Quinoa with sauté vegetables

Sauté vegetables are ideas to prepare easy-to-make dishes and do not require much time to prepare them. We choose the vegetables that we have on hand and to taste.

On this occasion, I have used an  eggplant , a  carrot , half a  zucchini   I had it left over from the previous day and the Quinoa I had previously cooked; although it could be prepared at the same time, as I do on other occasions because while the quinoa is cooked, the vegetables are sautéed.             

>> See another recipe with the explanation

to prepare Quinoa

 

Dish preparation:

The Quinoa I have used is a mixture of three-colored grains:  cream ,  red  and  black . On other occasions, I use Quinoa of a single color; that is to say, the one I have at home at that moment.

In a skillet, we put  extra virgin olive oil  to heat; we cut the vegetables into small cubes because they are made quicker. When they are tender, we add Quinoa (previously cooked), stir and let sauté a few minutes over a low heat.

When serving (but this, if desired), squeeze a few drops of  lemon  to give a different touch to the dish. And like that, we have a combination of foods which provide us with a dish for lunchtime very complete nutritionally.

Wild asparagus and quinoa

A few days ago, a friend told me that she did not have much time to prepare vegetable meals and that, in addition, when one worked outside the home and had children, time was scarce to stop in the kitchen.

Well, it is a reality to which I cannot give a solution; it is up to the person to find that space and reorganize the times according to their priorities.

She also told me that frying an egg was something quick and very nutritious. Well, I certainly can give an answer to this:

On that same time, it is prepared this delicious combination of sauté asparagus accompanied by quinoa (three colors). And this is really a nutritionally very complete dish.

Preparation:

Firstly, it is put the quinoa (previously washed) in a saucepan and added two parts water to one part quinoa. We put the saucepan to heat and when the water comes to the boil, we add sea salt to taste; we reduce the heat and let simmer. The necessary time is approximately about 15 minutes until the water evaporates and the grain increases in volume.

Meanwhile, we wash and chop the asparagus. We put a little extra virgin olive oil in a skillet and put it on to heat. I have chosen as seasoning the mustard seeds, but this is to taste, which are added to the hot oil and when the seeds start to pop (to toast), we add the chopped asparagus.  Stirring, without lowering the heat and in a few minutes they are ready. We sprinkle a few grains of salt to taste on the asparagus and serve the dish.                   

                                       

>>  The colors of Quinoa: black, red and white

Mediterranean Savor: Vegetable stew

Vegetable stew is one of the most typical dishes of spring because the new seasonal vegetables like peas, snow peas (mangetout) or artichokes arrive at the markets.         

My mother asked the greengrocer to clean and pick over a selection of mixed vegetables and in this way, she saved time on preparing the vegetable stew.

Today, in general, in all shops they prepare mixed vegetables beforehand, clean and chopped.

Preparation of Vegetable stew:

 

Cover the bottom of a saucepan with extra virgin olive oil and heat. Firstly, sauté one onion, finely chopped and then add some cloves of garlic, chopped. Stir and let it make on a low heat.

Then, add the different ingredients by degree of hardness: first, the hardest ones like pumpkin or carrot, to finish with the tenderest ones like spinach or lettuce.

This way of preparing the vegetables is very typical of Mediterranean cuisine, hence the concept of Mediterranean Savor.

As we add an ingredient, stir and let it sauté some minutes before adding the next one. Always keep on a low heat.

Ingredients used on this occasion:

extra virgin olive oil, garlic, broccoli, zucchini, pumpkin, onion, cabbage, cauliflower, wild asparagus, spinach, peas, green beans, leek, carrot and sea salt (to taste).

◼ Another recipe in which the vegetables are sautéed in their own juice is: 

>> Ratatouille of La Mancha

Mediterranean Savor: Combinations of pasta

◾  Sautéed spinach with pine nuts and raisins, served with pasta (fusilli).

◾  Spinach is cooked soon in a saucepan with a little water and salt (to taste) or steamed. In a skillet, first sauté in a little extra virgin olive oil the raisins and pine nuts (or almonds, according to what you have on hand) and then add spinach (once cooked and drained), stir and ready to serve.

◾  Other combinations:

Warm fusilli salad

Spaguetti

Golden noodle soup

Macaroni

Couscous tabbouleh

                    

Combination of black beans and rice

This combination of beans with rice is more classical, a Mediterranean style, than the combination of beans with manioc flour, more in the style of Brazilian cuisine.

Preparation:

• On the one hand, cook the beans with an onion, two bay leaves and salt to taste. And in another saucepan, cook the rice.

When I prepare a dish with black beans or rice, I usually prepare more than I need to make the dish; so the next day I can prepare another combination without much complication in the kitchen.

In the case of black beans, unlike white or pinto beans, I always prepare them alone because the stock from cooking will darken the color of the other ingredients. And in the case of rice, sauté in little extra virgin olive oil to heat it.

To give colorful to the dish and a different flavor: Cut a zucchini and a carrot into small dices and sauté in a little extra virgin olive oil.

 
Ingredients (Serves 4):

 

Note: 

• The quantities and ingredients are always to the taste of the one who prepares the dish. Well, just when preparing this recipe, the vegetables I had at that moment were zucchini and carrots, in addition to the usual onions and garlic bulbs.

 
200 g  black beans ;

1 small  zucchini ; 

1  carrot ; 

2 large onions;

1 coffee cup of brown rice;

  bay leaves ;

  extra virgin olive oil ;

sea salt (to taste). 

 >> see more rice recipes

                   

Combination of black beans and cassava flour (farofa)

⚫  This combination of beans and cassava, is nutritionally very complete and delicate flavor.

Preparation:               

• In a saucepan cook the beans, which we previously hydrated the night before, with an onion, two bay leaves and salt to taste.

• In a skillet, heat extra virgin olive oil to sauté a finely chopped onion and when it is softened, add some finely chopped garlic cloves; stir and let make some minutes. Then, add the manioc flour, stir and let make (over a low heat); meanwhile, dice two peeled tomatoes and add them; stir; cover with water and rectify the flavor with a little salt (to taste). Leave it to simmer. When the tomato is nearly cooked, add some peas and let simmer,

Ingredients (Serves 4): 

Note: 

• The quantities and ingredients are always to the taste of the one who prepares the dish. Well, just when preparing this recipe, the vegetables I had at that moment were tomatoes and peas, in addition to the usual onions and garlic bulbs. 

• This time I have not added a little sugar to reduce the acidity of the tomato because it is not necessary. The cassava flour, prepared like this, acquires a gelatinous texture.

200 g  black beans ;
150 g  peas  (frozen)
2 medium  tomatoes ;
2 large  onions ;
4 garlic  cloves ;
1 tea cup of  cassava flour ;
 bay leaves ;
 extra virgin olive oil ; 
sea salt (to taste)

>> see more pulses recipes 

                    
 

Mediterranean Savor: lentil cream soup with croutons

◼  An idea that my mother used to use in order to make a dish funnier was to add croutons (pieces of bread cut into cubes and fried in oil) to the lentil cream soup.

We prepare a lentil stew and the next day we change it into another dish.

>> see more vegetable cream soup recipes

                   

Lentil Stew with vegetables

Preparation:

In a 3-liter saucepan:       

• Sauté, in extra virgin olive oil, the chopped onion and garlic cloves; then, add a tablespoon of Herbes de Provence (quantity to taste), stir and sauté some minutes.
• Add the lentils, (previously, leave to soak overnight), stir and sauté for some minutes.   
• Cover with water and add a bay leaf (to taste) and sea salt as needed. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer.

Meanwhile:

• Clean the carrots, zucchini and eggplant. 
• In a little extra virgin olive oil sauté the zucchini, eggplant and carrots, cut into small dices. While they are cooking, lightly season with a selection of 5 pepper berries. 
• When lentils are mushy, add the zucchini, eggplant and carrots seasoned with the ground pepper, stir and let it heat up everything, as a whole.

Ingredients: 200 g small brown  lentils  (Pardina or Spanish brown), 1  eggplant  , 1  zucchini  , 2   carrots  , 1  onion ,  3  cloves garlic ,   Herbes de Provence  , 1  bay leaf  ,  extra virgin olive oil  , sea salt.

>> see more stew recipes

                    

Mediterranean savor: Bean stew with a marked Portuguese style.

◾  There are several recipes inside Portuguese cuisine of dishes made with a rice stock, so that inspired by that kind of dishes I created this delicious stew.

◾   It is an ideal dish to prepare not only in cold seasons, but also after the feast days, with food of “heavy” digestion; because it is a dish which “perks you up” your stomach  and makes you feel very comfortable.

Preparation:

The evening before, put the beans to soak, to hydrate them.   

The next day:

• Cook the beans with one onion, two bay leaves, one dried chili pepper and sea salt (to taste) in plenty of water. The water from cooking is used as stock for the stew.  

• Cover the bottom of a saucepan, similar to a paella pan with lid, with extra virgin olive oil and put it to heat. Meanwhile, chop an onion and when the oil is hot, sauté the onion over a low heat. Chop the cloves of garlic and add them when the onion is softened. Stir and let make some minutes.    

• Add the spices (basil and oregano; on other occasions, I have used rosemary, thyme and a dash of ground cumin; the use of the spices is always to the taste of the one who prepares the recipe). Stir and let make.      

• Dice the peeled tomatoes and add them together with a dash of sugar (to neutralize the acidity of tomato), stir. Let make everything over a low heat so that the flavors will combine and sauté in their own juice. 

• Add the brown rice, stir and then add the white beans (it doesn´t matter although they aren´t completely cooked because they finish their cooking together with the remaining ingredients, since the brown rice needs cooking almost an hour). The stock we use is the one from cooking the beans.                         

Ingredients (serves 4):

Note: The quantities and ingredients are always to taste of the one who prepares the recipe.

200 g white beans,

2 large  tomatoes ,

2 large onions,

5 large cloves of garlic,

1 coffee cup round-grain brown rice, from Calasparra D.O.  

1 tablespoon dried  basil ,

1 tablespoon dried  oregano ,

1 teaspoon  Muscovado sugar ,

1 dried  chili pepper (optional),

2  bay leaves ,

 extra virgin olive oil            

sea salt (to taste)

Approximate time: 2 hours

>> see more stew recipes

                   

Mediterranean Savor: Fried green beans.

recipe

                                     

Mediterranean Savor: Sautéed mushrooms with pine nuts and raisins

 

Heat a little   extra virgin olive oil  in a skillet; first, sauté the  pine nuts  and  raisins  (I hydrated them previously although it is not necessary, it depends on the taste); when the pine nuts are browned, remove all the ingredients and set aside. 

Then, in the same oil, sauté the mushrooms (previously washed and cut, as desired; if they are small, I put whole mushrooms).

Rice goes very well with mushrooms and in this way the dish is more nutritious.

                    

Mediterranean Savor: "Judiones from La Granja" to an old-fashioned way.

Since I discovered “the Judiones" (giant butter beans) from La Granja, they are also known by the name "white of Spain", more than 3 years ago, they have been my favorites. 

I practically prepare them in the same away, cooked with an onion, some  bay leaves , a  dried chili pepper  and a dash of sea salt. 

When they start to be soft, I am mashing some of beans with the aid of a skimmer and a fork. Sometimes I leave the broth more liquid, others, as in the photograph, thicker. But I always add a garlic stir-fry with  sweet paprika  in  extra virgin olive oil   at the end. 

If you like spicier, add more chilies or hot paprika; if it is, otherwise, remove the chili but you can keep sweet paprika. A little spicy, although very light, strengthens our body against colds. And the dish accompanied by a large slice of whole wheat bread. 

The beans prepared only or with other vegetables suit very well; furthermore, they are very digestive and nutritive. Their bad reputation is due to the fact that they are combined with animal food, that´s why they are very heavy dishes and difficult to digest. 

The giant butter beans are grown in the vicinity of La Granja from San Ildefonso in the province of Segovia (Spain), a nice place worth visiting. 

The difference in size of the beans (giant bean) in respect of white or pinto beans is visible in the photo.

                                    

Mediterranean Savor: Garlic, paprika and olive oil.

Garlic,  paprika  (sweet or hot) and  extra virgin olive oil   are the ingredients for the garlic stir-fry with paprika that I add to many of my recipes; it is a special touch and, besides, helps to minimize the seasoning with salt.

The garlic stir-fry with paprika is a very characteristic flavor in Spanish cuisine. When the paprika is not used, we say that we add to the dish, always before serving, a garlic stir-fry in blank.