Oh. My. Gawd.
I just polished off two bowls of this stuff, and I would go back for more if it wasn't so heavy and rich. This soup is like an umami bomb in my mouth, creamy from the beans, crunchy from the escarole ribs, fragrant from the garlic, oregano and lemon, and deeply rich and salty from the anchovy. (That's right, this soup isn't vegetarian. I do allow myself the occasional pescetarian meal, because I just love seafood so much.)
This is adapted from Chef John's recipe. If you don't want to use anchovy, it'll be difficult to replace. You could leave it out and either use a higher sodium broth or add salt in the end; perhaps some chopped capers or a spoonful of miso would work; or if you don't have qualms about anchovies but just don't have any, some Worcester sauce may work. Escarole worked wonderfully in this dish, but I can imagine replacing it with basically any green: if using a hardier one like kale or collards, add much earlier.
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
4 cups low-sodium broth (I use vegetarian 'chicken' broth)
2 cans white cannellini beans, around 30 oz., drained but not rinsed
pinch chili flakes
1 anchovy fillet
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp dried oregano (or 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano)
1 head escarole (also known as curly endive)
Heat around 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat; add garlic. Swirl for around 20 seconds; add broth. Boil and let reduce by about half (I wasn't too concerned about the amount -- I don't even think I did that much, maybe a third). Add beans. When reduced to around when the beans a just below the surface, add the chill flakes, anchovy fillet (I broke it up a bit), lemon zest and oregano. While it's cooking some more, chop the escarole into strips, around 1/2 to 1 inch thick. Discard any ugly leaves. Rinse off the strips in cold water, drain and dry. Add the chopped escarole to the soup, lower heat to simmer, and stir until escarole is wilted, around a minute or less.
Season with fresh ground pepper in bowls. Serve with bread -- next time I'm going to make it thicker and top fresh polenta with it.
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Brown Lentil Soup
So, I was craving a simple red lentil soup. I've had a bad week and just wanted to throw some onions, garlic, spices and lentils in a pot, cover it with water, and come back half an hour later. Alas! The Metro doesn't carry red lentils. (Really. I'm actually quite surprised!) But they did have brown lentils... which I know take a bit longer to cook, and don't get quite as mushy as red lentils. And as many people close to me know, I like mushy foods: legumes, puddings, soft fruits, risotto, mashed potatoes... and would making a brown lentil soup be as satisfying for me? No way to know other than trying.
And I would say this is a success. After a few quick purées with my immersion blender, I had just enough mushy goodness to counterbalance the lentils that held their shape.
This is adapted from Dima Sharif's brown lentil soup.
BROWN LENTIL SOUP
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups water or broth
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 green cardamom pods
4-6 black peppercorns
3 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
salt and pepper to taste
chopped cilantro (optional: I didn't have any, but I'd imagine it would go very well)
Heat oil in a medium to large pot (enough for at least 8 cups). Sauté onions and garlic over medium-high until yellow, but not brown. Add washed lentils and stir to mix. Add water or broth; stir, scraping bottom. Add tea ball stuffed with cardamom, peppercorns and cloves; add cumin seeds (which don't need to go in tea ball), bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Heat until boiling; cover and simmer over low heat 45 minutes or until lentils are cooked to desired texture. Remove from heat; remove tea ball, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. With an immersion blender, give a few whirls to blend around a third of the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add cilantro. Yum.
This would go well with any sort of bread.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
French Green Soup
This is an adaptation of Laura Calder's green soup, as featured on "French Cooking at Home". It's an extremely versatile recipe: feel free to change it to your taste. I often use salad greens that are starting to go a bit wilty, but I've also successfully used dandelion greens, collard greens, baby and 'regular' spinach and even Boston lettuce. You really can't go overboard on the greens either, because they wilt down so much: of course, the taste will change depending on what you use, ranging from the slightly bitter to the downright sweet. The amounts of potato and peas are also flexible: you can even skip them entirely. If you use potato, make sure you cook it enough, as undercooked potato can be difficult to blend. Sometimes I've even added a splash of cream or a dollop of yogurt at the end to give it an extra-rich texture. I can also imagine tossing in some feta cheese, too. And which seasoning to use? Well, you don't have to use seasoning at all if you don't want to, but I'm a fan of fresh parsley in this. If I don't have that, I often use dried sage instead. Do you like mint? That would work very, very well, too! Once again -- experiment!
1 onion, minced (or if you have it, a chopped leek is even better)
2 tbsp olive oil or butter
~1 cup potato, chopped
1/2 cup to 1 cup frozen green peas
3-4 cups water or broth
Your choice: bunch of dandelion greens (parboiled, then soaked in cold water), baby spinach, Spring mix greens, any variety of lettuce
Seasoning of your choice: chopped fresh parsley, chopped fresh basil, 1 tsp dried sage, 1 tsp rosemary...
salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, minced (or if you have it, a chopped leek is even better)
2 tbsp olive oil or butter
~1 cup potato, chopped
1/2 cup to 1 cup frozen green peas
3-4 cups water or broth
Your choice: bunch of dandelion greens (parboiled, then soaked in cold water), baby spinach, Spring mix greens, any variety of lettuce
Seasoning of your choice: chopped fresh parsley, chopped fresh basil, 1 tsp dried sage, 1 tsp rosemary...
salt and pepper to taste
- Sauté the onion in olive oil or butter for a few minutes until golden in a medium or large soup pot.
- Add the potatoes and stir until well-coated. Add the water or broth; cover and bring to a boil.
- Cook potatoes until tender, at least 15 minutes.
- Add the peas, greens and seasoning; cook a few minutes more until the greens have wilted.
- Remove from heat; add dairy, if using; blend with an immersion blender, or carefully in a stand-up blender, until smooth.
- Add salt and pepper to taste; ladle into bowls and garnish with Romano cheese.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
10-minute Vegetable Miso Soup
(Originally posted on January 5, 2011 on Facebook)
This is my variation on miso soup, upgraded to meal-in-a-bowl status. It's cheap, quick and healthy.
If there's one thing I miss, it's the rich taste of chicken stock. Many vegetarian broths tend to rely on mushroom, cabbage and onion to kick up the umami, and those of you familiar with my tastes in food know that those are three flavours that I am not really a fan of. But there's another ingredient that is just loaded with glutamate: miso. If you've ever been to a Japanese restaurant, you've probably had the ubiquitous miso soup. But what many people don't realize is that it's not just miso and water that they serve to you, along with the few bits of tofu, green onion and seaweed floating around: the broth is dashi, a yummy combo of kelp and bonito. I don't know about you, but I don't have any kelp lying around, and I'm probably ruining miso soup for many of my non-pescatarian friends by pointing out that bonito is fish. Oops! So I don't have any dashi around, nor the resources to make it if I wanted to. But what I do have to kick up the umami factor in this simple soup are green tea and nori. That's right -- green tea. As for nori, it's the roasted seaweed that is used in sushi. I accidentally discovered that it's also great in soup: instant flavour with barely any steeping required. I also use ginger to add a pleasant kick, and although I don't always use it, celery is such a strong presence in classic vegetable broths that if I have time, I'll often boil sliced ginger along with celery for a good 10+ minutes to get it really peppery and fresh-tasting.
2 cups Water or Broth
2-3 cm Sliced Ginger
1-2 Stalks Thinly sliced Celery
1/3-1/2 Package Cubed Firm Tofu*
Green Tea
Vegetables that cook quickly: Leafy greens, frozen corn/peas, grated carrot, sprouts
1 Tbsp Miso (More or less depending on your tastes)
1/2 Sheet Nori (Roasted Seaweed)
Cooked Noodles or Rice
1. 1 cup of hot water into a pot. Crank up the heat.
2. Chop up a few slices of ginger and throw them in. Sometimes I also throw in a clove of garlic.
3. Rinse off a stalk or two of celery and thinly slice it. Toss into the pot.
4. As this begins to boil, turn on a kettle with some more water in it.
5. Open a package of tofu, cut off a third or half, cut into slices. Take some paper towels and pat (mostly) dry. Chop into cubes.
6. At this point, the water in the pot should be boiling. Throw in a green tea bag or a tea ball with loose leaf green tea. I leave it in for around 3-4 minutes.
7. Add in your tofu: I wait until after the green tea is steeped so the cubes can suck up that flavour, too, but I'm not sure if it actually makes a difference!
8. Prepare your vegetables and throw them in:
a) I like leafy greens. I just wash them off and roughly chop them up. Some of my favourites are (baby) bok choy, Swiss chard, and spinach. Even pre-washed salad greens work. Only takes a few minutes to cook.
b) Frozen peas, corn or other mix. To quickly defrost, get a colander, throw in around a cup of vegetables and rinse under hot water from the tap. You could also microwave them for around a minute with a splash of water, but I prefer the colander method. Also only takes a few minutes to cook.
c) If I can find them, pea sprouts are one of my favourite things in the world. Rinse them off and rip them in half if you desire. Often, I add them after the soup is done so that they remain raw.
d) Grated carrot. Only takes a few minutes to cook; raw, they're pleasantly crunchy.
e) Whatever else you want! Mushrooms, bean sprouts, onion...
9. The kettle should be boiling now. Scoop around a tablespoon of miso into your big glass measuring cup and pour in around 1 cup of water. Whisk with a fork, spoon, whisk, knife or spork until blended.
10. Take half a sheet of nori (roasted seaweed) and cut into small squares or strips with your kitchen scissors. Add to your diluted miso. (I do it this way because I'm trying to avoid having the nori shredded in the stock: it's perfectly fine taste-wise, but it makes the soup look, well, dirty.)
11. At this point, your vegetables are probably done. Turn down the heat, pick out the ginger (and garlic, if using) and pour in your miso mixture. Gently stir, bring it back to a boil, and you're done!
12. Spoon over cooked noodles or rice if you need some more grains for the day.
13. Freshly ground pepper is awesome. Sliced green onions are, of course, the classic garnish.
*I usually use firm tofu, but every so often I want the soft variety. If I do this, I try to keep the rest of the soup even more simple and only use the greens.
This is my variation on miso soup, upgraded to meal-in-a-bowl status. It's cheap, quick and healthy.
If there's one thing I miss, it's the rich taste of chicken stock. Many vegetarian broths tend to rely on mushroom, cabbage and onion to kick up the umami, and those of you familiar with my tastes in food know that those are three flavours that I am not really a fan of. But there's another ingredient that is just loaded with glutamate: miso. If you've ever been to a Japanese restaurant, you've probably had the ubiquitous miso soup. But what many people don't realize is that it's not just miso and water that they serve to you, along with the few bits of tofu, green onion and seaweed floating around: the broth is dashi, a yummy combo of kelp and bonito. I don't know about you, but I don't have any kelp lying around, and I'm probably ruining miso soup for many of my non-pescatarian friends by pointing out that bonito is fish. Oops! So I don't have any dashi around, nor the resources to make it if I wanted to. But what I do have to kick up the umami factor in this simple soup are green tea and nori. That's right -- green tea. As for nori, it's the roasted seaweed that is used in sushi. I accidentally discovered that it's also great in soup: instant flavour with barely any steeping required. I also use ginger to add a pleasant kick, and although I don't always use it, celery is such a strong presence in classic vegetable broths that if I have time, I'll often boil sliced ginger along with celery for a good 10+ minutes to get it really peppery and fresh-tasting.
2 cups Water or Broth
2-3 cm Sliced Ginger
1-2 Stalks Thinly sliced Celery
1/3-1/2 Package Cubed Firm Tofu*
Green Tea
Vegetables that cook quickly: Leafy greens, frozen corn/peas, grated carrot, sprouts
1 Tbsp Miso (More or less depending on your tastes)
1/2 Sheet Nori (Roasted Seaweed)
Cooked Noodles or Rice
1. 1 cup of hot water into a pot. Crank up the heat.
2. Chop up a few slices of ginger and throw them in. Sometimes I also throw in a clove of garlic.
3. Rinse off a stalk or two of celery and thinly slice it. Toss into the pot.
4. As this begins to boil, turn on a kettle with some more water in it.
5. Open a package of tofu, cut off a third or half, cut into slices. Take some paper towels and pat (mostly) dry. Chop into cubes.
6. At this point, the water in the pot should be boiling. Throw in a green tea bag or a tea ball with loose leaf green tea. I leave it in for around 3-4 minutes.
7. Add in your tofu: I wait until after the green tea is steeped so the cubes can suck up that flavour, too, but I'm not sure if it actually makes a difference!
8. Prepare your vegetables and throw them in:
a) I like leafy greens. I just wash them off and roughly chop them up. Some of my favourites are (baby) bok choy, Swiss chard, and spinach. Even pre-washed salad greens work. Only takes a few minutes to cook.
b) Frozen peas, corn or other mix. To quickly defrost, get a colander, throw in around a cup of vegetables and rinse under hot water from the tap. You could also microwave them for around a minute with a splash of water, but I prefer the colander method. Also only takes a few minutes to cook.
c) If I can find them, pea sprouts are one of my favourite things in the world. Rinse them off and rip them in half if you desire. Often, I add them after the soup is done so that they remain raw.
d) Grated carrot. Only takes a few minutes to cook; raw, they're pleasantly crunchy.
e) Whatever else you want! Mushrooms, bean sprouts, onion...
9. The kettle should be boiling now. Scoop around a tablespoon of miso into your big glass measuring cup and pour in around 1 cup of water. Whisk with a fork, spoon, whisk, knife or spork until blended.
10. Take half a sheet of nori (roasted seaweed) and cut into small squares or strips with your kitchen scissors. Add to your diluted miso. (I do it this way because I'm trying to avoid having the nori shredded in the stock: it's perfectly fine taste-wise, but it makes the soup look, well, dirty.)
11. At this point, your vegetables are probably done. Turn down the heat, pick out the ginger (and garlic, if using) and pour in your miso mixture. Gently stir, bring it back to a boil, and you're done!
12. Spoon over cooked noodles or rice if you need some more grains for the day.
13. Freshly ground pepper is awesome. Sliced green onions are, of course, the classic garnish.
*I usually use firm tofu, but every so often I want the soft variety. If I do this, I try to keep the rest of the soup even more simple and only use the greens.
Andrew's Cupboard
As a vegetarian, poor student and food lover, I've often had friends ask me for recipes and advice. What do I eat on a regular basis? What are my favourite things to eat? What's really quick, what's cheap?
So let's take a look at my cupboard and fridge. What do I always have on hand, or pick up when it's available?
TOFU: It's easy, cheap and healthy. When opening a package of it, cut up what you're going to use, wrap it in some paper towel and squeeze it to drain the water out of it. Take the leftovers, wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer: it changes the texture, making it more like chicken. Use it in stir-fries, soups, wraps, salads. Of course, there are different textures of tofu, but I more often than not go for the extra-firm. I'll only go for the medium variety to use in miso soup.
One of my favourite ways to prepare tofu is to slice it into cubes, drizzle with a neutral oil, a bit of sesame oil, (light) soy sauce and sometimes a dash of either cayenne or pimento paste. I then bake it at around 350 for anywhere from 10-30 minutes, depending on how dry I want it. This is great especially for my packed salads.
QUINOA: Quinoa is an inexpensive, quick-cooking grain that's also a complete protein. You can get it at any Bulk Barn. I sometimes just cook a big batch of plain quinoa and keep it in the fridge for breakfasts, topped with yogurt and fruit. [My favourite is chopped apples cooked on high for 10 minutes with a splash of water, spoonful of (brown) sugar and cinnamon/nutmeg.]
GREENS: I always, always have at least one variety of leafy green in my fridge, be it spinach, baby spinach, your standard spring mix, bok choy, Chinese lettuce, pea shoots, or...
KALE: You can get a huge head for around $2. This stuff is plentiful starting in the late fall and all throughout the winter. You can find it the rest of the year, but it's often more expensive and smaller. When preparing, make sure you cut out the tough rib. Kale takes a bit longer to cook than something like spinach: if your pan starts to get dry and the kale begins to burn, add a splash of water. It also doesn't shrink as much as the softer greens, so you'll probably want to cut it up into smaller shreds.
FROZEN PEAS: This seems like a no-brainer, but it's invaluable: a way for me to boost my veggie intake in virtually any meal. I simply rinse with hot water straight from the tap to defrost, and then throw it in to my soup, noodles, stir-fry or sauce. It also happens to be one of my favourite vegetables.
WHOLE GRAIN COUSCOUS: Boil some water. Add the couscous. Five minutes later, it's done. Keep it in the fridge to make salads for work.
TVP: Short for "textured vegetable protein", it's the stuff that they make fake ground beef or bacon bits out of. It's also stupidly cheap and easy to prepare. Making a tomato sauce? Throw in a handful of this near the end and you've got a 'meat' sauce that's basically indistinguishable from the real thing. I've freaked people out with this when serving it, convinced that I've served dead cow.
CANNED TOMATOES: I always have this in the cupboard, ready for a quick tomato sauce or to use in a variety of other recipes.
CANNED BEANS AND LENTILS: Yes, I could always go the dried route... but that means planning well ahead, having a big bowl taking up valuable refrigerator real estate, and then cooking it. No, thank you. Take a can of legumes, rinse it off, and toss it in. So much simpler! Just watch out for the sodium content, if you happened to be concerned about that.
NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER: After switching to the natural stuff, I can't eat your regular Kraft brand PB anymore: it's just so oily and reminiscent of icing sugar. Natural peanut butter needs to stay in the fridge and be stirred each time, but I think it's totally worth it: a standard breakfast or bedtime snack for me is toasted bread or English muffin (whole wheat, of course!) with some peanut butter and a small dab of jam, honey or even berries.
RICE: I love my rice maker. Throw in some rinsed brown, black or even white (the nutritional horror!) rice, add your water and a dash of salt, and walk away. This becomes the base for my stir-fries, stews and chilis, or becomes rejuvenated into some super-easy and quick fried rice.
NUTS AND SEEDS: I love the Bulk Barn. I always have at least one bag of nuts and/or seeds in my fridge, ready to be added to my salads and stir-fries. Sunflower seeds are one of my favourites, but I also tend to pick up almonds (super high in calcium!) quite a bit, too.
MISO: This is one of my absolute must-have ingredients, especially in the winter when it becomes my 10-minute miso noodle soup.
And of course, your basic MILK, EGGS, YOGURT and tonnes of FRUITS and VEGETABLES.
So how about a quick recipe? This is great the next day for lunch, too.
QUINOA, BEANS AND GREENS
In this very forgiving recipe, you can make an endless combination of variations: leave something out, replace some things, change the seasonings... doesn't matter! I don't always include the onion or garlic, especially if I'm feeling lazy.
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water/broth
1/2 to 1 onion, chopped finely (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1 can of beans, drained and rinsed (any kind: I like black beans for this)
few handfuls of greens, chopped (if using kale or collard greens, make sure to remove the rib)
salt, to taste
seasoning: chili powder; paprika and garlic; basil, oregano and Romano cheese
diced carrot, celery or other vegetables (optional)
Sauté the onion in olive oil until golden yellow, around 4-5 minutes; add garlic and cook another 30 seconds until aromatic. If using paprika, stir in now to quickly cook.
Add in the quinoa and stir until well coated. If adding carrot, celery or other hard vegetable, add this in. Pour in the water or broth, salt and seasonings. Stir until everything is incorporated.
Bring to a boil; cover and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
If using a softer green like spinach, you can stir it in at this point. Let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes. If using a heartier green like kale or collards, you may either want to: a) incorporate it half-way through cooking, or b) sauté it in a separate pan with a tiny bit of olive oil and add it at the very end.
Super-simple and stupidly healthy!
So let's take a look at my cupboard and fridge. What do I always have on hand, or pick up when it's available?
TOFU: It's easy, cheap and healthy. When opening a package of it, cut up what you're going to use, wrap it in some paper towel and squeeze it to drain the water out of it. Take the leftovers, wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer: it changes the texture, making it more like chicken. Use it in stir-fries, soups, wraps, salads. Of course, there are different textures of tofu, but I more often than not go for the extra-firm. I'll only go for the medium variety to use in miso soup.
One of my favourite ways to prepare tofu is to slice it into cubes, drizzle with a neutral oil, a bit of sesame oil, (light) soy sauce and sometimes a dash of either cayenne or pimento paste. I then bake it at around 350 for anywhere from 10-30 minutes, depending on how dry I want it. This is great especially for my packed salads.
QUINOA: Quinoa is an inexpensive, quick-cooking grain that's also a complete protein. You can get it at any Bulk Barn. I sometimes just cook a big batch of plain quinoa and keep it in the fridge for breakfasts, topped with yogurt and fruit. [My favourite is chopped apples cooked on high for 10 minutes with a splash of water, spoonful of (brown) sugar and cinnamon/nutmeg.]
GREENS: I always, always have at least one variety of leafy green in my fridge, be it spinach, baby spinach, your standard spring mix, bok choy, Chinese lettuce, pea shoots, or...
KALE: You can get a huge head for around $2. This stuff is plentiful starting in the late fall and all throughout the winter. You can find it the rest of the year, but it's often more expensive and smaller. When preparing, make sure you cut out the tough rib. Kale takes a bit longer to cook than something like spinach: if your pan starts to get dry and the kale begins to burn, add a splash of water. It also doesn't shrink as much as the softer greens, so you'll probably want to cut it up into smaller shreds.
FROZEN PEAS: This seems like a no-brainer, but it's invaluable: a way for me to boost my veggie intake in virtually any meal. I simply rinse with hot water straight from the tap to defrost, and then throw it in to my soup, noodles, stir-fry or sauce. It also happens to be one of my favourite vegetables.
WHOLE GRAIN COUSCOUS: Boil some water. Add the couscous. Five minutes later, it's done. Keep it in the fridge to make salads for work.
TVP: Short for "textured vegetable protein", it's the stuff that they make fake ground beef or bacon bits out of. It's also stupidly cheap and easy to prepare. Making a tomato sauce? Throw in a handful of this near the end and you've got a 'meat' sauce that's basically indistinguishable from the real thing. I've freaked people out with this when serving it, convinced that I've served dead cow.
CANNED TOMATOES: I always have this in the cupboard, ready for a quick tomato sauce or to use in a variety of other recipes.
CANNED BEANS AND LENTILS: Yes, I could always go the dried route... but that means planning well ahead, having a big bowl taking up valuable refrigerator real estate, and then cooking it. No, thank you. Take a can of legumes, rinse it off, and toss it in. So much simpler! Just watch out for the sodium content, if you happened to be concerned about that.
NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER: After switching to the natural stuff, I can't eat your regular Kraft brand PB anymore: it's just so oily and reminiscent of icing sugar. Natural peanut butter needs to stay in the fridge and be stirred each time, but I think it's totally worth it: a standard breakfast or bedtime snack for me is toasted bread or English muffin (whole wheat, of course!) with some peanut butter and a small dab of jam, honey or even berries.
RICE: I love my rice maker. Throw in some rinsed brown, black or even white (the nutritional horror!) rice, add your water and a dash of salt, and walk away. This becomes the base for my stir-fries, stews and chilis, or becomes rejuvenated into some super-easy and quick fried rice.
NUTS AND SEEDS: I love the Bulk Barn. I always have at least one bag of nuts and/or seeds in my fridge, ready to be added to my salads and stir-fries. Sunflower seeds are one of my favourites, but I also tend to pick up almonds (super high in calcium!) quite a bit, too.
MISO: This is one of my absolute must-have ingredients, especially in the winter when it becomes my 10-minute miso noodle soup.
And of course, your basic MILK, EGGS, YOGURT and tonnes of FRUITS and VEGETABLES.
So how about a quick recipe? This is great the next day for lunch, too.
QUINOA, BEANS AND GREENS
In this very forgiving recipe, you can make an endless combination of variations: leave something out, replace some things, change the seasonings... doesn't matter! I don't always include the onion or garlic, especially if I'm feeling lazy.
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water/broth
1/2 to 1 onion, chopped finely (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1 can of beans, drained and rinsed (any kind: I like black beans for this)
few handfuls of greens, chopped (if using kale or collard greens, make sure to remove the rib)
salt, to taste
seasoning: chili powder; paprika and garlic; basil, oregano and Romano cheese
diced carrot, celery or other vegetables (optional)
Sauté the onion in olive oil until golden yellow, around 4-5 minutes; add garlic and cook another 30 seconds until aromatic. If using paprika, stir in now to quickly cook.
Add in the quinoa and stir until well coated. If adding carrot, celery or other hard vegetable, add this in. Pour in the water or broth, salt and seasonings. Stir until everything is incorporated.
Bring to a boil; cover and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
If using a softer green like spinach, you can stir it in at this point. Let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes. If using a heartier green like kale or collards, you may either want to: a) incorporate it half-way through cooking, or b) sauté it in a separate pan with a tiny bit of olive oil and add it at the very end.
Super-simple and stupidly healthy!
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