Quinoa & Grain Dishes Archive

« Older Entries

Gluten Free Quinoa Sage Stuffing

Posted November 8, 2012 By Sandy

Okay, now that we have Halloween and the elections behind us, I want to focus on some wonderful Gluten Free Vegan recipes for Thanksgiving.

Beth of Tasty Tummies posted a recipe from her friend Sherrie of Living Simply Gluten Free (Isn’t it great how we all work together!) for a interesting Gluten Free Quinoa Sage Stuffing.  Since stuffing, to me, isn’t stuffing without sage and since I love quinoa so much, I couldn’t resist sharing this recipe with you.

Gluten Free Quinoa Sage Stuffing

Recipe Type: Thanksgiving Dish
Author: Sherrie, Living Simply Gluten Free
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
  • 2 cups organic vegetable broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 heaping cup of diced celery
  • 1 medium white onion, diced
  • small handful of fresh sage, chopped {about 2 tablespoons}
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt
  • fresh ground coarse pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a medium sized pot bring 1 cup of vegetable broth to a boil. Add in the quinoa and bay leaf, salt, pepper and stir. Set to low heat and simmer with a lid on for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat {do not lift lid} and allow the quinoa to steam for another 10 minutes. When that is over, you will have picture perfect quinoa – trust me, no more soggy mess!
  3. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over low heat. Add in the chopped celery and onion. Cook until they begin to become clear, about 5-10 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium and add in the vegetable broth, sage, garlic powder and season with more salt and pepper if needed; simmer for a few minutes.
  4. Combine the quinoa with the veggie mixture and add in the last 1/2 cup of vegetable broth, stir together well. Place the stuffing mix into a greased oven safe dish. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Then broil under a low flame until the top become golden brown.
  5. t i p: I prefer my stuffing on the drier side so, this recipe will come out that way. If you like your stuffing to be on the moist side, feel free to add more broth into the quinoa mixture before it goes into the oven to bake.

 

Our church is having a special Harvest Dinner this Sunday and this recipe will make a great addition to the menu!!  I think, though, that I will add mushrooms to the mix — and maybe raisins or apples to add some moisture.  What do you think?

If you have an special Thanksgiving recipes you would like to share with us, I would love to hear from you.   I will be featuring these special recipes over the next couple weeks.

Share
1 Comment. Join the Conversation
Filed in Holiday Dishes & Goodies, Quinoa & Grain Dishes | Tagged: , , , , ,

Bell Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa

Posted October 3, 2012 By Sandy

Stuffed Bell Peppers are a natural Gluten Free Vegan food.  Traditionally, peppers are stuffed with rice — but this recipe is Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Pesto.  Sounds like a wonderful combination!

The article that I found was on the Washington Post Online.  Author, Elaine Gordon writes about the different nutritional properties and benefits of peppers and quinoa:

With their vibrant color and unusual shape, stuffed peppers can provide a stunning presentation for your main course. This recipe is completely gluten-free and vegan, with protein-rich quinoa and a vegan pesto sauce drizzled on top for a flavor boost. Regular pesto is delicious but is high in calories and contains cholesterol. This sauce contains heart-healthy fats from walnuts and has zero cholesterol and much lower saturated fat than a classic pesto recipe. Extra pesto can be frozen for later use …

The recipe for this wonderful dish is on her Eating by Elaine website, and is included as our featured recipe today.

Picture courtesy of Eating by Elaine

Bell Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa

Recipe Type: Entree or Main Dish
Author: Elaine Gordon on Eating by Elaine
Serves: 3
Ingredients
  • 1 yellow bell peppers
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 orange bell pepper
  • 2 cups low sodium broth
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • ½ cup shallot, diced
  • ¼ cup sweet onion, diced
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • ½ cup zucchini, diced
  • 1 tsp fresh black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. While the oven is warming, cut off the top stem side of the bell peppers and remove seeds, set top aside
  3. Sauté shallots and sweet onions in oil on medium heat
  4. Add quinoa and stir until lightly toasted
  5. Add chicken broth and bring to boil for 5 minutes
  6. Add green onions and zucchini
  7. Dice up the top of the bell peppers that surrounded the stem
  8. Add the extra, diced bell pepper to the quinoa
  9. Simmer on low to medium heat for an additional 15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed
  10. Stir in garlic and black pepper seasoning
  11. Spoon the quinoa into the bell peppers until full
  12. Lightly spray baking sheet with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray
  13. Place stuffed bell peppers on baking sheet and cook for 15-20 minutes
  14. Remove from oven and drizzle with pesto sauce
  15. Serve warm and enjoy!

 

Elaine tops her stuffed peppers with Pesto sauce after they have been removed from the oven.  For her Pesto recipe, check out her blog post.

I’ll bet that adding some vegan cheese to the top would also taste wonderful on these stuffed peppers.  For the meat eaters, add a bit of cooked sausage to their stuffed pepper (would do that for my husband).

Share
Be the first to comment
Filed in Entrees, Quinoa & Grain Dishes | Tagged: , , , , ,

Sweet Potato Pasta

Posted September 24, 2012 By Sandy

There are numerous different food combinations that I have never tried.  After becoming Gluten Free and Vegan, my food choices became limited in some areas, but expanded greatly in other directions.  Had it not been for my allergies, I probably would never had the pleasure of eating quinoa!  Or coconut milk (or oil) … or the numerous seeds and beans I have eaten.  Maybe my allergies were a curse in the beginning, I see it as a blessing today!

Anyway, our featured recipe, Sweet Potato Pasta, is one of the unique food combinations that I would never have thought of until reading this recipe!  The original post is by Minn, author of Savor the Rainbow.  Check it out and tell me what you think:

Picture courtesy of Savor the Rainbow

Sweet Potato Pasta

Recipe Type: Pasta Dish
Author: Minn, Savor the Rainbow
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1-2 med. sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 Tbs. almond oil
  • 1 Tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 Tbs. Earth Balance spread
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened, unflavored almond milk
  • 1 Tbs. almond flour
  • 6 Tbs. nutritional yeast, or more to taste
  • 2 Tsp. dijon mustard
  • 1 Tsp. garlic, minced
  • 1/2-3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 1/2 to 1 cup of pasta water
  • 8 oz. pasta of choice (Minn used quinoa rotini pasta)
  • Mix-in of choice (Minn added spinach and pumpkin seeds)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line baking sheet with foil.
  2. Mix chopped sweet potatoes with almond oil and cinnamon and roast for about 30 minutes, flip after 15 minutes.
  3. While the potatoes are baking, prepare the cheese sauce. Melt Earth Balance spread in a medium pot over low-med heat. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk and almond flour until smooth. Add to the pot of spread and whisk. Stir in nutritional yeast, dijon mustard, and seasonings. Stir mixture until thickened (about 5-7 min).
  4. Cook pasta following package directions.
  5. Add the sauce to the blender and mix with 1 cup of roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas. Add enough pasta water to thin out the sauce to your liking. Pour sauce back into the pot.
  6. Add the cooked and drained pasta to the pot. Add the mix-ins and stir to combine.

 

After reading through Minn’s notes, the original recipe (where she got it!), used butternut squash rather than sweet potatoes — which sounds good as well!

Make sure you check out her post for pictures and more recipe suggestions!

Share
2 Comments so far. Join the Conversation
Filed in Quinoa & Grain Dishes, Veggie Side Dishes | Tagged: , , ,

Gluten Free Pasta Salad

Posted August 1, 2012 By Sandy

Today’s featured recipe is an old time favorite with a slight twist:  Gluten Free Pasta Salad.  Seasoned with orange juice gives this Pasta Salad a slight sweetness over typical Pasta Salads.

The recipe calls for quinoa rotelle pasta, but you could use any type of Gluten Free pasta.

Gluten-free, vegan citrus and veggie pasta salad

 By Melissa Roadman, Intern

Ingredients
8 ounces quinoa rotelle pasta
4 tomatoes, diced
½ onion, diced
1 zucchini
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Juice of one orange
¼ cup basil
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Cook quinoa rotelle pasta for 8-10 minutes until soft. Strain and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to prevent it from hardening.

2. Stir fry the tomatoes, onion, zucchini, garlic and basil in juice of one orange and remaining olive oil.

3. Add orange juice to vegetables and mix with quinoa spirals. Serve cold.

READ FULL POST

Lots of Gluten Free Pasta options below:

Share
Be the first to comment
Filed in Quinoa & Grain Dishes, Salads & Dressings & Condiments, Special Topics | Tagged: , , ,

Zucchini and Quinoa Lasagna

Posted July 30, 2012 By Sandy

When I was a kid, lasagna was my favorite dish.  Now that I am Gluten Free and Vegan, I have seen a few different recipes, but none as interesting as this Zucchini and Quinoa Lasagna!

What a great way to use all the large left over zucchini from the garden!  With the added benefits of quinoa, this is quite a nutritious dish.

Zucchini-Quinoa Lasagna

  • 2 large zucchini, cut lengthwise into 12 ¼-inch-thick slices
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • ½ cup tomato sauce
  • ¼ cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
  • 2 Tbs. nondairy cream cheese, such as Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, optional
  • 1 25-oz. jar marinara sauce
  • ½ cup shredded nondairy cheese, such as Daiya Mozzarella, optional

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place zucchini slices on bed of paper towels. Sprinkle with salt, cover with paper towels, and let stand to release moisture while preparing quinoa.

2. Bring broth, quinoa, tomato sauce, onion, and oregano to a boil in saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 25 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, and stir in basil, parsley, and cream cheese, if using.

3. Spoon 1/3 cup marinara sauce over bottom of 8-inch square baking dish. Blot remaining moisture and salt from zucchini slices, and lay 4 zucchini slices over marinara sauce in pan. Spoon half of quinoa over zucchini, and cover with 1/3 cup marinara. Repeat with 4 more zucchini slices, remaining quinoa, and 1/3 cup marinara. Top with remaining 4 zucchini slices, remaining marinara, and shredded cheese, if using. Bake lasagna 30 minutes, or until zucchini is tender and top is bubbly.

READ FULL POST

Of course, if you follow my blog, you would probably already guess that I would also add chopped or ground mushrooms to the mix.  I love that extra protein and flavor that mushrooms add to a dish like this.

If you like this recipe, please share it with your friends by clicking on one of the share links below~!

Share
Be the first to comment
Filed in Entrees, Quinoa & Grain Dishes | Tagged: ,

Vegan Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers

Posted July 6, 2012 By Sandy

With the summer barbequing season in full swing, there are LOTS of  “burger” recipes floating around. A Quinoa “Hamburger” recipe was posted yesterday.  Today, the featured recipe is Vegan Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers.

Quinoa makes a healthy nutritious base for the black beans in these burgers.  Add the chipotle and cumin to add a bit of ‘south of the border’ flavor!

Gluten Free Vegan Chipotle Black Bean & Quinoa Burgers Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup pre-rinsed quinoa
1½ cups water
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 – 15 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or 4 cups cooked black beans)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 green onions, green and white parts, chopped
1/3 Chipotle Vegenaise
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup plus 6 tablespoons garbanzo bean flour or all-purpose gluten free flour
Olive or grapeseed oil

Directions

Combine the quinoa, water and ¼ teaspoon of salt in a small saucepan with a lid. Bring to boil, lower the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit, covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Alternately, you can use 2½ cups cooked quinoa.

Place half of the black beans in a food processor with the ground cumin, green onions, Chipotle Vegenaise, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Process until the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining beans and pulse a few times until you have a somewhat chunky puree. Put the bean mixture into a mixing bowl, add the cooked quinoa and 6 tablespoons of flour, stir to combine. Place the remaining ½ cup flour on a dinner plate. Portion the bean mixture into 6 equal sized patties.

Add just enough oil to a large skillet to coat the bottom and heat over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Place the patties into the flour and coat both sides. Add the patties carefully to the hot skillet, do not over crowd the skillet. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes per side or until golden brown.

READ FULL POST

Personally, my body does not like overly spicy foods — so I would substitute Grapeseed Vegenaise over the chipotle.  But don’t omit it as it helps bind the ‘burgers’.  Some vegan cheese would be nice or even some salsa on top!

What would you add to this Vegan Black Bean and Quinoa Burger?

More Meatless Recipes here!

Share
Be the first to comment
Filed in Meat Substitutes, Quinoa & Grain Dishes | Tagged: , , , ,

Gluten Free Vegan Quinoa “Hamburgers”

Posted July 5, 2012 By Sandy

Summer is the time for picnics and barbeques, but there is nothing Gluten Free or Vegan about traditional hamburgers!  Luckily, I discovered this very unique recipe for both ‘burger’ and bun:  Gluten Free Vegan Quinoa “Hamburgers”!!

This particular recipe combines the high nutrition of quinoa with the interesting taste of cinnamon and curry.  Check it out:

Vegan Cinnamon Curry Quinoa Burgers


1/2 cup raw quinoa
1 cup water

1 tbsp extra-virgin coconut oil
2 tsp fennel seed
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 tbsp curry leaves

1/4 cup dried currants
1/4 cup roughly ground sunflower kernels
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp himalayan rock salt
2 tsp tumeric
2 tsp ground coriander

2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 flax egg – 1 tbsp freshly ground flax mixed with 2 tbsp warm water and allowed to sit for 5 minutes *see note

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Set aside.
Combine quinoa and water in a small saucepan. Cover and cook on high heat until boiling, then reduce heat to low and  simmer covered for 12 minutes. Once complete, remove from heat and keep covered for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the next 6 ingredients in a medium frying pan and cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes until onion is translucent.
Add all ingredients – cooked quinoa, sauteed onions, and remaining ingredients to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse 4-6 times until everything is combined and broken down slightly.
Shape mixture into burgers and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes so the patties hold together nicely.

READ FULL RECIPE — including the recipe for the buns!

Make sure to check out the original post as the author has listed a few other recipe links that sound interesting as well.

If you are looking for more ‘meatless’ recipes, check out my Squidoo page:  Meatless Recipes

Share
2 Comments so far. Join the Conversation
Filed in Meat Substitutes, Quinoa & Grain Dishes | Tagged: , , ,

Gluten Free Grain: Rice

Posted June 9, 2012 By Sandy

Rice is second only to corn as the most important staple food in the world.

Read more about Rice on my Squidoo Lens:  Gluten Free Grains!

Mexican Rice

2 ounces tomatoes, very ripe and cored (see note below)
1 medium white onion
3 medium jalapenos
2 cups long grain white rice
1/3 cup canola oil (or coconut oil)
4 minced garlic cloves
2 cups vegetable broth (original recipe called for chicken broth)
1 tablespoon tomato paste (may omit if using canned tomatoes)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 lime

Directions:

  1. Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350.
  2. Process tomato and onion in processor or blender until pureed and thoroughly smooth. Transfer mixture to measuring cup and reserve exactly 2 cups. Discard excess.
  3.  Remove ribs and seeds from 2 jalapenos and discard. Mince flesh and set aside. Mince remaining jalapeno. Set aside.
  4. Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear- about 1 1/2 minutes.Shake rice vigorously to remove excess water.This step removes the starch from the rice so it will not stick. IF YOU OMIT THIS STEP YOUR RICE WILL NOT BE DRY AND FLUFFY.
  5. Heat oil in heavy bottomed ovensafe 12 inch straight sided sautee pan or Dutch oven with tight fitting lid over low-medium heat about 2 minutes. (The recipe is very specific about this but I used a 10 inch dutch oven and it worked out fine.) Drop a few rice grains in and if they sizzle then it is ready. Add rice and fry stirring until rice is light golden and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Be careful that the oil doesn’t get too hot too fast or the oil will splatter.
  6. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and 2 minced jalapenos and cook , stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes.
  7. Stir in broth, pureed mixture,tomato paste, and salt. Increase heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.
  8.  Cover pan and transfer pan to oven to bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 30-35 minutes.Stir well after 15 minutes.
  9. Stir in cilantro, minced jalapeno to taste, and pass lime wedges separately.

NOTES:

  • If you can’t get good fresh tomatoes you are better off using canned tomatoes. Don’t use those awful hard and underipe tomatoes that are at most supermarket chains. Just be sure that the processed tomatoes and the one onion equals 2 cups. One the other hand- if you find that after processing your tomatoes and onions that you have less than 2 cups- simply add enough bottled salsa to make up the difference.
  •  Do not skip any of the steps. It may seem stupid- but rinsing the rice to remove the starch is very important if you want fluffy rice. It will only take two minutes of your time but it makes the difference.
  •  Leftovers are just as delicious the next day so this is a perfect dish to make ahead time for potlucks. This rice also freezes well. For Freezing Ahead: Cool, portion and freeze in a ziploc bag. To reheat from frozen: Place in a pyrex dish and warm in the microwave, stirring every 2-3 minutes until heated through.

Recipe Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/mexican-rice-117892#ixzz1xKUoiJZn

Other Sources:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice;   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rice_varieties

Amazing Grains: Creating Vegetarian Main Dishes with Whole Grains

Complete Gluten-Free Cookbook: 150 Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free Recipes, Many with Egg-Free Variations

Share
Be the first to comment
Filed in Quinoa & Grain Dishes, Which Grains are Gluten Free? | Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Gluten Free Grains: Quinoa

Posted June 2, 2012 By Sandy

Quinoa, nicknamed “the mother of all grain” for its high nutritional value, is actually a pseudo grain belonging to the Goosefoot family

Read more about Quinoa on my Squidoo Lens:  Gluten Free Grains!

Quinoa Salsa Salad

Dressing
3 tablespoons gluten free salsa
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper

SaladGluten Free Grains -- quinoa
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked wild rice
½ cup rinsed and drained canned black beans
½ cup rinsed and drained canned red kidney beans
½ cup corn kernels
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup chopped red onion
2 Tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro

1.    Prepare the dressing:  In a small bowl, whisk together salsa oil, vinegar, chili powder and salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside for at least 1 hour.  Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

2.    Prepare the salad:  In a large bowl, combine quinoa, wild rice, black beans, kidney beans, corn, celery, red pepper, red onion and cilantro.

3.    Pour dressing over salad and toss well to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow flavors to develop and blend.

Recipe Source: Complete Gluten-Free Cookbook: 150 Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free Recipes, Many with Egg-Free Variations

Resources: Amazing Grains: Creating Vegetarian Main Dishes with Whole Grains

http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3ASearch&profile=default&search=quinoa+&fulltext=Search&uselang=en

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa


Share
Be the first to comment
Filed in Quinoa & Grain Dishes, Which Grains are Gluten Free? | Tagged: , , ,

Quinoa Salad with Apple and Kale

Posted May 22, 2012 By Sandy

I have recently discovered a blog by Dr. Joe Ax that has some wonderful information on good health practices.  Although he is not necessarily Gluten Free or Vegan, he did post this interesting Quinoa Salad with Apple and Kale.

The original recipe calls for goat cheese, but that can be substituted by tofu, vegan cheese or just left out of the recipe.  Kale matched with Quinoa will make this a very nutritious salad without the ‘cheese’ one way or another!

Apple Quinoa & Kale Salad

Quinoa Salad with Apple and Kale

  • 1 1/2 cups quinoa (cooked)
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ organic lemon (peel and juice)
  • 2 tbsp hot english mustard (or stone ground)
  • sea salt and pepper
  • 4 large leafs of Kale
  • 2 red apples
  • 1 handful sprouts
  • 1/2 cup goat feta cheese

READ FULL RECIPE

If you like this recipe or blog, please share with your friends by clicking on one of the share links below:

Share
Be the first to comment
Filed in Quinoa & Grain Dishes, Salads & Dressings & Condiments | Tagged: , ,
« Older Entries