Quinoa Risotto

Clearly not a true risotto, this quick and healthy side dish substitutes the traditional Arborio rice for the fast-cooking grain, Quinoa.  

This small, high protein, high fiber grain cooks quickly in chicken broth flavoured with lemon, thyme and garlic.  To recreate risotto's familiar creamy texture, cheese is stirred in during the final moments of cooking!

I purchase quinoa at my local supermarket - the brand I buy is the President's Choice Organics brand from Super Store.  I find this brand cooks well - with all the liquid absorbed, and the quinoa maintaining an aldente texture - but you can substitute any brand you wish - even the black or red varieties for interest - just adjust the cooking time if needed.

The entire box of quinoa contains roughly 1 1/3 cups dried quinoa but I had used about 1/3 cup in another recipe so I used the remaining 1 cup here.  I used all the liquid required by the instructions however to further replicate risotto's 'looser' texture.  If you have a full package use that and add about 1/2 cup additional cooking liquid.

I've also used coconut oil to start the recipe here.  Coconut oil has many health benefits but you can use olive oil or butter instead if you wish!

What's for Dinner? Chicken, Chick Pea and Lentil Curries!

This recipe for chicken curry is makes a great curry base that can be used for a variety of different dishes! Substitute the chicken and chickpeas for beef and peas, paneer (fresh Indian cheese), eggplant, potatoes, vegetables..or even goat or lamb! This recipe will make enough of the curry base for the two dishes, chicken and chickpeas and the spicy lentil dish to follow! However, the recipe is easy to halve if you are only making one of the two dishes! (Please excuse my lack of authenticity).

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

This is a very easy soup with few ingredients. Check your local farmers market in the fall for butternut squash or the versitile squash is generally available in most grocery stores nearly all year round!

Top with soup cream, yogurt or tzatziki!

What's For Dinner? Feta and Tomato Orzo, Green Beans and Red Snapper

This whole meal comes together in less than 30 minutes and the orzo is great as leftovers.  If you've never used orzo before, it's a small rice shaped pasta but if you can't find orzo, any small pasta will do!  Salty Feta and Sweet tomato compliment each other well in the pasta - seared snapper and a side of green beans make a complete meal!

Spiced Vegetable Quinoa with Vegetables

Did you know Quinoa, a seudo grain native to South America, is a relative of spinach, beets and the tumbleweed? Its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice, and like oats, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods. It is a good source of dietary fiber (7g per serving) and phosphorus and is high inmagnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. (from Wikipedia).

Quinoa is very easy to cook, it takes only 15 minutes which is basically the same amount of time as white rice, with many more health benefits! It's also very versatile, like rice, and can be served hot or cold!

I served this quick and easy spiced quinoa with broiled salmon, but it would do just as well with pretty much anything or even on its own!

Butter Basted Baby Carrots

I was lucky enough to find these multicoloured baby carrots at this farmers market this weekend.  Sweet and tender in purple and orange.  These are so fast and easy to cook and they require little prep - I don't even peel them before tossing them in a hot frying pan with a little butter.  No brown sugar glaze required here, these baby's are super sweet and tasty.  If you can find them, snatch them up - they are great like this, served raw in crudités or salad or simply blanched - a great early summer treat.

Twice Baked, Stuffed Baked Potatoes

What follows isn't exactly a recipe and you really don't need one to make these just start with baking potatoes....now, if you can avoid the 2 pound, 5" monsters Shaun picked out at the grocery store (I pause to note that I did ask him to choose the smallest potatoes he could find from the bin and this is what we got) you won't have to bake them as long as I had to...these bad boys took an hour and a half!

Stuffed with cheese, yogurt, onion and bacon - crispy skin on the outside and creamy mashed potato within, what could be better than this!

Peas, Pesto and Pasta

The basil plants on the balcony are going a bit crazy. I've been plucking off their flowers and have been rewarded with an abundance of leaves! I really love pesto in moderation but there is something very strong about the bottled stuff and on a bowl of pasta I find it over whelming so I thought I'd try making my own with basil, lemon, parmesan and of course garlic!

I used substantially less oil than traditional pesto in this recipe.  I have also added a few tbsp of vegetable broth to the mixture to make up for the lack of oil.  If you prefer a more traditional consistency, feel free to up to oil amount as you blend.

This recipe makes enough pesto for one generous plate of pasta for one as a meal, however, you could easily serve this as a side dish with a light protein like fish or chicken if you wish!

Spinach Falafel

Traditionally deep fried, this recipe for falafel is lightly pan fried for a lighter, healthier result!  The more traditional parsley is also replaced with spinach in this version for an interesting twist!  Prepared in the food processor, the recipe is quick and easy to prepare, but you can also mash the ingredients by hand with a bowl and fork or in a mortar and pestle.

I formed the chickpea mixture into flat rounds and got 6 medium sized patties this way.  You can also shape them into smaller balls and get about 12.  The larger patties make for a great meal on their own with some salad or on a bun.  Smaller falafel would be delicious on their own as a snack or stuffed into warm pita bread.  Either way you serve them, hummous, tzatziki or hot sauce makes a great accompaniment!