Quinoa Coconut Shorties

This recipe will make about 3 dozen.  They’re safe for diabetics, and gluten free.  The recipe is a variation of an old "Big Batch Oatmeal Cookie" recipe that I had for a long time and I make every year (and will probably post around the holidays).  I wanted to create a gluten free version and I am pretty pleased with the way these cookies turned out. Will definitely make them again. 

1 cup quinoa flour

1 cup brown rice flour

1 ½ cups organic rolled oats (not the instant kind)

¾ cup ground almonds

1 ½ cups dried, shredded, unsweetened coconut

3 tbsp raw agave nectar

½ cup toasted milled flax seeds

1 cup dried black currants

1 C white chocolate chips (optional)

1 cup finely chopped dried apricots

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup soft butter

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. 

In a bowl, mix together the butter, agave, and ground flax seeds.  With your fingers, rub in the quinoa flour, rice flour and ground almonds.  The mixture should be crumbly.  Add the eggs. The mixture should come together; do not over-mix. Add the coconut, currants, dried apricots and chocolate chips.

Scoop tablespoons onto the parchment paper and flatten them with your fingers.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden.

Handle the cookies gently, as they crumble easily. Let cool on a cookie rack and store in an airtight container.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This is another quinoa recipe that I make quite often. It goes well with any red meat, or on its own. I like the saltiness of the feta cheese, my favourite in this salad is a sheep and goat feta, but any feta cheese that holds its shape will do. Enjoy!  

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa 

1 lb button mushrooms, sliced

½ cup feta cheese, cubed

1 sweet onion, finely chopped

½ cup kalamata olives, chopped

4 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1Tbsp olive oil

Dressing

Mix 2 Tbsp olive oil, the juice of 1 small lemon and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Directions

Wash quinoa and boil in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes. Cover and let quinoa sit until it absorbs all the water, about 10 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork and let it cool slightly.

While waiting for the quinoa to cook, sauté the onion and mushrooms in 2 Tbsp of olive oil until all the liquid from the mushrooms is gone. Set aside in a bowl to cool slightly.

Add the cheese and olives to the mushroom mixture and combine.

Add the cooled quinoa to the mushroom mixture and mix gently.

Pour the dressing over the salad, add the parsley and toss. Serve warm.

Anna Olson’s Tender Pumpkin Muffins

Nothing says Fall like pumpkin. I baked these muffins as part of Anna Olson’s September Bake Off. I used a tad more pumpkin than the recipe called for and sprinkled the muffins with cinnamon sugar before I put them in the oven. I also roasted a small butternut squash instead of using canned pumpkin. The muffins turned out moist and fluffy, with just the right amount of spice. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Tender Pumpkin Muffins

1 cup  whole wheat flour
2/3 cup  all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp  baking powder
1 tsp  baking soda
½ tsp  salt
½ tsp  ground nutmeg
¼ tsp  ground allspice

1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups pureed roast pumpkin
2/3 cup  packed brown sugar
2/3 cup  buttermilk
2  egg whites
3 Tbsp  vegetable oil

Topping:

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with large paper liners.

Stir the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and allspice in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, buttermilk, egg whites and vegetable oil.

Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon for the toping.

Pour the liquids into the dry mixture and stir just until blended.  Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and sprinkle the topping.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a tester inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.  Cool the muffins for 20 minutes before removing from the tin.

Quinoa Pomegranate Salad

Did I mention I was addicted to quinoa? I served this simple salad at a dinner party I had recently and it was an instant hit. The recipe is adapted from “Quinoa 365″ by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming. The original recipes calls for feta cheese but I found that goat cheese works much better with the sweet dressing and the toasted almonds. 

Quinoa Pomegranate Salad

Salad Ingredients:

• ¼ cup of quinoa
• 1 head butter lettuce, ripped in bite-size pieces
• ¼ cup red onion, sliced
• Arils from 1 small pomegranate
• ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted
• ¼ cup goat cheese, crumbled

To cook the quinoa, rinse it first, then cover with 1/2 cup of water in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to minimum heat to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until grain is soft. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes with the pot covered.

Dressing Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp dijon mustard

Layer the lettuce, sliced red onion, pomegranate arils, toasted almonds and the cooked quinoa (once cooled) in serving bowls. Top with the dressing.

Mango Quinoa Salad

I’m a little smitten with quinoa salads right now and I am definitely addicted to quinoa. Somehow, it seems to find it's way on our table (and lunch bags) a couple of days a week. This salad was created by adding cooked quinoa to ....drumroll, please.... a mango salsa. The combination works perfectly. It is simple and easy to make and works well with fish or chicken. Serve it as a side dish or add cubed leftover meat or fish for a hearty lunch.
 

Mango Quinoa Salad

1 cup uncooked quinoa

¼  tsp salt

1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped

1 medium red pepper, diced

1 bunch green onions, chopped (or 1 small sweet onion, chopped)

4 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1 small hot pepper, finely chopped (optional)

Dressing

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or juice of 1 lime

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Wash quinoa and boil in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes. Cover and let quinoa sit until it absorbs all the water, about 10 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork and let it cool to room temperature.

Peel the mango, cut into small cubes and add to a bowl. Chop the red pepper, hot pepper (if using) and onion and add to the bowl.

Add the cooled quinoa to the mango mixture and mix gently.

Pour the dressing over the salad, add the cilantro and toss.

Serve immediately, or cover and chill.