Dancing Down the Moon

Vegan MoFo Day 6: Broccoli Cashew Quinoa

Time for another recipe.  :)  This one's a main course, or a side dish depending on how many people you're serving.

Quinoa is my very favorite grain.  I'm not that fond of rice, though there are some recipes I adore it for; quinoa is adorable, loaded with protein and fiber, and cooks up quickly, three qualities that I like in a pantry staple.  Quinoa was so loved by the Inca that they dubbed it the "mother of all grains."  

Quinoa should be rinsed before cooking to remove the bitter saponins that might remain; usually the saponin is removed during processing, but better safe than sorry. 

Broccoli Cashew Quinoa

What You Need:

1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup frozen chopped onion
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup white wine
2 T lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces (I use about half a bag of frozen, or sometimes a mix of broccoli, bell peppers, and onions)
black pepper to taste
a handful of roasted cashew pieces
thinly sliced scallions (optional garnish)

Let's Get it On:

1. Saute the onion and garlic in the oil in a saucepan for 3 minutes.  Add the quinoa and stir a minute or two until the quinoa turns slightly golden brown.

2. Add the stock, wine, and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Stir in the salt. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 18-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the broccoli and simmer an additional 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat, toss until combined. Add pepper and additional salt to taste.

4. Top with cashews, and scallions if desired.

Makes enough for two people as a side dish, or one person with a bit left over as a main course.  Can be easily doubled or more.

If you don't have white wine, you can use 1 cup of vegetable broth, or half broth and half water. 

Vegan MoFo Day 2: Peachy Cobbleresque Cupcakes

This recipe originated with a combination of two recipes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and it wowed my covenmates when I first made it.  It's also one of the few recipes I've gotten a decent picture of.  Enjoy!

Peachy Cobbleresque Cupcakes

(makes 1 dozen - preheat oven to 350 degrees and drop paper liners into a muffin pan)

What You Need:

A:
1 c vanilla almond milk (soy milk would also work)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

B:
1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

C:
1 stick (1/2 cup) vegan margarine
3/4 cup granulated sugar

D:
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp almond extract

1/3 cup peach preserves

Glaze:

1/3 cup peach preserves
1 1/2 tsp Amaretto
1 1/2 tsp water

(If you don't want to use liquor, use a combination of 2 1/2 tsp water and 1/2 tsp almond extract.)

Sliced almonds for garnish


Let’s Get it On:

1. Combine (A) in a measuring cup and set aside to curdle.  (This combination makes a sort of "buttermilk" that helps leaven and tenderize the batter, so you don't need eggs.)

2. Sift (B) together and whisk until well combined.

3. Cream (C) in a large bowl with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in (D), then add (A) and (B), alternating wet-dry-wet-dry. Try not to overmix.

4. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. (I use an ice cream scoop, or "disher" in culinese, for easy portioning.)  Drop about 1 tsp of peach preserves onto each. Bake for 22 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool in the pan 5 minutes before removing to a rack to cool the rest of the way.

5. Once the cuppies are cool, make the glaze: combine glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Stir for one minute at a boil, then cut the heat off and stir for another minute.

6. Brush glaze over tops of cuppies, then sprinkle with almonds, pressing very gently to be sure the nuts stick. Leftover glaze is awfully tasty on toast or warmed and poured over vanilla ice cream.

I would imagine that you could use other types of preserves in this recipe--cherry would be good with the almond flavors.  The main recipe I started with used apricot, but I hate apricots and was craving peach cobbler something fierce.