Real Food: Toasted Coconut Quinoa

Inspired by this granola recipe, I set out to make a quicker and crunchier version; something that would be used primarily as a topping.  I arrived at a tasty cross between granola and Grape Nuts.  

This toasted quinoa works very well as a topping for fruit or yogurt.  Here I have it paired with some dark sweet cherries (which we buy frozen in winter.)  It's great with peaches, berries, or apples, and can turn simple fruit into dessert- especially if you serve the fruit warm.

Toasted Coconut Quinoa

Prep Time: 1 min.
Total Time: 6 min.

Ingredients

1T Coconut Oil
1/2 C Quinoa, uncooked
2T Natural coconut
1/4 C Raw almonds, crushed
1t Raw sugar
Cinnamon

1.  Melt coconut oil over medium heat.  Add quinoa, coconut, and almonds and toss to coat.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the coconut and almonds begin to toast and become fragrant and "nutty", about 2-4 minutes.  Watch it closely!!

2.  Add sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon to taste; toss and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar has completely dissolved, about 1 minute.

Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Real Food: Quinoa Cakes and Sweet Berries

When I first came across this Martha Stewart recipe for Quinoa Cakes I passed it by, assuming it was just a recipe for pankcakes using quinoa flour.  After a second look, I realized it was a very simple pancake recipe that used cooked quinoa in place of most of the flour.  You could also use rice.

These small cakes are delicious, but have a unique quinoa flavor and are much more savory than traditional pancakes.  I liked this; it balances much better with sweet toppings- but they are not a direct swap for a traditional buttermilk pancake; much more chewy than fluffy, though I wouldn't call them dense by any means.  

They are a type of pancake, though, and with all that protein, they are much more satisfying than a traditional pancake could ever hope to be.  They were also extremely fast to put together, especially if you keep cooked quinoa on hand.  If you don't, it just means whipping some up before you begin.

My kids (who loved them at first sight due to their size and love of all pancakes) ate them in a flash.

A few notes: I substituted whole wheat pastry flour for the all purpose flour, and used coconut oil rather than butter for the cakes and the griddle.

As the recipe states, flip the cakes when bubbles appear on the surface.  However, I found that though they be small, they be mighty.  When left alone after flipping they are still quite thick and the middles were not fully cooked by the time the bottom was browned.  After flipping your cakes, lightly press down on each with your spatula to thin them out a bit.  That solved the problem for me.

As for a sweet berry topping, I combined 2 C frozen strawberries and 1 C frozen mixed berries and microwaved them until they were almost completely thawed.  I tossed them with 1 t raw sugar and let them sit while I made the cakes.

Quinoa Cakes

From MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked quinoa or brown rice
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg white
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet
• 1/4 cup low-fat milk
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus more for serving
• Fresh fruit or fruit preserves (optional), for serving

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together quinoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg white, butter, milk, and syrup until smooth. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and whisk to combine.
2. Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with butter and heat over medium-high. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on top, 2 minutes. Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside, 2 minutes. Wipe skillet clean and repeat with more melted butter and remaining batter (reduce heat to medium if overbrowning). Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit or preserves if desired.

Real Food: Black Bean Salsa

This recipe couldn't be simpler.  I'm sure there are many, many recipes out there for black bean salsa.  This one, however, was created by me, in my kitchen, last summer.  It's catered to my very strong affinities for cilantro and cumin.  My kids love it, and Jim likes it too.  I made a big batch for this post, and the next day it was nearly gone.

When we see salsa, we think chips. Chips are a fantastic vehicle for this salsa, but typically I use an alternative method: a spoon.

This salsa is great on it's own, but can make a sturdy lunch when coupled with some quinoa.  (I make a big batch at the beginning of the week and keep it in the fridge for times like this.)  Throw it together with some lime and maybe some greek yogurt or a Wholly Guacamole 100 Calorie Pack and you're set.  You could even toss in some chia seeds just before you dig in.

Simple Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients

1 Large Red Onion, minced

1 Can Black Beans (26.5 oz.), rinsed

1 Can No Sodium Added Diced Tomatoes (28 oz.), petite cut preferred

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1 Bunch Cilantro, Stemmed and Chopped

1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 t Lemon Juice

1 t Cumin

1/2 t Cayenne Pepper

Fine Grain Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Simply combine all ingredients, cover, and refrigerate.  This can be eaten immediately, but the flavor improves when it is allowed to sit overnight.  

I like to bring this recipe together in my food processor, but this isn't necessary. If you won't be using a food processor, petite cut tomatoes are a nice shortcut to an even texture.