Recipe: Fried-Rice Quinoa with FYH VeganEgg

I get a kick out of trying the latest vegan products to hit the market, and Follow Your Heart's VeganEgg has been getting a lot of love on the interwebs. I had to try it for myself! I used the VeganEgg as part of my weekday recipe of kimchi fried rice (where I sub the rice for quinoa obvi). I also threw in whatever seasonal veggie I could find at the farmer's market: in my case, baby portobello mushrooms and asparagus. And presto, dinner is served.

How did FYH's VeganEgg perform in a fried rice recipe? I must say that the VeganEgg tasted very similar in texture/flavor to regular scrambled eggs. The primary ingredient is algal flour, which is derived from algae. Black salt and nutritional yeast are added to boost the egg flavor. The texture was super fluffy; I'm a fan!

1 cup of cooked quinoa
1/2 cup of kimchi (store bought or home-made using Maangchi's recipe, sub fish sauce for soy sauce and you'll have a vegan version)
1 cup of chopped mushrooms
1 cup of chopped asparagus tips
1/2 cup of chopped white onion
1/3 cup of soy sauce
3 tbspn of sesame oil
10 tbspn (equivalent of 5 "eggs") of FYH VeganEgg
pinch of salt
cooking oil

Sauté onion on medium heat in a well oiled pan. Cook until onion turns translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until soft. Add asparagus, quinoa and kimchi and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add soy sauce and sesame oil. In a separate pan, prepare FYH VeganEgg according to instructions on package (blend powder and water until smooth, cook on medium heat). Once the VeganEgg is prepared, transfer to kimchi fried quinoa mixture and gentle fold in. Finish with a pinch of salt and extra sesame oil.

Recipe: Bell Pepper, Bean, Corn and Toasted Quinoa Soup

I am fan of nutrient dense soups. Not only are they one-pot meals, but they also require less effort to prepare. You basically cut up a bunch of complementary veggies and throw them into a pot. The recipe does the rest. 

Bell Pepper, Bean, Corn and Toasted Quinoa Soup has all the flavors of a good southwest meal. Ingredients are inexpensive and nutrient dense. We added a special touch by garnishing with some fresh lime, which offsets the sweetness of the corn and bell pepper, and some crunchy (and gluten free) sweet chili quinoa puffs. This recipe is gluten free and vegan. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 red pepper, roughly chopped into cubes
• 1 yellow pepper, roughly chopped into cubes
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped into cubes
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped 
• 1 ear of fresh corn, cut away from cob
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 can (14 ounces) of canned whole tomatoes
• 1 can (15 ounces) of black beans
• 3 cups of vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup of uncooked Toasted Quinoa
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tspn of dried oregano
• 1 tspn of dried basil
• 1 tsp of whole cumin seeds
• 1 tbspn of olive oil
• 1 tsp of paprika
• 1 tsp of chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lime
• 1 bag of I Heart Keenwah Sweet Chili Quinoa Puffs

Begin by sautéing onion, garlic and cumin seeds in olive oil in a soup pot. Once the aromatics are golden, add peppers and carrots. Sauté for an additional 5 mins. Add broth and tomatoes. Bring to boil. Add quinoa and beans. (The broth will thicken as the quinoa starts to cook and get more plump. I also use the trick of reserving 1/2 can of the beans and mashing them with a fork before adding to soup.) Cook soup for 15 minutes. In last 5 minutes of cooking, add spices and fresh corn. Serve with fresh squeezed lime and quinoa puffs as croutons. 

Recipe: Vegan, Gluten-Free Quinoa Pancakes

To make these simple quinoa pancakes, grab a spice blender and grind our Toasted Quinoa or Toasted Quinoa Flakes into high-protein quinoa flour. 

Ingredients (8 pancakes):

1 cup toasted quinoa flour (made from ground Toasted Quinoa) 
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tbspn olive oil
1 tbspn coconut sugar
1.5 tbspn vanilla (yes, this much vanilla; it helps temper the grassiness of the quinoa flour)
1 tspn baking powder
2 tspn ground flax, chia and hemp (you can throw this into a coffee grinder)
1/4 tspn salt

Separate dry and wet ingredients into two bowls. Whisk dry ingredients to incorporate sugar into flour. Stir wet ingredients to remove lumps from applesauce. Combine dry and wet ingredients and form pancake batter.  

Portion 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Pour batter onto heated nonstick pan (coated in non stick spray). Cook on each side on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until pancake is golden brown and then flip (you can cook 3 pancakes at a time). Serve a stack of finished pancakes with maple syrup. 

Note: Recipe inspired by Grain Free Vegan Quinoa Pancakes from Feed Me Rachel.

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Recipe: Vegan Gluten-Free Meatballs (with Quinoa and Tempeh)

Our meatball-in-red-sauce recipe manages pull of a moist and flavorful meatball that is both vegan and gluten-free. 

The faux meat is comprised of tempeh, which is a close cousin to tofu (comprised of soy beans). Unlike tofu, tempeh is fermented with the entire bean. As a result, tempeh has a higher nutritional profile (protein, fiber, antioxidants, etc) and it can be used as a ground meat substitute. The faux breadcrumbs are made of gluten-free I Heart Keenwah Quinoa Puffs. I gravitate towards the herbes de provence flavor, which has a spice profile similar to Italian seasonings.

Ingredients:
- Vegan Meatballs - 
1/2 packet of tempeh
2 cloves of garlic
1 shallot
1 3oz bag of I Heart Keenwah Herbes de Provence Quinoa Puffs
1 flax seed "egg" (1 tbsp ground flax seeds + 2.5 tbsp of water, mixed together separately)
olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
dried basil

- Red Sauce - 
1/2 can (28 oz can) of crushed tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1 shallot
olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
dried basil

1. The vegan meatballs require a food processor and mixing bowl. I hate cleaning the food processor between ingredients, so I stage them in a logical way. Start with blending the quinoa puffs into fine bread crumbs. Set aside. Then add the shallot, garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. Pulse in until coarsely chopped. Set aside. Add tempeh and blend. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl add quinoa puffs, chopped shallot and garlic, pulsed tempeh, flax seed "egg", a pinch of salt, ground pepper and a 1 tspn of dried basil. Mix until smooth and paste-like. Then roll into 1 inch balls and set on parchment paper. I brush on some additional olive oil before the balls go into the oven. Bake on 375 for 20 minutes (turn the meatballs half way through cooking so that you get an even browning).
3. For the sauce, combine tomatoes, chopped garlic and shallot, olive oil in a pan. Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Add salt, pepper and dried basil.
4. Once vegan meatballs are done baking, add them to sauce and gently coat them. Cook on low heat for additional 10 minutes. This last step will insure that the meatballs are not dry. Serve with additional dried basil.

Guest Recipe: Quinoa Fried "Rice"

Guest blogger Jenny Travens of SuperfoodLiving.com offers this simple, comforting recipe for quinoa fried "rice." Please note that the opinions expressed in this post are the author's own and do not reflect the views of I Heart Keenwah. We have provided suggested substitutes to make this recipe vegan-friendly. 

If there is any possible way to substitute quinoa for another ingredient, I will. Its superfood label is well deserved in my opinion, with health benefits ranging from incredibly high fiber content for weight loss potential to vital antioxidants to protect the heart.

The nutrients in one cup of quinoa are:

• Protein – 8 grams
• Fiber – 5 grams
• Manganese – 58% Daily Value (DV)
• Magnesium – 30% DV
• Phosphorus – 28% DV
• Folate – 19% DV 
• Copper – 18% DV 
• Iron – 15% DV
• Zinc – 15% DV 

One cup of quinoa also contains over 10% DV of vitamins B1, B2, B6 as well as small amounts of calcium, B3 and vitamin E. All of this comes in at only 220 calories with 39 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fat.

What Makes Quinoa A Superfood:

• Quinoa contains large amounts of quercetin and kaempferol, two antioxidants that have been shown to have anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits.
• Quinoa is very high in antioxidants, powerful compounds that fight free radical damage in the body.
• Quinoa is considered to be a “complete” protein due to the fact that it contains all of the essential amino acids that the body needs.
• Quinoa is considerably high in minerals that most people don’t get enough of in their daily diet such as magnesium, iron, zinc and potassium.
• Quinoa is naturally gluten free which makes it ideal for those who battle gluten intolerances.

Quinoa is also considered to be a low glycemic food with a rating of 53. Low glycemic foods don’t raise blood sugar levels, which means it won’t stimulate hunger cues. Adding low glycemic foods into a diet can help stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce hunger throughout the day, which can help with weight loss. If you are looking for extra help with weight loss, consider looking into Biotrust Leptiburn, one of the best supplements to help reduce your weight faster.

As a big fan of quinoa, I use it in some way on a weekly basis, whether it be in a small side dish salad or as a main course star. This week, quinoa was the star of the show.

Substitute traditional rice for quinoa in this gluten-free fried “rice” recipe. Tamari replaces soy sauce in the ingredients list, but if gluten-free isn’t your thing simply swap it for traditional soy sauce!

Quinoa Fried "Rice"
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 eggs, whisked*
2 medium carrots, diced
1 small white onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups cooked Toasted Quinoa
3 green onions, diced
1/4 cup tamari
salt and pepper to taste

*Vegans can omit the egg, or substitute 2.7oz firm tofu, crumbled, stir fried with 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder and a pinch of salt, or your favorite store-bought egg substitute such as VeganEgg or Vegg. 

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a pan on medium heat. Add eggs (skip if vegan) and cook until scrambled. Remove from pan and transfer to a plate.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add carrots, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Sauté until onions are translucent and carrots are tender.
Increase heat to high and add remaining oil. 
Add quinoa, soy sauce and green onions to the pan. Stir constantly for two minutes to "fry" the quinoa.
Add eggs (or vegan substitute) and stir to combine.
Remove from heat and serve.