Quinoa & Italian Vegetable Bowls

Quinoa & Italian Vegetable Bowl

Need a fast and super-healthy dish for dinner tonight? This is it!  Quinoa is an ancient grain with a lovely texture, and it is a complete protein, making it perfect for a meatless meal.  (It is necessary to rinse it in a fine-mesh strainer to remove a coating on the grain that can be bitter, but it only takes a second.)  It efficiently absorbs the flavor from the vegetables, so every bite bursts with flavor. Since I am not vegetarian, I used chicken stock for flavor, but you may certainly use water or vegetable broth.  A sprinkle of Parmesan over the top adds nutty saltiness.  Serve it with a crunchy side salad and fruit for dessert for a tasty,  hurry-up dinner! 

Serves 3-4

2 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water

1 cup quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh strain to remove any bitter coating

3 Tablespoons coconut oil, grapeseed oil, or other high-heat appropriate oil

3/4 cup finely-diced onion

3/4 cup diced red pepper

1 cup diced white mushrooms

3/4 cup diced carrots (I used purple & yellow, but any kind works)

1/2 cup diced celery, (inner parts with leaves are best)

3 cloves garlic, finely-minced

3/4 cup small-diced zucchini

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Prep all of the vegetables and aromatics.

Bring the stock or water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Stir in the quinoa, bring up to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.  Cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the water is all absorbed.

While the quinoa cooks, heat a large saute pan and add the oil.  Heat just until it starts to smoke.  Reduce the heat to medium.  Add the onions, red peppers, mushrooms, carrots, and celery and saute until beginning to soften.  Add the garlic, zucchini, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning.  Cook until the zucchini is softened and the tomatoes begin to break down. 

Add the cooked quinoa to the vegetables along with the parsley and stir until well combined and hot.  Season with salt to taste, divide into serving bowls, sprinkle with cheese (if using) and serve.

Balsamic Vinegar Glaze

Balsamic Vinegar Glaze is the perfect way to perk up a ho-hum dish!

Introduce some Mediterranean sweet-sour goodness to a variety of dishes with this reduced, sweetened balsamic vinegar.  Grilled or roasted vegetables a little boring?  Give them a kick with just a little drizzle and you'll find yourself craving them.  Use it in a vinaigrette, add it to a marinade, or drizzle a bit over chicken or fish.  It only takes a little to brighten up a dish, and this glaze keeps well in the refrigerator for quite a while. You'll find yourself pulling it out often to add a punch of flavor to your dishes!

1 cup balsamic vinegar

3-4 Tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

Combine the vinegar, 3 T. sugar, and salt in a small sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by half and it coats a spoon.  (When you pull the spoon out of the vinegar, turn it over and run your finger down the back of the spoon.  If it leaves a streak, it's done.)  Taste.  If it is too sour for your taste, add the remaining sugar and stir until it melts.  Cooking time will depend on the vinegar, but expect about 20 minutes or more.

Cool and store in the refrigerator for up to two months.

Spring Vegetable Risotto

Spring Vegetable Risotto

Creamy, rich, and a bit decadent, risotto is well worth the preparation and cooking time necessary to create it.  This version's lush, creamy richness is complimented by the crisp, sweet bite of asparagus and sweet snow peas, enhanced by the mild chives, and all of those flavors are pulled together with a touch of white wine, butter, and Parmesan.  This is a must try!  Serves 4-6

1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed, and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 1/2 cup snow peas,strings removed, and cut in half or thirds (depending on size) on the diagonal

5 cups low-salt chicken broth (canned or boxed)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped shallot

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 Tablespoons fresh chives, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

5 Tablespoons butter

3/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil,  add the asparagus.  One minute later add the peas.  Cook about 1 minute longer.  Drain into a colander and immediately rinse with cold water until cool.  Toss a bit in the colander and drain really well.

Bring the chicken broth to a simmer on a back burner, reduce the heat to low and hold hot.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan (I use a wide, heavy bottomed pan about 4-inches tall) and saute the shallot until it is translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add the rice and stir for 3 minutes. 

Add the white wine and cook until it evaporates.

Ladle in about a cup of the hot chicken broth and cook and stir until the broth is absorbed.  Continue cooking, stirring constantly, adding broth a cup at a time, adding more as it is absorbed, until the rice is tender but still just barely firm in the center and the mixture is creamy.  (All of the chicken broth may not be needed, so use only what it requires.  The whole process will take about 20 minutes.)

Add the asparagus, peas, and chives and heat through.  Add the butter and stir until melted and incorporated.  Add the Parmesan, reserving a little for garnish, and stir in well.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve.

Easy Strawberry Sauce

This versatile sauce is super easy to make.  It's great on ice cream, pancakes and waffles, flavoring lemonade, or to moisten a layer cake or drizzle over a trifle.  Strawberry jelly eliminates some of the work, the most challenging part of the whole process is pressing it through a strainer to remove the little seeds.  And, if you don't care about the seeds, you can skip that step!

2 cups cleaned, stemmed, and quartered fresh, ripe strawberries

1/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup purchased or homemade strawberry jelly

Place the strawberries in a food chopper or blender and puree until mostly smooth, there should be about a cup.  Pour the puree into a small sauce pan, add the sugar, and bring up to a simmer.  Stir in the jelly and stir until it is melted and the mixture is starting to simmer.  Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl to remove the seeds.  Cool to room temperature, place in a storage container and refrigerate.  Sauce will keep about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.