'The Vegetarian's Complete Quinoa Cookbook': Mairlyn Smith ...

Mairlyn Smith?s new cookbook is for ?vegetarian virgins or full-blown converts.? The Professional Home Economist (PHEc), teacher and actor jumped at the chance to put together ?The Vegetarian?s Complete Quinoa Cookbook? (Whitecap Books, 2012) when the former publisher of Whitecap Books proposed the idea. ?It was a brilliant idea because I know so many people that are eating quinoa but they?re not doing it right,? Smith says. ?There are a lot of quinoa books out there but they don?t address vegetarianism.?

Quinoa is of particular interest to vegetarians due to the fact that the seed and ?pseudo cereal? (not a grain but eaten and cooked like one) is a complete protein. However, Smith stresses that this does not mean that it?s a high source of protein. ?I have a lot of vegetarian friends and that?s all they?ve been eating since they discovered it,? Smith says. ?I?m like, ?You?re not getting enough protein!? You?ve got to either pair it up or mash it up or do something. But three grams of protein in half a cup is not a lot. It?s high quality, it?s just not high.?

The book includes more than 120 vegetarian recipes, each of which contains less than 500 calories. 58 home economists from the Ontario Home Economics Association, including Smith, contributed the recipes, which fall into eight chapters: Breakfast, Quickbreads and Yeast Breads, Soups, Salads, Side Dishes, Main Dishes, Baked Goodies and Desserts. Smith selected and tested all of the recipes in her Toronto kitchen with the help of Ryerson University students. ?For me, part of the book was mentoring too. Being a home economist is the coolest thing I do as far as my career is concerned and I wanted to pass that on to other kids,? Smith says. ?To get the students involved was a neat way for me to mentor them at the same time. It was very rewarding actually. There are several now that have made different career choices as a result of that so I?m like, ?Yay!??

Having students test the recipes also provided valuable insight into the different skill levels of home cooks. Feedback from less experienced testers meant that Smith could learn from their mistakes and tweak the recipes accordingly in order to make them fool-proof. There were casualties however ? one of her Calphalon pots barely survived the testing process. ?They burnt all my quinoa. They burnt it all and that?s why, in the Introduction of the book, there?s a thing on different size pots because it occurred to me that I would know what size pot to use but maybe someone else wouldn?t,? Smith says. ?I?d [use student testers] again in a minute. Maybe not in my house? I?m pretty sure not in my house,? she laughs.

One of Smith?s goals with the book was to showcase the versatility of quinoa. Many home cooks are comfortable using it in side dishes, salads, or as an accompaniment in place of rice or couscous, but less so in baking or desserts. For those new to baking with quinoa, Smith recommends trying cookies such as Gingersnaps or Quinoameal Raisin Cookies, or the Brownie Bites (recipe below) for instant results. She?s been on a quest to develop healthy two-bite brownies and her Triple-Chocolate Brownie Cookies from ?Healthy Starts Here? (Whitecap 2011) come pretty close. Smith admits she did feel a twinge of jealousy when she tested and tasted Wendi Hiebert?s Brownie Bites submission, ?My cookie is really good ? I?ll totally agree with you on that but she came up with this. It uses quinoa flour, natural cocoa powder, baking powder, eggs, sugar, oil and it?s GOOD!? Smith says. ?It rocked my world and I went, ?Shut up! I tried it like this!? but it might be the quinoa flour, I don?t know what did it. But it?s a great recipe.?

15 recipes in the book are gluten free, and many more could be made gluten free by using gluten-free versions of ingredients such as baking powder and soy sauce. Tips on gluten free are included in the Introduction and icons appear beside the relevant recipes. All recipes are also labelled by season or year-round, depending on the seasonality of ingredients, and include a full nutritional profile.

As with Smith?s previous four books, she endeavours to equip readers with the knowledge to make healthier food choices. ?I think if anything I?ve gotten softer as I?ve gotten older. I used to be very staunch and, ?You have to do it my way or you?re going to die.? But I think that a softer approach with a sense of humour and encouragement is a much better way to go about it,? she says. ?Do your best but you need to have some ground information before you can even attempt to do that, which is why I hope people read the Introduction. I hope that they learn something because it?s from a state of knowledge that you can make better decisions. That?s all you hope for, you know. Just try your best.?

Recipes

Excerpt from The Vegetarian?s Complete Quinoa Cookbook (Whitecap Books) edited by Mairlyn Smith

Warm Quinoa with Beets and Swiss Chard

Photo by Mike McColl from The Vegetarian?s Complete Quinoa Cookbook (Whitecap Books)

Year round | Joan Ttooulias, PHEc

This gorgeous dish is wonderful for an everyday side and will add a huge splash of colour and flavour to a buffet table.

Ingredients:

3 medium beets (about 12 oz/375 g), scrubbed well and trimmed
1 cup (250 mL) quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) vegetable broth
1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch Swiss chard, washed, stems removed and finely chopped
1 cup (250 mL) crumbled goat cheese

Dressing

2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp (30 mL) balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp (15 mL) red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp (15 mL) Dijon or grainy mustard
1/4 cup (60 mL) toasted pine nuts for garnish (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375?F (190?C). Wrap the beets loosely in foil. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the beets are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.

Once the beets are cooked, place the quinoa in a large saucepan, add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium?low and cook covered for 15 to 20 minutes. The quinoa is done when the grains are translucent and all the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork, remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 to 10 minutes.

When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and dice. Set aside.

Dressing

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, balsamic and red wine vinegars and the Dijon mustard.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and Swiss chard and saut? for 2 to 4 minutes, just until the Swiss chard wilts.

Remove from heat and add to the large bowl with the dressing. Toss to coat.

Add the cooked quinoa and beets, tossing mixture gently to coat all the ingredients.

To serve: Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese on top, garnish with pine nuts (if using) and serve immediately.

Makes 8 cups (2 L) ? One serving = 1 cup (250 mL)

Nutrition per serving
200 calories, 9 mg cholesterol, 3 g fibre, 4 g saturated fat, 20 g carbohydrates, 7 g protein, 11 g total fat, 255 mg sodium, 3 g sugars, excellent source of magnesium.

Moroccan Vegetable Stew

Photo by Mike McColl from The Vegetarian?s Complete Quinoa Cookbook (Whitecap Books)

Fall and winter | Laura Craig, PHEc

This hearty, family-friendly recipe?is it a soup or a stew??will tickle your taste buds. The sweetness from the dried apricots adds that Moroccan flavour, plus a hit of disease-lowering beta carotene. Factor in the amount of vegetables in every bite and this is a veggie winner.

Ingredients:

2 tsp (10 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2-inch (4 cm) piece peeled fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) curry powder
1 tsp (5mL) ground cinnamon
6 cups (1.5 L) vegetable broth
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) low-sodium chickpeas, well rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz/398 mL) diced tomatoes, no salt added
1/2 cup (125 mL) red quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 medium carrots, scrubbed well and cut into 1/4-inch (6 mm) slices
1/4 cup (60 mL) sliced dried apricots
2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and then cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) slices
1 cup (250 mL) kale, stems removed, leaves only, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 cup (250 mL) frozen peas, no need to thaw
1/2 cup (125 mL) whole almonds, coarsely chopped

Method:

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the oil, onion, ginger, garlic, curry powder and cinnamon. Saut? for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened.

Add the broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, quinoa, carrots and apricots. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

Add the zucchini and continue simmering covered for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the zucchini is soft but not mushy.

Add the kale and peas. heat until the kale has wilted and the peas are hot. Add the almonds and stir well.

To serve: Ladle the stew into soup bowls. Serve with a glass of milk or organic soy beverage to up the protein count.

Makes 10 to 12 cups (2.5 to 3L) ? One serving = 1 1/2cups (375 ml)

Nutrition per serving
237 calories, 0 mg cholesterol, 8 g fibre, 7 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 584 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrates, 11 g sugars, 10 g protein, excellent source of vitamin A.

Brownie Bites

Photo by Mike McColl from The Vegetarian?s Complete Quinoa Cookbook (Whitecap Books)

Year round | Wendi Hiebert, PHEc

What are brownies doing in the cookie section? These ones are small, bite-sized and loaded with the yum factor?everything a cookie should be. NOTE: For an extra-special treat, press a chocolate macaroon or mini Rolo chocolate treat into the centre of each Brownie Bite before baking. Calories? They go way up, but for a special treat, that?s okay, once in a while?

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (125 mL) quinoa flour
1/3 cup (80 mL) natural cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
2 omega-3 eggs
2/3 cup (160 mL) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (80 mL) canola oil
1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat the oven to 325?F (160?C). Lightly spray 24 mini muffin cups with canola oil.

In a small bowl, whisk together the quinoa flour, cocoa powder and baking powder until well mixed.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla until blended.

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, whisking until blended.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling each with about 1 Tbsp (15 mL) of batter. The cups should be about two?thirds full.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 13 to 15 minutes, until the brownies are slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted into one comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it. Don?t overbake.

Remove from the oven and let cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 minutes, then turn the pan over. After a minute or two, lift up the pan. Brownie Bites should have released from the pan onto the rack. Carefully turn each brownie over to finish cooling on rack.

To serve: For a simple yet delicious dessert, plate brownies and sprinkle with icing sugars and cocoa powder or serve on a puddle of raspberry coulis.

Make 24 mini muffin?size brownies ? One serving = 3 brownies

Nutrition per serving
202 calories, 48 mg cholesterol, 2 g fibre, 12 g total fat, 17 mg sodium, 17 g sugars, 0 g saturated fat, 24 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein

Note:
Natural cocoa powder contains higher levels of heart-healthy flavanols. Hershey?s natural and Ghiradelli natural are both available in Canada in larger grocery stores.

Source: http://o.canada.com/2012/11/16/the-vegetarians-complete-quinoa-cookbook-mairlyn-smith-shares-low-calorie-complete-protein-recipes/

chicago cubs split pea soup recipe the client list yahoo.com/mail baylor april 9 albatross