Simple Quinoa Pizza Crust

If you're looking for a gluten-free alternative, here's one that looks easy and delicious!


Ingredients:
1 c quinoa plus enough water to cover for soaking
1/4 c grapeseed oil or olive oil
about 1/2 c filtered water
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t Italian seasoning

Place the quinoa in a bowl and pour in enough water to cover the quinoa. Let it sit for about 8 hours to soak (I do this in the morning before I head to work, and then it’s ready when I get home).

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Use a large, 12-inch cast iron skillet, and brush with oil. Place in oven to preheat.

Drain the quinoa, rinse thoroughly, and place the quinoa in a blender. Add most of the water and the seasonings and blend. Add more water as needed, until the batter resembles a thick pancake-style batter.

Once the oven is heated to temperature, pour the batter into the skillet and quickly spread it out evenly across the bottom. Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the underside is well-browned and starting to crisp. Use a large spatula and carefully flip the crust. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, and top with desired toppings. (In the picture above, I used a homemade tomato-based pizza sauce, a bit of nacho cheese sauce from Go Dairy Free, sauteed crimini mushrooms, onions, a bit of organic pork sausage, and radish greens.) As with any pizza, be careful not to overload on toppings or the crust will get a bit soggy. Return to oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the crust is well-browned on the bottom and crisp. Remove from the skillet and transfer to a cutting board or plate. Slice and serve!

Makes one pizza – 2-4 servings, depending on how hungry your crowd is and whether a salad or other dish is served with the pizza.

Pomegranate Beef Crockpot Recipe

Recommended by my sister as being very easy and delicious!

Pomegranate Beef Crockpot Recipe

The Ingredients:
serves 8

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 pounds beef roast (I used a chuck roast)
4 garlic cloves (whole is fine, or you can chop them)
1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup golden raisins

The Directions:

Use at least a 6-quart slow cooker. Swirl the olive oil into the bottom of the stoneware. Add the onion. Rub the spices on all sides of meat and add to the stoneware with the garlic, the whole can of tomatoes, pomegranate juice, vinegar, and syrup. Sprinkle the raisins on top.

Cover and cook on low fir 8 hours, or on high for about 5. The meat is done when it has reached desired tenderness. Serve with mashed potatoes, and drizzle with the sauce.

Bobotie

This would be a hot contender for South Africa's national dish! Recommended by Veronique from Epicurious.

Bobotie

Ingredients

• minced lamb or beef, or a mixture of the two (can substitute chicken or tofu)
• butter, vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 ml (1/2 teaspoon) crushed garlic
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) curry powder
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon) ground turmeric
• 2 slices bread, crumbled
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) milk
• finely grated rind and juice of 1/2 small lemon
• 1 egg
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt, milled black pepper
• 100 g (3 ounces) dried apricots, chopped
• 1 Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and chopped
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) sultanas (golden raisins)
• 50 g (1 1/2 ounces) slivered almonds, roasted in a dry frying pan
• 6 lemon, orange, or bay leaves

TOPPING

• 250 ml (1 cup) milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 ml (1/2 teaspoon) salt

Set the oven at 160°C (325°F). Butter a large casserole. Heat butter and oil in a saucepan and fry the onion and garlic until translucent. Stir in the curry powder and turmeric, and cook briefly until fragrant. Remove the pot from the heat.

Mix in the minced meat. Mix together the crumbs, milk, lemon rind and juice, egg, salt, pepper, apricots, apple, sultanas (golden raisins) and almonds and mix in. Pile into the casserole and level the top. Roll up the leaves and bury them at regular intervals. Seal with foil and bake for 1 1/4 hours. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F). Mix together the topping milk, eggs and salt (you may require extra topping if you've used a very large casserole), pour over and bake uncovered for a further 15 minutes until cooked and lightly browned. Serve with Yellow Rice and Blatjang .

My sis found this recipe, and it's one of our go-to brunch recipes. SO delicious! You can use fresh salmon or canned salmon as well. Tuna works in a pinch. Mushrooms are also good if you are vegetarian, but I would saute them first!

Smoked Salmon Breakfast Bake

Ingredients
1 pkg (10 oz) fresh spinach
3 oz smoked salmon, julienned **
1 green onion, chopped
1 pkg (125 g) cream cheese, cubed
1 1/2 cups shredded Jarlsberg cheese
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp butter, melted & cooled
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp each salt and hot pepper sauce

Directions

1. Trim spinach and rinse under water; shake off excess. In saucepan, cook spinach, covered, over medium-high heat with just the water clinging to leaves, for about 5 minutes or just until wilted. Drain well and squeeze dry; let cool and shred

2. Spread spinach in greased 8-inch square glass baking dish. Evenly scatter salmon, onion, cream cheese and Jarlsberg cheese over top. (Make ahead; Cover and refrigerate up to 12 hours; bake 5 minutes longer)
3. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, salt and hot pepper sauce until smooth; pour over salmon mixture. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes or until golden and set in centre. Makes 6 servings.

**(can use smoked trout, smoked turkey, ham, etc.)

Cranberry Salsa

Delicious over goat cheese or cream cheese with crackers, and also on top of fish!



Cranberry Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) bag cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, cut into 3 inch lengths
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 limes, juiced
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 pinch salt

Directions

1. Combine cranberries, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a medium blade. Chop to medium consistency. Refrigerate if not using immediately. Serve at room temperature.

Quinoa Maki With Avocado and Cajun Portobello Fillets

Quinoa Maki with Avocado and Cajun Portobello Fillets

From Tal Ronnen: the Conscious Cook

Recommended by Veronique! 

Recipe

This is a different take on sushi. The blackened mushroom is crispy and spicy, and the avocado offers a nice cooling contrast. Instead of white rice, which isn’t very nutritious, I use quinoa. It has a lot of protein and a great toothsome texture.

Yield : Makes 4 entree servings or 8 appetizer servings

 

Prep Time : 15 minutes, not including quinoa cooking and cooling

Ingredients

For the Quinoa Maki:

• 2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (Thai chile sauce)
• 1 cup quinoa, cooked in water according to package directions and cooled to room temperature
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 5 or 6 nori sheets
• 1 avocado, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
• 2 Cajun portobello fillets, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices (see recipe below)
• 2 scallions, chopped
• Soy sauce

For the Cajun Portobello Fillets:

• Sea salt
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 to 3 tablespoons low-salt Cajun seasoning
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 4 large portobello mushrooms, stemmed, gills removed, cut on the bias into ¼-inch slices

Directions

To Make the Mushrooms:

1. Place a large pot over medium heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 1 minute, being careful not to let it smoke. This will create a nonstick effect.

2. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Add 1 tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning, along with the wine, vinegar, and 1 cup water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Pour the mushrooms and liquid into a shallow container, cover, and set aside to marinate for 1 hour.

4. Remove the mushrooms from the marinade and press between paper towels or in a cotton dish towel to remove the excess marinade, then sprinkle with the remaining Cajun seasoning, pressing the seasoning into both sides of the mushroom slices. Discard the marinade.

5. In a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, cook the mushrooms in a single layer (you may have to do this in two batches) until blackened, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate.

To Assemble the Maki:

6. In a small bowl, mix together the vegan mayonnaise and sambal oelek. Set aside.

7. In a medium bowl, stir together the quinoa, vinegar, and sugar. Spread a thin layer of the mixture on a sheet of nori, covering the sheet except for a 1-inch space along the far edge of the sheet. On the full length of the near end of the nori sheet, place single strips of avocado and portobello, a sprinkle of scallions, and small dollops of the sambal mixture.

8 Moisten the clean edge of the nori sheet with a bit of water. Beginning at the filled end, roll up the nori sheet very tightly (you may want to use a sushi mat). Press firmly when you get to the moistened edge to seal the roll. Repeat with the remaining nori and filling, Cut each roll into 6 pieces. Serve with soy sauce for dipping.

This recipe is from the Rebar cookbook and it is just amazing. It also makes A LOT. 

African Yam and Peanut Soup

Ingredients

• 8 C veggie stock
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 6 T minced ginger
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 T cumin
• 2 T coriander
• 1/2 t cayenne
• 1 t paprika
• 1 red bell pepper
• 4 chopped yams
• 1 can pineapple, with juice
• 3 chopped tomatoes
• 5 T peanut butter
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 2 limes' juice
• hot sauce (we use sriracha hot chili sauce, available in chinese and indian grocery stores)

Instructions

1. Warm the stock
2. Sautee the onion and some salt, until translucent
3. Add garlic, ginger, and spices, and sautee until soft
4. Add red pepper, yams, and more sal until things start to stick.
5. Add enough stock to cover, boil, and simmer until the yams are soft.
6. Add the pineapple with the juice, tomatoes, PB, and the rest of the stock and simmer for 30 minutes
7. Puree until smooth.
8. Simmer for another 10 minutes
9. Add cilantro, lime juice and hot sauce to taste before serving.