Coconut Quinoa

Know what you Eat - A recently rediscovered ancient "grain" native to South America, quinoa is high in protein, the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Quinoa's amino acid profile is well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, also quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients. Coconut is a tropical fruit that is rich in protein. Coconut boosts energy and endurance, enhancing physical and athletic performance. It quickly creates a nutritional boost of energy that lasts. Coconut prevents weight and obesity problems by speeding up the metabolism.



I love coconut rice and wanted to try it with quinoa. Quinoa has a very slight bitter taste, which was totally unnoticeable in this dish. The sweetness and flavor of coconut, gave quinoa a total new makeover. This dish is guilt free with less carbs and power packed with protein.



Cooking Time - 10 minutes

Preparation Time - 10 minutes

Serves - 3 to 4



Ingredients



Cooked Quinoa - 2 cups

Unsweetened Grated Coconut (fresh if possible) - 1 cup

Red or Green Chillies - 4 (more if you want it spicy)

Roasted Peanuts - 1/4 cup

Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp

Broken Urad Dal - 4 tsp

Chopped curry leaves - 4 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp or to taste



Garnishing



Roasted Cashews - 4 tsp

Chopped cilantro - 4 tsp



Method



1) Soak Quinoa in water for atleast half an hour, rinse and drain. Add 2 measures of water to 1 measure of Quinoa and salt to taste and cook till it fluffs up.

2) Remove quinoa and let it cool completely.

3) Heat oil, add mustard seeds and once it stops spluttering add asafoetida powder, broken urad dal, chillies, curry leaves. Saute for a minute till the urad dal slightly browns.

5) Now add the grated coconut and keep stirring continously for few minutes till the coconut slightly browns evenly.

6) Switch off add roasted peanuts, salt and cooked Quinoa and mix thoroughly.

7) Garnish with cashews and cilantro and serve.

8) If you are planning to cook and store this dish, saute the coconut for few more extra minutes.

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Mixed Vegetable Quinoa(High Protein/Stamina Food)

Know what you Eat: Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) was once called "the gold of the Incas" for increasing the stamina of Incan warriors. Quinoa, is an extremely nutritious seed. It has a protein value that is extremely high (12-18%) and the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Quinoa is easy to digest, contains no gluten., a good source of dietary fiber, phosphorous, magnesium, and iron .



Cooking Time : 15 mins

Preparation Time : 10 mins

Serves : 4



Quinoa is a highly nutritious food and can be substituted instead of rice in any of dishes. It has a slightly bitter taste if not soaked for atleast for 30 mins and rinsed before cooking. It is a very versatile grain and in our house this is the primary grain used for cooking. This can be found in any health food store, or in your organic food speciality aisle. We buy in bulk online in nutsonline.com as it works out very cost effective. Since this has become our staple i experiment various dishes with this grain and this is one of them.



Ingredients



Cooked Quinoa - 2 cups

Chopped vegetables - 4 cups(Onion, Bell peppers(Green, Red, Yellow, Orange), Carrots, Beans)

Salt - 1 tsp or to taste

Lemon Juice - 2 tsp or to taste

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Green Chilli - 1 or to taste

Curry leaves - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp(Optional)



Garnishing



Finely Chopped Cilantro - 2 tbsps

Oven roasted peanuts - handful (optional)

Clarified butter(Ghee) - 1 tsp (optional)



Method



1) Soak Quinoa for atleast 30 mins and then rinse it thoroughly and add 2 parts of water to 1 part of quinoa, salt and cook for 15-20 minutes. Let the cooked quinoa cool or you can cook and store in refrigerator and make this dish in an instant.

2) Heat oil, add mustard seeds.

3) Once the seeds stop spluttering add curry leaves, chopped green chilli, onion and saute till the onion becomes translucent.

4) Now add all the chopped vegetables, salt and saute till they are fully cooked.

5) Now add the cooked quinoa and mix it thoroughly to combine with the rest of the ingredients and leave it for 5 minutes, stirring in between.

6) Switch off add chopped cilantro, peanuts, ghee(clarified butter will give a nice flavor) and lemon juice.

7) Stir and combine so the lemon juice is coated evenly and serve it with tomato ketchup, chutney or yogurt of your choice.



Event Participation



1) This dish goes to Original Recipes - Monthly Round up Event hosted by Lorie.

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Tamarind Quinoa, Raita, Soup, Shake, Curry(A Wholesome three course meal)

Know what you Eat - A balanced diet is a diet which contains an optimal ratio of nutrients. The philosophy of a balanced diet is that no single food or food type is sufficient for sustaining good health alone. Only through a combination of contributions from various groups in certain proportions can one expect to acheive a healthy diet. An optimal ratio of carbohydrates, protein fruits, vegetables and dairy is required to maintain this balance.

Starter - Soup

Main Course - Tamarind Quinoa, Onion Raita and Sweet Potato Curry

Dessert - Dates & Nuts Shake







Tomato Soup

Ingredients



Tomato - 8 (Small chopped)

Celery - 2 Sticks (finely chopped)

Carrot - 1 big (finely chopped)

Beetroot - 1 small piece(finely chopped)

Mint - 2 tbsp (chopped finely)

Garlic - 2 cloves

Salt - 1 1/2 tsp or to taste

Oregano - 1/2 tsp

Onion powder - 1/2 tsp

Pepper - 1/2 tsp or to taste

Coconut Oil/Ghee/Butter - 2 tsp

Water



Method



1) Heat 1 tsp of oil and add the chopped celery, beets and carrot and leave it for a few minutes till they are half cooked

2) Now add the tomato pieces and cover the vessel and stir in between. Leave it for a few minutes till all the vegetables are cooked.

3) Switch of the stove and let the vegetables cool down.

4) Once the vegetables are cooled completely, transfer them to a blender and blend thoroughly till they become a puree.

5) Heat the rest of the oil and sauté the chopped garlic and mint and transfer the pureed contents to the pan and add water to the desired consistency.

6) Add the onion powder, oregano and salt and stir and leave and switch of once the soup starts bubbling.

7) Now add pepper powder and the soup is ready to serve.







Tamarind Quinoa



Ingredients



Cooked Quinoa - 2 Cups

Pulidarai/Pulihore/Pulikaichal(Spiced Tamarind) Paste - 2 Tbsps

Roasted Peanuts - 2 Tbsp

Oil - 2 Tbspsz



Method



1) Cool and fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork and add, the spiced tamarind paste( i will post this recipe later as this post itself has 4 recipes), roasted peanuts and the oil.

2) Combine gently and thorougly till all the quinoa is well coated with oil and the the paste.







Onion Raita



Ingredients



Yogurt - 2 Cups

Chopped Onion - 3/4 cup

Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste

Fresh ground pepper - 1/4 tsp or to taste

Cilantro - 1 tbsp(optional)



Method



1. In a big bowl, combine yogurt,  salt, & black pepper together.

2. Now add chopped onion and cilantro to the above mixture and serve.







Date & Nut Milk Shake



Ingredients



Pitted Dates - 6 large

Almonds-1/4 cup

Milk -2 cups

Ice cubes - few

Honey - 1 tsp or to taste(Optional if you have sweet tooth otherwise the sweetness of dates will do)



Method



1.Soak the Almonds and dates in warm milk for about 30 mins separately.

2.Grind the dates first and then add the almonds to make a smooth paste.

3. Now add the milk, ice cubes and honey into a blender and blend together.



Event Participation

1) This goes to Well balanced three course meal event hosted by Yasmeen and Food for Seven Stages of Life- Pregnancy hosted by Radhika.



3) The soup goes to Soup and Juice event hosted by Sireesha.

4) The Date & Nut shake goes to Soup and Juice event hosted by Sireesha, FIL-Milk hosted by Sanghi.

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Mango Quinoa

Know what you Eat - A recently rediscovered ancient "grain" native to South America, quinoa was once called "the gold of the Incas," who recognized its value in increasing the stamina of their warriors. Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Quinoa's amino acid profile is well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, also quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients. Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus, this "grain" may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis. The raw mango is a valuable source of vitamin C. It contains more vitamin C than half-ripe or fully ripe mangoes. It is also a good source of vitamin B1 and B2 and contains sufficient quantity of niacin. These vitamins differ in concentration in various varieties during the stages of maturity and environmental conditions.

Quinoa has become a staple in our house over taking rice. So when you have to cook and eat a grain every day, you have to be innovative to come up with different dishes so that you don't get bored. So what ever dishes are possible using rice like mixed rice varieties i do all of them using quinoa. This is one of them.

Preparation Time - 15 mins
Cooking Time - 15 mins
Serves - 2

Ingredients

Cooked Quinoa - 2 cups
Grated raw mango - 1 cup (firmly packed)
Peeled and grated ginger - 1/4 cup
Curry leaves chopped - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Roasted Peanuts - 1 handful
Chopped coriander - handful for garnishing
Salt to taste

Curry powder

Channa Dal(Bengal gram) - 2 tbsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Coconut - 1 tbsp
Red chillies - 2 or to taste

Method

Cooking Quinoa
1) Soak Quinoa for atleast 30 minutes and rinse thoroughly otherwise you will get a bitter taste out of the cooked quiona.
2) Add 2 measures of water to 1 measure of quinoa and cook till it is soft and fluffy. I normally pressure cook till 1 whistle and switch off.
3) Let it cool completely( if possible cook quinoa the previous day and refrigerate it).

Curry Powder
4) Dry roast channa dal, coriander seeds and red chilli. Once the raw smell is gone and the ingredients are slightly brown in color add grated coconut and switch off. The heat in the pan is enough to roast the coconut, if you are planning to keep it for a few hours or use the curry powder next day roast the coconut nicely. Keep this aside to cool completely. Once cooled, dry grind into a coarse powder

Final Touches
4) Heat oil add mustard seeds and leave till it splutters completely.
5) Now add the curry leaves and the grated ginger ,mango, salt, turmeric powder.
6) Saute on a low flame for 10 minutes once cooked completely add curry powder and cooked quinoa and stir thoroughly so that all the spices are mixed evenly.
7) Switch off and add the roasted peanuts and garnish with chopped cilantro.
8) Serve with raita of your choice. You can have this power food for breakfast or lunch.

Event Participation

1) This goes to Mango Mela hosted by Srivalli.

2) This goes to EFM June Breakfast series hosted by Srish.

3) This dish goes to Original Recipes - Monthly Round up Event hosted by Lorie.

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Mint-Bengal gram/Brown Rice/Quinoa Dosa/Crepe

Know what you Eat- Mint is a strong diuretic and therefore, helps in eliminating toxins from the body. When included in the diet on a regular basis, mint reduces the growth of bacteria and fungus in the body. The antifungal properties associated with mint help in curing asthma and other allergic conditions. Bengal gram, brown rice and quinoa all the three are low in glycemic index. Bengal gram and quinoa are high in protein, quinoa is an extremely nutritious seed. It has a protein value that is extremely high (12-18%) and the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids.

Cooking Time - 20 mins
Preparation Time - 15 mins
Serves - 4(Makes around 14-16)

Ingredients

Bengal gram(Channa dal) - 3/4 Cup
Brown Rice - 3/4 Cup
Quinoa - 3/4 Cup
Mint - 1 bunch
Onion - 1
Salt - 1 tsp or to taste
Green Chilli - 2 or to taste
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Oil

Method

1) Soak Channa dal, brown rice and quinoa for 4 hours.
2) Once soaked, rinse the above ingredients add green chilli, ginger,salt and grind to a fine paste addding little bit of batter. The batter shouldn't be too thick or too watery.
3) Rinse mint thorougly, drain and chop into fine pieces. Remove hard stalks if any before chopping. (The mint i used here was home grown so it was very tender and without any hard stalks).
4) Add chopped onions and mix thoroughly.
5) Heat a griddle and once it is hot pour the batter and spread evenly into a round shape.
6) Pour a tsp of oil around the dosa, once the dosa is well cooked remove, flip and cook the other side also.
7) Once cooked on both sides transfer to a serving plate and serve with chutney or sambar of our choice.

Event Participation

This dish is our contribution to SWC – Cooking with Greens, hosted by Sowmya, originally started by Lakshmi.

This dish is our contribution to JFI: Mint, hosted by Ashwini, originally created by Indira of Mahanandi.

This dish is our contribution to GYO(grown your own) hosted by Dee.

This dish is our contribution to Show me your Breakfast hosted by Divya Vikram

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Brown Rice-Buck Wheat-Mung Dal-Quinoa Dosai/Crepe

Know what you Eat: Buckwheat usually thought of as a grain, is actually the seed of a broadleaf plant related to rhubarb. While it is not a true grain, it is used like one in cooking, and it surpasses rice, wheat and corn on almost every measure of healthfulness. Unlike white rice, wheat and corn buckwheat ranks low on the glycemic scale.

The strong nutty flavor of buck wheat was little overwhelming in the multigrain muffin. But in this dosai nobody will believe its presence unless you tell them the ingredients. Now let us get on to the recipe.

Preparation Time : 20 mins
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Serves : 4

Ingredients

Brown Rice - 1/2 Cup
Buckwheat flour - 1/2 Cup
Quinoa - 1/2 Cup
Mung – 1/2 Cup
Chia powder – 2 table spoon
Green Chilly - 1
Ginger - 1 inch Piece
Onion – 1
Tomato – 1(medium)
Water
Salt to taste.
Oil

Method

1) Soak brown rice, moong and Quinoa for 2-3 hours.
2) Wash and rinse thoroughly and grind them along with green chilly, ginger, tomato and salt. Add water little by little while grinding, based on the need.
3) Soaking and rinsing the grains is very important or you will get a bitter taste from quinoa.
4) Add buck wheat and chia powder and add water to get dosa or pancake batter consistency.
5) Chop onion to fine pieces and add this and salt (if required) to the mixture.
6) You can also add chopped cilantro to this batter.
7) Now heat an iron griddle, take one big spoonful of batter and make it nice big dosa and pour 1 tsp of oil around it.
8) Once the side is well cooked turn the dosa and make sure the other side is cooked before removing it.
9) Serve it with sambhar or chutney as per your choice.

Event Participation

This dish goes to Show me your Breakfast event hosted by Divya Vikram.

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Barley-Oats-Quinoa-Ragi Dosai/Crepe

Good to Know - Millet is highly nutritious, non-glutinous, is not an acid forming food so is soothing and easy to digest. In fact, it is considered to be one of the least allergenic and most digestible grains available and it is a warming grain so will help to heat the body in cold or rainy seasons and climates. It is nearly 15% protein, contains high amounts of fiber, B-complex vitamins including niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin, the essential amino acid methionine,lecithin, and some vitamin E. It is particularly high in the minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. The seeds are also rich in phytochemicals, including Phytic acid, which is believed to lower cholesterol, and Phytate, which is associated with reduced cancer risk.









Cooking Time : 20-30 mins

Preparation Time : 15-2o mins

Serves : 4 to 6



Ingredients



Oats - 1/2 Cup

Whole barley - 1/2 Cup

Quinoa - 1/2 Cup

Millet Flour – 1/2 Cup

Chia powder – 2 table spoon

Green Chilli - 1

Ginger - 1 inch Piece

Onion - 1

Water

Salt to taste.

Oil



Method of Preparation



1) Soak Oats, whole barley and Quinoa for 2 hours.

2) Wash and rinse thoroughly and grind them along with green chilli, ginger and salt.

3) Soaking and rinsing quinoa is very important or you will get a bitter taste from quinoa.

4) Add millet and chia powder and add water to get a slightly thin than pancake batter consistency.

5) Chop onion to fine pieces and add this and salt (if required) to the mixture.

6) You can also add chopped cilantro to this batter.

7) Now heat an iron griddle, take one big spoonful of batter and make it nice big pancake and pour 1 tsp of oil around it.

8) Once the side is well cooked turn the dosa and make sure the other side is cooked before removing it.

9) Serve this with sambhar, chutney or with mixing grated cucumber and mint with greek yogurt.

10) This dish is ideal for people who are looking for sugar free and low carb option.

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Quinoa Crepe/Dosa

Good to know - Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is not a grain; it is actually a seed and related to the spinach family. When cooked, quinoa is light, fluffy, slightly crunchy and subtly flavored. It actually cooks and tastes like a grain, making it an excellent replacement for grains that are difficult to digest or feed candida (a systemic fungal infection). Quinoa is a "supergrain" because it contains all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles.Compared to other grains, quinoa is higher in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc than wheat, barley, or corn.Quinoa acts as prebiotic that feeds the good bacteria in your intestines.


Cooking Time : 15-20 mins
Preparation Time : 15-20 mins
Serves - 4

Ingredients

Quinoa - 12 oz
Brown Rice - Handful.
Green Chilli - 1 or 2 to taste
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Tomato - 1 medium sized one.
Salt to taste
Onion - 1 chopped.
Oil

Method of Preparation

1) Soak Quinoa and brown rice overnight.
2) Drain water and grind it along with tomato, ginger, green chilli and salt. Do not add water when grinding, quinoa doesn't need lot of water. If needed add water to the batter after grinding. You can grind the batter and refrigerate and take it and use it when required too.
3) Add the chopped onions and mix the batter well, the batter consistency should be little thin than pancake consistency.
4) Heat an iron griddle and pour the batter and add a tsp of oil around it.
5) After one side is completely cooked, turn the dosai and let the other side also be cooked completely.
6) Serve with sambhar or chutney .

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Super Healthy Black Bean Burger

Nutritional Info - CHIA the magic seeds are a boon to people with diabetes The gel that is formed in the stomach creates a physical barrier between carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down, thus slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar. This is one of Nature’s perfect foods, containing essential fatty acids (an excellent vegetarian source of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid), protein, soluble fiber, protective antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and more.

In this burger recipe instead of the usual bread crumbs used for binding, powdered chia is used which makes this a super food.

Cooking Time : 20 - 30 min

Preparation Time : 10-20 min

Serves : 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup cubed red,yellow,green bell pepper, finely chopped celery, carrot and mushroom

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Onion powder

1/2 tablespoon Oregano powder

1-2 Green Chillis or to taste

1/2 Cup of Powdered Chia (Add additional if required)

1 tablespoon cumin powder

Salt to taste

Method to make Burger

1) Rinse and drain black bean thoroughly and let it drain compeletly without any water.

2) In a food processor finely chop bell peppers, celery, carrot and mushroom.

3) Now add the Onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, chilli, cumin powder, salt and blend for a minute.

4) Now add the black beans and just blend only once so that all the ingredients are mixed together.

5) Make sure the black beans doesn't become a puree but is mashed and combined nicely.

6) Mix the powdered chia until the mixture is sticky and holds together.

7) Divide the mixture in to patties and bake in preheated oven to 375 degrees.

8) Bake about 10 minutes on each side.

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