As the Plant-Powered Dietitian, I often write and speak about the benefits of vegetarian-style, plant-based eating patterns;  yet, one thing my readers and audience members often appreciate is learning that a plant-based diet is simply one that emphasizes whole plant foods. That is, a plant-powered diet leaves room for a spectrum of dietary preferences and observances, ranging from vegans (those who do not eat any animal foods) to lacto-ovo vegetarians (those who allow for dairy and eggs in their diet) to pescetarian (those who allow for fish) to flexitarians (those who eat small amounts of animal foods).

That’s why I’m such a supporter of the Meatless Monday Campaign—a non-profit initiative developed in association with the John Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. It has a simple message: By cutting out meat once per week, you can improve your health and reduce your carbon footprint. By simply substituting animal products in favor of more whole plant foods, you naturally reduce the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you eat, while gaining more health-promoting nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Who can really argue with that? Countless organizations, restaurants, schools, hospitals, and even the entire city of Los Angeles have embraced Meatless Monday to celebrate this simple concept.

The Meatless Monday message helps people ease into the concept of decreasing overall animal intake by selecting just one day per week to go meatless. The initiative provides information and recipes to help people start each week with healthy, eco-friendly, meat-free alternatives.

And I say “eco-friendly” because eating less meat can put a serious dent in your carbon footprint – the total greenhouse gas emissions produced from your activities. According to the Environmental Working Group, here’s how eating less meat can impact Mother Earth:

• If you eat one less burger per week…It’s like driving 320 miles less.
• If your four-person family skips meat and cheese one day a week…It’s like taking your car off the road for five weeks.
• If your four-person family takes steak off the menu one day a week…It’s like taking your car off the road for almost three months.
• If everyone in the United States ate no meat or cheese for just one day a week…It would be like driving 91 billion miles less, or taking 7.6 million cars off the road.

So, go ahead! Jump on board the Meatless Monday bandwagon, and try one of my simple tips to get you started.

1. Invest in a good vegetarian cookbook. A cookbook can give home cooks valuable ideas for how to put together simple, delicious meals. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
2. Keep it simple. There’s a common misconception that preparing vegetarian meals is laborious and complicated – but tons of meatless recipes are incredibly simple to prepare. Think: black bean burritos or spaghetti with tomato sauce.
3. Convert your family favorites. Trim the meat and load up on the veggies in your favorite dishes. My family’s favorite lasagna originally called for ground meat – but now I load it with summer squash, broccoli, and bell peppers.
4. Try ethnic flair. Some cultures know how do vegetarian meals right! Steal ideas from your favorite Thai, Indian, or Mexican restaurants and try to reproduce them at home.
5. Rely on more one-dish meals. Try chili, stews, casseroles, stir-fries, and pasta dishes with whole grains, legumes, tofu, and legumes.

Southwestern Black Bean, Quinoa, and Mango Salad

By Sharon Palmer, RD, The Plant-Powered Dietitian

The jewel-like black beans shine in this crunchy, zesty salad. Serve it with corn tortillas and vegetable soup for an easy, refreshing meal.

Makes 6 servings (about 1 cup each)

Ingredients:
1 – 15 oz can Black Beans, no salt added, rinsed, drained
1 cup cooked Quinoa (according to package directions)
1 cup frozen Corn
1 small Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh Mango
¼ cup chopped Red Onion
½ cup fresh Cilantro, chopped (or 2 tsp dried if not available)
1 small fresh Jalepeno Pepper, seeded, finely diced
1 Lemon, juiced
1-1/2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, minced
½ tsp Cumin
½ tsp Chili Powder
¼ tsp Turmeric

Instructions:

1. Mix beans, quinoa, corn, pepper, mango, onion, cilantro and jalapeno together in a mixing bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder and turmeric together. Toss into salad mixture and chill until serving time.

Nutrition Information Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories: 201
Fat: 5 g
Sat Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 9 mg
Carbohydrate: 36 g
Fiber: 8 g
Protein: 8 g

Recipe from The Plant-Powered Diet: The Lifelong Eating Plan for Achieving Optimal Health, Beginning Today, copyright © Sharon Palmer, 2012. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available June 2012.

Sharon Palmer is a registered dietitian, writer and author of The Plant-Powered Diet. Over 750 of her articles have been published in national publications, including Prevention, Better Homes and Gardens and Today’s Dietitian. She is also the editor of the award-winning publication Environmental Nutrition and writes for her blog, The Plant-Powered Dietitian. Sharon makes her home with her husband and two sons in the chaparral hills overlooking Los Angeles.

Crepes are a delightful delicacy that can be either sweet or savory, as we’ve proven here. Don’t be too intimidated by them, they are far easier than they seem. This recipe was developed by our Label Content Manager, Michelle, who also writes the blog Je Mange la Ville and makes use of both quinoa flour and cooked quinoa grain for a delicious, gluten free crepe. Fill sweet crepes with jam, Nutella, fresh fruit, whipped cream or simply a bit of butter and top with powdered sugar. A savory filling of spinach, mushrooms and feta is suggested below. For even more sweet or savory filling ideas, check out these suggestions from The Kitchn.

Sweet or Savory Quinoa Crepes

Makes 6-7 crepes

• 1/2 cup Quinoa Flour
• 1-1/2 tsp Granulated Sugar (sweet) OR 1/2 tsp salt-free Spice or Herb Blend (savory)
• 1/8 tsp Kosher Salt
• 3/4 cup 2% Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 1.5 Tbsp Butter, melted
• 1/4 cup cooked Quinoa

Combine the flour, sugar or spice blend, salt, milk, eggs and butter in a blender. Mix until smooth and mixture starts to get bubbly. Let batter sit for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight in the refrigerator.

When ready to make crepes, heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the cooked quinoa to the batter and stir to incorporate. Spray the pan lightly with non-stick spray. After stirring batter again, use a 1/4 cup measure to add batter to pan, swirling gently to spread the crepe batter out. Cook until crepe is has small bubbles on its surface and looks  slightly dry on the top, about 2-3 minutes. Gently flip (you may need to use your fingers as well as a spatula), and cook on the other side about a minute.

Repeat with remaining batter, mixing before making each crepe. Stack crepes between sheets of parchment or paper towels until ready to use.

Note: It is highly probable that the first crepe will not work (they just hardly ever do). Keep going, the second crepe will be fine.

Savory crepes filled with sautéed spinach, mushrooms and feta cheese, rolled up and baked for about 20 minutes at 350°F. Serve with a lemon-garlic aioli or mustard.

This is our third post in our series on the different flours we produce. Week one was wheat flours, week two was low carb flours. 

Baking without gluten can be a little bit tricky, but with the right combinations of flour and starch, baked goods can be just as delicious as their gluten-filled counterparts. Our guide is not going to tell you which flours to combine when, but it will help you understand what each flour is made out of and what it brings to the table. Even though they aren’t true flours, we’ll also cover a few starches. We will be covering bean flours next week, even though they are gluten free flours.

Some notes:

• Gluten free flours are best combined with starches for baking.
• Different baked goods require different combinations of these flours. Here are a few well-known combinations that will work in a pinch: Gluten Free Girl’s Blend, Karina’s Basic Flour Blend, Art of Gluten Free Baking Blend, and, of course,  our Gluten Free All Purpose Mix.
• When we state “you can replace up to X% of the flour in your recipe” it refers to replacing white flour, however, those rules are a good place to start when creating your own flour blend.
• Adding Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum is important when combining flours, although some people have found other alternatives to the gums.

Almond Meal: Almonds are notoriously healthy nuts providing a good amount of manganese and vitamin E , as well as a healthy serving of monounsaturated fats in each 1/4 cup serving. Not only do almonds have a healthy boost of protein, they are also very low in carbohydrates and naturally gluten free. Replacing 25% of the flour in your baking with almond meal will add wonderful texture and flavor while reducing the total carbohydrates.  Although it has a lightly sweet flavor, almond meal can also be used in savory applications. Use almond meal in place of bread crumbs in meatballs, or as a coating for chicken and fish. Browse recipes for almond meal here.

Amaranth Flour: Amaranth flour has a pleasant, nutty flavor and can be used for up to 25% of the flour in your baked goods. Amaranth flour is a source of complete protein—it contains all the essential amino acids, including lysine, which is lacking in most grains. High in fiber and a good source of magnesium and iron, Amaranth flour is a spectacular addition to your diet. Browse recipes for amaranth flour here.

Arrowroot Starch: Arrowroot Starch is also known as arrowroot flour or arrowroot powder. This starch comes from the root of the plant Maranta arundinacea. Used in combination with other gluten free flours, arrowroot provides some thickening and stability to gluten free baked goods. It can be used in place of corn starch one for one. It is best to add arrowroot starch at the end of the cooking process because extended exposure to high heat will cause it to lose its thickening abilities. Browse recipes for arrowroot starch here.

Black Bean Flour: Bean flours will be covered next week.

Buckwheat Flour (not produced in our gluten free facility): Buckwheat flour is milled from the pyramid-shaped groats of the buckwheat plant. The dark color of buckwheat flour comes from having additional hulls of buckwheat milled alongside the creamy groats. It is high in magnesium and fiber and has a  unique flavor that lends itself to pancakes and breads. Buckwheat flour can replace up to 20% of the flour in your recipe. Buckwheat flour is naturally gluten free, but we do not produce it in our gluten free facility. Our buckwheat flour is raw.

Coconut Flour: Organic coconut flour is a delicious, healthy alternative to wheat and other grain flours. Ground from dried, defatted coconut meat, coconut flour is high in fiber and low in digestible carbohydrates. A single 2 Tbsp serving of coconut flour delivers 5 grams of fiber. The light coconut flavor allows coconut flour to blend seamlessly into sweet or savory baked goods. It makes a wonderful coating for chicken, fish or other proteins in place of regular flour or cornmeal. Because of its high fiber content, baking with coconut flour is a unique experience. Coconut flour requires an equal ratio of liquid to flour for best results. Coconut flour can replace up to 20% of the flour in a recipe, but you will need to add an equal amount of liquid to compensate.  We recommend following a recipe designed for coconut flour when getting started. Luckily, we have many recipes to experiment with in our recipe section. Coconut flour is unsweetened and does not contain sulfites.

Corn Flour: Milled from high quality, California corn, our whole grain corn flour has a mild, sweet flavor perfect for all kinds of gluten free baking. We produce a regular and a gluten free version—be sure to check the label for our gluten free symbol. Use corn flour for tortillas, breads, muffins, cakes and cookies. The fine grind, allows corn flour to blend seamlessly into baked goods. Corn flour can replace up to 20% of the flour in your recipe. Browse our corn flour recipes here.

Fava Bean Flour: Bean flours will be covered next week.

Garbanzo Bean Flour: Bean flours will be covered next week.

Garbanzo and Fava Bean Flour Blend: Bean flours will be covered next week.

Masa Harina: Masa Harina is a very special type of flour and we now offer it as gluten free (be sure to look for our gluten free symbol). Milled from corn that has had the germ removed and been soaked in lime (calcium oxide, not lime juice). This flour is ideal for making tortillas, but can be used the same way as our regular corn flour.

Green Pea Flour: Bean flours will be covered next week.

Hazelnut Meal: Bob’s Red Mill Hazelnut Meal is ground from whole Oregon hazelnuts, or filberts. Hazelnuts are often overlooked for their nutritional value, but these healthy nuts provide a good amount of vitamin E and a healthy serving of monounsaturated fats in each 1/4 cup serving. You can replace up to 30% of the flour in your baking with hazelnut meal to add wonderful texture and flavor.  Hazelnut meal will bring a rich, buttery flavor to your baking while adding an enticing aroma that can only come from high quality hazelnuts. Hazelnut meal can be used in savory applications, as well. Use hazelnut meal in place of bread crumbs in meatballs, or as a coating for chicken and fish.  Our hazelnut meal is not blanched.

Millet Flour:Millet flour has a light, mild flavor, making it perfect for sweet or savory baking. Replace up to 25% of the flour in your recipe with millet flour for added nutrition. Millet is an excellent source of fiber, manganese, phosphorus and magnesium. In our opinion, millet flour is often overlooked in gluten free baking—it adds whole grain nutrition and has a mild flavor, not something you find often with gluten free flours. Browse our millet flour recipes here. 

Oat Flour: Oat flour is another overlooked, but incredibly nutritious gluten free flour. We produce a regular and a gluten free version—be sure to check the label for our gluten free symbol. Made from pure gluten free oats, our gluten free oat flour has the subtle sweet flavor of whole grain oats. Oat flour can replace up to 20% of the flour in your recipe. Oat flour is perfect for pie crusts, pancakes, muffins and more. Browse our oat flour recipes here.

Potato Flour: Now here is a tricky flour. Potato flour is NOT the same as potato starch. Potato flour can be used to give baked goods a moist crumb, but it is not really the most ideal baking flour. It is made from dehydrated Russet potatoes. Potato flour has a stronger potato flavor than potato starch, but will still work well to thicken sauces and soups. This flour is best left for potato soups, potato bread and other savory items. Browse our potato flour recipes here.

Potato Starch: Potato starch is an incredibly versatile starch used in many gluten free recipes. With no potato flavor, potato starch can be used to thicken in place of corn starch (use 1-1/4 Tbsp potato starch for 1 Tbsp corn starch) or added to baked goods to help retain moisture and give a better crumb. Potato starch will thicken at higher temperatures than corn starch, which makes it great for pie fillings and sauces. Browse our potato starch recipes here.

Quinoa Flour: We’re going to just say it up front- quinoa flour has a little bit of a, well, quinoa taste to it. Earthy is a good way to describe it. That does not make it a bad flour to bake with, just one that you want to use in savory applications or with other strong flavors, like chocolate or lemon. Quinoa is very high in protein and is a great way to increase the protein of your baked good. Quinoa flour will also improve the moisture of your baked good and help produce a good crumb. You can replace up to 25% of your flour with quinoa, although some people find it to be a great stand alone gluten free flour for particular recipes (like this one for quinoa tortillas). Browse our quinoa flour recipes here.

Brown Rice Flour: An absolute staple in gluten free baking, brown rice flour is incredibly versatile. You can thicken sauces with it and use it for coating fish and other proteins, as well as produce breads, cakes and noodles. Our brown rice flour is stone ground from whole grain California brown rice. Some people find brown rice flour to be slightly gritty, but many find it preferable to bean flours. Browse our brown rice flour recipes here.

White Rice Flour: The refined version of brown rice flour, white rice flour can be used interchangeably with brown rice flour. White rice flour can be used to bake cakes, cookies, breads and more, as well as thicken sauces and coat fish and other proteins. Our white rice flour is stone ground from California white rice. As with brown rice flour, some people find white rice flour to be slightly gritty, but many find it preferable to bean flours. Browse our white rice flour recipe here.

Sweet White Rice Flour: Increasing in popularity, sweet rice flour is excellent for thickening sauces and coating proteins, like white rice flour. But don’t let that fool you- this flour is much higher in starch than regular white rice flour. This flour is used more like a starch in baking, adding moisture to baked goods. It is not sweet, despite its name, but it is often used for desserts and is the main ingredient for making the Japanese dessert, mochi. We find that people are using this more and more in gluten free baking to help bind the baked goods. Browse our sweet white rice flour recipes here.

Sorghum Flour: Sorghum flour is one of our favorite gluten free flours. It is probably the closest to approximating a wheat-like flavor and texture of the gluten free flours. It has a light flavor and can be used for every kind of gluten free baking. Use in combination with other gluten free flours for delicious, whole grain baked goods. Browse our sorghum flour recipes here.

Soy Flour: (not produced in our gluten free facility): Our soy flour is milled from whole, raw soy beans. This flour is a great source of complete protein, as well as a good source of fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus. You can replace up to 30% of the flour in your recipe with soy flour. Soy flour is naturally gluten free, however we do not produce it in our gluten free facility. Baked goods made with soy flour tend to brown more quickly, so it is best to use a recipe designed for soy flour or to keep a close eye on your baking when using it.

Tapioca Flour: Milled from cassava root, our tapioca flour can be used interchangeably with tapioca starch. Tapioca flour is an excellent thickener in sauces and can replace corn starch (use 2 Tbsp tapioca flour for each 1 Tbsp corn starch). Tapioca flour helps bind gluten free recipes and improves the texture of baked goods. Tapioca helps add crispness to crusts and chew to baked goods. Use in combination with other gluten free flours for best results. Browse our tapioca flour recipes here.

Teff Flour: Like quinoa flour, teff flour has a distinctive teff flavor. Earthy and nutty, teff flour makes an excellent addition to baked goods and is the main ingredient in the Ethiopian flat bread Injera. Teff flour can replace up to 20% of the flour in your recipe. It is an incredibly nutritious flour, so adding a small amount to your baked goods will boost nutrition while providing a unique, slightly sweet flavor. Browse our teff flour recipes here.

White Bean Flour: Bean flours will be covered next week.

{Giveaway}

We’d like to give one lucky reader a set of our gluten free flours- brown rice flour, sweet rice flour, sorghum flour, oat flour, corn flour, tapioca flour and potato starch. To enter, simply follow the directions in the app below. We’ll pick a winner at random from all who enter by 12:01 am on 03/27/13.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

These two delicious recipes come from Mimi of Mimi Avocado. Mimi Holtz, author of  “Mimi Avocado”, has been married to her  California avocado farmer husband  for 30 years, raising their four children and teaching music.  Originally from Vermont, she writes about life on an avocado ranch, sharing stories,  healthy recipes, and her favorite new discoveries.   

Smoky 13 Bean, Pork and Quinoa Salad with Avocado

Smoky bean soup is a delicious autumn supper, and the leftovers can be repurposed as a hearty warm salad for another meal. Serve the salad as a side dish, topped with avocado chunks, or as a filling for perfectly ripe avocado halves.

Smoky 13 Bean Soup with Pork

Ingredients:

• 29 oz package of Bob’s Red Mill 13 Bean Soup Mix
• 2 fully cooked Smoked Pork Chops (approx. 1 lb.)
• 2 cups chopped Brown Onions
• 4 Tbsp Bob’s Red Mill Bean Soup Seasoning Mix
• 2 ripe California Avocados

1. Wash and soak 29 oz. Bob’s Red Mill 13 Bean Soup Mix overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the beans.  Put the beans in a large pot and add enough water so that there is about an inch of water above the beans.
3. Cut up 2 fully cooked smoked pork chops into small pieces (1 lb.) and add  to the beans.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours, or until the beans are tender.
4. Add  2 cups of chopped onion and 4 Tbsp. Bob’s Red Mill Bean Soup Seasoning Mix  and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Serve the soup hot with avocado slices as a topping.  Serves 6. 

Reserve 1 ½ quarts of soup to use in the salad.

Smoky 13 Bean, Pork and Quinoa Salad with Avocado

• 1 ½ quarts of prepared Smoky 13 Bean Soup
• 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa
• 4 cups Water
• 1 ½ cups prepared Mild Salsa or Pico de Gallo
• 3-4 ripe California Avocados

1. Start with 1 ½ quarts of  prepared Bob’s Red Mill 13 Bean Soup with pork
2. Combine 2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa with 4 cups of water in a large pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover for 15 minutes.
3. Add the leftover soup to the hot quinoa and combine.
4. Fold 1 ½ cups of  mild salsa or pico de gallo into the beans and quinoa.
5. Serve warm, topped with avocado chunks,  or  use as a filling for avocado halves.

We have some wonderful classes in store for you in October- including a hands-on bread baking class with David Kobos. This class fills quickly, so be sure to register today.  Call 503-654-3215 x 208 to register. Classes are held at our Whole Grain Store (see address at bottom).

Discover the ancient grain quinoa with Lori Sobelson.

The Versatility of Quinoa with Lori Sobelson!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
5:00-7:00 p.m.
Class Fee: $50

This month’s featured grain is my all time favorite, Quinoa! Quinoa is a wonderful nutritious grain that is very easy to prepare and extremely versatile in cooking. In this class my goal is to show you how to use this tasty, nutty grain in ways you’ve never thought of before! My quinoa recipes include: Easy Guacamole, Fruit Smoothie, Healthy Pancakes, Caribbean Quinoa & Squash, Stuffed Red Peppers, Tasty Quinoa & Scottish Oatmeal Hot Cereal, Black Bean Salad, Fruit Salad, Blueberry Muffins, and Chocolate Truffle Brownies. If you’ve never  incorporated this wonderful grain into your menu now is the time to do so with my easy, healthy, and tasty recipes! **Quinoa is a glutenfree grain however this class contains recipes with gluten.

Learn delicious ways to combine three garden staples—corn, beans and squash—with Dan Brophy.

Three Sisters From Your Garden with Chef Dan Brophy!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
5:00-7:00 p.m.
Class Fee: $50

Corn, Beans and Squash—an ancient association of three plants by Native American farmers. One of the original examples of integrated, vertical polyculture. Eating these three provides a complete protein from a plant source. Dan Brophy will be providing recipes which show this association/complementation including: Roasted Corn Chowder, Indian Corn Pudding, Black Bean Chili, Succotash, Basic Polenta and its many variations and Quinoa and Pumpkin Seed Pilaf baked into winter squash. Come and join us for this fall harvest celebration.

Learn how to make wonderful homemade bread with David Kobos.

Plump, Moist, Delicious Whole Grain Bread with David Kobos!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
5:00-7:00 p.m.
Class Fee: $60

This is the perfect class to explore turning Bob’s Red Mill whole grain flours and cereals into plump, moist, delicious loaves and rolls. In this hands-on bread baking 101 class, David Kobos, founder and president of Kobos Coffee, will introduce you to techniques of kneading, forming and baking breads and rolls with whole grains and flours. A few of his recipes are: Swiss Style Whole Grain, Oat Wheat, Whole Grain Beer Bread, Whole Grain English Muffins, and Whole Wheat Pizza Dough. You will leave with a loaf and some rolls to bake at home.
Supplies to Bring: One 4 to 6 qt. mixing bowl, apron, kitchen towel, bench knife or dough scraper, wooden spoon or spatula, a bread pan (8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ is best), cookie sheet and measuring cups.
*This class assumes no prior knowledge of bread baking.

Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store
5000 SE International Way
Milwaukie OR 97222
503-607-6455
Directions

We tested this recipe recently to see if it was a good fit for a magazine article and the chicken strips disappeared so quickly that we thought you would enjoy it too! We love the creative use of quinoa as a chicken crust—what a fantastic way to add whole grains to your meal. I bet this would work well as a crust for all sorts of things- fish, tofu, etc. It’s also an easy recipe to make gluten free- simply use your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the white flour.  Serve this over a bed of lettuce for a healthy and delicious meal.

Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Strips with Chipotle Pepper Drizzle

• 1 cup Organic Quinoa Grain
• 2 cups Water
• Olive Oil Spray
• 1-1/2 lbs boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into 3/4-inch strips
• 2 Tbsp Orange Juice
• 1-1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 tsp ground Cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground Paprika
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 cup Unbleached White Flour or Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Roasted Red Pepper, drained and chopped
• 1 small Chipotle Chile, canned in adobo
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 1/2 cup fresh Cilantro, plus extra for garnish

Directions

Step 1

On a sheet tray, spread two layers of paper towels.

In a quart saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add quinoa, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain water and spread quinoa on paper towels to dry, about 30 minutes.

Scrape quinoa off paper towels and into a deep plate or pie pan.

Step 2

Slice chicken into long, 3/4-inch thick strips and toss in a bowl with orange juice, 1/2 tsp salt, cumin and paprika.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Step 3

In a deep plate or pie pan, whisk the egg. In another deep plate or pie pan, mix the flour and 1/2 tsp salt. Coat the chicken strips with the flour, then egg, then roll in the quinoa.

Step 4

Place a heavy sheet tray or baking pan in the hot oven for five minutes, take out and spray heavily with oil. Quickly place the chicken strips on the hot pan (making sure they do not touch). Spray with oil and bake 20 – 25 minutes.

Step 5

Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, puree the roasted pepper, chipotle and cilantro. Add the sour cream and remaining 1/2 tsp salt and puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl or eight small dipping bowls.

Serve the chicken on a bed of spinach, if desired, with sauce drizzled over or in bowls for dipping. Sprinkle with reserved cilantro.

Serves 8.

Find Nutrition Facts here.

Think of this recipe, from the Bob’s Red Mill Cookbook, as a jumping off point for a simple, yet delicious meal on a busy Monday night. The vegetables listed below are suggestions; feel free to add or subtract vegetables based on what you have on hand or what is in season (broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, etc). Quinoa ensures that your family gets all the protein they need, while the roasted vegetables deliver a rainbow of vitamins and minerals. Serve this with a loaf of crusty bread and a green salad or sliced fruit for a hearty Meatless Monday meal.

Roasted Vegetables and Quinoa

• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 6 small thin-skinned Potatoes, quartered
• 3 medium Zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 large Onion, halved and sliced
• 2 medium Carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
• 2 Red or Green Bell Peppers, cut into chunks
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh Rosemary or 1/2 to 1 Tbsp dried
• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
• 3 cups Vegetable Stock
• 1-1/2 cups Quinoa
• 1/3 cup Raisins

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Combine the olive oil, garlic, potatoes, zucchini, onion, carrots and bell pepper in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the rosemary, salt, and pepper and mix thoroughly to coat. Transfer the vegetables to a large roasting pan, cover loosely with foil and roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Stir in the quinoa and return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat, replace the cover to keep it warm and set aside.

Remove the foil from the roasting pan, stir the vegetables, and add the raisins. Roast, uncovered, for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender and nicely browned.

Mound the quinoa in a wide shallow bowl, serving platter, or individual plates, top with the vegetables and serve.

Wow! The Virtual Potluck bloggers have been very busy this month with all the recipes they’ve been pumping out and the prizes they were giving away. While we are sad to see the end of our Virtual Potluck with California Olive Ranch, we are so happy to share all their wonderful recipes with you. It was simply amazing to work with each of these bloggers and see their special take on the different ingredients. Until we have each of these up on our website, here is a quick round-up of the recipes these guys and gals have been creating.

Farmgirl Gourmet:
Week Three: Pear and Bacon Quinoa Pizza
Week Four: Butternut Squash Olive Oil Cake with Clementine Glaze

Miss in the Kitchen:
Week Three: Smoked Salmon Quinoa Patties
Week Four: Pineapple Bars

Cooking With Books:
Week Three: Sausage and Quinoa Casserole
Week Four: Marzipan Olive Oil Brownies

Cookistry:
Week Three: Rice-i-Noa
Week Four: Chocolate Olive Oil (Mayo) Cake

30A Eats:
Week Three: Grande Grains Jambalaya
Week Four: Virgin Chocolate Chunk Brownies with Maple & Benton Bacon

Thyme In Our Kitchen:
Week Three: Quinoa Cakes with Walnut and Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
Week Four: Cranberry Almond Quinoa Cookies

Not Rachel Ray:
Week Three: Savory Asian Quinoa Pancakes with Parsley-Cilantro Vinaigrette
Week Four: Yogurt Tart in Whole Wheat Olive Oil Crust

Diabetic Foodie:
Week Three: Quinoa and Lentil Chili
Week Four: Lemon Loaf with Almonds

Foodie:
Week Three: Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa with Ribeye and Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Week Four: Lemon Basil Tea Biscuits

Bite and Booze:
Week Three: Baked “BBQ” Chicken Thighs over Grande Whole Grains with Thyme
Week Four: TBD

Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine:
Week Three: Quinoa Primavera
Week Four: All of the Lemon Pie with Whole Wheat Olive Oil Crust

Groovy Foody:
Week Three: Best Chocolate Cupcakes Ever with Honey-Cocoa Cream Cheese Frosting
Week Four: Easy Homemade Calzone

Quinoa, how I love thee! I could write sonnets and love songs to quinoa. It’s the perfect grain- it cooks up quick, packs a nutritional punch the likes of which are rarely seen, and tastes pretty darn great too! Truth be told? It’s not even technically a grain (shhh! don’t tell!). Quinoa is actually a seed. I’m not one to quibble over the details and for all intents and purposes it might as well be a grain.

Quinoa takes a back seat in this recipe, simply bolstering the protein and adding some structure to the filling, but it’s an easy way to make a quick and classy vegetarian entree. If pine nuts are priced too high (seems like they just keep getting more and more expensive), use any chopped nut you prefer or try with sunflower seeds. This recipe actually comes from our cookbook, not the one we’re giving away today.

Portobello Stuffed with Quinoa and Pine Nuts

• 6 large Portobello Mushroom Caps
• 1 small Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup blanched, drained, squeezed and chopped Spinach
• 2 to 3 Garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
• 2 cups cooked Quinoa (see package directions)
• 1 cup Ricotta Cheese*
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan*
• 1/4 cup Pine Nuts

Preheat the broiler and cook the mushrooms for about 5 to 8 minutes, turning once, until tender. Drain the mushrooms, pat dry and set on a baking sheet, gill-side up.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

Sauté the onion in the olive oil until tender, then add the spinach and garlic, season with salt and pepper, mix well and cook just to heat through. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the quinoa, ricotta and Parmesan. Mound 1/2 cup of this mixture on each of the prepared mushroom caps, sprinkle with pine nuts, season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

* To make this recipe vegan, use mashed silken tofu mixed with a dash of lemon juice in place of the ricotta. Or try this recipe for making vegan ricotta from cashews. Substitute parmesan with a vegan variety (such as Parma! ), make your own or simply leave it out.

Now for a giveaway that most certainly does NOT put quinoa in the back seat. (Nobody puts quinoa in the corner! Sorry, just couldn’t help myself.) Quinoa 365 by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming contains over 170 recipes featuring quinoa for everything from breakfast to dessert. Recipes include beautiful photos and have designations for gluten free, vegetarian and kid-friendly.  Filled with recipes for everything from Italian Wedding Soup to Quinoa Temaki, this book also includes a slew of tips for how much dry quinoa will yield, sprouting quinoa and how to cook quinoa in the slow cooker.

How to enter: leave a comment on this post with some fun fact about quinoa. We could all gain from learning more about this special seed (ha- see, beat you to that one!) then be sure to click on “I DID THIS” in the application below. This is what enters you into the drawing, but don’t worry- I check all winners to be sure they complied with the rules for entry. In addition to this lovely book, I’ll also kick in a package of quinoa to get you started. Contest runs until 12:01 on 12/5.

As part of my role at Bob’s Red Mill, I field all sorts of requests for product- from magazines and food writers to professional athletes and movies. I have never gotten a request for samples from a musician, until I met Naomi LaViolette.

Naomi contacted me a few months ago to let us know that she had used our organic quinoa in her album. Evidently, her team was looking for a specific shaker sound and nothing was producing the right noise. Heading back to the kitchen, she told me, her producer had a moment of inspiration when he spotted our bag of quinoa on his shelves. It turned out that quinoa was just the sound they were seeking!

Naomi uses quinoa in her song “Somewhere New to Stand” on her soon-to-be released self-titled album.  Her music falls somewhere beautiful between folk and jazz. Naomi is one of many musicians who hails from Portland and we think she’s really something special. Check out her website and music- we hope you think it’s as special as we do.