Quinoa and Bean Pilaf

Apr 13, 2013 by

It has been a while since I’ve had some quinoa. Thankfully, the lifestyle challenge that I am participating in with some friends encouraged me to find recipes using my favourite grain. My friends couldn’t have asked me to join at a better time. I  needed to shake things up a bit, specifically with regards to my eating habits.

I have worked so hard to eat well and to set an example for my children. My health has been okay over the past few years (only a few chronic pain episodes) but my husband and children have taken priority. I take care of them in every way. But if it is one thing I have to remember – if Mommy isn’t well, everyone suffers. Now that wasn’t meant to be a harsh statement in any way. Those who know me will understand me clearly. My priority should be to take care of me, so that I can take care of the ones I love. It sounds simple as I type, but when day-to-day routine comes around, I really don’t have time to figure things out. It’s really just go, go, go!

And that’s why it is important to get rid of old habits and create new ones that will stick. I was reminded over the past few weeks that preparation is the key to success. Last week’s challenge was to commit to eating whole grains and legumes,  and not to consume meat. Eating well has never been a problem for me. It has been preparation that seems to get me. New routines have caused me to find whatever I can prepare quickly, and clearly that isn’t always best. I’m working on improving that. I enjoy planning and being prepared, so this challenge has really allowed me to dust off that skill of mine. Of the few things I made, I really wanted to share this Quinoa dish. I adapted this Bean and Pilaf recipe from The Food Network, and as always I used what I had available to me when it came to the ingredients.

 Quinoa and Bean Pilaf_1

 

Since the start of the challenge, I have made a few things that I really enjoyed and wanted to share some of them here. I shared the photos on my Facebook page and will continue to do so occasionally during the challenge. I will post the really good ones.

Quick Meals LC2013

  

Quinoa and Bean Pilaf

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 4-6

Ingredients

  • Grapeseed oil for sauteeing
  • 1 Scallion, thinly sliced
  • 1 Celery stalk, thinly sliced
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1 Cup Quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 2 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
  • 1 Carrot, washed, scraped and sliced
  • 1/2 Cup Sweet Corn
  • 1/2 Cup Edamame
  • 1 19oz can Dark Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 Cups Baby Spinach
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese for serving
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. In a medium pot, sautee scallions and celery over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
  2. Add garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper
  3. Stir in the tomato paste
  4. Add the quinoa and then the broth. Gently stir to combine
  5. Add the carrots and beans, then cover and bring to a simmer
  6. Check every 5 minutes until the broth is fully absorbed
  7. Add the sweet corn and edamame. Stir to combine
  8. When the liquid is fully absorbed, remove pot from heat and stir in spinach
  9. Transfer to plates and top with shredded cheese
  10. Serve and enjoy hot
https://lovelypantry.com/2013/04/quinoa-and-bean-pilaf/

 

Red Kidney Beans have been a part of my diet for the better part of my adult life. I usually use it one dish – my Rice and Peas. I’m loving the versatility of beans. An awesome way to get fiber and protein.

 Dark Red Kidney Beans

 

As always, when cooking with delicate greens like spinach, you add at the very end once the pot has been removed from the heat source.

 

Quinoa and Bean Pilaf_3

 

This one pot dish could easily be a mid-week supper. It is easy to make, filling and wonderfully good for you.

 Quinoa and Bean Pilaf_2

 

If you are looking for a quick and healthy meal, try this one. It is easy to customize based off what you have available in your fridge or pantry.

 

 

Quinoa and Bean Pilaf_4

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Skillet Corn and Edamame with Spinach and Bacon for #SundaySupper

Jan 13, 2013 by

Today is a very special day for #SundaySupper. We are celebrating our very first birthday! For one year, #SundaySupper has been inspiring families with home cooked meals every Sunday. Most Sundays, you will read my accolades about the #SundaySupper family and the camaraderie we share. The internet is a huge place, and I feel quite privileged to have found a very special group with whom I can break bread with and get to know through their weekly posts. I remember my very first #SundaySupper post. I joined in April 2012. The theme was Budget Friendly Meals and I made Baked Butternut Squash & Asparagus Risotto. I loved that recipe. And I still bake my Risotto to this day. There were about 12 of us participating that day. Who knew that #SundaySupper would become such an integral part of my blogging experience. We get to learn about cuisine from all over the world. We learn about family history and traditions.

We are celebrating this week’s birthday event by choosing recipes from contributors that have inspired us during the past year. Honestly, it took me a few days to decide on a recipe from past #SundaySupper events. I finally decided on a very colourful and healthy salad that was part of the event titled  “100 recipes every mom should have”  by  Katie Workman. This event was held in July so I was unable to participate since I was on vacation. But I felt like I didn’t skip a beat. Every recipe for our #SundaySupper events is listed on the Family Foodie website for ongoing inspiration.

I was inspired by a post from Sunithi, from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz. Her post was titled “Skillet Spinach Corn with Edamame and Bacon Bits“. Absolutely delightful! This recipe totally fit in with my current mindset which is to eat healthy! The ingredients are items that I generally have on hand and the combination of colours is just absolutely visually appealing. Sue always posts healthy recipes which I have always appreciated. I know you will love and appreciate this recipe from our #SundaySupper archives.

Skillet Corn Edamame with Spinach and Bacon

Skillet Corn Edamame with Spinach and Bacon

 

 

 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Cup Sweet Corn
  • 1 Cup Edamame
  • 2 Heaping handfuls of baby Spinach
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • ½ Red Sweet Pepper, slice and diced
  • ¼ Cup Cilantro, chopped
  • ½ Cup Red and Orange Cherry Tomatoes
  • 2 Slices Bacon
  • ½ Tsp Salt
  • 1 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • ½ Tsp Cumin
Instructions
  1. In a serving dish, place spinach to cover most of the dish.
  2. In a skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Transfer to a dish lined with paper towels to absorb the oil. Break up into bits.
  3. Drain the skillet of most of the oil, reserving about a tablespoon
  4. Add scallions to the hot skillet and sautee for about a minute
  5. Add corn, edamame, sweet pepper, salt & pepper and cumin to the skillet. Sautee for about 4 minutes
  6. Add cilantro and fold in gently
  7. Add tomatoes and fold in and allow to warm through for about a minute
  8. Using a large spoon, transfer the contents of the skillet to the bed of spinach.
  9. The heat from the salad will cause the spinach to soften nicely
  10. Top the salad with the bacon bits. Serve warm and enjoy

 

Skillet Corn Edamame with Spinach and Bacon - main ingredents

Skillet Corn Edamame with Spinach and Bacon – main ingredients

 

The main change to the original recipe – I did not add the spinach to the skillet. It will soften when the corn and edamame are placed on top. I also changed the title just a bit because of this change. I also did not use any oils. I just used some of the fat rendered from the bacon. It gave the salad such flavour!

I can see this salad being served with most meats as a side dish. I had it myself as a main dish and it certainly hit the spot. The salty bacon, the creamy edamame, the cilantro, the sweet corn, the tomatoes, sweet pepper..they all combined very well together.

 

Skillet Corn Edamame with Spinach and Bacon-7a

Skillet Corn Edamame with Spinach and Bacon

 

Here are the recipes from the #SundaySupper family. They all look wonderful! This must have been a big task! After all, How do you choose just one recipe from 52 weeks of fabulous Sunday Supper Recipes?

Sunday Supper Appetizers:

 Sunday Supper Soups and Breads:

 Sunday Supper Main Dishes: 

Sunday Supper Veggies: 

Sunday Supper Desserts and Snacks: 

 Sunday Supper Breakfast Faves:

Sunday Supper Wine Pairings by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

 

Announcing a New Addition:  Tablescape by An Appealing Plan, Anniversay Dinner featuring Cheesecake with Fresh Berries orginally posted by The Messy Baker Blog

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat.

Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.

 

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Red Quinoa and Avocado Salad with Goldenberries, Edamame and a Lemon-Cumin Vinaigrette

May 25, 2012 by

Some women buy shoes. Others buy clothes, or even make up. I use to be one of those women. I do get the occasional urge to indulge every now and again. But my real problem is visiting my health food store. Lets face it. Some of the things I use aren’t sold at the conventional grocery stores and if they are, I end up paying more than I would at the health food store. At least, that has been my personal experience. I no longer buy quinoa from the supermarket. No way! Another thing I like about my health food store is that I learn about a new ingredient upon every single visit. If I see something that peaks my interest, all I have to do is ask about it. I really enjoy going there.

Upon my last trip, I grabbed a few items, Red Quinoa was one of them. I’ve been using the regular Quinoa for a few years now but I really wanted to try the red, even just for the colourful appeal. I imagined its rich deep red colour against something green or yellow. I was flipping through Fine Cooking’s Magazine – CookFresh Spring 2012 edition, and saw a beautiful recipe using Red Quinoa. I didn’t have all the ingredients but it inspired me to get some things together. I picked up a pack of dried Goldenberries (also known as cape gooseberries) at an event a few weeks ago and I thought this was an awesome time to experiment with them.

 

Red Quinoa and Avocado Salad with Goldenberries, Edamame and a Lemon-Cumin Vinaigrette

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Red Quinoa and Avocado Salad with Goldenberries, Edamame and a Lemon-Cumin Vinaigrette
 
Prep time
Total time
 
A gluten-free, vegetarian meal that can be ready in minutes.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp Raisins
  • 2 Tbsp Goldenberries
  • 3 Tbsp Edamame, thawed from frozen
  • ½ Cup Quinoa, rinsed well
  • 1 Cup Vegetable Broth (or water, if you prefer)
  • 1 Large Lemon
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • ⅛ Tsp Ground Cumin
  • ⅛ Tsp Paprika
  • 1 Medium Avocado, pitted and cut into bite sized chunks
  • 1 Scallion, thinly sliced
  • Kosher Salt
  • Black Pepper
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, soak the raisins and goldenberries in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  2. In a small pot, add quinoa, a pinch of salt and a cup of vegetable broth to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer until all the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes
  3. Fluff quinoa and remove from heat and allow to cool
  4. Grate zest from the lemon and combine with the juice from the lemon in a small bowl
  5. To the lemon juice, add olive oil, cumin, paprika and a pinch of salt, whisk to combine
  6. In a medium bowl, toss vinaigrette with quinoa, raisins, goldenberries, edamame, avocado and scallion.
  7. Plate and serve, enjoy.

 

I wish I could tell you that there was more to it than this, but just put the ingredients into a bowl. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Plate and serve.

 

Red Quinoa, Avocado, Raisins, Edamame, Goldenberries, Scallions

 

This is an excellent way to use up left over quinoa. Regular White Quinoa can be used if you don’t have the red. It will taste just as good and look just as lovely.

 

Red Quinoa and Avocado Salad with Goldenberries, Edamame and a Lemon-Cumin Vinaigrette

 

Happy Friday Friends!

 

~Lyn

 

 

 

 

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Chicken, Corn & Edamame Chowder with Roasted Potato

Jan 16, 2012 by

I’ve made chowder once before and by all means it was okay. But when I came across a recipe by a fellow Food Blogger by the name of Nami of Just One Cookbook, I had to give it a try. The main difference between this recipe and the one I had done previously, was the use of Rotisserie Chicken and Roasted Potatoes. Those two by themselves sound like pure yum, and then I made a soup out of it.

Nami’s version called for a cup of Heavy Cream as the thickening agent for this recipe. To substitute, I was prepared to make a roux of some kind on the fly, but thankfully, Nami was able to tell me her quick trick (as listed in the recipe) in under 140 characters while I was preparing the chowder. Yay Nami! I omitted the bacon (I know, maybe next time) and added Edamame for a nice pop of colour and because I like the added fibre and protein 🙂

I can’t tell you how happy I was to make this chowder. I look forward to making it again. I will not omit the bacon, though ~ that’s a promise 🙂 Here is my amended recipe below.

5.0 from 1 reviews
 
Notes
 

This chowder was just lovely!

Chicken, Corn & Edamame Chowder with Roasted Potato

 

Have a wonderful week!

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