Quinostrone

2013 has been declared the International Year of Quinoa so here is a quinoa based recipe for the New Year. The first time I made this version of the traditional Italian soup minestrone. The vegetables did not cook properly, the broth lacked flavour, the greens were bitter and the quinoa gave it an unpleasant texture. The next time I did not have all the vegetables needed for the common version of minestrone. I substituted some parsnip for the celery and used a larger amount of onion since I only had little garlic. I also cooked the quinoa separately and added it afterwards to the soup and also added the greens towards the end to avoid a bitter taste. The result was a tasty and satisfying stew, which is a meal in itself.

Ingredients
1/3 cup quinoa
400 g tomatoes, finely chopped (it is better to use canned tomatoes or add 3-4 tablespoons of tomato puree if you cannot find sweet, juicy tomatoes since tomatoes are an integral part of the soup)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 parsnip, finely chopped (if you prefer substitute two sticks of celery)
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
Two handfuls of green leaves of your choice, finely shredded (I used half each of kale and spinach)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 crushed dried red chilli (or a pinch of dried chilli flakes)
1 teaspoon each:
Dried mixed italian herbs
Dried rosemary
Dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Cook the quinoa according to directions on the packaging. Drain if necessary when cooked and keep aside. Usually you need to add the quinoa to twice its volume (here 2/3 cup) of boiling water in a pan, allow it to return to the boil, lower the heat and cover and simmer for about 15 mins.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add the onion, garlic, parsnip carrot, dried chilli and half of the dried herbs. Saute for about 10 minutes until the onions soften. Add the tomatoes and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes are soft and juicy. Add about 750ml/3 cups of water, bring to the boil and simmer, covered for about 10 mins. Add the quinoa and the rest of the dried herbs and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the  vegetables, particularly the carrot and parsnip, are soft. If you are using any tough greens like kale, chard, collards or cabbage, add them now and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the greens are tender. Then stir in tender greens like spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, until they have wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Gingery kale smoothie

You  can barely taste the kale in this smoothie but it provides nutritional value and a bright green colour to the drink. It is is also a good way to get your fruit intake on a cold day, thanks to the warmth of the ginger.

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients

a handful of kale, chopped or shredded into small pieces (you do not have to chop it very finely but if the pieces are too large they might not blend properly) 

a handful of green grapes

1 medium apple, unpeeled, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

Method

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor along with 1  - 1 1/2 cups water and blend until smooth. If it is too thick, dilute with some water. Serve freshly made.

Orange, chocolate, apricot, almond flat-breads

While it is not overly sweet, its combination of citrus, chocolate, dried fruits and nuts places this bread in the category of sweet breads. Since such breads are most commonly found in the form of loaves, for a change I decided to shape the dough into flat-breads. Just like their savoury counterparts, they are quicker to make, and equally flavoursome as loaves. The dough has a light chocolate flavour infused with orange and has bursts of a richer, intense  chocolate flavour from the chunks along with citrus-soaked apricots and crunchy bits of almond.

Makes: 8 flat-breads

Ingredients

2 cups wholewheat bread flour or chapatti flour/ atta (I like to use chapatti flour for making yeasted breads since it makes softer, lighter textured whole-grain breads)

1 teaspoon yeast

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons chopped apricots

2 tablespoons chopped, toasted almonds

4 tablespoons dark chocolate chopped into small chunks

A pinch of salt

¾ cup yoghurt

Method 
Toss the apricots in 1 teaspoon of the orange juice and set aside to soak. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, orange zest, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the yoghurt and the remaining orange juice and mix to a dough. It should be soft, sticky but stiff enough to knead. Knead for 7-8 minutes on a well-floured surface, adding more flour if necessary. Cover and leave to rise for 1–1½ hours in a fairly warm place until doubled in size.

Knead the risen dough briefly to deflate it, then flatten to a large circle. Sprinkle with the almonds apricots and chocolate chunks. Stretch and fold the edges of the dough over these ingredients. Knead again on a well-floured surface until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Ensure than the ingredients do not form clusters in the dough but are evenly spaced out. 

Preheat the oven to 190ᵒC /375ᵒF. Place a greased baking tray in the oven to heat. Divide the dough into 8 roughly equal sized pieces (see note). Roll each piece out to a thickness of about ½ cm/1/4 inch on a floured surface. Allow to rise for about 15-20 minutes, until puffy. Carefully transfer on the hot baking tray up to 2 breads at a time and bake them for 10-12 minutes until firm and golden. Serve hot.

NOTE:

The dough will make eight small flat breads. Since the breads are best eaten hot and freshly baked, if you are not serving all of the at once, just make as many as you want and refrigerate the remaining dough for up to 2 days.

Breakfast potatoes

A filling breakfast made in minutes. Try it when you want to eat something savoury in the morning.

Servings: 1

Ingredients
2 medium or 5 baby potatoes (about 200 - 250g/7-9 oz)
3 tablespoons chopped or thinly slice onion
1 teaspoon chopped or sliced green chilli
1 tablespoon tahini, or other nut or seed butter (I have successfully tried almond, cashew nut and hemp seed butter; in the above photo I used whole almond butter)
1-1/2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
Olive oil to drizzle
Pepper to taste (optional)

Method
Prick the potatoes but do not peel. Microwave all of them together on High for 5 minutes, checking every minute after 3 minutes. Stop when they are soft when pricked with a fork or knife or squeezed between your fingers. If they are not soft after 5 minutes, continue to cook for 30 seconds at a time until they are cooked. Allow the potatoes to cool until you can handle them comfortably. Meanwhile drizzle the olive oil in medium sized microwaveable bowl or small casserole dish. Toss the onion and chilli in the oil and cook on High for 1-1/2 minutes.

Slice the potatoes or chop them into small chunks. Layer the potato slices or chunks over the onions, carefully pressing them down. Place the tahini or nut butter and lime or lemon juice in a small bowl and mix well until both are fully blended and it has a creamy consistency. Spread or dab this mixture evenly on top of the potatoes. Microwave on High for 2 minutes. Serve hot seasoned with freshly ground pepper if desired.

Chocolate and spice oats porridge

More of a flavour combination than a recipe but I thought I would post it as molten chocolate and warm spices are delicious with creamy oats porridge. The chocolate is added in a small amount and as there is little other sweetening, it contributes to the taste and texture without making the porridge too rich to enjoy for breakfast. Try to use very dark chocolate (with at least 70% cocoa solids; I usually use chocolate with 85% cocoa solids) to ensure a strong chocolate flavour.

Servings:1

Ingredients
3/4 cup rolled/porridge oats
3/4 cup milk (see note)
1/2 cup water
1-2 squares of  bitter dark chocolate (depending on size of squares and preference)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
a pinch of granulated sugar (see note)
Nutmeg to grate freshly

Method
Mix the oats, milk and water in a pan and heat over a medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is thick and the oats have swelled and softened. If it becomes too thick early on, add more water and/or milk and continue to cook. Transfer the cooked porridge into a serving bowl. Grate the chocolate evenly on top of the oats and sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar. Grate the nutmeg about 10 times. Serve immediately.

NOTE:
I usually use non-dairy hazelnut or almond milk as they complement the nutty flavour of the oats. These milks are lightly sweetened but if using unsweetened milk add about 1/2 -1 teaspoon sugar. I do not add any other sweetening except for the pinch of sugar, whose purpose is to provide a crunchy texture rather than sweetness. If using sugar make sure it is granulated. Generally I use Demarara sugar. Instead of sugar you could also sprinkle on 1-2 teaspoons of finely chopped roasted almonds or other nuts. Another variation I have sometimes tried is to stir in about a tablespoon of nut butter (I have used almond and cashew nut butters). This is tasty but I think makes the porridge more of a dessert and find it too rich to eat as a large portion for breakfast.

Baked potato fries with Indian spices

Simple, quick and tasty. It can be served as a snack or accompany other foods like burgers. Feel free to use other spices or flavourings of your choice instead of the Indian spices.

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

6 small or 4 medium potatoes, washed well but not peeled

1/2 teaspoon dried mango powder/amchur

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

1/4 teaspoon dried ginger powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Oil for greasing

Sauce of your choice to serve (optional; I served it with tamarind chutney)

Method

Preheat the oven to 190° C/375° F. Grease a baking tray with oil and place it in the oven to heat up. Slice the potatoes into four pieces lengthwise. Cut each slice into fry shapes. When oven has heated,  place the potatoes onto the hot baking tray, making sure they are spread out and do not overlap. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the fries start to crispen and turn golden on top. Carefully toss to allow the other side to become crisp. Cook for another 15-20 minutes or until the fries are crisp on the outside and soft inside. Sprinkle the spices and salt and mix well. Bake for another 2-3 minutes. Serve hot to ensure they remain crisp to eat.

Tofu and spinach omelette

Yet another recipe with spinach. The omelette base was inspired by this recipe. Feel free to substitute other greens of your choice. If using tougher greens like kale or chard, steam them before adding to the onions. I intend to try another variation of this recipe and I will post it if it is successful.

Makes: 3 omelettes

Ingredients
125 g (about 1/2 cup) firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes
2 tablespoons chickpea/gram flour
1-1/2 tablespoons tapioca/mogo flour
a pinch of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, preferably kala namak/black salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup finely chopped spinach
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon olive oil (or other vegetable oil)

Toasted bread to serve (optional)

Method
Place the tofu, chickpea flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, salt and water in a blender/food processor and blend till smooth. The consistency should be of a thin pancake/dosa batter. Heat the oil in a pan over a low heat and saute the onions for a few minutes until they start to turn translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes longer. Add the spinach and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until the spinach has wilted and a lot of liquid released has evaporated. The mixture should not be too watery.

Add the vegetables to the tofu mixture and mix well. Heat a non-stick (or lightly oiled) skillet/griddle/tava/shallow frying pan over medium heat. Pour in about a third of the batter and spread fairly thinly using the circular motions of a ladle or spoon. Cook until almost completely dry on the top (about 2-4 minutes). Carefully insert a thin spatula/turner underneath the omelette and flip it over. Cook on the other side until browned. The omelette can be served hot (with toasted bread if desired) but it also tastes good if allowed to cool and served at room temperature. You could cut into wedges and use it as a sandwich filling with salad leaves or other vegetables.

Spinach cutlets

These are inspired by Indian vegetable cutlets which consist of mashed potato and other vegetables and spices. I have substituted sweet potato for some of the potato and added a substantial amount of greens.

Makes: 8 cutlets
 
Ingredients

1 medium potato

1 medium sweet potato

100 g spinach/palak, roughly chopped

50 g fenugreek leaves/methi, roughly chopped

75 g fresh shelled green peas

2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

1 green chilli, sliced

2 teaspoons dried mango powder/amchur

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon salt (I used kala namak/black salt)

juice of 1 lemon

Tamarind chutney, to serve (optional)

Method

Cook the potato, sweet potato and peas by a method of your choice. Do not peel the potato. The potato and sweet potato should be soft and easy to mash. The green peas should still be bright green. I microwaved the vegetables for five minutes each (the peas were sprinkled with 2 tablespoons of water and covered). In case of microwaving the sweet potato cook it with the skin and then place it under cold running water for a few seconds to easily peel it off.

Mash together the potato (with the skin still on) and the sweet potato (peeled), add the spices, lemon juice, salt and green peas and mash again until some of the green peas are slightly crushed (they should still greens).Heat a small pan over medium heat and the spinach and fenugreek leaves. Cook, stirring constantly until they have wilted completely and some of the liquid released has evaporated (about 3-5 minutes). The leaves should not be too watery. Grind to a coarse paste the spinach and fenugreek along with the chopped ginger and chilli.

Heat a non-stick (or lightly oiled) griddle/frying pan over a low heat. Mix the spinach paste with the mashed potatoes (see note below), fully incorporating it. Form the mixture into cutlets/patties of your desired shape using about one-eighth of the mixture per cutlet. Cook the patties for about 3-5 minutes on one side, checking frequently, until it has browned, flip over and cook for about 3 minutes on the other side. Serve hot with tamarind chutney or other sauce of your choice.

NOTE:

You should be able to add all of the paste to the mashed potatoes and obtain a result that is quite soft but stiff enough to mould into cutlets. But it is advisable to add the spinach paste in batches to ensure that it does not become too soft.  (If any spinach paste is left over, it could be use in a number of different ways e.g. try frying it in a little oil and mixing rice with it or mixing it in dough to make chapattis or adding it to some mashed potatoes like in this recipe).

Tangy tamarind chutney

A sour and spicy rather than sweet version of the traditional Indian sauce. Quick to make even when extracting your own paste from dried tamarind. Tomorrow I will post the dish to which this was an accompaniment. 

Makes: 1 -1½ cups
    

Ingredients 

Tamarind paste – ½ cup if extracted at home from dried tamarind, ¼ cup if using readymade tamarind paste

1 cup hot water (add another ¼ cup of water if using shop-bought paste)

2 tablespoons jaggery, grated or crumbled (if unavailable, use brown sugar)

1 teaspoon cumin powder

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp kala namak/black salt (use ordinary salt if preferred)

a pinch of chilli powder

Method
Place all the ingredients in a pan, mix well and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 mins, stirring frequently, until all the jaggery has dissolved and the mixture has thickened.