Quinoa with Bell Pepper and Pine Nuts

This dish very much reminds me of couscous dishes I ate growing up in Africa which is probably why I am so drawn to it. In all honestly it could be just as easily made with couscous but I use quinoa because I cannot eat wheat.  I think it is yummy and great for a light lunch and easy to make. Oddly enough when I first came across the recipe it was part of a recipe for stuffed bell pepper and was supposed to be the stuffing but I liked it just as well on its own. If you want the whole recipe for stuffed bell pepper just ask me. I got it out of the cookbook Vegan Fire and Spice: 200 Sultry and Savory Global Recipes, http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Fire-Spice-Sultry-Recipes/dp/0980013100/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401930187&sr=8-1&keywords=vegan+fire+and+spice
This is one of those types of recipes you can add or detract ingredients as you see fit. Like you could easily add some carrots, peas, or green beans.  Not part of the original recipe but I added to it are ginger because in case you have not noticed by now, I love ginger, and I also added mint to it.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, bulgar, barley or couscous or grain of choice

2 cups vegetable stock or water

1/2 of a red bell pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion chopped

½ cup chopped celery

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 small fresh hot chiles, seeded and minced (optional)

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

1/4 cup mint (optional, not in original recipe)

ginger chopped (optional, not in original recipe)

1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill

½ teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¼ cup currants

¼ cup pine nuts

1 teaspoon sugar or natural sweetener

Freshly ground pepper

 

Directions

Cook quinoa and 2 cups vegetable stock according to package directions. Set aside to cool. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, chiles, and chopped bell pepper and cook 5 minutes or until softened. Add parsley, mint (optional), ginger (optional), dill, cumin, lemon juice, pine nuts, currants, sugar, quinoa, and salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.

Peanut Noodles

  

     I found this recipe in a Weight Watchers cookbook and instantly fell in love with it. I love pasta and I love peanut sauce, so knew I had to make this. Due to being gluten free I used quinoa noodles, plus they are high in protein. This is a great meal to make when you need a carb and protein boost. I made it when I was working hard getting my scuba certification and needed the extra umpf for my dives. I also added chia seed and ground flax seed for extra protein, anti-oxidants and omega-3. This is one that is hard for me to use portion control on! You do not have to use tofu if you do not want to, you could use any other pre-cooked meat. I think pork or chicken would work well. I use the tofu though. :)

Makes 4 servings, yields 6 cups, 495 calories per serving, 10 WW points per serving

Ingredients

1/2 lb of spaghetti noodles

2 carrots, sliced

1/4 lb fresh snow peas (I did not have any so used fresh green beans)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1/3 cup natural peanut butter (I used more, depends on how you like it)

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar (I used 2 1/2 tablespoons honey instead)

1 1/2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon canola oil

1 tablespoon minced, peeled fresh ginger (I used more)

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 lb low fat firm tofu, cut into 1/4 inch cubes (or any other pre-cooked meat.)

2 tablespoons chopped unsalted peanuts

1 scallion, chopped

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions, adding carrots, snow peas, and bell pepper during last 2 minutes of cooking; reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain.

2. Combine peanut butter, hoisin sauce, brown sugar (or honey), soy sauce, and vinegar in a bowl.

3. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper; cook 30 seconds. Stir in peanut butter mixture and the reserved pasta water. Cook 3 minutes, stir in tofu, and continue to cook until hot, about 3 minutes longer. Toss in large bowl with the pasta and vegetables, then transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with the peanuts and scallion.

Tabouli Salad

Tabouli is something else I have been eating since I was a kid. It is a popular middle eastern salad and I think super yummy. I ate it a lot when we lived in Egypt when I was growing up. It is normally made with bulgar and some make it with couscous but because I eat wheat and gluten free I make it with quinoa OR grated cauliflower. An added bonus is that quinoa is high in protein. This is a recipe based on one I found in
http://www.amazon.com/The-Fibromyalgia-Cookbook-Delicious-Recipes/dp/1402239122/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400955227&sr=8-1&keywords=fibromyalgia+cookbook , however I did make a couple revisions.

Indgredients

2 cups water or chicken stock or vegetable stock (I use vegetable stock)

1 cup quinoa, or couscous, or bulgar, or barley or grain of choice OR grated cauliflower.

1 tomato diced

1 cucumber, seeded and diced

1/2 cup green onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup parsley, minced

1/2 cup fresh mint, minced

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

Ground pepper to taste
Cilantro to taste (Cilantro is not in any Tabouli recipe but I like it and found it worked well in this dish, I put about 1/3 of a cup in it.)

 Directions

Cook quinoa or other grain and water or stock according to package directions. Once cooked add the vegetables and chopped herbs and toss to mix. Combine oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper; add to quinoa / vegetable mixture and mix well. Chill for a couple hours or overnight for best results.