Apple-Curry Quinoa

This is my go-to recipe for quinoa as a side dish, and goes especially great with pork.  Apples and pork are a classic combo which is why I think this quinoa dish works so well with it.  The flavors of curry and mint add a unique twist, and the sweet agave nectar and crunchy almonds really round out the dish.  And best of all, it is healthy!  This is a really good alternative to your usual potato or rice side dish - it tastes great and everyone will be impressed by the amazing and fresh flavor combination.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pre-rinsed quinoa

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 t salt

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 T olive oil

1/4 t pepper

1 1/2 t curry powder

1/2 t cumin

1 T agave nectar or honey

2 T minced shallot

1/3 cup mint leaves, chopped

1 apple, diced into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 cup chopped or sliced almonds

1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Directions:

Bring the chicken broth and salt to a boil, and add quinoa.  Simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.  Fluff with a fork and leave covered until you are ready to add the rest of the ingredients.  In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, oil, pepper, curry powder, cumin, agave nectar, and shallot.    Whisk this sauce together until it is well-incorporated.  

Pour over the quinoa and stir to combine.  Next, add the apple and mint, and finally the almonds and cranberries if using.  Mix well, taste for more salt, and serve hot or cold.

Cranberry-Almond-Chocolate Quinoa Cookies

You can justify making these (and eating them!) because they are made with quinoa, a super healthy ingredient.  It adds a little texture to the cookie but you don't really taste it in there with all of the other goodies.  We used all purpose white flour, but you could make them even healthier by using some wheat flour instead.  These are great for desert, or even for a quick breakfast- considering they have all of the ingredients you might eat in a bowl of granola.

Ingredients:  

1 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour 

1 t kosher salt 

1/2 t baking powder 

1/2 t baking soda 

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 

1/4 cup sugar 

1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar 

1/4 cup agave nectar or honey 

2 large eggs 

1 t vanilla extract 

1/2 t almond extract 

1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled 

1 cup old-fashioned oats 

1/2 cup dried cranberries 

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup slivered unslated almonds 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.   In a mixing bowl, combine butter, both sugars, and agave nectar or honey.  Beat with an electric mixer or by and until smooth and well combined.  Add the two eggs and both extracts and mix thoroughly.

Next, add the salt, baking powder and baking soda, and flour to the bowl and mix until it is all incorporated into the batter.  Finally, add the quinoa, oats, cranberries, chocolate chips, and almonds to the bowl and stir until just combined.

On your baking sheets lined with parchment paper, place balls of dough (1-2 T each depending on how large you want your cookies) about one inch apart.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden.  Place on cooling racks after you remove them from the oven.  Store in a zip-lock bag or air-tight container.

Chorizo and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

This recipe is relatively healthy and it's full of flavor from the chorizo.  If you aren't familiar with quinoa, it is an edible seed that is similar to a grain and fluffs up like rice when cooked.  It has a slightly nutty flavor and it is full of essential amino acids, calcium, phosphorus, protein and iron which makes it pretty much super food.  It can be a little bland if eaten completely plain, but mixed with the right seasonings, quinoa is a really tasty substitute for rice or cous cous.  It goes great mixed in with spicy chorizo for this stuffed pepper recipe.

Ingredients:

4 large poblano peppers, halved and seeded. (use green bell peppers if you can't find poblanos) 

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken broth

1 lb ground spicy chorizo

1 T olive oil

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 t smoked paprika (use only if you bought chorizo instead of using my recipe)

1/4 t cayenne pepper (optional)

1 1/2 cups cheese (Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or combination)

Sour cream and fresh lime juice for garnish

Directions: 

Cook the quinoa: bring the chicken broth with a few dashes of salt to a boil, add the quinoa, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes and all water is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork and set to the side until ready to use. 

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and saute the chorizo until it is browned all over, breaking it up into little bits as it cooks.  Season with salt and pepper.  If you didn't use my chorizo recipe, this is where you can add the smoked paprika.  Taste the meat and see if you want it to be spicier - if so add some cayenne pepper.  Scoop the chorizo out with a slotted spoon and set to the side in a bowl.

 

If there is more than about 2 T of fat left in the pan, remove some of it until there is only 2 T remaining.  With the pan over medium heat, add the onion and saute for about 10 minutes or until soft and translucent.  Season with salt and pepper while cooking.   I had some pieces of poblano left over that I chopped up and added in with the onion.  Add the garlic and cook for two minutes longer.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  In a bowl, combine the quinoa, chorizo, and onion mixture and mix.  Add the can of diced tomotoes and 1/2 cup of the cheese and stir to combine well.  You can taste the filling here to make sure it has enough salt, spice, etc. for your taste.   

Lay your peppers out on a foil covered baking sheet.  Scoop the filling into the peppers (as much as you can fit without it spilling).  My peppers were pretty shallow so I ended up with some leftover filling, which tastes great on its own for leftovers.  Top the peppers with cheese, and bake for 40 minutes.  For the last two minutes, put the oven on broil and watch closely until the cheese is bubbly and golden.  

Remove and serve with sour cream and lime juice.  I mixed together 1 cup of sour cream with the juice of one lime for our topping.