Quinoa!

The forecast shows warm and cool days but not terribly cold evenings. For me this means it’s time to seriously get my behind outside to get some fresh air. This will include fence repairs, moving goats to their kidding area, and taking a long hard look at the garden plot. It’s hard to believe that in no time at all the grass will be green and the garden will be bursting with life.

I keep pretty active with all the things I do around the farm. In the evenings I’m often beat and I usually crave something that will fill me up but not make me feel as though I’ve swallowed a brick. A real basic meal for me after a long day will often consist of lentils, a grain product, or brown rice served with either braised greens or a big salad. A few years back I discovered a grain called Quinoa. Quinoa is pronounced Keen-wah. It’s native to America and is indeed a grain. It’s often referred to a super food because it has a balance of protein and is also known as the mother grain because its roots can be traced back to Mayan civilization.

My recipe for a Quinoa Tuna Casserole is packed with broccoli. I love to eat this with a warming soup and a little salad. It honestly is filling and hearty but I never feel heavy and weighted down after I eat it.

If you have never had quinoa now is your opportunity to try it!

Quinoa can be purchased in Stillwater at Natures Supply and also at Food Pyramid in the health/organic section.

Quinoa Tuna Broccoli Casserole
1 cup quinoa boiled in 4 cups of water for 10 minutes. Drain.
In a large mixing bowl combine:
½ onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves minced garlic
1 6-ounce can tuna in water, drained
1 cup 2% milk
6 ounces 2% shredded cheddar cheese
2 ounces 2% shredded cheddar for the top
2 cups broccoli florets
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 whole eggs

Mix the ingredients well. Pour into a lightly oiled 8X8 baking dish, top with the remaining cheese, cover with foil and bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes; uncover and cook for an additional 10 minutes to brown top.

Serves: 6 Calories: 270 Protein: 30g Carbohydrates: 24g Total fat: 6g
Saturated fat: 2.5g Cholesterol: 90mg Fiber: 2g Sodium: 240mg
Seretean Wellness Center at Oklahoma State University
Chef: Lisa Becklund

Quick Lentil Soup
1/2 cup lentils
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 rib celery
½ onion
2 carrots
3 cloves peeled garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 ounces fresh spinach

In a food processor rough chop the vegetables together.
In large sauce pan heat oil, add vegetables and sauté until vegetables become soft. Stir in the salt, pepper and cumin. Add lentils and stock. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender about 20 minutes. Add spinach just before serving.

Serves: 2 Calories: 220 Protein: 15g Carbohydrates: 36g Total fat: 2g
Saturated fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Fiber: 18g Sodium: 340mg
Seretean Wellness Center at Oklahoma State University
Chef: Lisa Becklund

The Cast Iron Pan

It’s been cloudy days with some sleet, snow, and ice in the forecast. It’s also the anniversary of the ice storm which thankfully for me left Stillwater virtually untouched. During that time the Seretean Wellness Center became my refuge, a place for a hot shower and a place where the sense of community touched us all. I was without power at the farm for 11 days, but luckily with a great stove and lots of wood to burn I stayed warm and even cooked several excellent meals on the top of my wood burning stove. What I came to appreciate was the simplicity of ingredients I used and the limited amount of dishes I would dirty because running water had become a valuable resource I didn’t have the luxury of taking for granted. My cast iron pan and I bonded very deeply and I came to love and honor that pan like it was a religious deity. This week’s recipe I honor my cast Iron pan by sharing with you some one-pan wonders. Even if you are able to use electricity I’m sure it will still taste wonderful and get in the mood to at least eat by candle light.

Five-Star Lentil Chili

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (canola or light olive)
1 large onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled
3 ribs celery, quartered
2 carrots, peeled and quartered
1 eggplant, peeled and diced small
1 cup lentils
½ cup brown rice
1 -28 ounce can tomatoes, crushed
1 tablespoon chili pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 tablespoons chili powder (or to taste)
4 cups water

In a food processor with the blade attachment, combine onion, carrots, celery and garlic and chop until quite fine but not liquefied. You can also finely dice by hand if you don’t have a food processor. Dice the eggplant by hand in small dice and set aside

In large sauce pot or cast iron skillet, heat oil; add the chopped vegetables, including the eggplant and brown well. Add the chili powder, chili flakes, and salt. Let cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently.

Add the crushed tomatoes, water, lentils and brown rice. Stir well to combine all ingredients. Turn heat to medium and simmer for about an hour or until lentils and rice are tender.

Serves 6. Calories: 260 Protein: 13 g Carbohydrates: 48 g Total fat: 4 g
Saturated fat: 0.5 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Fiber: 16 g Sodium: 140 mg

Green Chile Cornsticks

¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup low-fat milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
8 ounces frozen corn, thawed
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained

Preheat oven to 400º. Coat cast-iron cornstick pans heavily with cooking spray; place in oven for 10 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt; make a well in the center. Combine milk, oil, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in corn and green chiles.

Spoon batter evenly into preheated pans. Bake at 400º for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove cornsticks from pans immediately; serve warm.

*This batter can also be made into muffins.

Yield: 14 -16 Calories: 100 Protein: 2 g Carbohydrate: 16 g Total fat: 3 g
Saturated fat: .5 g Cholesterol: 15 mg Fiber: 1 g Sodium: 150 mg