Quinoa and Black Beans, Or Being Vegan Doesn't Need to Be Hard

I stayed at work later than I expected today, and, by the time I got home, I was most definitely not in the mood for doing much cooking.  My husband wasn't really up for making anything either, so I threw something together based on what I had in the fridge.

Fortunately, we have a well stocked pantry.  When you're busy, making grains in bulk really helps.  As I mentioned on Monday, I made a big pot of quinoa this week.  Last week, we had a big pot of farro.  The week before that, it was wild rice.  We buy our grains in bulk now as it's cheaper and cuts down on packaging.  If you vary your toppings and sauces, having the same grain several days in a row won't seem monotonous.

We also always have multiple cans of beans on hand.  Sure, they take up a lot of room, and they don't quite compare to the flavor of cooked dried beans, but you can put them in anything, and they're good in a hot dish or in a salad.  We rinse ours first to cut down on sodium and get rid of unappetizing "bean goo."

Finally, we always have tons of fresh vegetables on hand, and good knives to chop them with.  To save even more time, you can pre-chop your veggies over the weekend.  If you'd rather use frozen, that's fine, but we prefer fresh.

As a bonus, have tons of dried spices and seasonings, as well as shelf stable hot sauces and other liquid condiments.  As in two shelves full of them! (Perhaps we could consolidate, or get those spice stacker thingees.  Yep, just ordered one on Amazon.).  A little of those goes a long way and it's easy to add variety to your food.

With all this in our arsenal, I made a quinoa, black bean, green onion and kale saute seasoned with salt, pepper and cumin in about 15 minutes.  Husband had his as is, and I added a bit of mozzarella daiya.  Since it was a one pot meal, we also had minimal dishes - the pot, a cutting board, a knife, the container for the quinoa and our plates and forks (no knives needed!).

Quinoa Stir-Fry

My goal tonight was to use up some leftover broccoli, carrots and green onions so I decided to make a quick stir-fry. 

Rather than use rice, I used some of the quinoa we inherited from friends of ours who were moving overseas and looking to liquidate their kitchen.  For some reason, I always find myself googling the cooking directions for quinoa even though its ridiculously simple.  For each cup of quinoa, add two cups liquid (water or broth).  Pour it all together into a pot, bring to a boil, and let simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or so until the liquid is absorbed.

While the quinoa was cooking, I prepped my veggies: green onion, mushrooms, garlic, carrots and broccoli.  The sliced mushrooms at Giant were the same price as the whole mushrooms, so I grabbed those. Less prep time is always good!  I made sure to chop everything smaller than I normally do, as the quinoa is small and I wanted an even veggie/quinoa distribution.

Using olive oil, I sauteed the green onions and mushrooms first for a few minutes, seasoning them with salt and pepper. Then, I added the garlic and stirred it until I smelled a nice garlic aroma, and then added the broccoli and carrots.  I then reduced the heat to medium and covered my stir-fry pan with a lid.  When there was about two minutes left on my quinoa, I removed the lid and seasoned the veggies with sesame oil, cumin, some Bragg's liquid aminos and toasted sesame seeds.  I poured the veggie mix over the quinoa, and, voila, dinner.

We had the quinoa mix with a side salad of spring mix, cucumber and raw mushrooms, dressed lightly with lemon juice, a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.  I am really digging raw mushrooms in salads lately. 

I mentioned Bragg's Liquid Aminos above.  This product frequently show up in vegan recipes, and I see ads for the Bragg line all the time in Vegetarian Times and Yoga Journal.  The liquid aminos are a nice substitute for soy sauce, with the main benefit, in my mind, being that they are much lower in sodium.  Yes, they do have soy protein, but they're certified GMO-free and thus safe for my sensitivities.

The big selling point for Bragg's Liquid Aminos it that it claims to have 16 essential amino acids, which serve as building blocks for our body, and help our bodies properly make use of vitamins and minerals.  Call me a skeptic, but I'm not sure if a few teaspoons of Bragg's makes a huge difference in the amount of amino acids we need to stay healthy, but it adds a nice flavor to dishes and it's not bad for you, so it can't hurt to have a bottle in your pantry.  If you're concerned about getting enough amino acids in your vegan diet, look for "complete proteins" like buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa and soy.

Pasta with Kale, White Beans and "Cheese" Sauce

I had a bunch of random things in my pantry and fridge to use up, so I decided to do an easy pasta dinner tonight.

For the pasta, I used the remaining Quinoa pasta shells I bought awhile ago.  You can use any type of pasta for this dish, but I would recommend something on the smaller side - small shells, orichette, macaroni or orzo, mini fuslili, etc. - as I think it will hold the sauce better.

While I was bringing the water up for the pasta, I sauteed some red onion, kale and garlic in olive oil.  When the veg started to stick to the bottom of the pan, I added some vegetable stock.  I also stirred in the last of the navy beans from earlier this week and seasoned the mix with black pepper.

Meanwhile, I made the "cheese" sauce, which I got from Happy Healthy Life's Spinach Alfredo recipe.  Since I was only making enough for my own lunch and dinner, I scaled the recipe down a bit.  I used the nutritional yeast that I picked up from the bulk aisle, soy-free veganaise, dijon mustard, some of the pasta water and the seasonings the blog recipe recommended - garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

After I drained the pasta, I put it in the pan with the veg and then stirred in the "cheese" sauce.  The creamy texture was spot on, but I think I'd cut back on the mustard next time, as it dominated the other flavors in the dish.  I also wish I had had more beans leftover, as the small amount I had got lost in the dish.

This also might be a good time to mention that I am going to be posting my on 2012 Vegan Kickstart Page in conjunction with PCRM's 21-Day Vegan Kickstart.  The page will include both meals I prepare and meals I eat out.  At the end of the 21 Days, I'll have a customized vegan meal plan that hopefully anyone can follow!  PCRM also provides a sample menu you can use to follow along as well.  While the kickstart technically started today, I encourage you to try going vegan for any 21 day period and see how the experience goes for you.

Quinoa Pasta with Quorn, Brussels Sprouts and Carrots

Since I know so many folks with gluten intolerance, I like to play around with various gluten free pastas.  Also, since I don't like to eat a lot of things made with refined white flour, I find that some of these pastas are good options in lieu of traditional boxed pasta.

Tonight, I decided to play with Ancient Harvest's Quinoa Shells.  The shells are actually a blend of quinoa and corn.  They're a little brighter yellow than your average pasta, but otherwise, the texture doesn't differ greatly, especially in a sauce.  I bet they'd be good in a soup, so I may try and make minestrone with the rest of the box.

For tonight's meal, I started with a sauce.  It was a shallot, soy-free Earth Balance and garlic base, which I deglazed with vegetable broth.  I then added the Quorn grounds.  Quorn does contain a trace amount of egg, so it's not suitable for those following a strict vegan diet.  So, if you prefer to make this dish purely vegan, but don't have a soy allergy like yours truly, any textured vegetable protein (TVP), such as Smart Ground, would be a good substitute.

I then added in some brussels sprouts I roasted yesterday, along with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  When I mixed the pasta in, I decided it needed a pop of color, so I added some shredded carrot to the pan.

I think I undercooked the pasta shells a bit, but I liked the contrast of the meatiness of the quorn with the carrots & brussels sprouts.  It also had a nice kick due to the healthy shakes of red pepper flakes I put in.
 

Simple Spinach and Lentils with Rice and Quinoa

I know I like to make a lot of dishes that involve multiple ingredients, lots of prep and lots of pots and pans.  But, sometimes I want something super simple, but hearty, and tonight was one of those nights.

I had leftover golden lentils in the fridge, so I decided to do something with them.  I also picked up a big container of baby spinach after yoga (we go through two containers a week here), and decided I would incorporate that in the dish as well.

To start the dish, I sauteed some minced shallots in Earth Balance.  I then added some tomato paste concentrate.  When the brown bits started to appear in the pan, I added a couple of pours of vegetable broth.  I used Safeway Organic brand, which, unlike some other boxed broths, doesn't contain soy. Pacific Organic's vegetable broth is also soy-free.

I then added a few handfuls of the cooked lentils.  As the lentils integrated with the sauce, I futzed a bit with the dish, adding vegetable broth as I thought it needed more liquid, and tomato paste as it needed more color.  I then added several handfuls of roughly chopped baby spinach.  As the spinach wilted, I added even more to get even more green into the dish.

To season the lentils & spinach, I added some freshly ground black pepper and a few drops of sriracha, a Thai hot sauce that has become pretty trendy over the past few years. It's made of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. Some srirachas have fish sauce as an ingredient, but the one we use, which is made by Huy Fong Foods, does not.  

Despite the fact that there was salt in the vegetable broth and and in the sriracha, I decided it would benefit from a little bit of sea salt, so I stirred some in.

I wanted some sort of grain to go with the dish, but I hadn't cooked any up in advance.  Situations like this call for microwave bagged rice.  While some microwave bagged rices and grain mixes aren't veg friendly or have lots of unnecessary additives and tons of sodium, I have found a few I like courtesy of Seeds of Change and Safeway Select.  Tonight, I opted for Safeway Select Brown & Wild Rice with Quinoa.  90 seconds in the microwave and, voila, rice

I put the rice in a bowl and then ladled in some of the spinach & lentil mixture and gave it a quick stir.  I was so happy with this dish.  The sriracha had a nice heat that pleasantly snuck up on me, and I loved the texture and combination of flavors.  The warm lentils, rice & quinoa and spinach were very filling and satisfying, the perfect dish for a cold, winter day. 

Chayote Squash - What Is It and What Will I Cook With It?

A month or so ago, I could have sworn I saw an article in Clean Eating or Vegetarian Times that made burritos with chayote squash.  I was determined to try it, but the chayote was elusive.  The local market?  Negatory - they don't go more exotic than a yellow bell pepper.  The Giant near our apartment?  Nada.  The Safeway by my yoga studio where I'd sworn I'd seen them dozens of times?  Not a single chayote in sight.  Ditto for two Whole Foods Markets and a Balduccis.  Just when I thought there was some sort of mysterious chayote shortage, some finally popped up at the local Giant and I snagged them right away.

Today, when I went to make said burrito dish, I realized I either hallucinated the recipe or misplaced the magazine.  So, I decided I'd work the chayote into a concoction.

Mind you, I had no idea how the chayote should be prepared or what it should taste like, so I turned to the trusty internet.  Per Wikipedia:

The Chayote in all it's glory.

The chayote (Sechium edule) . . . is an edible plant that belongs to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae along with melons, cucumbers and squash.  Chayote is native to Mesoamerica where it is a very important ingredient to the diet. Other warm regions around the globe have been successful in cultivating it as well. The main growing regions are Costa Rica and Veracruz, Mexico. Costa Rican chayotes are predominantly exported to the European Union whereas Veracruz is the main exporter of chayotes to the United States.

Interestingly enough, the chayotes I bought were from Costa Rica, so maybe there is something to this shortage thing . . . but I digress.

The chayote fruit is used in both raw and cooked forms. When cooked, chayote is usually handled like summer squash, it is generally lightly cooked to retain the crisp flavor. Raw chayote may be added to salads or salsas, and it is often marinated with lemon or lime juice. It can also be eaten straight, although the bland flavour makes this a dubious endeavor. Whether raw or cooked, chayote is a good source of amino acids and vitamin C.

I did taste a bite of the raw chayote and it was fairly bland, like a watered down apple.   So, I decided to put it in a cooked dish.

 We had half a red onion in the fridge, so I minced that up.  I diced one of the unpeeled chayotes (you get more out of one than you'd realize - there's no seeds or pit to scoop out) and stripped an ear of fresh corn.  At the same time, I also started up a pot of quinoa. 

In my big saute pan, I heated up some olive oil and sauteed the onions and corn, and then added the chayote and seasoned the mix with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.   I bashed up four or so cloves of garlic and threw that in, along with about a teaspoon of cumin and juice from half a lemon.  I then took the whole thing off the heat and stirred in some fresh cilantro leaves.

To serve, I grabbed some mixed lettuce, and tossed 1/4 of the quinoa with about a cup of the bean and chayote mixture to put on top of it.  I reached for my faux cheese initially, but I decided it would be better without it.

The cooked chayote had a nice crunchy texture, and it picked up the flavors from the seasonings and the rest of the dish.  I anticipate eating the leftovers cold on a salad, or as a burrito filling, or even in an omelet.  I may also add some avocado to it once the two on my counter are at peak ripeness.

Quinoa Cakes with Tomato "Meat" Sauce

One of the ways I like to use leftover quinoa is to make quinoa cakes.    To make the cakes, I mixed about two cups of cooked quinoa with two beaten eggs.  Normally, I'd like there to be less egg and more quinoa, but one egg wasn't quite enough.  I formed the quinoa into four cakes and put the cakes back into the fridge to chill.

While the cakes were chilling, I made a sauce with a can of Muir Glen tomatoes, Quorn beef-style grounds, garlic, green onion, fresh thyme, salt, pepper and oregano.

Once the sauce was ready, I heated up a flat grill pan and put on the quinoa cakes.  Once they were browned on the bottom, I flipped them over so they could cook on the reverse side.  We served them topped with the sauce, with daiya on mine and parmesan on the fiance's, and both of us had a side of leftover roasted Brussel sprouts.

Quinoa Two Vegan Ways: Sweet for Breakfast, Savory for Dinner

Breakfast Quinoa with Fruit & Almonds

In trying to break out of my breakfast rut (aka, toast), I decided to try a hot cereal of quinoa and fruit.  I had some leftover pear, blueberry and almond mixture leftover for Saturday's dessert, so I mixed that up with the quinoa.  I don't normally rinse my quinoa before I cook it, because I don't mind the bitter coating in savory dishes.  But, the slight bitterness was enhanced a bit against the sweet fruit.  I'll continue to tinker.

Dinner Quinoa with Vegan Sausage

Since I had made a week's worth of quinoa last night in anticipation of today's breakfast experiment, I decided to have it for dinner as well.  I had some Grain Meat Co. Italian "sausage," which I sauteed in olive oil with onion, pepper, tomatoes and spinach.  I stirred in 2/3 cup of quinoa and some mozzarella daiya, and, voila, dinner tonight and lunch for tomorrow.

Quorn with quinoa, arugula, and tomatoes

I've mentioned Quorn before as a meat substitute.  It comes in a variety of forms - patties, grounds, tenders, etc.

Quorn is primarily mycoprotein.  According to the Quorn website:

Mycoprotein is the main ingredient in all Quorn products. It's made from a member of the fungi family, which includes mushrooms and truffles, and is a high-quality meat-free protein that's naturally low in fat with very few calories. Mycoprotein also is high in dietary fibre, which is important for your digestive system, and has the essential amino acids your body needs, with no cholesterol or trans fats. 

There are egg whites in quorn, so it's not vegan.  But it is meat-free, so if you are a lacto-ovo vegetarian like me, I encourage you to check it out. It's also soy free, which means I can eat it without having an allergic reaction.  And, with 10 grams of protein per serving, you're getting 20% of your DV on a 2,000 calorie diet.  

Tonight, I threw together a super quick meal using the Chick'n Tenders.  I sauteed the tenders in olive oil, and gradually added chopped onion, tomato chunks, pre-cooked quinoa and arugula.  I seasoned it with cumin, garlic powder and freshly ground pepper, and stirred in some mozzarella style Daiya.  The tenders are spongier than chicken, but it's a texture I prefer to actual chicken.

Quinoa with Greens & Tomatoes and Golden Beets

Every year, at Passover, I make an attempt to be semi-observant.  I don't clean all the chametz out of my kitchen or switch the dishes, but I do try and give it a few days of good old Ashkenazi (aka, Eastern European ancestry) style Pesach eating - no leavened bread, no corn, no rice, no pasta and no beans.  When I was eating meat and fish, this was a no brainer.  Visualize a lot of salads with grilled chicken, broiled salmon with veggies, etc.

As a vegetarian, Passover becomes more complicated.  I want to get my protein, but my standards - beans, chickpeas, seitan, quorn - are verboten.  Given my activity level, I know I need some protein to keep me going.  So, in addition to eggs and nuts, I intend to eat a lot of quinoa.

For those unfamiliar with quinoa,  it is a "grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds" and "elated to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds."  It's also considered by some, but not all, to be kosher for Passover.  But, I say if Mayim Bialyk, who is a much better Jew than I am, includes it in her "Passover Survival Tips for Vegans," I'm eating it.

Quinoa is super easy to make.  The ratio is one cup of quinoa to two cups of water.  You can make more, but I would not cut that down any further - I found this out the hard way when I burned 1/4 cup of quinoa in 1/2 cup water. But, quinoa keeps really well in the fridge, so it's a great item to make a lot of and use through out the week. To prepare, pour it all in a pot, bring it to a boil, then bring down to a simmer for 25 minutes or so or until all the water is absorbed, stirring occasionally.

You can put anything on top of quinoa and it's good.  Some people even have it for breakfast in lieu of oatmeal or hot cereal.  I chose to use what I had in the kitchen - onion, grape tomatoes, broccoli raab and some mixed bagged greens (chard, turnip and mustard greens).  I sauteed all of that up in olive oil and mixed it with the quinoa.

I also decided to roast the golden beets I picked up a few days ago.  If you like the taste of beets, but dislike dealing with the red ones, which stain, golden beets are a great option.  I peeled mine, sliced them about 1/4 thick, and mixed them with olive oil, fresh ground pepper and sea salt.  They roasted at 400 degrees for just over 30 minutes.  I sprinkled some goat cheese crumbles on them, as the two flavors compliment each other well.  But, if you prefer to make this dish vegan, you can omit that part.