Happy Mother’s Day Weekend!
It’s hard to believe that a year ago this Sunday (the 13th) I launched the Quintessential Quinoa ebook. I would dare say that it was the best Friday the 13th I’ve ever had.
I’m not a superstitious person, but even I questioned my judgement as we sent the email announcing the book was available for pre-order. I’ll never forget going to the laundry room to get the boys towels for swimming, taking them outside and coming back to….sales. Lots of sales. I was humbled.
When you write an ebook you hope that a few people will buy it, but you never really know. Because this site has readers who are…well readers…and not other bloggers, I don’t get the same volume of comments many food blogs do. Part of me had been wondering if I would sell a single book.
I would have never imagined that the book would sell and more that cover the expenses of the site. I also would have NEVER imagined that my little ebook would have turned into a a published hardback.
Thanks to all of you who made it possible.
Today’s recipe is a tasty and versatile Quinoa Lentil Pilaf! I used rainbow carrots from my CSA box and it also made the dish colorful! One thing you may notice is that you can’t see the cilantro in my photos. That is because I am forever wasting cilantro so I decided to try the frozen cubes. I won’t be making that mistake again! The flavor was just ok and visually I felt like it really short changed the dish. I would have done just as well with dried cilantro. My husband thought he would like the dish better without the ginger, but I actually really liked it – so feel free to adjust to your taste buds!
Ingredients
- Olive oil spray
- 2 shallots, chopped fine
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (use 1/2 teaspoon if you like spicy)
- 1 dried bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon Pure Himalayan Salt
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme (or 1/4 tsp dried)
- ¾ cups quinoa
, rinsed
- 2 ¼ cups Vegetable broth
- ½ cup Beluga Lentils
, rinsed
- 1 red onions, quartered and sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup scallions
- ½ cup grated Carrots
- ¼ cup Fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon Seasoned Rice Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh Ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon Organic Maple Syrup
Instructions
- Heat a medium skillet to medium-high heat. Add shallots, crushed red pepper, bay leaf and salt. Cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic, quinoa and thyme and cook for about 3 more minutes. Add broth and lentils and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 to 10 more minutes. Discard bay leaf.
- Meanwhile, spray another saucepan with olive oil spray and heat to medium high. Add onions and cook for about 10 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and toss to coat. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 5 minutes.
- In a medium bowl combine scallions, carrots, cilantro, rice vinegar, ginger and maple syrup. If desired, add more salt and pepper.
- Combine the lentil quinoa mixture with the onions and carrot mixture. Serve warm.
Notes
Carbohydrates 27.9 g, Protein 9.5g, 4.1g Fat, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 453 mg, Sugars 2.4g
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