Quinoa with Veggies

I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com.  Trevor, Levi, and I really liked it.  Calvin still doesn't like quinoa.  Anyone have any ideas on how to get a 2-year-old to like it? :0)

Quinoa with veggies

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup corn kernels
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 green onions, chopped

I also added:
1 zucchini, slice thin
3 carrots, peeled and sliced thin

1. (I rinse the quinoa first through a mesh strainer.)  Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes. Once done, set aside.  Note: I just cooked our quinoa in our rice cooker and it worked great.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook until the garlic softens and the aroma mellows, about 2 minutes. Add the red pepper, carrots, and corn; continue cooking until the pepper softens, about 5 minutes. Season with cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute more, then stir in the cooked quinoa and green onions. Serve hot or cold.

Nice simple recipe but tasted good!  This also seems like a pretty versatile recipe that can use any vegetables you like.

Stir-Fried Curried Tofu with Coconut Sauce

If you aren't a fan of tofu, you could probably use chicken.  We serve this over brown rice.

Sauce:
2/3 C. coconut milk
6 Tbsp. low-sodium vegetable broth (I just use water and add a little extra salt)
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Stir-Fry:
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, sliced thin
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
1 Tbsp. warm water
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 (14-oz) package firm or extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into small cubes
salt and pepper
1 large red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into small pieces (I use green pepper if the red are expensive)
2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
12 ounces snow peas, strings removed (I usually use 1 cup frozen peas because they are cheaper)

For the sauce: Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients.

For the stir-fry:  Combine the garlic, green onion, ginger, water, curry powder, and set aside.

Toss the tofu with salt and pepper to taste.  Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a skillet with the tofu on high heat and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned on several sides, about 4 minutes.  Transfer the tofu to a bowl.

Add the onions, carrots, and bell pepper to the skillet and heat over medium heat until they begin to soften.  Add the garlic mixture.  Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Return the tofu to the skillet.  Whisk the sauce to recombine, then add it to the skillet.  Toss until all the ingredients are well coated with the sauce.  Add the frozen peas and cook until heated through.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Homemade Refried Beans

I'm usually not a fan of canned refried beans, but these are really good when they are homemade!

3 (15.5 oz.) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I use dried beans)
1 C. water
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 C. minced fresh cilantro

Process the beans and water in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds.  Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion, jalapeno, and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.  Stir in the pureed beans and cook until the beans are thickened, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the cilantro.  Season with salt to taste.

Be sure to store them in an airtight container otherwise they will dry out.  You could probably just add some water, though, if they do dry out a little.