Quinoa Recipes

I have seen many athletes for health counselling and trained their chefs to cook delicious plant-based vegan meals. Once they understand the importance of carbohydrates (complex carbohydrates) they are hooked. Using grains, beans, vegetables from land and sea, fruits, nuts and seeds to create delicious, nutritious oil-free meals, they tell me they are in better health with faster competing times for marathon running and cycling AND with quicker recovery time than before they connected with Bill and I.

The power of plants in a vegan well balanced diet is immense. Win for humans, win for the animals and win for the planet. Here are two of my client's favourite quinoa dishes.

Quinoa with Broccoli, Salad Greens & Radishes

1 cup quinoa (rinsed)
1 1/3 cups water 

Small head of broccoli florets
Fresh salad greens such as rocket, watercress
1 small bunch of red radishes, very thinly sliced

Steam the broccoli florets until tender, set aside to cool. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a pan, cover and simmer on a very low heat 15 minutes until the water is absorbed.  Remove from the heat and leave covered for 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and fluff up with a fork, allow to cool. Add the broccoli florets, fresh salad greens and radishes to the quinoa bowl and pour over some of the dressing.  Stir and serve.

Marlene’s Italian Vinaigrette

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning 

1 tsp garlic granules

1/4 tsp celery seeds

2 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp umeboshi plum vinegar

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp brown rice syrup

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp tamari

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Add more water to reach desired consistency. Taste and add adjust to your desire. Serve over salad leaves or vegetables. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Mediterranean Quinoa
1 cup yellow quinoa or ½ cup yellow and ½ cup red
1 1/3 cups vegetable stock or water
1 or 2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red onion finely diced

1 orange pepper, diced
2 spring onions finely diced

¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
Juice squeezed from ½ lime

Toast quinoa in a heavy based pan over a medium flame for about 5 minutes until it crackles and becomes aromatic. Transfer to a sieve and rinse under cold water to remove the saponin outer coating which can be bitter tasting. Heat a splash or two of water in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the orange pepper, quinoa and stock and bring to a simmer.  Cover and cook until the quinoa is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the toasted pumpkin seeds, diced spring onions, lime juice and fluff gently with a fork. Serve with a crisp green salad.

In good health