Gluten-Free Stuffing: Quinoa Stuffing with Apple, Sweet Potato and Walnuts (Week 45, 52 New Foods)
Posted by Jennifer Lee on November 19, 2012 0 Comments
For a healthy twist on a holiday favorite, this easy
recipe for gluten-free stuffing made with quinoa, apples, sweet potato and
walnuts is just the ticket.
Our holiday table is always filled with family favorites – tastes and smells that immediately bring back fond memories of family get-togethers and warm celebrations. But this year, in honor of our 52 New Foods adventure, we’re adding a few new additions to our table. Thanks to the fantastic and fabulous Marla Meridith at Family Fresh Cooking, we’re welcoming quinoa stuffing to our list of favorite holiday dishes. Bonus points for being gluten-free!
Gluten Free Stuffing: Quinoa Stuffing with Apple, Sweet Potato and Walnuts
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 to 40 minutes
Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup dry quinoa
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into ¼” dice
2 Braeburn apples, chopped into ¼” dice
½ cup maple syrup
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp thyme
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Salt to taste
Directions:
1. Add the quinoa to two cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, add the lemon to the apples.
3. Toss the lemon apples
with the sweet potato, maple syrup and spices.
4. Bake in a 400 degree oven
for 35 to 40 minutes.
5. Add the quinoa and
walnuts to the baked apples and sweet potatoes. Drizzle with a little extra
maple syrup and add salt to taste.
6. Enjoy with friends and
family!
Recipe inspired by Marla Meridith's Quinoa Stuffing with Apple, Sweet Potato and Hazelnuts.
* What
new foods are you adding to your holiday table this year?
Craving more easy recipes to try? Catch up on last week’s recipe: Easy Butternut Squash Soup!
About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- the award-winning nutrition games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’ nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips, and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery Barn Kids, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, The Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.
52 New Foods: Week 9, Wild Salmon with Quinoa
Posted by Jennifer Lee on March 07, 2012 2 Comments
A pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! This jewel of a recipe for quinoa with wild salmon is simple and delicious. A tasty treasure for busy families.
With St. Patrick’s Day on the sunny California horizon, our
conversations have turned to leprechauns and lucky charms (the whole food kind!).
My kids are fascinated by stories of finding a pot of gold at the end of a
rainbow. Where does that rainbow end? It could be our kitchen table! Hailed as
the “gold of the Incas”, quinoa has been treasured for generations as a power
grain. If my kids will try it, this easy quinoa recipe may prove to be a
treasured jewel in our weekly dinner lineup.
Feature Recipe: Wild Salmon with Basil Aioli and Quinoa from Family Fresh Cooking
Easy quinoa recipes are in abundant supply with the
resurgence of this ancient South American grain. The trick is how to pick one
that won’t result in a tasteless mountain of mush. Thanks to Marla Meridith, we’re in good hands! Cruising Marla’s site is a joyful
adventure for your eyes and tummy. Her tasty recipes are beautifully
presented and make it easy for amateur chefs (like me) to make designer
dinners, effortlessly.
I used Marla’s recipe for Wild Salmon with Basil Aioli and Quinoa as my starting point. It’s a little early in the season to grill, so I opted to bake the salmon and it was equally tasty.
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
16 ounces wild salmon
2 cups water or chicken broth
1 Tbsp olive oil
Paprika
Garlic salt
Pepper
Marla’s
Basil Aioli
Directions:
For the quinoa
1) Rinse the quinoa in cold water.
2) Place in a medium saucepan with 2 cups water (or broth). Bring to a boil.
3) Reduce to a simmer, cover.
4) Cook about 20 minutes.
*Tip: For more flavor, sauté the quinoa in a splash of olive oil until lightly toasted, then add to your saucepan.
For the salmon (modified
for baking from Marla’s
original recipe)
1) Heat oven to 350°
2) Wash the salmon and pat dry.
3) Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with paprika, garlic salt and pepper.
4) Bake for 15-20 minutes in a lightly greased heatproof dish.
Divide the quinoa between four dishes. Place a piece of salmon
over each bed of quinoa. Drizzle with basil aioli. Enjoy!
Crunch a Color Kids Vote: Jackpot!
What we liked: I used rainbow quinoa instead of black quinoa for our recipe, thinking it would be easier for my kids to try. They were hesitant at first, but I encouraged them to try this new kind of “mini pasta” as a way to earn their bonus points. Sautéing the quinoa in a splash of olive oil, and adding chicken broth instead of water, definitely helped create a more flavorful dish. Serve the basil aioli on the side so the kids can have fun drizzling!
Do you have a favorite, easy quinoa recipe? Share your comments!
Next up: Gluten Free Fruit and Berry Crisp
Can gluten free be tasty? According to Amy The Family Chef,
the answer is yes! Next week we’ll take her Gluten
Free Fruit and Berry Crisp for a test drive. Loaded with peaches and
blueberries and topped with a tasty cinnamon oat crunch, it may be tough to
wait for dessert!
Craving more new recipes to try? Catch up on last week’s recipe: Cinnamon Beef Noodle Soup.
About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color™ -- the award-winning game that makes healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game and she’s giving back to support Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, FoodCorps, and Alice Water’s Edible Schoolyard. Watch her picky eaters tell the story of how they turned into healthy eaters playing the game. Follow @crunchacolor and #52NewFoods to tune into Crunch a Color's healthy eating adventure and Jennifer’s tips and kid-friendly, easy recipes.
