Quinoa with Beet Greens & Lemon

Ahhhh…..  I just got back from this week’s work trip, and am thoroughly enjoying sitting on my couch watching Glee.

Not that my trip was awful. Quite the contrary! I got to spend a delightful evening cooking and taking in the sunset with my lovely sister in-law.

And come on, you can’t beat a view like this one….

But, it is ALWAYS good to be home and cooking in my little kitchen.

If you can’t tell from my last post, I am a little obsessed with soft-boiled eggs right now.

What’s not to love about them? You get a rich, creamy yolk without the mess of it sticking to a skillet! It’s genius, I tell you! GENIUS! …I also get overly excited about Jeopardy, so I’m not the most creditable judge….

Anyway, this recipe is definitely one for the vaults. The punch of acidity coupled with the earthy flavor of the beet greens and the creamy richness of the egg yolk creates sheer perfection in a bowl!

For those of you who are not egg lovers, this recipe would be equally delicious sans l’oeuf.

 

Quinoa with Beet Greens & Lemon

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Quinoa
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• zest of 1 Lemon
• 1 cup Beet Greens, chopped
• Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
• 1/4 cup frozen Green Peas, defrosted
• 1 Tblsp Nutritional Yeast Flakes
• 1 tsp fresh Basil, minced
• 1 large, Organic Egg
• Salt & Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place quinoa and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the egg, and boil for 5 minutes. Remove promptly and cool slightly before gently removing the shell.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beet greens and lemon juice and saute until wilted. Add peas, nutritional yeast, fresh basil, salt & pepper, and cook until heated through.
4. To serve, place the quinoa in a bowl, and top with the soft boiled egg.

Vegan Cheezy Quinoa

For weeks on end, I have lacked inspiration in the kitchen.

I have fallen into the dangerously boring trap of tossing random vegetables & legumes in a skillet or steamer, topping with marinara sauce or Braggs, and calling it a day. It’s partly because I have no one to cook for, and partly because I have found an inspiring career into which I now pour the energy that I used to pour into my food.

Well, these last few weeks, I began to find a balance between my work and caring for myself. I started Pure Barre classes and recommitted myself to daily workouts & HIIT. I started taking a little more time to prepare meals and listening to what my body needed.

My pictures leave something to be desired. (I kept forgetting to charge my camera battery…..) The recipes, though, are another story. Delicious, nourishing, and comforting… Enjoy!

Vegan Cheezy Quinoa

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Quinoa
• 1 cup Water
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened, Plain Almond Milk
• 1/3 cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes
• 1.5 tsp Lemon Juice
• 1 small clove Garlic, minced
• 1.5 Tblsp Cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp dry Mustard
• 1/4 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp Creamy Peanut Butter
• Black Pepper, to taste
• frozen Green Peas, defrosted
• 2 Tblsp Sundried Tomatoes
• 1 Tblsp fresh Basil, minced

Directions:

1. Place quinoa, water, & bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 12-15 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed. Remove the bay leaf, fluff with a fork, and set aside.
2. Make vegan cheeze sauce by placing almond milk, nutritional yeast, garlic, cornstarch, salt, dry mustard, paprika, turmeric, peanut butter, & black pepper in a blender and processing until smooth.
3. Pour cheeze sauce over the quinoa in the saucepan and return to medium-low heat. Cook until sauce has thickened to desired consistency.
4. Stir in the peas, sundried tomatoes, & fresh basil. Cook until heated through.