Quinoa Vegetarian Stew

This stew makes a great one-dish meal. Quinoa is an Andean grain that has great nutritional value, with as much protein per serving as milk. Brazil nuts are high in selenium.

1 med potato

2 med carrots

2-3 celery stalks

10 brazil nuts

2 onions

1 tsp fennel seed

pinch cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

½ tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp chili powder

2 tbs olive oil

2 tomatoes

1 c dry quinoa

 

 

Cook quinoa according to package directions.

Cut Brazil nuts in half and cook under broiler until slightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Wash and chop potato, carrots, and celery into half inch pieces. Peel and chop onion into half inch pieces. Put olive oil in a pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add all spices and onion to the pan. Cook about 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add carrots, celery, and potato. Cook about ten minutes until potato is soft, reducing heat slightly. Slice tomato and add to pot. Add cooked quinoa to vegetables, stir, and serve.

Serves 6.

Molasses Ginger Cake

This is a delicious, high-iron snack. One tablespoon of molasses provides 20% RDA of iron.  For a great variation substitute raisins with dried unsweetened cranberries, or add 1/2 cup unsweetened grated coconut.

2 c cornucopia baking mix, (see below) may substitute with 2 c spelt flour, 1 tbs baking powder, 2 tsp baking soda

1 c spelt flour

¾ c raisins (soaked, see below)

2 tbs coconut oil or ghee

2 ½ tbs unsulphured blackstrap molasses

2 tbs tahini or cashew butter

1 egg

¾ c whole organic milk

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground coriander

About 1 tbs shaved ginger root (see below)

2 tbs maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350, and grease two eight inch round baking dishes with butter or coconut oil. Melt coconut oil under low heat. Mix molasses, tahini or cashew butter, syrup, egg, milk, and coconut oil. (all ingredients should be at room temperature, or coconut oil will solidify) sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Combine flour mixture with wet ingredients, mix until all the flour is incorporated, add in raisins and ginger. Bake about 40 minutes.

cornucopia baking mix (and lots of other delicious goodies!) available at: http://www.cornucopiabakingco.com/

shaved ginger: peel the skin off a piece of ginger with a carrot peeler, then shave into very thin slices on the side of a box grater or with the carrot peeler

soaked raisins: cover raisins with water and let them sit until they plump up, about 15 minutes