Recipes Archives - Page 8 of 9 - Former Fat Guy Blog

Sep 22 2007

Recipe: Kale Soup with Quinoa

Quinoa originated in the Andean region of South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years. The Incas, who held the crop to be sacred, referred to quinoa as “chisaya mama” or “mother of all grains”, and it was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using ‘golden implements’. During the European conquest of South America quinoa was scorned by the Spanish colonists as “food for Indians”, and even actively suppressed, due to its status within indigenous non-Christian ceremonies. I hope you enjoy this Kale Soup With Quinoa.

kale soup with quinoa recipe

Kale Soup With Quinoa

1/2 Cup Green Lentils
1/2 Cup Quinoa (I like to use half-and-half)
1/2 Medium Onion, finely chopped
4 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Small Bunch Kale
5 cups water (or make your own veggie soup stock and use it in place of water and bullion cube)
1 Vegetable Bullion Cube
3 Tbsp Tahini
2-3 Tbsp Tamari or Soy Sauce (I used Bragg’s all purpose seasoning)

Spices
1 tsp Cumin, heaping
1/2 tsp Curry Powder

Wash and de-stem kale (I use kitchen scissors to cut along the sides of the stems)
[***Note: I used the stems too], tear the leaves into smallish pieces. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, and add quinoa and lentils. Sautee for a few minutes, add spices and kale. Mix well. Add water and bullion cube (or your own stock) and bring to a boil. Cover and turn down heat to low. Simmer for 35-40 minutes.

Carefully blend the hot soup in a food processor or blender and return to pot. You can skip this step or blend only half of the soup if you want some texture, but I think it’s nicest smooth.

Add tahini and tamari to taste.

To garnish, mix 1-2 Tbs of tahini with a small amount of water until it becomes smooth and bright. Drizzle on top of the soup and serve.

More About Quinoa

Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and followed in third place by maize. In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content (12%–18%) is very high. Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete foodstuff. This means it takes less quinoa protein to meet one’s needs than wheat protein. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered as a possible crop in NASA’s Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned space flights (from Wikipedia)

How To Pronounce Quinuo:

This crop is known as “quinoa” in English and is pronounced with the stress on either the first or second syllable (keen-wa)

For Quinoa nutrition profile see Nutrition Data

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Recipe Photo Credit: Her View Photography
Recipe Idea Credit: Vegan Yum Yum

Sep 15 2007

Recipe: Red Curry Vegetables With Chicken

Red curry paste is the most common of all the curry pastes. It is used widely in many dishes that you are familiar with such as tod mun and satay. Red curry paste is a mixture of dry chili pepper, shallot, garlic, galangal, lemon grass, cilantro root, peppercorn, coriander, salt, shrimp paste and kaffir lime zest. This red curry vegetables recipe was made using Thai Red Curry Paste available at your favorite grocery or through Amazon in cases of 12. Feel free to prepare this meal with or without the chicken.

red curry vegetables with chicken

Red Curry Vegetables with Chicken

For best flavor, use organic vegetables when possible.
– Vegetables (use your favorites such as: carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, peppers)
– 1 medium onion
– red curry paste
– 1 can coconut milk
– Bragg’s all-purpose seasoning
– Stevia
– 1 chicken breast (or firm tofu if vegetarian) chopped into cubes

Stir fry vegetables until tender, add pre-cooked chicken or tofu and heat through. Add red curry paste to suit your tastes (they vary in hotness, you may have to experiment). Stir in one small can of coconut milk, add 1-2 tsp of Braggs (adds salty flavour) and 1/8-1/4 tsp Stevia (adds sweetness). Heat and allow flavors to merge.

Serve with steamed brown rice.

About Curry Powder: Curry powder is a mixture of spices of widely varying composition developed by the British during their colonial rule of India.

Most recipes and producers of curry powder usually include coriander, turmeric, cumin, and fenugreek in their blends. Depending on the recipe, additional ingredients such as ginger, garlic, fennel seed, cinnamon, clove, mustard seed, green cardamom, black cardamom, mustard seed, mace, nutmeg, red pepper, long pepper and black pepper may also be added.

Recipe Photo Credit: Her View Photography

Sep 08 2007

Broccoli Lentil Soup With Roasted Pepper Coulis

The lentil is a brushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds. With 26% protein, lentil is the vegetable with the highest level of protein other than soybeans, and because of this it is a very important part of the diet in many parts of the world, and especially South Asia which has a large vegetarian population. Apart from a high level of proteins, lentils also contain dietary fiber, vitamin B1, and minerals. Red lentils contain a lower concentration of fiber than green lentils and Health magazine has selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods. I hope you Enjoy this Broccoli Lentil soup recipe.

broccoli lentil soup

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Sep 01 2007

Recipe: Tofu Scramble With Veggies And Dulse

Dulse is a red algae (seaweed) that grows on the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It is a well-known snack food, and in Iceland and has been an important source of fiber through the centuries. Dulse is a good source of minerals and vitamins compared with other vegetables and it contains all trace elements needed for humans with a high protein content. This tofu scamble with veggies and dulse can be eaten as a substitute for scrambled eggs.

tofu scramble with veggies and dulse

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Aug 25 2007

Recipe: Baby Carrots, Asparagus on Brown Rice With Kale

Kale (also called Borecole) is a form of cabbage, green in color, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms. The species Brassica oleracea contains a wide array of vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. Kale is considered to be one of the most highly nutritious vegetables, with powerful antioxidant properties and is anti-inflammatory

Baby Carrots, Asparagus on Brown Rice With Kale Vegetarian Recipe

Baby carrots and asparagus with dijon/dill mustard sauce: Steam the veggies until tender – or cook on low heat in a pan with little or no oil. Add a spoon of dijon mustard, and something to sweeten – I recommend Stevia, but maple syrup, agave, or brown rice syrup would work too. Add chopped fresh dill to taste. Avoid refined sugars and use alternatives such as listed above.

With this one I also cooked brown rice and the greens are kale stems with onion, then add the leaves chopped up to wilt and raisins at the end. Season it on your plate with a bit of olive oil and Bragg’s liquid amino’s.

Food Photo Credit: Her View Photography