MOFO Day 23 - Quinoa

I like featuring a interesting ingredients for my MOFO entries.

Quinoa is fun and nutritious. I found this little nutritional blurb at this site. So next time you get those pesky "How will you get all of your nutrients?" song and dance, you have more great information to pass on.

The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. It is exceptionally high in lysine, cystine and methionine-amino acids typically low in other grains. It is a good complement for legumes, which are often low in methionine and cystine. The protein in quinoa is considered to be a complete protein due to the presence of all 8 essential amino acids. Some types of wheat come close to matching quinoa's protein content, but grains such as barley, corn, and rice generally have less than half the protein of quinoa. Quinoa is 12% to 18% protein and four ounces a day, about 1/2-cup, will provide a childs protein needs for one day. The 6-7% fat of quinoa is relatively high when compared to other grains, but it boasts a low sodium content and also provides valuable starch and fiber.

Quinoa also contains albumen, a protein that is found in egg whites, blood serum, and many plant and animal tissues. The seeds are gluten-free which makes this a nutritious and flavorful alternative grain for those with gluten sensitivity. Quinoa would be a worthy addition to anyone's diet, supplying variety as well as good nutrition. The seed is also excellent feed for birds and poultry and the plant itself is good forage for cattle.

Quinoa is so versatile. It can be used as a breakfast food with dried fruits and almond milk. Vegetarian times had an interesting breakfast recipe a few months ago. It can be used in hot and cold dishes. It is wonderful in side dishes, entrees, and sometimes even desert. It cooks quite a bit faster than rice, so it is a great ingredient to use for quick weeknight dinners. I can't believe I can't find a picture of one of one of the earliest Vegan with a Vengence recipes..Black Bean Quinoa Stuffed peppers. It has been a long time since I've made it. But it brings back fond memories of how it made me vall in love with VwaV.

This is one of my favorite quinoa dishes from VCON. The Black Bean Mango Quinoa Salad.

Chocolate Almond Cherry Cous Cous Cake - this was a recipe I submitted for a contest held by Robin Robertson a few months ago.