Lentil and Quinoa Pilaf

This weekend was amazing. Sunny, warm, and beautiful. The boys played all weekend in the water, running around the neighborhood in flip flops and swim trunks. Spring had sprung and it was great! And then came Monday. Since rain is few and far between for us here in Southern California, I didn't take the time to look at the weather. I figured it would be just another beautiful, cool morning for a run. Turns out I was wrong. It did rain, right in the middle of a very fast paced 5 mile run. At the end, I was cold, wet, with two rubbery legs, and felt completely exhilarated. It also makes me crave something really warm to eat when the cold run and subsequent hot shower are all said and done. Today lentils and quinoa fit the bill.While this may not be as kid friendly as some of the other recipes, this one is super easy, pretty quick, and can be made in large batches for easy lunches/dinners.

Lentil & Quinoa Pilaf

Lentils
1/2 C of uncooked green lentils
1 1/2 C of water
1/2 vegetable bullion cube
1 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of ancho chili powder
Salt to taste

1. Pour water, bullion, and spices into the pot and bring to a boil
2. Toss your lentils into the boiling water and cook for 30-45 minutes until lentils have soaked up all the liquid and are tender.
3. Add salt to taste.
***1/2 cup of uncooked Lentils will yield 1 cup of cooked lentils***


Quinoa
1/2 c uncooked quinoa
1 cup of vegetable broth or water
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring water or vegetable broth to a boil.
2. Add in the quinoa and cook until you see tiny spirals (the germ) separating from and curling around the quinoa seeds. The quinoa will have a "fluffy" look to it.
***1/2 cup of uncooked Quinoa will yield 1 cup of cooked quinoa***

Once both are done, layer the lentils over the quinoa and serve hot along side of a green salad.  This makes for a very high protein, satisfying lunch. Enjoy!

Mushroom and Spinach Risotto

Being the lone vegan in a family of meat eaters, every holiday meal becomes a task. This year I decided that I would make something so epic, something so ah-mazing, no one in my family would miss the fact that there was no meat and (gasp) no cheese! So this Easter, bomb risotto was born. Now, risotto is one of those meals that sounds fancy and has a reputation that it's difficult to make. But I have to say I think that's a cop out. This risotto was easy, tasty, and had me dreaming of it again a few days later. And so we had it twice in one week. (Oh, and if your kids are picky like mine, tell them it's "cheesy rice" not risotto. My kids fear anything with a fancy name. Seriously.) Without further adieu, I give you Mushroom and Spinach Risotto, taken from dairy free cooking:

Mushroom and Spinach Risotto

Serves 4

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces dried shitake mushrooms
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2½ cups vegetable broth
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• 1 t. sea salt, plus more to taste
• 2 T. olive oil, divided
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ½ cup finely chopped onions
• 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 t. dried thyme
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 T. dairy-free soy margarine
• 1 ½ T. nutritional yeast
• Black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl, combine the boiling water with the shitake mushrooms, and let them soak, uncovered for 30 minutes. Drain the liquid into a medium-sized saucepan and discard the mushrooms. Add the vegetable broth to the sauce pan, bring the mixture to a simmer and cover.
2. In a small bowl, toss the spinach, lemon juice and 1 t. of the salt. Set aside.
3. In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 T. of the olive oil. Add the chopped garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and thyme, and cook until the mushrooms are soft, about 4 minutes more. Add the remaining 1 T. of olive oil and the rice, and, stirring constantly, cook until the rice is evenly coated and sounds like crispy rice cereal in the pan, making snapping and popping noises, about 4 minutes. Add the wine, stirring constantly, until all of the liquid is completely absorbed.
4. Ladle ¾ cup of the simmering broth into the rice and cook, continuing to stir, until most of the liquid is absorbed.Continue to add the broth in ¾-cup increments, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before another addition, until the rice is translucent around the edges but still solid in the middle and the rice is of a creamy consistency, about 20 minutes.
5. Add the spinach and cook for just about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, or until the spinach is wilted and bright green. Stir in the dairy-free soy margarine and nutritional yeast. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

So the key to making an amazingly creamy risotto is constant stirring. I know it seems a little much, but trust me it's only about 15-20 minutes of stirring and it's totally worth it! We also added in some asparagus and a little extra garlic and served with a green salad. So fantastic. This one is definitely going into heavy rotation at our house!

Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies

Ahhhh, Chocolate Chip Quinoa cookies, one of my crowning kitchen achievements. Let me start off by tooting my own horn. These chocolate chip cookies are the best that I have ever tasted, because they are 1. vegan, 2. made with quinoa, and 3. this recipe went through about a million and one revisions to get to where we are today. It's the recipe that I am most known for in my circles. It's the recipe that gets requested the most from those I know. Today, it's the one treat that my very health conscious brother will take a break from his body building diet to consume for his birthday. Now, with all of that crazy lead up, here's my uh-mazing Chocolate Chip Quinoa cookie recipe...





  
Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies
1/2 C of rinsed uncooked Quinoa
1/2 C of Earth Balance "Butter"
1/2 C of Almond milk (or similar non dairy milk)
2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of salt
1.5 cups of turbinado sugar
1 tablespoon of black strap molasses
1 tsp of vanilla
2 tablespoons of flax meal, 5 tablespoons of water (combined as an egg replacer)
1 package of Chocolate Chips

Melt your earth balance and place the earth balance, milk, quinoa, vanilla, molasses, sugar, and flax meal/water mixture in your blender and blend until the quinoa is completely smooth. Then add flour, baking soda, and salt to mixture. Finally add the chocolate chips and cook at 375 for about 8 minutes. If your cookie dough is too soft, refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes and then bake. Let them rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes to cool. Enjoy!!

Nutrient Round up:
Quinoa: A good source of Protein, Fiber, Folate, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Manganese.
Flax: good source of Omega 3, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Thiamin and Manganese.
Black Strap Molasses: excellent source of manganese and copper. It is a very good source of iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6 and selenium.