Quinoa, Red Lentil and Chia Pilaf

I found this recipe over at Original Fast Foods, and decided to give it a try. It makes a delicious side dish for fish. I had some (leftover) for lunch with some sliced tomatoes. I tripled the recipe so that I could put some in the freezer. I found this to be a one of those recipes that will be used often!

Quinoa, Red Lentil and Chia Pilaf
from http://originalfastfoods.com

1/3 c. quinoa (I use Bob's Red Mill as it is pre-rinsed)

1/3 c. red lentils

2 TBSP chia seed

1/3 c. shallots or onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 c. broth

1 large red or green sweet pepper, chopped (I used yellow since it was in the fridge)

1 large carrot, chopped

1/4 tsp thyme

If your quinoa isn't rinsed, so this first. Pick through the lentils for stems, rocks, etc and rinse these as well. Add all ingredients into a pot except for the pepper and the carrot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until quinoa and red lentils are tender.

Recipe: Swiss Chard, Tomatoes and Sprouts

I've been making a lot of vegetable dishes for dinner lately.  This is one of my favorites. I usually improvise, but I share the recipe to get you started on your own creations. I serve this with brown rice and fish. Fantastic!

Begin with a couple of chopped tomatoes in a skillet along with a Tablespoon of olive oil, a couple of cloves of minced garlic (or equivalent frozen/refrigerated). Cook for a few minutes on medium.

Next, I went out to my garden and harvested some Swiss Chard. I love fresh chard. It has a great texture and wonderful taste.

I also added sprouted mung beans, spinach, chopped red pepper, cilantro and chopped celery...

Let it cook down for 3-5 minutes...

I added some walnut pieces for some crunch toward the end of cooking.  Sorry, but no final picture on this one. Everyone must have been hungry!

Potato Pancakes from Instant Potatoes

One of most popular blog posts I've shared has been the one back in 2008 where I made potato pancakes using instant potatoes. I thought I'd share it again since I'm on the road and not cooking today.

Check out my original post here.  Instant potatoes are a great food storage item. I have a couple of cases of potato flakes in my food storage. They are easy to reconstitute. The type I have call for milk and butter, but they taste as close to fresh mashed potatoes as I've ever had.