Quinoa with Vegetables and Pecans Done Twice (at My Sweet and Savory)

Note the Two for Tuesday Blog Carnival Badge to our left.  This is a brand new carnival, in its second week.  I have linked this up to another quinoa recipe where I used leftovers from the dish below to make a brand new dish with black beans and tomatoes - the other part of two for Tuesdays.

The first time, I made quinoa, I did not know, one had to rinse it thoroughly and the bitter taste shone through.  Since then, we have shied away from it.  One day, I decided not to let quinoa beat me. After all, everyone else was making it so I made a dish with quinoa, after rinsing it well and both hubby and I liked it.

Despite that, every time, I bring up quinoa, the man starts frowning.  There is only one way to beat that and that is just to make it and sink or swim.  Being very clever, I asked hubby to rinse the quinoa, to make double sure, it would be done right (yeah sure).  I must admit, he was fantastic.  Not only did he rinse it but he cooked it, also.  That gave me the space to stir fry the vegetable and roast the pecans.  I have the greatest husband.

This is a great recipe and I would guess, you can play around with it.  I picked the vegetables, I wanted but I could see cut up zucchini or eggplant, giving it a whole different taste.  Maybe tomatoes with the eggplant…..  It is all up to the imagination and creativity.  What about dried fruit, raisins, apricots, dried pineapple or real fruit?  I am having too much fun with this.

Quinoa with Vegetables and Pecans

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil 

3 baby carrots, chopped fine in food processor

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped 

2 cups cooked quinoa  (1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water or Mark Bittman up to 2 1/4 cups, if necessary)

1/2 cup chopped roasted pecans or walnuts or cashews  (I used pecans)

1/2 teaspoon dried mint

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil.

Add the carrot, bell peppers, and celery.

Saute until tender.

Add the quinoa and dried mint to the vegetables. 

Add salt and pepper.  Mix well.

If everything is hot, then mix it all together.

Top it off with your roasted nuts.

I am serving it with a veal loaf with a light barbecue sauce on top.  The veal loaf is also filled with vegetables.

Add a green salad and you have a nice dinner.    

                                                                                                                                                             

Submitted to Foodie Fridays by Gollum and Food Revolution

****** Shared with my buddy Amy from  Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Pennywise Platter Thursdays

Quinoa Cakes

This was writen in November and I didn’t think about it since.  The other day, hubby found a package of frozen quinoa cakes and brought it up, to clear out t he freezer and to eat.  Since, it was, once again, so vivid, in my mind, I linked it up and within a few hours, over one hundred people came to check this recipe out.

Since this seems to be of interest now, I am moving it up to the top, temporarily so it will be easy for everyone to find.  This is an attractive and tasty food.  We are not spicy eaters.  I suggest, if you are, add any spices you like.

Quinoa is truly beautiful with its lacy appearance.  I have to do more with it.  This is a good starting place.

I have been looking for ways to make quinoa.  I have only one recipe that I tried and that was with vegetables. It was scrumptious.  This turned out to be great, also.  I liked this because Kosher Girl gave two ways to make it fried and baked.  I only posted it the baked.  I did fry one to see what it would be like and it looked like a latke.  These puffed up more and had more substance to them.

Quinoa Cakes (Original recipe found here.)  This has been adapted.   

•  1 cup Quinoa
• 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped                                       
• ½ small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• ¼ cup frozen spinach  
• ¼ cup canola oil

 

• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ cup part Tofutti cream cheese (non dairy)
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup Rice flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder

Method

•  Prepare the quinoa according to the directions on the package (2 cups water for 1 cup quinoa).   Rinse several times before cooking it.
•  Add the  carrot, onion and spinach to the bowl of the food processor                                                                                                                                                    
• Pulse 20 times so that the vegetables are all evenly chopped and mixed together.
• You want them to be small but not pureed.                     
•  Place the sauté pan over a medium flame and add 1 tablespoon of canola oil.                                                                                                                       
•       Cook the   vegetable mixture and sauté for 5 minutes until the vegetables are no longer raw. You want them to soften.                                                            
• Add the cooked vegetables and quinoa to a large bowl and allow the mixture to cool completely.
•  In another bowl mix together the Tofutti cheese,  lemon juice and egg.
•  In small third bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.
• Once the quinoa has cooled add the flour mixture and Tofutti mixture to the quinoa and stir thoroughly. At this point the mixture may be refrigerated for up to 1 day.
•   You can scoop the cake mixture onto an oiled baking sheet and place in a 400º oven for 20 minutes. Be sure to press down lightly on the cakes when you place them on the sheet. The cakes will only be crunchy on one side but they’ll still be tasty   

I have linked

this to Pennywise Platter

Thursday at the Nourishing Gourmet.