Quintessential Quinoa

When on the lookout for an easy, portable lunch meal, you need look no further than quinoa for your starting point. This protein-rich seed is a delicious and healthy way to make a one-bowl meal filling and nourishing. Not to mention, it's a perfect non-spilling meal to carry with you wherever you go.

So, are you looking for a healthy, delicious, easy to make meal that will leave you full and feeling good? Try this one out.

Quintessential Quinoa Bowl
(serves 6)

1 cup uncooked quinoa, cooked to direction (replace water in directions with chicken or vegetable broth)
three handfuls spinach
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 can unsalted red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 red onion, diced
16 oz baby bella mushrooms, diced
16 oz white mushrooms, diced
1 can sweet peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 tablespoon sunflower oil
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare 1 cup quinoa as directed (replacing water in directions with chicken or vegetable broth) in a large pot.

In a large skillet, add sunflower oil, garlic, and onions over medium heat and cook til the onions are translucent and the garlic is beginning to brown. Next add the spinach and cook until wilted. Next add the mushrooms and cook those until softened. Finally, add the peas and kidney beans, stirring to combine all flavors.

When the quinoa is finished, add all vegetables from the skillet to the quinoa pot and stir until thoroughly mixed. Add salt and pepper as desired. Serve hot.

This dish reheats magnificently, so feel free to make a batch at the beginning of the week and ease up your cooking schedule for the next four days. Go on. Have a peace. :)

Gluten & Guilt Free Spaghetti

I love spaghetti. It's been one of my favorite comfort foods since I was a kid, as I'm sure it has been for many of you. It's just plain good. Nothing fancy. Just noodles and sauce and slurping delectability. But pasta - even when you get that nifty whole-wheat spaghetti you can find now - is still pasta. Maybe you have friends who are gluten free, or you are, or you're going off grains for a while - which is good to do every once in a while anyway. Whatever the reason you want to scoot out of the pasta aisle, you shouldn't have to give up the things that you love. So... here ya go. A little down home comfort for your soul and your belly; a healthy dose of culinary affection for those around you.


Gluten/Guilt Free Spaghetti 
(serves many - at least 4)

2 large spaghetti squash
12 oz baby carrots, chopped
1 medium white onion, chopped
4 sticks celery, chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
6 white mushrooms, chopped
2 cans whole tomatoes, meaty
2 tbsp tomato paste
6 cloves garlic (you can use less, I just like my sauce extra garlicky)
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
daiya shredded white cheese (vegan mozzarella substitute), optional for topping

First, you want to preset your oven to 350 F and get out a couple cookie sheets, covering those in aluminum foil.

On your stove, in a large pot, pour 2 tbsp olive oil and set the stove to medium heat.

Next, in your food processor, chop your carrots, onion, celery, and broccoli. They don't need to be super fine, but you'll want them to look like delicious vegetable mostly-mush. Add this mush to the pot and stir to keep from burning. About 8 minutes, give or take.

Back to your food processor, add the zucchini, mushrooms, oregano, and garlic. This is going to be the 'meaty' portion of your sauce; the zucchini and the mushrooms give it a really nice texture. Add this processed mixture to the pot along with the two cans of tomatoes and the tomato puree. Bring the contents to a boil, then pop a lid on the pot and set the stove to low to let the contents simmer for about 45 minutes.

Take your spaghetti squash and cut the ends off, then slice them in half. You have to remove the seeds, much like you would a pumpkin - so if you have one of those friends who loves getting their hands smeared in squash innards, now's the time to invite them over for dinner. When the seeds are removed, brush a light layer of olive oil over the exposed squash and set them face-down on the cookie sheets, putting them into the oven for 30-40 minutes.

When the squash is done, take it out and - being careful not to burn yourself on those piping hot spaghetti squashes - take a fork and drag it along the inside of the halves. The 'spaghetti' should peel up with barely any pressure. Make sure to flake the sides of the squash, to really separate the 'noodles', and keep scraping even after you think you've gotten it. Sometimes whole portions hide up against the skin.

Fill a few bowls with the warm 'spaghetti', pour a generous portion of your fresh sauce over top, and enjoy. Go on. Have a peace. :)

Steak and Guinness Casserole

Many traditional Irish foods are laden with potatoes and butter and other delicious, high calorie-high carb foods. In this case, I tried a "healthier" spin on the traditional for St. Patrick's Day.

Steak and Guinness Casserole
(serves 6-8)

2 lbs steak (1 lb lean angus steak and 1 lb non-lean), cubed
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp brown sugar
2 large red onions, chopped into tiny pieces
1 bag sliced white mushrooms, chopped into tiny pieces
2 11.2 oz bottles Guinness draught
2 cups beef broth
2 large carrots, chopped into tiny pieces
2 baby green cabbages (halved, outer leaves removed, then the inside chopped up)
3 cloves garlic
thyme, a few pinches
olive oil

Mix flour, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Prepare a large pan with a couple teaspoons of olive oil.
Coat 1 inch cubes of steak in seasoned flour and brown them in the pan over medium heat. When meat is browned, remove steak to an extra large pot.
Lightly brown onions, garlic, and mushrooms in the meat juice (add a little extra oil if needed), then add to the beef in the pot.
Into the pot, add chopped cabbage, carrots, thyme, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt.
Pour Guinness and beef stock into the pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Spoon meat and vegetables out of the pot with a slotted spoon into a large casserole dish.
Reduce the remaining liquid to a gravy by simmering for 30 minutes over high heat.
Layer the large outer cabbage leaves over the top of the meat and vegetables, sprinkle a little brown sugar over the tops of the leaves.
Set the oven to 300 F.
Once the gravy is reduced, pour the thickened liquid over the top and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Serve hot in a bowl. Go on. Have a peace. It's good for you. :)

Nunchuck Stuffed Mushrooms

These delectable stuffed mushrooms are served with a kick. I made them to go with a miso-glazed tilapia and hijiki salad, so they have a little asian flavor to them. They are terribly delicious! I served them as an appetizer, but they would make an equally palatable party snack.

Nunchuck Stuffed Mushrooms

16 oz white mushrooms
2 tbsp canola oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed and diced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely diced
1 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
1 stalk bok choy, chopped fine
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp low sodium Tamari
1/2 tsp salt
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 half lemon, juiced
1 handful garlic croutons (or plain - whatever you prefer), crushed
14 oz crumbled goat cheese

Preheat oven 375 F. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the mushroom stems and set them to the side in a bowl. Make sure there is ample space in each mushroom cap for a spoonful of filling and place any excess mushroom removed for this into the same bowl with the stems. Place the prepared caps on the cookie sheet.
Heat canola oil in a skillet at medium-low heat. Saute garlic, ginger, and bell peppers for 3-5 minutes. Don't let the garlic or the ginger burn, keep stirring.
Chop the mushroom stems, etc. into finely diced bits and add them to the skillet, along with the chopped bok choy. Cook until the liquid evaporates - about 5 minutes.
Remove the skillet from heat.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir together the sesame oil, tamari, salt, crumbled croutons, green onions, lemon juice, and goat cheese. Add the contents of the skillet to the bowl and combine thoroughly. You want the goat cheese to melt completely due to the heat of the items from the skillet.
Using a small spoon, stuff the mushroom caps.
Bake for 20 minutes and serve.

Go on. Have a peace!

Sumptuous Stuffed Tomatoes

In my delicious biweekly organic food delivery, I received the following items: fresh tomatoes, spinach, crimini mushrooms, and garlic. While I was perusing my take, considering what I could do with these savory delights, the scent of my little basil pot overcame my senses and gave me the idea for this delicious recipe.

Sumptuous Stuffed Tomatoes
(6 servings)

3 tomatoes, halved
2 handfuls raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 generous handful fresh basil
2 generous handfuls spinach
3 cloves garlic
1-2 stalks celery
4 crimini mushrooms, washed and quartered
pepper to taste

Set your oven to 350 F.

Take your pepitas and throw them into your food processor, grinding into a semi-fine dust. It's okay if there are some bigger chunks for crunch. Pour out half the ground pepitas into a small bowl.

Halve our tomatoes and scoop out the juicy innards, placing the "shells" onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet.

Spoon the juicy innards into your food processor along with the remaining pepitas. Add the spinach, basil, celery, garlic, and mushrooms. "Mix" into a paste. You can add salt if you want, I didn't find it needed any.

Using a large spoon to scoop the mixture into the tomato shells. Sprinkle the tops with the saved pepitas. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Go on; have a peace! Have two!

Yummy Miso Soup

Have you ever had that strange experience where you're drinking some miso soup at a restaurant and it's a) too mild, b) too bland, or c) makes you feel like you rubbed your tongue with sandpaper? Never have these problems again! Make your own miso! It's ridiculously easy and - can I just say without humility - totally and incredibly tasty.

Yummy Miso Soup

(makes 4-5 servings)

~3 oz kombu (dried seaweed), was about a sheet for the brand I bought, cut into thirds to fit into my pot
3 tbsp miso paste
2 shiitake mushrooms
4 green onions, chopped
1 block extra firm tofu

Place the kombu in a pot with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Remove the kombu just as the water reaches its boiling point and save it. (I used my boiled kombu again and made a whole extra batch for the fridge). This is what you call 'dashi stock' - sort of a salty broth.

Ladle out a goodly amount of the broth into a separate bowl and stir in the miso paste so that it melts.

Add your chopped green onions to the pot of stock. Stir for 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and tofu. Stir for an additional 2-4 minutes.

Last, add the melted miso to the main pot. Stir until its well combined.

Yes. That's all folks. Prepare for the silky smooth awesomeness of homemade miso.

*And because you get to make it all for you, if you want more or less of any ingredient, or different mushrooms, or whatever - you can have it! Pretty neat, eh?

Forgo a spoon with this. Slurp with pride and use chopsticks to pick out the veggies and tofu. Slurping is a sign you're enjoying yourself. :)

[P.S. There is a version of this where you can stew some hijiki seaweed in when you add the green onions in the beginning. If you like the taste of sea weed and its enormous nutritional value, try this for an added flavor.]

[Note: I have changed this recipe. Adding the miso paste last prevents the boiling process from destroying the beneficial bacteria in the paste and keeps it from forming those clumps that are so common in miso soups!]


Q & A: What is miso paste and are there any substitutes for miso paste?

Miso paste is a sticky paste made from soy beans and/or grains that have been fermented. (This is the process used to make soy sauce, btw.) It aids in the digestion and assimilation of nutrients from food and also has antioxidant properties and contains an alkaloid called "dipicolinic acid", which bonds to heavy metals and helps the body get rid of them.

Miso paste is used for its distinct flavor and I'm pretty sure there aren't any exact substitutes for it. It comes in a variety of different ratios and subtle flavors, but there are three main categories: white, black, and red. White and red are the most easily located in the US.

Some of the versions:

Black miso paste [hat-cho miso or mamemiso] - a very strong salty variety - is made with soy beans, fermented, and aged for up to three years.
Red miso paste [akamiso] is usually made from barley or rice (not soy beans - I did not know this) and put through a fermentation process, then aged anywhere from 4-8 months depending on the brand. [If you do have a soy allergy, this might be a good alternative - double check this somewhere else before you try it though. This information has come from two different sources, but when dealing with food allergies, it's best to actually consult a physician!] *I use the red, because it's what I found when I went to Little Tokyo, and I really enjoy it. It has a full, rich flavor and lacks the tangy sharpness I've experienced with some misos.
Barley miso [mugi miso] is reddish brown and a little sweeter than some other misos.

Cold Mountain Brand Variations:
Light Yellow [shinshu shiro miso] is made from soy beans and grains, fermented, and aged 10-12 weeks. It has a light flavor and a gentle aroma.
Mellow White: "rich, natural flavor...delicate and subtly sweet". Aging time 2-3 weeks.
Kyoto Red: 60% less sodium, "dessert like sweetness". Aging 2-3 weeks.
Kyoto White: 60% less sodium, "rich and... sweet". Aging 5-6 weeks.

Now, I stand corrected from my previous comment. According to the Cook's Thesaurus, you can substitute soy sauce (1 tsp soy sauce for 1 tbsp miso paste) or a bouillon cube (1 vegetable or beef bouillon cube for 1 tbsp miso paste).

I have not tried any of these variations, so I cannot vouch for their tastiness factor or how they combine with the other ingredients. Unless you have a soy allergy, I strongly suggest trying the miso paste. I mean - it's "miso" soup. Can't have real miso soup without miso in it, right?

You can find miso paste in the refrigerator section of some supermarkets, all asian supermarkets, Whole Foods, or purchase it online from an asian grocery - I posted a link to one I've used under Bento Box 1. Buy a box, keep it in your fridge. It stays good for months.

There is also the option of buying the powdered versions of miso for soups, but I recommend the paste. I've tried both, and there's just more flavor to the paste.

A note on soy:

There was a lot in the media a while ago about how eating too much soy product (they were talking about people eating mostly tofu) leads to serious iodine deficiencies. Asian diets compensate for this by also consuming seaweed, which is rich in iodine. The main message is this: too much of any one thing is bad. The more colors on your plate (green is important and food coloring doesn't count), the more likely you are to get all the nutrients your body needs.

Q & A: Are there any substitutes for seaweed?

If you're not a huge fan of seaweed, don't let this frighten you away. The Kombu is dried when you add it and you never even have to touch it once it's been boiled, so you don't experience the "slimy factor" I hear people complain about. The stock does not taste "fishy" the way I've heard some of my less seaweed enthusiastic friends describe seaweed. Boiling the kombu releases natural salts that give the broth a delicious flavor.

Another alternative for homemade dashi stock is called "katsuo dashi", which is a variation that involves boiling katsuoboshi (dried bonito flakes). Bonito flakes are dried tuna flakes, basically. I did try this and I actually kind of liked it - although I prefer the kombu stock. Recipe for katsuo dashi.

Here are some other alternatives that I haven't taste-tested: niboshi dashi (made from dried sardines) and hoshi-shiitake (made from dried shiitake mushrooms).


Q & A: How do you use pre-made dashi stock?

If you decide to skip the (really easy) process of making your own dashi and use the pre-made kind... You can buy dashi stock - the name for the stock that results from boiling the kombu - pre-made or powdered from asian groceries. Just be aware it usually comes in smallish bottles or one serving packets.

Dashi powder: You use about 1 tsp for every 3-5 cups of water, depending on how strong a flavor you're looking for. The package will have instructions on it (hopefully in English).

Bottled dashi stock: I actually bought a bottle of this at the asian market before I realized how easy and delicious it is to make this stuff from scratch. (If you're at the store that has this, you will easily find the ingredients needed for making the stock.) What you want to do with this is taste test. Take 3 cups of water to start with and add 1/2 tbsp of the bottle dashi to the water, tasting until you find the right ratio. I never found one that I was completely happy with in the way I was with the homemade stock; you might.

Please be aware that most of the pre-made dashi stocks have extra salt in them. I'm not a big sodium hound, so I don't like them as much, but... que sera sera.

Bento Box Day 2: Down Home Bento

Day 2 of my bento box experiment. For the history of this experiment, see Bento Box Day 1 and Little Tokyo. Today's bento box was for those without an asian market (see! I read my comments!): one pan soy-fried beef tip steak, brown rice, roasted corn, snow peas, and shiitake mushrooms.

Soy-fried Steak, with roasted corn, snow peas, and shiitake mushrooms
(Makes 3 well balanced and filling servings. Takes ~ 15 minutes.)

1 thin beef tip steak, in 1" slices
sprinkle of salt
sprinkle of pepper
~2 tbsp soy sauce, divided
6 tbsp corn
handful snow peas, sliced
2 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

Oil a pan and turn on high heat. Add the steak slices into the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown well on both sides until it gets those tasty little dark brown crispy bits; pour in 1 tbsp soy sauce. Stir to coat.

Remove meat.

Add corn and snow peas to the same pan, stir in with additional .5-1 tbsp soy sauce, over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Last, add the sliced mushrooms in and stir for another minute or so.

Remove. And you're done. Yum yum. :)

Enjoy!

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Soup

I've been in a soupy mood for the past few days. I've also been in 'I don't want to go to the grocery' mode. These two feelings, in conjunction, culminated in me searching my fridge and pantry for anything that might make a suitable soup. I love the way that sounds... 'suitable soup'.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Soup
(5-8 servings)

1 box (~4 cups) Trader Joe's Garden Vegetable Patch Soup (could use plain tomato soup, or probably even V8)
~3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
~5 stems fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved
5-10 button mushrooms, sliced in thirds
3 stalks celery, sliced small
1 can great northern beans, rinsed
1/4 cup diced red onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
freshly milled sea salt, to taste (*I used about 10 turns of my sea salt mill)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste (*I used about 7 turns of my black pepper grinder)

In a medium stock pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic to the bottom and saute for 4-6 minutes, until onions are soft and garlic is browned.

Add 4 cups of the soup base you've chosen and set the stove to medium heat. Allow the soup to come to a simmer.

Add the spinach and basil to the pot and stir well. Next take the celery and stir that in, followed by the cherry tomatoes and the mushrooms. Salt and pepper the soup and stir, scooping from the bottom, to make sure everything's well combined.

Finally stir in the great northern beans and then allow to simmer, unmolested, for 5-8 minutes. Stir a couple times and taste test to make sure you're happy with the seasoning of the soup. If you used more or less of any of the ingredients I did, you'll want to alter your salt and pepper usage accordingly. Also depending on what brand of soup base you use, it may already be salted or seasoned on its own. Check the label and make sure you're not oversalting.

When you're happy, remove from heat and ladle out. It comes out warm, filling, and delicious. Yum, yum! Enjoy!

Garlic-Sunflower Chicken, with a side of Garlic Roasted Veggies

Let it be said: poultry is awesome.

I was afraid of chicken for a long time, mostly because of my terrible fear of e-coli and death. The key to healthy poultry (which is, by the way, one of the best meats - ever - if cooked properly) is taking the time and care to be safe and clean. These rules apply to messing with any raw meat:

1) Clean your counters and your hands before unpacking the meat.

2) Make sure that your cutting board is clean.

3) If you can, use one specific cutting board for meat, or for each type of meat. There are some nice, inexpensive sets you can get from Williams-Sonoma and Bed, Bath, and Beyond that have little pictures on each cutting board, denoting whether it's for fish, chicken, beef, or vegetables.

Now. All that out of the way, here's another yummy chicken dish for your savoring pleasure.

Garlic-Sunflower Chicken
(3 servings)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tbsp olive oil
Garlic-sunflower mix (Remember this? I made it for the bass dish. I still had a bunch leftover, in a sealed container in my fridge, so I used about a quarter of it here)
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
5-8 button mushrooms, sliced in threes
1 handful spinach, shredded with knife

[Garlic-Sunflower Mix: Now take 1 cup of sunflower seeds, 3 tsp salt, and 3 tsp garlic powder and blend together in a food processor until all powdery and delicious smelling.]

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Preheat a skillet over medium heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil.

Rub sunflower-garlic mix all over the chicken. When the skillet is hot, add the chicken and sear. Then turn it over and sear the other side.

Meanwhile, chop your veggies and mix them in a small bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil. Now, if you're using a baking dish, spread these olive oil mixed veggies over the bottom of your baking dish. I used my brand new La Creuset - happy sigh - but you can also use a baking sheet with lips if you're really stretched for tools.

When both sides of your chicken breasts are nice and scorched, remove the chicken to the rectangular baking dish and rest them on top of the veggies; next place the baking dish into the preheated oven (on a low rack) to cook through; this should take about 15 minutes.

When finished, plate your chicken and strew a little of the spinach/tomato/mushroom mix over top prettily. You can serve this with a side of veggies or brown rice.

Speaking of veggie sides... This is what I did and it was quite tasty. :)

Garlic Roasted Zucchini and Cauliflower
(3 main dish servings, 6 side dish servings)

1 zucchini, sliced into 1 inch slices, then halved
1 head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cloves roughly chopped garlic
1.5 tbsp jarred, pitted kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1 tbsp
~15 cherry tomatoes

Preset oven to 400 F.

Slice cauliflower into one inch slices and mix in a bowl with 1/4 cup olive oil. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and pour the cauliflower out onto the baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, on the top rack.

Meanwhile, chop the zucchini into 1 inch pieces, then halved. Set aside.

Chop garlic, olives, and tomatoes.

Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the skillet you just used to sear the chicken, add the garlic and olives and olive juice. Saute for about 2 minutes.

Next, add the slices of zucchini. Stir.

Remove, the now roasted cauliflower from the oven and add it to the skillet. Stir until the cauliflower has a chance to soak up all the other flavors in the skillet - about 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and presto: veggies as a side.

You can also serve over pasta or brown rice as a main dish in it's own right.