quinoa

Yummy Pancakes!!!

Genevieve Leave a comment

Here is a super simple pancake recipe that is baby friendly and approved!! Actually the whole family will love them!

 

Oatmeal and Millet Pancakes

  • 1.5 cups oatmeal
  • 1 cup millet*
  • 1 banana
  • 2.5 cups water
  • * can use brown rice, quinoa, corn meal or amaranth instead of millet

Blend all ingredients in a vitamix or high speed blender. Use coconut oil in a large skillet or stainless steel pan and cook on one side until the edges look slightly dry and then flip over and cook the other side. Since these are blended they do have a nice light texture, but without the leavening agent they are not super fluffy. They are kind of like a crepe and pancake combo. Very good with fresh fruit and can even top with maple syrup. This recipe makes 15-18 pancakes that are medium sized.

 

 

Sautéed Vegetables with Fresh Turmeric and Ginger to reduce Inflammation

Genevieve 1 Comment
Anti-Inflammatory Vegetables

Anti-Inflammatory Dinner (Mixed Vegetables with Quinoa)

Both ginger and turmeric are powerful anti-inflammatory herbs. They are very versatile since they can be used in flavoring foods or just made into a tea to promote circulation, reduce pain, and improve digestion.

In Chinese Medicine we use ginger to tonify the Stomach and Spleen. Its nature is warming, which aids the digestive fire and its energy is said to be descending. This is helpful when there is digestive upset, nausea, dizziness or even motion sickness. Western Medicine has recently shown support of ginger’s anti-inflammatory nature (see study). There are even studies showing the effectiveness of ginger for motion-sickness and preventing nausea from chemotherapy (see study).

Turmeric is used in Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda to aid digestion, to promote circulation and alleviate pain and to reduce swelling in the body (this is for reducing swelling with trauma and from tumors/cancer). Its nature is also warming since it promotes blood circulation and aids digestion. Western medicine shows much positive research with turmeric for arthritis (both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis), Alzheimer’s and cancer. Dr. Andrew Weil has a great article outlining this (see this article).

Essentially what the research is saying about these herbs is that they have naturally occurring COX-2 inhibitors, which reduce the inflammatory pathways in the body to alleviate pain. What I am saying about these herbs is that they taste good and Traditional Medicine has used them effectively for thousands of years, so eat up!!

Sautéed Vegetables with Fresh Turmeric and Ginger (serves 4)

  • 1 small onion
  • 1 head of broccoli
  • 1/2 head of cabbage
  • 2 inches grated fresh ginger root
  • 2 inches grated fresh turmeric root
  • 1/2 block of tempeh
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 TBS liquid aminos (soy or coconut) or salt to taste
  • 2-3 TBS nutritional yeast
  • 2-3 cups cooked rice or quinoa

Steam saute the onion and cabbage first for a couple minutes (just add a little water to the bottom of the pan to lightly steam while you are cooking… this avoids needing to use oil). Then add broccoli (florets and stalk). Steam saute for another couple minutes and then add remaining vegetables: peas, corn, carrots… whatever you have on hand. Add the ginger, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and turmeric the last couple minutes of steam sauteing. Make sure to add more water if needed to make a nice broth to pour over cooked rice or quinoa.

Stuffed Squash with Confetti Quinoa and Lime Cream Sauce

Genevieve 2 Comments
Stuffed Squash

This is one of the dinners we made in the Creative Healthy Cooking Class last Fall… Still one of my favorites. So simple and so delicious!!!

Stuffed Squash with Confetti Quinoa and Lime Cream Sauce (serves 4)

  • 2 cooked delicata squash
  • Mexican Confetti Quinoa (see following recipe)
  • Hemp and Lime Cream Sauce (see below)

Cook two whole delicata squash in oven at 325° for 30-45 minutes. The squash is done when slightly soft to the touch. I prefer to keep them intact with seeds inside while cooking to maximize the moisture content. When done cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Then fill with confetti quinoa and pour over some hemp lime cream sauce. Can top with chopped tomatoes and cilantro as a beautiful garnish.

Mexican Confetti Quinoa (serves 4)

  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • ¼ small onion (chopped)
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 1 jalapeno pepper
  • ½ bunch kale (or other dark leafy greens)
  • juice of ½ lime
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2-3 cups cooked quinoa

Place garlic and onion in food processor and mince, then grate or mince up remaining herbs and vegetables until small pieces. The mix of veggies should be colorful like confetti… you can add whatever veggies you like, these are just some of my suggestions. Add chopped tomatoes and mix into cooked quinoa. Make the quinoa as you are prepping the veggies so it is still hot to mix in the veggies, lime juice, and salt. Then stuff squash with confetti quinoa.

My preference for squash is delicata since it is so sweet and makes nice sized portions… each person gets one half of the squash.

Hemp and Lime Cream Sauce (serves 4)

  • ½ cup raw hemp seeds (not necessary to soak)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • juice of ½ lime
  • 2-3 TBS nutritional yeast
  • water (approximately 1/2 cup)

Blend hempseeds*, salt, lime juice, and nutritional yeast, with enough water to make a creamy sauce. If you have added too much water, just increase the amount of nutritional yeast to thicken. Or conversely if the sauce is too thick just add a little more water until desired consistency.

*In place of hempseeds you can use raw sunflower seeds, cashews, or almonds… Any raw nuts you like, but it is helpful to soak them first.