Fire Cider Quinoa and Lentils

 Last February I did a post on Fire Cider. If you don't remember, my daughter had mentioned that it seemed to be Maine's go-to flu fighter. She wasn't feeling well, started shots of fire cider and felt better within a day!

In case you don't remember, Fire Cider is raw apple cider vinegar infused with habanero, oranges, horseradish, lemon, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, garlic and onion. It may include raw honey. 

I was reminded of the health benefits of fermented products recently when I was reading an article about Kimchi possibly being a reason Koreans were having luck warding off Covid. A Fermented Vegetable May Help Protect Against Covid. The article also mentioned Vitamin D.

Fast forward to today. I read a fascinating article - A Supercomputer Analyzed Covid-19 and an Interesting New Theory has Emerged. If you're geeky about this stuff like I am, give it a read. This computer - the 2nd fastest in the world - took a week to analyze the data and the result gave a Eureka moment according to the lead researcher. It explained so much of what has been puzzling about the virus. It's fascinating to read how the computer figured out not only what the virus is doing inside human bodies, but it offered hope of treatments that are already approved. And, harking back to that earlier article, Vitamin D still seems really important. And the ACE-inhibiting properties of fermented foods start to make sense.

So back to the fire cider. It's not kimchi, but I wondered if the way it is made is a similar enough process that it would be beneficial. I was also wondering how else to use it rather than just taking shots of it.

So, I decided to use it as a dressing. I made my tricolor quinoa and added in cooked, sprouted lentils. Normally I would smother it in cheddar cheese, but I decided to add a shot of fire cider instead.

It doesn't look like much, but the fire cider gave a nice kick to the quinoa and lentils.

So how do you feel about these kinds of food-based immune boosters? 

A Tale of Two Quarantines Part Two

So last week you got my daughter's Quarantine Cooking Adventures.

Unfortunately for you, this week you get my totally uninspired version.

In my defense, for the first three weeks, I was teaching classes online and under deadline on my next LIS. So cooking wasn't high priority.

lentils in tomato sauce with spinach (or kale) over pasta

Lentils in sauce after simmering

Chickpeas, mandarin oranges and kale

Orzo with tuna and cheddar

A little nest of Orzo with spinach and chickpeas.
This could have used a touch of lemon, but I had none.

More lentils and sauce over rotini

Tricolor quinoa with kidney beans and kale

Not bad for someone who hasn't been in a grocery store in almost 6 weeks!

Cool Summer Lunches for a Hot Summer Day

Last Maine pictures for awhile (well until next week anyway).

It got stormy when we were ready to leave.

So we got home late Saturday and I've been in workshops for school for the last three days.

All together now - no cooking being done.

That's not entirely true, but I doubt anyone really wants recipes for hamburgers and gravy which is my dear husband's Monday staple.


But good news - this workshop I've been attending - they're giving us really good food!

I wish I'd thought to take a photo before eating yesterday, but I think the recipe is easy enough to figure out.

They had salads, including a delicious pasta salad with olives, sandwiches, and wraps. The wrap is  my focus.

Quinoa, Couscous and Corn with a bit of cilantro and dried cranberries. All wrapped together.

I didn't eat much of the wrap itself, it was nothing special. But the inside was delicious. On a brutally hot day here, the chilled couscous, corn and quinoa mix was perfect. The corn gave it a little crunch, the grains were filling, and the sprinkling of dried cranberries was just the right touch of sweetness.

My only complaint was the cilantro - too strong.

I was hoping we'd get the same lunch today so I could figure out if there was any dressing, but we got a salad instead.

I did remember to take a photo.

Quinoa, Couscous, tomatoes, cucumbers, and mint on a bed of spinach.

Refreshing and light on a hot day!

And just for fun since there is corn in the first recipe - my neighborhood "corn field" is thriving.

A sunflower hiding amidst the corn stalks.

Confession time - I'm not a huge fan of the taste of quinoa, but mixed with the couscous it was delicious.

How's your summer going?

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Some nights it's like scraping the bottom of the mental barrel trying to figure out what to make for dinner.

Who am I kidding? That's most nights.

As I've mentioned before, my husband has his routine meals, but I don't eat most of the things he eats (hello hamburger three times a week!).


Sometimes I see something in the store that makes me think, that might work.

That happened in Whole Foods last week. I saw a bag of mixed quinoa (red and white), buckwheat and millet. 

I wasn't really sure what to do with it, but last night I remembered I had an acorn squash that had been sitting around since the last time I went to Whole Foods (or maybe the time before that).

So I baked the squash, made the grain mix, cooked up some green lentils, chopped up an apple, drizzled some maple syrup, sprinkled some nutmeg, and VOILA! Dinner.

I wish I could say I loved it to death, but honestly, I don't love quinoa. The apple and squash were delicious.


The lentils had a really weird reaction in the water. They formed these little bubbles and looked like hundreds of eyes staring up at me. I felt like I was lost in Greek mythology.

Should I call them my Argus lentils?

I forgot to take a photo, so this is the dish squeezed into a container for lunch.

So what do you make when you're feeling uninspired?

Revenge of the Manky Produce

My daughter and I refer to produce that is ... um ... past it's prime as manky.

I wondered if that was even a real word. Apparently it is. You can even get a wonderful English/Scottish explanation here.

Manky

Said daughter and I love to start off our weekend at the big Farmer's Market in Grand Army Plaza.

Such goodness.

The farmers are actually there all year, though pickings are a bit slim come winter.

But once the weather warms, it's produce heaven.

It's soooooo very tempting.

And way too often you find yourself buying way more produce than two people can possibly eat. (Yes, 2, because husband has zero interest unless it comes from the bakery table.)


And sometimes, well, maybe a few too many thumbs have pressed on those peaches to see if they're as ripe as they smell (they weren't).

So two days later, you find yourself with this -

After I cut out all the huge brown spots!

Now, despite their appearance (which isn't quite as good as the picture makes them appear), those strawberries still taste amazing, and I have a recipe to share about them in a week or two, but the peaches, they were ... just manky.


So, what to do????

There's always composting back at the greenmarket. :) 

But my frugal little heart balks at that waste of peaches.

So.....

QUINOA!!!!!!

I've been pondering quinoa as a breakfast food because of the health benefits - especially protein - so I decided to cook some up with my manky fruit.

My main beef with quinoa is that it doesn't have much flavor. Maybe fruit will help?

I soaked the quinoa because that is supposed to remove the bitterness. That did leave me with a bit of a dilemma because the ratio of water to dry quinoa is 2 to 1, but after soaking, the quinoa had doubled in size. I went with the original measure of water since the fruit has plenty of juice.

I sliced the manky peaches into the boiling water/quinoa and simmered for 6 minutes (half the cooking time). Then I added the strawberries and some blueberries (because my daughter thought this would be a patriotic looking breakfast).

So here we go.

Just the quinoa and peaches.

Is this where I mention how tempted I was to add in chocolate chips here??? RESIST!

In hindsight, I should have stopped at the cooked quinoa and peaches and added in the blueberries and strawberries fresh.

Although it tastes delicious, the final cooked version looks a little ... well, not exactly manky, but definitely mushy.  Which is fine for breakfast. Or dessert.

It tastes better than it looks.

I realize this doesn't exactly sound like a rallying call to get everyone to make it, but it beats the compost bin and it really does make for an excellent breakfast. I'm going to put it in the frig for morning!

Looks like mush but has a bit of a crunch thanks to the quinoa.

  #Success

So did I scare you off or intrigue you?


Just so long as I didn't bore you, right? Because readers may love us or hate us, but we sure don't want them to ignore us!!!!

Quinoa Salad with Strawberries and Spinach

by Missy Tippens

I wanted to share the basis of another recipe I've made from the $5 Meal Plan site {Side note: To clarify from last week's post, the meal does not cost $5. That is the price of a month's worth of meal plans.} :)

I'm loving using the meal plans! But I don't think I can keep sharing the recipes on here since it's a paid service. Today, though, I'm going to share my adaptation of this one since it was so simple!

Make quinoa according to package directions. Chill in the refrigerator. (Plan ahead! I ended up having to serve mine sort of warm for a dinner party.) Before serving, add chopped spinach and chopped strawberries.

Toss with a sweetish salad dressing. I used Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette.

I also stirred in chopped maple glazed pecans. We keep these Emerald Pecan Pie nuts on hand for salads--delicious!

Alas, I forgot to take a photo of the dish! It's so pretty and would be amazing to serve at Christmas.

This was a great side dish/salad as well as main dish since the quinoa has so much protein. We've eaten it leftover, too!

www.missytippens.com

March Madness, Pantry Style

March Madness. You may think it's all about this:

And it is. We are die hard NC State fans and we made it in. So did Duke, Carolina, and Davidson. Here in North Carolina, with a bunch of teams in March Madness, folks are watching at work and creating office pools, heading to sports bars and watching their phones A LOT.

But there's another kind of March Madness going on in our house. Spring fever! I am in a clean out mode.

I tend to use all fresh veggies from this point on. Local produce is more plentiful at our grocery stores. Our farmer's market friends have been busy in their greenhouses.

My friend Clay who I knew in another work life. Now he's an organic farmer and I buy the best veggies from him!

 So, it's time to revisit my canned and dried goods. There are things on the shelves that were bought in a winter storm induced moment. Things that mean winter weight gain and now I'm looking at a warm weather diet. Ingredients that will be great in summer dishes but others great for donation to the food pantry. I take like items off the shelves and determine what will work best for spring and summer dishes and what heads off to our local ministry's food pantry. 

For instance, rice and bean noodles face off:

  
Rice was great in soups and casseroles this winter. But that meant weight gain. Who's better? Pretty much a no-brainer for this time of year.  Black bean noodles have protein, fiber and hardly any carbs.

Peanut butter versus almonds?

Okay, I'm out of natural peanut butter. BUT almonds led all winter long and they are perfect for hiking. Almonds for the win.

Then there's tuna up against beans.

Whew. This game, I mean comparison, was tougher than I thought. Tuna is a power packed traditional diet food but it does have issues. Mercury levels, sodium in some brands, price. Canned beans are the underdog since they are considered a survival of the cheapest food. But beans of all kinds have a great blend of fiber, carbs and protein and the price is right. They go great as a side dish or cold marinated salad ingredient. Beans pulls ahead.

Lastly, we're moving out of hot cereal season. 

 
One team from the North and one new addition from  South America made this an interesting bracket face off. Oatmeal and quinoa are so close in protein, iron and carbs, flip-flopping on percentages and even gluten-free. Quinoa can be used in salads and sides while oatmeal is great for granola bars and cookies for hiking. I had to call this one a tie.

So, do you spring clean your pantry? Are there staples you consider fall/winter or spring/summer musts? What are winners on your ingredient list? And lastly, are you paying attention to that other March Madness that involves a ball?      

Book Club Foodies

I love being a part of a book club where we actually discuss the book we read.  We may go on tangents but we read everything from non-fiction history to literary fiction to YA. We love diverse characters and stories that make us think.  

Love these women.

We are not a wine and cheese book club or a no-food book club.  Thanks to various food challenges, we have become a gourmet healthy eating book club.

Fresh fruit, grain or legume-based salads, seasonal veggies, excellent dips, and peanuts in the shell. Yes, peanuts. We are now addicted. My friends make sure there is something wheat and corn free that I can enjoy. Another reason to love these gals.

One of my new favorite salads is from my friend Cathy. We've known each other over three decades. Pre-children! Pre-life changes! It's great to have long time friends. Her quinoa and black bean salad is the bomb. But I still tweaked it a bit since the original calls for sugar and butter. Trying to minimize those in our diet.

Black Bean and Quinoa Salad

2 tsp. grated lime zest
2 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. olive oil
1 tsp. honey
1 cup quinoa
1 (14- to 15-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 med. tomatoes, diced
4 scallions, chopped
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
Whisk together lime zest and juice, butter oil, sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a large bowl.
Wash quinoa in cold water,drain in a sieve. Cook quinoa according to package directions.
Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, then stir in remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.
Makes 4 (side dish) servings.

What about you? Are you in a book club? Do you read a lot of different books or focus on one genre? Do you bring the same dish every time or mix things up?