Revisiting Quinoa

Wondering what to do with that box of quinoa you bought to make my last recipe? Well, here's a super simple, yet hearty recipe that's sure to energize you...AND you can make it in about 20 minutes!

What you need (this makes about 2 servings)

1 cup chicken (or vegetable stock)

1/4 of a small red cabbage, sliced/chopped

2/3 cup soybeans

1/2 cup quinoa

salt, pepper, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder

What to do:

Prepare the quinoa by mixing the dry quinoa and stock in a saucepan. Let come to a boil, lower the heat and cover for 15 minutes, until the quinoa is tender.

Add the soybeans and cabbage.

Dress with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, and garlic in some form (I use chopped and dry) and about 1 Tb vinegar - it will soak right in so add more if necessary. I used a pomegranate balsamic vinegar and it was absolutely divine, so experiment with any crazy flavors you have hanging around...you know one of your friends gave you a bottle as a gift some number of birthdays ago.

Do you remember Mr. Hercule Poirot?

My mom is kind of obsessed with Poirot - you know, that famous Belgian detective with the awesome mustache? Her kids know this and we all use it as a ploy when we want her to stop stressing about "her papers" and sit down with us and relax. It's actually a good show/series and I find myself missing it when I'm alone with no cable and I've watched all my shows on hulu. So over Spring Break I snagged a few of her doubles and brought them back to Richmond.

I was in the mood for stir-fry but not the greasy take-out kind, so I decided to make my own. The creation was really yummy, and I was proud of the way I was able to salvage some things I thought had been transformed by the freezer-burn fairy.

What you need:

1 bag of Trader Joe Veggie Harvest (mushrooms, baby corn, carrots, broccoli, water chestnuts)

6 pieces of Trader Joe ice-glazed chicken tenders

3/4 red cabbage, sliced

1/2 package soybeans

2 cloves diced garlic

red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, garlic powder

soy sauce

peanut butter - the chunky kind

lo mien noodles

What you do:

Get your water boiling!!! I always forget this and am left waiting on the noodles.

Season your chicken however you like (don't forget a little olive oil) and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes - thaw it first, if using right out of the freezer.

Throw the noodles in the water - they should be done in about 8 minutes

In the meantime, make the veggies by frying the Trader Joe veggies in a little grapeseed oil until they are cooked warm. Add the garlic and cabbage and fry until the cabbage is just wilted, but hasn't lost it's purple. Add the cooked soybeans and set aside.

Now, I am only feeding one person, but I make enough for the whole week. By making the veggies separate from the noodles, separate from the chicken, I can assure nothing gets nasty-wilty and discolored. It's like each meal is fresh since I have to season it each day, too.

So, to assemble: in a saucepan, add the amount of veggies you want, some chopped chicken and the noodles. Add your seasonings - a spritz of lemon never hurt anyone if you have that onhand, a drizzle of soy sauce, and about a teaspoon of peanut butter. Stir over medium low heat for about 3 minutes - it's all cooked and hot anyway. Serve immediately.

This is the perfect meal because you can do all the hard work ahead of time. I purposely bake the chicken because I find it is nice a moist without adding too much extra oil - AND you don't have to worry about an extra dish or flipping every 3 minutes.

Modifications Are In Order

White bean chili is something I never really tried until Weston and I made some this January. I liked the recipe a LOT but now that I look back on it, the chili might have been a little on the runny side (Weston, I don't want to hear it...)

I used the same base recipe as before but made a few modifications:

1, 48 oz can Great Northern Beans

1, 15 oz can Kidney Beans

1 orange bell pepper chopped small

2 onions, and 3 cloves garlic chopped

1 tsp oregano

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

salt, pepper, garlic powder

36 oz chicken stock

1/2 cup crushed tomatoes or leftover spaghetti sauce

Saute the onion, potato, pepper, and garlic until cooked through, then add the rest of the ingredients.

Cook over medium heat for about 1 hour until it reduces by about an inch when you look at the side of the pot. Spritz with lemon before serving, if you wish.

Something Old, Something New

...oh yes. Winter is the time. The time for soup. I've gotten quite good at perfecting the art of soup, if I do say so myself. I used to think brewing up a pot of homemade goodness was such a hassle, but really it couldn't be easier so long as you have some type of stock and veggies/beans on hand.

The following is quite possibly the crowning glory of any soup I've ever made. I walked into the kitchen completely uninspired and then something amazing just happened and the following recipe was born:

What you need:

2 onions, chopped

1 cup tomato sauce (homemade is best - I always add oregano to mine, so if you're using sauce without it, add about 1/2 tsp)

3 carrots, chopped

5 potatoes, chopped

5-6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable)

1 tsp sage

salt, pepper, garlic powder

5-6 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 can cannelloni beans, not drained

2-3 pats butter and 2 Tbs oil

What you do:

Saute the onions in the oil until they are nice and almost caramelized, then add all the potatoes and carrots and saute down until the onions are almost melted and dark brown. Toss in your butter. Add the spices, tomato sauce, and stock. Put a lid on the top and cook for about 30 minutes, then add the beans (don't drain them - this helps thicken the soup). Cook another 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked a bit past their "tender" stage.

There are a few things that, I think, make this soup especially wonderful. First, it uses things everyone has on hand but perhaps never thought to put together. Second, it's cheap, and don't we all love that? Third, and most important - it is so good for you! Hardly any fat at all, brothy, and high in protein and nutrients from the tomatoes, stock, and garlic - ward of those pesky colds. The broth in itself is a thing of beauty because the butter adds another level of decadence and a wonderful viscosity not typical of your regular runny broth.

Homemade Granola Bars with a Twist

I'm hooked on granola bars. Anything in bar form, really. Bar cookies and cheesecakes are particular favorites of mine. But granola bars - oh, I could eat them like candy. Which is bad. Very bad. Because many of the ones you buy at the store are full of sugar and low in fiber, which goes against the whole draw of granola bars in general; they should be energy food! Good for your body, good for your mind. Now, there are a few brands out there which are excellent sources of protein, fiber, and good-for-you fats: Larabar, Trio, and Kashi are good choices. But man are they expensive! So this weekend, when I was rummaging around trying to pack my lunches for the week, I had a brilliant idea: why not make my own?

Now, I have made granola bars before from my favorite cookbook back in Michigan and they were delicious - but I didn't have that recipe and I only had a limited amount of ingredients. Why? Because I depend on the kindness of others to take me shopping since I don't have a car and due to this crazy-mad grad program, none of us have had any time for a leisurely trip to the supermarket. Not to worry - I think the best creations come from the stuff you have on hand. There is a certain security in knowing you can make something out of nothing.

After typing "granola bars" into Google, I clicked on the first link I found which turned out to be perfect for me - I had almost everything. I got the recipe here but made a few modifications which I HIGHLY suggest. They take these bars to the next level of yum.

What you need:

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup crushed corn flakes
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup - 1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon (change the amount up or down depending on how much you want to taste this)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

What You Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. I used a Pyrex dish and that worked really well to get the bars out.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients, make a well in the center, and add the wet. If the mixture looks too moist, you can add some more oats or corn flakes, but keep in mind that the moist mixture will soak into the dry ingredients over time. If the mixture looks too wet, add a bit more honey. I kept adding cardamom until I could smell it well - if you add too much it overpowers the flavor and too little will just taste like nothing.
3. Using your hands, press into the baking dish.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut. I cut mine into nice large squares - don't try for thin strips because the dough is a bit crumbly when warm.

Tips from the Chef:

- When doing #2 above, pour the oil into the batter first, then the honey - this makes the honey super easy to pour out and doesn't leave you with a sticky mess.

- When performing #3 above, coat your hands with Pam spray or butter - this will assure the batter doesn't stick to you!

- I let the bars cook about 40 minutes because I wanted them to be a little more golden brown.

- Allow these to cool completely before storage or they will get soggy. Wrap individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place into a plastic freezer bag - now you're all set to go! A quick and healthy snack you can just grab and head out the door with. And it feels so good knowing exactly what you put in them and how good they are for you, right?

- Other tasty combos might be chocolate - with anything :) Cranberries and white chocolate, chopped dates or apricots, toasted nuts, or coconut. Whatever you like. You might add a bit of rosewater to give an extra something special if you decide on the cardamon and honey profile.

Like I said, I am completely hooked on granola bars. And now that I've found an awesome recipe, I intend to play with the multitude of flavor profiles at my disposal.

Got any favs? Send them my way!

Confessions...

Ok y'all, let me just get something off my chest...today I ate my dinner in a mixing bowl, on the floor of my new apartment, in partial darkness. Sad? Perhaps...but I had a great time. Because my salad was delish and I made it in all of about 5 minutes.

Here's what I did (literally)

1. Ripped open a carton of pre-washed salad leaves. I used those mixed greens - and I buy them in a tub from Kroger (because there is no Meijer in the south).


2. Threw in 4-5 vine-ripened cherry tomatoes


3. Drained and added 1/2 can Northern Beans (organic and on sale, a wonderful combo)


4. Sprinkled over garlic powder, black pepper, and salt


5. Crushed in a few pecans and added 2 pinches of dried cranberries


6. And here's the good stuff - I added a splash of olive oil I bought in Italy and a some pomegranate balsamic vinegar from a specialty store in Kerrytown, Ann Arbor called Fustini's

And that is how to spruce up a salad with the stuff you have on-hand. Pretty cool, huh?

Why am I writing about this? Because I realized something very important today: food should make you feel good. It doesn't have to be "gourmet." It doesn't have to sit on the stove for hours. At the end of the day, when you realize you're in a new city far from those you love, and somehow shoving your face into a mixing bowl full of salad makes you FEEL GOOD, then do it. And don't be embarrassed - someone, somewhere, is probably doing the same.