De Ma Cuisine

Quinoa Archive

Monday

10

August 2015

0

COMMENTS

Chile Pepper Poppers

Written by , Posted in Appetizers, Cheese, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Gluten Free, Grains, Herbs, Legumes, Lentils, Quinoa, Rice, Roasting, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

StuffedHotPeppers-4

Try saying “chile pepper poppers” over and over again. I like how it feels to say it. Kinda like how I like the feel of the word “cake”. I think I like the word “cake” more than I actually like cake itself.

I’m done now.

I’ve seen different varieties of pepper poppers before, but never actually tried to make them. They’re often filled with cheese. Yum! But, I wondered if maybe they could be filled with something a little more nutrient dense. Cheese, I’m down with, but let’s add a little more.

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I opted for green lentils, which I’m totally digging right now, and brown rice.  Along with mint and basil for a cool and fresh taste.

I used jalapeños this time. And to be honest, for me, they were too spicy. But, I used what I had on hand (and then drank a big glass of milk after I ate a whole one and my mouth burned up). Next time, I’d opt for a much milder pepper.

The tricky thing about these is since the pepper is staying almost whole, it’s hard to be sure that all the ribs and seeds are gone. I mean, I did the best I could, but there might have been more heat left in there then if I’d halved it and taken the ribs and seeds out that way.

On the Scoville scale, Chipotle, Fresno peppers, jalapeños, and wax peppers (like the Hungarian wax pepper) are rated at 3,500-10,000 Scoville Heat Units. Milder peppers are: Jalapeños (yes, they appear in two categories), Anaheim peppers, and poblano peppers (or ancho), at 1,000-4,000 SHU. And milder still: banana peppers, peperoncini, and pimentos come in at 100-900. Bell peppers are rated at a 0. The spectrum ranges from a pepper called the Carolina reaper at 2,200,000 SHU to the banana, paprika, Cubanelle, peperoncini, and pimento peppers are 100-900 SHU. (1) That’s a big range.

I use jalapeños all the time, buuuuut I don’t usually (ever) eat a whole one… in one sitting… in a three minute time period. They’re usually diced and added to dips, or Succotash, or Tacos. The heat is dispersed.

Next time I’d probably choose an Anaheim pepper or something even milder. A bell pepper would be nice. Or if you’ve got more tomatoes than you know what to do with, stuff those.

Lesson learned.

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I’m usually ok on my own for these posts. I’ve figured out how to photograph with one hand, while the other works. But today I needed both hands, and I needed a picture of it from above. I did consider trying to hold the camera with my chin and shoulder. I thought better of it and asked Tim, who now does freelance work from home too, for help instead. (Don’t tell him what I was thinking of doing, m’kay? 😉 )

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Once I settled on trying to shove the filling in with the handle of a spoon (after a few failed attempts with other utensils), I got the poppers roasting. I opted for the toaster oven, since it’s one bazillion degrees out right now. And my toaster oven opted to crap out on me, resulting in partially roasted pepper poppers. But, they were done enough, they were hot and bubbly, just not quite as soft as I would have liked (hence the 30-60 minute suggestion in the recipe – that way you can have ’em how you want ’em).

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With the right pepper for you, these are a nice little treat. Appetizer, lunch, side at dinner… There was a lot more filling than I ended up needing. But, I chopped up the leftover peppers, with filling, and added them to some green beans and summer squash that were sautéeing in olive oil. The filling got a little crispy (which makes me happy), the chopped up peppers added just a kick of heat, the lentils were there for protein, the rice to get in some grains. Oh and then I topped it with a fried egg. So, I’d make all the filling, if you’re ok with leftovers*. You can pop it in the freezer if you’re not going to eat it in a few days. Winner winner we just made tomorrow’s dinner.

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Happy Eating!

Chile Pepper Poppers

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Yield: 3-5 (chile peppers) or 2-4 (bell peppers)

Serving Size: 2 chile peppers or 1 bell pepper

Chile Pepper Poppers

Ingredients

  • 1/2 C uncooked green lentils (need about 1/2 C cooked)
  • 1 1/2 C water
  • 1/2 C uncooked brown rice (or quinoa) (need about 1/2 C cooked)
  • 1 C water
  • 1 C onion (or shallot), chopped
  • to taste salt
  • pinch ginger
  • 1 T fresh Thai basil (or any variety basil), chopped
  • 1 T fresh mint, chopped
  • 1-2 T feta or extra firm tofu, crumbled
  • 6-10 large hot peppers* (or 2-4 bell peppers), stem sliced off, ribs and seeds removed using a paring knife (do not use fingernails)

Instructions

  1. Cook lentils with water (about 15-20 minutes, or according to package's instructions) (don't overcook). Drain if there is extra water.
  2. Cook rice (according to package's instructions), after about 15 minutes stir in onions. Continue to cook until rice is done (don't overcook).
  3. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
  4. Mix lentils and rice with salt through mint. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Mix in feta or tofu. Stuff into peppers using the end of a spoon. Stand in a small ramekin (and place on a baking sheet) or lay flat on a baking sheet (some filling may spill out). Roast for about 30-60 minutes, or until peppers have softened slightly.

Notes

Filling may yield more than needed. Leftovers are great reheated in a skillet with some olive oil, veggies, and topped with a fried egg or piece of crispy tofu. *Use peppers as hot as you would like. On the Scoville scale, Chipotle, Fresno peppers, jalapeños, and wax peppers (like Hungarian wax pepper) are rated at 3,500-10,000 Scoville Heat Units. Milder peppers are: Jalapeños, Anaheim peppers, poblano (or ancho), at 1,000-4,000 SHU. And milder still: banana peppers, peperoncini, and pimentos come in at 100-900. Bell peppers are rated at a 0.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/chile-pepper-poppers/

*To cool leftover rice, here’s what I like to do: Let it cool on the counter for a bit, then put it in the fridge, stirring every once in a while, keeping it fluffy (and not too packed into the container so it will cool properly).

(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville_scale

Thursday

28

May 2015

0

COMMENTS

Customizable Panzanella Salad

Written by , Posted in Beans, Beef, Bread, Cheese, Condiments, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Eggs, Fish, Fruit, Gluten Free, Grains, Herbs, Legumes, Low Carb, Lunch, Main Dishes, Meat, Nuts, Pork, Poultry, Quick and Easy, Quinoa, Salads, Sides, Toasting, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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There are so many things that this salad can be. It can be vegan, paleo, low-carb, gluten-free, high-protein… It all depends on what you add to it.

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I made some baguettes a few weeks ago that I wasn’t thrilled with. They’re prefect for croutons though. If you prefer to avoid bread, quinoa or tofu would be great bread replacers. Or, if you’re eating gluten-free, your best gluten-free bread will be just perfect.

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To make up the bulk of this salad, I opened this week’s Abundant Harvest Organics box then pulled a few things from the produce drawer. But this is where there are so many ways you can make this salad your own.

Beyond tons of veggie options, here are a few ways you could adapt this dish:

Protein a Plenty: Add beans, quinoa (instead of or alongside the bread), tofu, hard boiled eggs, meat (tuna, beef, chicken, turkey, pork), nuts, cheese.

Paleo: Add eggs, meat, and nuts instead of the bread.

Vegan: Leave as is, or add quinoa or tofu.

Gluten-Free: Use your favorite gluten-free bread, or swap out the bread for quinoa.

All the Veggies: I used nopales, onion, carrot, green beans, radish, and summer squash. You could also add: snap peas, greens, tomatoes, bell peppers, corn, eggplant, cucumber… or any other veggies that are in season and you think would taste great.

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I love the combination of a really good quality olive oil like Bari’s along with balsamic vinegar. But, a mixture of red wine vinegar and lemon juice, or balsamic and lemon juice would also be great. Customize it to make it your own!

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Riiiiiight before serving add the bread. Or to really avoid soggy bread, put the bread on the plate and top it with salad, letting the dressing soak in slowly. The lesson I learned today: only add as much bread as you’re going to eat. The leftovers will get way soggy (#freetofail).

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This is one of my favorite ways to welcome summer. But, come fall or winter, just trade the summer veggies for some roasted winter ones and you’ve got a winner all year round.

Happy Eating!

Customizable Panzanella Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4

Customizable Panzanella Salad

Ingredients

  • 3-4 C stale bread (any kind - or could sub 2-3 C quinoa or tofu), cubed
  • 1 t olive oil
  • to taste salt
  • to taste pepper
  • 1/4 to 1/2 C balsamic or red wine vinegar (or half vinegar half lemon juice)*
  • 1 1/2 t dijon mustard
  • pinch cayenne (optional)
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • to taste salt
  • to taste pepper
  • 2 T to 1/4 C olive oil*
  • 3-4 T fresh herbs (basil, parsley, chives, oregano, thyme), chopped
  • 4-6 C any of the following (cubed, chopped, grated, or torn): summer squash, nopales, snap peas, green beans, greens, radishes, tomatoes, bell peppers, corn, eggplant, cucumbers, red onions, nuts, hard boiled eggs, nuts, chicken, beef, tuna, pork, mozzarella, parmesan, cannellini beans, garbonzo beans)

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F. Toss bread with 1 t olive oil, salt, and pepper, Place on a baking sheet, bake for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for about 5 minutes more (or until they're golden and toasty).
  2. Whisk balsamic vinegar through pepper. Stream in oil as you whisk. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
  3. Toss salad contents (except bread, if using quinoa or tofu, add it now) with dressing. Add bread just before serving.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/customizable-panzanella-salad/

Thursday

21

May 2015

0

COMMENTS

Roasted Stone Fruit with Bulgur and Fennel

Written by , Posted in Dairy-Free, Dinner, Fruit, Grains, Main Dishes, Nuts, Quick and Easy, Quinoa, Rice, Roasting, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

SavoryStoneFruit-6

Complain as I will about summer – the heat, the heat, the heat, I love the fruits and veggies that it brings. I’m silly for squash (more about that next week), crazy for cherries, and wacko for watermelon. Not to mention sweet corn… be still my heart. And oh the stone fruit… Standing over the sink, eating the most perfectly ripe peach, juice dripping down my arms. That’s just heavenly.

Try as I might, stone fruit doesn’t last long in our home. It’s just too easy to grab one, give it a quick scrub, and have a delicious snack. So in order to have any left for this savory take, I had to make it as soon as the box got home.

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This week it was nectarines in our Abundant Harvest Organics box, but apricots, apriums, or peaches would work great too. I sliced them about 1/4″ thick, tossed them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roasted them for a few minutes.

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While the nectarines hung out in the oven, I sautéed some onions and fennel. A few minutes later I added the bulgur wheat and let it get a bit toasty before I added some veggie stock. If you wanted to keep this dish gluten-free, quinoa, brown rice, or barley would be great instead of the bulgur wheat.

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Once the fruit was roasted, flipped once, and roasted for a bit longer, it joined the party in the bulgur pan.

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Added to it was some saffron, cayenne, and ginger.

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Top it with a little lemon juice, some chopped nuts, and you’ve got dinner.

It’s great on its own, but would be fabulous served with some crispy fried tofu, or a roasted chicken, along with a salad of arugula, red onions, sliced stone fruit, and chopped nuts.

Happy Eating!

Roasted Stone Fruit with Bulgur and Fennel

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 2-3 as a main dish, 3-4 as a side dish

Roasted Stone Fruit with Bulgur and Fennel

Ingredients

  • 2 C firm stone fruit (apricots, nectarines, apriums, or peaches), sliced 1/4" thick
  • to taste salt
  • to taste pepper
  • 1 t olive oil
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 C onion, chopped
  • 1/3 C fennel, chopped
  • to taste salt
  • to taste pepper
  • 1 C bulgur wheat (or quinoa, brown rice, or barley)
  • 2 C vegetable stock (or water)
  • pinch saffron (optional)
  • pinch ginger
  • to taste salt
  • to taste pepper
  • pinch cayenne
  • 1 T plus 2 t lemon juice
  • 1/2 C nuts (almonds or pistachios), roughly chopped

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
  2. Toss stone fruit with salt, pepper, and 1 t olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and roast for about 7 minutes, flip, then about 7-8 minutes more (or until fruit is lightly browned).
  3. While fruit cooks, heat a medium sized sauce pan over medium or medium-low heat. Add 1 T olive oil. When oil is hot, add onion, fennel, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add bulgur and cook for 1 minute more. Add stock, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 7-8 minutes (or until bulgur is cooked).
  4. Add stone fruit through lemon juice to bulgur mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Cool for about 10 minutes, then serve topped with nuts.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/roasted-stone-fruit-with-bulgur-and-fennel/

Monday

20

April 2015

1

COMMENTS

Warm Beet and Walnut Salad

Written by , Posted in Dairy-Free, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Grains, Herbs, Lunch, Main Dishes, Nuts, Potlucks, Quick and Easy, Quinoa, Rice, Salads, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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It’s spring. But, here in L.A. it seems like the weather’s not sure what it wants to do. One week it feels like summer, the next, we’re back to our winter weather.

But, this salad can be eaten rain or shine.

It’s a simple one. And it goes kinda like this…

You start with a grain: Quinoa, brown rice, bulgur wheat, wild rice, or couscous.

You choose your veggies (any or all): Beets, carrots, greens, tomatoes (ok, technically a fruit), or summer squash.

Then you choose your add ins: Walnuts, almonds, raisins, apples, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds.

Fresh herbs are added: Parsley, basil, or thyme.

And you’re ready to eat!

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Since we get beets year round here, we can eat this hearty salad whenever we want. I had golden beets on hand, but red beets would work well too.

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I love the feeling of sunshine that golden beets bring to my kitchen. They’re such a happy root veggie.

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Veggies are cooked in a skillet – easy! Beets are a pretty dense root veggie, so be sure to give them enough time to cook (20 minutes or so seemed to do the trick for me).

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I love raw walnuts, so they were a perfect choice. Some raisins and apples added a bit of sweetness to the already sweet beets and carrots. Sweet, but not too.

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For my grain, I chose quinoa. Packed with protein, it seemed like a great fit for a vegan dish.

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Some quality olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon brighten and round out the dish.

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The finished product is a warm salad. The beets warm the add ins slightly, while the add ins cool the cooked veggies. You could also refrigerate and eat it a few hours later.

Quick and easy to prepare, packed with nutrients and protein, this one was a hit at our house. Even Tim, who isn’t crazy about beets, thought it was really good.

Happy Eating!

Warm Beet and Walnut Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 3-4

Warm Beet and Walnut Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 C water or vegetable stock
  • 1/2 C uncooked quinoa (rinsed) (or couscous, wild rice, bulgur wheat, or brown rice with appropriate amount of water)
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 C golden beets (red beets would work great too), peeled and chopped
  • 1 C carrots (or summer squash), chopped
  • to taste salt
  • to taste pepper
  • 3 C greens (like spinach, chard, or kale), chopped
  • sprinkle cayenne
  • 1 t fresh parsley, chopped (divided)
  • 1 t fresh basil, chopped (divided)
  • 2 T raisins, chopped
  • 1/4 C apple, chopped
  • 1 C walnuts, chopped
  • 1/2 C pumpkin seeds (optional)
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 2 T lemon juice
  • lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

  1. Bring the water to a boil. Add the quinoa. Bring back to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, or until done. (If using other grains, cook according to package's instructions.)
  2. Heat a skillet over medium-low. Add olive oil. When the oil is hot add the beets through pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes (or until veggies are tender), adding greens after about 10-15 minutes (depending on type of greens - more tender greens will require less time to cook).
  3. Remove skillet from the heat. Stir in half of the herbs (reserving the rest for topping), and then raisins through lemon juice, and cooked quinoa. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
  4. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold, with a lemon wedge for squeezing over.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/warm-beet-and-walnut-salad/

Monday

13

April 2015

0

COMMENTS

Vegan Tofu Fried Quinoa

Written by , Posted in Dairy-Free, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Grains, Leftovers, Lunch, Main Dishes, One Dish Dinners, Quick and Easy, Quinoa, Rice, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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We don’t eat a lot of meat. We enjoy it, but it’s expensive, and we’ve found that there are plenty of other ways to get enough protein in our diet. So the meals containing meat are few and far between, and we fill in the gaps with meals like this take on Fried Rice.

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It starts with some seasonal veggies. Right now we’ve got greens like kale, chard, and mei qing choi. There are carrots, snap peas, and spring onions. And we’ve got the most delicious spring onions.

If you wanted to adapt this to suit another season, you could try some of these options:

Spring: Radishes, green beans, asparagus, fava beans, garlic scapes, or kohlrabi.

Summer: Zucchini/summer squash, tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, or sinqua.

Fall: Beets, arugula, cabbage, celery, chard, fennel, or radicchio.

Winter: Broccoli, cauliflower, winter squash, bok choy, mustard greens, or daikon radishes.

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No matter the veggies, it’s going to come together super quickly, so I’d suggest having all of the components ready to go before you begin cooking. Stir fry type dishes generally tend to cook over pretty high heat, which means they need to be stirred almost constantly. This doesn’t leave time for chopping up the next ingredients while the first ones cook.

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I’d made some quinoa the day before, and used the leftovers in this dish. You could also use bulgur wheat, rice noodles, or regular brown rice (cook according to the package’s directions).

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The quinoa takes the place of brown rice, since it has a bit more protein. The tofu mimics the egg, to make it vegan. I asked Tim if he could tell that there weren’t eggs in here. He said that it wasn’t noticeable.

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Like a lot of things, I enjoy this served with a wedge of lemon to squeeze over top. The brightness that it adds is the perfect way to complete this dish.

Happy Eating!

Vegan Tofu Fried Quinoa

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4

Vegan Tofu Fried Quinoa

Ingredients

  • 2 T oil
  • 1 C snap peas (or green beans), strings removed, chopped
  • 1 C carrots, chopped
  • 1/2 C fennel (or celery), chopped
  • 1 C onion, chopped
  • 2 C greens, chopped
  • sprinkle ginger
  • to taste salt
  • to taste pepper
  • sprinkle cayenne
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • 2 T soy sauce or gluten-free aminos
  • 2 T rice vinegar
  • 1 C quinoa (or bulgur wheat, brown rice, or rice noodles) (cooked)
  • 7 oz. tofu (firm), drained and crumbled
  • 1/4 C green or spring onions, chopped
  • 1/2 to 1 C microgreens
  • lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat a wok, add oil over medium-high heat. Add snap peas through cayenne and cook for 3-5 minutes, turning constantly.
  2. Add greens through microgreens (if microgreens are very delicate, wait to add them until 1 minute before you finish cooking) and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  3. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/vegan-tofu-fried-quinoa/