Quinoa Salad with Berries and Watermelon

By: Chiquita Chang

Quinoa Salad with Berries

For Quinoa

Ingredients:

Make the quinoa in a rice cooker and you'll keep the kitchen the cool. This time I used Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking ratio of two cups uncooked quinoa with three cups water. It turned out fluffy and perfect, and made enough to create a generous quinoa salad.

Preparation:

2 cups uncooked quinoa

3 cups fresh water

Pinch of sea salt, to taste

Place the quinoa, water, and sea salt in a large to medium rice cooker, and cover. Cook until all the water is evaporated and the quinoa is tender. Scoop the cooked quinoa into a large bowl and fluff with a fork. Let it cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, prepare the fruit and baby greens

Ingredients:

1.5 cups fresh blueberries, washed, picked over

1.5 cups fresh strawberries, washed, sliced

1.5 cups diced watermelon

6 cups baby salad greens

A handful of fresh chopped herbs: cilantro, dill, parsley and mint

For the dressing:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Fresh squeezed lime juice from 1-2 limes

Cracked pepper, to taste

Preparation:

• When the quinoa has cooled, drizzle it with the extra virgin olive oil and toss well to coat, fluffing with a fork to separate the grains. Add the fresh squeezed lime juice and toss again. Season with cracked pepper, to taste. Taste test. Add more olive oil or lime as needed.
• Add the blueberries to the quinoa, and toss lightly.
• Distribute the baby greens on six plates. Add the quinoa and blueberries. Add the sliced strawberries and diced watermelon, and the fresh chopped herbs.

Cook time: Maybe 30 minutes

Cranberry Quinoa Softcake

By: Esther Vasa

Ingredients:
For Cooking Quinoa
Quinoa - 1/2 cup
Water - 1.5 cups
Himalayan Salt - a pinch

Cranberry Quinoa Softcake

For Cake Mixture:
Flaxseeds - 1 tsp
Medium Sized Bananas - 3
Almond Milk - 1/3rd cup
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Cranberries - 1/2 cup
Cinnamon Powder - 1 tsp
Ginger Powder - 1/2 tsp
Eggs - 3 or Egg Whites
Extra Virgin Olive oil - 2 tbsp

For Sauce:
Maple Syrup - 1 tbsp
Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
Cranberries - a handful

Preparation:

• Thoroughly wash quinoa using cold water, rinsing quinoa seeds and by changing the water at least twice.
• Cook quinoa using the ingredients from "For Cooking Quinoa". Fluff and let cool.
• Blend cooked quinoa with all the ingredients listed under "For Cake Mixture" except cranberries.
• Bake at 350F for 1 hour 15 minutes or even more if you like the top layer to be crispier.
• Serve it as is and enjoy with almond milk. Or prepare the sauce by whisking the ingredients listed for "For Sauce" and topping the quinoa softcake with the sauce. Remember, the inside of this cake will be soft and moist while the outside is crispier giving the feel of biting into a slice of quiche.
• Enjoy!

Variations:
If you like your cake sweeter, add more bananas or just a few dates while blending. You can use any berries you have on hand. Works great with bilberries, blueberries or gojiberries too. Enjoy!

Quinoa and Bean Salad

By: Elna Botes van Schalkwyk

Ingredients:

1 C quinoa, water and Himalayan salt
8 oz/225 g beans of your choice
½ C coconut or carotino oil (for frying)
4 large shallots: 3 thinly sliced into rings, and 1 minced
1 C gluten free flour
3 mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 tbsp balsamic/apple cider vinegar
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 T thyme leaves
¼ C extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp slivered almonds
Cayenne Pepper to taste

Instructions:

• In a medium saucepan, cover the quinoa with 500 ml water and bring to a boil. Cover, remove from the heat, and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain the quinoa and return to the pan. Add 2 more cups of water and a pinch of Himalayan salt; bring to a boil again. Cook the quinoa over high heat until al dente, ±5 minutes; drain well.
• Meanwhile, steam the beans until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes; drain. Rinse the beans under cold water and pat dry. Set aside.
• Heat the coconut or carotino oil in a medium saucepan. In a small bowl, toss the sliced shallots with the flour, separating them into rings. Transfer the shallots to a strainer and tap off the excess flour. Add the shallots to the hot oil and fry over high heat, stirring, until golden, ± 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried shallots to paper towels to drain thoroughly; season lightly with Himalayan salt if desired. You can also simply add the raw shallots.
• Add the raw mushrooms.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the vinegar with the minced shallot, garlic, and thyme. Whisk in the extra virgin olive oil. Add the quinoa, green beans, slivered almonds, and ¾ of the fried shallots and toss gently. Season with Himalayan salt and cayenne pepper and transfer to a platter or shallow bowl. Garnish with the remaining fried shallots and serve.

NOTE: This recipe can be made through step 4 one day ahead. Keep the fried shallots in an airtight container at room temperature to store. Refrigerate the quinoa, green beans, and mushrooms separately. Let return to room temperature before tossing the salad.

Enjoy! ♥

Red Quinoa and Mushroom Salad

By: Elna Botes van Schalkwyk

Ingredients:

1 cup red quinoa
2 tablespoons apple cider, red wine or balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon Himalayan salt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 red onion, sliced
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper sliced
sea salt to taste
¼ cup parsley and/or cilantro, chopped

Preparation:

• Rinse quinoa well in a fine mesh strainer. Add to a pot with 1½ cups water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed.
• Toss quinoa with vinegar, Himalayan salt, and 2 tablespoons of the oil and set aside.
• In a large skillet heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add onion, shiitakes, red pepper, and a few pinches sea salt to taste. Sauté, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes, or until veggies are tender.
• Stir veggies into quinoa. Stir in parsley or cilantro.

Quinoa-Oatmeal Bread/Cake

By: Esther Vasa

Ingredients:
Quinoa - 1/4th cup (protein-rich seeds)
Gluten Free Oats - 1/2 cup
Flaxseeds - 1 tbsp (for more fiber and Omega 3)
Brown Rice Protein - 2 tbsp (more protein)
Tapioca Pearls or Tapioca Flour - 1/4th cup (Helps in binding. Alternately, use a tsp of xanthan gum)
Almond Meal - 1/4th cup
Blackstrap Molasses - 1 tbsp
Banana - 1
Brown Sugar or Dates (for Vegans) or Raw Honey - 1/4th cup (if you like it sweeter, add more)
Himalayan Salt - a couple pinches
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
Egg Substitute
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1/4th cup
Baking Powder - 1 tsp (heaped)
Water - 1 cup (a bit more if needed while blending)

Preparation:

1. Firstly, wash quinoa thoroughly and cook in a cup of water. Fluff and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F.
3. Pulverize oats, flaxseeds and tapioca pearls in the dry container of your power blender (I used Vitamix).
4. Put the cooked quinoa, the pulverized powder from step 3 and the rest of the ingredients in the wet container.
5. Grease your baking tray and transfer the mixture from the step 4.
6. Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. This was a heavenly treat to me. Goes well with soup or salad. Enjoy!

"ST-RAW" Vegan Black Quinoa Salad

By: Esther Vasa

ST-RAW stands for "Steamed and Raw" salad. This is a super-healthy salad and a must eat for us with MS. Quinoa is a gluten-free seed used as rice substitute and is rich in protein. Bundling it with all the other super-foods makes you energetic and fresh. Try it yourself!

Ingredients:
Organic Black Quinoa Seeds - 1 cup
Water - 2 and a 1/4th cups (2 to cook quinoa and 1/4th to steam)
Shiitake Mushrooms - 1 pack (0.02 lb) - cut
Curly or Dinosaur Kale - chopped and packed tightly - 2 cups
Garlic Cloves - 3 (minced)
Red Onion - finely chopped
Carrot - 1 (grated)
Cucumber - 1 (diced)
Cherry Tomatoes - 10 (halved)
Fresh Basil - 1/2 tsp
Red Pepper Flakes - a few pinches or as needed
Himalayan Salt to taste
Juice of two large lemons
Olive oil - 2 tsps

Preparation:

• Clean and cook quinoa using two cups of water per the package instructions. Allow the cooked quinoa to cool down.
• Use a stockpot and a wire mesh (that fits the stockpot) to steam kale and mushrooms. Over the wire mesh, place the mushrooms bits and sprinkle salt lightly and in the stockpot put the 1/4th cup of water, crushed garlic and kale. Turn on the stove to medium and let these steam for 8-10 minutes. Leave the veggies in the pot. There is a special taste with mushroom juice seeping into Kale. 
• Prepare the raw salad with your other veggies, basil, lemon juice, salt and olive oil. Mix the quinoa into the raw salad and then the steamed mushrooms and kale can join the salad. Serve the salad with any soup.
• This was quite a treat to me and my family!

Serves: 5-6

Quinoa Vegetable Soup

By: Esther Vasa

Ingredients:
Organic Quinoa - 1/2 cup
Diced Onion - 1/4th cup
Diced Pumpkin - 1/2 cup
Diced Mixed Peppers - 1/4th cup
Diced Celery - 1/4th cup
Crushed Ginger - 1 tsp
Whole Cinnamon - 1
Star Anise - 1
Green Chilli - 1 (use it whole)
Water or Vegetable Stock - 4 cups
Himalayan Salt to taste
Olive Oil - 1 tsp
Cilantro or parsley for garnishing

Preparation:
Heat up the oil in a soup pot and lightly fry cinnamon, anise, ginger and green chilli. Do not crush cinnamon or anise and do not dice green chilli. We will remove these three spices from the soup before serving. Cinnamon gives a nice punch to the soup while anise gives a mild licorice flavor and the green chilli and crushed ginger render the soup slightly spicy.

Then, add onion and let it sweat. One by one add celery, diced pumpkin, mixed peppers and tomatoes in that order every minute or so. The secret ingredient is pumpkin. The sweetness of pumpkin adds an additional taste to this soup. Next, add the rinsed quinoa (rinse it twice at least), salt and water. Bring it to a boil and simmer for about 20-25 minutes. By this time the vegetables and quinoa should be well cooked. Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley. This is a great soup on a cold winter day!

Quinoa Pilaf with Greens

By: Esther Vasa

Ingredients:
Organic Quinoa - 1 cup
Filtered Water or Homemade Vegetable Stock - 2 cups
Lemon Zest - 1/2 tsp
Thyme - 1/2 tsp
Rosemary - 1 tsp
Sage - 1 tsp (chopped finely)
Oregano - 1/2 tsp
Cilantro or Parsley - 1 tbsp (chopped finely)
Bay Leaves - 2
Extra Virgin Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Himalayan Salt to taste

Preparation:
Wash quinoa thoroughly in water at least twice. In a pan, mix salt, quinoa, bay leaves and water and bring it to a boil. Then, let quinoa cook on low heat for 15 minutes or until done. Fluff and transfer into a serving bowl and let it cool. Then, add in the oil and the fresh greens and toss well. Voilà! Your pilaf is ready to be enjoyed with a salad or soup.

Curried Quinoa with Potato and Green Peas

By: Esther Vasa

Ingredients:
Quinoa - 1 cup
Potato - 1 (diced)
Green Peas - 1/2 cup
Himalayan Salt to taste
Red Chilli Powder - 1/8th tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/8th tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/8th tsp
Cinnamon Powder - a pinch
Clove Powder - a pinch
Water - 2 cups

For Garnish:
A handful of mixed peppers
Fresh Cilantro - 1 tbsp (chopped finely)
Extra Virgin Olive oil - 2 tsp
Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Preparation:
Rinse quinoa thoroughly for four times. Drain water each time using a fine mesh strainer. Toast the quinoa on a heated pan (NO OIL, please). When it starts changing color, add the diced potatoes and fresh green peas and fry quinoa along with the veggies. When the quinoa looks nice and toasted (slightly brown color), add water and all the spices and salt. Bring quinoa to a boil and then lower the heat and allow it to cook for another 10-15 minutes or until you see the white curvy thread around quinoa. Allow the quinoa to cool down for about 1/2 hour. Then garnish with mixed peppers, cilantro, mix in the lemon juice and olive oil. This is now ready to enjoy!

Once again, notice we haven't fried the veggies in oil. Instead we drizzled the oil after quinoa was cooked and cooled.

Serves: 4

Quinoa with Carrots, Celery and Broccoli

By: Esther Vasa


Quinoa pronounced "keen-wah" is an ancient grain like seed that is rich in protein. It also is good in fiber, copper, manganese, magnesium and has essential lignans. It has a nutty taste and adding nutmeg will make it even nuttier. It has the potential to help lower cholesterol, maintain good cardiovascular health, good choice of grain for people with diabetes and for those of us with MS and helps control migraines. There are many ways you could serve quinoa; here we will see one way.

Ingredients:
Quinoa - 1 cup
Unsalted Vegetable Broth/Stock - 1 cup (preferably homemade)
Water - 1 cup
Diced Carrots - 1 cup
Diced Celery - 1 cup
Diced Broccoli - 1 cup
Nutmeg - a couple pinches
Diced fresh parsley - 1 tbsp
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Himalayan Salt to taste

Method:
Rinse quinoa thoroughly at least three times and drain water each time using a fine mesh strainer. Bring the quinoa to a boil in the water and broth/stock mixture. Then bring down the heat and allow the quinoa to cook well (anywhere from 15-20 minutes). Just before removing quinoa add the veggies, salt and nutmeg; toss well. Close the lid and allow the veggies to cook for a couple minutes. Switch off the heat, mix the lemon juice, garnish with parsley, mix well and let the quinoa cool down a bit before serving.

Serves: 4-5