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!

Chipotle - Sausage - Bean Breakfast Burro

I woke up really hungry today. I mean really hungry. I've been on a mission to shed the 40+ extra pounds I've gained since I met Fred. I'm not blaming him at all, but I tend to cook, eat, and drink more when I am happy. Happy is a good thing, fat is not. So, I am cutting back on the unhealthy, fried, high-fat, sugary crap and eat more nutrient dense foods. Today I wanted to splurge a little. While this is a little indulgent, it is not totally unhealthy as it packs a whopping 24.9 grams of protein per serving. It is a little high calorie at 495, but only 23% of the calories are from fat.

Why all the nutritional mumbo jumbo you might ask? I have become obsessed with the MyPlate tool on the livestrong.com website. I have been plugging in many of my recipes to see how well they fare on the fat/carb/calorie scale. Eventually my obsession will cause me to find another nutritional site to track vitamins and minerals too, but that will be for another day when I have more time on my hands.

Are you still with me and awake? If so, you will win the bonus prize of an awesome recipe to treat you and your family too when you are craving some good hearty breakfast burros!

Chipotle - Sausage - Bean Breakfast Burro

6 - 1/2 burrito servings

Canola spray

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 package of gimme lean sausage broken up or crumbled

1/2 cup sliced cremini mushrooms

1 cup cooked red kidney beans

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced

1 12 oz package firm tofu

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon tumeric

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup Daiya Italian Blend (or cheddar if that's the way you roll)

3 12" whole wheat tortillas (if you find low fat, you can lower the calorie content here)

Spray a bit of canola spray into a 10" iron skillet or non-stick pan. Over medium heat, saute garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add Gimme Lean and brown. Once sausage is browned, add cremini mushrooms and a touch of water if pan is getting dry. Saute until the mushrooms just start to release their juices. Add kidney beans, tofu, nutritional yeast, tumeric, and salt and mix until everything is well distributed. Turn heat to med low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Mixture should be moist but not wet. 

Once mixture is cooked, sprinkle 1/4 cup Daiya on one end of each tortilla. Top with tofu mixture and roll up burrito style. You can eat them at this stage, but I like to cook them a little longer. In another large skillet, spray a bit more canola oil. Place rolled burritos in pan seam side down. Cook for 3-5 minutes until just starting to brown and crisp up a bit. Flip and do the same on the other side.

Serve with your favorite salsa.

The filling can also be enjoyed as a scramble without the tortillas. That cuts 110 calories and 2 grams of fat from the recipe. Leave off the cheeze and cut out 90 more calories and 7 grams of fat. So yes, I probably could have done without the tortillas and cheese, but sometimes it is just worth it. Hey, I still have 700 or so more calories to consume today! So there!!!

Vegan MOFO - Day 22 - Tortilla Soup

The recipe for easy Chicken Tortilla Soup has been traveling around the internet for a long time. The original versions were designed to be an easy, quick, out of the can experience. This is why my girlfrend Piot and my sister serve this one when they have a bunch of hungry teenagers hanging around the house.

This one requires a bit more work than opening cans, but is still easy to whip together. The cans of chicken in the original are replaced by re-hydrated soy curls. The ranch style beans in the black can (which contain animal fat) are replaced by Heinz brand vegetarian beans. There is a suggestion for making your own spice blend if you cant find that brand at the end of the recipe. The original suggests using Rotel Mexican style tomatoes and diced tomatoes with green chili, which you sure can use. I prefer Muir Glen organic small diced tomatoes with chipotle. I have a confession to make. While I do enjoy making my own vegetable stock on occassion, it takes time and space that I don't always have. I often use Better than Bullion vegan bases rather than making my own stock. They are so convenient and the flavors are very good. They make an excellent organic vegetable version. In this conversion I used the chicken version pictured below.


Tortilla Soup


Make 14 servings

2 cups Butler Soy Curls
1 1/2 cups hot vegetable broth (chicken style)
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 cups chicken style vegetable broth (total using liquid from re-hydrating soy curls)
2 cups cream of mushroom soup (condensed version)
2 cans Heinz Vegetarian beans*
2 cans Muir Glen small diced tomatoes with chipotle
1 small can diced green chilis (optional)

Pour hot 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth over soy curls. Let sit for 10 minutes to re-hydrate. Drain liquid and reserve. In large soup pot heat canola oil over medium heat adding the soy curls to brown*. Once browned add remaining ingredients. Bring to simmering and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve garnished with limes, salsa, tortilla strips, sour cream, and/or vegan cheese (all optional).

If you cannot find the Heinz beans Add the following seasoning mix when browning the soy curls:
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Also add:

2 teaspoons white vinegar.