My Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Burgers Featured on Chow.com!

Happy Friday, Divas!

I had to share that my Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Burger recipe was featured on Chow! I simply adore this recipe and make them all the time. I originally wrote this recipe because I'd grown frustrated with bland grocery store offerings and also wanted to make a Gluten Free veggie option. This recipe has also been published by Meatless Monday and other publications.

Click here to see the article!

Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Patties

Happy new year!

May we all have a fantastic 2015, filled with cooking and great food!

I've been meaning to share this recipe. It's an updated version of my Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Burgers. A little easier than the original. I can't stop making these suckers. They can be eaten by themselves, or foisted onto a bun and eaten like a veggie burger. They're chocked full of healthy ingredients, like kale and sweet potato.

They're also kind of "anything but the kitchen sink" recipe. You can substitute in any vegetables you want to play around with. In this recipe, I mention adding flax or hemp seeds, but I've also made them with pumpkin seeds. You can change it up however you like. If you want to make these vegan, leave out the egg. And I make them gluten free, but you can use any sort of all purpose flour.

Seriously, I love this recipe! They can be made ahead of time, and they're great leftover, especially for breakfast with a sunny side up egg. Enjoy!

Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Patties
Makes about 8 patties
Cooking time: about 30 minutes
Vegetarian (with easy vegan conversion); dairy-free

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa, prepared per package instructions
1 14 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 sweet potato, cooked and skin removed (this can be done quickly in the microwave)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup fresh kale
2 tablespoons flax, hemp and/or pumpkin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt and freshly ground pepper
flour for dusting (I use gluten free all purpose flour)
grapeseed oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add the kale, chickpeas, and kale to a food processor and pulse a few times until chopped. Place the veggie mixture in a mixing bowl with the sweet potato, quinoa, flax/hemp/pumpkin seeds, cumin, and egg. Season to with salt and freshly ground pepper. 

3. Mix together well (I use my hands). Shape the mixture into individual patties.

4. In a heavy-bottomed saute pan or cast iron skillet, heat two tablespoons of grapeseed oil over medium high heat. Working in batches and adding more oil as needed, drench the patties in flour and then fry up until nicely browned, turning once. Transfer the patties to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. 

5. Remove from the oven and serve with ketchup and/or hot sauce. Enjoy!

Advance Preparation: The patties can be shaped up to 3 days ahead of time and kept tightly wrapped in the refrigerator until you're ready to brown them. They can also be made in advance and then reheated in a low oven or on the stovetop. 

Tuscan-Style White Bean, Quinoa & Kale Soup

Happy December!

So... I first made this recipe in Iowa with ingredients from my mother-in-law's cupboard. I was craving something warm and toasty to combat the snow piling up outside. It worked.

Now that I'm back in LA, I decided to make it again, this time with my slow-cooker. That worked beautifully. This soup is rich enough and hearty enough to be the centerpiece to a meal. It's also great leftover. Homemade chicken stock is an added bonus if you've got it. I always keep some in my freezer. Here's my easy stock recipe using a slow-cooker.

I used a combo of cannellini and garbanzo beans. I like to make it thick, almost like a stew. But you can add more or less beans depending on your preference. Usually, this sort of soup would have a glutenous pasta component, but I made it with quinoa—gluten free! And still delicious.

I also pop a parmesan rind into the broth for added richness. It's not required, but it sure is amazing tasting. I'll write this recipe up with chicken broth, but it's super easy to make vegan. Just use vegetable stock instead.

This is the perfect mid-winter recipe. Enjoy!

To make in a slow-cooker, just add all the ingredients and simmer on high for 4-6 hours. 

Tuscan-Style White Bean, Quinoa & Kale Soup
Serves 6-8 people
Cooking time: about 40 minutes
Vegetarian; gluten-free

Ingredients
4 cups low sodium chicken stock (preferably homemade)
28 ounce can cannillini beans
14 ounce can garbanzo beans
14 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
pinch of chili flakes
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup quinoa
2 cups kale, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 parmesan rind (optional)
parmesan reggiano, for grating (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and saute until beginning to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and chili flakes and saute for one more minute.

2. Add the tomatoes, stock, beants, quinoa, thyme, bay leaf, parmesan rind. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about twenty minutes. 

3. Add the kale, cover, and cook for ten more minutes, or until the kale is tender. Then pick out the bay leaf and parmesan rind. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

4. To serve, ladle a generous portion of soup into a big bowl. Top with grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, freshly ground pepper, and a healthy drizzle of good olive oil. Enjoy!

Blueberry Coconut Breakfast Quinoa (Gluten Free)

As my adventures in gluten-free eating continue, I was craving an oatmeal-esque breakfast.

I'd heard of quinoa being used as a gluten-free breakfast hot cereal, so I decided to give it a shot. Quinoa is packed with protein and has a great, nutty flavor. I cooked mine with rice milk (though you could use regular milk or even water). In the last five minutes of cooking, I stirred in dried blueberries and cinnamon. I served it with chopped walnuts, toasted coconut, and maple syrup. 

However, you could try many different variations. The resulting dish was delicious and super filling. A nice change of pace from the usual breakfast suspects.

Blueberry Coconut Breakfast Quinoa

Serves 2 people

Cooking time: about 20 minutes

Gluten-free; vegan

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

2 cups water or rice milk

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup dried blueberries 

1 tablespoon toasted coconut

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

maple syrup for serving

Directions

1. In a saucepan, bring water or rice milke to a boil. Stir in the quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until three quarters of the liquid has been absorbed (about 15 minutes). 

2. Stir in the dried blueberries and cinnamon. Cook for another five minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. 

3. Spoon into two bowls and top with chopped walnuts, toasted coconut, and maple syrup. Enjoy!

My Chickpea Quinoa Burgers Featured by Meatless Monday

Divas, I have exciting news!

My recipe for Chickpea Quinoa Burgers is being featured by Meatless Monday this week (and my photograph graces their homepage). I also received great news that Meatless Monday is including it in a Meatless Burger e-cookbook that they're putting out. I will share more information on soon.

This is a great veggie burger recipe—free of soy and animal products. Also, it's super delicious. I make them all the time. The ingredients include great fall flavors like yams and pumpkin seeds. I first developed my own recipe recipe when I couldn't find a commercially produced veggie burger that I liked.  I love these burgers both with and without buns. They're great leftover too.

So enjoy—and remember one day a week cut out meat.

Here's the link to my recipe on Meatless Monday

My Chopped Chef Salad

Fall has finally arrived in Los Angeles... and I sure hope it sticks around!

This month should also be officially renamed "Rocktober." It feels like every major artist and band has been playing the southland this month. In the last two weeks alone I've seen—Florence + The Machine (amazing!), David Byrne & St. Vincent (also amazing), Neil Young and Crazy Horse (words cannot describe the amazingness), a tiny private Deadmau5 show (set to air on KCRW in November), and Peaches (love her). And I only had to pay for tickets to two of them!

I love music and find it great inspiration for cooking and writing. I almost always have it on when I'm making a meal, or sitting at my computer (I'm listening to Yeasayer right now). Today's recipe is one of my favorite dishes to throw together for a healthy, protein-packed lunch.

It's my take on a Chef Salad. I like my salads chopped—more yumminess in every bite. This salad combines high protein ingredients, such as salami, turkey, feta cheese, and quinoa. And lots of great vegetables, like cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, and arugula. The secret ingredients? Fresh chopped dill and hearts of palm (though artichoke hearts would be great, too). As a note, I love using leftover quinoa (or other grains) by throwing them into salads the next day.

As for dressing, I love Annie's Naturals Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette, but any sort of vinaigrette would taste great. You can also just whip up your own dressing (this is my fast lunch recipe, so occasionally shortcuts can really make a difference).

Chopped Chef Salad

Serves 2 people
Prep time: less than 10 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup sliced deli turkey, chopped
1/4 cup salami, chopped
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
1/4 cup feta, crumbled
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup hearts of palm, chopped
vinaigrette of your choosing (such as Annie's Natural Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette)

Directions

1. Place ingredients in a salad bowl and add the vinaigrette. Toss the salad well.

2. To serve, distribute the salad evenly between two bowls. Garnish with a little fresh chopped dill and freshly ground pepper, if desired. Enjoy!

Black Bean Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Looking for foodspiration today?

I had such luck making Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Burgers the other week, that I decided to try a new variation with black beans. The base is a mixture of black beans and quinoa, spiked with spinach, red bell pepper, carrots, onions, garlic, cilantro, and spices.

The healthy mixture is high in protein thanks to the beans and quinoa. Black beans are also high in fiber, support good colon health, help regulate blood sugar, and are full of phytonutrients that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. In my book, the more legumes you eat, the better.

These veggie burgers are great served plain, topped with pico de gallo, or served on whole wheat buns spread with guacamole. Play around with them—you won't be disappointed.

Black Bean Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Makes about 6-8 patties
Cooking time: about 30 minutes
Vegetarian; dairy-free

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, cooked
1 14 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, seeded 
1 carrot, peeled 
1 small onion, peeled 
1 cup fresh spinach, tightly packed
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
juice of 1 lime
1 egg white 
salt and freshly ground pepper
flour for dusting
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the black beans, bell pepper, carrot, onion, spinach, garlic, and cilantro in a food processor. Process until combined. Transfer the veggie mixture to a mixing bowl. Fold in the quinoa, chili powder, cumin, and lime juice, stirring until well mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Lastly, add the egg white to the mixture (this will help bind it all together).

3. In a heavy-bottomed saute pan or cast iron skillet that can transfer to the oven, heat the remaining grapeseed oil over medium high heat. Using your hands, shape the mixture into individual patties. Dust each one with flour. Place the burgers in the pan and cook until nicely browned (about two minutes). Carefully flip the patties.

4. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for another ten to fifteen minutes, until the patties are nicely browned on the bottom and cooked through.

5. Remove from the oven and serve with or without buns. Enjoy!

Advance Preparation: The patties can be shaped up to 3 days ahead of time and kept tightly wrapped in the refrigerator until you're ready to brown them. They can also be made in advance and then reheated in a low oven or on the stovetop. 

Snap Pea Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

Quinoa risotto.

You read that right. It actually tastes quite splendid.

I studded this with snap peas and baby shiitake mushrooms. They provide great flavor and texture—pops of sweetness and umami. But feel free to play around with different combinations. Though this is a vegan dish, the quinoa provides plenty of protein to make it a complete meal.

I'm also still in love with this organic tri-color quinoa blend from Trader Joe's.

How can you resist?

Snap Pea Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

Serves 2 people
Cooking time: about twenty minutes
Vegan; gluten-free

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups snap peas
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
extra stock for consistency
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Rinse the quinoa. Add the vegetable stock and the quinoa to a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes (or per package instructions). Remove from heat.

2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and reduce heat to medium. Saute for a few minutes, until softening. Add the snap peas and the mushrooms. Cook for about five minutes, or until the snap peas are tender.

3. Add the white wine to the vegetables. Bring to a simmer and reduce in half. Add the quinoa and stir to combine. More chicken stock may be added to the pan to adjust the consistency. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!

Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Burgers

I've always wanted to make homemade veggie burgers.

This is for many reasons. I love them, for starters. But the ones at the store have always seemed too processed, and processed never taste quite as good as homemade. And of course, they can make for a very healthy, complete vegetarian meal. They're great on a whole wheat bun, or simply eaten straight as photographed with a little organic ketchup (one of the best condiments in the world, don't you think?).

These burgers are made with lots of healthful things. The base is quinoa (I love a tri-color blend that I buy at Trader Joe's) and chickpeas, both protein powerhouses. I also use a little yam and egg white as a binder, but if you want to go vegan on these, just eliminate the egg white and turn them a little more carefully. I also throw in sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds (healthy fats and protein).

For the veggie part of the burger, I used a mix of sautéed carrot, shallots, and bell pepper and raw spinach, which I chopped in a food processor. Finally, I love adding sesame tahini, lemon juice, and cumin, and hot sauce.

This recipe is fungible. You're welcome to play around with different combinations of beans, whole grains, and vegetables. I know I do. For inspiration, here's a great veggie burger recipe round-up.

Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Burgers
Makes about 6-8 patties
Cooking time: about 30 minutes
Vegetarian (with easy vegan conversion); dairy-free

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked quinoa, prepared per package instructions
• 1 14 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 yam, cooked and skin removed (this can be done quickly in the microwave)
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 shallots or 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup fresh spinach, tightly packed
• 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons sesame tahini
• 1 egg white (optional)
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce (optional)
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• flour for dusting
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a saute pan, heat one tablespoon of the grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add the shallot or onion and cook for a few minutes, until beginning to soften. Add the carrot and bell pepper and cook for a few minutes under just becoming tender. Remove from heat.
3. In a food processor, chop the veggie mixture. Add the raw spinach. Process a little more until combined. Place the veggie mixture in a mixing bowl.
4. Next, add the chickpeas and tahini to the processor and pulse until broken down.
5. Place the chickpeas, veggie mixture, quinoa, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and yam in a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, cumin, egg white (optional), and hot sauce (optional). Stir with a spoon until well mixed. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
6. Using your hands, shape the mixture into individual patties. Dust each one with flour.
7. In a heavy-bottomed saute pan or cast iron skillet that can transfer to the oven, heat the remaining one tablespoon of grapeseed oil over medium high heat. Place the burgers in the pan and cook until nicely browned (about two minutes). Carefully flip the patties.
8. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for another ten to twelve minutes, until the patties are nicely browned on the bottom and cooked through. 
9. Remove from the oven and serve with or without buns and ketchup. Enjoy!

Advance Preparation: The patties can be shaped up to 3 days ahead of time and kept tightly wrapped in the refrigerator until you're ready to brown them. They can also be made in advance and then reheated in a low oven or on the stovetop. 

Meatless Monday Features My Recipe for Apricot Cilantro Quinoa Pilaf

This week, Meatless Monday is featuring my recipe for Apricot Cilantro Quinoa Pilaf.

And my photograph graces their main page, too.

I love this recipe—it's quick (cooks up in less than half the time of rice pilaf), healthy, packed with protein, and flavorful. It's great on its own or as a side dish to any meal.

What a great way to start the week!

Here's the link to my recipe on Meatless Monday

Apricot Cilantro Quinoa Pilaf

Happy Monday!

It's a cloudy, rainy one here in to Los Angeles, but a change of pace is nice sometimes. What news do I have? Firstly, Meatless Monday is featuring my soup recipe from last week (which they are calling Orzo Spinach Soup), and my photograph is on their homepage. Love those guys.

And I'm halfway through my new book (quite an accomplishment I think).

Anyway, I've been cooking up a storm and have lots of great recipes waiting in the wings. But today, I'm writing up this one for Apricot Cilantro Quinoa Pilaf.

You see tons of rice pilaf recipes, but I love using quinoa instead. It's super high in protein and has a great nutty flavor. I used an organic tri-color quinoa blend from Trader Joe's that I just love! But any sort will work.

For this recipe, I combine apricots, cilantro, and toasted pumpkin seeds, giving it a little bit of a Middle Eastern flair. This dish is great on its own (lots of protein), as a side dish, or served with eggs for breakfast.

Apricot Cilantro Quinoa Pilaf
Serves 4 people
Cooking time: about 20 minutes
Vegan; gluten-free

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups low sodium vegetable stock or water
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1 shallot, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• lemon juice (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute for a few minutes, until softened. 
2. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa for 2 minutes under cold water.
3. Add the stock, quinoa, and apricots. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes (per quinoa package instructions). 
4. Once the quinoa has finished cooking, remove from heat and fold in the pumpkin seeds and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. 
5. If desired, finish with a little fresh squeezed lemon juice and garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Curried Coconut Lentil Soup

It's soup weather.

Translation: it's cold and rainy and December, so all you want to eat is something warm and comforting!

This is the kind of weather that makes it tough to get out of bed (especially if you attended KROQ's Almost Acoustic Xmas last night). And unfortunately, it's raining on my farmers market parade. I will probably hit Whole Foods later in the day instead.

The Adorable Monster has the right idea—he's snoozing on the sofa, curled up into a tight bundle of fluffiness.

So I thought I'd write up this recipe that I made the other week for today. It's a Curried Coconut Lentil Soup. Even though this soup is vegan, the curry seasonings, fresh ginger, and coconut milk imbue it with a rich, creamy flavor. I also added quinoa (extra protein and fiber) to the mix.

This soup is sure to spice up any dreary winter day.

Curried Coconut Lentil Soup
Serves 6-8 people
Cooking time: about 50 minutes
Vegan; gluten-free
Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup red split lentils
• 1 cup yellow split peas
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• about 7 cups of filtered water
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 1 can (14 oz.) light coconut milk
• 1 bay leaf
• fresh chopped cilantro for garnishing
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and bell pepper and saute until beginning to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic, ginger, and curry powder and stir to combine. Cook for one or two more minutes.
2. Rinse the lentils and split peas until the water is no longer murky. Add the lentils, split peas, quinoa, and bay leaf to the pot. Cover with water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft.
3. Stir in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 20 minutes or so, allowing the soup to thicken to desired consistency. If it becomes too thick, then more water can be added (though I like this soup nice and thick).
4. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with the chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Meatless Monday Features My Recipe for Ginger Cherry Quinoa!

Happy Meatless Monday!

Click on over to Meatless Monday's killer website to check out my recipe for Ginger Cherry Quinoa. It's featured as their dinner recipe this week. This super healthy, flavorful dish is perfect for the holidays. Also, while you're on their site, check out this week's recipe for Spicy Peanut Chutney from Karen of Sprouts in the Hood. It sounds amazing -- I can't wait to try it.

Click here for the link to my recipe!

And remember -- one day a week, cut out meat!

Meatless Monday: Southwestern Quinoa And Black Bean Salad

Oh, Divas, what a lovely weekend!

Kuzak's parents were in town, which meant lots of dining, and incidentally, a lot of horticulture. I'm happy to report that I'm now the proud owner of an herb garden, out on my deck.  I just hope it doesn't perish (I do not have a green thumb, not even a slightly brown one).  For foodie activities, we had a fabulous meal at Lucques (one of my favorite LA restaurants), an authentic taco lunch at Pinches Tacos (I eat here at least once a week), a trip to the Hollywood Farmers Market (my fridge if full of everything from fava beans to baby squash), but we saved the best for last.

It all began on Sunday morning with a close encounter of the Mario Batali kind.  That's right, my dear readers, when we pulled up to the hotel to pick up Kuzak's parents, the unmistakable Mario was waiting right in front.  There was no doubt--ginger hair, ponytail, shorts, orange crocks.  You'd have to blind to miss him.  Yes, I said hello to him like an over-enthused groupie (I had met him once before) and told him that as fate would have it, we were dining at his restaurant, Osteria Mozza, that very night.  Yes, I shook his hand (soft as butter).  And yes, I thoroughly embarrassed myself, but I don't care.  I'm in love with his food, and there's no reason to be embarrassed about that.

Dinner at Mozza was, in a word, spectacular, but isn't it always?

The fresh burrata and mozzarella, the pastas (I could write an entire essay on the bolognese alone) and the entrees, fatty, tender veal breast, duck al mattone (cooked under a brick, served on a cutting board with lemon meyer jam) the hailbut with green peppercorns (the secret is veal stock in the sauce, as my waiter whispered in my ear), the desserts with gelato, gelato and more gelato.  This was my second meal there in under a week, and I know I'll be back soon.

Alright, onto Meatless Monday, which Mario Batali has adopted into all 14 of his restaurants (nice segue, huh?).  I made this little gem of a salad last week for lunch.  It combines the high-protein whole grain, quinoa, with black beans, also a good protein source.  I also added chopped bell pepper, purple onion, cilantro, lemon juice, olive oil and cumin to it, and served it cold.  I loved this Southwestern inspired salad so much, I might make it again this week!

Southwestern Quinoa And Black Bean Salad
Serves 4-6 people
Prep time:  10 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups quinoa, cooked
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions

Mix the quinoa, black beans, peppers, onion, cilantro and cumin together.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive and lemon juice.  Then, pour the lemon-olive oil mixture over the quinoa mixture.

Toss well and then season to taste with salt and pepper.  Enjoy!

Source For Ingredients
organic quinoa, organic red bell peppers, organic cilantro from Trader Joe's

organic red onion and organic lemons from Studio City Farmers Market

organic cumin from Whole Foods

Quinoa With Ginger, Cherries And Pine Nuts

Alright, Divas, pop quiz!

Do you know what "quinoa" is (don't cheat by clicking the link)?  

And how many of you eat it on a regular basis? 

If you answered yes and yes, then skip to the recipe!

For all you quinoa virgins, would you like to know why quinoa is the whole grain that I believe most people should be eating but aren't?  I mean, we all know that loading up our diets with whole grains has a plethora of health benefits.  They reduce the risk of heart disease by decreasing cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood coagulation, reduce the risk of many types of cancer, help regulate blood glucose levels and help maintain healthy weight.

But you're probably wondering what makes little ole quinoa so special?

Quinoa is an ancient whole grain, often referred to as "the gold of the Incas."  It's high in protein - and not only that - but it's a complete protein, meaning it includes all nine essential amino acids.  If you're vegetarian or vegan, this is a must have staple in your diet.  It's health benefits go on and on, but it has high levels of magnesium, considered essential to cardiovascular health, fiber, vitamins and antioxidants (for more info click here).

And the best part?  It cooks up in 15 minutes flat.

Oh, and it tastes yummy! 

I'm not going to write a quinoa thesis here (though I could!), but I am going to urge you to eat more of this stuff.  It's a regular staple in my household - I simply adore it.  I concocted this recipe as a side dish to go with Whole Roast Duckling (thank you Julia Child), hence the ginger and cherry flavors which pair amazing with duck.  However, it was so delicious, it could easily be a stand alone meatless dish, too.  So load up your cupboard with some quinoa and get to cooking! 

Quinoa With Ginger, Cherries and Pine Nuts
Serves 4 people
Cooking time:  20 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups filtered water
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoon olive oil or walnut oil
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/4 pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

Directions
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.  Add the shallot and ginger and saute for about 4-5 minutes, or until softened.  Add the quinoa and stir into the oil, cooking for one more minute.  Then add the water and bring to a boil.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed.

Let sit for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork.  Stir in the cherries and pine nuts.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Top with parsley.  Enjoy!

Source For Ingredients
organic quinoa, dried cherries and pine nuts from Whole Foods

organic shallots, ginger, organic parsley, walnut oil from Hollywood Farmers Market

Apple-Glazed Organic Bone-In Pork Chops & Quinoa with Pancetta and Walnuts

Happy Friday, Divas!

Today is a bonus day - you're getting two recipes for the price of  one!

I made this dinner last weekend, and wow, did it turn out fabulous!  I used fresh-pressed apple juice that I made with my Omega Juicer to make my sauce, which really added great flavor. I served the Apple-Glazed pork over quinoa, studded with smokey La Quercia pancetta and toasted walnuts, which really gave the dish a great nutty, earthy component. For wine, we paired this dinner with the stellar 2007 Tablas Creek En Gobelet (CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE), which may be the best wine I've had all year long.  It complimented the dish, and then some, making this one of the best meals I've made this fall.

Now onto more important matters before I share my recipes!  The Adorable Monster, who has been confined to the house for two weeks following his ball removal, is going back to the dog park today!  I know as soon as I utter the two words, "Dog Park!" that he'll leap with fanatical joy and throw himself at the door.  He'll also probably whine in my ear the whole way there, and then run around like a maniac once we arrive, sniffing other dogs' booties and peeing on everything in sight.  I'll report back on how it goes!

If you're curious what I'm cooking, tonight I'm making a chickpea and organic vegetable vindaloo, and tomorrow, a decadent risotto made with pancetta, red wine and radicchio (a recipe from Jamie Oliver, who makes amazing risottos is you ask me).  Next week, I'll be posting more great recipes, wine reviews and more!  So keep reading and cooking!

Apple-Glazed Organic Bone-In Pork Chops & Quinoa with Pancetta and Walnuts
Serves 2 people

2 organic bone-in pork chops 
1 cup apple juice or apple cider, preferably fresh-pressed
1 shallot, chopped
1 apple, diced
1 tsp sherry vinegar
3 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp grapeseed or canola oil
salt & pepper

quinoa:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
3 slices pancetta, chopped
1/2 cup raw walnuts
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnishing
1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2 cups filtered water
salt & pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the quinoa, place the olive oil in a pot and heat over medium-high heat.  Then, add the pancetta and saute until crispy and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the shallot and cook for a few more minutes, until softened and translucent.   Add the quinoa, stir to combine, and cook for one minute.  Add the water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook for approximately 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.  Then remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, spread the walnuts in an even layer in a pie pan or other oven proof dish.  Toast in the oven until golden, about 4 minutes.  Remove from the oven, allow to cool and chop.

Once the quinoa has rested, stir in the parsley and walnuts, fluffing as you combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To make the pork chops, salt and pepper the pork on both sides.  In a saute pan, heat the grapeseed or canola oil over medium high heat until almost smoking.  Add the pork chops to the pan and cook for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through.  Remove and set aside to rest.

To make the apple glaze, add the shallot to the same pan where the pork chop was cooked.  Saute for two minutes.  Add the apple and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown.  Add the apple juice, the thyme sprigs and sherry vinegar.  Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by two-thirds (it should begin to take on a nice, slightly thicker consistency).  Once it's reduced, remove the thyme sprigs and season to taste with salt & pepper.

To plate, scoop some of the quinoa onto a plate. Top with a the pork chop.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer some of the apple pieces to the top of the pork chop.  Spoon the sauce over the pork.  Garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients:

pancetta from La Quercia (via Whole Foods) 

organic bone-in pork chops, organic parsley, organic shallot, sherry vinegar from Whole Foods

organic apples and organic walnuts from Trader Joe's

organic thyme from Hollywood Farmers Market