Nik's Stuffed Zucchini

Quinoa & Tilapia Stuffed Zucchini

So I think I should stop calling Meatless Friday, Meatless Friday. It’s sort of misleading. More than once I’ve been told if I eat fish it’s not a true Meatless Friday and, thinking about it, that’s kind of right. I think it’s much more a function of my Catholic grandpa’s conception of “meatless” that I ever came to think of fish as part of Meatless Friday.

All that is to say I’m going to try going forward to only use the term “meatless” for true vegetarian meals and mark my Lent meals as such. Cool? Groovy!

That being said, about 10 p.m. last night I remembered today was a “Lenten Friday” and, as such, I was abstaining from chicken, beef, pork, etc. I eat fish, seafood, veggies, whole grains and dairy on those days.

Now I could have gone out to lunch today. Lord knows there are TONS of meatless (and Lent) options. BUT. I am trying to stick to my budget better so I decided to whip something up. (Yes, at 10 p.m. last night!)

My mind immediately went to this dish I had at a Greek restaurant called Ikaros in North East Baltimore. Baltimore is known for having very rich, cultural neighborhood traditions. This part of Baltimore is informally known as “Greek Town” and there are some great restaurants with excellent food!

The original dish I had was called named (wait for it…) Stuffed Zucchini Squash! (There was a name in Greek which I could probably attempt since Greek is similar to Russian and, fun fact, Nik can READ – not always understand – perfect Russian and the alphabets are similar BUT…I respect my Greek brothers and sisters way too much to try. K? Moving on.) It had ground beef, Greek spices and rice and the zucchini was HUGE. It was a few meals for even me!

In this instance I decided to replicate the spirit of the dish so much as imitate it. Mine isn’t Greek. It doesn’t subscribe to any particular tradition, although if I were pinned down I would probably (and inaccurately) say it’s more French provincial. But enough of my imagination. Let’s get to the dish!

Nik’s Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini (mine was about 7 inches)
• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. chopped red bell pepper
• 2 tbsp. chopped green pepper
• 2 tbsp. diced onion
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• Salt, pepper, your favorite spices (I used Herbs de Provence, but you can also use Greek seasoning or any other seasoning you like)
• 2 tbsp. quinoa (I used red quinoa – tastes the same to me)
• 2/3 c. water
• 4 oz. tilapia filet (or other white fish filet of your choice)

Sauce ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. soy flour
• ¾ c. milk (I used skim)
• 1 tsp. garlic
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. goat cheese (or other sharp cheese of your liking)
• Salt and pepper, to taste 

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cut off stem and base of zucchini, then cut in half length-wise. Use a knife to score a ¼ inch channel down the middle of the zucchini then scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Set on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.

Put a dry skillet over medium heat and let it get hot. Add oil.

Add all vegetables and saute for two minutes or until softened. Add garlic and spices, stir and cook an additional minute.

Add quinoa and stir through the vegetable mixture before adding water. Top with fish and cover the skillet.

Cook about 12-15 minutes or until fish is done and white rings have popped out of the quinoa, signaling it is done. You want to cook your quinoa extra tender since it’s going to go in the oven.

Making sure your fish, veggies and quinoa are all mixed together, spoon the filling into the channel of the zucchini, then bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until zucchini has softened.

Meanwhile, in that same skillet that you made the filling, melt the butter. Add the flour and mix until a dough-like paste forms.

Add the milk and garlic and whisk it into the butter/flour mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil. It will froth and begin to thicken.

Add the lemon juice and goat cheese and any spices and stir until it bubbles, then reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer until the zucchini is done.

VERDICT: I loved it! Somehow the dish tasted like there was bacon in it but there was not! It was savory and fragrant and...not a bowl of tuna! (Which is what I was going for. I wanted a lunch that felt like lunch.) I love the stuffed zucchini concept so I'm going to play around with it some more.

If you've made one, share how you stuffed yours!

Kale & Quinoa Soup

Those of you who were on Facebook and Twitter last night, and experienced my impromptu “cook-a-long” may wonder what prompted me to make soup, from scratch, after 10 p.m.

And that would be a valid question.

Yesterday I had a small bout of LPS (Little Pouch Syndrome, or, when you just get full very fast with very little food). I won’t go into my theories about the causes of LPS (because this is a food blog) but let’s just say it…er, cleared itself up late in the evening and then I was FAMISHED!

Being that it was late and it was, like, two degrees outside, I wasn’t even remotely tempted to go outside the house to get something indulgent. And everything in my house is WLS approved. So since it was cold, and I was hungry, I figured, why not make some soup?

(PSA) People…stay in good communication with your veggie bin. Seriously. I have toned down my farmers market addiction (I used to buy WAY more than I could realistically consume before it all went bad and I’m notoriously too lazy to vacuum seal it most of the time) but still. I had lots of veggies that were well on their march homeward. So I knew that there would be some veggie action going on. But seriously. Check the veggie bin. Your veggies didn’t ask for this life. It was your choice to buy them. So use them!!! (/end PSA)

This particular kind of soup was actually inspired by my friend Denise who invited me to a soup potluck recently. Ultimately I was unable to make it to the gathering but before that came to pass I gave great thought to what soup I would bring and decided on a kale and quinoa soup with white beans that I found on Google.

But you know me…(at least I hope you do)…I like to play with my food!

So here’s what I came up with. What I like about this soup (as demonstrated from your comments during the cook-a-long) is that there are a million different directions you can take it in. That’s to say if you don’t dig what I did to it, put your own spin on it!

Best of all, it doesn’t have a bunch of ingredients and literally takes about 30 minutes to make. And I made it all in one deep skillet (easy clean-up)!

Nik’s Kale and Quinoa Soup

(This recipe yields a good deal of soup. Halve this if you will be the only one eating it!)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, sliced into slivers
• 1 pkg. smoked sausage of your choice, sliced (I used just regular Polish sausage but Andouille would also be nice if you want a Cajun feel or some companies make great flavored chicken sausages!)
• 2 cans (14.5 oz. each) reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 lb. kale, stems removed and rinsed
• ¾ c. quinoa (I used red quinoa, use whatever you like best)
• 2 cans (14.5 oz. each) white beans (I used Great Northern, but cannellini would be good as well OR if you wanna be different, try garbanzos for extra bite!)
• 2 c. water
• Your favorite spices/seasonings/flavorings. I used:
• Garlic
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red Pepper flakes (1/2 tsp.)
• 2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

Directions:

Spray down a deep skillet with nonstick and let it get HOT on the stove.

Add your onions and cook, stirring constantly, about 3-4 minutes or until they begin to brown a little.

Add sausage rounds and continue to cook, stirring, until sausage begins to crisp on the outside.

Add one of the cans of broth (or, if halving, half of one can) and stir any bits from the bottom of the pan. Top with kale and seasonings and then cover the pan and allow it to cook about 10 minutes or until kale begins to get tender and darken in color.

Add second can of broth and quinoa and stir it into the mixture. Cover again and allow it to cook an additional 10 minutes. The quinoa is done when it the ring pops out of the grain and it is to your desired tenderness (note that quinoa is a hearty whole grain so it’s never going to get “soft” like rice does).

Add your beans and water, then drop your heat to medium-low, cover and allow it to cook 10 more minutes or until the kale has reached your desired consistency.

What you see in the picture at the very top is my final bowl of soup with a little goat cheese on top. That was absolutely perfect because the way I spiced it, it needed a bit of tang. I thought the vinegar was going to deliver that tang (and it did a little bit) but the goat cheese put it over the top!

Anyway, this soup is warm, comforting and it was way healthier than most other things I might be inclined to eat at 10 p.m. Give it a try using the things you like. And if it turns out well, snap a pic and send it to bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com. I’d love to share what you did!

BF Cook-Along, Week One Round-up: Quinoa Recipes!

So in addition to my Asian-style Cold Quinoa salad, many of you submitted your own recipes for the inaugural week of the "BF Cook-along!" This is a round-up of the first week's recipes, all of which used quinoa. Some folks have not gotten back to me with full recipes so I just put what information they gave me. I'll add the recipes in as I get them! If you have any questions leave them in the comments!

Now we're in week TWO! And the cook-along ingredient is Eggplant! There are a few different ways you can submit a photo & recipe (and both must be present to make it into the week two round-up):

1. Post the picture of WHAT YOU MADE (not someone else's recipe...you do actually have to have cooked it at some point) on BF's Facebook Page along with the recipe (or the link to the recipe if you got it off the internet). Please include any modifications you made to the recipe!
2. You can also Tweet a photo and mention @BariatricFoodie but be sure to either include a shortened link to the recipe OR email the recipe to me at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com.
3. You can simply email a recipe/pic to bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com.

Simple, right? 

Now onto the quinoa recipes! ("Um...what's quinoa?")

Deb’s Quinoa Tabbouleh

1 c. quinoa
2 c. water or vegetable broth
1 large or two medium tomatoes, chopped small
1 cucumber, chopped (optional)
4 scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste


Preparation:


In a medium pot, cover quinoa in water or vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a slow simmer, cover, and allow to cook about 15 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Allow to cool to room temperature. 
In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers, scallions, garlic, fresh mint and fresh parsley. Add cooked quinoa, olive oil, lemon juice and salt, tossing gently to combine well. Season with salt, to taste.


Chill for at least one hour before serving, preferably overnight, to allow flavors to mingle.

Brandy’s Quinoa & Black Beans - FULL RECIPE FORTHCOMING!

Brandy used this recipe from Epicurious as her starting point, but here's what she had to say about how she made it hers!

"So this is basically quinoa, black beans, scallions, cilantro, tomatoes, lime juice and lime zest...salt & pepper, too. I can link the recipe if anyone is interested. The original recipe called for 1 tsp of sugar - I left it out and didn't miss it! I served this last night with Caribbean Pork Chops." 

Selby’s Quinoa & Millet Porridge - FULL RECIPE FORTHCOMING!

quinoa and millet cooked in almond and coconut milk with nutmeg and cinnamon . Bananas and strawberries . I used brown sugar for sweetness but you can use agave, or your favorite sugar substitute.

Shannon’s Smoked Quinoa Wraps --Makes 12 ¼ Cup wraps
1 c. Quinoa 
2 c. Chicken stock (could use any stock or water)
½ c. Onion finely chopped 
½ c. total of Red, Green, Orange, and Yellow Peppers or ½ cup of your choice pepper finely chopped
Green peppers will get bitter when cooked so do a combination of one other and green if you choose.
2 cloves Garlic crushed and finely chopped 
¾ c. roasted and chopped Walnuts 
1 Tbl Salt
½ Tbl Pepper
½ Tbl Cumin
½ Tbl Paprika 
4 Tbl Egg Beaters 

Measure and rinse quinoa set aside. In a sauce pan bring chicken stock to boiling and add quinoa. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Roast walnuts at 400 for about 3-4 minutes, watch closely. Chop and mix all veggies in a bowl, add cooked quinoa still hot to veggies. Mix well. Add chopped walnuts, garlic, and seasoning to bowl. Let cool. 
Soak corn husks in hot water for at least 15 minutes. 
When mixture is cool add eggs and mix well. Portion out ¼ cup onto flattened husks, and roll as you would a tamale. 

Prepare grill for indirect cooking. Coal fire, 2 piles of coal on either side of grill leaving the middle open, with a gas grill use side burners only not center. Bring grill to 275-300, add Wood chips to smoker drawer for gas grilling, or soak chips in water and add to charcoal. Place wraps between hot zones in the cool area of your grill (between the burners/coal). Leave on grill for about an hour and a half. Remove, allow to cool slightly, unwrap, and eat directly from the husk. 

Using the grill with a smoker allows for the egg and veggies to cook as well as imparting the smoke flavor to the mix. Truth be told, I could have skipped adding the egg, sautéed the veggies and added that to the quinoa and ate as is….adding a drop of liquid smoke (my husband is anti liquid smoke) to give it that flavor…but these would be delicious as a side with some shredded pork I think. I am not completely satisfied with this recipe as is, and will probably do some more playing around (thinking of adding cheese and maybe more egg to get it to stay together). But I am delighted with the flavor of this dish.

Barbara’s Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

I actually saw this recipe on Pinterest and just had to try it!! I did change a few things. I'm not a huge fan of ground turkey so I used ground pork. This time around I used a red, orange and yellow pepper just for the added color. The sweet from the peppers is great for cutting the spice a bit  I absolutely DISPISE cilantro, so I didn't use it either. OH, and I added in 1 cup of cooked Quinoa (YUMM-O!!!) Other than that everything was left the same. This is the picture of the ones I made today (3rd time making them because they are just that good!!!)

Original recipe can be found at: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/09/santa-fe-turkey-stuffed-peppers.html

BF Cook-along: Cold Asian-Style Quinoa Salad

Ok, first my apologies to my Foodies who only access the blog and not my Facebook or Twitter pages. Let me get you up to speed.

I decided to do a cook-long and it works like this. Folks give input on an ingredient they'd like to see everyone get challenged to use in a recipe over the course of the week. I pick an ingredient from those suggested (using a random generator) and we all make something with that ingredient, snap a photo and post it. The idea is...to get new ideas!

So for this inaugural week the ingredient was quinoa. If you've never heard of it, read this and we'll wait for you to come back.

All up to speed now? Lovely.

So tomorrow I'll announce next week's ingredient AND I'll post pictures (and recipes where I have them) of other Foodies' quinoa submissions. Look for it!

My recipe was in pursuit of an alternative to pasta or potato salad at the forthcoming Memorial Day barbecues. I love cold salads but I just can't do noodles. So here's what I came up with. The amount yields enough to pass at a function so if you're making it just for you OR you're not sure if others will like it, I highly suggest halving it.

Nik's Cold Asian-Style Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 c. quinoa (if you have some cooked quinoa lying around, great! If not, there's guidance below)
• 2 c. water (if you have to cook your quinoa)
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2 c. cooked and shelled edamame (soy beans - I usually just got
•  a bag of frozen edamame and let it thaw!)
• 1 small can tiny shrimp (see picture below OR if you don't like shrimp a cup of diced cooked chicken meat works fine too)
• 1 small can Mandarin orange slices, drained of their liquids and rinsed
• 1/2 c. Light Asian Sesame or Sesame Ginger salad dressing
• 1/2 c. almond slivers

Directions:

If you need to cook your quinoa, the only thing I did differently from my general quinoa cooking directions is that I first dry toasted it, which really just means I put a dry pan (free of nonstick cooking spray or oil) on a medium flame and let it get hot, then added the dry quinoa and stirred until it started to brown. It just deepens the flavor a little bit. 

While the quinoa is cooking, dice up your peppers and onion and put them in a big bowl along with the edamame, cover and refrigerate. Once the quinoa is done refrigerate until cooled. DO NOT ADD HOT QUINOA TO YOUR VEGGIES!

When everything is nice and cool, combine quinoa with veggies, mandarin oranges and shrimp and mix thoroughly. 

Add the dressing and mix again. Cover it again and let it sit in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

When you are ready to serve this, heat a dry skillet over medium heat until hot and add the almond slivers. Toast them until they are fragrant and slightly brown.

Add toasted almonds to the cold salad mixture, toss and serve!

I like this salad! It's crunchy (both from the almonds and the edamame), a little salty and a little sweet. I think it could stand up against any other barbecue side dish!

Selby's Jerk Shrimp & Quinoa

Every once in a while someone sends me a food picture that is just..."screen-lick-worthy."

Such is the case with Selby's Jerk Shrimp & Quinoa. I mean look at it. I know from VAST experience from island food that it has a kick to it (so proceed with caution if you don't do well with even slightly spicy foods). And the sauce looks luscious, the shrimp plump and succulent, the quinoa perfectly cooked. Sigh. 

Basically I wanted to reach through the computer screen and have a bite.

I'm posting this earlier than I normally would on a Saturday (the Google tells me that weekend posting should be done in the evening!) but I wanted to give you guys a chance to get the ingredients to create your own little island escape dinner if you wanted. 

Enjoy. And thanks Selby!

Selby's Jerk Shrimp & Quinoa

• 1 c. quinoa 
• 1 c. chicken broth (Selby used Goya chicken bouillon pack reconstituted with 1 c. of water)
• 1 c. crushed pineapple juice from a can of crushed pineapple 
• 10 shrimp
• Jerk sauce mild or hot your choice 
• 1 scallion sliced
• Crushed pineapple, to taste

Selby's Instructions:

The recipe was really super easy the longest cook time was the quinoa . 

I rinsed 1 cup of quinoa really really good like 4 or five times. Rinsing removes the bitterness associated with quinoa . (Nik note: I don't rinse quinoa and never noticed any bitterness but if you have, go for it!)

I placed quinoa in microwave safe bowl and a added 1 cup of chicken stock, 1 cup  unsweetened pineapple juice from a can of crushed pineapples . 

Cover and microwave until liquid is absorbed. Mine took about 10 minutes (there was still a slight amount of liquid but it absorbed as it sat covered).  

Taste and adjust seasonings with garlic powder, onion powder, scallions, pepper, and some crushed pineapple .

The shrimp was super easy I peeled and deveined the shrimp and sautéed them in store bought jerk sauce. I sometimes add a little of the pineapple juice to the shrimp if the jerk is too spicy.  

Cook shrimp just until no longer pink . Plate with a serving of quinoa on the bottom and top with shrimp!

A few Nik Notes (in the spirit of playing with your food):

• I am totally making this!!!
• I'd probably add more veggies, colorful ones! I'd at least do some diced onions and tri-color diced peppers, chopped small and mix those directly into the quinoa before microwaving for a "confetti rice" sort of look.
• Again, a disclaimer: you can certainly buy mild jerk sauce but jerk, by nature, is always going to be at least a bit spicy. 

There...now go make this!

Alethea's Shrimp & Quinoa

Well, folks. It was bound to happen. With two kids in public school, some noxious germ was bound to find its way into my body. My immune system is fighting hard, though!

So while I am down for the count, I thought I'd share some Foodie submissions. I just love it when you guys email me with pictures and recipes about how you are playing with your food!

This week we have two offerings from the Foodie Nation. I'll post the second tomorrow!

Alethea's Shrimp & Quinoa

Here's the back-story she sent me:

Ok, so I set out to make shrimp and polenta from the Bobby Dean show, but it turns out polenta is not that popular in "po-dunk" Ohio so I had to make some adjustments. For the most part it was good but lacking a flavor punch (suggestions welcome, Foodies!). I am going to try it again. My youngest really liked it and he hates everything!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. diced Canadian bacon
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• One 14 1/2-ounce can petite-cut, no-salt diced tomatoes
• 1/4 c. dry white wine
• 2 tbsp. plain nonfat Greek-style yogurt
• 1 tsp. hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 dozen large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails on
• 3/4 c. uncooked quinoa
• 3 cups hot water
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, for garnish, optional

Directions:

Add the bacon to a nonstick skillet and saute over medium heat until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a plate and set aside. Add the garlic, onions and bell peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, wine, yogurt, hot sauce and salt, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors are blended and the sauce begins to thicken, 6 to 8 minutes. Return the bacon to the skillet. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp turn bright pink and are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a heavy cast-iron skillet, add your quinoa and allow it to toast for about a minute. Add the hot water and slowly whisk the quinoa and water together. Reduce the heat and simmer about 7-10 minutes, or until the quinoa is fully cooked (Click here for an easy primer on quinoa!). Remove from the heat., 

Serve the shrimp mixture over the quinoa. Sprinkle with the chives if desired.

Nik's Notes:

Alethea noted that it needed a flavor punch. Here are several ways to do that:

• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, while toasting the quinoa if you like a spicy kick
• Play around with the kind of bacon you use. You can use a sweeter smoked bacon if you want a slightly sweet off-set or a smoked bacon. Also, I'd use center-cut bacon. Less fat, more meaty flavor!
• Instead of bacon, try dicing up some turkey smoked sausages and following the recipe the same way
• If sodium isn't an issue, try a can of pre-flavored diced tomatoes. They come in such variations as tomatoes and chiles (in mild, medium or hot), Italian-style and garlic and herb

How would YOU make this dish your own, Foodies?

Sausage Quinoa & Roasted Veggie Soup

This soup is not for the faint at heart. No...this soup is chocked full of nutrients and protein. This soup is soup for people who love their bodies and respect their souls.

Yes, it's that good.

I don't usually brag on my food (lies!) but I made this soup wanting to have some relief against the cold front that hit Baltimore. Even I was surprised at how good it turned out.

Nik's Sausage Quinoa & Roasted Veggie Soup

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced (If you like garlic. If not, feel free to omit!)
• 1 pkg. low-fat turkey smoked sausage, diced
• 4 c. Swiss Chard, washed and torn into pieces (you could also use spinach...or kale...or even collard greens...customize!)
• 1 + 3 c. water
• 2 more tomatoes, cored
• 4 cups roasted veggies of your choice (I used eggplant, red peppers, tomatoes, onions & garlic). Here's how to roast those veggies!
• 1 c. uncooked quinoa
• Salt, pepper & 1 tsp Herbs de Provence (you can also use Italian seasoning)

Directions:

Set a large pot coated with nonstick cooking spray over medium heat. Add onion and cook until lightly browned then add garlic until fragrant.

Add sausage and cook until browned. Add Swiss Chard and one cup of water. Stir to loosen up any bits at the bottom of the pot and let the water to come to a simmering boil.

Add whole tomatoes and cover for about 5 minutes. Remove cover and remove tomato skin. At this point you should be able to mash the tomato with a potato masher.

Add additional 3 c. water, roasted veggies and quinoa. Stir well. Cover pot and allow it to cook about 25 minutes or until chard is wilted and quinoa is fully cooked (here's how to tell). Remove from heat and cover for an additional 10 minutes.

Ohhhh...was this comforting on a cool, fall night. The little diva and I lapped this up! Her with a slice of Texas Toast...me...without (it's all about trade-offs right?).

So, since I'm in a chatty mood as I type this, a few notes:

• NEWBIES: You might want to skip the quinoa and please wait until you are cleared for tomatoes! The recipe works fine without the quinoa, just use one less cup of water.
• VEGETARIANS: I think this would work just fine with vegetarian sausage. I like the smoky flavor so I would suggest using something to replace that.
• VETERANS: This will fill your BELLAY!!!! Go make it!

Spicy Quinoa & Tomatoes

So the other day I posted about this great vegetarian (possibly vegan, you all tell me) meal I made.

We really have Hillery, our Foodie Fitness Correspondent from the email newsletter, to thank for this one folks. She made a chicken dish that inspired me! It was wonderfully yummy: herby, savory, a touch spicy!

But for whatever reason I just felt like showing some vegetarian love up in here. So I decided to make the dish without meat. Having said that, I feel like there's lots more protein to be added to this dish. I kept it simple. But for meat eaters, chicken, shrimp or fish would go great in this. For vegetarians and vegans, I'm not exactly sure what to suggest, so if you might please give some suggestions in the comments I will love your veggie-lovin' selves forever!

Although I've never had Paella before, for some reason this is how I imagine the dish tastes. I dunno. Feel free to shoot me down on that one if I'm dead wrong.

At any rate, away we go!

Nik's Spicy Quinoa & Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 small green pepper, diced

1 seeded and diced hot pepper of your choice (jalapenos work well but habaneros are good for us who like it REALLY spicy!)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. Herbs de Provence

1 c. quinoa (What's that?)

2 c. water

10 oz. can crushed tomatoes

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

A dash of hot sauce

1-2 tbsp tomato paste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Set a large sautee pan over medium heat and allow it to get HOT (when you hover your hand inches above the pain the heat level feels uncomfortable). Add oil to hot pain then add veggies and sautee until soft, about 3-ish minutes.

Add garlic and herbs and stir through.

Add quinoa and stir over heat for about 2-3 minutes (it toasts the quinoa a bit, deepening the flavor just a touch) before adding water, tomatoes, hot sauce and red pepper flakes.

Cover and allow that to cook over medium heat about 6-8 minutes or until quinoa is done (the little ringlets should pop out of it, see here for full instructions on how to tell if quinoa is done). 

If quinoa is done but the mixture is extremely liquidy: add two tablespoons of tomato paste.

If quinoa is done but mixture is only slightly liquidy: add one tablespoon of tomato paste.

Stir thoroughly, drop your heat down to low and allow it to simmer another 10 minutes or so and you get a pan full of love that looks something like this:

I brought this for my lunches this week. I like it as is but was curious to see how shrimp would pair in it, so today I steamed some and brought those along too. NOM! (Although they would have been better if they'd been added in at the step where you add the crushed tomatoes so they could soak up all the flavor).

This was also my first time trying Herbs de Provence. The name intimidated me but Hillery and I hit the Amish market and I saw some there. The Amish have NEVER steered me wrong, so I decided to give it a go. Glad I did!

Enjoy!

Nik's Spicy (or not) Quinoa & Beans

You all might remember that this year I vowed that my Meatless Fridays this year would NOT be another litany of the “Three T’s”: Tuna, Tilapia and TVP. I’ve been branching out!

Like most of my food, this dish has a funny story to it. Last Friday I pick the divas up from aftercare. As per usual, they were hungry. They were also angry. They feel resentful because the snacks offered at aftercare all had meat which meant they could not partake (to be fair, I TRIED to send them with an alternative snack and they rebuffed). Now, understand that my kids are no different than anybody else’s. They KNOW what’s healthy…but that does NOT mean they always want to eat what’s healthy.

This was such a day. They wanted to stop for cheese pizza for dinner. I said no. Poutiness ensued. The youngest in particular has become very adept at that brand of whining that grates on my last little nerve so bad! She just keeps needling and needling until…well, parents you know what happens. You tend to explode, yell something and now everyone is stressed.

But instead of doing that, I sort of let her stew in the back seat. By the time she gets home she has proclaimed there is nothing to eat in the house and she guesses she will starve! (Note to La Petite Diva: when your mother works days for an organization that actually DOES reach out to hungry people around the world, the absence of cheese pizza will garner little sympathy.)

In response, I went into the kitchen and whipped this up. I’ll tell you about her response in a moment.

Nik’s Spicy (or not) Quinoa and Beans

(Makes, I'd say, enough for 3 non-ops with a healthy appetite + 1 post-op)
For what it's worth, this recipe, in my opinion, is probably best suited for folks 6+ months out. 

Ingredients:

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced
1 orange pepper, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

3 heaping tablespoons of Sofrito (if you don’t know what that is, I talk about it in this video)

¼ tsp each:

• ground chipotle powder (omit if you don’t want a spicy dish, using chili powder instead)
• ground cumin (keep in even if you don’t want the spicy version)
• ground coriander (keep in even if you don’t want the spicy version)

1 c. uncooked quinoa

3 c. water

1 can (I used 15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (I used 10 oz.) tomatoes & chiles (if you want the un-spicy version, use Mexican style diced tomatoes without chiles)

Optional:

Greek yogurt

Avocado

Directions:

It all started with this GORGEOUS plate of chopped veggies.

In a pan, heat up oil then add veggies and sautee until soft.

Add garlic then give it a good stir and let it go another two minutes or so.



Mix in Sofrito and spices, except chipotle powder, and mix well (if you are using chili powder instead  it is fine to put it in at this point)



Add quinoa and chipotle powder together and give it a stir. Quickly add water (trust that you do NOT want chipotle vapor in your face so don't dilly dally!)



Cover and reduce heat to medium and simmer about 20 minutes.



When the quinoa is done (and if you read Monday's post you'll know when that is), give the whole thing a good stir and then add your drained beans and tomatoes & chiles (or tomatoes if you are not using chiles).

Allow it to simmer about five minutes more and then...it's done!

So…back to the kid. We get home. I whip this up (it took MAYBE 30 minutes) and call the child to get some. She insists on taste testing first. I give her a spoonful and she goes, in a voice indicating she is clearly doing ME a favor, “I guess I will have some.” With that she takes her bowl to her room (where she has been sent for being a grade A nuisance!).

Twenty minutes later…in a much better mood…child creeps BACK downstairs and says, “Mom? Can I have some more please?”

And there you have it folks! This dish is not only yummy but transformative, turning brats…er, unwieldy children into manageable creatures!!!

BF Basics: How to Cook Quinoa



I get this question enough that it deserves its own post!

Quinoa! It's a great grain...a WHOLE grain...a grain you should get to know, especially if you are a post-op vegetarian. It's got fiber, complete proteins and tons of nutrients. In addition to cauliflower rice it makes a great sub for regular rice in any dish.

But it isn't THE most approachable food in terms of cooking, is it?
Well that's why I am here to help!
In many ways, cooking quinoa is very similar to cooking rice. Here is my three step method to perfect quinoa every time:

Step One:

For every cup of quinoa you intend to make, you need about 1.5 cups of liquid (many websites say 1.25 cups...I tried that and it didn't work out so well. One and a half? Perfection!). Now, notice I said a cup and a half of liquid, not (necessaarily) of water. That's because, like rice, you can cook quinoa in a great number of things, depending on what you are trying to make. If you are making a simple side dish, that liquid might be broth (although I suggest half water/half broth unless you like a really intense flavor). If you are making a quinoa pudding (similar to rice pudding) you might do milk in addition to or even instead of water.

It's also best to put any additional flavorings IN that water. I like to make my quinoa with chicken broth and I throw a whole clove of garlic in there for extra flavor. Let that come up to a simmer.

NOTE: As a Foodie below noted, read the directions on the quinoa you buy. If you buy pre-rinsed (I never have and did not know it existed until you guys told me!) then rinse it first! The kind I get from Whole Foods at the bulk bin does not require rinsing.

Step Two:

Add your quinoa, of course! Just pour it right into the liquid and give it a stir. Then reduce the heat to medium and cover it. It takes about 15-20 minutes to do its thing. You should probably check it a few times and give it a stir, to make sure you have enough liquid in there. If your quinoa is not yet done (I'll tell you how you can tell in a moment) and your liquid is nearly gone, you can always add more!.

Step Three:

Quinoa is a fairly firm grain. It is not rice, so it's not going to get as soft as rice would, but it should be fairly tender (if you taste it, it should not be crunchy or difficult to chew). The most tell-tale sign that quinoa is done is that the little "ring" pops out of it. It should look something like this:

See the little rings on the spoon? Those are what you WANT to see!

When that happens, it's at least ALMOST done. Give it a taste. If it is easy to chew, turn off the heat, replace the cover and let it sit a few minutes more for good measure.

What you should end up with is a pile o' yumminess that looks something like this:



Now you're ready to embark on the wide, wonderful world of quinoa recipes...starting with the one I post on Wednesday!

Tangy-Spicy Salmon & Quinoa



Yesterday I posted the above picture on the Bariatric Foodie Facebook wall, calling for folks to guess what was in it. This will be my lunch throughout this short work week, so I thought it'd be fun to give folks a peek into some of the stuff I like to make that hasn't yet made it to the blog.

Well, folks guessed the ingredients correctly and a few folks expressed interest in the recipe. I make this quite often for myself (the divas are diabolically opposed to any other fish besides tuna in a can) but the recipe requires a few special ingredients which, to me, make or break this dish.

Still, here's the recipe. Overall, this dish is a nutritional slam dunk: great (and complete) proteins, fiber, complex carbs, Omega-3's. Hey...I think I just thought of a name for this dish.

Nik's "Super Lunch"

Ingredients

1 small onion, finely diced
1 large clove fresh garlic, finely minced
1 can tomatoes & chiles (whatever heat level you like)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (omit if you don't like spicy food)
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp fish sauce ("what's that?")
1 can of pink salmon, bones removed
1/2 c. quinoa ("what's that?")
1/2 c. water
1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas)

Directions:

Spray a pot down with nonstick cooking spray and let it get hot over a medium flame.

Add onion and cook a few minutes until the onions soften. Add garlic and stir, cooking 2-3 more minutes.

Add tomatoes & chiles, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, vinegar and fish sauce and drop your heat down to low and allow it to come up to a simmer.

Add salmon, quinoa and water. Turn the flame back up to medium to bring it all to a boil then drop the heat again to allow it to simmer.

Cover and allow the quinoa to cook. You can tell it's done when you can see the little white ring of fiber pop out from the grain. Watch your pot! Quinoa, like rice, absorbs liquids.

Lastly, drain and rinse your garbanzo beans and add to the mixture last (I like them for the chew factor...nutrition is good on them too).

This dish is a bit tangy, a bit spicy. It does smell like it has fish in it, so if that is bothersome to you, you might think about whether you want to make this.

Ok, so...fish sauce. It's a...condiment, I'd say? It's used almost like we use table salt. It is tangy and salty and my favorite use of it is to mix it with rice vinegar to dip seafood in. If your town has an Asian market, they most certainly sell it. You might also find it in the international aisle of your grocery store (although it tends to be more expensive there).

The fish sauce, to me, makes or breaks the flavor of this particular dish. BUT, like I say...play with your food. You may come up with some variation of this that has nothing to do with fish sauce!

And for the inevitable carb nay-sayers, folks with small pouch capacities and those who just shy away from food like this, I'd encourage you to get to know quinoa. It's a good food. A superfood. And it's super delicious!

Chicken Quinoa Vegetable Soup

~~posted by Jen

Quinoa and chicken and veggies, oh my!

Beef Barley soup was one of my "go to" recipes in my pre-op life when we were having people over on a Fall or Winter weekend. It was delicious and always a crowd pleaser, but I needed to change it a bit to fit my new post-op eating plan.

I traded in the higher carb barley for protein-packed quinoa, same texture but better for me, since it is a complete protein. I used chicken since I had some in the freezer left over from last week's Roast Chicken Dinner. You could also use a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket.

This is one of my "cheater" weeknight soups. You can have this from stove to table in less than a half hour. I took a little help from my pals at Trader Joe's with their frozen Quinoa with Roasted Vegetable Melange. I added some extra frozen mixed vegetables, just because I like lots of veggies in my soup.

Worried about breaking the no drinking with meals rule of the pouch when eating soup? If it's a broth-based soup like this one, I usually drink the broth first, then eat the rest of the soup ingredients. That way I am done drinking before I eat any solids, which is the whole point of that rule, so we don't stretch our stomas.

So here's how it's done:

Jen's Chicken Quinoa Vegetable Soup


Ingredients:

3 cups shredded or cubed roast chicken (or rotisserie chicken)

2 bags Trader Joe's Quinoa with vegetable melange 

OR 2 cups cooked Quinoa

1 (16 ounce) bag frozen mixed vegetables

4 cups chicken stock

1 tbsp Garlic powder

1 tbsp Onion powder

1 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, including the juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 or 4 scoops Any Whey Unflavored Protein Powder (optional)

Directions: 

Cook the quinoa in your microwave or rice cooker according to package directions. While it cooks, pour the chicken stock and can of diced tomatoes (juice too) into your dutch oven and bring it to a boil on top of the stove. Add the mixed vegetables, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin. Stir well to combine.

Once the quinoa is done, add it to the stock mixture on the stove and stir to combine. Let it simmer just until the vegetables are tender. Taste for seasonings, add salt, pepper, and any other spices it needs. If you're adding the protein powder, add it at the very end of cooking and whisk it in thoroughly.

If you're early out and on pureeds, you could puree this in your blender or with your immersion blender. This recipe is 143 grams of protein for the WHOLE POT of soup, so this is one you would most definitely want to consider adding the Any Whey Unflavored Protein Powder to at the end, or at least to your own personal serving. 1/2 scoop per 4 oz of soup is the usual amount we add. 

Meatless Fridays: Mediterranean Shrimp & Quinoa Salad/Cajun Tuna Burger

So I had my blog post all written and then I realized something. It was tuna. And last week was tuna. I don’t want you all to think Meatless Fridays is ALL about tuna. It’s just my go-to for quickie meals and lunches. So while I am going to post my original recipe which is what I’m having for lunch, I will also post what I am having for dinner. To get out the tuna box. Mind you…this is Mediterranean and last week’s recipe was too but that’s more a testament to the fact that I actually USE my ingredients until they are gone. I am many things peeps…in the position to waste food is not one of them!

This salad is made with quinoa. If you’ve never tasted quinoa you should. It’s not rice, it’s a grain and it’s a complete protein source (meaning it’s got at least 8 out of 9 of the essential amino acids in it). It can stand in the place of rice, couscous, orzo, or risotto in a dish. It’s got a different texture than rice or even wild or brown rice (it’s chewier) but it takes on flavors well, works great in cold salads and gives you a lot of fiber and protein for what you spend in carbs. So…without further adieu…

Nikki’s Mediterranean Shrimp and Quinoa Salad

1 cup of cooked quinoa
1 lb. shrimp, tails off, deveined and cut in half
10 grape tomatoes, halved
¼ c. chopped red onion
6-8 kalimata olives, pitted and chopped
¼ cup reduced fat feta cheese
½ cup Ken’s Light Northern Italian Dressing
A few shakes of oregano and dried basil
A bit of Parmesan cheese for the top


Basically you just put all this in a bowl, mix it up and refrigerate. The longer you let it linger in the fridge, the more intense the flavor. This is really filling and good to make in batches and eat on throughout the week.
Ok…so with that out of the way…here is the original recipe I was going to post.

One of my favorite things to make when I don’t want to fuss in the kitchen is tuna burgers. They come together easily (seriously…they take like 5 minutes to mix up a batch), are simple to cook and the only limit to the flavors is your own imagination.

I personally can’t do hamburgers (not even turkey…something about the coming together of ground meat seems to offend my pouch). I can do bites of a hamburger but even if I make a teeny one it doesn’t go so well. Tuna burgers give me the opportunity to sandwich something between two pieces of (low-carb, whole-grain) bread and eat it.
So for my offering today I present:

Nikki’s Spicy Cajun Tuna Burger

1 can of tuna (do not drain)
¼ cup textured vegetable protein (TVP), dry (if you are saying to yourself, “what is TVP?” click here)
1 egg white
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tbsp Cajun spice blend
Optional: chopped onions or scallions
Directions:

Empty the contents of tuna can into a bowl and add TVP. Mix well and let stand for a few minutes so that the TVP can soak up the excess moisture

Add all spices and mix well again.

Add egg whites and mix again. If mixture seems too wet, add a tablespoon or so more TVP and mix

Heat a sprayed skillet. Take up some of your tuna mixture and form a patty. There will be some excess liquid and the mixture will be somewhat loose, Trust me, it’ll hold together.

Place the patty in the skillet and cook about 2 minutes or so. GENTLY flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

Remove from pan and serve!

I eat mine on a whole-wheat Arnold Sandwich Thin with shredded cheese of some sort (sort of a tuna melt type deal) but it is also good as a wrap and you can also make tuna “meatballs” if you are newer post-op and can’t eat a whole patty. I think it’d also be fun to do tuna sliders…but that’s because I’m weird like that.