Simple samphire with quinoa

This week I have a tri-part 'side dishes' recipe collection that all formed part of this gorgeously colourful dinnertime set up. The photos were all worthy in their own right and as each of the recipes was so simple, I want to do them the honour of individual posts. Therefore the skewers and flatbreads will follow on later this week!

This is a beautifully simple side dish. I had never tried or even come across Samphire until a few weeks ago and so was curious to give it a try.

A brief spot of 'googling' came up with a few easy options, many of the recipes I found involved fish and sea food on the basis that samphire is a coastal plant and so the dishes reflected that, but this lovely vegan quinoa version caught me eye, so off I went to try it out! 

I wanted to fully appreciate the delicate nature and flavour of the samphire itself and so added the bare minimum of ingredients to compliment it. The result was simple and delicious, I would have also been happy with this as a main dish, maybe with a few roasted veggies. But in this instance I was having a creative kitchen eposide so served the dish as part of a collection.  The sauteed onion with garlic works really well with the light salty flavour of the samphire and the bed of quinoa makes the perfect base to mix it into.

For me, one of the best things about samphire is the speed in which it cooks. Due to its form and large surface area it simply need a few minutes to steam or saute and you're ready to go. If like me, you have pre-cooked quinoa portions at the ready this meal will literally take 5 minutes to come together...you know how happy that makes me!

In the top photo i'd also added a few chunks of my vegan feta cheese.

Recipe: Simple Samphire

(serves 2 as a side)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

100g samphire (1 packet which was approx 1 packed cup)

1 tsp olive oil

1 medium red onion sliced

3 tbs lemon juice

2 garlic cloves- crushed

2 tbs fresh chives- chopped

Method:

Prepare the quinoa (if uncooked) and set aside.

Meanwhile fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil for approx. 5 minutes until softening.

Sauté the samphire in a separate pan for 2-3 minutes and then add along with the quinoa and lemon juice to the frying pan with the onion. Toss to fully coat for a minute adding the fresh chives in the final seconds. 

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

'Power parfait'... with chocolate, quinoa, banana, peanut butter...

The chocolate power pudding has now been made with various toppings on a number of occasions. I just love the warm comforting feeling of an 'oatmeal-esque' bowlful but with a protein powered alternative texture to change things up from time to time.

One morning when I had made a big batch of chocolate 'base mix' to keep in the fridge for a couple of days, I layered it up in glasses for a 'power parfait' (having too much fun with aliteration today!)  The youghurt topping was simply soy yogurt mixed with peanut butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. I mashed some banana through the chocolate base mix and sliced the remaining on top.

It made the perfect mid morning snack (after my early morning green smoothie) and once again since the quinoa mix was pre-made it only took mere minutes to throw together, this could easily become a dessert with a little extra sweetness thrown in.
Oh, on a quick side note, I also tried blending up the mix in a processor to get a smooth and creamy base, but it didn't really work that well and the texture didn't change much, but that's cool with me as I love the texture- just saying in case you had wondered...

Recipe: Power Parfait

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

I cup of this chocolate power pudding (chocolate quinoa)

2 small or 1 large bananas

1/2 cup vegan yoghurt

1 tbs peanut butter

2 tsp maple syrup

Cacao nibs to decorate- optional

Method:

Mash half of the banana and mix through the chocolate quinoa pudding. Spoon the pudding into two serving bowls or glasses.

Mix the yoghurt with the peanut butter and maple syrup and spoon over the top of the quinoa layer. 

Chop the remaining banana to top the yoghurt and decorate with cacoa nibs or other toppings as preferred. Chill if necessary (if the quinoa pudding is not chilled) prior to serving.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Turmeric spiced burgers....recovery fuel!

The day before and the day after my Tough Mudder event I was on a complex carb, protein and anti-inflammation kick...I wanted to defend myself from all directions and help prevent muscle injury too!

Turmeric has long been know for it's healing qualities and anti-inflammatory properties and so I wanted to base my main meals around this beautiful spice, so often underused in my cooking. I think you've probably already guessed quinoa would be the obvious recipient!

This was my 'before' event dinner...

This was my 'after' event dinner...

Total yellowness!!!

Both dishes were great in their simplicty, I ate the quinoa/cauli as a main dish but it would propbably be best served asa a side dish along with some other colours :-)  We'll get onto that  dish in another post, but today I give you the turmeric quinoa burgers.

Initial inspiration for the ingredients profile came from this recipe and then I changed a few things up, namely the binding method, spices and cooking method.

I used almond flour as the key ingredient to bind them as almond flour is 'gummy' when mixed with water and is also in itself a potent anti-inflammatory, so along with onion and garlic these little burgers really should help kick sore muscles into touch (well I experienced minimal soreness after the event so who knows...)

I added a little garam masala and salt to boost the flavour, but you really want to focus on the turmeric as much as possible. Serve on a bed of spinach for even more anti-inflammatory fighting properties (and a break from all that yellow!) 

Superfoods to the rescue!!

Recipe: Turmeric spiced burgers

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup sweetcorn
1-2 crushed cloves garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic granules
2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbs fine almond flour
1 tbs flax
approx 1/4 cup hot water
extra water if needed

Method:

Mix the almond flour with hot water in a small bowl and mix to form a thick paste. Mix all remaining ingredients together adding the the paste last. Add a little extra water if needed to assist the binding of the mixture.

Get your had stuck in and form small flattened patties, place these on a lined or greased baking sheet. The mixture will be a bit delicate but should easily form patties that hold together well whilst baking and being turned over once.

I didn't use any oil to coat the patties as they tasted great without, but feel free to use a light coating for extra crispness if you prefer. The patties can also be lightly fried on each side as an alternative to oven baking.  I baked them for approx. 30 minutes at 180C until lightly golden.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Crunchy quinoa cookies...hemp infused!

My original chewy chocolate quinoa cookies have turned out to be one of the most popular posts on this blog, and also one of the most popular search terms.   This is a little twist on the original recipe with a superfood hemp boost... perfect training snacking... or for anyone looking for a source of wholefood protein boost. I have combined hemp protein with brown rice protein to achieve the best texture (in my opinion) but you could try using your preferred protein powders instead.

Ok, so if I was to state my preference between these cookies and the originals...maybe the originals would win over a teeny weeny bit in the chewy stakes and because they were more intensely chocolatey ...but these are pretty awesome and hit the spot in terms of nutrition whilst bringing a big smile to my face.  Plus...I love the crunchy little unshelled hemp seeds!

I made a double batch of these and kept a stash in the fridge that lasted me right through to race day!   

                             

Recipe: crunchy quinoa cookies...hemp infused!

Makes approx 10  cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa

¼ cup peanut butter

¼ cup date syrup (or 3 tabs alternative syrup)

Few drops stevia to taste

1 banana

¼ cup hemp protein*

¼ cup brown rice protein*

¼ hemp seeds (I use unshelled for extra crunch factor)

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla bean powder or extract

*I used hemp protein and brown rice protein as my preferred protein options as they complement each other in texture and I typically like to use hemp wherever possible. Feel free to use your own preferred options.

Method:

Mix all the peanut butter, date syrup, banana and stevia together until smooth. Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and then add to the wet ingredients until well mixed and a thick paste is formed. Mix in the quinoa until well coated.

Form small balls with your hands and press down onto a lined baking sheet.

Bake at 180C for approx 15 mins. Allow to cool fully.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Hot chocolate 'power' pudding.... power for body and mind!

Ok, so I reeled you in with the title of this post...chocolate! That'll make anyone glance twice ;-)

Don't worry I will give you a chocolate fix, but first a little post-training debrief and review of the foodie variety!

As many of you now (I promise this is the last time I talk about it to any degree!) I completed Tough Mudder last weekend and so therefore in the month or so leading up the event my meals and snacks had been more carefully thought out than usual, with higher protein and hydrating foods featuring more heavily, also higher on the complex carbs in the few days prior. I have a backlog of recipes to share so the posts over the coming weeks will showcase some of these- great for the active and non-active people alike since good hydration is great for summer recipes and my protein focussed meals and snacks were based around whole foods and not protein supplements, equally important for everybody following a predominantly plant based lifestyle. Saying that, I do have some protein cookie coming tomorrow that utilise protein powders- but that's all :-)

To keep it brief and not bore or overwhelm you, here is a little overview summary of my food profile for last week in the final run up to the event. Obviously this was a balance of food that worked well for me but every body is different, for example I know I don't react well to high quantities of dried fruits and nuts (bloat inducing) so beans and quinoa took centre stage. Many of the recipes quoted below (and shown in the montage) will feature over the next few days.

Typical Daily Food Dairy (approximated for the entire week)

Food:

• Green Smoothie upon waking- between 6-9am

• Quinoa oatmeal power bowl (similar to below but typically without choc)- between 9am-11am

• Protein cookies (tomorrow's post) after workouts, or choc protein mousse plus banana- whatever time during the day

• Quinoa salad/veg bowl, or lentil chilli soup with quinoa. Typically I made a large batch and had some for lunch/snack and then the rest for dinner. Depending on if/when I was working out that day depended on whether I had the larger portion for lunch or for dinner. 

• Tropical chia pudding prior to workouts of as dessert/snack. I made a enough to last me a couple of days and grabbed a spoonful whenever I fancied it. (I also ate this approx. 1 hour prior to the event happening- totally fuelled me up- quickly digested carbs and mega hydrating!)

Drinks:

I made up a litre of the watermelon coconut cooler which lasted me a couple of days at a time.  I also drank a lot of green tea (tropical green tea as I can't get my taste buds around the plain stuff) I drank 2-3 mugs a day, this was instead of the usual mint tea I drink. I also drank at least another 2 ltrs plain filtered water. In total a minimum of 3 ltrs fluids. I don't drink coffee or regular tea anyway so that didn't come into the equation for me.

I found the balance worked really well to hydrate and sustain me without bloating me out as a lot of seeds/nuts tend to.

So, now i'd like to hear from you- what are your favourite 'fit foods', and ways you find best hydrate and sustain you?

Oh yes, I promised you a recipe!  

Here you go...as ever a super versatile, breakfast, brunch, snack...whatever (omit the choc and add other flavours if you feel choc is a bit much for an everyday breakfast ;-)  This totally set me up for the day. Fitness, motivation, endurance and focus is as much built in the mind as it is in the body... I promise this 'power' bowl will kick both into touch!

Recipe: Hot choc power pudding:

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa (I have precooked portions in the freezer at all times for speed)
2 cups non-dairy milk of choice
2 tbs peanut butter (or other- hazlenut butter is fab!!)
4 tbs chia seeds
a few drops vanilla stevia to taste (or maple syrup)
2 tsp maca powder
2 tbs raw cacao or carob (note carob is slightly sweeter)
2 tsp cinnamon
Toppings of choice (I used a handful of goji berries and mixed red/black currants plus extra chia)

Note: you could sub some of the quinoa with part oats.

Method:

Prepare the quinoa if uncooked.

Add the quinoa, milk, nut butter, chia and sweetener to a pan and simmer on the stove for a few minutes until well mixed and warmed through. Turn off the heat and add the remaining ingredients, stir to mix well.

Spoon into bowls and add the toppings of choice. Eat immediately or chill half for eating later!

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Quinoa stuffed peppers with cream topping

Stuffed peppers...such a quick an easy meal! Team with salad for a summer twist.

I packed my peppers with quinoa for a great texture and protein boost, but you could use rice, cous-cous, or how about cauliflower rice for a superlight veggie bite?  Add some chopped veggies, or corn to the mix along with spices of chice and you are away.

I decided to jazz things up a little further by adding the coconut flour ‘cream cheese’ topping with a savoury vibe to it for a change since I’m so used to turning it in to a sweet version. I used harrissa paste that I happened to have in the fridge which I felt added to the general Morrocan/Mediterranean feel, buit you can use any preferred spices.  I was intrigued to see how it would work out this way and also how it would handle being under the grill.

It was good! The top browned nicely whilst the ‘cheese’ topping stayed moist and creamy below, almost creating a thick creamy garnish for the peppers and salad. The flavours were good to, nice and strong which is the way I wanted it on this occasion.

For more lighter summer meals have a little look here

Recipe: Quinoa stuffed peppers with cream topping

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 large red pepper- halved

1 cup cooked quinoa mixed with spices of choice plus extra veg if desired e.g corn/tomatoes)

Topping: 1/3 cup thick basic coconut cream mixed with 1 tsp soy sauce and ½ tsp harrissa paste (or similar)

Salad leaves to serve

Method:

Oven bake the pepper halves  for 10-15 minutes at 180C until softening. Meanwhile prepare the quinoa and coconut cream topping.

Pack the cooked quinoa into the pepper halves and top with the coconut cream paste spread evenly.

Place under a medium grill for up to 10 minutes until the topping is golden.

Serve with a salad.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.
 
For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Creamy quinoa porridge

I love quinoa, and I don’t eat it nearly enough. Since going through my (seemingly never ending) fitness bar development phase I learnt that a high quantity of nuts and seeds just doesn’t agree with my digestion. Nuts and seeds are a great source of protein but I’m taking a little respite from them to get my body back on track so I need to fill up on alternative protein rich whole foods.

Quinoa! 

This seems to sit well with my digestion and is so endlessly versatile I need to bring this food into my everyday diet a lot more. These chocolate cookies and also these banana ones are a great option- they will be my new ‘grab-and-go’ snack fuel for the time being.

Whilst I am familiar with adding quinoa to top a bowl of soup or to form the base of a salad, I have only recently started experimenting with sweet versions. With the freezer now stocked with batches of cooked quinoa portions I figured this a was the perfect opportunity.  

Here I’ve kept it simple with a breakfast quinoa porridge, this was inspired by my recent foray with buckwheat porridge so I felt pretty confident it could work!  I lightly spiced it with cinnamon and nutmeg to compliment quinoa's 'nuttiness' and sweetened with mashed banana for an extra breakfast boost and then topped with just a few chopped walnuts, date sugar and raisins (and more cinnamon)....mmmmm, gives my oats a run for their money!

This would be fab topped with my breakfast sprinkles to further sweeten and jazz things up too!

Recipe : Creamy quinoa porridge

Serves 1

Ingredients

3/4 cup cooked quinoa (I defrosted a freezer prtion)

1 mashed banana 

1 tbs peanut butter or almond butter (for extra creaminess)

1/2 - 3/4 cup non dairy milk to reach desired consistency (I like mine loose and creamy)

approx. 1/4 cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

2 tsp chia seed (optional)

nuts and fruit and date sugar or my breakfast sprinkle for topping

Method

On the stove top add the cooked quinoa and milk and warm through on a medium heat, after 2-3 minutes add the mashed banana and nut butter and mix through evenly until creamy. 

Add a little extra milk if needed and add the spices and chis seed in the final minute. 

Spoon into a bowl and sprinkle with toppings.  

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Quinoa-power breakfast cakes

These little bites of chewy moreishness were inspired by my chewy choc quinoa cookies that I have formed a bit of an addiction too, now every time I cook up a batch of quinoa, I reserve one cup to make a little batch of these cookies straight off, as they literally takes a mere 5 minutes to whip together with pre-cooked quinioa...  anyway I digress...

As much as can I just about justify eating the choc version for breakfast, I wanted something that upped the health factor even further, and to be honest I don’t typically want chocolate for breakfast! How about a quinoa-banana concoction? Now that sounds like a powerful start to the morning, or any time of day.  

I added a peacan half to the top of each and oh my goodness when I tasted these little chewy cookie cakes fresh from the oven the toasted pecan made the whole thing taste like a maple pecan pastry...you know the sort, flaky layers of plaited pastry loaded with sugars and syrups with a few toasted pecans nestled between the goeey layers. Well let me tell you- the toasted pecan combined with a little drizzle of date syrup really does nail it....don't leave the pecans out!

So, 5 minutes to mix, 10 minutes in the oven (perfect time to have a quick shower) and then these beauties are on your breakfast plate or stashed away in your bag for a mid morning pick-me-up. I don’t think you  can ask for much more than that?

This post also ties in very nicely to a new category of recipes that I will be revealing tomorrow...my favourite collection of recipes to date! Hold tight... :-)

  

Recipe: Quinoa pancake patties

Makes 6 pancake patties

Ingredients

1 banana

Pinch stevia

1 tsp chia/flax

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp vanilla

1 cup pre-cooked quinoa

3 tbs oat flour (or other GF flour)

Pecans to finish (either whole or chopped)

Date syrup to drizzle- optional

Method

Mash the banana and mix through all ingredients adding the quinoa and oat flour last.

Scoop into balls and press into flat patties with moist palms or the back of a spoon. Place flattened patties on a lined baking sheet  and press pecans into the top of each. Bake at 180C for 10 minutes until just beginning to turn golden at the edges.

Serve with vegan yoghurt and a drizzle of date or maple syrup

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Chewy chocolate quinoa cookies

I’m loving all the healthy high protein ‘flour’ subs i’m trying out at the moment. First it was with whole buckwheat groats (still plenty of those recipes to come) and now it’s also with quinoa.  I mentioned before that I was having a big quinoa kick this month, incorporating it in all sorts of recipes both sweet and savoury. It’d such a versatile ingredient and it’s nutritional profile is hard to beat.

I cook batches of quinoa to freeze in cup sized portions, so it’s so easy to add to any recipe or salad at a moment notice.  This cookie experiment therefore took me literally minutes to throw together and was such a success I’ll definitely be trying it out again very soon. I used cacao nibs to make sure I kept to my sugar free Lent Challenge, you could also use regular dairy free dark chocolate chips if you prefer and for a little extra indulgence I may well give this a go next time, although to be honest I quite liked the bitter crunchy contrast of the nibs.

The coconut flakes combined with the quinoa make for a really soft and chewy cookie. The peanut butter helps bind and gives a mildly peanutty taste but you could sub for cashew or almond butter if you want the chocolate to do all the talking.

Recipe: Chewy chocolate quinoa cookies

Makes 8 small cookies

Ingredients

1 cup cooked quinoa

¼ cup peanut butter (add a pinch of salt if not salted)

¼ cup homemade date syrup and a pinch of stevia (you could use 3 tbs maple syrup of agave if you prefer)

¼ cup unsweeteneed dessicated coconut flakes

¼ cup cocoa nibs or dark choc chips

3 tbs cocoa powder

Method

Mix the peanut butter and date syrup and melt a little in a the microwave on low power if not already drippy. Mix through the remaining ingredients until fully coated.

Scoop into fat cookie dollops and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake at a fairly low temperature (I opted for 160C so as not to risk burning the date syrup) for 10-15 minutes until slightly golden. The cookies will be soft when they come out of the oven and will firm up to touch as they cool but remain soft in the centre.

 


For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Gingerbread quinoa bake

Homemade mincemeat is definitely my new favourite thing around here. Once you've made a jar (which literally only takes minutes) you can store it in the fridge and then use it in everything. I did the same last Christmas and these were a couple of the resulting recipes from back then.

Gingerbread parcels

Mincemeat fruit loaf

Cranberries also seem to be a bit of a recurring theme at the moment, maybe it’s because they look like Christmas jewels and I like pretty seasonal photos!

But in actual fact this post is really in celebration of…ginger and quinoa. I almost reached across for the cinnamon when mixing together this batter then my fingers switched track and out came Mr Ginger accompanied by Miss Molasses, another fabulous combo for this time of year. Note I am very cautious with adding too much molasses as I find it easily overpowering to my taste buds, feel free to be more generous if that’s your thing.

The texture of this bake was spot on, really moist but light and cakey. If you are not accustomed to the taste of quinoa flakes you may pick up on a slight bitterness, I think the ginger works really well to compliment the quinoa. But feel free to modify the level of spice and agave to your own taste.

Perfect for breakfast or dessert…or both! The recipe can easily be doubled up for a larger pie dish.

Recipe: Gingerbread quinoa bake

serves 2

Ingredients

½ cup quinoa flakes

1 tbs ground chia/flax

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground ginger

Pinch stevia (1/6^th tsp)

3 tbs agave/maple syrup

1 tsp molasses

1/3 cup soy yoghurt to mix (or other yoghurt)

3 tbs apple puree (or more yoghurt)

2-3 tbs mincemeat for base (homemade ideally)

Handful of part-cooked fresh cranberries to decorate top

1 tbs crystalised ginger- chopped for top

Brown rice syrup/agave/maple syrup to drizzle (if desired- I omitted)

Method

Part cook the cranberries by cooking in the microwave (1 minute) or hob for a few minutes until the first few cranberries only just begin to pop their skins.

Meanwhile, mix all wet ingredients together in a small bowl before adding to the dry ingredients (other than base and toppings) Mix well to achieve a thick smooth batter consistency.

Line the bottom of a small pie dish (approx. 15cm diameter) with the mincemeat mixture (or mix this through the batter- see note) spoon the quinoa batter over the top and smooth top with a spoon. Gently press the part cooked cranberries into the top of the batter and sprinkle with the finely chopped ginger pieces.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 for approx. 15 minutes until golden, check with a toothpick and if the mixture is still uncooked in the centre loosely cover with foil so that the top doesn’t brown and continue to bake for another 5 minutes until cooked through. (I had to cover mine)

Notes:

Instead of using mincemeat as a base, you could mix it through the batter and reduce the yoghurt slightly.  I used a small ceramic fluted pie dish and it was tricky to get the bake out neatly. It would be advisable to use a dish with a removable base and mix the mincemeat through the batter if you wish to remove it. Or do as I did and eat from the dish- I didn't eat it all by myself!

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.