Quinoa Bowl with Veggies and Yuzu Vinaigrette

Quinoa is a "superfood", high in protein, fiber and minerals. It does not contain any gluten and it is not a cereal grain. Quinoa was an important grain for the Inca Empire, referred to by them as "the mother of all grains". It has been eaten for centuries in South America, but only became trendy and reached "superfood" status in the rest of the world a few years ago.

Quinoa is cooked in just 15 minutes. It has a subtle nutty taste that goes well with all kinds of ingredients. Make sure you rinse quinoa well before cooking to remove a bitter coating that grows with quinoa.

This quinoa bowl I made today is served warm with an olive oil and yuzu vinaigrette. It is really easy to make and you will have it ready in about 20-25 minutes. You can add a poached egg if you don't want to go completely vegan.

Yuzu is an aromatic citrus fruit originating in East Asia. Its flavor is tart and very refreshing, having elements of other citrus fruits like grapefruit and mandarin. You will not forget its flavor! Yuzu's juice and peel are widely used in Japanese cuisine, from cocktails to savory dishes and desserts.

Though really hard to find, fresh yuzu is available in season, from September into January, in specialty stores. Yuzu products can be found year round. I usually buy yuzu juice from amazon.com and keep it in the fridge for sauces and vinaigrettes. Yuzu marmalade is also great!

QUINOA BOWL WITH VEGGIES AND YUZU VINAIGRETTE

Serves 4

1 and 1/2 cup quinoa (rinsed)

1 and 1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1lb cremini mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)

1/2 lb baby spinach

1 lb brocoletti (washed and thinly sliced)

For the vinaigrette:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons juzu juice

crushed red peppercorns

zest of one lemon

salt to taste

Start by cooking the quinoa: In a medium saucepan put the quinoa and water and bring to a boil; cover and simmer for 15 minutes; remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes before uncovering. Fluff with a fork and reserve.

Stir fry the veggies: Heat a deep skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mushrooms and cook until tender and slightly browned (about 2 and 1/2 minutes). Transfer mushrooms to a plate and reserve. Add one tablespoon of olive oil, spinach and brocoletti and cook over medium heat until tender (about 3 minutes). 

Transfer mushrooms and quinoa to the skillet and mix well with spinach and brocoletti.

Prepare the vinaigrette:Add olive oil, juzu juice, red peppercorns, lemon zest and salt to a small glass jar, cover with lid and shake vigorously. 

Add vinaigrette to quinoa and veggies away from heat and mix well. 

Serve warm and enjoy!

Close lid and shake well

Emulsified vinaigrette

Cardoon in Marcona Almond Sauce

The cardoon is a thistle-like plant in the same family as the artichoke. It is a flowering plant characterized by leaves with sharp prickles all over. Cardoon is native to the Mediterranean countries where it has been cultivated since ancient times. It is considered by some an invasive weed and by others a culinary delight!

Cardoons are only edible when cooked. I like to boil them for 20 minutes before pairing them with the right sauce.

In Spain and Portugal the flower buds are used in cheese making: the pistils are used as a vegetable rennet in the making of some cheeses like the Torta del Casar.

Because of their seasonality, usually harvested from November to February, cardoons are a staple of the Christmas dinner in Spain and Italy.

It is not easy to find cardoon nowadays, that is why every time I see cardoons in the store I buy them. If you love vegetables it is really worth it to try. Its unique flavor and texture pairs really well with shrimp and clams. Today I am making the vegetarian version with Marcona almonds, the gourmet almond from Spain.

CARDOON IN MARCONA ALMOND SAUCE

Serves 4

2 medium cardoon bunches
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup marcona almonds
1/2 cup parsley
1 shallot (minced)
2 garlic cloves (skin-on)
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

Peel and cut the cardoons: Using disposable gloves, trim off any leaves or thorns and peel the stalks with a vegetable peeler to remove fibers. Because cardoons will discolor when cut, place cut pieces in cold water with a splash of lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. Cut the cardoons in half lengthwise and then cut them in 2-inch pieces crosswise.

Boil the cardoon: Fill a large pan with water and bring to a boil. Add salt and cardoon. Boil over medium heat until tender (about 20 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of cooking water. Drain, do not rinse and reserve.

Prepare the sauce: Heat a deep sauté pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic cloves and shallots. Cook for 2 minutes.
In a mortar and pestle add garlic cloves (peeled), almonds and parsley. Crush and grind into a fine paste. Transfer almond paste to sauté pan and cook over medium-low heat stirring often for 3-4 minutes. Add flour and cook 1 more minute. Add 3/4 cup of reserved cooking water and cook for 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble: Add cooked cardoon to almond sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Enjoy!

Soba Noodles with Spring Vegetables and Teriyaki Sauce

Soba noodles are made of buckwheat flour and can be prepared in various hot and cold dishes. Soba dishes are very popular in Japan, available from specialty restaurants to fast food places at railway stations. Soba noodles are available in dried form in U.S. supermarkets.

Contrary to its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat, nor it is a cereal grain. It is a fruit seed related to rhubarb and sorrel, making it a suitable substitute for grains for people who are sensitive to wheat or other grains that contain protein glutens. Therefore, it is both gluten-free and grain-free! Always check the packaging on soba noodles to make sure no other flours are added if you follow a 100% gluten or grain free diet.

Since spring is finally here, I prepared this dish with spring veggies and then added a homemade teriyaki sauce. This dish is extremely easy to make and will be ready in 20 minutes or less. Your homemade teriyaki sauce will take a little longer to cook, but you can make it ahead and refrigerate until ready to use.

SOBA NOODLES WITH SPRING VEGETABLES AND TERIYAKI SAUCE

Serves 4

For noodles with veggies:  1 tablespoon canola oil
2 garlic cloves (peeled and sliced)
5 slices fresh ginger
1 bunch green asparagus (washed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
2 bunches scallions (washed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
1/2 cup peas
8 oz. soba noodles

For teriyaki sauce:
1 cup mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce

Cook noodles in a pot of salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and  rinse noodles under cold water. Drain well.

Heat a deep sauté pan or wok over high heat and add canola oil, ginger and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until garlic is golden brown; remove using a slotted spoon; reserve garlic and discard ginger.

Add asparagus, scallions and peas and cook over medium-high heat until tender (about 4 minutes). Season to taste with salt.

Add cooked noodles and toss to combine. Transfer to a bowl and add teriyaki sauce.

For the teriyaki sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan, bring to a boil and gently simmer, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened (about 40 minutes). Let cool.

Enjoy!!

Creamy Sunchoke Soup

We still have time for one more soup before the weather gets better in Chicago!

Sunchokes, also known as Jerusalem Artichokes, are neither an artichoke nor do they come from Jerusalem. They are a species of sunflower native to North America. Jerusalem artichokes were first cultivated by Native Americans before the arrival of the Europeans.
The flower of the sunchoke plant is yellow and the tubers (edible part of the plant) is elongated an uneven.
The flavor of sunchokes resembles the artichoke and cardoon, sweet and nutty. It is now one of my favorite veggies for its versatility and delicate flavor. You can roast, boil, sauté them or simply slice and eat raw. Also, they have many health benefits and are recommended as a potato substitute for diabetics.

Try this soup, I promise you will not regret it and will add it to your easy-to-make delicious
soups!

CREAMY SUNCHOKE SOUP

Serves 4

1 lb Sunchokes (peeled and cubed)
1 sunchoke (to garnish) (peeled and sliced)
1 large shallot (chopped)
1 yukon gold potato (peeled and cubed)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
3 cups of vegetable stock
red pepper

Heat butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add shallots. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add sunchokes and potatoes. Cook for 2 minutes and add vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and cook covered over low heat for 30 minutes.
Transfer to blender, season with salt and blend until creamy.

Serve warm in individual bowls and garnish with freshly ground red pepper and fried sunchokes.
To fry sunchokes, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Add thinly sliced sunchokes and cook over medium heat until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel and season with salt.

Enjoy!

Tomatillo-Chilpotle Salsa

I usually make this sauce when making Tacos con Carne Asada. You can also make it as a dipping sauce for tortilla chips (see photo below). It can also accompany any grilled meat or chicken, veggies, potatoes, etc... As you see it has many uses!

This sauce has a smoky and spicy flavor from the chilpotle pepper that combines perfectly with your tacos. Chilpotle or, more widely known in the US as chipotle, is a smoked jalapeño used in Mexican cooking. You can find it dried, powdered or canned. I am using the canned version for this recipe, which you can usually find in the international section of your grocery store.

Tomatillo is a fruit that resembles a green tomato. It grows in a paper-like husk that has to be removed before cooking. Tomatillos are a staple of Mexican cooking and you can easily find them in US supermarkets.

Tips: The spiciness in this sauce comes from the chilpotle. If you don't like your sauce spicy, you should remove all the seeds from the jalapeños and skip the chilpotle.

TOMATILLO-CHILPOTLE SALSA

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1lb tomatillos (husks removed, rinsed and quartered)

1 medium tomato (quartered)

1 red onion (quartered)

2 jalapeños (seeds removed and cut in half lengthwise)

2 garlic cloves (peeled)

1-2 canned chilpotle peppers

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped)

salt

Preheat broiler to high. Place tomatillos, tomato, onion, jalapeños and garlic on a baking pan, add the olive oil and mix well.  Place the baking pan in the oven on the top rack and cook until tender and slightly charred (about 25 minutes), turning the vegetables occasionally.

Ready to go in the oven

Vegetables are tender and slightly charred

Place the vegetables in a blender and pulse a few times until roughly blended. Stir in the cilantro and pulse again. Season with salt to taste.

Place salsa in an oven safe dish and bake at 450ºF with goat cheese for 10 minutes. Serve as an appetizer with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Colorful Winter Citrus Salad with Walnuts

Did you know that citrus are at their peak season? If you want to find the juiciest, sweetest, most flavorful citrus now is that time of the year. Gather all the different citrus you can find at your grocery store: blood oranges, tangelos, clementines, pink and white grapefruit, ugli fruit, cara cara oranges, regular oranges, kumquats, etc... They all have different flavors and colors, perfect to make a seasonal citrus salad topped with the peels from all of them and some more. I like to add the peel of limes and lemons to give it even more color.

You will have a very colorful, healthy (lots of Vitamin C), gluten-free, vegan and tasty dessert in 20 minutes.

COLORFUL WINTER CITRUS SALAD WITH WALNUTS

Serves 4

1 orange
1 cara cara orange
1 blood orange
1/2 pink grapefruit
1/2 white grapefruit
1 mineola tangelo
1 ugli fruit
3 clementines
8 kumquats

peel of 1 orange
peel of 1/2 pink grapefruit
peel of 1/2 lemon
peel of 1 lime

1 cup of water
1/2 cup of sugar
2 oz Grand Marnier (optional)

1/4 cup of walnuts

Start by zesting the citrus: using a vegetable peeler or knife remove the top layer of the orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime making sure not to remove the pith. Use a sharp knife to slice finely the peeled pieces.

Make the syrup: In a small pan put the water, sugar and sliced citrus peels. Bring to a boil and cook covered at low heat until the peels are soft, about 15 minutes. Add the Grand Marnier and cook at medium-high heat for another 1 or 2 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

Prepare the citrus: Peel and slice all your citrus and assemble in a large serving platter. Add citrus peels and syrup. Top with walnuts or your favorite nut.

Enjoy!

Red Quinoa Salad with Mango, Avocado, Lemongrass and Herbs

Today I am making a very fancy salad, yet very easy to make. I went to Singapore a few years ago and signed up for a cooking lesson at a traditional Kampong House in the remote island of Palau Ubin. It was a very unique experience! First we went searching for different herbs, roots and plants that were scattered around the rainforest, then we minced everything finely and mixed it with long grain white rice; we also made sambal (a sauce made with chili peppers) and had it on the side.

I adapted this recipe to the ingredients I could find back home in Chicago and substituted white rice for red quinoa. I also added a vinaigrette since I was not making sambal.  You will have a great salad as long as you use all the herbs, roots and plants you can find in your grocery store, the more you put into your salad, the better it will be. You can add or substitute anything; you can use brown rice, white rice, quinoa, farro, beans...

Since it is still winter, I like to add a warm ingredient to the salad. In this case, I am cooking the quinoa and when it is still warm I am adding all the ingredients.

You can make this salad when you have guests and it will look amazing and very original if you place it on a banana leave.

RED QUINOA SALAD WITH MANGO, AVOCADO, LEMONGRASS AND HERBS

Serves 4

1 and 1/2 cups of red quinoa
1 and 1/2 cups of water
1 avocado (small cubes for salad and slices to decorate)
1 mango (small cubes for salad and slices to decorate)
2 tablespoons of minced fresh turmeric
2 tablespoons of minced lemongrass
2 tablespoons of minced parsley
2 tablespoons of minced mint
2 tablespoons of minced chives
2 tablespoons of minced marjoram
1 cup of micro green kale
4 kumquats

For the vinaigrette

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
zest of one lime
juice of one lime
salt and pepper

In a medium saucepan put the quinoa and water and bring to a boil; cover and simmer for 15 minutes; remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before uncovering. Remove with a fork and transfer to a bowl.

Add the cubed avocados, cubed mangos, turmeric, lemongrass, parsley, mint, chives and marjoram.

Add vinaigrette and mix well. Transfer to a serving plate, bowl or banana leave and decorate with sliced mango, avocado, kumquats and micro green kale.

Enjoy!!

Add all the herbs, roots and plants you can find and mince them finely

Presentation in a bowl

Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Creme Fraiche

This is my absolute favorite winter soup! The squash gives it a sweet taste and the honeycrisp apple a tangy flavor, which makes the perfect combination. In my family we start eating this soup on Thanksgiving Day and have it until the end of winter.  I know it takes a while to peel and cube the squash, but if you don't have the time to do it, you can buy the pre-peeled and pre-cubed butternut squash, which you can easily find at any grocery store during this time of the year.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS AND CREME FRAICHE

Serves 4

1 medium size butternut squash
1 leek (washed and chopped) (discard green part)
1 honeycrisp apple (peeled and chopped)
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
3 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons of creme fraiche
salt and pepper

Cut the butternut squash in half; peel it, remove the seeds and chop it in cubes.

Heat a large saucepan, add the olive oil and the leeks, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the squash and apple and cook at medium heat for about 4 minutes. Add the vegetable or chicken stock and simmer covered for about 45 minutes or until the squash is very soft. Season with salt and pepper.

Working in batches puree soup in blender. Transfer to serving bowl and decorate with freshly ground black pepper, toasted pumpkin sees and dollop of creme fraiche.

Enjoy!!

Always use fresh and healthy ingredients

Cubed squash

Discard green part of leek

Chopped leek

Honeycrisp Apple Compote

I usually make apple compote every week during fall when honeycrisp apples are in season. However, since this year I can still get honeycrisp apples at Whole Foods Market this late in the season, I still make compote in January...that is how much we like honeycrisp apple compote at home!
You can make a large batch of apple compote and you will have a healthy breakfast for the entire week. You can also have it as a dessert or even as a snack.
You can add more or less sugar depending on how sweet you like it.

Tips: You can use any type of apple, but depending on the variety the cooking time would be different. For best results use firm apples.
You can also add any dried fruit like cranberries, blueberries, cherries, etc... and if you like it you can cook it with a stick of cinnamon.

Honeycrisp Apple Compote:

8 honeycrisp apples (peeled, cored and cut in eights)
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup of dried prunes
1/2 cup of dried apricots
3 cups of water
1 stick of cinnamon (optional)

Peel, core and cut the apples in eight thick slices. With a potato peeler cut the zest of the lemon without the white pith. Put the apples, lemon zest, brown sugar, prunes, apricots and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cook covered for 18 minutes. Let cool down and transfer to a glass container or serving bowl. Ready to eat! Enjoy cold or room temperature!

Honeycrisp apples are in season in late September through October

Cut the apples in eight sections

All the ingredients are ready to cook!

You will have compote for the entire week!

Store the compote in a glass jar

Put a nice label and a bow and give it to someone you love!