Arugula and Broccoli Salad with Tofu

This balanced and filling salad is based on a recipe from EatingWell magazine, made vegan (and delicious) by a few tweaks from me.  The quinoa is unexpected, but it works.

Ingredients:

juice and zest of one organic lemon

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil, separated

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T. soy sauce or to taste

1/2 t. smoked paprika or to taste

1 lb. extra-firm tofu, chopped into 1/2-in. or 1-in. pieces (Tofu has a more pleasant texture if it is frozen first, then thawed before use.  Plan ahead.)

1 c. vegetable broth

1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed

20 oz. bag frozen broccoli

3/4 c. chopped walnuts

2 T. canola oil

6 c. arugula

your favorite vinaigrette dressing

1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes

Method:

Mix the lemon juice, lemon zest, 1 T. olive oil, salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste (be very generous with the pepper), garlic, soy sauce, and smoked paprika in a wide, shallow container.  Toss the tofu with the mixture (the tofu will likely soak it up almost right away), and marinate until ready to use in later step.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Bring vegetable broth and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan.  Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.  Let stand, covered, another 10 minutes.  The grains should be softened but not mushy.

Meanwhile, mix 1 T. olive oil and 1/2 t. salt on a rimmed baking sheet.  Toss the broccoli in the oil, and roast for 10 minutes.  The broccoli should be completely thawed and warm.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Toast the walnuts over medium heat just until they are fragrant.  Set aside.

In a cast-iron skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat.  Toss the tofu and lemon zest in the oil, and cook a few minutes until browned on one side.  Toss again, and cook another few minutes until browned on a second side.  Remove from heat.

Divide the arugula between 4 plates.  Toss arugula with the desired amount of vinaigrette dressing.  Top each salad with 1/4 of the broccoli, the quinoa, the walnuts, the tofu, and the sun-dried tomatoes.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Southwestern Quinoa

This recipe is slightly modified from a side dish from the Food Network.  Serve this version as an entrée.

Ingredients:
1 bunch scallions, sliced, OR 1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded, deveined, and minced
2 t. canola oil
4 t. tomato paste
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. chipotle chili powder
1 t. salt
2 3/4 c. water
1 1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed
2 bell peppers, chopped (any color will do, but 1 green and 1 orange make the dish colorific)
1 15-oz can corn, drained
2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

Method:
In a large skillet, sauté the scallions or onion and jalapeno in the canola oil over medium heat until the vegetables have softened.
Stir in the tomato paste, ground cumin, chipotle chile powder, and salt. Add the water and quinoa, stir, and bring to a simmer.
Simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is soft but not mushy, 15 - 20 minutes.  Add the bell pepper, cover, and steam 3 minutes until the bell pepper is tender-crisp.
Stir in the corn and pinto beans, and warm through.
Stir in the tomatoes, and serve immediately.
Serves 4.

Green Curry over Quinoa

Based on Jason Wyrick’s Green Curry with Mango and Sweet Potato recipe published in Vegan Health and Fitness magazine.

Ingredients:

1 c. quinoa

2.5 c. water, separated

½ t. salt, separated

1 15-oz can coconut milk

2 T. vegan green curry paste

1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

2 c. frozen mukimame (shelled edamame)

10-oz bag frozen cauliflower florets

1 bell pepper, chopped (any color is fine; red is colorific)

Juice of 2 limes

1 mango, chopped

¼ c. roasted, unsalted peanuts

Method:
Rinse the quinoa under cold water.  Combine the quinoa, 2 c. water, and ¼ t. salt in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 (or so) minutes until the liquid is fully absorbed but the quinoa is not mushy.  Fluff quinoa with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a deep, large skillet with a lid, heat 2 T. of the coconut milk over medium heat.  Stir in the curry paste until fully combined.  Add the rest of the coconut milk, the remaining 1/2 c. water, and the remaining ¼ t. salt.  Again, stir until fully combined.  Add the sweet potato, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Stir in the mukimame and cauliflower, re-cover, return to a simmer, and steam for 5 minutes or until sweet potato can be pierced with a fork.  Add the bell pepper and re-cover.  Steam for 3 minutes or until everything is warmed through but not mushy.  Stir in the lime juice and mango. Add additional salt to season to taste, if desired.

Divide the quinoa between 4 wide, shallow bowls, and spoon the curry over the quinoa.  Serve topped with the peanuts.  Serves 4.

Caribbean Black Beans with Quinoa

This is another good one from the now-defunct magazine Vegetarian Today.

Ingredients

4 t. canola oil, divided
1 c. quinoa
1 T. plus 1 t. minced fresh garlic, divided
1 c. vegetable broth/stock
1 1/2 c. water, divided
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 c. diced plus 1/4 c. minced red onion
1 T. ground cumin
2 T. white vinegar
4 cans black bans, drained and rinsed, separated
1/4 t. cayenne pepper, rounded
2 T. fresh oregano leaves
1/4 t. salt
1 c. diced Roma tomato
1 small jalapeno, seeds and veins removed, finely diced
lime wedges

Method:
Heat 2 t. oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Toast the quinoa and 1 t. garlic in the oil for 1 minute.  Stir in the broth/stock, 1 c. water, and bay leaf, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, 15 - 20 minutes.  Fluff with a fork, and discard the bay leaf.

Meanwhile, heat 2 t. oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Sauté the 1/2 c. diced red onion, 1 T. garlic, and cumin until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.  Deglaze the skillet with the vinegar, scraping up any browned bits, and reduce until the vinegar nearly evaporates.  Set aside.

Purée 1 can of black beans, cayenne pepper, 1/2 c. water, and the oregano leaves in a food processor or blender.  Stir the puréed bean mixture into the skillet with the onions.  Stir in the salt and the whole beans.  Heat until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Mix the tomato with the minced red onion and jalapeno.

Serve the quinoa topped with the warm beans, topped with the tomatoes, and with lime wedges.  Serves 3-4.

Buddha Bowl

Another adaptation of a magnificent Eating Well recipe.  If you have leftovers, keep the avocado and tomatoes separate from everything else.  Once the main dish has been gently reheated, top with the fresh veggies.

Ingredients:

2 small-medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
6 T. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/4 t. salt, divided
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 c. quinoa
2 1/4 c. water, divided
1/4 c. tahini
juice of one lemon
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (or 1/4 t. garlic powder)
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 avocados, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 c. grape tomatoes

Method
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the sweet potato chunks with 2 T. olive oil, 1/2 t. salt, and pepper to taste.  Spread potato chunks out to a single layer and roast, stirring halfway through, 20 minutes or until potato chunks are easily pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa under cold water in a fine-mesh strainer.  In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa, 2 c. water, and 1/4 t. salt.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 - 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork.

Mix 4 T. olive oil, 1/2 t. salt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic (or garlic powder), and pepper, to taste, in a medium bowl.  Add remaining 1/4 c. water, 1 T. at a time, to bring sauce to desired consistency.

Serve quinoa topped with sweet potato, chickpeas, avocado, tomatoes (if using).  Drizzle each serving with tahini sauce.

Serves 4 to 6.

Southwestern Stew with Coconut Quinoa

This special-tasting stew is slightly modified from Anna Lappé and Bryant Terry's (He's from Memphis!) recipe in their cookbook named deliciously Grub.

This is definitely a weekend dish, because it takes a while to make, but it's not difficult...and it's very tasty!

Ingredients:

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 c. sliced red onion
1 (or try 2 for more smoke and spice) chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped (Remove the seeds if you want to tame the heat.  Leave them if you want to keep it spicy.  They'll be puréed anyway.)
10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped  (Yes:  10!)
one 28-oz can whole tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
2 bay leaves
up to 4 c. vegetable broth/stock
salt, to taste
2 medium white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch chunks
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 15-oz can coconut milk
1.5 c. quinoa, rinsed
3 T. dried unsweetened coconut
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn kernels, drained

Method:
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep skillet that has a lid.  Add the onion and chipotle, and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the garlic, and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.

In a blender, puree the drained tomatoes along with the onion and chipotle until smooth.  Pour the mixture back into the large skillet.  Add the bay leaves and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches a thick consistency (about 10 mins).

Add enough vegetable broth/stock to the reserved tomato juice to make 4 cups, then add to the puréed tomato mixture with 1 t. salt (or to taste).  Add the potato chunks, bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer until potatoes are softened (about 40-45 minutes).

While the potatoes are cooking, combine the coconut milk with 1.5 cups water and 3/4 t. salt in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil.  Add the quinoa and dried coconut, return to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Allow the quinoa to rest, covered, for another 5 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork.

When the potatoes are soft, remove the bay leaves from the stew and stir in the black beans and corn.  Serve the stew over the quinoa.  Serves 4 - 5.

Edamame Quinoa Salad

Here's a great recipe from the Eating Well website, which I have been LOVING this year.  I like a bigger ratio of dressing than they suggested, but if you like less dressing, I encourage the tweak.  This salad is good warm or cold.  We serve it over butter lettuce with a baked potato on the side.

Ingredients:

1.5 c. quinoa (I used the tri-color quinoa in the photo, but any color will do.)
3 c. vegetable broth
3 c. frozen mukimame (shelled edamame)
2 T. freshly grated lemon zest
4 T. lemon juice
4 T. extra-virgin olive oil
4 T. fresh tarragon, thyme, or basil, chopped (or substitute 4 t. if using dried herb)
1 t. salt
1 c. jarred roasted red peppers, drained and diced






Method:
Toast the quinoa in a large, dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until it becomes fragrant and begins to crackle, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a fine mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly.

In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a boil over high heat.  Add the quinoa and return to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 8 minutes.  Lift the lid and, without disturbing the quinoa, add the edamame.  Replace the cover and cook until both the quinoa and the edamame are tender, about 7 - 8 more minutes.  Drain any extra liquid, if necessary.

Whisk lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, herb, and salt in a large bowl.  Add the chopped peppers, quinoa, and edamame.  Toss to combine.

Serves 4 - 5.

Lemon-Pepper Tofu and Quinoa Salad

This dish was originally a non-vegetarian dish from The Food Network magazine, and it took me a couple of tries to work it into a satisfying vegetarian dish.  But it came together, and here we are!

Ingredients:
juice and zest of one organic lemon
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil, separated
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. soy sauce or to taste
1/4 t. smoked paprika or to taste
1 lb. extra-firm tofu, chopped into 1/2-in. or 1-in. pieces (Tofu has a more pleasant texture if it is frozen first, then thawed before use.  Plan ahead.)
1.5 c. quinoa
1/2 small red onion, halved and very thinly sliced (I think scallions could easily be substituted here if you like the milder, greener flavor.)
1.5 lb. heirloom tomatoes, chopped
1 Cubanelle chile pepper or other Italian frying pepper, seeded and chopped (A green bell pepper will work, too.)
3 Persian cucumbers, chopped
2 T. vinegar of your choice (I used an orange-vanilla white balsamic vinegar.)
1.5 T. chopped fresh parsley

Method:
Mix the lemon juice, lemon zest, 1 T. olive oil, salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste (be very generous with the pepper), garlic, soy sauce, and smoked paprika in a wide, shallow container.  Toss the tofu with the mixture (the tofu will likely soak it up almost right away), and marinate until ready to use in later step.

On the day you plan to eat, rinse the quinoa. 

Heat 1/2 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the quinoa, and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted (about 4 minutes).  Add 4 c. water and 1/4 t. salt, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes.  Set skillet aside.

Soak the red onion slices in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain.

Meanwhile, toss the tomatoes, chile or bell pepper, cucumbers, vinegar, 1.5 T. olive oil, parsley, 1/4 t. salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste in a large bowl.  Add the onions, and toss to coat.

Heat the remaining 1 T. olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Toss the tofu and lemon zest in the warm olive oil, and allow to cook until browned on one side.  Toss again, and allow to cook until browned on another side.

Fluff the quinoa with a fork, divide among 4 bowls, top with the tomato mixture, then the tofu.  Serves 4.

Tomato-Ginger Couscous (or Quinoa) with Chickpeas

I was very happy to find this simple main dish, because I was in the mood for something new and different.  It easily pairs with the lemony cauliflower, previously posted.
The recipe is courtesy of Food Network Magazine, although I added the chickpeas and the gluten-free quinoa variation.  The chickpeas are optional and can be omitted for a side dish of "just" couscous or quinoa.



Ingredients:

2 tomatoes, cored

2 T. tomato paste

2 T. water

1 T. red wine vinegar

fresh ginger, 1-inch to 2-inch piece (I used a 1-inch piece, but the recipe called for a 2-inch piece.  That seemed kind of intense to me, but you can be the judge.), peeled

1 garlic clove, peeled

3/4 t. salt

1/4 t. ground turmeric

2 T. olive oil

1 c. water (or 2 c. water if using quinoa)

1 c. couscous or quinoa  (if using quinoa, first rinse it under cool water.)

1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (optional)

Method:

In a blender, purée the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 T. water, red wine vinegar, ginger, garlic, salt, and turmeric.

In a skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the purée and cook, stirring, until thickened to a paste (about 12 minutes).

If making COUSCOUS:  Add 1 c. water, and bring to a simmer.  Remove from heat, stir in couscous, cover, and let sit 10 minutes.

If making QUINOA:  Add 2 c. water, and bring to a simmer.  Add quinoa, and stir.  Cover and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.

Fluff with a fork and toss with chickpeas, if using.  Season with additional salt, if desired, and serve warm.

Serves 3 - 5 as a main dish.