Quinoa With Kale And Walnuts

April 28, 2009 by Susan

Nutrient rich kale, abundant in vitamins A, C and K as well as fiber and iron, is a leafy green vegetable with a slightly earthy flavor. It is very low in calories, yet very high in nutrients. I am trying to find creative ways to incorporate more of it into my diet.

I came up with this recipe as a spinoff of the chicken vegetable couscous dish I posted back on March 19th. I love having dishes like this on hand in the fridge throughout the week. It can serve it’s purpose as a last minute side dish for a quick meal or as a whole meal itself (which is usually how I eat it). I knew I wanted to have kale in this dish so from that point on I tried to include other things to complement the kale in color, texture and flavor.

Just thinking about how healthy this meal is can actually be overwhelming! Quinoa, as many of you might already know is a superfood. It is a protein containing all nine essential amino acids. Kale, as I briefly mentioned above is very rich in vitamins and nutrients. It is also one of the best sources of beta-carotene making it a warrior in the fight against different types of cancers. And get this, it actually fights fat.

Hallelujah.

Typically, I don’t create my own recipes, however, I think I did an ok job on this one. I hope you think so as well.

Here’s what you will need to serve 3-4 people, as a side dish….

Recipe

6 cups kale, stems removed, finely chopped (1 medium head)

1 cup quinoa

2 cups low sodium chicken stock

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 lemon, zested

juice of one large lemon

1/3 cup white wine

1/3 cup (heaping) chopped walnuts, toasted

1/3 cup (heaping) corn kernels

1/3 cup parsley

pinch freshly grated nutmeg

salt & pepper

Method

Cook quinoa according to the package directions, using chicken stock in place of water. (1 cup quinoa to 2 cups of stock, bring to a boil, cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat olive oil, add onions and red pepper flakes and saute for 3-4 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add garlic and lemon zest, cook for 1-2 minutes. Add white wine, stir and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add salt & pepper.

Add kale, 1/2 of the lemon juice and the pinch of nutmeg. Stir to combine and allow to cook over a low flame for 5-7 minutes, or until the kale is wilted and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Now is the time to add those corn kernels.

Add the cooked quinoa to the kale mixture and gently combine. Turn off the heat and add the remaining lemon juice, parsley and toasted walnuts. Taste and add more salt & pepper, if needed.

Quinoa With Kale And Walnuts

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

6 cups kale, stems removed, finely chopped (1 medium head)
1 cup quinoa
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 lemon, zested
juice of one large lemon
⅓ cup white wine
⅓ cup (heaping) chopped walnuts, toasted
⅓ cup (heaping) corn kernels
⅓ cup parsley
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
salt & pepper

Method

Cook quinoa according to the package directions, using chicken stock in place of water. (1 cup quinoa to 2 cups of stock, bring to a boil, cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes).
Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat olive oil, add onions and red pepper flakes and saute for 3 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add garlic and lemon zest, cook for 1-2 minutes. Add white wine, stir and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add salt & pepper.
Add kale, ½ of the lemon juice and the pinch of nutmeg. Stir to combine and allow to cook over a low flame for 5-7 minutes, or until the kale is wilted and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Now is the time to add those corn kernels.
Add the cooked quinoa to the kale mixture and gently combine. Turn off the heat and add the remaining lemon juice, parsley and toasted walnuts. Taste and add more salt & pepper, if needed.

Chicken Vegetable Couscous

March 19, 2009 by Susan

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Quick and simple dishes that actually taste good are my favorite things to make. If the dish stands up well to being left in the fridge for a few days, even better! I discovered this recipe from the Rachael Ray magazine and only made a few small changes. It’s a wonderful side dish, however, I eat it as my main meal, in a bowl, sitting in front of the TV…

I doubled the amount of zucchini as well as eliminating the fennel seeds (her recipe called for 1/2 tsp). The other change I sometimes make is not sauteing the chicken in the pan – sometimes I have leftover oven roasted chicken that I shred up or cut into cubes and throw in. Also note that I have made this dish with quinoa instead of couscous many times and it’s delicious. Actually, I think I prefer it. Just cook the quinoa separately (as directed on the box) and add to the zucchini mixture for a gluten-free, protein packed version of this meal.

Here’s what you need to serve 4…

Recipe

2 tbsp olive oil

1 pound boneless chicken breasts, chopped (or leftover chicken)

1 onion

2 zucchini, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp grated lemon zest

Juice of one lemon

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Pinch of cinnamon

1 cup green olives, chopped

Low sodium chicken stock (use amount as directed on couscous box)

One 10 oz box couscous (or 1 cup quinoa)

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped

Salt & pepper

hot sauce (optional)

Method

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned, 3 minutes. Add the onion, zucchini, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper and cinnamon. Season with salt & pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes, then add the olives. Cook for 3 more minutes.

Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover the pan, turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and then add the parsley, mint and lemon juice. Toss to combine. If you are so inclined, sprinkle some hot sauce on it and enjoy!

Chicken Vegetable Couscous

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 pound boneless chicken breasts, chopped (or leftover chicken)
1 onion
2 zucchini, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp grated lemon zest
Juice of one lemon
½ tsp crushed red pepper
Pinch of cinnamon
1 cup green olives, chopped
Low sodium chicken stock (use amount as directed on couscous box)
One 10 oz box couscous (or 1 cup quinoa)
¼ cup parsley, chopped
¼ cup mint leaves, chopped
Salt & pepper
hot sauce (optional)

Method

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned, 3 minutes. Add the onion, zucchini, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper and cinnamon. Season with salt & pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes, then add the olives. Cook for 3 more minutes.
Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover the pan, turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and then add the parsley, mint and lemon juice. Toss to combine. If you are so inclined, sprinkle some hot sauce on it and enjoy!

Spinach and Chickpea Curry

December 26, 2008 by Susan

When I came across this recipe I immediately thought I had to try it. I had been thinking about attempting to cook an Indian dish at home for some time and this one seemed so simple and quick I felt comfortable giving it a try – if it didn’t turn out well I would not have invested much time and energy into it. I hate wasting time and energy!

Not only is this dish super fast to whip up, it’s healthy. The chickpeas are high in fiber and a great source of protein. And thanks to Popeye we all know the health benefits of spinach by now!

This dish goes so well with lamb. I like to buy the small loin lamb chops and broil them in the oven for about 10 minutes. I serve this curry alongside the lamb – it’s spectacular. I have also spooned this mixture over a piece of Tilapia and it was very tasty. This spinach and chickpea curry would also be fantastic as a vegetarian meal all on it’s own served over basmati rice.

This is what you will need to serve as a side dish for 4-6 people…

Recipe

1 cup coarsely chopped onion

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon red curry powder

1/8 teaspoon garam masala

1 19-oz can chick peas, drained and rinsed

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes with juice

4-5 cups spinach leaves

chicken stock (optional)

Method

In a food processor, combine onion and ginger, pulse until minced.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion mixture, curry powder and garam masala to the pan and saute 3 minutes. Add chickpeas and tomatoes to the pan, crushing some of the tomatoes with the back of your spoon. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in spinach and simmer until wilted.

If you would like the mixture to be more liquidy, feel free to add some chicken stock (or vegetable stock). I prefer mine on the thicker side.

That’s it, really. So fast. So simple. So delicious.

Spinach and Chickpea Curry

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red curry powder
⅛ teaspoon garam masala
1 19-oz can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes with juice
4-5 cups spinach leaves
chicken stock (optional)

Method

In a food processor, combine onion and ginger, pulse until minced.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion mixture, curry powder and garam masala to the pan and saute 3 minutes. Add chickpeas and tomatoes to the pan, crushing some of the tomatoes with the back of your spoon. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in spinach and simmer until wilted.
If you would like the mixture to be more liquidy, feel free to add some chicken stock (or vegetable stock). I prefer mine on the thicker side.

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

December 1, 2008 by Susan

I love eating mashed potatoes as much as anyone. They are a perfect side dish to just about any meal. However, sometimes mashed potatoes can be…well…a little heavy. This recipe is a terrific, lighter alternative to the traditional mashed potatoes. The major ingredient is cauliflower, but no one would even know just by looking at this. I like my mashed potatoes to still have some texture to it, as opposed to being whipped/pureed. You can add more milk and butter if you want a creamier version.

Here’s what you will need to serve 4…

Recipe

1 cauliflower head, cut into pieces

3 potatoes, yukon gold or idaho, peeled & cut into medium chunks

1/4 cup – 1/2 cup nonfat milk, warm (use more if you want it to be more creamy)

1-2 tablespoon butter

fresh parsley, chopped

salt & pepper

Method

Steam cauliflower for about 15 minutes, until tender. In a medium sized pot, bring potatoes to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until soft. Drain potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash potatoes and cauliflower together. Add milk and butter and continue mashing until it reaches your desired consistency. Add salt & pepper to taste. Sprinkle in parsley and gently mix to combine.

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

1 cauliflower head, cut into pieces
3 potatoes, yukon gold or idaho, peeled & cut into medium chunks
¼ cup - ½ cup nonfat milk, warm (use more if you want it to be more creamy)
1-2 tablespoon butter
fresh parsley, chopped
salt & pepper

Method

Steam cauliflower for about 15 minutes, until tender. In a medium sized pot, bring potatoes to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until soft. Drain potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash potatoes and cauliflower together. Add milk and butter and continue mashing until it reaches your desired consistency. Add salt & pepper to taste. Sprinkle in parsley and gently mix to combine.

Brussel Sprouts and Bacon Hash

November 20, 2008 by Susan

When I was growing up brussels sprouts got such a bad rap. Hated by many. To be honest my mother never really made them so my only experience eating them was outside the home. And from what I remember, I didn’t like them. Flash forward to today and I’m making them! And I love them. Why on earth do so many people despise brussels sprouts? I’ve come to realize it’s most likely because they were prepared poorly and with a complete lack of creativity. Most people probably just boiled them and threw them in a bowl.

I do like to eat healthy and maintain a healthy lifestyle, so it seems logical I would one day incorporate brussels sprouts into my cooking. These adorable mini cabbages are loaded with vitamins, potassium, calcium and are very high in fiber, so they help to fill you up. And as luck would have it, they are low in fat and calories. November is prime time for brussels sprouts, so the markets are filled with them. You can see from the above photo that I took at the Union Square Farmer’s Market how they look before they are picked and presented to you in the grocery store. Quite dramatic, right?

Tyler Florence was the one that inspired me to make this dish. Last month my cousin and I got tickets to the NYC Food & Wine Festival and saw Tyler at a cooking demonstration. I love his shows and recipes and let’s face it, the guy’s adorable. We just loved him in person, he has such a great personality and is quite funny. Here’s a picture of him cooking away…

One of the recipes he prepared that day (and what he’s actually preparing in this photo) was this brussels sprouts and bacon hash number. It sounded interesting so I tried it at home and have to say it was really good. Actually, it was great. Yes, a brussels sprouts dish was great. I kid you not.

In this recipe the sprouts are actually sliced, which is a fantastic idea. I bet if you didn’t tell people this was a brussels sprouts dish they might not even notice! And there’s bacon in here – you can never go wrong with bacon. I did make one substitution, his recipe calls for pearl onions, I used shallots instead. That’s the only ingredient change I made.

Here is what you will need to make my version of this dish…

Recipe

5-6 slices of bacon (I use low sodium bacon), cut in a medium dice

1 pint of brussels sprouts

2 springs fresh thyme

6-8 fingerling potatoes (or small white potatoes), cut in half and then in half again

2 large shallots

1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1-2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

Method

Saute bacon in a large pan until just starting to crisp. Remove from pan and discard 1/2 of the fat renderings. To the renderings add the brussels sprouts, shallots, potatoes and thyme and stir. Season with pepper and a little bit of salt (the bacon is salty so be careful). Cook until slightly browned. Add chicken stock and steam for 5- 10 minutes, until veggies are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. I put the lid on the pot for part of this time. Add balsamic vinegar and toss to coat. Add the bacon back to the pan and stir all ingredients together to combine. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. And now for the final product…

If you have any leftovers do yourself a favor and put a fried egg over this hash in the morning. You’ll thank me.

Tyler’s original recipe can be found here http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/bacon-and-brussels-sprout-hash-recipe/index.html

Brussel Sprouts and Bacon Hash

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

5-6 slices of bacon (I use low sodium bacon), cut in a medium dice
1 pint of brussels sprouts
2 springs fresh thyme
6-8 fingerling potatoes (or small white potatoes), cut in half and then in half again
2 large shallots
½ cup low sodium chicken stock
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1-2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

Method

Saute bacon in a large pan until just starting to crisp. Remove from pan and discard ½ of the fat renderings. To the renderings add the brussels sprouts, shallots, potatoes and thyme and stir. Season with pepper and a little bit of salt (the bacon is salty so be careful). Cook until slightly browned. Add chicken stock and steam for 5- 10 minutes, until veggies are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. I put the lid on the pot for part of this time. Add balsamic vinegar and toss to coat. Add the bacon back to the pan and stir all ingredients together to combine. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Vegetable Stuffed Peppers

October 15, 2008 by Susan

I had no idea how nutritious red peppers are! They are an excellent source of vitamins C and A and they contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals (bad things) that cause some types of cancers and heart disease. Surprisingly, red peppers contain almost three times the amount of vitamin C as green peppers. Poor green peppers, they just aren’t up to snuff.

Traditionally, stuffed peppers are made with chop meat. I do make the meat version at times, however, I like to keep things on the healthy side over here, so I try to make it with mostly veggies now, or sometimes I will add some ground turkey. All versions are delicious. I like to bring a stuffed pepper with me to work for lunch, and since I make 4 or 5 of them I eat one a day, everyday for lunch that week. And NO, I don’t get sick of it! They are so delicious, healthy and filling. A complete meal stuffed inside a nutritionally packed red pepper. What more could I ask for?

Here’s what you will need to make approximately 6 peppers…

Recipe

4 large red peppers

1 cup brown rice, cooked

1 large zucchini, small dice

1 large yellow squash, small dice

1 large onion

1 small container crimini mushrooms, small dice

1 can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed up

1/2 cup chopped baby spinach

2 cloves garlic, grated

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 tbsp grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

pinch dried oregano

pinch pepperoncino

olive oil

Method

In a skillet over medium heat coat pan with some olive oil. Saute the zucchini, squash, onion and mushrooms until slightly softened, roughly 5 minutes. Add grated garlic, spinach, oregano and pepperoncino and some salt & pepper. Cook for additional 2-3 minutes.

Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15-20 minutes.

While the filling is simmering away, carefully cut out the tops of the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs from the inside of the pepper. It helps to have small hands! I usually discard the tops, but once or twice I did keep them and put them back on top of the peppers for decoration, like little hats. Up to you.

Once the filling mixture has cooked for awhile, add all the brown rice and parsley and stir well. Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Mix well again. I’ll tell you, this sauce (minus the rice) would be perfect over some pasta! Here’s how things should be looking at this point.

Now for the fun part…stuffing! I love stuffing these guys. I use a teaspoon for this. Basically just stuff the filling mixture into each pepper, pressing the filling down into the bottom of the pepper. Fill them way up to the top. Just like this…

In the bottom of a baking dish, I put some water and oil (and some tomato sauce if I have some left over) to keep things moist. Arrange the now stuffed peppers in the baking dish and sprinkle the tops of the peppers with some olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 – 60 minutes, or until the peppers have become slightly wrinkly and soft. I prefer my peppers to still have a slight bite to them. Some people like to cook them alot until they are very mushy, again – up to you. As I said, I like mine with a bite, not too mushy.

Get stuffing people!

Vegetable Stuffed Peppers

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

4 large red peppers
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 large zucchini, small dice
1 large yellow squash, small dice
1 large onion
1 small container crimini mushrooms, small dice
1 can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed up
½ cup chopped baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, grated
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tbsp grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
pinch dried oregano
pinch pepperoncino
olive oil

Method

In a skillet over medium heat coat pan with some olive oil. Saute the zucchini, squash, onion and mushrooms until slightly softened, roughly 5 minutes. Add grated garlic, spinach, oregano and pepperoncino and some salt & pepper. Cook for additional 2-3 minutes.
Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15-20 minutes.
While the filling is simmering away, carefully cut out the tops of the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs from the inside of the pepper. It helps to have small hands! I usually discard the tops, but once or twice I did keep them and put them back on top of the peppers for decoration, like little hats. Up to you.
Once the filling mixture has cooked for awhile, add all the brown rice and parsley and stir well. Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Mix well again.
Once the filling mixture has cooked for awhile, add all the brown rice and parsley and stir well. Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Mix well again.
Now for the fun part...stuffing! I use a teaspoon for this. Basically just stuff the filling mixture into each pepper, pressing the filling down into the bottom of the pepper. Fill them way up to the top.
In the bottom of a baking dish, I put some water and oil (and some tomato sauce if I have some left over) to keep things moist. Arrange the now stuffed peppers in the baking dish and sprinkle the tops of the peppers with some olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 - 60 minutes, or until the peppers have become slightly wrinkly and soft.