YumSugar

Fast & Easy Dinner: Quinoa Salad With Scallops & Snow Peas

partysugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 06:50:37 -0700

If you're looking for an innovative recipe to liven up your weeknight repertoire, consider this healthy salad. Don't be intimidated by the ingredients: quinoa is cooked by a technique that's similar to making rice, and the scallops are quick-seared on the stovetop. Asian condiments - soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar - provide depth of flavor, while snow peas and red peppers give the salad a snappy crunch. To look at the recipe, read more.

Quinoa Salad With Scallops & Snow Peas
From Eating Well

Ingredients

12 ounces sea scallops, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, or bay scallops
4 teaspoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce, divided
4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed well
2 teaspoons grated or minced garlic
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup trimmed and diagonally sliced snow peas (1/2 inch thick)
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions

Toss scallops with 2 teaspoons tamari (or soy sauce) in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Place a large, high-sided skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil and quinoa. Cook, stirring constantly, until the quinoa begins to color, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Stir once, cover and cook over medium heat until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. (Do not stir.)
Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
Stir in snow peas, cover and let stand for 5 minutes more.
Meanwhile, whisk 3 tablespoons canola oil, the remaining 2 teaspoons tamari (or soy sauce), vinegar and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add the quinoa and snow peas, scallions and bell pepper; toss to combine.
Remove the scallops from the marinade and pat dry. Heat a large skillet over medium-high until hot enough to evaporate a drop of water upon contact. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons canola oil and cook the scallops, turning once, until golden and just firm, about 2 minutes total. Gently stir the scallops into the quinoa salad. Serve garnished with cilantro, if desired.

Serves 6.

Print recipe with images | without images

Fast & Easy Dinner: Zucchini With Quinoa Stuffing

partysugar — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:50:23 -0700

While I've stuffed a potato and bell pepper plenty of times, I've never had stuffed zucchini - until now! This recipe ingeniously fills the boat-like vegetable with a quinoa-white bean mixture. The technique is simple and can easily be adapted to suit your dietary needs.

Rice or couscous can be used in place of quinoa, and the combination of vegetables, nuts, and cheese that's stirred into the grain is entirely up to you. To learn how to make this innovative, hearty vegetarian meal, read more.

Zucchini With Quinoa Stuffing
From Real Simple

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
4 medium zucchini
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup almonds, chopped (about 2 ounces)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup grated Parmesan (3 ounces)
4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Heat oven to 400° F. In a large saucepan, combine the quinoa and 1 cup water and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Arrange in a large baking dish, cut-side up.
Fluff the quinoa and fold in the beans, tomatoes, almonds, garlic, ½ cup of the Parmesan, and 3 tablespoons of the oil.
Spoon the mixture into the zucchini. Top with the remaining tablespoon of oil and ¼ cup Parmesan.
Cover with foil and bake until the zucchini is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

Simple and Quick Meal: Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa

YumSugar — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:00:16 -0700

Like many of you, I find myself pressed for time, but still crave a somewhat sophisticated meal. This week I came up with a recipe for Mediterranean chicken that didn't cramp my schedule or my style. It's also wholesome, with the Peruvian grain quinoa, which has a high protein content. Next time I make it (which will definitely be soon), I'll stir in the basil at the last minute to prevent wilting. If you're not a fan of raw garlic, sauté it for a minute to mellow out its flavors. To look at the recipe, read more.

Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa
Original recipe by YumSugar

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 pound chicken breasts, butterflied
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup chopped pitted Spanish Manzanilla olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped capers
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, finely crushed

Directions

Spray grill or grill pan with cooking spray. Grill chicken until cooked through.
In a large pot, cook quinoa with 2 cups water until water is completely absorbed and grain appears soft and translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes. (It is normal to see the filament-like germ ring along the edge of the grain.)
In a large bowl, combine olives, capers, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic.
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to olive mixture. Add quinoa to olive mixture.
Just before serving, stir in basil.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

Yummy Links: From Obama Waffles to Washing Dishes

partysugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 06:45:30 -0700

Bad taste: Obama Waffle mix. - Slashfood
Make your kitchen hazard-free. - Chow
Does food really travel 1,500 miles from farm to table? - Slate
Toast the last days of Summer with sparkling margarita floats. - Hostess with the Mostess
How to cook with quinoa.- The Kitchn
Can service at a restaurant ever be too good?- The Epi-Log
The do's and don't's of sandwich bags. - Simply Stated
The city of Toronto may ban paper coffee cups. - Serious Eats
Be more energy-efficient when washing dishes.- CasaSugar

Source

Five Dinners That Improve With Time

YumSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:30:12 -0700

In theory, we can all sing the virtues of leftovers: By eating them, you're not only saving money, but also time, energy, resources, and possibly calories. But in reality, some of you just can't stomach the idea of eating yesterday's food. The solution? Take it from SavvySugar: Prepare foods that taste better the next day. For those of you who need a little convincing, here are five dishes that really do taste better the next day.

View Slideshow ›

Fast & Easy Dinner: Mediterranean Grain Salad

partysugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:45:13 -0700

A great staple to incorporate into your weekly diet is the grain quinoa. Like couscous, quinoa takes on the flavors of its surrounding ingredients. In this recipe, the quinoa is tossed with crunchy peppers, cool cucumbers, and salty olives. Although cheese is not one of the components, crumbled feta or goat cheese would be delicious stirred in with the vegetables. To experiment with quinoa tonight, read more.

Mediterranean Grain Salad
From Vegetarian Times magazine

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp. olive oil
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup sliced kalamata or other good-quality black olives
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Cook quinoa according to package directions.
Meanwhile, make dressing: in small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In large bowl, combine peppers, cucumber, olives, onion and parsley. Mix well.
Add dressing and toss to coat.
Add quinoa, stir gently but thoroughly to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

Monday's Leftovers: Quinoa Primavera With Chicken

YumSugar — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:13:33 -0700

I personally love leftover chicken drumsticks straight from the fridge. However, I understand that cold chicken on a bone isn't exactly the most appetizing meal to serve. Luckily the meat is still delicious when used in salads, sandwiches, or - in this case - with hearty quinoa. To get the recipe for a simple Monday dinner, read more

This recipe calls for spring peas and asparagus, both of which are fading out of season quickly. To make it more fall appropriate toss in some sautéed fall squash - just be sure to plan your cooking time accordingly - and some pomegranate seeds.

Quinoa Primavera with Chicken, Spring Peas and Asparagus
From Whole Foods

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 pound (about 1/2 bunch) asparagus, woody ends snapped off and discarded, spears cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup fresh peas or frozen petite peas, thawed
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 cup thinly sliced baby spinach leaves
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste

Rinse quinoa under cold running water and drain. Combine water and quinoa in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until quinoa is tender and all the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and asparagus. Cook, stirring often, until asparagus is tender and bright green, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add garlic and peas and continue cooking for another minute. Stir in chicken and cooked quinoa. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Nutritional Info
Per serving (About 7oz/196g-wt.): 310 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 20g protein, 40g total carbohydrate (6g dietary fiber, 4g sugar), 30mg cholesterol, 150mg sodium

Print recipe with images | without images

Definition: Quinoa

partysugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 16:13:32 -0700

Quinoa, pronounced keen-wah
A grain staple of the ancient Incas known today for its high protein content. Ivory in color and tiny and bead shaped, quinoa looks like rice. When cooked, it expands to four times its uncooked size. With a mild, bland flavor, it is easily comparable to couscous. Available in most supermarkets as a grain, flour, or pasta.

Image Source

Yummy Link: Chestnut and Quinoa Crepes

YumSugar — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 03:58:31 -0700

Sometimes you make the most amazing creations late at night. This time it's chestnut and quinoa crepes dolloped with red currants. - La Tartine Gourmande

Yummy Links: Orange Ginger Quinoa Salad

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 14:10:19 -0700

When it comes to quinoa, I tend to flip-flop on whether I like it or not. Something tells me if it always looked like this orange ginger salad, I'd probably stay on the flip side... or is that flop side? - What Geeks Eat