Hello Alle Zusammen (all of you)!

Today’s invention is a really neat little trick, really! It’s a quick and dirty way of making quinoa risotto. Why quinoa? Well, to switch things up a little, of course! Quinoa also has an inherently nutty flavour, which can be interesting to those precious, little gluten-free tastebuds of yours!

The secret? Lentils. Cook the quinoa together with the lentils. They will essentially melt into your quinoa, giving your quinoa a thick and soupy texture.

Ingredients

•  2 cups quinoa
• 2 cups lentils (I use the red split ones, but you can also use beluga, brown, any kind you like, really)
• 2 bell peppers, ideally of different colours
• 150g of mushrooms (shitake is lovely for this recipe)
•  2-3 stalks of scallions (and a little extra for the plating)
• 1 medium leek
• 2-3 stalks of chopped kale or bokchoy (or any leafy green)
• 1 veggie stock cube (careful to get a gluten-free one!)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

1. Wash and soak the lentils for at least 2 hours. Drain.

2. In a medium pot, put the cups of lentils and quinoa together, along with the chopped leeks, chopped scallions and salt and pepper. You can add a veggie stock cube if you want the dish to be more flavourful. Add 3-4 cups of water and start cooking for approximately 10 minutes! Stir from time to time, especially closer to the end (when there is less water). The mixture will be heavy, so don’t turn the heat up too high.

3. When the dish is almost done, add in your chopped mushrooms, chopped kale/leafy green and chopped bell peppers, in that order. Mushrooms need to cook a little, so you can even add while the rice/lentil concoction is still cooking (depending on the type of mushroom you chose for the dish).

And you’re done! A delicious, one-pot meal that has essentially all the carbs, protein and veggies you need! Enjoy!

Peace,

Daisy

Hello Fellow Chefs and Chefs-in-Spirit!

Welcome to the second installation of my Cook-at-Home series! Today we’ll do Twirly Whirly Pasta two ways! I like to use pastas that are made from beans or lentils – an easy way to get one’s plant-based protein! You’ll want to experiment with different brands, though, because not all of the gluten-free ones (yes, make sure you get CERTIFIED gluten-free pasta) is also well textured. Some of them tend to be sticky or gummy or flaky. So if on the first try you don’t succeed, try another brand! And while you’re at it, choose brands that package responsibly (e.g. low in plastic), buy in bulk, or better yet… go to a Zero Waste store in your area!

Today’s recipes are going to be a) saucy, and b) not-so-saucy! Thankfully, the distinguishing ingredient is the pasta sauce that you’ll need for a). 🙂

Ingredients

• A good kind of spiral pasta (try the ones made from lentils or beans!) – 250g or so
• 1 large leek
• Sundried tomatoes – about 10 pieces
• Half a medium-sized broccoli (use the stems too!)
• 1 bottle of tomato sauce – 250g (or you can use tomato paste too!)
• 1 carrot, shredded
• Coriander and pine nuts for garnish

Method

1. Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add salt. Add pasta. Follow instructions for how long to cook (usually 8-10 minutes).

2. Drain, and set aside.

3. In the same pot, add a little olive oil and the leeks. Add salt directly to the leeks – bring out their flavour!

4. Now, add your veggies in the order of how long they take to cook. Start with the broccoli stems, and then the sundried tomatoes, broccoli heads, etc. The veggies suggested above are merely suggestions – use whatever you have on hand! I usually keep the carrots for last – add them in only after I have taken the dish off the stove. That’s more than enough heat for carrots – the crunch is worth skipping the fire for!

5. If you’re using sauce, add it now.

6. Then add your drained pasta.

7. Garnish for fresh, chopped coriander and pine nuts!

I love these singular pot nutritious meals! Bon appetit!

Peace,

Daisy