Nava Atlass Quinoa Pilaf Recipes

QUINOA PILAF

Steps:

• Cook's Note: To toast the almonds, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until lightly toasted, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before using.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan or a high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper, salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 5 minutes. Make a space in the center of the vegetables and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring constantly, until coated with oil, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer until all of the broth has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Keep covered and let sit for 10 minutes. Add the arugula, almonds, mint, cucumber and lemon zest and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.

QUINOA PILAF

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, tomatoes, peppers and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened and aromatic, about 4 minutes. Season with the salt and add the quinoa. Using a wooden spoon, stir to coat the quinoa in the oil. Add the chicken broth, stir and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in the spinach to wilt and serve drizzled with olive oil.

NAVA ATLAS'S QUINOA PILAF

Steps:

• Combine the quinoa with the broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat, cover and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Test to see if the quinoa is done to your liking; if needed, add another 1/2 cup water and simmer until absorbed.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet or stir-fry pan. Add the onions and sauté over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to sauté until the onion is golden.
• Add the cabbage, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, ginger, basil, thyme and lemon juice to the skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high and stir-fry until the cabbage is tender-crisp, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the cooked quinoa, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and dill, remove from the heat, and serve.

QUINOA PILAF

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine broth, quinoa, bay leaf, turmeric, salt, pepper and olive oil in a saucepan. Stir in preserved lemon and cover. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Add tomato, artichokes, onion, olives and currants, mix well to combine. Top with mint and serve.

QUINOA-ALL BRAN PILAF WITH RAISINS AND SIMPLE GREEN SALAD

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the quinoa, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
• In a large saute pan, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Add the onions, garlic, curry powder, and cinnamon. Stir and cook until the onions are soft and start to brown. Stir in the raisins. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1 more minute. Turn off the heat. Add the cooked quinoa to the onions. Add the cereal, crushing lightly in your hands. Stir well.
• To make the salad dressing: Whisk together the lemon juice and brown sugar. Whisk in the olive oil. Season the dressing with salt, and pepper, to taste. Toss the romaine leaves with the dressing to coat evenly.
• Serve with the pilaf warm with the salad on the side.

QUINOA PILAF WITH VEGGIES AND CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Combine chicken stock and quinoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add asparagus, bell peppers, and onion; cook and stir until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in chickpeas. Pour in 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and cook until reduced, about 4 minutes. Add lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Stir in cooked quinoa. Drizzle 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar over pilaf before serving.

QUINOA PILAF WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and swirl olive oil around the inside of the pan to coat. Cook shallot in the hot oil until translucent, about 3 minutes; stir in cremini mushrooms, cooking and stirring until mushrooms are browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir quinoa, thyme, bay leaf, kosher salt, and black pepper into mushroom mixture. Cook, stirring often, until quinoa gives off a slightly toasted fragrance, about 5 minutes.
• Pour vegetable stock into quinoa mixture (stock may spatter a bit); stir to combine. Bring to a full boil, reduce heat to low, and cover pan; simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa pilaf with a fork; cover pan and let pilaf stand 10 more minutes to steam dry.

QUINOA PILAF

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, then add the shallot, fennel, carrot, and a pinch of salt and sauté for about 3 minutes, until the vegetables start to sweat. Stir in the quinoa, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, and cardamom, then stir in the broth and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender.
• Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork, then add the parsley and fluff again. Do a FASS check and add a spritz of lemon juice to amp up the flavor if needed.
• rebecca's notes
• Rinse, rinse, and rinse again! Quinoa is naturally coated with a bitter-tasting resin. To get rid of the resin, put the grain in a bowl of cool water, swish it around with your hand, then drain it in a fine-mesh sieve.
• Quinoa is gluten free, which makes sense when you consider that botanically, it isn't a grain at all; it's more closely related to beets. It makes a great replacement for couscous in Orange Pistachio Couscous (page 145). It's also a great hot cereal; try it in place of oats in Best Oatmeal Ever (page 128).
• storage
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
• nutrition information
• (per serving)
• Calories: 270
• Total Fat: 9.9g (1.3g saturated, 5.7g monounsaturated)
• Carbohydrates: 39g
• Protein: 8g
• Fiber: 6g
• Sodium: 180mg
• WHO KNEW? Chemo and Carbs and Diabetes Risk
• By now, most of us know that chemo can cause muscle loss. But it can also lead to diabetes if you're not careful. Less muscle mass is a double whammy: You burn less sugar than with normal muscle levels, and you also store less sugar, in the form of glycogen, in those muscles, meaning all that unused consumed sugar stays in your body (usually in the liver, blood, and kidneys), elevating overall blood sugar levels and forcing you to use more insulin.
• Dr. Jeanne Wallace says that on top of that, "when you're given chemo, you're often given a steroid that really increases the glycemic response," creating the type of blood sugar spikes and insulin surges that can predispose people to diabetes. Wallace's suggestion? While you're in treatment, forget the USDA food pyramid. It suggests 6 to 11 servings of carbs per day. You want to eat fewer carbs, so shoot for half of that if not less. When you do eat carbs, avoid refined white flour and sugar and stick with whole grains, as their higher fiber content slows the release of their sugars into the body. This may have direct anticancer benefits too, as some studies have shown that lowering blood sugar levels in animals suppressed tumor growth.

QUINOA AND PEPPER PILAF

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peppers and quinoa and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the broth and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the parsley. Season, if desired.

QUINOA PILAF

Steps:

• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion in oil for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add carrot, and cook 3 minutes more. Stir in quinoa and vegetable broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender and fluffy.
• In a bowl, toss quinoa together with walnuts and parsley. Serve hot or at room temperature.

QUINOA & VEGETABLE PILAF

Steps:

• Thoroughly rinse and drain the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer (rinsing removes the residue of the grain's bitter coating). In a covered saucepan on high heat, bring the quinoa, broth, and thyme to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered until all the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Cover and set aside.
• While the quinoa cooks, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil in a skillet on medium-high heat for 3 or 4 minutes, until softened. Add the carrots and sauté for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring occasionally and covering the skillet, if necessary, to prevent sticking. Add the bell pepper and peas and sauté just until they are hot, a couple of minutes. Stir in the tomato, salt, and pepper, cover, and remove from the heat.
• When both the quinoa and vegetables are done, combine them. Add salt to taste. Serve topped with cheese if you wish.
• Ingredient Note
• Use different vegetables, such as asparagus, green beans, celery, and mushrooms-just be sure there are several colors and about 4 to 5 cups total.
• Vary the herb-try dill, tarragon, or rosemary.
• Serving & menu ideas
• Serve with Lemon Herb Tofu (page 68), corn on the cob with one of our toppings (page 188), or Broccoli Tomato Salad (page 204).