Quinoa Salad with Broccoli, Yellow Squash and Tomatoes

Quinoa Salad with Broccoli, Yellow Squash and Tomatoes

Health and nutrition experts try in earnest to get everyone to eat more whole grains. I guess that’s a convincing message for some people, but for those of us who love food, the better reason is that ingredients like farro, bulgur wheat, oat groats and so on, are incredibly versatile and we can make them into wonderful things to eat.

I use cooked whole grains a lot because there is so much to do with them that my food is less likely to get boring. So — I put them into soups, side dishes, risottos, pilafs, and on and on — just as, in the old days, I used to use rice.

Now that warmer weather has arrived, there are going to be more salads on my menu. Cooked whole grains with: raw and cooked vegetables and/or fruit, maybe some nuts added. Mix in vinaigrette and it’s done.

So easy.

Quinoa isn’t a whole grain. It isn’t even a grain. It’s a seed.

But it looks and cooks like grain. It’s filling like a grain. And is as versatile.

So quinoa salad will be on my menu more often now too, starting with this one:  

Quinoa Salad with Broccoli, Yellow Squash and Tomatoes

1 cup quinoa

1 stalk broccoli, cut into bite size pieces (about 2 cups)

3-1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow squash, cut into bite size pieces

4 scallions, chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 cup cut up grape tomatoes

3 tablespoons lemon juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Let drain. Bring 1-3/4 cups water to a boil, add the quinoa, stir, lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10-12 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the quinoa into a bowl to cool. While the quinoa is cooking, cook the broccoli in simmering water for about 3-4 minutes or until tender. Drain, let cool and add to the quinoa. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the squash and scallions and cook for 2-3 minutes to soften the vegetables slightly. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Spoon the vegetables into the bowl with the quinoa. Add the tomatoes and toss ingredients to distribute them evenly. In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice, remaining olive oil and salt and pepper to taste; mix well. Pour over the quinoa mixture and toss. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings

Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Caps with Raisins and Pine Nuts

It’s amazing how so many so-called “poor people’s foods” have become mainstream. Potatoes (forced on peasants by Germany’s King Frederick Wilhelm). Oats (defined in Samuel Johnson’s famous dictionary as a grain eaten by people in Scotland but fit only for horses in England). And beans. A life-saver for millions, but which writer Don Marquis said there would be none of in the “almost perfect state.”

In South America, mostly Peru, quinoa is a staple for the poor, and particularly for women who are pregnant and can’t afford meat.

That’s because this grain-like seed is so high in protein. It contains all the essential amino acids one needs for good health.

All of these foods — potatoes, oats, beans — are everyday parts of our modern American diet.

Quinoa is the “newcomer.” Sales of the stuff have soared in recent years. 

And not just because it is healthy. But also because it is tasty, filling and versatile. It’s perfect for a vegetarian diet but also goes nicely as a side dish for meat-eaters.

Last, but not least, quinoa is kosher for Passover (caution here: some rabbis think otherwise so if you are in doubt, check with your local authority).

It is kosher for Passover because even though it cooks like a grain, looks like a grain and is as versatile as a grain — used for soups, salads, side dishes and so on — it is not one of the prohibited grains or other ingredients.

This Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Cap is a satisfying, filling main course for vegetarian, dairy or meat meals during Passover or any other time of year. 

Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Caps with Raisins and Pine Nuts

6 large Portobello mushroom caps

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 thick scallions, chopped

1/4 cup pignoli nuts

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1/4 cup golden raisins

2 cups cooked quinoa

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wipe the mushroom caps clean, remove the inedible steams and place them outside up on a baking sheet. Brush the outsides with about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn the caps over (the gills side up). Bake for 10 minutes or until softened. While the caps are baking, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the scallions and pignoli nuts and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and raisins and cook for another minute. Add the quinoa and mint and cook briefly to distribute the ingredients evenly. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon equal amounts of the quinoa mixture onto each mushroom cap. Just before serving, bake the caps for 10-12 minutes or until the mushroom is tender.

Makes 6 servings

It’s beautiful too, don’t you think?

Braised String Beans with Tomatoes

When my husband Ed asks for seconds on a vegetable side dish I know I’ve got a good recipe.

The other evening I cooked this string bean and tomato dish. We are so used to eating crispy, tender-but-still-firm vegetables that this dish, with its softer side, was a surprise wonder. Not that the vegetables are soft and mushy like people used to make them (I have a cookbook from the 1930s that instructed the reader to cook string beans for 45 minutes!). But they are not crunchy either.

I served this with chicken, but it could be a good part of a vegetarian meal or a meatless Monday meal. It would go well with mashed potatoes and roasted cauliflower or cooked egg noodles, polenta, mushroom ragout and such. It would also be a good accompaniment to scrambled eggs.

String Beans with Tomatoes

1 pound green string beans

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, or 4 plum tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Rinse the string beans, cut the ends off and cut the beans into 1-1/2 to 2-inch pieces. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and green beans and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Cover the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the beans are almost tender. Add the tomatoes, parsley, salt and sugar and stir the ingredients to mix them evenly. Sprinkle with the cayenne pepper. Cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Sprinkle with the lemon juice. Makes 4 servings

Vegetable Pot Pie

This is the time of year when lots of people go on diets or at least make resolutions to lose weight. It’s a January, post-holiday-binge thing. Some people are successful at it and some aren’t. Some go on crazy fad diets and some take themselves to nutritionists or weight-loss specialists.

I’m no expert about any of this. But I do know that Ed and I occasionally discuss whether either or both of us has to shed a couple of pounds and then we think about how we can do that and still stay happy and well fed.

We are carnivores who appreciate a meat-filled dinner. But recently I have been doing some meatless mondays because we both agreed that it might be one way to cut calories and fat and help us stay healthy and at the right bulk.

I know it can be tough for lifelong carnivores who, like us, grew up on a meat-starch-vegetable way of eating to think that a vegetarian meal can be filling and delicious. I’ve heard so many knee-jerk reactions against the suggestion, kind of like the reactions when the subject is gun control or voter ID requirements.

Okay. People should eat what they like. For food, any food, to be welcome, whether you’re on a diet or not, it has to taste good and look good. And vegetarian meals may not be for everyone. But all I can say is that Ed and I have eaten some wonderful meatless dinners recently. A few years ago I would never have guessed that when I served Vegetable Pot Pie for dinner that Ed would tell me to make it again, soon.

He gobbled this whole dinner up as enthusiastically as he has when I served braised Short Ribs and Moroccan Spiced Roasted Chicken Breasts.

This dish will be a go-to from now on.

Vegetable Pot Pie

2 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 

3 carrots, sliced 1/2-inch thick

1 cup cut up cauliflower florets

1 cup cut up broccoli florets

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 cup frozen peas

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

2 heaping tablespoons flour

1-1/2 cups vegetable stock

1 sheet puff pastry 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower and broccoli and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the vegetables and set them aside together. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and peas, sprinkle with parsley, thyme, salt and pepper and mix the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients and mix gently. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and mix the ingredients. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until the liquid is slightly thickened. Spoon the ingredients into a 6-cup casserole dish (or use individual ovenproof dishes). Roll the puff pastry sheet to fit the top of the casserole. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and puffed. Makes 4 servings

White Bean and Squash Gratin

Around this time of year I try to cook earthy, casserole-y type foods for those cold, it’s-dark-too-early nights. Pot roast, chili, stew and so on. But also side dishes I can make ahead and reheat so I don’t have to take much time to do the actual cooking on days when the evenings already seem too short.

Here’s one that pairs with most vegetarian, fish, poultry and meat dinners.

White Bean and Squash Gratin

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 medium clove garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 cup cooked white beans (drained, canned beans are fine)

1 cup mashed cooked winter squash (such as butternut or kuri)

1/4 cup half and half cream, coconut milk or soy milk

1 large egg, beaten

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/3 cup packed fresh bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and thyme and cook for about 3 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Spoon the mixture into a food processor. Add the beans and process until smooth and pureed. Spoon the mixture into a bowl. Add the squash, cream, egg and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly to blend ingredients. Spoon the mixture into a baking dish. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the puree. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the gratin is hot. Makes 4-6 servings

Vegetable Hash

I’m not the kind of woman who tells her husband “we’re going on a diet” or “I’m serving smaller portions” or “lets go low-carb for a while.” Because those sorts of statements can be provocative and irritating and might start a conversation that won’t be pleasant when I’d rather talk about the Fiscal Cliff or the Debt Ceiling.

I just do it. I make less fattening food and serve smaller portions and make dinner with several vegetables instead of carbs and just never mention the obvious.

Ed is good with that and frankly, he’s an extraordinarily sharp guy who notices practically everything so I’m always surprised when he says something like “really, we’ve been on a low/no carb regimen?”

So he isn’t yet aware of the “meatless, more vegetarian” thing yet. But I have been making more vegetarian meals lately. 

Last week I made Veggie Burgers that looked like real, raw beef (and were absolutely wonderful on toasted multigrain bread with a little Dijon mustard spiked mayo). This week I made Vegetable Hash. It has lots of crispy bits of caramelized vegetables and loads of onion (Ed loves that). I topped the hash with Sunnyside-Up eggs. When you break the yolk it runs into the crusty stuff below and gives it that rich, velvety coat that tastes so good and feels so good on your tongue.

It was so delicious I decided to make it for our cousins Les and Neil, our annual New Year’s sleepover guests. We usually have smoked salmon, bagels and such on New Year’s Day, but sometime during their visit over the long weekend, we’ll be eating Vegetable Hash with Sunnyside Eggs. 

In my opinion it’s way better than corned beef hash, but I wouldn’t ask Ed to compare. I’ll just serve this and keep quiet about it and watch him eat up every morsel on the plate and nibble on any leftovers cold from the fridge.

Vegetable Hash

• 8-10 large Brussels sprouts

• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

• 3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, approximately

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1/3 cup vegetable stock (or use cream)

• 3 tablespoons chopped chives

• Sunnyside-up eggs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the Brussels sprouts into small chunks and wash thoroughly under cold running water; drain. Place the Brussels sprouts, carrots and parsnips on a baking sheet. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil over the vegetables and toss to coat the pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes or until tender. Set aside. While the vegetables are roasting, cook the diced potatoes in lightly salted simmering water for about 8 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drain and add to the roasted vegetables. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until softened and beginning to brown. Place the butter in the sauté pan. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the vegetables, stirring and mashing them slightly for the first minute. Pour in the stock and add the chives and stir to incorporate them into the vegetables. Cook, flipping the hash once, for about 15-20 minutes or until browned and crispy. Add some olive oil if needed to prevent the vegetables from over-browning or sticking to the pan. Serve the hash topped with Sunnyside-up eggs.

Makes 4-6 servings

Beet, Quinoa and Vegetable Burgers

Don’t those patties look like regular, ready-to-cook burgers? The ones in the top photo?

But they’re not. In fact, they are veggie burgers and the vegetable mixture includes chopped beets, which makes them red, like raw beef.

I am a meat eater for sure. So is Ed. But sometimes we want something lighter for dinner. So occasionally we will have a vegetarian meal. Usually it’s eggs or a salad or some kind of pasta dish. But I love root vegetables and thought I would figure out how to make a burger looking dish, like this one.

I also cooked the mixture as meatloaf (glazed the top with a mixture of some Balsamic vinegar and vegetable oil). That was quite tasty too, though I prefer the burgers. We are big sandwich eaters at our house.

Beet, Quinoa and Vegetable Burgers

• 1 small sweet potato 
• 1/2 cup raw quinoa
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup cooked white beans
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 small beet, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 packed cup chard leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 1 large egg
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• all-purpose flour
• vegetable oil for frying
• 12-16 slices multigrain bread (or use burger buns)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Roast the sweet potato until tender (or microwave it). Scoop the flesh into a bowl. While the potato is cooking, place the quinoa and water together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low and cook for about 12-14 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Add the quinoa to the bowl with the sweet potato. Mash the beans and add to the bowl. Heat the 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion, beet, carrots, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the chard and mix it in. Remove the pan from the heat, let cool slightly and add to the bowl. Toss ingredients to distribute them evenly. Add the bread crumbs, egg and salt and pepper to taste. Shape the mixture into 6 or 8 patties. Coat the patties with some flour. Heat about 1/8-inch vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Fry the burgers for 2-3 minutes per side or until hot and crispy. Toast the bread if desired. Mix the mayonnaise and mustard. Spread equal amounts of the mustard-mayo on half the bread slices. Top with a burger, then the remaining bread.

Makes 6-8 servings

Roasted Beet and Winter Squash Salad

My friend and fellow blogger Liz Reuven (www.kosherlikeme.com) is going to have an especially festive Thanksgiving this year. Her son married his college sweetheart last August, so there’s a very welcome new family member at the table.

Liz’s new daughter-in-law is health-conscious. So is Liz, whose blog focuses on good restaurants where people who are kosher or vegetarian can find delicious things to eat. Both women bond as they spend time together finding those places.

Recently Liz asked me if I could come up with a salad for their Thanksgiving meal. Something that was healthy, seasonal, easy-to-make and nutritious and that also had eye appeal.

She wants to wow her new daughter-in-law.

I turned to the brightest, late-fall veggies that are available at farmer’s markets and also every supermarket: beets and winter squash. The rich red and orange are a stunning contrast of color and roasting these already sweet vegetables makes them even sweeter and more rich tasting and delicious.

I decided to mix in some watercress (you could use arugula) as a bitter contrast to the veggies, and included chopped nuts (I used hazelnuts) to add a crunchy texture.

Here’s the recipe:

Roasted Beet and Winter Squash Salad

• 2 large beets

• 1 small butternut squash

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• salt to taste

• 1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts (or almonds, cashews, etc.)

• 1 small bunch watercress, optional

• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (or use cider vinegar)

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or thyme (or use a sprinkle of dried herb)

• freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Trim the beets, cutting away the greens, if any, and discarding any hard, fibrous parts of the stem. Wash and drain the greens and use them for other purposes. Scrub the beets, wrap them in aluminum foil and roast for 50-60 minutes or until they are tender. Peel the beets when they are cool enough to handle. Cut the beets into bite size pieces and place in a bowl. About halfway through the beet roasting, cut the squash in half, scoop the seeds and peel the halves. Cut the halves into chunks. Rub the chunks with a film of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and place on a baking sheet. Place the squash into the oven (with the beets). Cook the squash for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Remove the squash chunks and let cool. Add them to the beets. Place the hazelnuts on a small baking sheet, place them in the oven and cook for about 10 minutes or until lightly toasted, remove from the oven and set aside. Wash and dry the watercress. Remove the stems and chop the leaves coarsely. Add to the bowl and toss the ingredients gently. Mix the remaining olive oil, white wine vinegar and rosemary and pour over the ingredients. Let rest for about 10 minutes, place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste. Scatter the nuts on top.

Makes 6 servings

Dairy Free Broccoli Kugel

Here’s my best advice on how to make Thanksgiving dinner easier: cook as much ahead as you can. 

That includes mashed potatoes.

Yes, mashed potatoes do taste better when you eat them immediately after mashing and mixing them with whatever you mix them with. But do you really think anyone you know will actually taste the difference if you make the mashed potatoes the day before?

Really?

Over the years I’ve learned to make lots of the food ahead for holiday meals. There’s just too much to do and too much to serve on those occasions to have to bother with anything but gravy at the last minute.

One thing I’ve found helpful is to make casserole type vegetable and side dishes instead of, say, plain steamed string beans or stir-fried broccoli, which we love at everyday dinners. Those need to be cooked at the last minute and keep me in the kitchen rather than enjoying the time with my family.

Besides, if you have a crowd, by the time you serve everything (like the turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce), plain steamed vegetables have already become too cold.

Right?

Casserole vegetables can be made a day or so ahead and heated through. There’s no day-of prep. They stay hot in the serving dish. 

Some of my favorite of these types of side dishes are spinach pie, sweet potato casserole, succotash, kugel, ratatouille. And so on. 

This year one of the dishes at our dinner will be Broccoli Kugel. It’s almost quiche-like but there’s no crust, and it’s made with coconut milk, which makes it rich and vaguely sweet. I add chopped chili peppers to give it some balance. You can get this dish ready for cooking a day ahead and bake it on Thanksgiving Day, or cook it completely and reheat.

By the way, broccoli has a much better, more tender texture if you peel the thick stems. Here’s how: peeling broccoli. 

Broccoli Kugel 

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 bunch (2 stems) fresh broccoli, coarsely cut 

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 serrano or other chili pepper, deseeded and chopped

• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

• 15 ounce can coconut milk

• 4 large eggs, beaten

• salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9”x13” baking dish using some of the vegetable oil. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes. Drain under cold water; chop the broccoli into small pieces. Set aside in a bowl. Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and chili pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Transfer the onion mixture to the bowl with the broccoli. In another bowl, beat the coconut milk and eggs together. Add the egg mixture to the vegetables. Season to taste with salt. Spoon into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until browned.

Makes 8 servings

Squash Soup

Winter squash used to be the first baby food “food” back in the day when my kids were little. The pediatricians told us to feed just a little bit at first and start with squash because it’s sweet and most babies like it.

Of course they do. Grownups like squash too. Even grownups who don’t like other vegetables. Because squash is sweet and nutty tasting. There’s nothing harsh or bitter about it. It doesn’t taste like what many vegetable-haters say is “vegetably.”

I’ve cooked all sorts of squash, but had never cooked a turban squash before. That’s one there in the first photo. It’s a bumpy thing with a flattish-round base and a hat-looking bubble top. Looks like a turban. Imagine that.

Turban squash are often orange or green, but I’ve also seen blue and yellow ones. Some people buy them to use as decorations, but they are edible. You can peel, cut and boil the flesh, but like other winter squash, it tastes sweeter when roasted.

Cooked turban squash is kind of silky and smooth, which makes it a perfect variety for soup and recipes like quickbreads and muffins. So I made soup with the turban squash I bought. If I had been careful when I scooped the flesh I could have served it right inside the squash.

But I wasn’t.

Squash Soup

• 1 large turban squash (2 cups packed, mashed, cooked squash)

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• salt to taste

• 4 cups vegetable stock

• 1/2 to 1 cup cream, coconut milk or soy milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the smaller top from the squash, scoop the seeds and place the top back. Wrap the squash in aluminum foil and roast for about an hour or until tender. When cool enough to handle, scoop the cooked flesh into a bowl and set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes or until softened. Stir in the squash, tomato paste, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Stir to blend the ingredients. Gradually stir in the stock. Bring the liquid to a boil, partially cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender or with a hand blender. Return the puree to the pan and stir in the cream (start with 1/2 cup, taste and add more as desired for richness). Heat through.

Makes 6 servings

*Can be made with any cooked winter squash